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I’ve been blogging about writing for a few years now. But as I have the opportunity to write more books, I have less time to blog. So I’m going to start blogging about writing topics over at Go Teen Writers, combining forces with my friend Stephanie Morrill.
My Teenage Author blog feed will still be active. And since I’m going to post about writing over at Go Teen Writers from now on, I’m going to turn my Teenage Author feed into the Teenage Author 411. I’ll post a weekly report of interesting writing posts around the web. This way you’ll all get more resources on writing than you did before–including links to what’s going on over at Go Teen Writers.
Pressing the “Hot Buttons” –A guest post by Nicole O’Dell
What are Hot Buttons?
Well, in the broader sense, the phrase Hot Buttons means a lot of different things, anything really, that can get a rise out people. Something that charges them up and receives an intense reaction. For the purposes of Choose NOW Ministries, I’ve defined hot buttons as those tough issues that teenagers face–the things parents are often more afraid of and most hesitant to talk about. Some examples include:
- Drugs
- Alcohol
- Sex
- Friendships
- Racism
- Internet Activity
- Faith Matters
- Divorce
- Dating
- Bullying
- Occult
- and more
Why press the Hot Buttons?
Why not just leave it alone and let the kids figure it out? We can pray for them and trust it all to work out in the end. In some ways it does work itself out, true. Circumstances happen, pressure hits, relationships change. . .and your teens gets to figure it all out. In the heat of the moment. On their own. Hopefully they’ll make the right choice, but it’s really hard to know what will happen when the prep work isn’t done. 
Take an issue like dating–we talk about the boundaries. We set rules for curfew and other things. We even make sure we apprrove of the date and talk about saying no to sexual advances. Right? And that’s great. It really is. But there’s something missing. Our teens need to know what to do and what not to do, and what we expect of them, but they also need to understand why that’s going to be difficult for them. How does the body respond in ways that make it tough to say no? What will the feelings be like that make it difficult to leave the room or douse the proverbial flames? You see, if we don’t hit those truth head on before they become an issue, our teens will think it’s a secret, it’s specific to them, and we really don’t know what we’re asking them to say no to. But, if we press those hot buttons in advance, if we have the difficult conversations, then our teens will enter those pressure-filled situations armed with understanding and equipped with the words to say to stay true to their commitments. With every hot button issue, someone is feeding your tweens and teens information–do you really want that someone to be anyone other than you?
How do I press the Hot Buttons?
Now that you’ve made the decision to be proactive about helping your tweens and teens battle peer pressure, I love to share the principles behind the Hot Buttons book series and the method of communicating with your teens it prescribes. 
Each book is topical based on a single Hot Button issues and its surrounding sub-topics. For example, the Hot Buttons Internet Edition deals with social networking, pornography, predators, cyber bullying, and more. The goal isn’t to convince parents to keep their kids off the net, but rather to arm them with the tools they need to navigate it in a safe and healthy way. Same with the Dating Edition. It covers early relationships, physical boundaries, date rape, and more. Instead of just handing down rules, parents need to walk their teens through the details and equip them with the understanding of what’s out and how to rise above the peer pressure.
How does Hot Buttons work?
Finally, he asks you out. Now it’s decision time. What do you do?
- He obviously like you best and telling him no isn’t going to make him like your BFF. You might as well go out with him and deal with her later. What’s she going to do about it anyway?
- You’ll go out with him, but only secretly. Hopefully she’ll never find out.
- You thank him, and tell him you need a day or two to think about it. Time to have a heart-to-heart with your friend. If she’s okay with it, you’re in!
- No, too much is at stake. Your BFF will tell you she’s fine with it, but you know it will break her heart. Then what? It wouldn’t be the same again. Plus, you’re supposed to be the Christian; you need to put her first.
Here are some discussion points you can use to lead the conversation after the choice is made:
- BFs come and go; BFF last a lifetime
- What would Jesus do?
- How would you feel in your BFF’s shoes?
- Talk about this sort of thing ahead of time. Don’t wait until it’s a real issue. Clear the air.
- Loyalty and honestly are qualities of Christ.
- A year from now, when you look back on the situation, which choice will make you proud?
The final chapters of each Hot Buttons book will lead you and your family through confession and forgiveness and then help you walk into the future with a clean slate, armed with the tools you all need to face those hot buttons. If you’re a parent of teens, or you know one, I hope you’ll visit www.hotbuttonsite.com to read more Hot Buttons posts each week. Also, the first two Hot Buttons books: Dating and Internet, release on 6/1. Following soon after on 10/1 are the Sexuality and Drug editions.
