The Tension of Contests

This week, the paperback edition of The Tension of Opposites by Kristina McBride was released. The quote on the cover calls it "Tense! The constant push and pull of friendship, pain, love, and jealousy is beautifully drawn. A definite must read." If I were you, I'd listen to the guy who said that (okay, it was me) because he only has your best interest in mind.


Here's the premise of the book:

It's been two years since Noelle disappeared. Two years since her bike was discovered, sprawled on a sidewalk. Two years of silence, of worry, of fear.

For those two long years, her best friend Tessa has waited, living her own life in a state of suspended animation. Because how can she allow herself to enjoy a normal high school life if Noelle can't? How dare she have other friends, go to dances, date boys, without knowing what happened to the girl she thought she would share everything with?

And then one day, someone calls Noelle's house. She's alive.

A haunting psychological thriller taken straight from the headlines, The Tension of Opposites is a striking debut that explores the emotional aftermath of a kidnapping on the victim, and on the people she left behind.

To celebrate the paperback release, I'm giving away a copy of Kristina's book, along with:

• an autographed paperback edition of Thirteen Reasons Why (which doesn't come out until late June, and includes an excerpt from The Future of Us)
• a Beezus and Ramona display autographed by Selena Gomez (I've got connections!)
• a c.d. of Green Day's Dookie (which is mentioned in The Future of Us)
• an autographed c.d. of JoanMarie's In This World (JoanMarie is my wife and I play guitar on most of the songs...so again, I've got connections!)
• cherry Pop-Tarts and a Skor candy bar (cuz they're delicious)

To enter, all you need to do is leave a little info in the comments section of this post by midnight (PST) on Monday, May 30. Tell me your name and three things no one would say when describing you. In other words, because this is a thematic contest, how would someone describe the opposite of you. For example:

JAY ASHER
clean freak
mathematician
onion-lover

After entering, check back on Tuesday to see if you've won. There's no need to leave your email because I'll tell you how to send me your mailing address when I announce the winner.

Good luck!

(THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED)

I also love movies that begin with...

In my last post (which only went up a few hours ago), I mentioned a phone call I just had to answer. Even though I couldn't tell you what it was about, I couldn't wait to tell you.

Well, I didn't have to wait very long!

Click here for a bit more info on...

THE FUTURE OF US
movie!!!

Pluto Saves the Day

Have you ever had your carry-on luggage taken from the overhead bin? One that contained all of your clothes, other than what you were wearing, for a very important trip? Because, y'know, a purple suitcase looks just like a green suitcase!

Let me back up a bit...

Last week, my whole family spent several days in NYC. It was my fifth time visiting that quaint little town, JoanMarie's second, and Isaiah's first. It was also his first time on a plane, and I was hoping he would enjoy his first flying experience. Thankfully, he loves words. All we had to do was pull out a book, and he was fine. In fact, any words would do!


Our plane landed at 11:30pm, and I hoped to get straight to the hotel because I had a breakfast with some booksellers first thing in the morning. Then I noticed that a green (not purple!) suitcase was the only one left in the overhead bin. Even in NYC, the cab driver and hotel staff couldn't think of any clothing stores still open. And they wouldn't be open until after my 8am meeting. Thankfully, my breakfast-mates love a good "Guess what happened to my luggage" story. Immediately after the breakfast, with no time to shop, it was off to the Penguin offices.


The main reason we went to NYC was so Carolyn Mackler and I could film videos talking about our upcoming novel, The Future of Us. Thankfully, Carolyn's husband and I wear the same size shirts, and he loaned me a few. But the ladies at Penguin thought the t-shirt I'd been wearing since I left California the previous morning worked best. Plus, the design happened to include a little joke from our book. (You can get your own Pluto R.I.P. shirt by clicking here.)

After Carolyn and I laughed our way through the video shoot, we headed to lunch with some of the amazing Penguin peeps who've been working so hard on our book since we turned it in last December. And we're excited to work with them even more...in the future!

(Ahem.)

Me (in a t-shirt), Carolyn, Jen Loja, Jocelyn Davies, Elyse Marshall, Ben Schrank

The fun lunch conversation was interrupted by a phone call I had to answer. While I can't tell you what that phone call was about, I will tell you that I can't wait to tell you about it!

