Hey everyone. It’s been a while since there’s been a Speedsuit Powers update. Just wanted to let you know what’s been going on in March. First, let me say that God is good. Stepping forward and taking risks everyday, even while being unsure of the outcomes, has been a struggle. I keep thinking about Dr. Ben Carson’s book, Take the Risk. In it he encourages readers to face their fears. Two of his questions  come to mind - “What’s the worst thing that can happen if I take this risk? What’s the best thing that can happen if I take this risk?” Each day I pray and God provides strength to take another step.

SPREADING THE WORD

We’re working hard to spread the word about Speedsuit Powers and how it’s impacting readers. We’re using social media, word of mouth and having one-on-one conversations whenever the opportunity arises. As part of our efforts, we even sent copies to the White House for the First Family.

Today, we received a thank you card - encouraging us to stay active and involved in making a difference in the lives of others. The growing bullying epidemic is surely one such issue that affects us all. And if we don’t do something our kids will continue to lose hope.

With everything going on around the world, we don’t know if President and First Lady Obama (or Sasha and Malia) have had the opportunity to read the book yet; but receiving it is a good first step - especially since they have made addressing school bullying one of their priorities. You can watch their school bullying prevention video below.

SCREENPLAY ADAPTATION

We are also very excited about preparing to produce Speedsuit Powers as an independent movie! This has been the number one suggestion from readers. The script is done and arrangements are being made for production. If you’ve already read the book, then you know this will be a movie you won’t want to miss! Look for a 2012 release. More info coming soon!

YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE

Finally, we each must do our part. What are your solutions for bully prevention and other negative issues our youth are facing? How can you make a difference where you are?  Without positive involvement our kids’ lives will continue to spiral out of control.

You can make a difference! Keep Pressing Forward!

For more information about bullying, visit StopBullying.gov.

-Allen Paul Weaver III-

October is National Bullying Prevention and Awareness month and we must use this time to raise awareness about what happens all year long—every year—in our schools.  Asher Brown and Phoebe Prince lost their lives to bullying. Because of the increased frequency of this type of tragic outcome, the official term is bullycide: when a person commits suicide because of bullying.

WAKE UP!
I’m sure Asher and Phoebe are not the only youth to die within the past year, but their stories were covered by national media. So in a sense, they are the “faces” of a growing epidemic in our country. And their deaths beg the question: How many children have to die before we take bullying seriously?

Bullying is defined as: to hurt, frighten, browbeat, and or to tyrannize over someone. Bullying is a way to dominate another person through behavior. It is usually defined as ongoing physical or verbal harassment between two people that have an imbalance of power. Those who bully use physical, verbal, and emotional or psychological methods to humiliate, embarrass, or overpower someone.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice report, “Bullying in Schools” by Rana Sampson:

Bullying is widespread and perhaps the most underreported safety problem on American school campuses… Once thought of as simply a rite of passage or relatively harmless behavior that helps build young people’s character, bullying is now known to have long-lasting harmful effects, for both the victim and the bully…  In two-thirds of the recent school shootings (for which the shooter was still alive to report), the attackers had previously been bullied. In those cases, the experience of bullying appeared to play a major role in motivating the attacker.

The type of bullying that happens today is very different from my experiences as a kid.

REALITY CHECK
This is a crisis that our kids are facing (seemingly alone), and here are five things I know:

1. No child or teen should EVER feel that bullycide is the only way out of a negative situation. They need to know that other alternatives, resources and help are available.

2. Our response to bullying, as parents, educators and community leaders can no longer be merely a reactive one. We need to find ways to get “in front” of this instead of finding ourselves behind trying to catch up.

3. Kids aren’t always going to tell adults about bullying issues. They fear retribution from the bully and/or a lack of genuine help from adults. We need to press the issue with them to be sure that we are aware of any situations that need to be addressed.

4. If we do nothing, then nothing changes. We can no longer be bystanders. We can’t think, “It’s not my problem” or “It’s not my child.” As much as we like to isolate ourselves from others and from danger, the fact is that we are all connected. We are a community. We must get involved and be a part of the solution.

5. Making a positive impact in the lives of the bullied as well as the bully is paramount. There are always reasons behind the actions of both—family trauma, low self-esteem, anger issues, a general disregard for life, learning difficulties, etc—and we must get at those reasons in order to provide remedies.

SOLUTION BASED THINKING
The contextual intricacies of the situation are complex and answers may not be easily available.  I remember reading somewhere that if you want to change a person, you have to change the structure in which they operate. One such structural change would be to focus on developing the gifts, talents and dreams of ALL our young people: the bully, bullied and bystanders. When they have a sense of who they are, what they can do and where they are going in life—the possibilities that are available and the ways for them to overcome their obstacles—they won’t have a desire to bully, nor the patience to stand by and allow it to happen.

-Allen Paul Weaver III-
Author, Speedsuit Powers
www.speedsuitpowers.com

AN UNEXPECTED CALL

It was a pleasant surprise when my publisher, Iuniverse, contacted me and said they wanted to do an interview about my book, Speedsuit Powers. It turns out they noticed sales for my teen-fiction novel have been going well and they wanted me to share my experiences - as a way of providing encouragement for new and aspiring authors.  This was the first time that the publisher has offered me this opportunity, so needless to say I was excited and humbled.  You can read their writeup below.

HELP MAKE A DIFFERENCE

But before you do that I would like to ask you to help make Speedsuit Powers a growing phenomenon. If you don’t already know, bullying is a growing epidemic in America. In 2010 alone, there have been several tragic accounts in the media where school bullying has resulted in suicide.  Unfortunately people often wait until after a tragedy happens before they act. But we need better preventive measures to help those being bullied as well as those who bully.

This novel follows Curtis Powers, a new kid at a new school who’s dealing with some serious drama - namely the school bully, Treyshawn Jinkins.  The story deals with bullying, conflict resolution, mentoring, influence, faith, dreams & purpose, handling family tragedy and several other issues.  Readers agree that Speedsuit Powers is a “must read” and that it has the potential to initiate change and transformation in the lives of children, teens and adults.

TAKE ACTION!

If you haven’t read the book yet - please purchase a copy today and do so.  If you have already read the book - please tell everyone you know (especially parents and leaders of young people) that they  should experience the story. You can also purchase copies of Speedsuit Powers for young people who need to be inspired, motivated and educated towards significance.  Let’s put Speedsuit Powers on the Bestsellers List - not just because I need to support my wife and our firstborn on the way in October (smile), but also because this book is about making a positive impact in young peoples’ lives.

Speedsuit Powers is available on Amazon & for the Kindle, Barnes and Noble and Iuniverse Publishing.

Don’t forget that October is National Bully Prevention and Awareness month!

Here’s the Iuniverse interview.  Enjoy!

Do you want to know the STORY behind the Speedsuit Powers story? Do you want to get into the mind of author, Allen Paul Weaver III and see excellent artwork too?

The Speedsuit Powers Companion Sketchbook will be released soon.  Consider it a behind-the-scenes look at the new novel that’s starting a phenomenon among middle school and high school students.

Inside you’ll discover:

Character breakdowns

Author comments (about the inspiration behind each character)

Artwork by several artists

Q & A sections (about the writing process, issues and themes from the book and more!)

Future Plans for the Speedsuit Powers Series

You won’t want to miss the chance to get your own copy of the Speedsuit Powers Companion Sketchbook!

Stay tuned…

-The Speedsuit Powers Team-