Awesome Authors: Deborah Reber

Today we're very fortunate to have Deborah Reber visiting the Bradford Novels blog. She is a teen advocate, speaker, and author with a really amazing blog called Smart Girls Know!

Blogs are a central part of the Bradford Novels universe. If you have a blog, why did you start blogging, and how did you come up with the name for your blog?
My blog is called Smart Girls Know, and I started it in early 2007. The name comes from an idea for a book for girls I had about five years ago called "What Smart Girls Know." The whole idea behind the book was to empower girls to tap into how smart and capable they already are, and
how they have the power to handle any challenges they face and create the life they want. I haven't been able to get that book published (yet!), so I decided to share the ideas behind it with girls by creating my blog. Since then, Smart Girls Know has turned into a place for me to connect directly with girls about everything from issues affecting teens lives to posting info about contests, book reviews, interviews, and updates on my other projects.

What's your favorite thing about blogging? Having a place to interact directly with teens and having an outlet to share info I think girls need to know about.

What's the difference between a blog and a diary? I think they can be one and the same, and probably are for many bloggers. But to me, a diary or journal is a place where I write about my innermost thoughts, frustrations, dreams, and goals . . . it's often the kind of content I would definitely not want anyone else to see! My blog is a place to share opinions about ideas and situations in life that I find important or interesting.

Spencer Grace Kelly, the main character in GoldenGirl, is named after her distant relative, the Princess of Monaco. What's your favorite Grace Kelly movie, and why? Without question, Alfred Hitchcock's To Catch a Thief. You can't beat the combination of Cary Grant and Grace Kelly!

GoldenGirl is full of scandals and exposed secrets. What was the biggest scandal at your high school? Did your classmates discover any of your deep, dark secrets? The biggest scandal I remember happening at my high school involved a, shall we say, "inappropriate" relationship between a teacher and a student. I went to a small school and once the cat was out the bag, it was the talk of the school for months. As far as my own deep, dark
secrets go, the only thing that comes to mind is a hookup between me and another classmate that happened during a Spanish class trip to Spain. My thinking was that "what happened in Spain, stays in Spain," but apparently the guy I hooked up with thought differently. . . .

What's the worst thing you ever did to a friend? Are you still friends with her or him?
Ugh. This happened 20 years ago and it still kills me to think about it. My friend had a tremendous crush on this guy, but he thought they were only friends. Then he decided that I was the love of his life. So I went for it. Of course, the friend hated me, and the relationship with the boy didn't last. Luckily, I was able to repair the relationship with the friend, but it wasn't easy and it took a couple of years. We're in touch through Facebook today, but I still wonder how she could ever have fully forgiven me for such a betrayal (hanging head in shame . . . )

What are your most recent books? What new projects are you working on now? My last two books for young women are Chill: Stress-Reducing Techniques for a More Balanced, Peaceful You and In Their Shoes: Extraordinary Women Describe Their Amazing Careers, which are both aimed at helping girls live their best lives. Right now, I'm working on my first YA novel. It's been a blast so far, so stay tuned. . . .