Nicole O’Dell, founder of Choose NOW Ministries and host of Choose NOW Radio: Parent Talk and Teen Talk, is a youth culture expert who writes and speaks to preteens, teenagers, and parents on preparing for life’s tough choices. The mother of six, including toddler triplets, she’s author of YA fiction, including the popular Scenarios for Girls interactive fiction series and the Diamond Estates Series, and non-fiction for teens including Girl Talk, 2/1/12, based on the popular advice column she writes with her two daughters. Hot Buttons, O’Dell’s non-fiction series for parents pre-empts peer pressure by tackling tough issues. Visit www.nicoleodell.com.
Failstate by John Otte
Review by Jill Williamson
Robin Laughlin (aka. Failstate) is a contestant in a reality TV show called America’s Next Superhero. His goal? To become an official, licensed superhero. It doesn’t help matters that his powers are often out of control, that his handsome big brother is wining the hearts of the voters, or that Robin can’t even remove his mask or viewers would shriek from fright. When one of his competitors is murdered, Robin sets out to find the killer, hoping for justice and to prove he’s no failure.
Now, this is what has been missing from bookstore shelves! John Otte’s Failstate combines mystery, action, humor, romance, and faith all in one rip-roaring superhero tale. Readers will cheer for Failstate—a rookie hero without a license—as he tries to solve a murder, control his unstable powers, and not get voted off the show America’s Next Superhero. Otte provides short, cliffhanger chapters, deep characters, and a breathless pace that will keep young readers up all night. I highly recommend this book for everyone. It’s that much fun.
Age Range: 12 and up
Genre: contemporary fantasy/superheroes
Part of a Series: yes
Pages: 416
Publisher: Marcher Lord Press
Released: 2012
Check out the book trailer too:
Interview with Failstate Author John Otte
It’s time for another Team Novel Teen Blog Tour! This time we’re touring Failstate by John Otte. It’s a really fun book about a young guy, who enters the show called America’s Next Superhero. But his superhero identity Failstate isn’t as cool as some of the other contestants. Here is the blurb:
Why did Robin Laughlin (aka. Failstate) think being a superhero on a reality show would be a good idea again? Things seemed so simple: win the show, become an official, licensed hero. But with his brother, Ben (aka. Gauntlet) stealing America’s heart and his own powers proving too unwieldy even for the monitored studio challenges, Robin begins to wonder if his calling isn’t to save the world after all.
Until one of his competitors is murdered.
Vowing to find the killer, Robin sets out on a very real quest to unmask the hidden villain. Can Robin find justice? Or will his lunk of a big brother ruin everything?
Click to visit John's blog
I’m going to post my book review tomorrow. (Click here to read it.) But I’ve got John visiting me today. Welcome, John! Your first novel released last month! Congrats! Share some of the exciting things that you’ve done during this release time.
Well, let’s see here. About a month ago, we had a big release party at my congregation. Around 80 people showed up and we sold out all the copies of the book (which was awesome; the proceeds went to the youth of the congregation for a big trip they’re taking next summer). We had an awesome band, some great snacks, and we streamed the whole thing on the web.
I’ve also been obsessively searching Google for references to my book. I keep getting nervous to find out what people think of it.
Don’t worry, John! It’s a great book! Have you received any emails from readers? Would you tell us about one? How did it make you feel to get that feedback?
I didn’t get an e-mail exactly, but I did get my first piece of fan mail from one of my confirmation students. He was turning in some late memory work and I was looking through it all when I found an envelope addressed to me tucked in the middle. In the envelope was two pieces of paper. One was labeled “Read First,” the other “Read Second.”
The first was a note explaining how much he loved the book. He then went on to explain what he thought should happen in the sequel. He had some very detailed ideas for characters and what should happen to them. The second note was a sketch he had done of what he thought the cover should look like.
I think I may have those framed.
That is awesome, John! You should frame them. Are there going to be more Failstate books?
There are! As a matter of fact, I’m about 2/3s of the way through the (as of yet) untitled sequel. There are zombies in it. Kind of. It’s not a true zombie apocalypse but I’m having fun with it.
And then there will be one more beyond that as well. I’m not exactly sure how to describe the plot without giving it all away. Suffice it to say, Failstate is going to face one of the biggest challenges of his superhero career.
I can’t wait. I adore Failstate. And you can’t go wrong with zombies these days. 
What do you consider some of your biggest life adventures, John?
