What do you get when you give talented teen girl writers a chance to share their life story with the world? The first-ever series of teen-authored memoirs . . .  Louder Than Words. Inside each Louder Than Words book, authors share their powerful stories through unique prose, journal entries, and poetry. This breakthrough series gives talented teen writers a voice and an opportunity to share their experiences and unique stories in a powerful, authentic way. Our guests today are editor, author and teen advocate Deborah Reber and author Marni Bates.

HCI Books is thrilled to present the first-ever series of teen-authored memoirs, written by teens for teens, Louder Than Words.

This breakthrough series gives talented teen writers a voice and an opportunity to share their experiences and unique stories in a powerful, authentic way.

The mission of Louder Than Words is to connect with teenagers on a deeply personal level by offering compelling “real teens / real life experiences.” We hope Louder Than Words will empower teen authors with important stories to tell, reinforce the message that the experiences of teenagers and their perceptions and beliefs regarding these experiences have validity, inspire more teens to write as a way to explore their own lives, and give every teen the opportunity to see themselves in the material.

As told through compelling prose, poetry, and journal entries, Louder Than Words memoirs not only acknowledge and celebrate the teen experience – they empower girls everywhere and are sure to spark a new generation of writers.

Marni pulls. Her hair, that is.

Struggling with the stress disorder trichotillomania, Marni’s compulsion to yank out her eyebrows, eyelashes…even the hair from the top of her head, makes surviving high school no easy feat.

When Marni first started pulling, it helped her turn off her brain and escape the stresses of the world around her. Unfortunately, she didn’t realize she was hooked until it was way too late.

Marni Bates alternates her time between her home in Ashland, OR and Lewis & Clark College. When not studying or writing, she can be found rollerblading, bargaining at garage sales, and watching copious amounts of TV—strictly for artistic inspiration, of course.

Deborah Reber has authored and co-authored a number of books for teens, including Chill: Stress-Reducing Techniques for a More Balanced, Peaceful You, In Their Shoes: Extraordinary Women Describe Their Amazing Careers, and the teen self-help series Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul: The Real Deal.

Deborah writes a blog for teen girls, Smart Girls Know, where she offers advice, insight, career tips, coverage of news relevant in the lives of teens, and “Smart Girls Know Affirmations” for girls ages 12 on up.