Teen Vogue included Confessions of a Hater in their roundup of “fresh and thought-provoking new novels!

“Confessions of a Hater” got love all across Canada over Labor Day weekend. Check it out:

This incredible story ran in today’s Chicago Tribune:

Huppke: Book dissects high school hating
Message to ‘invisibles': Jerks don’t decide who you are
By Rex W. Huppke
5:08 p.m. CDT, August 28, 2013

Every year around this time, I see trudging teenagers, fusions of innocence and awkwardness, bound back to high school.

I see them and my heart aches because I know what happens in there. I know that place will damn near eat some of them alive, as it did me and probably many of you.

It’s a brutal stage of life, and I want to grab these kids by the shoulders, look them in the eyes and say: “This will pass. You’ll be fine, and one day you’ll look on Facebook and see your tormentors have become average and you’ve become happy, and you’ll realize all that high school nonsense was just that — nonsense.”

But they wouldn’t listen. I wouldn’t have listened if somebody had said that to 14-year-old me. The pain of not fitting in and getting picked on and judged is too much to overlook in that moment. And besides, what does a grown-up know?

Fortunately, there’s a grown-up among us who knows a lot, and she has taken every struggling high school kid’s dream scenario — What if I had a guide to help me become popular? — and turned it into a novel that has the potential to do great good. Her name is Caprice Crane, a Los Angeles-based author and screenwriter, and the book is called “Confessions of a Hater.”

She describes the story as a cross between the movies “Mean Girls” and “Revenge of the Nerds,” though I’d rather call it an advice book expertly disguised as fiction. It’s a cunning delivery device for the things we’d like to say to struggling teens, a pill they might be willing to swallow.

The main character is Hailey Harper, and she’s just starting her sophomore year at a new high school. She comes across a journal her now-college-age sister wrote called “How to Be a Hater,” which is brimming with tips on “how she became strong and popular and self-assured.”

Hailey is wise beyond her years — allowing Crane to slip bits of wisdom in at every turn — and early in the book Hailey notes: “Popularity. It’s stupid and random and based not on talent or skill but on rank — a rank decided upon by no one deserving to make that determination.”

How true that is, but even though Hailey gets it, she still transforms herself, using her sister’s guide to fall in with the popular clique at her new school. It’s a fleeting ride, and Hailey soon realizes she fits in better with the outsiders, the group Crane aptly calls “the invisibles.” (That would be most of us during high school.)

The story then revolves around Hailey and her fellow invisibles using the “How to Be a Hater” tips to knock the popular crowd down, raising some powerful questions about what we sacrifice in the name of revenge.

The book is painstakingly up-to-date and authentic. Any adult who reads it will be jettisoned back into the uncomfortable hallways of high school, and any teen who reads it will closely relate to the language and pop-culture references. (The book is recommended for ages 13 and up and does contain profanity and one awkward — and accurately squirm-worthy — first sexual encounter.)

But what matters most is the message. In an interview, Crane said: “I wanted to say, ‘Don’t look outside yourself to find self-worth; that has to come from within. Praise won’t make you better, and hurtful words won’t make you worse. What other people think of you isn’t your business; what you think of you is what matters.'”

It’s a lesson we could all learn, even those of us far beyond our high school years.

“I sort of always felt a little like an outsider in high school, and still I’m not exempt from that,” Crane said. “There are always hierarchies in every world that you exist in, whether it’s the online world, the job world or wherever. There are always going to be some situations that you’re in where you feel excluded. You can’t change that, but learning how to best deal with the jerks in your life early can help.”

I don’t remember the exact moment when I came into my own, when the judgments of others became unimportant and the sound of my own self-confidence drowned out the noise of feckless haters. It certainly didn’t happen in high school, but it happened eventually, and it gives me strength and at times an overwhelming desire to shield young people from a similar fate.

I believe that’s a common emotion among adults. Whether it’s our own kids or someone else’s, we want them to be themselves and to know that by doing so they will find friendship, and love will come, and life will be good.

