It was an average day in the FBI offices until a member of the Counter-Terrorism department came out of her office with a photo in her hand. That one photo has the power to completely disrupt a lifetime of work and preparation by enemies of the United States. In a quick read, I tell the story of separation and heartbreak that can only be resolved by a deep and abiding love.
When identical twins separated as toddlers, will they be able to remember each other enough to save both of them from international conspiracies of murder and revenge? Following the car crash that takes his parents and twin brother from him, Michael spends his childhood living the American dream with his grandparents - a star athlete and student who chooses to also serve his country with bravery and distinction.
Ali, once known by his parents and twin brother as Sam, grows up believing America killed his parents in a bombing. He unknowingly spent his life in preparation to be a secret weapon for Iran and the Hezbollah. Like his brother, he is also a star athlete and student, always choosing to serve the country that has cared for him so generously.
Ali begins putting himself in motion for the continued plan of the Iranian Ayatollahs he unknowingly serves. His face becomes the target of an investigation that reveals his American ties. Can Michael reach his brother before the FBI ... or anyone else ... puts a bullet through Sam's head?
As a Lebanese American, I wrote Twins in Arms, a novel, although fictional, based on my experience through the turmoil of the Middle East and my life in the United States. Lies can change perception in one's mind, but love may be more powerful than lies. With and an eye toward the strengths and weaknesses of both cultures and the fear of knowing what the future might hold if the U.S. and Iran went to war, I present the dilemma of what may happen when family and loyalty are at cross-purposes. I also draw attention to the much needed U.S. national defense.
In August 1983, I walked into the American Embassy in Beirut and mentioned a reliable rumor of an attack on the U.S. Marines stationed in Beirut. Unfortunately, It seemed my information fell on deaf ears because, on October 13, 1983, a Hezbollah suicide bomber drove a truck packed with explosives into U.S. Marine barracks in Beirut, killing 241 U.S. military personals.
