About the Author
KIMBERLY KIRBERGER is the coauthor of the bestselling original Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul, the New York Times #1 bestselling Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul II, Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul Journal and the bestselling Chicken Soup for the College Soul. In addition, she is the author of the Teen Love series, which includes this book, as well as Teen Love : On Relationships and several forthcoming books and journals, dealing with themes that include friendship and tough issues. Based out of Pacific Palisades, California, Kirberger is also president of Inspiration And Motivation for Teens, Inc. (I.A.M. for Teens), a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting and helping teens. She is also cofounder (along with Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen and Health Communications, Inc.) of the Teen Letter Project, a nonprofit organization developed to handle the overwhelming outpouring from teens in response to the books in the Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul series. Kirberger frequently speaks to and in support of teenagers nationwide.
COLIN MORTENSEN is a nineteen-year-old Southern California native who is a current cast member on MTV's The Real World/ Hawaii and former host of The Real World/Road Rules Casting Special 1999. Colin is an actor and was recently cast as "A.J." in the upcoming NBC comedy series, MYOB. Colin is using his "popularity" as an opportunity to convey positive images and ideas to young adults.
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
How Odd A Feeling How odd a feeling this is;
almost nothing
But yet it lays deep within
my chest and
gently pushes
itself out to
each fingertip.
How odd a feeling is this
that leaves me
wondering and wanting.
That leaves a
Warmth
throughout me.
How odd a feeling is this
that causes my
world to shake
and the waters to flood.
How odd a feeling is this
that it burns deep
in my soul
so deep that it places
fire upon my lips,
and laughter in my eyes.
How odd a feeling is this
that I do not know
any word to describe
it other
than
...love.
—
Rikki Knies
Starting Over Starting over means the possibility of love is once again in the air. It gives you a chance to meet someone new; a chance to develop a crush; a chance to get that tingly feeling that runs through your body when you kiss someone that you like for the first time; a chance to get nervous before the first phone call, the first date or the first kiss; a chance to look in the person's direction and wonder if he or she is looking in yours; a chance to exchange glances, smiles, names or phone numbers; a chance to notice his or her smell or touch. But, most of all, starting over gives you a chance to get back in the game! Oh yeah, the chase is on!
Whatever you do, don't close your heart to others. I've done this for most of my life and am just now learning how to let people in. Ironically, in trying to keep myself from getting hurt, I ended up depriving myself of things that I really needed and wanted. Open your heart!
—
Colin Mortensen
(c)1999. All rights reserved. Reprinted from Teen Love®: A Journal On Relationships by Kimberly Kirberger and Colin Mortensen. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the written permission of the publisher. Publisher: Health Communications, Inc., 3201 SW 15th Street, Deerfield Beach, FL 33442.
