Other than the school where I graduated, my recent trip to Florida included my first return visits to speak at schools. It was nice to catch up with people I met three years ago, and meet so many new people.
But when I first landed, I met local author (and fellow member of the
Class of 2k7...the
original debut author co-op)
Greg Neri for dinner. We had a great chat about past and future writing projects, and possible 2k7 reunions. It is, after all, our 5 year anniversary!
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin-x5T19tFl2V_Ez7b-C3D-M-lvFqq4oTHsxQMcadW6d-rTCkhdhfQa-onDNqQXhCshIJF_JPNdRCTrcb2E-sT0gahF8DeqfAGlVjw_XRuCNjXqPHV7P0ZDa9JC-XylDvenZa1Yw/s320/AsherNeri-a.JPG)
Here are the brilliant high school media specialists responsible for bringing me to Florida: Tara Cain, Deborah Monck, and Jennifer Sloan.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivbOyA90xzeygzuGVuHnq-xjUhCF8BN75alU1aeaAWvVr9e7eYjwUJn8gFG1_KXsynp5yLl8ktuLVzmropPC5J19u55i3xHLzUZFfIdQfQ9eppLvfsX4R1Nv4H9ESGSSOs6wlgvw/s320/FLmediaspecialists-b.JPG)
My first stop was Charlotte High School in Punta Gorda. At each school, I gave three presentations in the auditoriums. If you're a student looking to see your face in a crowd, click on a pic to enlarge it.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixVnGkc2g7goLj7-cHiGCQkiWO8NTDcWAwEDGo5ZTXgq0Wzp_MWWGa6AFeRZcqCdGYMbrhUpMbntveaEofaJDLUdIAClsmX2YuB2a39wKyRMdKcWhTb01rQWeW4y8V9icmGnXO5A/s200/CHS1-c.JPG)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmoA7an02HxV_Gl42LYHlUe1bQVtYsIBPKIIpDVu6MBOWiG8ri3qe7S4oDjlXWYxxb_OPYDpzS8khruE5mIXqnDx2B3Z8slWZhUP83mlhqb7cIZ8_o7_LfLwAQd-Pur4-ArUVkqA/s200/CHS2-d.JPG)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrrU4PYtZVaiTZ0HNu8UTbrGOq-mtLt_rHWIuhtdQLFPKsoPV8_uKPgs3V5h0oNtbCMdjEGz1v5A8iaPokeKt43UKdbnDpiPVR91dfTgWCeYKTLm6kX3W1go4yPNDpuE_MMAEbxg/s200/CHS3-e.JPG)
As usual, not having a copy of
Thirteen Reasons Why or
The Future of Us was no reason not to get an autograph.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDCHxVbto_eD0JKYr9sDvLBDw2HPOBi8jqtCLF0RaDwfupVO7gyuU0896lMTOkaa1d4YfjaV7D5MXRCQKzSijavcYpNMIwME6CUYLCERYpYyR7yoCPhy65N366A_QmuybGlhAorg/s320/CHSarms-f.JPG)
After school, I met with the school's book club to answer questions and munch cupcakes.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLXD7kTF4BqUFc30tIuxlYn0tuvM6I3cB2O_fXu6eNDxQFTP5kF4x-GBwsb8bPexyO29aGHVhOAYfd6jsTuUGOXvpKMO5cF6I8CEzrlZv-9EeRWSMEa_-F5oc6FFJe4TqMKHxOUw/s320/CHSbookclub-g.JPG)
The next day, I spoke at Lemon Bay High School in Englewood.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkzCh_YSl0r7Oykk4Qi2dke8YXPyktu24Vitr9HNhdCXG8iJbq4gY0vI5sTOUFM3HLn-stsqakeayXYz6QDplYDYUaprYpXbROSJc1ff9TnRfkpv-MFjPu01huEoBRUfmM8RTmWQ/s200/LBHS1-h.JPG)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGSCwXdxOh7DXb_K-bbFv5m3X1VdtSxVUCTCX6-FsvWLxzTOZcQ4RNXl0JGZPh0JEb1OCj28H71By6SeDEmFtOUphRWzT33ssoxtHLMBmGIauCXp0Y3Os7Pru82c0ZGZp1fO9OmA/s200/LBHS2-i.JPG)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitP0mj4UgL6Vp9IcvG3gHxo6adabmePhI8EsTfML0_yTyvn_I-tNUnppH-XIgjSgoze6RqDQVof0UkQjUaiLSZ6exgiFVRaI3C26aURUjMOU6lwR0U2LU0WHWj1rncv4iY66fMzQ/s200/LBHS3-j.JPG)
Students at the school created book trailers in advance of my visit, and I had lunch with the creators of the top three student-voted trailers.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilhkKdHCS55bvJioNAZGlJNRd_EIGBTMBqqjKBcMcb-bwEoBPFvR1H73selnR6TnwFQkogfwVhfq1U4IQ3vJoflK9ERTwnB2PiN8Z0Ub5BIBGNWNgqutY9nzv1A6JCBX7u-X1uZg/s320/LBHStrailers-k.JPG)
Here's the first place entry!
