utopYA Con Survival Guide and Pre-Order Wants *grabby hands*

Happy Friday, good people of the blogosphere! Today, I'm here to tell you about a lot of stuff going on! Authors with pre-orders and table goodies (and where you can find them), goodies I want personally, some pictures from last year, and a little tips section on what you might want to bring/wear to utopYA Con. Ready? Get those pens and notebooks, and let's get going!

First up, I'm sharing the link to the pre-order list hosted by the always awesome Maria Pease. You can check out what kind of deals/sales the authors are offering, and find some amazing swag.

Go HERE to visit Maria's blog page with the info.

Now, for some of the items I really, really want:

Preorder items:
GB7: Liz Long & Laura Howard - Liz is giving away a tote bag I have my eye on with every purchase. She'll be Thursday and Friday. Here's a pic of the design:

GB13: Mary Ting/M. Clarke & Alexandria Weis - Mary is giving away a tote bag when you pre-order a series (plus, it's buy three get one free). She also has a two-day table. Here's a picture of her totes:

Bella Roccaforte is giving away an original painting for every pre-order. You can find her at the Saturday ARMI signing. Here's a picture of one of them (each one is different):

Items in giveaways:
PT2: Carly Strickland & Amy Leigh Strickland - Raffling off this beautiful journal on Thursday:

GB20: Nadege Richards & Komali da Silva - Raffling this awesome game Thursday and Friday:

GB40: Christina Mercer is doing something different! You sign up to WIN her books via her Google Doc. She has a two-day table. Check it out here.

There are more! These are just a few of the ones that caught my eye. Get your pre-order on!

Here are a couple of tips from me to survive the con.

What you should pack clothing/personal wise:

• Well, there's a film premiere AND an awards ceremony, so you might want to pack a dress. This can range from a summer dress to a ball gown and includes everything in between. Some folks wore jeans. It's all about what you want your pictures to look like.
• For the daytime hours, dress comfortably and bring a jacket or sweater (sometimes the rooms get cold) unless you wanna step outside often (it's super hot outdoors). Most folks wear jeans and a nice shirt or a t-shirt. Again, this range is huge.
• Shoes are always a good idea (make sure they don't hurt your feet - you'll walk more than you think).
• Something steampunk for the Friday night karaoke (if you're dressing up).
• Curling iron if you use one (the hotel has hairdryers).
• Makeup if you wear it.
• Toothbrush and toothpaste (yeah, I didn't forget either of those last year...).
• Breath mints (you know, just in case).
• An extra (empty) suitcase for all the books you'll score!

What you should bring if you're an author:

• Books - Business wise, the rule of thumb is 1% of the total number of attendees - twice that for a new release.
• Swag - Stuff that's book themed that you can give away.
• Items - Stuff that's book themed that you can sell.
• A couple of good pens, and at least one sharpie.
• Something special for bloggers (they love prizes).
• Any raffle items you may have (see above).
• Table decor (including linens - those aren't provided).
• Something to set your books up on so they're showy.
• A big smile.
• A notebook for panel notes.

What you should bring if you're a book blogger:

• An idea/map of where the authors you want to visit will be sitting.
• A pen, and at least one sharpie (you know, just in case).
• Something to carry all your goodies in (see info about tote giveaways above - and you'll always have the one from utopYA con).
• Some way to post to your blog about all the awesomeness!
• Your outgoing side.
• A notebook for panel notes.

If you considered bringing an attitude, I'd suggest leaving that behind. You'll be shut down quickly. *grins*

A few survival tips to make it the best experience possible:

• Be sure and eat breakfast every day. I know the temptation to skip is there, but don't. You'll be out of energy before ten and won't have time to leave your table to grab something.
• When everyone breaks for lunch, GO.
• If you're approaching an author, just do it. Don't be shy, because they love, love, love meeting readers.
• Don't drink until you drop. I know you haven't been away from home without kids in a while, but just don't do it.
• Be a professional in everything you do and say. People are watching you, and news travels fast.
• Be kind. There's no room for cattiness. You'd be surprised how quickly you'll be shut down.
• Sleep! Get to bed at a reasonable hour. You'll be up early.
• Drink plenty of water. I know this sounds like a duh thing, but dehydration will kill your energy level as quickly as not eating.
• Get to know your fellow authors. If nothing else, read their interviews here on my blog so you'll recognize their faces (I have two year's worth on there, and many of them are repeat offenders).
• Attend the panels. Go to the sched app and set up your day(s). It's worth it.

