Melina Marchetta event recap.

On Wednesday September 12^th Perth YA Fans Unite were lucky enough to hold our very first event at Subiaco Library. Our guest of honour was none other than the lovely Melina Marchetta. We were very excited to have 75 people rsvp to attend. The crowd consisted of mainly teenagers, but it was fantastic to see quite a few others of varying ages. This wonderful turnout has boosted our drive to get another guest to WA as soon as possible.

One of our founding members Anna, started it off with a small speech about how Melina’s books have impacted her and then introduced Melina.

Anna reading her speech.

Melina started out telling us how she would speak for a while, and then we could have question time and finally moving on to sign our books. We were given an insight into all her books; how Looking for Alibrandi is close to her heart and she explained how she knew 200 people in the world and was sure they would be the only ones to pick up Alibrandi. After Saving Francesca she was categorized as a certain type of writer and how much this label annoyed her. She told us how she got the idea for Saving Francesca while she was working at an all-boys school. On the Jellicoe Road was over ten years in the making, and it was the book that catapulted her onto the international stage. Then along came The Piper’s Son and now the Lumatere Chronicles.

Melina with a copy Quintana which she gave away.

Melina then spoke about the process of turning Looking for Alibrandi into a movie, which consisted of a screenwriter that had no idea about the characters and had no interest in speaking with Melina about them. She then wrote the screenplay herself. Everyone was extremely pleased when she confirmed that On the Jellicoe Road is also going to be on the big screen; which she is also penning the screenplay for. Unfortunately we weren’t given many details, but hopefully casting would begin next year.

We were shown several slides of locations from Italy, Turkey, Greece and France which Melina used as inspiration in parts of the Lumatere Chronicles. The slides consisted of landscapes, paintings and buildings that she reimagined into Finnikin of the Rock, Froi of the Exiles and Quintana of Charyn. It was wonderful to see which pieces she used and how.

This is Melina showing us a slide from Italy, and which buildings and landscapes she used.

It was interesting for all when she showed the slides of her international covers, and how she does have some small say in what goes on the covers in the US. She wasn’t too impressed with the covers for the Lumatere Chronicles, and that the cover for The Piper’s Son went through quite a few cover models because he wasn’t attractive enough, with the right look. (She said “I didn’t want to have sex with him”, which, if you’ve read the book you’ll know he’s a very sensual character.) This got quite a few laughs.

Question time was brief, but many got their questions answered. Finally we all stood and rushed to get in line to get our books signed. She was wonderful and signed every book, and even had a small chat with people whilst signing their books and having photographs taken so we could all have a hard copy of the night.

The beginning of the signing line. Courtesy of Jess @The Tales Compendium.

It was a great night all round and we have to give a giant thanks to Melina herself for coming out and being there, Alex from Subiaco Library who helped organise the event, Dymocks Subiaco for supplying some books for us to buy, and Anna who got the ball rolling. We’d also like to say a massive thank you to everyone who showed up! This was a fantastic turn out for our first event and we’re hoping to prove to publishers that we can get people to attend these types of events! So we need you and make sure you invite your friends to sign our petition so we can show them we mean business!

Book Launch: Creepy and Maud by Dianne Touchell

Book Launch!

Creepy & Maud by Dianne Touchell 

Join best-selling author of The Last Viking, Norman Jorgensen, for the launch of a vivid and unusual new book for young adults.

When: 6.00pm Thursday 27 September

Where: Kulcha, 1st Floor, South Tce, Fremantle

Cost: Free!
RSVP: Fremantle Press: admin@fremantlepress.com.au / 08 9430 6331

OR

Dymocks Fremantle: fremantle@dymocks.com.au / 9335 8131

Review: Sovereign Hope by Frankie Rose

Title: Sovereign Hope (The Hope Series book 1)
Author: Frankie Rose
Age Group: Young Adult
Release Date: July 1st 2012
Publishers: Self-published
Available from: Amazon
Source: Author

Everyone has a soul

Some are just worth more than others

Farley Hope was seventeen when her mother disappeared. In the last six months not much has changed, except that her eighteenth birthday came and went and still no sign of Moira. Her life is just as complicated as it always was. Since her father died in a car crash before she was even born, she’s officially parentless, and to top it all off she’s still suffering from the hallucinations. Mind-splitting, vivid hallucinations- the kind prone to induce night terrors and leave you whimpering under your covers like a baby.

The last thing on her mind is boys. Farley is on break from St. Judes’ when she meets Daniel. It’s not some casual run in at a party, or even a blind date with friends, though. Daniel is the guy following her in his 1970′s Dodge Charger; the guy standing at her window in the LA lunch hour traffic, trying to persuade her to leave everything behind and follow him. And he's hot as all hell. 

The moment Farley lays eyes on Daniel, everything changes. He is cold and withdrawn, but there are cracks in his harsh veneer- cracks that betray the secrets he is trying so hard to hide. Farley is drawn into a world that will shake apart everything she thought she ever knew. There are truths out there that she must learn: that a person’s soul is their only real currency, and there are people who would do anything to take hers; that loving someone can hurt so much more than hating them; but, most importantly, when your future is predestined, there is little you can do to change it.

Farley Hope is prophesied.

Her coming has been awaited for hundreds of years.

She is destined to end the tyranny of the Soul Reavers.

To do so she must die.

--------

Sovereign Hope is one of those books that grab you from the first page and does not let you go. I adore this book on so many levels. I have been in a reading funk for a while, I just felt like every book I was reading was the same. I have to say a huge thank you to Frankie for asking me to review her book because I was blown away. I was instantly immersed in the world Frankie has crafted and did not want to stop until I finished it. I seriously considered calling in sick to work just so I could stay up all night to read it!

Farley Hope's mother has been missing for six months and the police are still no closer to finding out what happened to her. Farley holds out hope that they will find her when she crashes into Daniel, literally. He saves her life and from then her world is turned upside down. Daniel is part of a secret society that lives beneath our world. Farley finds out she is part of a prophecy that claims she will destroy the Immortals that rule over them. The Quorum are an impartial entity that is supposed to keep the balance between good and evil. The Immortals have upset this balance and Farley is part of the solution.

I loved Farley’s character, she's strong, stubborn, insecure and knows her own mind. I found her instantly likeable and was engaged with her character. She handles herself so well through everything; I think she was one of the more mature characters I have read. Then there's Daniel. He's one of those beautifully broken guys that break your heart and make you just want to hug them. He kind of reminds me of Will from the Infernal Devices, and has an arrogance to match Daemon from Obsidian. If you meshed those two guys together you will have a small idea of who Daniel is. His character is one of the one's that make you fall hard and fast, and I did. He had such a haunting presence to him, it's no wonder Farley felt herself falling for him. The romance plays a big part in the story, but it's only one part of the overall storyline. They have this connection that binds them together, yet Daniel acts as if it's one sided because of his sense of duty and a deal he made with the Quorum. He's totally swoon worthy, too. Trust me.

The storyline is original, action-packed and compelling. Sovereign Hope is a one-sit read, once you pick it up you just can't put it down. This is definitely one of my favourite reads of 2012! Frankie has such an addictive style of writing. Grab a copy of Sovereign Hope to be swept up into an amazing adventure that will have you turning the pages to see how it ends. I am desperately waiting for book 2.

5/5

 

 

 

 

This review is by Jo-Anne from Worlds of Wonderment.