When HCI approached me about creating and editing a series of teen-authored memoirs, I thought I’d just won the lottery. As a teen advocate and author who specializes in writing books for teens with a goal of inspiring and empowering, I can’t imagine working on a project that more closely connects with who I am and what I do. Giving crazy-talented teen writers the chance to tell their own stories in a way that’s never been done before? Sign me up!

Over the past two years, I’ve gotten to work with some truly amazing and inspiring young women. Marni Bates, Chelsey Shannon, and Emily Smucker—the three brave souls who premiered the series in the summer of 2009—blew me away with their insight and willingness to put it all out there. And as they delivered their manuscripts to me and I read about Marni’s personal story of struggling with a pulling disorder (trichotillomania), Chelsea’s painful journey of dealing with her dad’s murder, and Emily’s ways of coping with chronic illness, I knew we were onto something. Their voices were honest, raw, and authentic, and I had a hunch they would connect with teen readers as powerfully as they’d connected with me.

In working with this summer’s Louder Than Words authors, Hannah Westberg, Alexis Singer, and Chelsea Rae Swiggett, I’ve once again had the honor of supporting and working with three incredible teens who pushed themselves outside their comfort zones, asked the hard questions, and bared their souls. The newest books in the series deal with similarly pressing, and important, issues.

In Alexis: My True Story of Being Seduced By An Online Predator, author Alexis Singer tells us about getting caught up in an unhealthy cyber-affair with a man she met online. Hannah Westberg gives an intimate glimpse of life as a teen with mental illness in Hannah: My True Story of Drugs, Cutting, and Mental Illness. And lastly, Chelsea Rae Swiggett powerfully writes about the challenges of living with severe anxiety disorder in Rae: My True Story of Fear, Anxiety and Social Phobia.

I hope you read their stories and let the authors speak to you from the page. Because I know that each Louder Than Words author wanted to write their book for exactly that reason—to share what they’ve been through in the hopes of connecting with and helping other teens who might be facing similar challenges. I encourage you to get to know these young authors on the books page by reading their blogs, listening to their playlists, and reading their bios, and let them know what you think of their stories.

XOXO

Deborah Reber