Hot Buttons

PRESS RELEASE
Latest Additions to Hot Button Series Prepare Parents to Discuss Difficult Topics
Nicole O’Dell helps address the Hot Buttons in teens’ lives before the issues become problems
Seattle: All parents were teenagers once, but with each generation there are new
challenges that teens face, at least in a different way than their parents did. This has
never been truer than today with the influences of social networking and a constant
connection to the internet and media. It’s more important than ever for parents to be
proactive in talking to their teens about hot-button issues such as the internet, dating,
sexuality and drugs. As a resource to help parents have those difficult conversations
with their children, Nicole O’Dell, author and popular radio host, has launched an
innovative, proactive strategy parents can use to prepare their teens for difficult
decisions with the release of the Hot Buttons book series.
What exactly is a hot-button issue? A hot button is any emotional or controversial issue
that has the potential to trigger intense reaction. What topics fit in this category?
“Pretty much everything that pummels your kids with temptation and threatens to pull
them away from a walk with God. Music, dating, computer use, texting, partying, drugs, the list goes on and
on,” says O’Dell. “These issues are real and often confusing. They require attention—before they arise—and
ignoring them can have dire consequences.”
This summer, the Hot Button series debuted with the release Internet Edition and Dating Edition to be followed
with the October releases of the Drug and Sexuality editions. Each book begins with a real look at the
temptations and situations that teens are faced with, including current statistics. O’Dell outlines questions for
parents to ask themselves before launching into a discussion as well as advice on how to approach their teens
to begin conversations. Speaking from experience, she gives parents do’s and don’ts guidelines on what
questions to ask and how to react.
The most unique and practical aspect of each Hot Button book is the strategic scenarios—short stories that
allow parents to introduce certain challenges to their teens in a creative “what would you do?” question and
answer format. Each Hot Button scenario is followed by three or four choices from which the teen can choose
to resolve the situation. Parents are then encouraged to help their children explore, ask questions, and discuss
the options so when the scenarios come up in real life, teens are prepared with their response.
O’Dell was inspired to start the series when looking for ways to talk to her own children. “I was searching for
ways to lead my children to make good decisions. I decided it would be far better to talk to them proactively
about issues they would one day face than it would be to wait until they were buried under poor choices,” she
writes. “I believed it would be easier to control the way they perceived the information and far easier to help
them see and understand the consequences of poor decisions if they could look at it objectively, without the
added stress of peer pressure and other outside influences.”
These first four editions are just a start to the Hot Buttons series. Upcoming releases in 2013 will include books on
Bullying and Image. Plans for an interactive app are also in development.  The series has recently received the
Focus on the Family seal of approval.HOT BUTTONS PAGE 2
Readers can get updates on the series, interact with Nicole O’Dell and more by visiting the Hot Buttons
Facebook Page, following Hot Buttons on Twitter, or visiting www.hotbuttonsite.com.
Parents and teens can join O’Dell for a special online live chat on November 1 (more details will be available
soon).
Hot Buttons Dating Edition offers practical real-life situations that parents can read and discuss with their preteens. Topics
include: physical activity, missionary dating, and violence/abuse in dating relationships.
978-0-8254-4240-7 (June 2012)
Hot Buttons Internet Edition helps parents prepare their teens for online challenges they may face. Topics discussed include:
internet activity, file sharing, social networking, and internet predators.
978-0-8254-4239-1 (June 2012)
Hot Buttons Drug Edition braves the scary world of substance abuse, equipping parents with facts, warning signs, and realworld scenarios on: alcohol; Marijuana and other drugs; inhalants; and prescription drugs.
978-0-8254-4241-4 (October 2012)
Hot Buttons Sexuality Edition offers: the facts about teen sexuality, backed by statistics; specifics for how to talk frankly about
sex with your kids, discussion about the growth of homosexuality and bisexuality among teens; and compassionate advice
for guiding your teen to reclaim purity.
978-0-8254-4242-1 (October 2012)
$9.99/ 168 pages each / 2-color interior / paperback
Advance Praise
“Nicole O’Dell has created something that is—in my opinion—revolutionary in helping parents of teens. The
idea of creating scenarios prior to issues arising and then coming alongside our teens to help them navigate
those scenarios is going to help me a ton! My only regret is that I didn’t read this [series] sooner! If you are a
parent, pick this book up. It will make you think differently about how you communicate with your kids!”
~ Marybeth Whalen, Proverbs 31 Ministries writer and speaker, author of The Mailbox and She Makes It Look Easy
“This series is the answer to the cry of my heart. It’s wise, it’s tactical, and it’s preemptive. Among the huge
selection of parenting books on my shelf, I’ve never had another one give me tingles and make me shout, ‘Yes!