After lunch, JoanMarie and Isaiah met us back at the Penguin offices. Even though I write from home (or a coffee shop...or a donut shop), it felt like I was introducing them to my co-workers and friends. It was a wonderful meeting of my two worlds.

Then Isaiah experienced his first stroll through Times Square. And if you look over JoanMarie's hat, you'll see the white cowboy hat and tighty-whities of the Naked Cowboy.


Because my Pluto shirt was getting a little too "well-worn", I bought a NYC t-shirt from the hotel (still no luggage), then train-hopped my way to Brooklyn to attend a bookstore event with my friend, and world traveller extraordinaire, Jodi Kendall. It was only a week ago that I discovered The Wilder Life: My adventures in the lost world of Little House on the Prairie. While researching its author, Wendy McClure, I noticed she was doing a signing my first night in New York. I love non-fiction books by authors who explore one specific topic and write about their amusing/hilarious journeys/discoveries. So I had to go! Now I'm determined to read more than just the first book in the Little House series.


The next morning, my family went out to breakfast with my film agent, Sean Daily. I'd never met Sean before, though we've talked on the phone many times over the past couple years. Not only is he a great agent, but he's also a great guy.


He's also a very tall guy. And as you'll notice in the above photo, I'm wearing something other than a t-shirt! That's because my luggage was finally delivered the night before (to the wrong hotel, but I don't want to get into that). I'm also wearing a very dorky smile, and that's because Sean's holding the Thirteen Reasons Why film contract, which was finally ready to sign!

Breakfast was followed by an interview at the Museum of Modern Art, which I can't wait to tell you about later (maybe next month?). Then the three of us jumped on the subway for Isaiah's first subway ride.


We exited the subway station and walked to Carolyn's house for dinner. In my five visits to NYC, it was the first time I'd eaten a meal somewhere other than a restaurant or hotel room. It was nice! And it was weird to think that our families, after all the time Carolyn and I worked on our book, had never met. But finally, we were all together. As we sat our children on the couch to take a picture, Carolyn made a very touching comment as we looked at the three boys. "They're the future of us."


Yes, that comment sounds cheesy now, but it was very touching in the moment!

If you squint and tilt your head to the right, you can see the galley of our book in the lower-left corner. And if you happen to be attending BookExpo America this week, check your program to find out when Penguin will be giving copies away.

On Wednesday, I had a photoshoot for the interview I did the day before. And it was a full-on photoshoot with a make-up artist, lighting dudes, and everything! I brought my suitcase full of clothes with me so the photographer could choose whichever shirt he wanted me to wear. Mixed in with all my nice shirts was also my "well-worn" Pluto shirt.

Guess which one he chose. (Again, you can buy it for yourself by clicking here.)

Then we walked with one of JoanMarie's college friends, Tami Reichert, through Bryant Park. Even though NYC feels like it's all buildings, streets, and taxis, there are a lot of beautiful parks scattered throughout.


Yes, that's one of my favorite Isaiah "figuring out the world" expressions!

Tami helped us find Macaron Cafe, which is where we were meeting my friend (and editor of Thirteen Reasons Why) Kristen Pettit. The guy in this photo was making a really weird face, so I plopped a macaroon on his head.


Tami and Kristen are both beautifully pregnant, so I will never eat a macaroon again without thinking of third-trimesters.

Finally, the morning we were set to fly back to California, there was one more thing to take care of. I met Carolyn and her agent, Jodi Reamer, in my hotel lobby and we walked to a restaurant to have coffee. There, we signed Jodi's galley of The Future of Us.


And then, we signed the contract for our book. Yes, it sounds odd to finally sign a contract for a book we've already edited and is now in galley-form. But that's what I love about this business. It's so wonderfully odd!

April 5, 2010

(Before we get into this post, I invite you to check out the new 13RWproject website. Courtney Wood, the web designer, is a genius!)


Yes, I’m aware that today is not April 5, 2010. But I want to tell you about something exciting that happened on that date. I know you’re thinking, “Wasn’t April 5, 2010 when the White House Easter Egg Roll was attended by J.K. Rowling and Justin Bieber?” Yes. True. Good memory! But that’s also when I got an email from Carolyn Mackler saying she had a crazy idea to run by me.

She wanted to know if I’d be interested in writing a book with her!

Soon, Carolyn will tell you about what prompted that email (it’s a cool story!), but I thought you might be interested to know what my relationship with Carolyn looked like before I opened that email.

