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Confidence, Grace, and Purpose
Successful Life Skills for Teens is a positive, practical guide for young readers who want to build confidence, manage emotions, and get their lives on track. Why was this an essential book for you to write?
I wrote Successful Life Skills for Teens to bridge the gap between what schools teach and what teenagers need to thrive in today’s world. Many young people leave the classroom with a wealth of knowledge, yet they often lack confidence, resilience, and emotional awareness. This book gives them practical tools to navigate real-life challenges with courage and clarity. It guides teens to manage stress, build strong relationships, make wise decisions, and believe in their own potential. Each chapter was carefully crafted to support teens in becoming confident, capable young adults who are prepared to approach life with strength and purpose.
What were some ideas that were important for you to share in this book?
I wanted teens to understand that success lies in growth, not perfection. Each step forward, no matter how small, builds the strength and wisdom needed to face life with confidence. The ability to manage emotions, balance responsibilities, and nurture friendships is a quiet but powerful skill that shapes character and leadership. Also, I want to remind teens and young adults that understanding mental health and resilience are signs of courage, not weakness. Developing self-awareness helps teens better understand who they are and how they respond to challenges. This understanding enables self-discipline to guide them through life’s ups and downs with confidence, grace, and purpose.
What is one thing that people point out after reading your book that surprises you?
It’s encouraging to see so many parents enthusiastically recommending this book to others. The support they provide emphasizes its importance and the positive effect it can create. They’ve told me it not only helps them understand and reinforce the principles I share but also inspires them to apply the lessons in their own lives. Many expected Successful Life Skills for Teens to benefit their teenagers, but they found the strategies on confidence, focus, and stress management just as meaningful for themselves. Hearing that the book sparks honest conversations about mindset and personal growth within families has been one of the most rewarding surprises.
What is one thing that you hope readers take away from Successful Life Skills for Teens?
I hope readers, both teens and parents, see this book as more than a bridge that brings together an understandable connection between generations. My greatest wish is for it to spark genuine conversations about confidence, stress, and self-belief, allowing these topics to be discussed at the dinner table before the struggles become too deep. I want parents to feel empowered to guide their teens with compassion and genuine connection, and for teens to recognize their parents as their most incredible supporters to cheer them on as they discover their place in the world. If this book inspires families to listen more intently, support one another, and grow stronger together, then it has achieved my hopes. True success shines brightest when understanding fuels our strength, love guides our actions, and unity becomes the bond that helps us grow together.
Author Links: GoodReads | Facebook | Website | Amazon
Every parent dreams of seeing their teen confident, capable, and ready for life but most teens are never taught the real-world skills to make that happen.
Successful Life Skills for Teens bridges that gap with practical lessons in confidence, emotional intelligence, communication, time management, and goal setting.
Packed with relatable examples and proven strategies that empower teens to overcome stress, build stronger relationships, and take control of their future.
Give your teen the tools to succeed in school, work, and life with confidence that lasts a lifetime. Trusted by parents, loved by teachers, and life-changing for teens.
The Inside Benefits:
Powerful practical strategies for building your self-confidence and developing your courage
Why it’s so important for you to recognize your emotions… and how you can use this intel to reduce your stress and anxiety and boost your friendships
What a healthy friendship looks like—plus the social skills you need to take your relationships to the next level
Clear guidance for navigating conflict and expressing yourself clearly in every context
How to become the master of your own time—with practical strategies that really work (even if you’re a chronic procrastinator!)
A practical and user-friendly guide to managing your finances… so that you understand how money works and keep more of it in your bank account!
The critical thinking techniques you need to make smart decisions and solve problems quickly, easily, and effectively
Why making a mistake is no bad thing—and what you can do to make the most of it every time
The digital literacy skills that will keep you safe and secure in an increasingly online world
Why you need “LION goals” in your life: Discover what they are and how you can use them to achieve your dreams
How to ace a job interview and get a firm foot on the career ladder (in any field)
The reason a growth mindset is going to be your superpower… and exactly how you can develop one
And much more.
You might think these are skills you can pick up as you go along, and to a certain extent, you’re right… But wouldn’t it be better to perfect them now?
You can avoid a whole lot of stress and unnecessary mistakes if you build up these skills now, and the difference you’ll feel in your confidence and certainty will be striking.
There isn’t a person in the world who doesn’t need these skills… and this is your chance to get ahead of the game.
Be Kind and Do Good
Amber Luna My Bright Light weaves together the stories of two teenage girls navigating the challenges of middle school, family expectations, and their own self-doubt. Where did the idea for this novel come from?