This is it!’ I feel empowered and inspired as a parent and have already implemented the strategies this series
teaches.”
~ Jill Williamson, Christy Award–winning author of By Darkness Hid and the Blood of Kings trilogy
“Nicole O’Dell is back with a fresh series to help tweens and teens make godly choices. As a mom who works
with tweens, I know just how girl/boy-crazy this generation is. I’m thrilled to have another tool in my arsenal! I
can’t wait to read this book with my daughter and use it to help us have key discussions about a critical issue to
all teens: dating.”
~ Cara C. Putman, multi-published author of Stars in the Night and A Wedding Transpires on Mackinac IslandHOT BUTTONS PAGE 3
“Talented author Nicole O’Dell has created a [series] that is a must-have for every family. Her fresh insight and
voice of experience will speak to tweens/teens and parents alike.”
~ Jenny B. Jones, award-winning author of the A Charmed Life series and the Katie Parker Production series
“I wish I’d had Nicole O’Dell’s Hot Buttons Drug Edition when I was raising children. It might have saved me a lot
of heartache later. Bad choices can destroy a child’s life, but preparation can protect a child from destructive
mistakes. This book teaches parents how to prepare their children in practical ways. A must-read for every
parent!”
~ Terri Blackstock, author of Intervention, Vicious Cycle, and Downfall
“Nicole O’Dell “gets” teens, and in Hot Buttons: Sexuality Edition, she helps quaking parents realize you can
have confidence to “power your kids” through the sex quagmire! She deals openly, honestly, and vividly with
the culture that our kids face, but reminds us that it’s not inevitable our kids will succumb. On the contrary,
Nicole shows how when we expect the best, equip them practically, and engage them honestly, our kids will
thrive.”
~ Sheila Wray Gregoire, author of The Good Girl’s Guide to Great Sex and Honey, I Don’t Have a Headache
Tonight
About the Author
Youth-culture expert, Nicole O’Dell is the host of Choose NOW Radio: Parent Talk and
Teen Talk and the founder of Choose NOW Ministries, dedicated to guiding teens
through tough issues and helping parents encourage good decisions.
On air, O’Dell covers peer pressure, dating, purity, drugs, alcohol, modesty, popularity,
and anything else that comes up along the way.  Nicole writes and speaks to preteens,
teenagers, and parents about how to prepare for life’s tough choices.
As an author, O’Dell writes both fiction and nonfiction. Her popular YA fiction includes
the Diamond Estate Series and the Scenarios for Girls interactive books that feature
alternate endings, allowing young girls to decide the outcome for  the main character.
Her nonfiction for teens includes Girl Talk, which she wrote with her two daughters
based on their popular advice column.
While her YA resources encourage and equip teens, Nicole also works to bridge the communication gap
between teens and their parents. The Hot Buttons series helps parents discuss tough issues with their tweens and
teens before the issues pop up in real life. Watch for future Hot Buttons books on subjects like bullying, image,
prejudice, friendships, politics, and more.
O’Dell, resides in Paxton, IL, with her husband and six children—the youngest of whom are toddler triplets.
Learn more about Nicole O’Dell and her books and Choose NOW podcasts at www.nicoleodell.com. She has
special sections set up for both teens and parents. Readers can also keep up with her via Facebook and
Twitter.
Suggested interview questions
• You are a mom of six. Did the idea for the Hot Buttons series come from your own experiences in talking to
your children?
• How did you become involved in youth ministry and guiding teens to make the right decisions?
• How do you decide the right age to discuss these hot buttons with your child? Should you talk about all of
these issues about the same time, or do some come earlier than others?
• What is an appropriate age for teens to start dating? Are there any variables to be considered?HOT BUTTONS PAGE 4
• How early do parents need to be talking to their children about sexuality?
• What signs should parents watch for if they suspect their teen of using drugs?
• How closely should parents monitor their children’s online activities? What are some of the things parents
can do to keep their children safe?
• Honestly, if parents don’t talk to their teens about the difficult topics such as dating and sex, where do they
expect their teens to get information in order to make good decisions?
• You write that parents have forgotten that they have veto power over their teens activities and
relationships, or at least they don’t use it. Why do you think parents no longer seem to rule the house the
way they did in generations past? (OR) What happened in our society to make teens believe they didn’t
need their parents’ approval or permission for certain activities or friendships?
• What are some of the most disturbing facts about teens that parents should be aware of?
• Why is it so important not to try to be your teen’s friend?
• Tell us more about the live online chat you will be having on November 1.
Nicole O’Dell is available for interviews to promote the release of the Hot Buttons series. To request a review
copy, schedule an interview or for more information, please contact Audra Jennings, audra@litfusegroup.com.