Excerpt from 'Amber's Guide'

"Amber on...Me," Pages 10 - 11

"Back when I was younger, I had all the same ups and downs as you. I had
to do homework when I was in school. I had to deal with my parents and
live according to their rules. I had good relationships and bad
relationships. I had lots of dreams, too - some that came true, and some
that didn't. Basically, I'm just like any other girl out there.

"That's why I wanted to write this book...I survived the roller coaster of
growing up and so can you! I wanted to tell you that nothing is
impossible. I wanted to encourage you to follow your dreams. I wanted to
tell you to be proud of who you are. I also wanted to have a little fun
with you and share some of my favorite fashion tips with you."

Page 11

"Being a kid isn't always easy. In fact, sometimes it can be really
hard. But don't worry...I made it, and so can you!"

"When I was a kid I always dreamed of traveling the world and seeing new
and exciting places. I still can't believe that my dreams are now coming
true! Over the past few years I've gotten to travel all over and meet
thousands of wonderful people. Now I know that dreams really do come true!

"Your dreams are so important. They represent who you are, what you want,
and who you want to be. You can have all kinds of dreams from what you
want to be when you grow up, to where in the world you'd like to travel.
The best thing about your dreams is that they are yours and yours alone.
Your dreams are what make you unique, and that's what makes them so
special."

Page 20

"Life is such a wonderful gift. Don't just sit back and wait for things
to come to you. Follow your dreams and go where they lead you. Challenge
yourself. Don't be afraid to try. Most of all, be proud of what you've
done and learn from your mistakes."

"Peer pressure is one of the hardest things to deal with when getting
older...but it doesn't have to be. I had to deal with peer pressure just
like you. Although it got tricky at times, I always tried to do what was
right. Everyone knows what is right and wrong. Everyone knows what will
lead to trouble and what won't. Everyone gets that gut feeling telling
them to do one thing even though he or she is tempted to do the
opposite. I say go with your gut feeling. Do what's right. Have fun with
your friends but don't feel pressured to have to do exactly what they
do. Be your own person and be proud of that. Be independent. Be a
leader. Make your own decisions. Don't let anyone take that power from
you. You are in charge of your life. Appreciate that by making the right
decisions and feeling good about them."

"Relationships are a huge part of our lives. We have relationships with
our parents, our siblings, our friends, our teachers, and our boyfriends
or girlfriends. I think it's important to learn from your relationship
because it helps you grow as an individual. When it comes to your
relationship with a boyfriend, it's important to understand that it's
okay to argue. Arguing is one way of learning about each other. The
important thing is to take something away from the argument and learn to
compromise in the future. Be supportive of each other's feelings and
differences."

"I have been very fortunate in my life and I've gotten to experience
things and see places that other people only dream about. But it wasn't
only luck that provided me with these opportunities. It all started with
a desire to do something different with my life. A lot of people talk
about dreams and goals that they have, but they never do anything about
it. If you never take a risk, if you never try, then you can never know
what might have happened. And once you get an opportunity, you have to
make the most of it."

Pages 86 - 87

"I believe that everything in life happens for a reason. Whether an
experience is good or bad, we can learn from it. Every twist and turn in
life can be viewed as a challenge to conquer. Sometimes things happen to
you and they don't make sense. Maybe they will a year down the road.
Maybe you won't realize for five or ten years. Then again, maybe you'll
never know. Don't dwell on things. Learn from your mistakes and move on.
Take every experience in life as a learning experience and you will be a
better person for it."

Page 87

"Be proud of who you are. Don't let the pressures of society tell you
how you should look, what you should say, or how you should think. Just
be yourself and do what makes you happy. Set your dreams high and shoot
for the stars. Nothing is impossible if you put your mind to it and
dedicate yourself."

Copyright 2006 by Valentine J. Brkich