Not everything winds up perfect in Hailey Harper’s world, a fact that makes her story that much more believable. But she grows smarter, as young adults should, and she says something I wish every teen — the jocks and the geeks and the divas and the invisibles, one and all — would take as gospel: “Tearing down others to make yourself feel better is like burning down your neighbors’ houses to make sure you have the nicest house on the street. You end up all alone and the view sucks.”

The dedication for Crane’s novel reads: “For invisibles everywhere.”

We invisibles, former and current, are here and we are many. And I dare say we are grateful for a book that gets it right.

rhuppke@tribune.com

Copyright © 2013 Chicago Tribune Company, LLC

Full Article Here

I’m sure for many of us it’s been years and years since we’ve even step foot in our old high schools, but doesn’t it sometimes feel like you’ve never left? Which is why it was easy for me to dive into the newest book from 90210 and Melrose Place writer Caprice Crane. Confessions of a Hater, which she describes as Mean Girls meets Revenge of the Nerds and is about a teen girl who takes on the popular clique, is out in stores today. I caught up with her for the backstory—read on!

Tell me about the inspiration behind the book!
Caprice Crane: I think there’s so much of that hierarchy stuff that starts at that age and really never stops—it just kind of morphs into different things as we become adults. I thought it was time for an updated version of that story.

Did you pull from your own high school experiences?
Crane: Some things were pulled directly from my high school years. I also did a lot of research: I went to high school, I spoke to students, I had an anonymous email where they could tell me what was going on with the promise that I would not repeat or use their names and that they wouldn’t get in trouble. So, I got legitimate goings-on of what these high school kids are going through. There’s so much bullying. The undercurrent of the book and the ultimate message is really anti-bullying. That’s a really important thing that we need to get out there, and I wanted to do it in a way that empowers the smart kids, the artistic kids, and the different people. I wanted them to be the heroes—really blur the lines between what’s cool.

So, how are your own high school experiences reflected in the book?
Crane: I didn’t have a clique, and I always felt…I would have been one of the “invisibles.” I always got along with people in different groups, but there wasn’t one that I was a part of. I never felt like I belonged to one clique—and that feeling of not having that security, it’s awful.

I think that’s the case for a lot more high schoolers than they might realize.
Crane: I wanted them to feel like they have a character so they could say, “Oh! So it’s not just me.” I think it is common, and it does feel crappy. There are those times when you’re eating your lunch somewhere off to the side or a party that you weren’t invited to—there’s always that not-good-enough feeling. And it happens as you grow up. I’m friends with cool people, but there will still be a situation where I’m excluded and it cuts.

What were some things the teens you talked to were dealing with the most?
Crane: Some kids were bullied, some kids just felt uncool. There’s a lot of bullying in a lot of different ways. [They talked about] some of the things that they do at parties and the different ways they’ll try to get drunk. I wanted the book to be real, so I did include certain things, but I always made sure there were consequences. I wanted to show, “Yeah, this is happening and it’s real, but maybe not-so-smart.”

What’s your advice for people who are bullied—or even people who are the ones bullying?
Crane: Any situation where you are purposefully trying to make someone feel bad is not good. That’s not a positive existence. When someone makes you feel bad and your knee-jerk reaction is to make them feel worse, then it just tends to escalate. When does it stop? It gets dangerous and ugly. Not everybody is going to get along. Not everybody is going to like you or be nice, but you need to have confidence in yourself and know that’s OK. Maybe I don’t like them either, and this person over here likes me. Making sure you have your own self-esteem intact is the most important thing. Building self-esteem from non-aesthetic things is also really important—using your brain or using your creativity, and not what you wear.

The book hit shelves today—pick up a copy!

Internationally best-selling five-time novelist, Caprice Crane brings you right back to your high school hallway and reminds us why we’re all lucky to have gotten out of there alive.

Whether you were the popular kid, the bully or the loner, there’s something for everyone in Confessions of a Hater, a hilarious teenage lament of the emotional minefield of high school.

Confessions of a Hater follows new girl Hailey Harper, an artsy teen, through her journey of struggling to find social acceptance from the in-crowd, despite being considered one of “The Invisibles” at West Hollywood High. The story will move readers to tears of both hurt and laughter and leave them with an empathetic smirk of recognition on their faces in their journey with her.