Well, I hope these tips and tricks help you. Be sure and visit the other official bloggers this month for more tips and tricks!

Did this help at all? See you at utopYA!

That's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Learning at UtopYA Con 2015

Happy Tuesday, good people of the blogosphere! Today, I'm here to talk to you all about panels. Why? Because you need to know what you want to attend when you arrive at utopYA in June. If you don't have tickets to the con yet, you need to get them now. There are only five more days to buy! Go here to visit the Eventbrite page and get your order on!

Let me tell you, $110 for all you can potentially learn is one heck of a steal!

You can add these panels to your schedule on this page of the Sched app.

Let's just get going, shall we?

Thursday, June 18 11-12am:

ClockWise World Building
Moderator: C. J. Redwine
Panelists: Amy Bartol, Helene Dunbar, and Marissa Meyer

What you can expect to learn:
World building isn’t just for fantasy books. It is central to not only things like the topography of the places held within its pages, but also to the cultural standards and rules governing the interpersonal relationships and politics of the book’s plot and story. Is there such a thing as too much description? How do you temper or pepper it throughout the book to best effect? The creative process intertwines with research to create rich, believable characters, settings, and mythology that keep the reader coming back for more. Learn how to do this well from authors at the top of their game.

For: Beginners

Expand Your Universe: A How-to Guide for Newbies and Introverts
Moderator: Mindy Ruiz
Panelists: Rachel Harris, Eva Pohler, and Misty Provencher

What you can expect to learn:
Writers are inherently isolated creatures -- even the most extroverted still have hints of insecurity that tend to hold them back from effectively networking at conferences. Let’s face it; writers work and play with imaginary friends most days and nights. This panel aims to provide an interactive how-to workshop on how to network for the wallflower or newbie. What to say past “I love your book.” And how to step out of your comfort zone, approach any group, and add them to your “clump” or tribe of collaborators, conspirators and friends.

For: Beginners

Tense Time Warp: Raise the Tension with Past and Present POV
Moderator: Crystal Bryant
Panelists: Kristina Circelli, Cambria Hebert, Elizabeth Kirke, and Christina Mercer

What you can expect to learn:
The overwhelming trend in current NA books is to switch points of view each chapter between the male and female protagonists. And in YA we see one book written from one person’s point of view, and the next in the series written from another.  There are even books out there where one chapter is written in first person, and the other chapters, written from another’s point of view are written in third person limited. Do you know how to write from the different points of view? Do you know what they are and what ones are most effective for your audience?  While it drives purists insane, it drives readers wild with delight. What’s your point of view?

For: Advanced

Thursday, June 18 12-1pm:

Expanding Your Empire: International Markets, Audiobooks, etc...
Moderator: Tammy Blackwell
Panelists: Nikki Jefford, Carlyle Labuschange, Lana Popovic, and Cameo Renae

What you can expect to learn:
Now that you have a few published books under your belt and sorta have the hang of this whole writerly life, it's time to take your books and career to the next level. There's a big world out there, and this session will help you: navigate the waters of international markets, get yous books into libraries and book stores, market to new and influential audiences, understand licensing - turning your booksinto audio books, comic books, movie franchises and more.

For: Advanced

Great Sexpectations
Moderator: Delphina Miyares
Panelists: Angela Graham, Katie McGarry, and Jessica Sorensen

What you can expect to learn:
The lines of sex in NA and what is acceptable and what is expected are blurry at best. Clean NA is getting slammed for being too clean. Hot NA is being called erotica in disguise. New Adult is still a NEW category, and it will undoubtedly evolve or split off into multiple categories. Why not be a part of the discussion and influence the future of NA. There is just so much here to unpack, and these panelists are going to help you do just that.

For: Beginner/Advanced

So You Wanna Be a Writer?
Moderator: Kallie Ross
Panelists: Laura Christiano, Amy Evans, Kim Holden, and Morgan Wylie

What you can expect to learn:
You have a book in your heart, characters chatting in your head and a desire so deep to finally write that book you’ve been dreaming about. So what’s holding you back? Time to step out of the shadows and into the world of writing. Whether it’s just something you want to cross off your bucket list or what you want to do for the rest of your life, getting a book into the hands of the public has never been easier. This session will talk you through the realities of the writer’s life so that you can lead your dreams.

