Yasmin Shiraz is the nationally acclaimed author of The Blueprint for My Girls empowerment series for teen girls. The Blueprint for My Girls (Simon & Schuster,) The Blueprint for My Girls in Love: 99 Rules for Dating, Relationships and Intimacy and The Blueprint Guide to Motivation & Success are utilized as tools of guidance, inspiration and empowerment. Her new book Retaliation, a novel about community violence will be released this October. Shiraz is a highly sought after radio & TV youth expert appearing on FOX, ABC, NBC and CBS news affiliates nationwide. Ebony, Essence, CosmoGirl! and Teen People magazines have featured reviews of Shiraz's Blueprint books and/or have asked her to contribute to advice articles for teens. Yasmin Shiraz is an empowerment speaker who has lectured for The NAACP, National Urban League, and numerous universities. Her topics include: Success & Motivation, The Politics of Hip Hop Culture, Entrepreneurship, The Blueprint for My Girls empowerment series, and others. Shiraz is the Chief Executive Officer of The Signals Agency, a niche marketing firm which creates branding opportunities and events for corporations and youth focused companies. Her agency has already worked with The YWCA, Illinois State University, Girls Inc, The University of Delaware, Girl Scouts, The US Postal Service, Planned Parenthood, The Boys and Girls Clubs of America, The WNBA's Washington Mystics and Delta Sigma Theta, Inc. and many others. In addition, she is the former publisher and editor-in chief Mad Rhythms, one of the most-widely read urban entertainment college publications in America and the former president of College Entertainment, Inc., a marketing firm that created college tours and marketing opportunities for corporations nationwide. Shiraz is a member of the National Association of Black Journalists and Association for the Promotion of Campus Activities. She has her masters and bachelors degrees in Sociology, having graduated from Hampton University and Morehead State University, respectively and has studied screenwriting with the head of Yale's screenwriting department. - www.yasminshiraz.com