At the time, we’d only met once. It was at the 2005 Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators conference in Los Angeles. I was a huge fan of Carolyn’s, but she had no idea who I was, and I was still several months away from finishing a manuscript called Baker's Dozen (turns out, Thirteen Reasons Why was a much better title). After she concluded her conference speech, I waited impatiently at the side of the stage for the other unpublished writers to finish pestering her with questions and gushing over how much they loved her. Finally, they all moved away and it was my turn! I told her how much her books meant to me, that I was in the middle of writing my first teen novel, and that the honesty in her stories was something I strived for. We had a nice conversation about Vegan Virgin Valentine, which was my favorite Carolyn Mackler book, and then I asked her to sign my copy of her Printz Honor winning novel.

(In elementary school, I did a report on handwriting analysis. Notice the way her lowercase K and H look identical, and the way the second peak in her capital M is a loop? Carolyn is subconsciously wondering whether or not she should one day write a book with this nervous and awkward writer. Isn’t that weird?)

Fast forward a few years. I’m published, and now Carolyn’s a huge fan of mine. She’s never said that in those specific words, but this is my blog, so I feel okay putting words into her mouth (which is something we both got used to doing over the past year). Her next book, Tangled, was coming out and she wanted to know if I would read it and maybe offer a quote for the cover.

Here are two of the biggest honors I’ve felt as a writer:

• Chris Crutcher, who wrote the first teen novel I ever read, gave me a quote for Thirteen Reasons Why
• I was asked to give a quote for a Carolyn Mackler book

A few months after Tangled came out (with my name in tiny letters on the cover), Carolyn asked if I wanted to write a book with her. In the time it took us to write and edit The Future of Us, which included hundreds of hours on the phone and thousands of emails exchanged, Carolyn and I became good friends.

This is such a cool business!

Port Townsend, WA

On the way to my latest speaking gig, I happened to be passing through the town of one of my favorite new authors. Her book doesn't come out until next month, and I'll tell you more about Forgotten then, but getting to sneak in some coffee time with Cat Patrick was a great way to begin my visit to Washington.


Port Townsend chose Thirteen Reasons Why as its first Teen Community Read novel, and I hope they continue this event for years into the future. This wasn't just about reading and discussing my book. They also created poetry, visual art, and performance pieces inspired by it. It'ill be fascinating to see what the students create for other books.

First, I gave two presentations at Port Townsend High School. Some authors don't like speaking in auditoriums full of teens, but I'd do it every day if I could! Not only do I have fun speaking, but the more quiet one-on-one conversations afterward are made up of so many special moments.


Then I went to Jefferson Community School, where I shared a nice lunch with the students. And the students made the lunch! This was an amazing school, and if you check out their website, you'll see what I'm talking about.

Lunch was followed by a radio interview. After that, my voice was beginning to fade, so I retreated back to my cottage...which included its own dry sauna! (Anyone want to volunteer to be next year's Teen Community Read author???)

Next came a pizza dinner with high school book club members, followed immediately by a poetry reading in the public library. It was a beautiful end to the day.

But there was still more to come!

I gave a community presentation at the library the next day, and I was so happy to see local illustrators Jesse Watson and Richard Jesse Watson in attendance. (Yes, they're related!) Jesse helped local students create visual artwork inspired by 13RW before I arrived. Here's a photo of me and Jesse on either side of Jody Glaubman, the librarian responsible for organizing this wonderful event.


And here are a couple of the art pieces the students created, which were hung in various galleries around town.



The next morning, I got in my rental car, drove it onto a ferry to carry us off the island...


...then drove to the airport, hopped on a plane, and made it home in time to spend a few quality Mother's Day hours with JoanMarie and Isaiah.

ANNOUNCING...BOOK TWO!!!

From the beginning, this book has been a crazy and wonderful experience. Stay tuned for more info!


(Once you're done watching the video, click here.)

The Taiwanese Edition!

Afterbirthers

Movie theatre marquee, or political commentary?

Movie Poster: Fan-Made

Arnie Gallo from the Philippines created this mock movie poster for Thirteen Reasons Why. I've been sitting here trying to find the words to describe what I love about the design, but it's kind of obvious, isn't it?

It's brilliant.

Happy Easter!!!

The following is my annual Easter post. Same words, but they'll always apply.

