Book Title: WEIRDOS WELCOME
Character Name: Rae
How would you describe your family or your childhood?
You would ask me that. Honestly, that’s personal. And it makes me uncomfortable. How do I know I can even trust you with this information?
What was your greatest talent?
My brain sets me apart from the pack. I look at things from a different view than most. People sometimes hate me for that. That bothers me. Like a lot. I want to learn all I can about certain subjects. I may infodump about these special interests of mine, but hello? If I’m telling you about what excites me then trust me, it means that I respect and even love you. Some call it “out of the box” thinking, which sounds weird to me because what’s supposed to be in the box? Or is the box empty? Confusing.
Significant other?
Wow. You really don’t care about boundaries, do you? I don’t know if this boy I like is a significant other yet. You know what else? I’m not sure I’m even ready for a significant other.
Biggest challenge in relationships?
I realize I have made quite a few mistakes in my personal life. I almost lost my bestie because I didn’t get that he was going through something painful and I hurt him even more by missing that critical piece of information. I’ve also let people take advantage of me in the past. I’m humiliated about that. People can be so disappointing sometimes. And yet, I’m very smitten with a boy right now.
Where do you live?
I live in a two-story house in Pac Crest – it’s not too far from the beach – so people think it’s so chic and everything. The sun is overrated in my opinion. My skin is way too fair for me to be hanging out in the sun too much.
Do you have any enemies?
Everywhere I turn. There they are. If they only knew how hurtful they were, how they don’t know me and haven’t taken the time to, either. Sigh.
How do you feel about the place where you are now?
Hopeful. Excited. Anxious. The boy I like totally gets my special interests and seems to get me. To see me for who I really am. With him by my side, I know I can pretty much do anything. At least it feels that way today. Tomorrow? Well, my therapist says to not let my mind wander to the future because I get overwhelmed, so for now, yes, I have a good feeling inside because of this boy.
Is there something you are particularly attached to, or particularly repelled by, in this place?
I am happy in my own company for the most part. Especially if my dog is around. Plus, my mom supports me like no one else. Dad? Don’t even bring him up, thank you very much.
Do you have children, pets, both, or neither?
Noodle, my dog, often makes my life worth living. I love him and prefer him to hanging with almost anyone else.
What do you do for a living?
Counting the days to high school graduation when I can leave all the “sheeple” (followers) behind! I want to be a dog trainer for veterans suffering from PTSD and other trauma.
Greatest disappointment?
Hands down, my father. He never got me and never will.
Greatest source of joy?
Right now, bringing down a bunch of bullies in school and in the community who are threatening the well-being of my city! I can’t wait to put an end to their greedy, dangerous madness.
What do you do to entertain yourself or have fun?
Where do I begin? Dog rescue! Supporting veterans! Exploring hair colors! Learning about autism. Writing a blog! Will you read it? OMG. So excited about writing about what it’s like to be on the spectrum.
What is your greatest personal failing, in your view?
I’ll tell you if you promise to keep it quiet. Will you? Can I trust you? My greatest personal failing is turning people away when I don’t mean to. I get so deep into my special projects that I sometimes forget that my mom or my bff or even the boy who I am a little obsessed with, have their own challenges. It’s not good, but it happens. I’m working on this!
What keeps you awake at night?
My mom bugs the crap out of me, but I don’t want to be on this earth without her. She is always caring, loving, and sees the best in me. I hate to think about the day she dies.
What is the most pressing problem you have at the moment?
Bullies! Fellow students. Some teachers and the crooked city councilman who wants to sell out our school to oil tycoons.
Is there something that you need or want that you don’t have? For yourself or for someone important to you?
More than anything, I want to find my tribe. Other girls on the spectrum.
Why don’t you have it? What is in the way?
Girls are not diagnosed as easily as boys, so being a girl autie, sometimes you feel like you’re the only one there. It’s so lonely.
WEIRDOS WELCOME by Cynthia Baseman
A love story that’s messy, awkward, and weirdly wonderful. Just like real life.
Braden’s anxiety sends him spiraling over things like quitting the basketball team and the air quality in the cafeteria, yet through it all, he manages to be charming and act like everything is Just Fine.
Rae is on the spectrum; her passion is rescuing dogs online. She struggles over masking her autism, navigating group projects, and telling people exactly what she thinks—whether they like it or not. Braden and Rae don’t “fit in,” which makes it even harder to survive high school. But when Braden begins investigating a local environmental scandal and Rae starts speaking her truth in a blog about being on the spectrum, their worlds collide. Soon, they’re facing down bullies, fake bomb threats, blog trolls, and the terrifying vulnerability of first love.
Written in alternating viewpoints, Weirdos Welcome is a raw, funny, and fiercely compassionate neurodivergent love story about owning your oddness, standing up when it’s easier to disappear, and finding that person who doesn’t ask you to be “normal”—or even pretend to be. This is a story for anyone who’s ever been called a freak, felt too much, or wondered if their quirks made them unlovable. Spoiler alert: They don’t.
Young Adult | Romance Contemporary [ River Grove Books, On Sale: February 3, 2026, Paperback / e-Book, ISBN: 9781966629702 / eISBN: 9781966629719 ]
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About Cynthia Baseman
Cynthia Baseman writes stories that sit at the intersections of healing, humor, and humanity—in her memoir of a mother’s journey through grief, a children’s picture book, and her YA novel celebrating neurodivergent first love, she’s drawn to the moments that make us feel most alive. Again and again, her work returns to a central question: where do we find truth?
That question has also led her into library advocacy. As a library board member at University of Southern California, she champions libraries as rare public spaces where information is curated with care, context, and accountability. To her, libraries are both sanctuary and engine: places where questions are welcomed, and where communities discover not only books, but tools, resources, and one another.
An Emmy-nominated producer and a Nicholl Fellowship Finalist for screenwriting, Cynthia lives in Los Angeles with her husband, their spirited rescue dog, and four endlessly chatty cockatiels. Between her two grown sons and her vocal pets, her household is much like a good library: never entirely quiet and always full of stories.
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