SOME ANGELS ARE DESTINED TO FALL | MY ‘FALLEN’ EXPERIENCE

“How many lives do you need to live before you find someone worth dying for?”

November 6, 2016 | SUNDAY 📍 The Gallery, Greenbelt 5, Makati City

National Book Store (NBS) was good enough to let the fans meet Lauren Kate and Harrison Gilbertson (Cam Briel) in their #LaurenKateInPH event. This was the first book signing I got the chance to attend to. I’m really glad I went. Thanks to my friend, Chen, who dragged me along with her.

We fell in line around 9 in the morning, the mall was still close. It already has a long line outside and we found out that some fans camped out for the hap. The dedication is surreal!

The registration time was at 11am. We still had to wait so it’s always a must to take selfies, right? Not really but we did, anyways. (Hi, dude!)

When the time came for us to enter, I took a video of us going to the venue. Please ignore the fact that I was humming 3000 miles out of nowhere.

https://twitter.com/vyenanorin/status/796345103493103616

I have read Fallen like 5 years ago and it was an ebook copy. My friend, Chen, has the book Fallen but we don’t have the whole set. We’ve searched lots of branches of NBS but they claimed it’s sold out. We were looking forward to purchase it at the event itself but by the time we were done with the registration the only books left available were Unforgiven (I already have this), Teardrop, and Waterfall. We ended up buying Teardrop just to have more books to be signed. (Heh. So if you have read that other series by Kate, please link me down below to your reviews!)

The event would start at 2pm so we had our lunch first. But before that, we went to Powerbooks and National Bookstore just in case there were hidden Fallen books! We went back to The Gallery with our hearts immensely broken–until Lauren and Harrison arrived. Please lower down the volume of your gadgets or at least don’t use headphones because the crowd was really loud. This is how we always do our welcoming here in the Philippines–always warm and overwhelming.

https://twitter.com/vyenanorin/status/796346898126774273

We all know that Fallen is about fallen angels (obviously) and reincarnation. Lauren said during the interview that it is always something that fascinates her. She even joked that she believed she was a “Scottish soldier in the middle ages at one point.”

When asked if she expected Fallen to be big across the world she humbly answered with: “I have no idea what I was doing when I wrote Fallen. I was just following an instinct.”

Lauren also claimed that she would be a chef if she weren’t an author. “That’s what I’m gonna be in my reincarnation.” And when questioned about her specialty, she answered “balut“. The crowd burst into laughter. Really, the woman got a fair amount of sense of humor.

She also spilled the bean about the book she’s currently working on. It’s another love story during American Civil War. “Still working on the title but I’ll share with you as soon as I have it.”, she promised.

She revealed that Cam was inspired by his husband because you got to fall for the villain. Well, yeah, obviously, she’s really #TeamCam (and that makes us two! Who else is with us?)

On the other hand, Harrison was asked by a fan if he is single. He laughed at that and said “Can I say no comment?” and did a hush gesture. Lauren butted in by saying “It’s complicated!” I wish we know for sure!

Another fan asked him if there’s one scene in the movie he could live in real life, what would it be? He said that is to fly. We got a real angel!

Thank you, really, thank you so much. I’m honored to be here. I’m grateful for your support. You’ve been fallenatics from the very beginning and here’s to more…

– Lauren Kate’s message to her Filipino fans

The most anticipated signing and meet and greet happened after the interview. I got to meet Harrison first and he was so genuinely nice! I told him I might go to Australia next year and he ecstatically said “You should!” He was looking straight to my eyes that I didn’t really catch what he said next. Hoho So, to prolong the talk, I asked what beach he would recommend. He said something like “Alpha” and the rest was a blur, really. HAHAHAHA! I thought I might faint. I asked him if I could hug him and he said “Of course!” I died right there and then!

Then, it was time for my books to get signed!

Lauren: Hi! How are you?
Me: Hi! It’s my first ever book signing! Thanks for coming again here.
Lauren: Oh, that’s amazing!
Me: Yeah, I hope the hot weather isn’t bothering you that much.
Lauren: Not really! I actually like it. I grew up in Texas.