Every so often, a reader gives me their impression of my book in a way which deepens my own understanding of what I wrote. A reader in Florida once told me how a decision made by one of my characters helped her illustrate a sentiment she'd been trying to get across to her friends.

Here's what she told me:

In the past, I've had to help friends realize that life goes on even after you've made a poor decision. Not because you move on or get over it, but because you grow as a result of it. You build something new, something with a higher purpose, using what you've learned as one of your bricks.

When I read that, my heart leapt! I knew immediately that I would be using her words in future speeches.

So what does this have to do with having a happy Easter? One of the most beautiful ideas surrounding the holiday is that we're all given the opportunity to make corrections if we find ourselves traveling down a road we really don't want to be on. In fact, we have that opportunity to change every day. Every second! (But sometimes we need a calendar to remind us.) Refresh. Repair. Rebirth. Whatever you need to call it...

Renewal is a wonderful blessing!

Isaiah's first Easter egg hunt.

Show Me the Dudes

Do you want to know why Missouri is called the Show-Me state? Apparently, the people in Missouri aren't even sure. But they call themselves the Show-Me state anyway, and that's good enough for me!

I flew to Missouri to attend the Missouri Association of School Librarians conference. On the way, I took a photo of two of the Channel Islands, right off the coast from where my flight originated. The Channel Islands are where Island of the Blue Dolphins is set.


At the conference, I gave a couple of workshops. Here's the audience for my first workshop. Can any of you spot the two dudes? Yep, that's about the ratio at these conferences.


The conference was held at Tan-Tar-A Resort, which is beautiful. These school librarians know how to live it up. But I wasn't there to (purely) enjoy resort livin', I was there to work. But I also got to meet Heather Brewer and Mary Downing Hahn!


That's Ms. Hahn in the above photo. Unfortunately, though I talked to her several times, I never got a photo with Ms. Brewer.

But I wasn't there just to enjoy resort livin' and meet cool authors, I was there...to get an award! 700 school librarians, dressed in their sparkliest clothes, dined at circular tables while the award-winning authors and committee members ate on rectangular tables on the stage. Feeling like I was on display, I tried to eat with whatever manners I could remember.


Each author, before receiving an award, was introduced by a student presenter. Kelsie Henry gave me a wonderful introduction.


Ms. Henry also sat beside me during the dinner, and was kind enough to fill me in wherever my manners lacked. But I got her back by telling her mom, into the mircrophone during my acceptance speech, that Kelsie picked at her dessert before she even started her main course.

Tee-hee!


The Gateway Award is voted on by high school students in Missouri, and was a tremendous honor to receive. (The glass book pictured above didn't come with those frogs...I just thought they looked cool admiring my award.)

And here's the committee responsible for putting Thirteen Reasons Why on the eligible list of books. Thank you all so much!


For those of you who heard my speech, here's that newspaper photo I told you about, taken in my elementary school library.


Heading home, here was a beautiful mountain range we flew over.


From islands to mountains to the people, this is a beautiful country.

Of course, I couldn't wait to get home, where I had this little dude waiting for me...



(If you haven't already, and if you LIKE Thirteen Reasons Why, then you should head over to its very own newly created Facebook page.)

Totally Board (but not at all bored)

Today, Isaiah is four months old!

To celebrate, we spent some time doing one of his favorite activities...reading!!! Actually, he's more of a storyteller. He'll let us read half of the book, and then he takes over to tell us what happens through to the end.


His book collection continues to grow. In the photo above, he's proudly showing off his collection of autographed Nina Laden books. (Thanks, Nina!)

I haven't taken the time to appreciate board books from the perspective of a baby since...well...I was a baby myself. But these things are fun! In fact, sometimes Isaiah and I like to chew on the corners of the same book at the same time.

Yes, there are many ways for a father and son to bond over books.

The Bulgarian Edition!

Two Days in Merryland

This week, I spoke at the State of Maryland International Reading Association Council (SoMIRAC) conference. As the title of this post hinted at, everyone I met there was so very happy. Even the organizers running around to keep things organized seemed happy.

And that made me happy!

My favorite part of the event was attending the High School Young Authors Program. Freshmen through seniors submitted poems or essays/short stories, and the first and second place winners were given awards at this event. Before the awards, I spoke to the students, letting them know how frustrated I was that their writing was so much better than mine when I was in high school. They were each given a signed copy of 13RW, and then they each read a portion of their winning entries. Here's the group, seating with their parents and teachers. (I'll post a list of the winners at the bottom of this post.)


