Here's a quick shot of the segment on ABC News Now

I love the parenting host of ABC News Now, Annie Pleshette Murphy. She’s really in touch with what’s happening on the YA scene and had some good questions during our interview about BOYOLOGY. One of the recurring questions I’m getting from TV anchors and radio hosts is, “So how different IS it being a teenager today than when we were teens?”

But before I go into differences, I have to say that the butterflies, the heartbreak, the awkward first phone conversations are still the same. Not much really changes when it comes to love. But technology has added a few elements to dating, so here’s a quick primer:

1. CELL PHONES: Welcome to easy, breezy, and lower-risk communication. Texting can make that initial conversation less awkward because you’re not face-to-face. But that said, you can’t do the whole relationship by text. Make sure you can actually talk to each other. And be sure you’re smart about what you send out. This is important for everything you do online. I’ve heard some heartbreaking stories from girls who sent pics of themselves to boyfriends that were then sent to everyone. Remember that once you hit send – on anything! – you lose control of it.

2. FACEBOOK: I will just say, I love facebook. I’ve reconnected with some old friends and it’s an easy way to keep up with people. But when it comes to break-ups, facebook can make things that much more painful. The broken heart icon, having everyone comment on your wall to see what happened, not knowing whether or not to de-friend your now “ex.” I always say, when you first break-up with someone, step away from the computer and take a little break. Give yourself at least a day to think things over before you have to face the barrage of “friends” online.

3. IM’ing: So much easier than email. And emoticons can be cute, unless used to often and then they’re just annoying. But again, tone is hard to read. (Even with those smiley faces.) One guy I met told me his girlfriend broke up with him because he wasn’t “emotive enough” over IM. Seriously? This guy really liked her and I think he still does. But how many guys are really going to write love poems over IM? How do I love thee… I wouldn’t count on that. Remember, you must talk! IM is for quickie conversations or when you’re stuck in the library and everyone is shushing you.

The Reading Zone - How to Raise Your Parents: A Teen Girl’s Survival Guide by Sarah O’Leary Burningham was a nice break from the fiction I have been reading all day. It’sa cute book with different strategies for dealing with parents…

Em's Bookshelf – Subtitled "A Teen Girl's Survival Guide", How to Raise Your Parents is filled with helpful hints and clues about how to survive your teenage years without killing your parents. It's got everything, from how to talk about curfew to…

On top of these blogs, I'm always on the lookout for new blogs to read so let me know if I should be reading yours!

• WAMC-FM / NPR radio in Albany, New York "Roundtable"

• "Strategies for Living" in Shreveport, LA

• WBZ Radio in Boston, MA "Parent Report"

Let me know what you think!

There’s a new book out called Grand Theft Childhood that talks about the real effects of video games on kids. I think it’s interesting because I know a lot of parents worry that violent video games are making kids violent but this author says it’s not true. Here’s the part where I am supposed to say what I think…but the truth is, I don’t really have a lot of experience with video games so I’m still figuring out what I think about them in general. My husband LOVES (yes, the whole word is capitalized) video games but he’s also a really balanced person and understands the difference between the real world and the world of gaming. So maybe that’s the risk. That when you’re really young, you can’t decipher between the two worlds?

With the new Grand Theft Auto game just out (I can’t even escape all the ads everywhere – they’ve spent a fortune advertising it) this book is pretty timely.

I’d love to hear what you think. Do you think video games are scapegoats for violent acts? Or do you think violent video games should be banned?

Anyway, I was thinking all these things when I saw this article titled The Secret Lives of Teenagers (of course). But, I was happily surprised when I started reading it.

Even though the article starts off saying that communication is a problem between parents and teens (hello, that why I wrote my book!), it actually has some very promising and comforting stats.

A few highlights:

• The study shows that more than 70 per cent of teenagers think their parents accept them as
  they are, sense when they are upset, understand what they are going
  through, respect their feelings and trust their judgment. (That’s a huge number! Way to go to all those parents who inspire that kind of trust from their teenagers.)
• Teenagers are not always likely to confide in parents, with only
  around 50 per cent saying they "almost always" or "often" talk with
  parents about troubles or difficulties. (The truth is, you don’t have to confide everything in your parents. Yes, they need to know the basics, but sometimes it’s ok to process things on your own before you talk to a friend or parent. And usually, after you’ve given yourself some time to think about things in your own mind, you can find your own solution. I would just say that when something dangerous or scary is happening, this is definitely a time to talk to your mom or dad.)

Really, teenagers today are smart, thoughtful, and generally have good heads on their shoulders. You guys pretty much rock. Now, if we can just spread the word to major media… (I’m working on it.)

SAN FRANCISCO (May 6, 2008)
I love San Francisco. It’s one of those cities that has such amazing energy and a really good vibe.

