Best-selling author Marissa Meyer has captured our imaginations in the first two books of her Lunar series. She uses her craft to weave together classic fairy tales with science fiction suspense in Cinder, a cyborg princess adventure based on Cinderella, and Scarlet, a retelling of Little Red Riding Hood and her journey with a street fighter named Wolf. Book three of the series will introduce Meyer fans to Cress, a brilliant Rapunzel-type hacker and perhaps the world's last hope against an evil Queen. All three tales, though separate, share intertwining paths within the same futuristic universe.
The release of Cress will be celebrated Feb. 4 at Pacific Lutheran University and is not to be missed by Meyer fans. The author will be on hand to sign books and tell a fairy tale or two as only she can do.
Singer-songwriters Angie Lynn and Dave Hannon will provide live entertainment, and balloon artist Dr. Twistin will bring a little fun for the kids. If that isn't enough to pique your interests, local henna artists will be onsite doing hand and body art.
And as any princess-themed party ought to be, attendees can come dressed to the nines adorned in red gowns or as characters from the novels to participate in a costume contest.
Salon Ish from Puyallup will be in house to help chop anyone's locks for donations to Locks of Love, a fitting charity tie in with the Rapunzel theme. There will also be swag, raffle prizes and free food to be had, and all of the evening's festivities will be livestreamed to reach fan across the globe.
Meyer fans are a diverse group, with females age 10 to 60, especially bookworms who love romance or sci-fi genres, laying the foundation, said Alison Verost of the MacMillan Children's Publishing. And though Meyers is nationally recognized, having penned a New York Times bestseller, she is also a Tacoman; so many locals are beaming and bright eyed when it comes to her phenomenal success. She's done T-town proud.
MARISSA MEYER CRESS RELEASE PARTY, 7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 4, presentation and book signing, Karen Hill Phillips Center, Pacific Lutheran University, 12180 Park Ave. S., Tacoma, $5, $18.99 includes Cress book, tickets must be pre-purchased and available online at http://luteworld.plu.edu/t-cressreleaseparty.aspx