Best-selling Chicken Soup books author, Kimberly Kirberger, has figured out what teenagers want. Kirberger, mom to teen son Jessie, has sold 12 million copies of her books for and about young people. She says, "I love teens and their world. They have such a mix of innocence and passion."

Kirberger enjoys listening to her own son and other teens, and getting their stories in print. Her book, Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul Letters (HCI Teens, 2001), is composed of 100 letters that teens and their parents have written to her.

She receives piles of letters from readers and some are heartbreaking. "Sometimes teens write things like, 'I don't know why I'm telling you this, but I cut myself,' or 'I have an eating disorder and don't know what to do,'" she says. Kirberger dislikes that she's not allowed to respond to letters personally, but she consults with teens on her panel. These teenagers understand where their peers are coming from and write empathetic replies. The reply letters include information on getting help.

Kirberger says Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul -- Tough Stuff (HCI Teens, 2001) was a hard book for her to write. The book is about death, suicide, self-mutilation and other difficult subjects. "For some reason these things attract teens, maybe because they're shocked by them," she says. Kirberger hopes writing about tough stuff will help teens in crisis and show them they're not alone. One story about drunk driving from a previous Kirberger book led to 50,000 letters from readers pledging never to drive drunk or let a drunk friend or family member drive.

The Write Stuff
Kirberger started writing because she wanted to stay home with her young son. "It has always been important to me that Jessie come home from school and have a mom there to greet him," she says. "I'm really lucky that I've been able to do that." For parents who want to stay home with their kids and are thinking about writing, Kirberger says, "Do it! The extra time you can spend with your kids is really valuable. If you find something you're passionate about and write passionately about it, you'll find success."

Kirberger's passion for teen issues has led to million-seller triumph. Having a teenager of her own has helped her relate to young people and select ideal stories for her Chicken Soup books. Another reason for success is Kirberger's desire to listen to teens. "Teens read all of the stories submitted for the teenage Chicken Soup books," she says. "They sort the best stories into a 'yes' pile. Then, an adult editor reads the stories and grades them. The top stories are then returned to the teens for their opinions."

Because she's so involved with the teenage world, Kirberger sometimes has more knowledge about issues and challenges facing young people than other parents. She has to force herself to not overprotect her son. "Sometimes I see Jessie in a potentially negative situation and I really want to save him from being hurt, but I have to step back and let him experience life," she says.

She's proud of her relationship with her son and the fact that he still comes to her to talk out problems. "Jessie will say, 'I'm going to tell you this, but you have to trust me...'" she says. Sometimes it's hard, but Kirberger does trust him, so far with great success. "By the time your child is 15 or 16 you're not always the biggest influence in his or her life. You have to trust that what you've taught them will get them through good times and bad," she adds.

Kirberger has been married for over 12 years. Her family likes to attend Laker's basketball games and joke around a lot. "My son has one of the best senses of humor, so does my husband, and I'm pretty funny, too," Kirberger says, laughing. She jokes that she's her son's taxi service, but this is trickling off, because Jessie's girlfriend just got her driver's license.

She loves to watch her son play lead guitar in his band. "I am the most obnoxious proud parent," she says. "I have this huge smile on my face, and I'm tapping everyone on the shoulder and saying "That's my son up there!'"

Another favorite pastime is long walks on the beach with her husband. She jokes, "We love to watch basketball together, too. Isn't that romantic?" And when Kirberger finds time alone it's no surprise that this successful author loves to read. She's currently paging through A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius (Vintage, 2001) by Dave Eggers.

Kirberger also likes updating her Web site, IAm4Teens.com. This Web site reflects the ideas of her books, while providing troubled teens with resources, forums where teens can post problems and help each other, homework help, music reviews and more.