50 States Against Bullying: KANSAS

My third stop on the 50 States Against Bullying campaign took me to Shawnee Mission East High School in Kansas. Due to several flight delays the night before, I didn't get to my hotel until 2:30 a.m., and then had to be at the school by 8 a.m. But this tour is turning into such a positive experience, I woke up ready to go!

(After a couple cups of coffee.)

And even if I did feel tired, I would've been plenty excited once I walked into the library and saw a huge banner where teens have been leaving positive comments for each other.

Over two presentations, I spoke to the entire school.

When each session ended, the students received their #ReasonsWhyYouMatter bracelets. Throughout the rest of the day, it was quite an honor to see people wearing them with pride.

I will admit, two days leading up to the beginning of this tour, I was a nervous, anxious, grumpy mess. When I speak at schools for a regular author visit, I do address serious issues discussed in my books, but I also try to make the presentation fun and funny. With schools bringing me in to focus on the bullying issue more than simply being an author, I became afraid. Yes, I had a lot to say about this issue, but I didn't want students to feel like I was preaching at them. That's definitely not what I would ever aim to do. I wanted to talk with them, sharing the ideas that my readers have shared with me.

Three states in, the conversations I've had with so many students and teachers have been incredibly rewarding. To hear what they got out of my visit, and why they're excited to see this message presented across the country, its...very hard to describe.

By having my publisher organize this, and asking me to travel around and deliver this message, it's one of the biggest honors anyone's asked me to be a part of. I'm just feeling so lucky and grateful right now.

But I can't stay sentimental for long. Not here! Because I refuse to cry on this blog.

So look what they have sitting on a swing in the library! It's...um...a person...wrapped in...plastic wrap? Isn't that...cool?

Yes it is!

And the library bathroom is even cooler. Appropriately, they have a banned books poster right above the toilet. And on the wall above the toilet paper is Darth Paper from Tom Angleberger's Origami Yoda series. Get it? Darth Paper is by the toilet paper!

Seriously, that better have been on purpose!

During lunch, I signed books in the library. After signing one student's book, the awesome librarian, Ms. Knop, told me who the student was. So I asked her to run after Clara Ma to see if she'd come back. As a space nut, I absolutely had to get a picture with the person who came up with the name for the Mars rover, Curiosity!

50 States Against Bullying: TEXAS

My Texas stop on the 50 States Against Bullying campaign was YES Prep East End in Houston. After the taxi dropped me off, I entered through the wrong door and rolled my carry-on bag through a very busy cafeteria.

"Is that him?"

"That's him!"

"It's the author guy."

"Why'd he bring his luggage into the cafeteria?"

When it rippled through the room that I was there, they applauded. Applauded! I felt like a total rockstar! All I had to do was pretend my carry-on was a guitar case and it didn't feel so embarrassing anymore. Although, I suppose a real rockstar wouldn't carry his own guitar case. So I guess I'm just a roadie.

Anyway...

Two students and two mascots greeted me, and the two gentlemen without blue faces gave me a tour of the campus.

In the library, I ate my own yummy lunch while pre-signing some books. There was also a large collection of student-made #ReasonsWhyYouMatter posters that would be posted throughout the school after my visit.

I gave two presentations to very welcoming high school and middle school students, which were followed up by great questions.

This school even shared one of their songs with me! And since the lyrics include a call for rain, I will blast this from loudspeakers when I get back to California.

Thank you, Ms. King, for organizing a very inspiring visit. I hope I inspired your school in some way, too.

50 States Against Bullying: CALIFORNIA

The first stop on my 50 States Against Bullying campaign took me all the way to...my hometown!

San Luis Obispo High School was the perfect kick-off for this cross-country tour. They did so much in advance of my visit, such as making and displaying posters with encouraging messages for students to read as they move from class to class.

Speaking at my alma mater was a more touching experience than I expected. Here is Principal O'Connor introducing me to the first half of the school.

Over two presentation, I spoke to every student in the school.

The book signing that followed included passing out #ReasonsWhyYouMatter bracelets and students filling out encouragement cards.

Thank you, Ms. Sawyer, for helping to organize a successful event that I will never forget.