I can think of a few. A year after my wife and I got married, we took a two week trip to Australia and I absolutely loved it! We saw the Opera House, SCUBA dove on the Great Barrier Reef, rode horses through the rain forest, and spent a few days on a place called Kangaroo Island. That last part was awesome. We got to see baby sea lions and we both got to hold a baby kangaroo. I also got to try kangaroo one night for dinner. Turns out, it tastes pretty much like steak.
Remarkable rocks on Kangaroo Island
I’ve also had some great adventures with the youth I’ve worked with. Every three years, our denomination has a big youth gatherings, usually somewhere down south. For some reason, most of the Gatherings I’ve been to have been in New Orleans, which is always a fun time. The last time, though, we spent a day cleaning up a neighborhood that was wrecked by Hurricane Katrina. It was a lot of hard work but absolutely worth it. I also donated blood for the first time at that Gathering, which is a major achievement for me seeing as I’m scared to death of needles.
Giving blood for the first time
But the biggest adventure by far has been raising my two boys. My wife and I adopted both of them and they mean the world to us. My older son is an absolute clone of me. We have very similar personalities. He’s started “preaching sermons” from time to time and he’s even started writing books. My younger son isn’t quite a year old but he’s one of the happiest babies I’ve ever seen. He has the most infectious belly laugh. I know both of them are going to have incredible adventures throughout their lives.
That is awesome, John. Love the picture of the rocks on Kangaroo Island! Not all life adventures are fun. And your story deals with some tough subjects. Robin and his big brother get a little competitive. Do you have any advice for teens that have to live in the shadow of a “perfect” older sibling?
Boy, that’s a tough one. I’m actually the oldest in my family. I don’t think I was a “perfect” older brother. My younger siblings and I once sat down and figured it out. I got the creativity, my sister got the athletic and intellectual ability, and my brother got the looks. So I’d like to think that we all got something.
But at the same time, I know it can be difficult walking in an older sibling’s shadow. I guess if I had any advice, it’d be to remember what St. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 12—“There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men . . . All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines.” (1 Corinthians 12:4-6, 11).
God made you just the way you are. The Holy Spirit gave you the gifts He knew you could use to the best of your ability. And God doesn’t make mistakes. As hard as it may be, it doesn’t help to compare yourself to someone else. Focus on the gifts that God has given you and you will be able to do amazing things with His help and guidance!
Great advice, John! Thanks for that. What new fictional adventure are you working on now?
Like I said, I’m working on the first draft of the sequel to Failstate. I’m introducing some new characters (such as a sweet girl named Charlene and a teenage superhero named Kynetic). And I recently found the missing piece I needed to sew the plot all together.
At the same time, I’m getting ready to start editing a book called Hive. I call it my “pregnant teenage cyborg” book. It’s set in the far future. It has a lot of space travel and a little bit of romance.
I can’t wait to read your next Failstate story, and Hive is awesome–what I’ve read so far. I have a feeling you’re going to be publishing books for a long time! Thanks for talking with us!
To find out what the other Team Novel Teen members are saying about Failstate, check out the following links. And if you want a laugh, be sure and visit the Fiction Fire link. Christian Miles is one hysterical fellow.
ADD Librarian • The Book Fae • Bookworm Reading • Books I Recommend • Colorimetry • CTF Devourer • Fiction Fire • Gillian Adams • Hornspoon Reviews • My Story Shelf • The Pen and Parchment • Virtuous Girlhood
Team Novel Teen is a group of bloggers dedicated to spreading the word about clean teen fiction. Check out other posts about Failstate by John Otte by clicking on the links above, and check out www.NovelTeen.com for more information about Team Novel Teen.
TO DARKNESS FLED EPISODE 27
CLICK HERE to download To Darkness Fled-Episode 27
Sir Gavin and Sir Caleb pose as bounty hunters and take Achan into Ice Island as their prisoner in hopes of freeing their men from the Prodotez.
Dark Powers Collection by Bill Myers
Review by Jill Williamson
Zondervan has updated and re-released Bill Myers’ Forbidden Doors series in four, three-volume sets. The Dark Powers Collection is the first book in the set.
Book 1: The Society
Becka and her brother Scott move to a new town. Having grown up on the mission field, it’s their first time living in a regular USA place. Right away they stumble onto things that remind them of the witch doctors from South America, who worship demons. But when Scott meets up with members of The Society and their Ouija board, he needs to dig down deep into his faith to know how to face them.
Great story. I instantly liked Becka and Scott. They’re fun, realistic Christian teens, who know just enough about their faith to get themselves into trouble. I enjoyed watching their struggle as they volleyed between keeping their mouths shut to make friends and speaking up for their faith. This is a fun story and one that will keep you thinking long after.
