Hello, and good morning you too. How are you doing? Hello, good boy. I gotta tell you, I'm so proud of the two of you for bringing out something that it's almost like that you stepped out into the real world. You took one big glance at what is taking place, and you're saying, hey, look, we can have a voice. We've just got to figure out how to get that voice out of the people. Because they've got it. We can hear it in private circles, but it needs to become a part of the community. Yeah. Absolutely, When you put a book like this together louder than words, how is it that you come together as a team, Because I mean, I don't know if I could ever write with another person. I mean, you guys got to be best friends or something. I actually so this is actually speaking. I actually love working together with other writers. The collaborative process just makes writing so much more of an enjoyable process for me, because writing can be really, really lonely. So when Lexi and Maya Marlette, our editor, came approached me to be a part of this project, it was a no brainer for me. I'll let Lexie talk a little bit about how she came up with the idea and why she decided to work with Maya. But it was a no brainer for me, and collaboration is something that I absolutely love. Yeah, So, back in about twenty twenty, I was a part of Reese's Book Club, and so I was doing a couple of events for them at the time. The book that they were spotlighting was You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson, and her book editor is Maya Marlette f Scholastic, who's now the book editor of Gladder Than Words. And so when I was speaking to her, I expressed that it was always a dream of mine to write a book, just because growing up I've just such a book a nerd. I love reading, and so I kind of jokingly was saying it, not thinking that it would happen so quick as it did. But then the process got started. So I had an idea. I since I was the first time author, I definitely thought that it would be just kind of maybe best if I also tried a collaboration, and so I had met with a couple of people, but I feel like the person that really got the story that I was trying to create was Ashley, and so everything aligned and then from there we got to work. But the whole process in itself was so smooth. We would go back and forth, bouncing ideas off of each other a lot, but it just, honestly, I feel like she was the only person that I would have wanted to write this book with just because of the way like we everything aligned. Yeah, it was a great process. See, And that to me, what you just shared is the underlying story of this book in the way that you know, work together people. It doesn't have to be a solo journey, you know. I mean, just because Daryl Hall and John O's aren't liking each other these days, doesn't mean the rest of us can't get along. What was ruth there? I mean, But when when you're when you're collaborating like this though, I mean, to me, it's teaching your reader that, look, I to have a voice to take my art because so much art and so much so much of the word that they've got on paper, it's hidden underneath their bed in boxes, and it needs to get out there and it needs to become a part of the community to help change, because we're in a moment of change right now and we need leaders. Yeah, I I one hundred percent agree this is Ashley again. I feel like that was what we wanted to do with the book, was to just make sure that we inspire people and make sure that they understand that their voice matters. I know when I was in high school, there were certain things that I just felt like no one would listen to me about, especially as a kid or as a teen. I think it's it's sometimes hard to make adults and like the world at large listened to you. So in the novel, we decided to use art as sort of a way to make people listen. But I think there's so many different ways, especially now, to make sure that your voice is heard. So yeah, we we hope that when people read the novel that they feel inspired to speak up for what they believe is right to you know, stand up for the causes that they have a passion for and you know, strong feelings about. But but you know, it can be hard to do that, especially when you're a teenager or when you're young. But I also think that Generation z is is definitely the generation that is taking the world by storm in that way, they are not afraid to stand up and say I believe in this. They're not afraid to you know, put their put their best foot forward and to put their boots on the ground and really get out there, you know, not only via social media but also literally taking to the streets. So so yeah, it was a really import part of the story that we wanted to tell, and I think it's only realistic to make to write characters who who are willing to do that. This book is more than just for young readers. And the reason why is because you do something inside this story that really opened up my heart, and that is when you enter a new school, you forget your past. It's the same thing as a place of business. When you go to a new job, your past is gone. Mm hmmm. Yeah, Yeah, that's a really great way to put it. Actually, I definitely think that a lot of young kids, especially I love the fact also that this is coming out in the summertime, because this is a great prep for kids that are going to new schools, are going to you know, leveling up to a different grade. But I think that that's yeah, that's a really great point. Is that sometimes you forget or you're so quick to want to put everything behind you and to kind of create this new identity. It's a new chance to make new friends. It's a new chance to create a new perception that you hope that people will have about you, but it fail. That's sometimes not enough. Those things happen to you and you need to acknowledge them and acknowledge the fact that they're a part of your story, but it's not the entirety of it. And so I think that's exactly what Jordan is going through in that first year of you know, coming coming to Edgewood High. But I think that a lot of kids will be able to relate to it, especially as they go into the next new school year coming out. I wish I could have been in one of your meetings when when you decided that you were going to put this in the in the city that you did Washington, d C. Because I mean, when when you read the book, you don't think of Washington, DC. You think of your own community, because everything that's going on here is happening here. I mean, I mean, for instance, like one of the things that you put a lot of focus on, second chances. So many people are ghosted these days. They don't get a second chance, but you're you're you're giving your reader that opportunity. Man, maybe I should give somebody a second chance here mm hmmmmmm. Yeah, I think second chances are really important and really important to remains that they exist, right because especially when you're younger, everything feels like the end of the world and it feels like any mistake that you make is all you know. It completely defines your personality, defines your future, defines who you are. And we wanted to make sure that we told the story that made it clear that that is not always the case. There is a possibility for second chances. And as far as BC was concerned, like when Lexi and I first met, we realized that we were both from Washington, DC, and that is just like to meet another like native Washingtonian is like very rare, I think, so it immediately made sense for us to set the story there. And I feel like it just flowed and it fit with sort of like the nature of gossip, going from private to public school, all of that kind of stuff. I feel like it's very while it can happen anywhere. I feel like in a city setting, there are parts VC that feels so separate from each other. And yeah, it just it just really made sense for the story. The fact that you said that this feels like like your community. It feels like everyone's community because it's our community to us, and so like that's where we grew up. Those just things that are so special to us about our home. I love the fact that it makes other people think about their own communities and their homes and their schools and friends and neighbors. So yeah, that just makes me really happy that that's the feeld that you got when you were when you were reading the book. Wow. I hope you guys will take this to the fourth dimension, which is take it to a website of some sort, because you're going to create conversation with this book, and people are going to want to know, well, where can I find community? Where can I go where I don't I can break free of the gossip and everything and the accountability, and I mean, I just I'm just so proud of you guys for putting this book out here this summer. Thank you so much, so much. Yeah, well, please come back to this show anytime. The door is always going to be open for you. We appreciate you. I love that, all right, will you be brilliant today? Okay, you two, all right, thank you so much. You as well