Confessions of A Hater is a reassurance to everyone that has ever felt invisible, a feeling that the author, can empathize with having grown up the daughter of film and television icon Tina Louise and former talk show host and Grammy winner Les Crane.

High school was pretty much like this huge party I wasn’t actually invited to, but I still had to show up to every day.” Confessions of A Hater is a story of finding and embracing individuality and overcoming being lost in the crowd.

DOWNTOWN recommends it as the perfect gift for a young adult or the perfect escape and guilty pleasure for yourself. You might even find yourself revisiting the teenaged you and seeing some ‘anti-aging’ results on your mood.

Jen Doll from the New York Times wrote an amazing review for Confessions of a Hater and I am SO grateful.

Click this link to read the story online.

The Reading List: August ‘13
Every month LAmag.com compiles titles of local and national interest that are hitting the bookshelves. Here, arranged by region, are some highlights
Posted on 8/19/2013 6:13:00 PM by Marielle Wakim
The Best Of L.A.

Confessions of a Hater
(Feiwel & Friends, hardcover)
By Caprice Craine

Crane’s protagonist, the new-to-Hollywood Hailey Harper, is just trying to navigate the murky waters of high school. Through painfully honest observations, Crane’s newest novel deftly captures the dramas that plague teens today.
Out: August 27

For the full list click here

Do it! (Order the book here)

Tuesday August 27, 2013 7:00 PM

The Grove at Farmers Market
189 The Grove Drive Suite K 30, Los Angeles, CA 90036, 323-525-0270

Quick directions
At 3rd Street and Fairfax Avenue, just east of the Farmers Market.

Available for Pre-Order HERE
This item will be available on Aug 27, 2013.

http://www.atlantaintownpaper.com/2013/06/decatur-book-festival-announces-2013-authors/

My good friend Mark Thompson has an awesome podcast (By the way, if you know anyone who doesn’t have a podcast, please direct that unicorn to me.) and he had me on it as a guest. Listen to me insult his coffee-making skills, discuss stalking Rick Springfield and generally be the menace that I am HERE.

I may not be “attractive” or “sexy” or “sane” but I finally found a way to get in Maxim anyway!

We each had to chose ten (which was tough) and then talk about one that we really loved and why:

We spoke to dozens of comedy writers, comedy directors, comic actors and stand-up comedians – including Dan Ackroyd, Richard Curtis, Edgar Wright, Kim Noble, Stephen Merchant, Jo Brand and many, many more – and asked them to share with us their favourite comedy films of all time. Here’s the 100 best comedy movies as chosen by more than 200 people whose job it is to make you laugh.

See if you can spot it!

And in case you are terrible at Where’s Waldo…here are a couple screen grabs:

Be there!!

Read the original article here.

Come see me tonight in San Francisco!! I’ll be reading from and signing With a Little Luck at 7 pm at Books Inc. in the marina, 2251 Chestnut St. I’m hoping to find the heart that someone allegedly left here. xoxo

And here’s a great piece in today’s San Francisco Chronicle!

Caprice Crane: New novel is ‘With a Little Luck’

Louis Peitzman, Special to The Chronicle

Thursday, August 4, 2011

Novelist Caprice Crane has written for television series such as “Melrose Place” and “90210.” She is also known as an author of hilarious tweets.

When she’s not writing screenplays, TV scripts or hilarious tweets, Caprice Crane writes novels. But although her books feature a central romance, she says she’s reluctant to categorize them as love stories.

“I’d call my books romantic comedies before I’d say they’re love stories,” she says. “They’re hopefully heavy on the comedy and less so on that love stuff I’ve heard about.

“Mostly, I like living vicariously through my characters.”

Her most recent novel, “With a Little Luck,” follows Beryl “Berry” Lambert, a radio DJ who inherited her dad’s superstitions. Convinced that everything happens in threes, she’s on the lookout for the third dud after two awful relationships. Instead, she finds the seemingly awesome Ryan Riley.

