What I'm about to say is going to make some people uncomfortable, so I might as well get it over with: teenagers are sexual beings.

Now, I'm not saying that teenagers are ready to have sex or should have sex. But they think about sex. They have bodies that matter, thoughts that they must process, experiences in themselves that cannot be denied. 

Teenagers have sex. Teenagers have friends who have sex. Teenagers think about sex. Teenagers are sexual beings.

In my second novel, The Knife and the Butterfly, the two most prominent characters are sexually active. In one scene, Azael masturbates. He also has some pretty troubling thoughts about women in general, although he does evolve and we come to see that a lot of this is bravado. Lexi uses sex to cover her insecurities but doesn't enjoy it. They are a lot like many teens. They are a lot like many people. Oh yeah, teens are people. 

My first novel, What Can't Wait, doesn't trivialize sex, but it also doesn't pretend that sex isn't there. Even for characters like Marisa and Alan who never actually "go all the way," sex is powerfully present. Marisa is almost raped and has to deal--not only with the feelings of violation--but with the anxiety that her reaction ("I feel violated") doesn't match up to the situation ("he didn't actually rape me"). In recognition of sexual assault awareness month, I'd like to point out that a person needn't be "fully" raped to have been assaulted and to have lots to work through in order to heal.

To me, writing about sex is just like writing about any other part of life. To omit it would be to do violence to the real experiences of real people.

Here's a video that reminds why sex (and respectful and safe sex) matters for all of us:

This post is for all my loved ones who've asked, "What can I do to help spread the word about What Can't Wait?" So from here on out, I will assume that (a) you’ve read What Can't Wait (yay!), and (b) you are so excited about it that you want to know other things you can do to help promote it and get it into the hands of readers.

Here are a few ideas you can put into action for free:

(1) Ask your public library to purchase the book. Many libraries have patron-directed purchasing, which means that they will generally buy an item that a user requests if they don’t already have it. Here’s an example of a library purchase request form.

(2) Request the book from your library. Your library has the book. Yay! Now, even though you own it, request it! Some libraries have a hold system and have a formula for purchasing additional copies of the book. For example, if a book has eight holds, they will purchase a second copy.

(3) Ask about the book at the bookstores in your area (or whenever you visit other cities). You can do this by calling or—even better—by talking to a real, live employee. If the store doesn’t have the book, you can tell them that it’s worth checking out. You might mention the reviews in Kirkus, Booklist, or VOYA (read 'em all in one place on my publisher's page here).

(4) Link to the author’s amazing (ahem) website or blog from twitter, facebook, or your own website.

(5) Review the book on amazon.com, goodreads.com, shelfari.com, or other sites for readers.

(6) Know teachers? Tell them about the book.*

(7) Know teens? Tell them about the book.*

(8) Have a grandma? Tell her about the book.*

*The extra-motivated and financially endowed can substitute “buy” for “tell them about.”

Your dedicated author friend is sure to appreciate the help.

So Saturday's launch party was officially a success, thanks to the hard work and support of Bloomington folks! This post is all about pictures: get a look inside the amazing Boxcar Books, check out Arnie's BIG-ASS poster (which I L.O.V.E.), see me in stripes, and drool over baked goods from G.G.'s Sweetery. Bonus points if you identify the other published Bloomington YA author in the crowd. 

Speaking of photos, all these were taking by the inimitable and lovable Arnulfo Pérez and other guests, but I'm also looking forward to seeing the images snagged by a photojournalism student who used the event as the basis of one of her projects AND bought a book (thanks, Christy!).

Arnie printed this big-ass poster using graphic art from the designer at Carolrhoda LAB and technical support from Justin of www.314pies.com.·

Piles of books and loads of new readers to read them. We sold 23 books, and I signed 8 more that folks had bought in advance. This is good!

People talking about books and eating. Juanes, Maná, and other Latin music playing in the background.

Gwenette Gaddis, the talent behind GG's Sweetery, baked up this lovely spread. This is BEFORE it was devastated by the hungry hordes.

Chef Matt O'Neill of The Runcible Spoon donated their famous, locally roasted coffee as well as a scrumptious creamy vegetarian pasta. Three years ago, Matt also donated the funds for a scholarship I received to the IU Writers Conference. That year I took the manuscript that is now What Can't Wait. Double thanks to Matt and the Spoon!

Julia Karr, author of XVI (Speak, 2011), came to my party. Read an excerpt from XVI and find other cool stuff at her website, juliakarr.com.

