Category Archives: Event Recaps

Event Recap: Cassandra Clare’s Clockwork Princess Tour

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cassandra_clare_mariah_picIn March, authors Cassandra Clare, Sarah Rees Brennan, and Maureen Johnson made a stop at the Mission Viejo Library for Clare’s latest release, Clockwork Princess.

I was extremely thrilled to meet all of them, and the feeling was definitely echoed throughout the room. As we waited for the authors to arrive (they got caught up in LA traffic), we watched the book and the movie trailer, and in two contests, fans competed for posters of, Will and Jem, popular characters from Clare’s books.

Once the authors arrived, they jumped right into answering our questions about their books and the upcoming City of Bones film.

Here are a couple of them:

Cassandra Clare, where did you get the inspiration for your books?

She got the idea of Shadowhunter from one of her friends who was a tattoo artist and talked to her about the history about tattoos. They were believed to give people strength in battle and during journeys, and Clare thought that it would be cool if there was a race of people for whom these tattoos would actually work.

What characters are the three of you most like?

After thinking the question over for a moment, they agreed that Sarah is like Magnus Bane because of her fiery personality, Maureen is the most similar to Alec, and Cassie was compared to Jace because of her ability to “have a little faith” like he does in times of trouble.

They then moved on to lightning round:

Who do you like more: Tessa or Clary?

She couldn’t decide between the two. Tessa is more like her, but she admires Clary for her bravery and recklessness.

Do you all eat, or do you survive solely on the tears of your readers? (This seemed to be a recurring question.)

Clare responded by saying that she likes to take the hearts of her readers and put it in a cocktail glass and make a heartini.

How much involvement do you, Cassie, have in the film adaptation?

She has had a good amount of input into the film. She answered questions that the production team had, and she had a heavy involvement in the casting process.

Once the Q&A session was complete, we were able to get our books signed! Overall, the event was one of the best signing that I’ve attended. All three of the authors were incredibly funny and kept me laughing the entire night. They joked about the ways they toy with our emotions and all of the wonderful boys in the Infernal Devices and Mortal Instruments series. It was an honor to meet all three of the authors, and I want to thank them for visiting Mission Viejo.

-Mariah W., 11th grade

Event Recap: Eoin Colfer Author Visit

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Eoin Colfer, renowned author of the Artemis Fowl series, visited Mission Viejo this past weekend and made a very exciting presentation of all his experiences and books. Many fans in the audience flipped through his new book The Reluctant Assassin, anticipating the moment when Colfer would reveal himself. A serious mood hung over the room as we wondered what this famous writer was like in person. What would he tell us today? A humorous magician broke the silent anxiousness of the crowd, and also related to a magician in Colfer’s new book. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the moment we all had been waiting for arrived.

eoin_colfer01Turns out Colfer has a very bright and funny attitude, as proven when we were treated to hilarious tale after tale from his past (even one about his Irish accent). Amid our laughter, he explained about his process of writing, which includes putting real people and experiences into his book. For example, Colfer recalled basing Artemis’s mother on his own loving wife. We also had the privilege of learning about how he began writing. When Colfer was a little child, his father’s friend brought over his own book for him to review. After Colfer peeked inside, he immediately decided he wanted to become a writer too. Quite obviously, he succeeded, seeing as over twelve years he has created the world famous Artemis Fowl series.

reluctant_assassin_coverLucky for us, Eoin Colfer also introduced us to his new series called W.A.R.P. Inside the pages of The Reluctant Assassin, An apprentice named Riley struggles to evade the great magician Garrick, who has taken a liking to murder. Colfer shared with us how he tried to make him as sinister and terrifying as possible, and his experiences in writing the story.

Overall, we all had a very fun day, learning about the writing process and Colfer’s sources of inspiration. Book signings are definitely very engaging and fun, along with getting the signature of the author himself! I am very grateful to Eoin Colfer for coming all the way out here to inspire us with his stories and experiences.

-Phillip X., 7th grade

Event Recap: Lauren Oliver’s Requiem Tour

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Boy, had I been missing out!