“What if that third guy who she’s just trying to get out of the way so she can find the right guy happens to be charming and funny and really great?” Crane asks. “Does she risk it and let her guard down, or does she get in her own way because of her fears?”

In order to show the sparks between her characters, Crane uses sharp dialogue – also a feature of her scripts. (Crane has written most recently for the series “Melrose Place” and “90210.”)

“I think a witty back-and-forth can be a real bonding experience between two people when they’re first getting to know one another,” she says. “I usually build relationships based on that kind of connection rather than a sweaty, libido-driven thing. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.”

Writing about relationships can leave some authors boxed in, but Crane says she doesn’t feel that “With a Little Luck” or her other novels are exclusive to female readers.

“Honestly, I’ve never for a moment thought that guys wouldn’t read my books,” she says. “But to make sure they do, I mention ‘boobs’ at least once or twice a paragraph.”

Rather than worrying about who her audience is, Crane is concerned with making her readers laugh, think and sometimes suffer through the romantic woes of her characters. The road to true love is paved with jokes but also some frustrating detours.

For her part, Crane says she enjoys holding the reins.

“It’s easier to break someone’s heart if I’m the one that created them in the first place,” she says. “And also easier to get them to forgive you and come back.”

7 tonight. Books Inc., 2251 Chestnut St., S.F. (415) 931-3633. www.booksinc.net.

This article appeared on page G – 11 of the San Francisco Chronicle

Hope to see you there!! xx

But they are altered* post interview and also narrowed down to five.

*How can they do that?!

I always try to be careful about what I put in my mouth. (ahem.)

Excerpt from The Thin Crowd, Allure Magazine, June 2011

Kirkus 5/15

Crane (Family Affair, 2009, etc.) has once again built a story around an adorable/annoying girl with a self-conscious set of quirks. But she does not ignore the very real repercussions of Berry’s self defeating behavior, leaving room for real character growth.

Satisfying romantic comedy minus a too-sweet aftertaste.

Crane, Caprice. With a Little Luck. Bantam. Aug. 2011. c.320p. ISBN 9780553386240. pap. $15.

Berry Lambert does not feel lucky, despite her given name, Beryl, considered a token of good luck. Or so her professional gambler father has always told her. Some would say being a 28-year-old late-night classic rock radio DJ would belie her beliefs, but this gig follows a life of superstitious behavior, black cat avoidance, preferences for odd numbers over even, and bad relationships that run in threes (how odd). True to form, after two near misses with men, Berry isn’t looking forward to the trumped-up date with Ryan Riley, the Dr. Love advice expert on sister station KKRL. He is cute, with a droll sense of humor, but he’s the third guy. Need she say more? Yet everyone seems gung ho for the possible ratings boost, especially her boss and the corporate bigwigs. Even (odd?) her best friend, Natalie, would like nothing more than for Berry to rid herself of her father’s neediness and her own disaster-evading premeditation. Good luck! VERDICT Crane (Family Affair) is one of the funniest writers of popular fiction around. The dialog (inner and outer) is laugh-out-loud, snort-inducing hilarious. And though Berry’s issues seriously affect her view of the world, readers will want to cross their fingers and spit while throwing salt over their shoulders if it helps Berry reach her dreams. Highly recommended.—Bette-Lee Fox, Library Journal

The below are photos from the Los Angeles movie premiere of a movie called Love Wedding Marriage. I was more familiar with it when I wrote it as a much different script called Keep It Together. But it was a lovely evening. Here are some photos from the red carpet and the after party…

The movie opened to a limited release June 3 in theaters. But you can always watch it on IFC or on DVD when it gets released. Or, you know, whatever. It’s up to you; I’m not trying to tell you how to live your life.*

*That’s my subtle way of reminding you that I was rewritten. So…take from that what you will.

