Author Offers Teens Lessons on Life and Business

Mary Hanlon Stone took an unorthodox route when publishing her first book: She recruited some 30 teenage girls to develop marketing strategies.

"I want to teach them about business and get their creativity," said Stone, who wrote Invisible Girl and also works full time as a Los Angeles deputy district attorney. "I wanted them to learn how to run things, and they're doing amazing. They're really smart and really creative. They have great ideas."

Beverly Vista seventh-grader Michelle Adams was happy to help promote the novel, which centers on a girl named Stephanie who  struggles with issues of identity and friendship. "We're trying to get it out there, advertising, communicating with other people, trying to get the word out, spreading it globally, using the Internet," Adams said. "We're on Facebook, MySpace—all the things that can get as many readers as possible."

Kayla Mashouty, also a seventh-grader at Beverly Vista, finds parallels between the novel's protagnist and her own life. "I felt I could relate a lot to the book because I felt what she's going through," Mashouty said. "She wanted to be in the clique and it was the hottest clique in town. She really wanted to fit in, even though she was lying to get into it."

The decision to ask young assistants to help bolster Penguin Group's May 27 release of Invisible Girl stems from Stone's experience as a DA specializing in domestic violence and sexual assault cases. Stone, who has two sons  in Beverly Hills schools, finds herself the champion of hundreds of girls, in and out of the courtroom.

"I've had lots and lots of girls who were either victims or witnesses," Stone said of her courtroom experiences. "They're so fragile and they just fell into my heart and never left. In my head they were always the invisible girls because they would try to hide in their own skin."

Stone hopes that by mentoring her young assistants she can encourage them to feel confident. Her successful book promotions and signings are a testament, she says, to the hard work of her team of teenagers.

"I just don't think you should hire adults for everything and give kids a second seat," Stone said. "I think they rise to the occasion if you give them the occasion."

Visit Mary Hanlon Stone's website at http://www.maryhanlonstone.com. Look for her on Twitter, Facebook and MySpace. Stone is available to discuss Invisible Girl at book club gatherings.