Amazing, right?On my last day, I spoke at Port Charlotte High School.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1Upthf982DeDqmGV0djCFvGIwbMt1FTJSau4rhyphenhyphen3VlfLfU6cwUQrIEvwuPQ8_w80BEhAPnGRkN7cII-hYRp_FpgQlA4GOysdv84dkjXxvtgULXV0CYElTEoV261zYJ2woOT1R3w/s320/FLspeaking.JPG)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoYwoJtMiyQqctd6FyExZPQ06KWpdDYAuVP4ze5ZUzKjw6_mToBcvnnvYE8CcFZ8mymO1mSY2aXz5nsTlNaADxJ4tIs8byzYnl9XGJlTH2s3_YcL9-ey4dnTDsf6A1LprXdr6jlw/s200/PCHS1-l.JPG)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJL2dHalkTvyE9E4FJwWgN4Ie7aKszRH_QD7K9Ui3a35JlQF4oF98q5jvOhgLGIhoB7gIIWIWA5vKe9POefm0n-0TZSAZ2M0L0c-RL-p6NaLamP_p6XjjVp66E3BfyaPxkzo5k_g/s200/PCHS2-m.JPG)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9DGlD4q08bdFTQcP43XCXP-ub7KNnFh2YIrOz_dETzcyv3-HW8_SFXOZ_zlr10SoxGMAgxxMqCRSirAghFF0CNWovjsypjXJeC3v6pXbVSP7fIM445E_XTuTJyPJHutbsdmTSsw/s200/PCHS3-n.JPG)
That last group had me laughing so hard. During part of my speech, I shared the back-and-forth editing process of a certain scene in
The Future of Us. In that scene, Carolyn and I kept revising Sydney's clothes, and we also see the introduction of her "flippy little wave." For the rest of my presentation, I kept spotting students trying to make their hand do a flippy little wave when they thought no one was watching. The looks on their faces were always so determined, and once I noticed it, I couldn't keep myself from laughing...each time!
At lunch, I was presented with a booklet of student-works inspired by my books. It was a very touching gift. (Don't worry,
Carolyn, I'll make color copies of
The Future of Us projects for ya!)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnMhjA8abvW_sGl8DGP-kJQZAxfrzaBWimwk37aKGdCSV5swnCSbvww_f0aywFaYGvXR5yODx34yzVHSqobo0k-n9Seu_r8XoApoUQBXMfUibfGl8JF91SD-TLY2TdZU5SX4lqiQ/s320/PCHSlunch-o.JPG)
Recently, I can't speak anywhere without being presented with a box of donuts. Y'all know me so well! Each school day in Florida began with me eating one (um...or more) donuts. Port Charlotte actually had two donuts custom-made for each book. There was a sun-shaped donut, representing Sunshine Donuts in
The Future of Us, and two donuts shaped into a 13, representing...well...I think that one's a given.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTOtsovdkWBSmLJ2M5hpmpscFS9kt-h7HWlonSuyd5YAoiWtWTfBQ1d8H7hyphenhyphen3J8I46L4i_yxonWva35F52DLNmTmVpEK9ofQuS1FMmbDbvRQfqAhtiIGaFtb4eoOddUZI-PTAeKw/s320/PCHSdonuts-p.JPG)
To everyone I met or saw again on this trip, thanks for a wonderful time. When my next book comes out, I'd be absolutely honored to make a three-peat appearance!