So this is exciting: My new book, With a Little Luck, is now available for pre-order at half price! That’s kind of a sweet deal you guys. Here’s the link: http://amzn.to/fnMtBs

TELL EVERYONE!!!

xoxo

Here’s my most recent piece on the Huffington Post…

Heavy Patting: Turkey Day and the TSA

http://huff.to/bYG59x

Posted: November 22, 2010 10:39 AM

Caprice was thrilled to become part of The NOH8 Campaign — a photographic silent protest created by celebrity photographer Adam Bouska and partner Jeff Parshley to promote and raise awareness for Marriage Equality and anti-discrimination.  Photos feature subjects with duct tape over their mouths, symbolizing their voices being silenced by Prop 8 and similar legislation around the world, with “NOH8″ painted on one cheek in protest.

You can also see Caprice Crane’s photo on the NOH8 Website, HERE.

Uniting all dog lovers and fans of great writing with this humor-meets-heart collection, critically acclaimed memoirist Wade Rouse has gathered some of America’s best known humorists – authors, comics, actors – to write hilarious, never-before-told tales about their beloved dogs.

Caprice is contributing an essay to this humorous dog anthology titled, I’m Not the Biggest Bitch in This Relationship!, (NAL/Penguin) which will benefit The Humane Society of the United States and other local/national animal shelters/causes, and feature some of America’s favorite funny writers and comics, including Chelsea Handler, Carol Leifer, Jen Lancaster, Laurie Notaro, Bruce Cameron, Merrill Markoe, Alec Mapa, Jeff Marx, Rita Mae Brown, Jill Conner Brown, Jane Green, Stephanie Klein, Annabelle Gurwitch, Gigi Levangie Grazer and many others. It will publish in summer or fall 2011.

On Friday March 12th, 2010 at UCBLA at 10pm, Caprice and 139 other awesome folks from the world of comedy, music, sports, and entertainment were gathered by Ben Stiller to perform ONE tweet each, on stage, to a live audience (which is so much better than getting 140 people to perform in front of a dead audience) in the world’s first “live tweet stream” hosted by Paul Scheer and Rob Huebel.

Why did we all get together to humiliate ourselves? Because Ben Stiller told us to. And because he’s the one who organized the whole thing.

The show was filmed (for better or worse—in my case it’s always worse) and the entire show is available on DVD through amazon.com. All proceeds go to a wonderful charity to help rebuild schools in Haiti.

There were laughs, nudity and well… more laughs and more nudity. The event was a blast and for a great cause so check it out.

Link: Five Minutes With TV Royalty Offspring…

When Caprice Crane’s latest novel landed on our desk, we have to admit it was her author bio that initially grabbed us. The author is, after all, the daughter of television talk show host Les Crane and actress Tina Louise (aka Ginger from Gilligan’s Island)…

(Click the link to read on: http://www.wmagazine.com/w/blogs/editorsblog/2009/11/16/when-caprice-cranes-latest-nov.htm)

My New York Barnes and Noble Reading was so much fun thanks to my amazing friends, family, and most of all: my kick-ass fans—some of whom traveled from out of town just to see lil ol’ me— Thanks for making it such a great event!! xoxo

The kind folks at Movieline asked me to write a one-page screenplay for them. They’ve had some pretty snazzy writers tackle this request before me so I was honored to join them…

Click the below link to check it out:

http://www.movieline.com/2009/10/the-one-page-screenplay-caprice-cranes-cross-road-blues.php

An interview with Pop Entertainment:

http://www.popentertainment.com/caprice2009.htm

I sat down to read Caprice Crane’s new book Family Affair (Bantam Dell) in the newly designated pedestrian park formerly known as the intersection of Broadway and 46th Street. Between chapters, I glanced up only to see a huge billboard for Melrose Place with its noir-esque cast seductively posed beneath the ‘Ménage a Tues’ headline. “Wow she’s got a hot new book out, features in development and writes for a hit TV show,” I say to myself. “Times might to tough for some in Times Sq. but for Caprice it is the year of the Crane”! …

(read the entire article at 
http://www.papermag.com/blogs/2009/10/caprice_crain_chats_about_her.php)

I have the best friends and fans on the planet. Here are some snapshots from the Grove Reading on October 1st.

Carlos from Neverwood High split his night between me and Lauren Conrad. Parking at the Grove was a bitch so I tried not to be one…

Click THIS LINK to see Carlos’s side.