The first stop was the book club at Capuchino High School in San Bruno, just a few minutes from the San Francisco airport. My mom and I couldn’t find the actual entrance to the school (it’s one of those great multi-level CA schools with tons of outdoor space) so we actually got there about 5 minutes late.

Lucky for me, the girls were really cool. We talked for over an hour about everything from dealing with parents when it comes to getting a summer job to what it’s like to write a book. The teacher who runs the book club made homemade scones and hot chocolate and the event ended up being a super fun gab session. It was definitely one of the highlights from the road.

After book club, my mom and I went back to the hotel and completely crashed. We had to wake up at 3:00am in the morning in order to catch our 6:00am flight, so we were beat. But a few hours in bed with the blackout curtains drawn, and we were good as new.
Next stop was ABC-TV and their local show The View from the Bay. (See that white plastic bag in my hand? That was lunch – BLTs from the diner around the corner. Yum!) I was lucky and got to do a bunch of local TV shows while I was in different cities, but this one was a highlight. The hosts were really fun and real – I could tell they really wanted to have fun with the book but also get some useful info out there.
We wrapped up the day with a Mother-Daughter pizza party at Towne Center Books in Pleasanton. Pleasanton had one of the cutest main streets I’ve ever seen…little sandwich shops, boutiques, a nail salon and of course, what main street is complete with a book store? Towne Center Books is the heart of the town and I met so many cool teens and their moms. And Judy made homemade brownies which definitely hit the spot after a busy day!

Next stop…hot and sunny Phoenix.

I need to explain a little something here. I am an excellent driver. Really, only one accident in 13 years of having my license. But…that being said, I don’t have a car. I live in New York City and we don’t drive anywhere. So it’s been years since I’ve driven a lot. I only drive when we go on vacation and even then, Grant usually drives. (I prefer to sit shotgun and rule the radio.)

So, when Paul asked me to drive I started to laugh a little. I thought he was kidding. He wasn’t. He needed to take notes, he said, and couldn’t do it while he was driving. And then he pulled over so we could trade spots!

I thought I might start to hyperventilate. Not only was I going to drive a reporter (who was in the process of interviewing me) but I was going to drive HIS car in a city I wasn’t that familiar with. Waaaaa! I tried to keep my cool. I put my seatbelt on, adjusted the mirror and went for it. And you know what, it all turned out ok. We got to the school in one piece. But I swear, when we finally parked, it was like I could breathe again. Thank goodness I didn’t wreck his car!!

I find all sorts of quizzical iTunes podcasts and songs by artists barely anyone has ever heard of on our computer every day. And sometimes he saves articles he thinks are particularly bizzare in our browser’s bookmarks. I just found this one about the 9 things that might kill you (if they actually exist) yesterday and it’s one my favorites. The Mongolian Death Worm? If that’s not enough to keep you awake at night, I don’t know what is. But don’t thank me, thank Grant!

I figure that if Ms. July is really posing once per second, then she poses a total of 212 times for the entire song. But I don’t have the patience to actually count. If you do, let me know!

My first tour event was in Dayton, Ohio, at Books & Co. – a famously rocking bookstore for hosting great events and selling a TON of books! I know the event coordinator, the talented Sharon Kelly Roth, and it was really fun to hang out with her for a few minutes before the event started. Once I got to the event space, I was happy to see the three people who came to hear me talk. (I know what you’re thinking – three people? – but as a new author in a town where you don’t know a soul – three is totally thrilling.) The three women were awesome and the event ended up being a girls night out style chat with everyone talking about being a teenager or having teenagers. I just wish I would’ve brought some refreshments and my pillow!

Next stop – Salt Lake City – my old high school stomping ground and where my family lives now. I felt like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz when my plane landed on Thursday morning. There really is no place like home. I didn’t spend much time actually at home though.

Thursday night was a great event at The King’s English – a really amazing indy bookstore – one of the top in the country. Not only did I get to see old friends and meet some new ones, I also met a teen book blogger I’ve been emailing with – the girl behind Squeaky Books! She was so sweet to come all the way to the event and I loved meeting her. You know, that’s my favorite part of the tour so far – meeting cool teenagers and parents and other writers. I feel super lucky.

I finished the week off with some local media (Good Things Utah on ABC-TV, The Todd & Erin Show on B98.7, KCPW’s Midday Metro, and a few other hits) and a great event at the Salt Lake City library in Millcreek. (That event was super fun – I LOVE libraries and librarians. I think I might be a librarian in my next life.)

Tomorrow I head to Seattle and I’ll be posting a few pics of those events later this week, along with pics from my stops in San Francisco, Phoenix, and Los Angeles. Hope to see you there!