Book 2: The Deceived
Maxwell Hunter, a hypnotist, comes to town and convinces Becka that she was a powerful person in a former life. Scott doesn’t like the guy at all, but their mother is quite taken with him, so much that she goes out on a date with the guy! Scott is furious, and tries to figure out how to get his mom and sister to see that there is something wrong about this guy. But can he convince them before it’s too late?
This story intrigued me. Just the idea how people can so easily convince themselves that something they know is wrong is okay. That even Christians will feed their pride rather than face the truth. It makes me wonder what in my life I might be feeding for my own pride. This was a scary one, so buckle your seat belts!
Book 3: The Spell
The Society has had it with Becka and her brother Scott, so they place a spell on Becka, tying to shut her up for good. Becka finds creepy messages and dead animals in her path. She knows The Society is messing with her, and she knows they have no real power, but she’s terrified of what they might do next! Scott, on the other hand, is completely distracted by a very pretty face.
This one might have been my favorite so far. I really like how it shows ways that Christians can be used and taken advantage of when they give into fear or temptation and forget who to trust. I think I read this one the fastest. These are GREAT books. All Christian teens must read! Can’t wait for the next volume!
Age Range: 12 and up
Genre: supernatural
Part of a Series: Books 1-3 of the Forbidden Doors series
Pages: 330
Publisher: Zondervan
Released: 2012
God’s Plan or Yours?
Once I’d officially given up my pursuit of being a fashion designer, I started thinking about what God wanted me to be when I “grew up.” I wanted to serve him in a big way. I wanted to change people, and I became convinced that I was supposed to do that by being a speaker. I had an interesting childhood, I made a ton of mistakes, and I wasn’t afraid to talk about it.
I started researching how people become speakers at teen events and schools, and I discovered that oftentimes people are invited to speak after someone has read an article they wrote in a magazine.
Well, how hard could that be, right? So I wrote some articles, submitted them, and discovered that writing articles was a lot harder than I thought. Each magazine had specific needs and formats. I had to craft a different idea for each one, and there was no guarantee that they’d even use it! But I kept at it, determined that I was doing something worthwhile and necessary.
My first published article in Brio & Beyond November 2006
Around that time a debate sprang up in our church about the Harry Potter books and whether they were “safe” for Christians to read. Now, despite what you feel about them, I was annoyed. I’ve always been an avid reader, and I knew there were far worse books out there for teens that most parents didn’t even know about. I got thinking, why couldn’t someone write books for teens from a Christian worldview?
Maybe I could.
I pushed aside my article writing and started a novel. Looking back, I did everything wrong. But I got hooked on it. It was so much fun. And I had no desire to go back to the hard work of writing articles.
Logo I made for my spy kid novel
I started to feel guilty. Hadn’t I decided to serve God in a big way? Hadn’t I dedicated my life to helping teens by sharing my story and what I learned? Writing my little spy kid novel was totally selfish! I was turning my back on something “holy” and doing something that was more fun. And God knew it!
I talked to my pastor about this and he set me straight. He reminded me that God can use anything he wants to reach people. And if I really loved writing this book, he thought I should keep going.
I got thinking about King David and Nathan and how Nathan wanted to point out that David was sinning with Bathsheba, but rather than tell the king he was doing something wrong, Nathan used a story to reach him. (2 Samuel 12) And it worked.
And Jesus told stories all the time to get people to think about deep things.
I decided to keep writing that book.
The thing is, planning is good. But God wants us to experience life, not schedule it. And sometimes we can’t know what he’ll put before us until he does it. And if we’re too caught up in our own agendas, we just might miss out on something pretty amazing. Something better than our own plans.
C.S. Lewis
CS Lewis said in Mere Christianity: “Your real, new self will not come as long as you are looking for it. It will come when you are looking for Him.”
I was trying to plan out who I was going to be. But when I stepped back and went looking for God’s will instead of what I thought he’d find pleasing, I found myself.
Serving God doesn’t have to be taking a vow of silence, becoming a pastor, or going to bible college. It might. But God doesn’t want to bully us into a life of service. He wants us to give him our hearts. To love him above everything else. He wants us to be who he created us to be. Not who someone else already is. And when we find ourselves, we’ll know how to serve him. And if it’s truly our calling, we will find joy in it.
Have you ever gotten so caught up with your To Do list or your own agenda that you forget to seek out your creator? Have you ever struggled with your dream being too much fun or the complete opposite? Leave a comment and tell me about it.