For: Beginner

Did you miss the buy link? Let me share it yet again:

Get tickets here!

You don't wanna miss this conference. Just read some of the testimonials on the Our Stories page on the utopYA website. 'Nough said.

Don't forget to visit the other official bloggers today and tomorrow so you learn about the other awesome panels that are happening at utopYA this year.

A Book Vacation
Book Junkie
Paisley Reader

Which one are you itching to sit in on?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

UtopYA Con 2015 Thunderclap for Awards Voting

Happy Friday, everyone! I'm not gonna mess around here. I know you're all busy! Plus, I have a little incentive for your help. I'll get to what in a few. So, with that being said, let's get to the meat of today's post.

UtopYA Con is inviting you to join in helping spread the word about awards voting. This is a big deal because this con is the only one with their own awards program. It's very chic, and everyone gets dressed up in their finery to attend. Trophies are awarded for a number of different categories, all related to young adult and new adult novels. See the whole list and details about how nominees are chosen here.

See last year's winners here.

The most awesome part of all this is: You, the public, get to vote once the nominees are announced! That's right, if you have a favorite author attending the con, you can go on over there and show your support for their novels by voting for them.

But utopYA and the authors need your help to spread the word to fans everywhere! All we're asking is for one tiny support of our Thunderclap campaign Your Voice, Your Vote. It's FREE, so we really just want to borrow one (or more) of your social media outlets for one tiny post on May 8th.

Here's the link to sign up: http://thndr.it/1zgCvSG

You can support with Twitter, Facebook, or Tumblr (or all three). Makes no difference.

Want to see if authors you love have been nominated? Be sure and click the link on May 8th when we go boom! Then, if you see a book you loved, vote!

Now, here's the incentive I mentioned. If you support the Thunderclap, and share that you supported, with one of your social networks, you can enter below to win a utopYA 2015 t-shirt. It's easy: Support, share that you supported, copy the link, paste it in the entry form, click enter! Boom! Done!

If you've already supported, just share the Thunderclap and paste in the link where you did. Easy peasy.

You have until May 7th to support and enter! And... GO!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

How fun is this? Thank you all, from the bottom of my heart.

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

UtopYA Con 2015 Pro Sched User

Happy Friday, good people of the blogosphere! It's time for another utopYA 2015 update! I know you're all super excited. BUT! Even if you're not going to utopYA, you can still figure out how to use Sched if an event you're attending in the future chooses to be green and save a few trees by going digital. Don't be the girl left out of the party. You'll lose out on a chance to join a huge family of like-minded creative people. Ever wanted to walk into a room and know the people there get you? Yeah, that's utopYA. So get your tickets here. Right now. The price goes up at the end of May, so don't dally!

Let's get to the info for today, shall we?

If you've been following along with the official bloggers this month, you'll know most of the ways you can use Sched to your advantage. Let's do a quick recap (links will take you to the corresponding posts):

Here on my blog, you learned how to create and update your profile. We went through connecting your social media and adding a cute profile picture.

When A Book Vacation took over, Shana taught you all how to mark things you'd like to go to, and she showed you a few awesome tips in her video.

Then, we went to The Paisley Reader. Maria walked you through syncing Sched with your phone (or freaking KINDLE)!

Today, we have the Book Junkie: Not-So-Anonymous, Ashley, walking you through how to change your ticket information and finding your friends!

By the time you get through all the posts above, you should be ready for the conference and have your reminders set so you don't miss a single panel. Have fun!

There won't be printed programs this year! Sched is what you need to learn how to use to get the most out of your experience.

What did you learn from the bloggers this month? Are you all set to go with the app?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

UtopYA Sched App - Signing in and Profile Updates - Official utopYA 2015 Post

Happy Friday, good people of the blogosphere! Today, I'm here to talk to all you utopYAns about the Sched App. I'll walk you through signing in and updating your profile. This month is all about that app, and the official utopYA bloggers are gonna show you how you can use it to your advantage. If you still need tickets to the con, you can get them here.

Here's the lineup:
Today: How to sign up/sign in and update your profile
A Book Vacation: Adding events and panels to your schedule
Paisley Reader: How to integrate the schedule app with your calendar on your phone
Book Junkie: Not so Anonymous: How to buy or adjust tickets bought and add friends to your list

First of all, you need to find the app. Click here. You'll get a screen that looks like this:

As you can see, in the top, right hand corner, there's a place that says sign up or log in.