My latest piece on HuffingtonPost.com: I Want To Date Your Family

“Inlaws.” Even the mere word causes fear and revulsion. Think Jane Fonda in that horrific Jennifer Lopez flick. Or FDR’s mom, who friggin’ tortured Eleanor Roosevelt, of all people. Who is so evil they would torture a saint? Eleanor Roosevelt’s mother-in-law, that’s who. In-laws are evil…”

Read more at: 
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/caprice-crane/i-want-to-date-your-famil_b_301824.html

http://www.whowon.com/Results.asp?TrackID=1790&StoryID=278472

Stanton Barrett, IndyCar Series driver and Hollywood stuntman, will pilot the No. 98 Team 3G Dallara IndyCar at the Japan Indy 300 at Twin Ring Motegi on Sept. 19. The No. 98 car will carry associate sponsorship from Bantam Books’ Family Affair, a new novel by Caprice Crane. Crane is a published novelist, screenwriter and TV writer. She currently writes for the re-launched TV show “Melrose Place” and has also written for “90210.” She is the daughter of legendary actress Tina Louise, best known as Ginger on “Gilligan’s Island.” Interush will serve as primary sponsor of the Team 3G car, providing the No. 98 with the fan-favorite Interush paint scheme.

My new book is called Family Affair and it will be published September 29th, 2009 by Bantam/Random House!! Here’s how it’s described:

FAMILY AFFAIR by Caprice Crane: a smart, funny novel about a woman who’s extremely close to her husband’s family…so when he unexpectedly files for divorce, she files a counter-suit for joint custody of her in-laws.

Amazon Product Description:

When Layla Brennan married her high school sweetheart, Brett Foster, she finally got the big, loving family she’d always wanted: his. Now she’s closer to Brett’s parents than he is, partners with his sister in a successful pet-photography business, and confidant to his younger brother. She couldn’t be more of a Foster if she’d been born one. There’s just one problem: Brett wants a divorce. Stunned and heartbroken, Layla turns to the Fosters for comfort, only to realize that losing Brett means losing them as well. What else can she do but sue him for the most valuable thing he’s got–namely, his family. Breaking up may be hard to do, but for Layla and Brett it’s even harder to undo.

Fresh, funny, poignant, and brimming with insight into what makes modern families tick–and what can blow them apart–Family Affair proves that in love and war, everything’s relative.

Dermot Mulroney will be making his directorial debut with a script I wrote called Keep It Together. There’s already a pretty impressive cast in the works. See my projects page for more info…

Many of you know last year I went back to high school! Yup, I spent the last year writing the new 90210. And now I’ve graduated high school for a second time and have moved into Melrose Place! (How freakin’ cool is that?!) Be sure to tune in to the CW on Tuesday nights at 9 P.M. starting on September 8th. It will NOT disappoint. And keep checking back for info about my episodes. As of right now my first episode will air October 27th at 9 P.M.

Helping to bring 90210 back to life was an amazing experience. I loved the cast and crew and miss them like crazy. (Luckily the Melrose Place cast and crew are equally awesome.) Some highlights from 90210 were being quoted in Entertainment Weekly’s “Soundbites” section:

‘‘It’s a part of my New Year’s resolution to see more theater. I was doing pretty good until I saw the Blue Man Group while I was taking cough medicine. Hideous nightmares for weeks!”

—Kelly (Jennie Garth), after seeing Brenda’s stage performance, on 90210

And having the last scene from my first episode be chosen by E! as the “Clip Of The Day!”

I recently directed a short film called, “Passing The Time,” starring Abigail Spencer and Reid Scott—possibly two of the most adorable people you will ever have the pleasure of watching on-screen.  Seriously. Abigail is currently starring on the new season of Mad Men and Reid is on the hit TBS show My Boys. The film can be seen on it’s own website or on my MySpace!

I also contributed a non-fiction essay to the anthology, It’s A Wonderful Lie: 26 Truths About Life In Your 20s…

Click here to check it out on amazon!

There’s also a Kindle version!