Then I spoke on a panel with thirteen other writers/illustrators, followed by roundtable discussions and mingling. Kevin O'Malley sat on the panel, and during each speaker's 3-5 minute intro, he animalized us.


Another panelist, Marc Tyler Nobleman, and I exchanged info so we could swap signed copies of each other's books (they sold out of our books at the conference!). Boys of Steel: The Creators of Superman has been on my to-read list since it came out.


Jennifer Allison, Mary Amato, and I had a fun and fascinating conversation on our experiences with censorship. Good times!


This was the longest stretch I've been away from home since Isaiah was born, so even though I was happy in Maryland, I was even more happy to be getting home. I don't think I've ever taken a picture in the many times I've sat in a plane and descended toward the San Luis Obispo airport, so here's what home looks like from above.


Yes, I've already gotten into the habit of bringing things home for Isaiah. So after he and I played for a long time with his new No, David! doll, we both fell asleep...and it was JoanMarie's turn to grab the camera.



SoMIRAC Young Authors Program
1st and 2nd place winners

Poetry
Grade 9: 1st - Collin Tyler Keys / 2nd - Sarah Meyers
Grade 10: 1st - Becca Bauer / 2nd - Grace Clark
Grade 11: 1st - Hannah Lee Gaskill / 2nd - Naomi Pryor
Grade 12: 1st - Gabrielle Jacobson / 2nd - Sarah Watcher

Short Story/Essay
Grade 9: 1st - Emily Cronin / 2nd - Chaelin Despres
Grade 10: 1st - Samantha Solis / 2nd - Pratikshya Mudvari
Grade 11: 1st - Nicole Foggan / 2nd - Sierra Offutt
Grade 12: 1st - Typhannie Hall / 2nd - Sarah Watcher

Hair We Go

Before:


After:


Before & After:


Without a lot of time during baby naps, I do what I can to entertain myself.

Great Big Sea

JoanMarie and I have no idea where we first heard of the band Great Big Sea, but if you've hung out with us for any length of time, you've probably heard their live CD playing in our home or car. From Newfoundland, GBS plays a mix of original and traditional folk songs with great musicianship and amazing harmonies. And on Friday night, we finally got to see them live for ourselves!


Sorry to shock ya, but when I'm between speaking gigs, the razors get some time off.


Unfortunately, the smoke alarms went off right before the encore, so our night was cut short by a song or two, but here's a sample of how much fun they are.



But I know why everyone really comes to my blog, so here's a photo of Isaiah laughing at one of his favorite jokes. It's a very simple joke to remember, because the set-up and the punchline are the same. All you have to do is repeat "B-b-b-b-b-b-b" and he'll crack up every time!

Good Morning, Scholars

Superauthor James Patterson recently announced the winners of his Dollars for Scholars contest. College-bound students wrote essays describing how their favorite books influenced their decisions about what to do with their lives. I'm mentioning this here because Michelle S. placed in the top sixteen, winning $2500 to spend on books, and guess which book inspired her!

School was always enjoyable for me until I hit the stressors of high school. My sophomore year I was diagnosed with a heart condition that took me in and out of school until the middle of my junior year. However, my heart condition actually turned out to be mild anxiety. I would lose feeling in my fingers and toes and my whole body would get cold due to this condition. It even got as far as dizziness and fainting. It was the worst year of my life I couldn't seem to overcome my anxiety. But, thanks to the help of my counselors, family and friends, I was able to speak to a therapist and get the help I should have gotten during my sophomore year. Thus, I have overcome so many boundaries in high school: weeks without sitting in a classroom, not wanting to get out of my bed, things other kids would take for granted. Now, I've learned to live with my anxiety. I've discovered my limits, and I'm continuing to lead a semi-stress less life. Due to my struggles and the book Th1rteen R3asons Why by Jay Asher, I have decided to combine my talents in art with my desire to help others. I have chosen art therapy as my path for my next four years. Jay Asher's book drew me in so quickly that I was immediately hooked. It acknowledges the hardships teenagers have to face in their four years of high school, as well as the emotional wear and tear students face in their lives outside of school. In the book, the main character, Hannah, is pushed so far that she sees her only option as suicide. If only she had had the chance to talk to someone...