And, as a very special treat, Ms. Avery introduced me for my second presentation. This amazing woman gave me an eye-opening and influential junior year as my English teacher. The students she continues to teach are very lucky to have her.

50 States Against Bullying: Pre-Tour Thoughts

I didn’t think I was writing about bullying. But after Thirteen Reasons Why was released, I began to hear from students who experienced things similar to what I wrote about. They often referred to it as bullying and said it helped to see their emotions expressed in a novel. I also heard from students who treated others in ways similar to those in the book. They said they would be more conscious of not bullying from now on. And I heard from teachers who used the book to help address the topic of bullying.

So I guess I wrote about bullying. My definition had simply been too narrow.

It also made me realize that I had experienced bullying when I was in school. And sadly, I realized that I sometimes bullied. Does a new understanding of the definition change the past? No. But it helps me understand the past. And the power that comes from a better understanding of ourselves and others is one thing I was trying to discuss within the book.

This October, Thirteen Reasons Why turns seven years old. It has become more successful than I thought possible and has been used in more beautiful ways than I imagined. I receive daily messages from people who are using it to deal with bullying, either personally or as a community. And my publisher has read many similar messages left at thirteenreasonswhy.com.

So, earlier this year, they asked if I wanted to take this anti-bullying message into schools personally with a 50-state tour. And I said, “Um…”

One thing that terrifies me as an author is coming across as preachy. When I wrote the book, I was afraid people would find it too sad or too serious or too message-oriented, so I focused on making it suspenseful. I wanted readers to have a hard time putting it down even when it got sad and serious and the message was right in front. When I began speaking at schools, I used humor as a way to avoid sounding preachy even when discussing the serious topics in Thirteen Reasons Why.

My publisher now wanted me to tour the country and speak at schools, not merely as an author of a book, but as someone discussing an issue because of that book.

After initially saying, “Um…,” I said, “Yes.”

If a school wanted to bring me in to help their discussion about bullying, an issue that has become important to me, I couldn't say no. And schools jumped at the chance to use this as a way to further those discussions. On average, for every school I visit on this 50-state tour, there are 13 more schools who nominated themselves as a tour stop (yes, of course it was 13!). While I would still love to hide behind my book and have it do the talking, there are certain things only an author can say.

I have been bullied, and I have bullied. Like everyone, I have learned, and I am learning. As communities try to discuss and have a better understanding of the complexities of bullying, it is one of the greatest honors of my life to be a part of that.

On October 1^st, for my first tour stop, I will speak at my old high school in California. That afternoon, I will fly to Texas. From there, and throughout the school year, I will speak at a school in every state. You can follow along and be a part of the discussion at 50statesagainstbullying.com and help spread hope using #REASONSWHYYOUMATTER.

Hello, Ralphie!

Thanks to the mockumentary Spinal Tap, a good percentage of concerts and presentations in the Cleveland area probably begin with, "Hello, Cl*veland!" I didn't do that when I spoke there because I'm sure it gets old and I like to be at least somewhat original. And yes, I even censored myself two sentences ago so it didn't happen on this blogpost. (But I almost did it here. And I did do it here. Sorry.)

Last weekend, I spoke at the public library in Parma, Ohio as the YA author prize for teens in their summer reading program. You heard that right. I was a prize! But the teens didn't get just one author because they read so many books during the summer, they got three. My introduction was given by local authors, and hilarious co-writing sisters, Lisa and Laura Roecker.

Here are most of the readers who showed up for my event. Many brought their own books to get signed, but each were also given a free copy of both Thirteen Reasons Why and The Future of Us. So there will be a lot of people getting signed books for the holidays this year!

The last time I was in the area, my host drove me to the house used as Ralphie's home in A Christmas Story, which has been converted into a museum. Unfortunately, the place was closed by the time we arrived.

But not this time!

I absolutely love the story behind the current use of this house. The owner bought it on eBay, renovated it to recreate its cinematic appearance (inside and out), and has formed a non-profit to help revitalize the surrounding neighborhood. All because of his love of a movie!

If you could, which movie house would you love to buy and turn into a museum? I'll put my answer in the comments section.

How did the owner get enough money to buy the house and turn it into a museum? By selling versions of the leg lamp from the movie! Yes, the dude is awesome.