Before you go all click-crazy, let me give you a little tip. If you have a ticket, you got an e-mail about this app and were auto-added. Be sure and use that e-mail address to log in. Even better, if you can locate the e-mail, click through from there.

Let's continue.

Once you log in, you'll see a screen like this:

Shana will go into how to add stuff there next week. We don't want that screen, we want to click on this button and choose settings:

Now scroll down and you'll see this:

Fill it out!

Once you're done and you've added your pic and details, click save.

Boom! You're done!

As we move through the weeks of April, you'll learn all there is to know about this nifty little app, including how to sync it to your calendar so you can get reminders for panels or activities you want to take part in.

What do you think? An awesome way to save paper, huh?

Have you used the app? Tell me about your experiences.

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Book Junkie: Not so Anonymous - utopYA Con Friday Night Event and Saturday Signing

Happy Friday, everyone! Wow, what a busy couple of days it's been, huh? I totally missed my post yesterday. BOO! But today's will make up for it, I promise. *grin* As always, on Friday, you get some amazing information about utopYA Con 2015. This week it's from Book Junkie: Not so Anonymous. Our dear Ashley has a BIG giveaway of Saturday signing space! I know you're all excited, so let's get going!

From Book Junkie:

Alright, ladies and gentleman! Every time I get to put together one of my official posts, with more information about the conference (which is only EIGHTY-THREE DAYS from now!) I get more and more excited about this year's events! And today, I get to share with you some REALLY exciting information!

First up is an awesome, exclusive opportunity for 225 utopYA attendees...

See the rest here!

Yeah, you know you want to read more of THAT! What are you waiting for? Oh, right! You wanna know how to win.

Well, you have to collect all four parts of the entry phrase then enter them in the Rafflecopter form. But you have to visit all the bloggers' official posts to get the pieces.

Here they are (in order):
Jo Michaels Blog - C. J. Redwine interview
A Book Vacation - Victoria Faye Whit & Ware interview
Paisley Reader - How to create a Google pre-order form
Book Junkie - Special Friday night event and Saturday signing

Now, what are you waiting for? Getcher booty movin'!

Did you enter to win?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

The Paisley Reader - utopYA Con 2015 Walkthrough on Creating a Pre-order Form

Happy Friday, good people of the blogosphere! Today, as with every Friday, I'm bringing you a snippet from one of the utopYA Con 2015 blogger's posts. It's Maria over at The Paisley Reader. Grab a cup of coffee and let's get going!

Don't forget to go get part three of the phrase you'll need to enter the giveaway for Saturday signing space at utopYA con!

Hey Authors, this one’s for you!

A big question you might have before going to utopYA is, “how many books should I bring,” and let me tell you, it is an important question to answer. Take too many, and you’ll have to ship some back home. Take too few, and you’ll sell out quickly, leaving you sitting at a table with no books.

So how can you begin to know how many books you should take to utopYA?

Pre-Orders.

By creating a pre-order form, you’ll know how many books to bring for definite sales. You can also have people prepay via PayPal...

Why are you still here? Get going! Learn how to create a beautiful pre-order form, and collect the third piece of that phrase so you can enter next Friday!

As you can see, the lineup changed due to circumstances beyond our control, but Maria's post is a must read!

What do you think? Did you check it out? Find it helpful?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

A Book Vacation - utopYA Con 2015 Interview with Victoria Faye

Happy Friday! Eep! It's time for the weekend, and Shana over at A Book Vacation has something special for you all. As you know, Friday is the day for utopYA Con 2015 posts here on the blog, and I love to give you guys peeks at what the other bloggers are doing. This week, it's all about Branding (heck yeah!) and the special workshop Victoria Faye of Whit and Ware is giving at the con. If you don't have tickets to the con yet, get them here. It's gonna be four days of fun and learning!

Don't forget to collect all four pieces of the special phrase the bloggers will have on their posts. The whole phrase will be needed when you enter to win Saturday signing space!

Want another beautiful infobit? You'll also find out the details of Whit and Ware's giveaway: Dream Like a Boss during the interview. GOGOGOGO!

