In today’s episode, we meet local New York Times best-selling author Amber Smith who writes stories about teenagers whose experiences reflect her own personal struggles while growing up.

Amber’s two previous novels earned her wide acclaim. Her first book, “The Way I Used to Be” was a New York Times best-seller which addressed sexual assault with a young female protagonist. Amber is an advocate for increased awareness of gendered violence and LBGTQ equality.

Today, Amber first reads from her third book, “Something Like Gravity,” which she hopes will encourage inclusion and acceptance. She starts the show with a short reading from the opening of the book, where we meet Chris, a young transgender male.