Across the street, two other houses have been converted into a museum and a gift shop. The museum displays props from the movie. The gift shop features memorabilia from A Christmas Story, Christmas Vacation, and Elf. I bought a Christmas Vacation t-shirt (I watch that movie every year!) and a documentary called Road Trip for Ralphie about two movie nuts hunting down every filming location for A Christmas Story. They're total dorks and I totally want to go on a road trip with them!

Visitors to the museum can place a pin on either their hometown on a map of the United States or on the flag representing their country.

Crazy, right?

That map reminded me that on October 1st I will begin my own trip across the country on the 50 States Against Bullying tour. But before that begins, I hopped on a plane and returned home.

Hello, San Luis Obispo!

Highland PEANUTS

Two weekends ago, I went down to the Los Angeles area for my grandmother's memorial service. But through sad times like this can come beautiful memories and family re-connections, and I think that would make Grandma Asher happy.

Every couple of years during trips to the L.A. area, I like to take time and revisit important locations from my childhood in Arcadia, which is where my family lived until I was almost 13 years old. A good chunk of those memories came from my elementary school, Highland Oaks.

Walking across the fields and past the classrooms twists my heart and warms my soul in so many fun, painful, and interesting ways. To compare how I viewed life then and now, and how I viewed myself then and now, is probably a healthy exercise for a writer. Or maybe not! Either way, I do it.

And even if I don't look the same as back then, the oak tree in the middle of the "older kid" playground does!

I drove by my old home, as well, which also looks much the same. In that bay window, I spent many sunny and rainy days reading in a comfy chair, facing the San Gabriel Mountains, and the round porthole-like window was at one end of my bedroom. My mom recently told me that when we lived there, a previous owner stopped by to walk through the place to have his own nostalgia trip. I'm trying to gain the guts to do that myself.

Last weekend, I went the other direction in California to Santa Rosa for my sister-in-law's engagement party. I knew I would also be making my second visit to the Charles M. Schulz Museum. If you've seen me speak about my journey as a writer, or have known me for some time, you know Mr. Schulz was a huge influence on me creatively. One of my most shared blog posts begins with a Peanuts strip, and if I ever get a tattoo there will be a recognizable Peanuts element to it (something else I need to gain the guts to do).

On this second visit to the museum, I was even more excited than the first time (and I could feel my inner Highland Oaksian absolutely freaking out!). This time, I was going to meet Jean Schulz, the widow of Charles Schulz. How did that awesomeness come about? This summer, I ran into Mo Willems at the American Library Association conference. During our conversation with a few other authors, I apparently let it be known what a huge Blockhead (major Peanuts fan) I am. It turns out that he's a friend of Ms. Schulz, and said the next time I went to the museum, he'll see if he can arrange a meeting. Shortly after, I learned a trip to Santa Rosa was going to happen. So I contacted him through our mutual publisher, Penguin, and...

...here I am with Ms. Schulz (or Jeannie, as I now call her!!!).

She was way above the sweetness I'd hoped for, and was so generous with her time. She shared personal thoughts about some of the strips currently on display, and showed me design elements of the museum that were her ideas. She even signed a copy of Happiness is a Warm Puppy, the first Peanuts book, to my son and me.

I also spent a few hours on my own in the museum. They have documentaries and cartoons you can watch, a recreation of the artist's studio (using the actual items and furniture he worked on and near), and memorabilia from his life.  The pull for many fans is seeing the actual strips he drew, which are much larger than what appear in newspapers. These strips rotate several times a year, so repeat visits are necessary. And it is a real treat to see his ink lines up close.

Just like Charlie Brown's dad in the strip, Mr. Schulz's dad owned a barbershop, which I've been fortunate enough to visit (actually, it's a bar now, but the bar recognizes its historical significance!). Apparently, just like me, Mr. Schulz liked to revisit places from his childhood. On a trip back to Minnesota in the 90s, he saw that his father's barber pole was still posted outside the building even though there was no longer a barbershop there. So he brought it back to California.

So maybe one day I'll move the oak tree from Highland Oaks and replant it in my backyard!

But I'm sure there's a slightly better chance I'll get a tattoo before that ever happens.