Here's the schedule:
Week 1 – Jo Michaels hosts C. J. Redwine's discussion on her workshop - Query Letter
Week 2 – A Book Vacation hosts Victoria Faye's discussion on her workshop - Book Branding Blueprint
Week 3 – The Paisley Reader hosts Regina Wamba's discussion on her workshop for graphic designers and photographers
Week 4 – Book Junkie: Not so Anonymous  will be talking about the special Friday night event, will have a list of Saturday signing authors, and will be giving away a spot at the signing

Why are you still here? Get over to A Book Vacation and find out more! Don't forget to snag the partial phrase while you're there!

Are you excited about this workshop? Tell me why.

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

utopYA Con Interview - C. J. Redwine - Query Letter Workshop

Happy Friday! Do I have a treat for you all today! The amazing C. J. Redwine is here to answer some interview questions and talk about her upcoming workshop—Query Letter—at utopYA Con 2015. If you don’t have your ticket yet, you need to get one soon! There are only 104 days until the event, and you don’t wanna be the only one not at the party. Get them here (hint: you can purchase a ticket to C. J.’s workshop here and find out more about it).

In addition to the amazing information you'll get this month from the official bloggers, be sure and write down the partial phrase you'll find on each blog. We're giving away Saturday signing space, and you'll need the whole phrase in order to enter. 

Ready? Grab a cup of coffee and let’s get going!

Jo: Welcome to the blog, C. J.! I’m super excited to have the opportunity to learn about you and your Query Letter workshop at utopYA. Without dawdling around, because I know you’re a super busy lady, let’s jump right into the questions (these first few will be about you, then I’ll get into the workshop). If you wouldn’t mind, could you talk with me a little bit about being the amazing adoption advocate you are? What made you consider adoption, and what have been the best and most trying things about your experience?

C. J.: We had three biological boys in four years (Which is nuts. NUTS, I tell you.), and I was stick-a-fork-in-me done with being pregnant, but I couldn’t shake the sense that our family wasn’t complete. I began feeling drawn to China, and felt like I had a daughter waiting for me there. My husband was resistant to the idea at first, but a few years later, he too felt drawn to China. We brought our first daughter home in 2010 and our second daughter home in 2014. The best thing about adoption is seeing our daughters blossom and feeling absolute joy at discovering who they are. They are light and happiness in our family—their older brothers dote on them! The most challenging thing about the process was the wait. We waited 5 years for our first daughter, and it was very difficult, but the moment I held her in my arms, I knew I’d wait as long as I had to just to have that little girl in my family.

Jo: Yup. I had four sons in four years, so I feel ya there. Wow. Five years? That's incredible. It's amazing it all worked out! Congratulations! Now, I hear your husband, Clint, is a lot like Superman. Could you share with us what he does for work, what he’s like on an average day, and what’s the most incredible cake he’s ever baked?

C. J.: Ha! We have a long-standing debate in our home about whether Batman or Superman is the better super hero. I am firmly in the Batman camp, but yes, my hubby has some superhero traits! He is a dj and producer on a morning radio show, so he leaves very early for work each morning without complaint. He is also a movie critic for both the radio and a local tv news channel, so he is often out at night viewing movie screenings. So he’s often tired and busy, but he still takes time each day to spend with his kids, he helps me by doing a lot of the chauffeuring required in the afternoons (Teens, man. They have places to be!), and he tirelessly supports my dreams by picking up whatever slack is left behind when I’m on deadline.

The most incredible cake he ever made was a nativity scene that was under a glass dome and that spun slowly so you could see it from all angles. I mean … a cake with a motor in it, amiright?

Jo: He certainly sounds hero-like! You guys seem like you'd fit together perfectly; a match made in Heaven.  A motor? Oh man... Great, now I want cake... Anyway, let's move on! *shakes off hungry feeling* I’m all about being dramatic in novels and surprising the reader, but you take your YA Fantasy books to a whole new level of amazing. Tell me which book was your favorite to write, how long it took you to write it, and which romance pair you love the most.

C. J.: I think my favorite to write is whatever book I’m currently working on, because I have to be in love with the characters and the story in order to do the book justice. So my upcoming early 2016 release THE SHADOW QUEEN is my current favorite because it combines some of my absolute favorite things—fairy tales (it’s an epic fantasy retelling of Snow White), dragons, magic, and a heroine who is both brave and smart. But if you were asking which book of the DEFIANCE trilogy I loved writing the most, I’d have to say DELIVERANCE, the final book, because I got to give the villains their just desserts, I got to bring my characters through the fire and give them hope, and my hero and heroine got the kind of happily ever after that gave them peace.