Pure Life, Pure Love by Elsa Kok Colopy
Review by Jill Williamson
There are, like, a thousand books on purity out there, and I’ve read a lot of them. What I felt was different about this book was that it got me thinking about purpose, which is one of my life passions. God has a purpose for each of us, whether we believe it or not. And he is asking us to seek him out and trust him.
Lots of people think that believing in God and living for him means that we have to follow a long list of rules. When I first started following God, that’s what I wanted, believe it or not. I wanted to the rules. I wanted to be sure that I would never mess up my life again. But that’s not how it works. We all mess up, whether we love God or not. And Elsa gets that. Man, do I wish I had read this book when I was a new Christian!
Elsa walks us through all the questions a teen girl might have. It’s not about setting impossible standards or being perfect, it’s about loving God and letting God love you. It’s about learning his plan for your life and embracing that. Can you imagine? God loves you and wants to give you a purpose while you’re here on this earth. How cool is that?
This book is filled with practical advice, true stories of girls who’ve struggled, and discussion questions to get you thinking about how to apply all this to your own life. Totally worth the read. I highly recommend this one.
Age Range: 12 and up
Genre: non fiction/teen life
Part of a Series: no
Pages: 208
Publisher: Zondervan
Released: 2012
TO DARKNESS FLED EPISODE 26
CLICK HERE to download To Darkness Fled-Episode 26
After arriving in Tsaftown, Achan and the knights make their plans to infiltrate Ice Island.
The Peculiars by Maureen Doyle McQuerry
Review by Jill Williamson
Now that Lena Mattacascar has turned eighteen, she decides to leave home in search of her father in the wild wilderness of Scree where the Peculiars live—outcasts for their strange inhuman characteristics. Lena has always feared she might be part Peculiar because of her long fingers and feet, and she conceals her deformity as best she can, always wearing gloves.
When traveling on the train, Lena meets Jimson Quiggley, a young librarian, and Thomas Saltre, a marshal. When Saltre learns who Lena’s father is, he asks her to spy on Jimson Quiggley and his boss Mr. Beasley and report whatever she learns back to him. In exchange, Saltre promises to help Lena find her father.
Mr. Beasley’s home is filled with strange inventions and noises in the night. The more she learns about Jimson and Mr. Beasley, the more she likes them. Lena’s confusion over who to trust leads her to a decision that changes everything.
This is a steampunk novel. I adore steampunk and wish there were more of them. Steampunk is merely a fantasy novel that takes place in a time period where steam power was used as modern technology. Such a storyworld enables interesting props and plot devices.
This is a fun book. Totally clean. Lena is shy and naive, self-conscious of how she looks, especially in regards to her hands and feet. Jimson is loyal to Mr. Beasley and enthralled with invention and progress. He doesn’t care much for Lena’s faith, which adds some interesting discussions here and there. And Mr. Beasley is the enigmatic inventor, who reminded me somewhat of Doc Brown in the Back to the Future movies.
I enjoyed the premise of what makes one human. The Peculiars with their strange deformities are said to be unable to go to heaven by missionaries in the story. The missionaries were written as firm legalists to their beliefs, though one changed her mind in the end. I’ll be interested to see where the author takes this subplot.
Lena’s search for her father gets derailed by the marshal’s quest, but it all comes around in the end. Her confusion about who to trust is likely a relatable experience for a young woman inexperienced with advances from a handsome man. The marshal is sneaky—I didn’t trust him. But I could see how Lena might. This is not a fast-paced book, but I was never bored and look forward to the second book in the series. This is a fun, thoughtful, clean read.
Age Range: 12 and up
Genre: steampunk/fantasy
Part of a Series: yes
Pages: 368
Publisher: Harry N. Abrams
Released: 2012
Homelanders 4-vol set by Andrew Klavan
Thomas Nelson has released Andrew Klavan’s Homelander series in one volume. Now you can get all four of Charlie West’s adventures in one.
The Homelanders includes these four books:
The Last Thing I Remember
The Long Way Home
The Truth of the Matter
The Final Hour
(Click on each title to read my book reviews.)
Great idea for a story. I loved the mystery of what was going on and the way Andrew Klavan told this tale, how he weaved it backwards and forwards with action and memories and mystery. It was very cleverly done. This is a GREAT series for boy readers. So if you love action and adventure novels, or if you’re looking for some books for a young man, look no further. This is the series. I highly recommend it.
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My name is Jill.
I'm a believer, wife, mom, youth leader, fiction addict, podcaster, superhero, and writer of really cool, weird books for teens.
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