Debut Author Q&A: MARY WEBER

release date August 19, 2014

"I raise my chin as the buyers stare. Yes. Look. You don't want me. Because, eventually, accidentally, I will destroy you." 

In a world at war, a slave girl's lethal curse could become one kingdom's weapon of salvation. If the curse - and the girl - can be controlled.

As a slave in the war-weary kingdom of Faelen, seventeen-year-old Nym isn't merely devoid of rights, her Elemental kind are only born male and always killed at birth - meaning, she shouldn't even exist.

Standing on the auction block beneath smoke-drenched mountains, Nym faces her fifteenth sell. But when her hood is removed and her storm-summoning killing curse revealed, Nym is snatched up by a court advisor and given a choice: be trained as the weapon Faelen needs to win the war, or be killed.

Choosing the former, Nym is unleashed into a world of politics, bizarre parties, and rumors of an evil more sinister than she's being prepared to fight . . . not to mention the handsome trainer whose dark secrets lie behind a mysterious ability to calm every lightning strike she summons.

But what if she doesn't want to be the weapon they've all been waiting for? 
Set in a beautifully eclectic world of suspicion, super abilities, and monsters, Storm Siren is a story of power. And whoever controls that power will win.

JAY ASHER: I have to ask this because it’s been bugging me ever since I read your book. Your story and characters are great, and your writing is so beautiful without ever distracting from the story. Do you ever look at other authors and feel a little bit greedy?

MARY WEBER: *laughs* Aw, thanks for the compliment! And no, but there are about a HUNDRED authors I seriously ENVY. Including this one guy who wrote a series of books about an impetuous boy and his very dangerous tiger...

Maybe you’ve heard of him?

JAY: I love Watterson! I mean, he's no Schulz, but we'll get to that later.

So, how did you get into writing YA? Because I have a theory, if you’d like to hear it.

MARY: Does your theory have anything to do with zombie unicorns? Because if it does that’s amazing.

Also - true story: I was at my first writers’ conference four years ago sitting behind this row of authors, when one of them got jealous of me complimenting his friend’s beautiful hair and proceeded to demand I compliment his as well. Turns out this guy was apparently famous for a YA book called 15 Reasons Why or something. Anyhow, he and I became cool friends. Fast-forward a few years later and I was approached by a HarperCollins publisher with the prospect of writing a YA book. When I told my 15 Reasons Why friend, he grinned as if he’d suspected I’d eventually go this direction all along!

(But seriously – does your theory involve zombies?)

JAY: Zombies? No. But I do remember the awkwardness of you two ladies fawning over each other's hair while, simultaneously, about a dozen of mine were falling out. Anyway, I'm cool with it now!

When I met you, you were writing a paranormal adult novel. You invited me to speak at the monthly gathering of a local writing group, where every month they have a different speaker. I used to belong to that group and have since rejoined, and my talk was the least attended of any I’ve seen. My theory is that you don’t like speaking in front of large groups, so you saw the attendance for my talk and thought, “I need to write YA!”

MARY: Okay, ignore my answer to your previous question because, yes, this is exactly how it happened. Except I wasn’t thinking “I need to write YA.” I was thinking “I wonder if that guy got to have free coffee because he’s a guest speaker? Can I get free coffee? Do all guest speakers get free coffee?”

JAY: It's one of the perks.

MARY: By the way, how did YOU get into writing YA? Inquiring minds here…

JAY: I was at a writing conference, too, but trying to write middle-grade. I noticed that a lot of YA authors were losing their hair, just like me, so it made sense to join them. No, that's not true. But I really was writing middle-grade, with no thought of writing YA. One day, the premise of Thirteen Reasons Why just came out of thin hair.

I mean, thin air.

Anyway... Speaking of men and hair, you call your husband Wolverine. I know that’s because he does look like the superhero, which I think is so cute! But I’ve always wondered if at some point you actually just forgot his name (I can tell you if you need to know).

MARY: Okay, I totally just told him you said that. His response was, “What?! Jay said I’m CUTE??!!!”

Yes, yes, he is. (*shameless photo plug*)

And I’ll let you in on a secret. Wolverine is actually a cover name for his REAL secret identity, WONDER JACK FLASH. Who, ahem, MAY have been known to dress up in spandex and a cape all throughout high school. You know – showing up at opportune times to set students free. Such as during Assembly. Or graduation. And yes, it was totally upon the discovery of this that I promptly married him.