Asher's book has inspired me to help the thousands of people who feel the need to hurt themselves. Hannah went through so much pain that I wanted to help her. Although fictional, there are people out there who are just waiting for someone to listen. I want to be that person. If I could just save one life, I would like the opportunity to do so. Throughout the novel, Hannah describes the 13 reasons why she killed herself as well as confronts the 13 people who pushed her into doing so. I wanted to be the one reason why she didn't. Turning the pages became harder and harder for me. My heart ached for her, and it still aches for the thousands of people just like her. Therefore, through my future work in art therapy, I hope to help those who have been victimized and help them to help themselves as I once did.

Congratulations, Michelle! And thank you for running such an inspiring contest, Mr. Patterson.

Today is also a very special day because Isaiah turns three months old!


His newest favorite book is Good Morning, Digger, written by Anne Rockwell and illustrated by my friend Melanie Hope Greenberg. Melanie sent this autographed book to Isaiah as a gift, which makes our storytime even more special.

Thank you, Melanie!

Spring 2011 Children's Books

The Spring 2011 Children’s Books issue of Publishers Weekly has arrived! Relying on the brief descriptions allowed for each title, here are the upcoming (or recently released) mid-grade and teen novels which had me saying, “Hmm... Interesting! I may have to check that out.”

Beauty Queens by Libba Bray. A plane filled with beauty pageant contestants crashes on a desert island.

Bumped by Megan McCafferty. A virus renders everyone over age 18 infertile in this dystopian novel.

Choker by Elizabeth Woods. Cara worries that her best friend may be responsible for the death of a mean, popular girl.

The Day Before by Lisa Schroeder. After it’s revealed that she was switched at birth, Amber is ordered to split the year between her two families.

Fairy Bad Day by Amanda Ashby. Emma is charged with ridding the world of annoying fairies.

Fantasy Baseball by Alan Gratz. Alex becomes involved in a fantasy baseball tournament featuring storybook characters.

Father of Lies by Ann Turner is a fictional retelling of the Salem witch trials from the perspectives of a girl and the devil.

Geek Fantasy Novel by E. Archer. After making a wish, Ralph is trapped in a fantasy world full of killer bunnies, evil aunts, and bothersome bacteria.

Here Lies Bridget by Paige Harbison. After crashing her car and landing in limbo, a mean girl must face people she’s wronged.

Jenna & Jonah’s Fauxmance by Emily Franklin and Brendan Halpin. The truth about two teen TV idols’ phony off-screen romance is revealed.

My Life Undecided by Jessica Brody. A girl notorious for making bad decisions puts her fate in the hands of blog readers.

OyMG by Amy Fellner Dominy. At a Christian summer camp, Ellie worries that being Jewish will ruin her chances of winning a scholarship to speech school.

Putting Makeup on Dead People by Jen Violi. A girl finds inspiration while working at a funeral home.

Sean Griswold’s Head by Lindsey Leavitt. Required by a guidance counselor to choose a “focus object” to study, a teen chooses the head of the boy who sits in front of her in class.

So Shelly by Ty Roth is a modern-day retelling of the friendships among poets Keats, Byron, and the Shelleys.

Storm Runners by Roland Smith. A boy who pursues severe storms with his father is tested in new ways when the hurricane of the century hits.

Subject Seven by James A. Moore. An alter-ego living inside a teen escapes and is determined to destroy his creator.

Taking Off by Jenny Moss. In this novel, a teen is determined to witness the Challenger launch after meeting Christa McAuliffe.

Trapped by Michael Northrop. Teens struggle to survive when a blizzard strands them at their high school.

Trauma Queen by Barbara Dee. Marigold is mortified when her performance artist mother becomes a drama teacher at her school.

You Don’t Know About Me by Brian Meehl is a reimagining of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

Two Trailers and a Business Breakfast

Two fans sent me links to movie trailers they put together for Thirteen Reasons Why featuring Selena Gomez as Hannah. As you'll see, they both chose the same actor to portray Clay. But to head off any internet rumors (right, like that's possible!), let me be clear that only Selena has been cast as of this moment.





Because of the movie news, I was asked to speak for five minutes at this morning's San Luis Obispo Chamber of Commerce breakfast. A man sitting at the table behind me happened to film most of it with his phone, and since most of you have never heard me speak, here's a little glimpse.



I made a comment in the speech that it's a little odd to think my book about teen suicide is essentially set in the happiest town in America. Click here, to see what I was referencing.