I loved the romance between Logan and Rachel (from the DEFIANCE trilogy) the most because there’s so much history between them, and such strength in their loyalty and love. They are both survivors, but both of them have this mile-wide streak of self-sacrifice in them that endears them to me even as it worried me because I wasn’t sure if I could bring them out of the story alive. They complement each other so well, and they earned every piece of happiness they got. It isn’t easy to survive a post-apocalyptic world with dragons that tunnel up from beneath and egotistical power-hungry men who use people like pawns in a chess game that started before either of my main characters was born.

Phrase part one: Learn how to

Jo: Holy moly, Batman! That new book sounds off the charts good. Let’s dive into questions about your utopYA Con workshop: Query Letter. What can folks expect to get information on?

C. J.: My query workshop focuses on unlocking the key to writing the kind of query that gets results. I go over format and what not to do, but most of the time is spent teaching writers what questions need to be answered to distill their plot into a compelling 2-3 paragraph letter that will read like the back of a book. I also do cold reads and on the spot critiques, so writers can immediately hear what worked, what didn’t, and how to fix it.

Jo: *signs up* Sounds like a great class to learn how to write compelling back cover copy. Count me in! How long will the workshop be, and how might people benefit from attending?

C. J.: I actually don’t know how long I’m scheduled for, but I imagine it will be 1-2 hours. People will benefit from learning how to write a query from a writer’s perspective (I have such an easy formula to apply!) and from hearing critiques on both their own letters and the letters of others. The critiques take the lesson from theoretical to practical in a heartbeat, and often bring a lot of clarity to the process.

Jo: That makes me a little nervous... haha! I'm not a most excellent public speaker, but I'm game! Have you held similar workshops before? When and where?

C. J.: Yes, this is actually one of my most popular workshops. I’ve taught it online (I offer workshops throughout the year at http://queryworkshop.blogspot.com) and across the nation at book festivals, writing conferences, and individual writer’s groups.

Jo: *Looks at audience* Did you hear that, everyone? Go check it out! Okay, last question! Do you have any workshop success stories to share with us?

C. J.: One success story is author Shannon Messenger (KEEPER OF THE LOST CITIES series), who took my query class, my synopsis class, and my plotting class before finding an agent. The query we worked on in class together ended up getting her a load of requests from the agents she queried, and she signed with one shortly thereafter.

Jo: So there's proof it works! What else could we possibly ask for? Thank you so much for giving me the honor of interviewing you! I can’t wait to meet you at utopYA in June!

About C. J. Redwine:
C. J. Redwine writes speculative fiction and is represented by Holly Root of Waxman Leavall Literary Agency. Her DEFIANCE trilogy is available from Balzer + Bray. Her book QUERY: How to Get Started, Get Noticed, and Get Signed is available on Kindle and Nook. C. J. has an English degree and a teaching credential from Pepperdine University. She's spent the last five years teaching workshops on all areas of writing. C. J. regularly offers workshops online and can also be booked for teen workshops at schools and libraries, as well as adult workshops at conferences, writing chapters, and book festivals.

Now, why don’t you give C. J. a follow on social media?

Workshop Website
Facebook
Pinterest
Twitter
Website
Amazon author page
Tumblr Blog

Don't forget to visit the other official utopYA bloggers this month for information on the other workshops, and the special event going on Friday evening. Here's the schedule:

Week 2 – A Book Vacation hosts Victoria Faye's discussion on her workshop - Book Branding Blueprint
Week 3 – The Paisley Reader hosts Regina Wamba's discussion on her workshop for graphic designers and photographers
Week 4 – Book Junkie: Not so Anonymous  will be talking about the special Friday night event, will have a list of Saturday signing authors, and will be giving away a spot at the signing


What do you think? Is C. J.’s workshop something you’re excited about? Why?

Well, that’s all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Book Junkie: Not so Anonymous - utopYA Con Book Match Scavenger Hunt Game

Happy Friday, good people of the blogosphere! Today, as with every Friday, I'm bringing you an official utopYA post! This time, it's from Book Junkie: Not so Anonymous. Our giveaway of a prize pack of books by the utopYA con keynote speakers is running hard. Get in there and vote for the synopsis.