JAY: Okay, now that's cute!

Is there a certain element of storytelling that is the most fun for you?

MARY: Definitely creating the characters. And I’m not saying it’s because those characters are based on any specific people I know, but...if Adora’s dead squirrel rings as slightly familiar to anyone…

And now I’m curious – what’s YOUR favorite part of storytelling?

JAY: Brainstorming. Any element is fun to brainstorm. I could think about plot twists and foreshadowing for days and days. And then I realize...reality check!...now I have to write it.

Speaking of writing! Your initials, if you repeat them, remind me of the squiggle on Charlie Brown’s shirt: MWMWMWMW And as I hinted before, I love Charles Schulz and PEANUTS! So that makes me kind of jealous. What do my repeated initials remind you of? JAJAJAJA

MARY: Definitely the sound onions make when they’re frying in a pan. Why?

JAY: They do not! Take that back!!!

MARY: ...

JAY: Your family-of-origin built a ghosttown. Literally, they took abandoned buildings from all over and relocated them into a brand new deserted town. That’s awesome! But it’s also weird, right? (But a totally awesome kind of weird.) And now for my actual question, which I’m sure has nothing to do with what I just said. Do you have any idea at all where your extreme creativity comes from?

MARY: *laughs* That place is creepy and cool, right?! We totally do weddings out there. We do funerals too…which is kinda weird when I think about it.

Anyhooooo. My creativity comes from my family. As do any disturbing traits.

JAY: George Lucas claims Star Wars, which is science-fiction, was heavily influenced by a different genre: westerns. Your book is fantasy, but I could also feel an influence of the best parts of westerns. Is that accurate?

MARY: Wait, how did you guess? Okay, so I’ve never told anyone this, but here’s the thing - Storm Siren’s original cover totally had a shirtless Fabio on it carrying a pair of six-shooters. Sadly, due to copyright issues we had to change it. However, if you look real close you can see that my main girl Nym on the front is actually still Fabio – just turned around.

JAY: (Dang it! I totally scrolled back up to check.)

MARY: But since you mentioned it…has anyone ever commented on the similarities between The Future of Us and the movie Sharknado? Just wondering…

JAY: No, no one's ever said that before. Usually, they say it's similar to Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo (which is a huge compliment). Another thing that tipped me off to a possible western influence is that STORM SIREN MARY WEBER is an anagram of MAYBE MIRROR WESTERNS.

MARY: It’s also an anagram of WINTERBERRY SMORES, MA. Which sounds like a western girl asking her mom for an awesome dessert, so win-win!!

JAY: Since this is your debut book, what has been the most exciting part of this journey so far (other than this interview)?

MARY: Well…after 87 rejections for that paranormal adult novel, I think the most exciting part has been each of the moments when I realized the “yeses” for this YA book were ACTUALLY HAPPENING. Along with that, my favorite bits have simply been celebrating this journey with my husband and kids and an amazing community of friends and other writers whom I could not have done this without. Thank you for being a part of that community, Jay!

JAY: And thank you for agreeing to this interview, Mary. If you want, I have connections with a local writing group that meets every month. It’d be great if you came to speak!

MARY: Okay, but do they serve free coffee?

JAY: Now that you're published, it's one of the perks.

MARY: And I’m serious, Jay - thank you. Especially for inspiring the world through your fabulous books and great humor, and for yours and JoanMarie’s kindness and amazing encouragement through the years. You guys are INCREDIBLE!!!!

STORM SIREN
by Mary Weber

is available…
NOW!

RWA-n-SCBWI

Today's post mashes two conferences together. One has been my annual home conference, attending every one since 2000, and the other is becoming my second-home conference, attending every one since...last year.

This year, the Romance Writers of America (RWA) held their annual conference in San Antonio, Texas. Remember the Alamo? It's in San Antonio. But you're supposed to say it like this:

Remember the Alamo!

I spoke at RWA's Day of YA, giving a speech called Back to School, where I described why I love school visits so much (even though I still get stagefright and am shy), and hopefully encouraged other authors to enjoy them just as much.

