Just finished talking with a very excited Joelle Charboneau. Joelle is generally a happy, sweet soul, but she is currently EXTRA happy.
Paramount Studios have acquired the film rights to THE TESTING, her new young adult novel.
It’s graduation day for sixteen-year-old Malencia Vale, and the entire Five Lakes Colony (the former Great Lakes) is celebrating. All Cia can think about—hope for—is whether she’ll be chosen for The Testing, a United Commonwealth program that selects the best and brightest new graduates to become possible leaders of the slowly revitalizing post-war civilization. When Cia is chosen, her father finally tells her about his own nightmarish half-memories of The Testing. Armed with his dire warnings (”Cia, trust no one”), she bravely heads off to Tosu City, far away from friends and family, perhaps forever. Danger, romance—and sheer terror—await.
The deal came together fairly quickly. Joelle met with Paramount last week and the details came together in the last few days. Thus far, Hollywood has not changed Joelle, she was cleaning up from supper when I contacted her.
THE TESTING is the first in a trilogy. INDEPENDENT STUDY will be released in January of 2014 and GRADUATION DAY, the final book, lands in stores next July. Sunday night, I spent time with a number of my Crimespree family and heard great things about the book. I look forward to checking it out.
Could not happen to be lovelier person!
