General News
21 November, 2024
Olivia to hold book launch after publishing debut book Afterglow
Gilgandra’s Olivia Amiet has released the powerful book Afterglow, being the talented young author’s first published work.
Olivia Amiet, who writes under the name Olivia Grace, is holding a book launch at Gilgandra this weekend.
The book tells the stories of two young adults at college in America, Jazmine Allen and Theodore Knight. Both face building pressures and conflicting priorities in their lives.
“They are both 21 years old, and people have so much going on at that age,” Olivia told The Gilgandra Weekly. “Mental health is very important to me, and this is a tale about hope and love.”
The plot for Afterglow, according to Olivia’s Instagram page livvygrace.writes, is as follows: “Two broken souls who use love to heal and create hope for tomorrow,” livvygrace.writes states.
“Jazmine Allen and Theodore Knight are forced to work on a research project that will define their junior year of college at Lakewood University. Add in mental health, busy schedules, and a supportive cast of friends; it’s a love story waiting to unfold.”
The story continues that Jazmine has wanted to be a sports psychologist since she was 11 years old after watching her family and friends sit on the sidelines due to injury. She is one year away from graduating from Lakewood University, but there are three things standing in her way.
Firstly, a research project that will determine her chances of securing an internship and career. Secondly, her declining mental health. And thirdly, an arrogant academic rival determined to break down every wall around her heart.
Meanwhile, Theodore has been under pressure since he was eight years old, the sporting legacy of his father weighing him down even as a child. He escaped his hometown after tragedy struck, and now he is one year away from graduating, yet there are three things standing in his way.
They include balancing a research project and being the starting quarterback for the Lakewood Devils, the tragic memories of his past haunting him even if he is 800 miles away, and a classmate who has despised him since freshman year, who seems to be immune to his charms.
The question posed to readers as a teaser is: “Is their love worth the fight? Or will their demons win?”
Olivia has spent most of her 18 years in a rural background, first living at Coonabarabran before moving to Gilgandra in 2016. She completed her higher school certificate at Gilgandra High School (GHS) in 2023 and now studies at the University of Wollongong, majoring in creative writing with a minor in advertising and marketing.
She credits her GHS English teacher, Fiona Lambell, for encouraging her to become an author. Olivia studied advanced and extension English under Fiona’s tutelage. Olivia first toyed with the idea of writing a book at 10 and produced a spy thriller when she was 13.
In 2022, Olivia prepared a short story, Family Games Night, which detailed the changes in her family structure after her parents divorced. Produced both in written form and as a verbal recording, Family Games Night won Olivia an ABC Heywire award, which meant she was able to tour Parliament House in Canberra with around 40 other winners across rural Australia. Since its inception in 1998, the Heywire competition has become a powerful platform for rural youth.
Afterglow is Olivia’s first published book and was written while studying this year at Wollongong.
In an interview published on her Instagram page, Olivia describes herself as being addicted to caffeine and loving reading and writing about people falling in love.
“It started out with my love of reading. I always had a book in my hand, then one day I decided, why not write my own story,” she told Author Talks With Chlo when asked what inspired her to become a writer.
“I think when I was 10 years old was the first time I fully considered writing a book. My love for English, reading, and writing stayed with me, and with the help of my high school English teacher, I decided to try and become an author.”
Preparing a book while studying creative writing and marketing is a huge challenge. “The best way to describe it is a chaotic mess,” Olivia told Author Talks With Chlo, a site that helps aspiring authors talk about their published works and life stories.
“The original setting was going to be in high school, but I didn’t want my book to be YA (young adult literature), so I went back to the drawing board. After this, I smashed out chapters, and eventually, I finished the book.”