She is sooooo lovely! 😍😍 She laughed when I told her she’s so tall. 😁

…confident that people will like the movie but of course there were a lot of anxiety before it came out. We hope it’d do well so we can make Torment and Passion and Rapture.

Shall we now proceed to the #PremiereFallenMovie?

November 8, 2016 | TUESDAY 📍 SM Megamall Cinema 8, Mandaluyong City

It just happened that my workplace is around the area where the premiere for #FallenMovie would take place. After work, I went straight to the mall to see Lauren and Harrison again and Addison Timlin for the first time. I was so astounded by the set up tfor that night! I should’ve asked if I could take home the cardboards 😂😂 I won a movie poster, though! 💛💚💙💜

The three arrived at 8pm and walked down the red carpet, all looking amazing!

Lauren looking stunning in her long black dress:

https://twitter.com/vyenanorin/status/796349863117979648

While waiting for Addi and Harri, Lauren signed a fan’s book!

https://twitter.com/vyenanorin/status/796358907358654464

Addison and Harrion looking like a really good pair here:

https://twitter.com/vyenanorin/status/796393921408471040

Addison seems like my height (I’m 152.4 cm), she’s really petite but very gorgeous!

When we entered the cinema, they were seated like 5 rows down our seats. As we were ascending the stairs, I stopped to said hi to Harrison, with my voice shaky.

Me: Hi, Harrison!

Harrison: Hi!

Me: It was nice meeting you last Sunday!

Harrison: It was nice meeting you, too!

And he beamed at me and I swear it lit up the whole cinema, just like how his wings do. I SWEAR.

My colleagues wanted to tear my hair off because “WOW! YOU TALKED TO HIM!” 😂😂😂 I wish I took a video but it’s dark inside and phones were not allowed, anyways.

Now, I’m going to tell you my honest opinion about the movie. I swear, no spoilers!

As I’ve mentioned above, I’ve read the book years ago that I don’t really remember much of the details. So, I can’t tell you if the adaptation is good. But, here’s one thing I can assure you, the movie is soooo good. The actors did really great with how they portray their characters. You can feel the intensity of Luce and Daniel’s eternal love (no matter how cheesy and sappy it may sound to you). We all felt that bittersweet connection of the two in the book. Jeremy did really well in showing the pain he endures every time he’s away from Addison. Harrison did really great as a ‘villain’ knowing that he’s really this sweet human being in person. I didn’t see Harrison in Cam. Yep, THAT good. Very much in character. I love how Addison did Luce. You can see her chemistry with both Jeremy and Harrison and I think that’s really important to reach the audience’s heartstrings.

I don’t really care how much others hate the book that they only gave it one star. Do not depend your reading lists on the reviews you see online. What we read is our personal preference. Read what you feel like reading not because someone told you to or not to for that matter. Don’t hate it because it’s so Twilight. It’s not. Bella’s character is different from Luce. I can’t say that Lucinda Price is far way better than Isabella Swan because we can’t really compare two different things, can we? I suggest that people read the whole series before they say shits.

I LOVE THE EFFECTS. I LOVE THE WINGS. I WOULD BE DISAPPOINTED IF THEY USED TYPICAL WING PROPS BUT THEY DIDN’T SO 💯💯. I LOVE THE SETTING, THE SWORD & CROSS IS LIT. I LOVE HOW HEY DID THE ‘ANNOUNCERS’. I LOVE HOW THEY DID THE FIRE. I LOVE MOLLY, THAT BADASS BITCH. I LOVE PENN, OH GOD, I LOVE PENN.

I really hope the movie gets good hype and sales so we can have Torment. It has to happen because Fallen left us hanging in the end. It is now showing in the Philippines, nationwide. So, you have one job, Filipino fallenatics!

I went to see it again tonight with my mother and she’s now #TeamCam as well. I don’t know if I’d be happy about this or not. Don’t get me wrong, I love Daniel but I need and want Cam and Harrison for myself. 😂

Thank you, Lauren, Harrison and Addison for giving the Philippines a chance to see our favorite book come to life. Thank you for letting us meet you and see how lovely people you all are. I wish you all the best and success for this movie and for your career path in general! Thanks for being our angels.

#WatchFallenMovie

Lauren Kate books available here.

Keep living a WANDERful life, wanderers!