From Book Junkie:

Happy Friday everybody! It's the 4th week of the month, which means it's time for my Official #utopYA2015 Blogger Post!

Today, I am excited to bring to you an awesome contest from the utopYA Con official bloggers: We pulled together and are leading you on a scavenger hunt for our panelists' books! Read on for more deatils, but first, let me remind you about the utopYA Con 2015 earlybird ticket prices! They're ending February 28th! Standard admission is $90 right now, and VIP is $115. On the 28th, those prices go up to $110 for standard admission and $135 for VIP. So, go get yours here. For serious. Get 'em now!

Now, let's get to the book hunt! Here's what you have to do to win:

• Read the synopsis below.
• Guess which book from my short list the synopsis belongs to.
• Type your answer in the Rafflecopter entry form.
• Enter every day throughout the month of February for a shot at the prize!

Each blogger will list one synopsis and five possible titles for you to choose from. It'll be a different title each week (this is week four). This form will stay up on my blog for one week. At the end of the game, (which is one week from today) all incorrect entries will be removed before the winner is chosen.

What's the prize? Well...

You have a shot at winning a pack of three e-books--one from EACH of our keynote speakers:

Denise Grover Swank, Kim Holden, and Lauren Miller

These prizes are being donated by the official bloggers. We wanted to do something awesome for you guys. What's better than books written by awesome women you're going to meet?

Ready to enter? Go here to read the synopsis for this week and enter the rafflecopter giveaway!

Don't forget to visit the other official bloggers this month!
Week 2 – A Book Vacation
Week 3 – The Paisley Reader

What do you think of our little giveaway? Have you entered?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Paisley Reader - utopYA Con Book Match Scavenger Hunt Game

Week THREE! Happy Friday, good people of the blogosphere! As usual, on Friday you get a utopYA post. Today, you'll be heading over to The Paisley Reader to enter the "guess the book" contest. Get your clicking fingers ready, and let's get going!

From The Paisley Reader:

Now, let’s get to the book hunt! Here’s what you have to do to win:

• Read the synopsis below.
• Guess which book from my short list the synopsis belongs to.
• Type your answer in the Rafflecopter entry form.
• Enter every day throughout the month of February for a shot at the prize!

Each blogger will list one synopsis and five possible titles for you to choose from. It’ll be a different title each week (this is week three).

This form will stay up on my blog for one week. Then, I’ll change the entry form to a link for the new hunt over on Book Junkie: Not-So-Anonymous. And so on, and so forth. At the end of the game, all incorrect entries will be removed before the winner is chosen.

What’s the prize? Well…

You have a shot at winning a pack of three e-books–one from EACH of our keynote speakers:
Denise Grover Swank, Kim Holden, and Lauren Miller

These prizes are being donated by the official bloggers. We wanted to do something awesome for you guys. What’s better than books written by awesome women you’re going to meet?

Go to The Paisley Reader now to read the synopsis and titles and enter!

Don't forget to visit the other official bloggers this month:
Week 1 – Jo Michaels
Week 2 – A Book Vacation
Week 4 – Book Junkie: Not so Anonymous

Well? Did you enter? What book do you think Maria chose?

That's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

A Book Vacation - utopYA Con Book Match Scavenger Hunt

Week TWO! Happy Friday for the second time, everyone! As usual, on Friday you get a utopYA post. Today, you'll be heading over to A Book Vacation to enter the "guess the book" contest. Get your clicking fingers ready, and let's get going!

From A Book Vacation:

Now, let's get to the book hunt! Here's what you have to do to win:

• Read the synopsis below.
• Guess which book from my short list the synopsis belongs to.
• Type your answer in the Rafflecopter entry form.
• Enter every day throughout the month of February for a shot at the prize!

Each blogger will list one synopsis and five possible titles for you to choose from. It'll be a different title each week (this is week two).

This form will stay up on my blog for one week. Then, I'll change the entry form to a link for the new hunt over on The Paisley Reader. And so on, and so forth. At the end of the game, all incorrect entries will be removed before the winner is chosen.

What's the prize? Well...

You have a shot at winning a pack of three e-books--one from EACH of our keynote speakers:
Denise Grover Swank, Kim Holden, and Lauren Miller

These prizes are being donated by the official bloggers. We wanted to do something awesome for you guys. What's better than books written by awesome women you're going to meet?

So... are you ready?

Go to A Book Vacation now to read the synopsis and titles and enter!

