A Teen Guide to the Future

I am very excited about the release of Star Gazer this fall. I have been writ-Iing books for adults for several years now, and when the idea to write a teen book came about, I jumped at the chance. It seems everywhere I travel to do lectures and book signings, more and more teenagers are showing up to hear what I have to say. There is definitely an interest in the “new age” or should I say, “new thought” movement among our younger generation. They are hungry for more information, and I hope Star Gazer will help provide them with what they’re searching for.

I enjoyed writing Star Gazer for several reasons. First, I have two daughters. One is fifteen years old and the other eleven, so my writing style and information was geared toward them. I even had my older daughter proofread a sample chapter before I submitted it to make sure I was on the right track. Secondly, the words just flowed onto the computer screen as I was able to reminisce about some of the experiences I had a “few” years ago in high school. And last but not least, I was offering our younger generation a well-rounded guidebook that would give them many of the answers they are searching for. It was my goal to make Star Gazer a fun, yet informative, book to read.

Star Gazer is a book teens can share with their friends. They’ll discover lots of secrets and fun facts about their friends’ personalities through the chapter on the zodiac signs. Everyone reads their horoscopes in the daily paper but often the information is limited to a few general sentences. In my book, readers will get in-depth information on each sign and the qualities they possess, as well as their most annoying habits. And everyone wants to know about their love life, so I included the best love matches for each sign and even the fast fizzles!

But Star Gazer isn’t just about astrology. Think of this as a guidebook to just about everything the new age world has to offer. I’ve written chapters on dream interpretation, candle burning rituals, palmistry and even a complete, detailed guide on how to read the tarot.

I think the combination of different topics is a good idea because you won’t have to buy ten different books on ten different subjects to expand your spiritual knowledge. It’s all under one cover in Star Gazer.

If someone is interested in numerology, the study of numbers, they can easily find out what their life purpose is by learning the simple formula in the book. If you can add, you can do numerology.

I like to think of Star Gazer as magical. I hope readers feel as if they are on a magical journey as soon as they turn the first page. Knowledge is power, and I believe the more knowledge we have as individuals, the more we grow and are able to expand our lives. Spiritual knowledge can come from using ancient tools such as the tarot. A simple reading can unlock intuition and give you opportunities to view life from different perspectives. Getting in touch with your inner self is important too, and Star Gazer shows readers just how to do that by working with a dream journal, and a lesson in meditation.

Then there’s an entire chapter on colors. Did you know that colors affect our moods and feelings? For example, pink is the color of love. Green is for healing, and so on. A complete crystal guide is also included.

Many teenagers are wearing semi-precious gemstones these days but seldom do they understand the healing energies that their pieces of jewelry possess. Hematite is good for releasing stress and headaches. Citrine draws money to its wearer. I think readers will have fun matching up their bracelets and rings with the stones in that specific chapter.

Writing for the teen market is different than writing for adults. In a sense, it is more difficult because one has to think back to a time when they were in high school and dig deep to find those feelings of wonder and hope. A writer must recall vividly how it felt to be in love at age sixteen or how scared they were to go to a new school. I asked myself, “What was really important to me back then?” And teens can be a tough bunch. They question everything and won’t settle for pat answers. Details are very important. As an author, you need to earn their trust.

You do that by honoring who they are, where they’re at in life, and talking their language. You must be able to relate to them. If you can’t, it’s obvious in your book. I feel I’ve conquered all I’ve set out to do with Star Gazer. It has been a very rewarding experience. I feel the younger generation will open its arms and hearts to Star Gazer. I wrote it especially for them. Yes, it has been a magical journey!