Ever been to a book signing? As surprising as it may be for some people, I had never been to one before. And boy, had I been missing out! But I was lucky enough to have had Lauren Oliver’s book signing at the Mission Viejo Library as my first ever. She was such an engaging speaker, full of funny comments and remarks that created a relaxed and fun vibe during her presentation.

Lauren Oliver started off by telling us about how she became a writer because she has had a “lifelong love of reading.” She explained how ever since she was little, she would read a book, completely fall in love with it, but then sadly it would have to end. (Know the feeling?) So, she would write short stories or sequels about the books she read, which I thought was pretty cool. I had never thought about doing that before. And yet it was interesting to hear that the first time that she wrote a complete novel was not until her senior year in college! Continue reading →

Event Recap: Oh, What a Beautiful Evening!

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Composers Richard Rodgers & Oscar Hammerstein II

Although this blog is focused on teen literature, even the most avid reader takes their nose out of a book eventually, right? If you like the performing arts, there are many opportunities to appreciate a variety of arts and culture in Mission Viejo.

“Oh, What a Beautiful Evening! The Music of Rodgers and Hammerstein,” presented by the the singers of the Orange County School of the Arts and Timeless Melodies at the Norman P. Murray Community Center in January, was an enjoyable tribute to the music of Rodgers and Hammerstein, though not without flaws.

The selection of Rodgers and Hammerstein music was wonderful and the host presented each set of songs with an informative introduction. Unfortunately, as someone very familiar with the musical selections, I found that there were a lot of technical vocal issues in several of the performances. In addition, there sometimes lacked a balance between the singers in the group numbers as some were much louder than others, thereby making the performance sound out of tune.

Nonetheless, there were a few performers that were very talented and have a lot of potential. These singers filled their songs with emotion and heart and were a lot of fun to listen to. Overall, I enjoyed myself as I always get excited when I see singers with a lot of talent and potential, but I have to say the event was just mediocre as there was a lack of performance quality. Thus, although “Oh, What a Beautiful Evening!” was a mixed experience, there were a few stars that shined bright.

– Kiera C., 12th grade

Event Recap: Cassandra Clare’s Clockwork Princess Tour

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On Friday, March 22, Mission Viejo’s City Hall was taken over by crazed book fans toting around tall stacks of books, sporting Shadowhunter runes, and failing to hide their excitement.

Sarah Rees Brennan, Cassandra Clare, and Maureen Johnson speak to fans in Mission Viejo

Sarah Rees Brennan, Cassandra Clare, and Maureen Johnson speak to fans in Mission Viejo

Authors Cassandra Clare, Maureen Johnson, and Sarah Rees Brennan ran a little late because of the infamous LA traffic, but arrived at the scene with the knowledge that their fans were waiting anxiously. The atmosphere of the room was that of complete awe for Clare’s newly released novel, Clockwork Princess, its book trailer, the trailer for The Mortal Instruments movie, and for the great company of those who love the same story.

The Q&A portion of the event consisted of questions ranging from the creation of Cassandra Clare’s books to the production of the film adaptation of her first novel, City of Bones, releasing in August later this year. Fans were captivated by the stories that Clare told of her childhood. She mentioned that her storytelling past and her first computer at age 12 are what began her book writing career. Clare also discussed her inspiration for the Shadowhunters books: a tattoo artist friend. Clare would hear stories about tattoo symbolism and the people who lived according to them, which sparked her imagination, leading her to the question, “What if there was a race of people whose lives revolved around tattoos and their meanings?” And with that, the Shadowhunters of her novels were born.

Cassandra Clare also gave advice to aspiring writers, saying that there are “many small steps to a large goal.” Also, when asked whether Clare enjoyed “torturing her fans” by destroying their ships, pairings of characters created by the fans, she simply said, “What is the point of a ship if not to sink it?” And with that, the room exploded in uproar and applause.

Clare’s presentation was not one that anyone would regret attending, and being in the company of those who shared the same love only made it a more enjoyable experience. It was an absolute pleasure to have attended, as it was my first author event!

– Danielle G., 11th grade