I have three young adult children. As I watched them grow up, I remember feeling so grateful that each of them had genuinely good friends. As they became teenagers, I was impressed by how my children handled some tough situations with those friends—whether it was helping them through a personal problem, forgiving them after a petty fight, or walking away when a friendship became unhealthy.
During those moments, I often wondered: Would my life as a struggling teen have been different if one of them had been my friend? Writing Amber Luna My Bright Light was my way of giving myself that friend.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
Friendship—having a good friend or being a good friend—is at the heart of this story. Kindness, helping others, personal growth, and gratitude are all key themes woven into the story as well. When I was writing Amber Luna, I wrote myself a note and read it every time I sat down to write. It said, “Not every act of kindness comes with applause or an award. Often, our best intentions go unnoticed. Be kind and do good anyway. You have the power to change one person’s life, and the ripple effect of your kindness, the light you shine, will multiply in ways you may never see.”
It was just as important for the story to convey that we all have doubts and insecurities. No one has all the answers, but with time and experience, we gain knowledge and the courage to step into who we’re meant to be.
Can we look forward to more work from you soon? What are you currently working on?
Yes! I’m currently drafting the sequel to Amber Luna My Bright Light (working title: Mari’s Light Burning Bright). The story follows Mari’s healing journey, showing that tending to our mental health is rarely a straight line. It has ups and downs, and at times it may feel like there’s no destination. But it’s in the process of seeking answers, taking small steps forward, and learning from the people who come into our lives that helps us discover our strength and our light.
Author Links: GoodReads | Instagram | Facebook | Website
Amber’s bold, colorful style and quick wit make her stand out—but underneath, she’s a whirlwind of doubts, hiding a secret talent she’s too afraid to share. Mari, quiet and cautious, is carrying far more than just her bags. She’s struggling under the weight of guilt, expectations, and trauma she hasn’t been strong enough to face—yet.
They’re both 13. They’ve both just finished eighth grade. And they’re about to meet at Camp Evergreen, a summer camp in the middle of nowhere. As their unlikely friendship grows, their differences don’t keep them from discovering something they’ve both been missing— the freedom to be themselves.
Told from two perspectives, Amber Luna My Bright Light is a tender and empowering story that reminds us that finding yourself isn’t about changing or conforming but remembering who you’ve always been. Sometimes, it takes borrowing someone else’s light to see your own. And the bravest thing you can do is let it shine.
Amber Luna My Bright Light
Amber Luna My Bright Light tells the intertwined stories of Amber and Mari, two teenage girls navigating the tangled mess of middle school, friendships, family expectations, and the deep, quiet ache of self-doubt. Amber’s voice is sharp and funny, but tinged with loneliness as she deals with a toxic ex–best friend and the relentless gaze of social media. Mari’s chapters are softer but heavy, weighted by her struggles with faith, belonging, and a private pain she hides from even her closest friend. Both perspectives weave together into a portrait of adolescence that’s as tender as it is raw, capturing the ways we protect ourselves, sometimes at the expense of connection.
I found the writing genuine. Marquart nails the rhythms of teenage thought. How one minute you’re making sarcastic jokes about socks, and the next you’re falling into an emotional sinkhole you can’t climb out of. The alternating voices feel distinct without being forced. Amber’s chapters pulse with humor and bite, while Mari’s carry a quiet, simmering ache. There are a lot of small, everyday details, like shopping carts, awkward hallways, and bad hair days, that make the story feel authentic. At times, the pace slows to deliver those details, but the authenticity more than makes up for it. It reads like someone cracked open a diary and let you peek at all the messy pages.
What resonated with me wasn’t the big dramatic moments, but the small ones: a song on the radio, a mean-spirited Instagram post, a parent missing a school event. These are the cuts that don’t bleed much on the outside but leave marks you keep tracing with your fingers years later. The book doesn’t shy away from the darker parts like bullying, loss, and the pull toward self-harm, but it never feels exploitative. Instead, it treats those moments with respect, letting them sit there, uncomfortable but honest. It’s the kind of story where you want to hug the characters, even when you want to shake them a little, too.
By the time I reached the last page, I didn’t feel like I’d read a coming-of-age story so much as lived alongside two girls during the hardest stretch of their young lives. This isn’t a book that ties everything up neatly, and I liked that. Life doesn’t hand you perfect endings, and Amber Luna My Bright Light knows it. I’d recommend it for anyone who remembers what it felt like to be thirteen and unsure, for teens who feel unseen, and for adults who’ve forgotten how much the small things mattered back then.
Pages: 240 | ASIN : B0FCQ1QG3S
LITERARY TITAN 