Alexandra Adornetto

Alexandra Adornetto is the pen name of Alexandra Grace (born 18 April 1994), an Australian author who writes for children and young adults. Her works include The Strangest Adventures series, the Halo trilogy and The Ghost House Saga.

Alexandra Emily Grace was born on 18 April 1994 in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. She is the daughter of an English teacher and a Drama teacher and attended, in her own words, "many" schools including MacRobertson Girls' High School, Ruyton Girls' School, Korowa Anglican Girls' School and Eltham College. She grew up in Melbourne's inner east in a cottage called 'Byron'. In 2006, she won the State Legacy Public Speaking Competition. She claims she "Kind of stumbled across writing". She says she was 13 years old and on school holidays when she decided to become a recluse and started writing her first book for young adults, entitled The Shadow Thief. She did some research into Australian publishing houses, making sure she followed all the submission guidelines exactly, and then sent her 45,000-word manuscript to HarperCollins. She has said that it took HarperCollins about twenty-four weeks to get back to her asking to publish her book. Since then, Alexandra has written five more novels and has been featured in Fairfax publications commenting about substance abuse and sexual interests. She is currently splitting her time between Australia and the USA, while she studies at Mississippi and writes. In the future she hopes to combine novel writing and acting as Alexandra Grace. Her passions include old-school country music, classical singing and performing.

Adornetto's completed books are The Shadow Thief (2007) and The Lampo Circus (2008), Von Gobstopper's Arcade (2009), Halo (2010), and Hades (2011). Her sixth book, and the final volume in the Halo trilogy, entitled Heaven, was released in August 2012.

The Strangest Adventures

The Shadow Thief

The main characters of Shadow Thief are Millipop Klompet and Ernest Perriclof, who live in Drabville – a town whose residents suffer from having their shadows stolen by Lord Aldor, who wants to use the shadows to become immortal, all-powerful and rule the world. According to Adornetto, "The shadow represents individuality and colour and a person's spirit, really." She said the two main characters were based on herself and her cousin and their own adventures together as children.

The Lampo Circus

The arrival of Federico Lampo and his travelling circus brings a new threat to Drabville when the children are kidnapped and transported to the grim world of the Conjuors′ Realm. Lord Aldor‚ assisted by Ringmaster Fredrico Lampo and the vicious Contessa Bombasta (Patroness of the Arts)‚ is plotting to conquer the fairy province of Mirth. The children embark on a quest to warn the Queen of Mirth‚ encountering some fearsome obstacles‚ not least the ferocious Grin Bandits and their tooth−extracting apparatus as well being challenged in a life size game of Monopoly. As the day of battle draws near‚ Milli and Ernest realise that if Lord Aldor defeats them‚ theirs won′t be the only lives at stake...

Von Gobstopper's Arcade

Master toymaker Gustav VonGobstopper announces plans to build a special Toy Arcade − brimming with the world′s greatest toys − to commemorate the extraordinary bravery of Drabville′s children who have twice escaped the clutches of the wicked Lord Aldor. The children couldn′t be more excited. But when Milli and Ernest encounter Theo‚ the bandana−wearing teddy‚ deranged designer Tempest Anamoli and the immoral Botchers at the Arcade‚ it quickly becomes apparent that they have stumbled upon a macabre plot. Could this be the work of the evil Aldor − a malicious master plan designed to extinguish the very existence of childhood?

Halo Trilogy

Halo

Published by Feiwel and Friends, Halo marked Adornetto's American debut and was released in August 2010. It is translated in many languages, including Dutch, French, Spanish and German.

The book Halo takes place in Venus Cove, a fictional town later revealed to be located on the Georgia coastline. The quiet, picturesque town is ultimately revolutionised when three angels-Gabriel, Ivy, and Bethany-arrive from the sky above, on a mission to fight against the dark work of Lucifer's demons. The angels take up residence in a beach-side cottage Byron (presumably named after Adornetto's childhood home), and Bethany begins attending Bryce Hamilton, the local high school. Here, Beth meets a human boy named Xavier with a troubled past and soon they fall in love, defying the laws of Heaven and threatening the angels' mission.

Hades

Published by Feiwel & Friends on August the 30th 2011. Hades is the second instalment of the Halo series.

Heaven

Heaven was published by Feiwel & Friends on 21 August 2012. The hardcover has 417 pages. Heaven is the third and final instalment of the Halo series.

The Ghost House Saga

Ghost House

Ghost House was published by Harlequin Teen on 26 August 2014. The hardcover has 320 pages. Ghost House is the first instalment of The Ghost House Saga.

From the New York Times best-selling author of the Halo trilogy comes the start of a beautiful and powerful new series After the loss of her mother, Chloe Kennedy starts seeing the ghosts that haunted her as a young girl again. Spending time at her grandmother's country estate in the south of England is her chance to get away from her grief and the spirits that haunt her. Until she meets a mysterious stranger… Alexander Reade is 157 years dead, with secrets darker than the lake surrounding Grange Hall and a lifelike presence that draws Chloe more strongly than any ghost before. But the bond between them awakens the vengeful spirit of Alexander's past love, Isobel. And she will stop at nothing to destroy anyone who threatens to take him from her.

To stop Isobel, Chloe must push her developing abilities to their most dangerous limits, even if it means losing Alex forever…and giving the hungry dead a chance to claim her for their own.