Boxcar Books was a stellar host for the party; special thanks to Will for organizing the event. Boxcar Books is a very special place. It's a volunteer-run not-for-profit store that uses proceeds to fund community outreach and a Pages to Prisoners program. (Read their mission statement and history here.)  In addition to a fine collection of books, they've got all sorts of zines and other quirky findings. Also, your coolness quotient go up the minute you step through the doors. I'll be sending Bloomington folks here for my book from now on!

By now I've probably said this in a dozen different places, but here goes again: I wrote What Can't Wait for my students in Houston. Last weekend, they came out in full force for my booksigning. They rocked my world by coming through that door all afternoon long, by enduring my hugs, and by giving me "the rest of the story": what they're doing now, who they've become. Moments like these are what we teacher folks live for.

We teacher types also LOVE hearing that our former students have become teachers themselves, as was the case for one of mine, Vivian Fernández, who now teaches high school math in HISD. (Harder than you thought, eh, Vivian?) Jessica Guillen, Elizabeth Flores, and Roston Veal stopped by to tell me that they're working on becoming teachers as well. Jessica Van Ravenhorst, another rockstar scholar, now runs her own home daycare, which is a goal she's had since her days in my classroom.

One of my students, Cassandra Flores, brought in a copy of the original manuscript of (the novel now known as) What Can't Wait for me to sign along with the finished novel. I taught Cassandra in 2006. The fact that she kept that tattered pile of pages (with its regretable opening chapter) was the sweetest vote of confidence. Diana Alvarez, another early and immensely helpful reader of the first draft, also came by with her million-dollar smile.

The "kids" (got to put quotation marks since these guys are all adults now... and older than I was when I started teaching) in the picture at the top of this post were in my AP Lit class (except for Christine on the far left; she's just a groupie that I WISH I had taught). Other folks who stopped by from their class included Juan Torres and Larry Vuong. Jonathan Gomez, an AP Lit scholar from the previous year, put in an appearance with his partner in crime, Vivian Rodriguez.

Another student, Baltazar Diaz, helped me hold down the fort for a good hour, and his visit was special because when Baltazar was in my class, he H.A.T.E.D. to read. Oh, how the mighty have fallen... fallen in love with books! Baltazar is now a reader, but he hasn't lost his sassy sense of humor. I taught Baltazar for two years (before he escaped my grasp his senior year), but there was also a crew of kids who had me for sophomore, junior and senior year. Did we bond? Yes, we bonded!

From that group, I saw Ana Figueroa, Eric Vitales, and Rey Mejía. Ana's gone from giggly girl to a serious student and mother on her way to being a dental assistant. Eric inspired me by sticking with writing in my class and working through many lunch periods to get through tasks that weren't always his favorite. Rey carried Harry Potter around like the bible and infected me with his laughter daily while persuading lots of his classmates that reading is actually pretty kick-ass. One time Rey wrote about a math teacher he'd had in the past who shared his own goals and dreams (becoming a college prof, I think) with his students. I remember having a kind of Aha! moment... You mean I could share something of my life with my students? Get out!

From the very first group of students who I taught as seniors at Chavez back in 2004, I saw Roston Veal, Rocío Vasquez, Jeanette Perez, and Andrea Mouzakis. They're all grown with kids of their own, but they honored me by remembering me and coming out to show the love.

I also saw Hector Gallardo, who wrote a play in my class that was a finalist for an Alley Theatre competition and has the distinction of being the only student whose name I (TEMPORARILY) forgot. Sorry, Hector, but do I get any credit for remembering what the play was about? Alberto Garcia came by with a bear hug and news of other students--he didn't love my class from the start, but I remember him as slipping appreciative notes and apologetic looks my way when his best buddy got out of line.

If I missed anybody in this note, y'all know I love you and am just getting old! Thank you, scholars, for helping me celebrate the book that wouldn't exist without you.

Yay, yay! It's a book! And a party! Come on out Saturday, March 26, from 7-10 p.m. at Boxcar Books in Bloomington, Indiana, for a book signing and celebration of What Can't Wait's publication. Delicious vittles will be provided by GG's Sweetery and the Runcible Spoon.

I promise to be in proper authorly form and to say 5-minutes-worth of authorly things. The rest? Having fun and celebrating the journey to publication! Come out, drop by, stay late, bring your friends--whatever works for you! But whatever you do, help us make it a night to remember.