"How can I help you? Is there anything I can do?"

That's a question I've been hearing a lot from kind friends and readers. Well, it's a generous thought, and yeah, since I'm not J.K. Rowling, Philip Pullman, or Stephen King I sure could use a little help getting the word out about my books. So, if you're willing, your assistance is greatly appreciated!

Here are ten ideas:

1. If you haven't already, go out and buy a copy of Lemonade Mouth. (And while you're at it, why not go ahead and actually read it? I hear it doesn't completely suck.) :-)

2. Hey, while you're at it, why not buy a few copies and give them away as gifts? :-)

3. Tell your friends about Lemonade Mouth. Talk it up over coffee, during phone conversations, over the watercooler--even send out a group email. (Note: It isn't really a novel just for teens!)

4. Carry a copy when you know you'll be in a public place, a school, a library, on the bus -- anywhere there might be people who'll see it in your hands and be curious.

5. Whenever you're in a bookstore, turn the shelved copies of Lemonade Mouth and I am the Wallpaper so they are face out, if they are not already.

6. If you don't find Lemonade Mouth or I am the Wallpaper in a bookstore or library, ask them to order it.

7. Go to Amazon.com, BookSense.com or other online bookseller and write a 5-star review…if you think that's deserved, of course! Hey, why not do it right now by clicking here?

8. Consider asking your local middle-school, high-school, or library to bring me in to speak or give a writing workshop.

9. Consider calling or sending an email to your local newspaper, radio station, or TV station and suggesting they do a review of Lemonade Mouth or a story about me--perhaps the angle is that it's a story about an author, or about a crazy family seeing the country and doing something fun together (i.e. the LEMONADE MOUTH ACROSS AMERICA! road-trip), or about a guy taking a risk and quitting his day-job to do what he really loves. Maybe you can think of something else?

10. If you're planning to buy online, please consider supporting the independent booksellers in your community (and nationwide) by shopping via www.Booksense.com.

Thank you very, very much!
-- Mark