When you attend the Day of YA, you're given a pink flower to wear throughout the rest of the conference so YA authors can identify each other amongst the thousands of boring authors (I mean, authors who write for adults).

photo by Ashley Kath-Bilsky

It was my first time meeting fellow YA author, Simone Elkeles, but I hope she becomes one of the authors I regularly run into. She's hilarious! (And smart and generous and a bunch of other good qualities, but if you make me laugh a lot, you're added to My List.)

An author I've grown fond of on Facebook and couldn't wait to meet in person is Wendy Corsi Staub. It's kind of awesome (in a really awesome way) when an author you admire is a fan of your work. Only after praising each other online post-conference did we learn that we've both worked with Kristen Pettit (she edited Thirteen Reasons Why). So we're basically fans and family!

I had lunch with author Jennifer Snow, who has several books in a genre that gets its own table at bookstores the last couple months of every year, and which I've devoured more than my fair share: Christmas romances. I was first introduced to Jennifer after reading an article she wrote (and later signed for me) called Writing Holiday Romances.

And yes, she realizes how fun it is that her last name is Snow.

As I do in most big cities, I took a ghost tour. This pic was taken right outside the Alamo (remember that?). Here, the guide is teaching us how to use divining rods, which he then passed out to all of us so we could use them on our walk. I won't tell you what my divining rods did, but the scene may wind up in a future book.

Like last year, the most inspiring time at RWA was during the awards ceremony. I sat at a table seating the most YA Golden Heart finalists, including the eventual winner, McCall Hoyle. Here's a pic of all the finalists in attendance taken prior to the ceremony (where they dressed even fancier!).

Vanessa Barneveld, Barbara Gerry, McCall Hoyle

Kimberly MacCarron, Amy DeLuca, Marnee Bailey, Jessica Ruddick

I was lucky enough to get a pre-publication signed copy of Amy's debut novel (a New Adult book written as Amy Patrick), Channel 20 Something!

Less than a week later, I was in Los Angeles for the Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators (SCBWI) conference. Each year, faculty members introduce themselves by name, and then give one word. My word this year: #selfie. And then I took a selfie, having no idea it would be retweeted over 1,800 times. If I'd known that, I wouldn't have offered a nostril shot!

Here's a video of me taking that shot.

Several months ago, author Stephen Chbosky asked if I'd like to co-lead a workshop with him. Stephen has become a friend over the past couple of years, and we both love each other's work, but I was nervous as we approached our event. What if we didn't blend well in front of an audience?

Well, as one writer tweeted:

One of many inspiring events at the SCBWI conference is the portfolio showcase. It's always a well attended event, giving us a chance to check out the illustrations of other attendees.

The theme for this year's afterhours party was Old Italy. So a month before the conference, off to the costume shop I went! And Ruta Sepetys was kind enough to pose with me.

Here's a family pic, of sorts. Romina Russell and I are bookending our mutual agent, Laura Rennert, and our mutual Penguin sales & marketing team, Shanta Newlin, Emily Romero, and Felicia Frazier.

The reason for the Old Italy theme was the celebration of Tomie dePaola's 80th birthday. Unfortunately, he couldn't make the conference in person. So he Skyped in, where he was just as funny and charming as he is in the flesh.

I was fortunate enough to have my conference align with a break in Joel Johnstone's acting schedule. The last time we met up was in New York City when Joel recorded the voice of Clay Jensen for the Thirteen Reasons Why audiobook. He did an amazing job with that role, and is a great guy with some exciting upcoming projects!

Monday night, there's always a faculty party where we stuff our faces, mingle, and check out photos taken throughout the conference. Scanning the pages of pics taken when each person introduced themselves and delivered their one word, I was (sadly) instantly recognizable.

That's what I get for taking a selfie!

That party was also my chance to thank Lin Oliver for another wonderful conference, and to chat with Judy Blume. At three-and-a-half years old, my son is too young to realize the remarkable coolness in Ms. Blume's first words to me: "How's Isaiah?"

With all the coolness of the RWA and SCBWI conferences, my most exciting time came during an L.A. breakfast when a friend and I had a business meeting. Want more details? Are ya sure? Then cross your fingers, people!!!