Don't forget to visit the other official bloggers this month:
Week 2 – Jo Michaels
Week 3 – The Paisley Reader
Week 4 – Book Junkie: Not so Anonymous

Well? Did you enter? What book do you think Shana chose?

That's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

utopYA Con Book Match Scavenger Hunt Game

Happy, happy Friday, good people of the blogosphere! Today, I have some awesomeness from the utopYA Con official bloggers. We pulled together and are leading you on a scavenger hunt for our panelists' books. I'll get to the rules in a moment. First, let me tell you about the utopYA Con 2015 earlybird ticket prices! They're ending February 28th! Standard admission is $90 right now, and VIP is $115. On the 28th, those prices go up to $110 for standard admission and $135 for VIP. So, go get yours here. Right now. You've been warned.

Now, let's get to the book hunt! Here's what you have to do to win:

1. Read the synopsis below.
2. Guess which book from my short list the synopsis belongs to.
3. Type your answer in the Rafflecopter entry form.
4. Enter every day throughout the month of February for a shot at the prize!

Each blogger will list one synopsis and five possible titles for you to choose from. It'll be a different title each week.
This form will stay up on my blog for one week. Then, I'll change the entry form to a link for the new hunt over on A Book Vacation. And so on, and so forth. At the end of the game, all incorrect entries will be removed before the winner is chosen.

What's the prize? Well...

You have a shot at winning a pack of three e-books; one from each of our keynote speakers: Denise Grover Swank, Kim Holden, and Lauren Miller! These prizes are being donated by the official bloggers. We wanted to do something awesome for you guys. What's better than books written by awesome women you're going to meet?

This week is now closed. You must go to A Book Vacation to enter.

     What if you woke up in a book? A reader trapped in fiction. The sexy hero waiting for her. A harrowing journey home.
     For fans of "Labyrinth" and "The Neverending Story" comes an epic romantic adventure ...
     A reader gets sucked into the book she’s reading and is trapped, unless she convinces the hero of the story to send her home. Just her luck - the book is unfinished, and its sexy hero is far more alpha male than she’s prepared to handle.
     What Naia doesn’t know: the story – and its hero – have been expecting her for quite some time, even though she has no idea what she’s doing there.
     Naia must learn quickly how to navigate the dangerous, magical world of Black Moon Draw and find a way to complete her journey with the unlikely, uncooperative hero of the story, who holds the key to returning her home.

And the possible titles are:

 

Amy Bartol - Under Different Stars 

Lizzy Ford - Black Moon Draw 

 

T. A. Kunz - Witch Hunter Olivia 

Jessica Sorensen - Seth & Greyson (The Coincidence Book 8) 

Kallie Ross - Descent (A Lost Tribe Book 1)

Time to enter your guess! Remember, you can enter once every day.

Go to A Book Vacation now to read the synopsis and titles and enter!


Bet you're wondering where I got those specific books, huh? Check out the official utopYA Con Reading list here. Lots of awesome stuff. It's a giant list of books by authors sitting on panels in 2015, and where we'll be taking the titles we play the game with. We love our panelists!

Don't forget to visit the other official bloggers this month:
Week 2 – A Book Vacation
Week 3 – The Paisley Reader
Week 4 – Book Junkie: Not so Anonymous

What do you think of our little giveaway? Did you enter?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Book Junkie: Not-So-Anonymous and Kim Holden Q&A - utopYA Con 2015

Happy Friday! Wow, it's the weekend already. How awesome is that? Following along with my usual Friday meme from now on, I'm bringing you all a snippet and link to the official utopYA Con post of the week. This time, it's from Ashley Bodette over at Book Junkie: Not-So-Anonymous. Let's get going!

From Book Junkie:

I am so excited for this year's keynote speakers for #utopYA2015!  Not only will we get to hear their amazing keynote addresses, but each of the keynote speakers will also be answering 10 questions in a blog post interview on utopYA's webpage! 

And I'm super excited to let you all know that EIGHT of those ten questions will come from readers like YOU!  This week, I am accepting questions for Kim Holden here on my blog.  That means you have eight chances...

See the rest here!

If you missed the other posts from the official bloggers, check them out:

Jo Michaels Blog - Marissa Meyer Interview
A Book Vacation - Heather Hildenbrand Guest Post
Paisley Reader - Denise Grover Swank and Lauren Miller Q&A

Now quit staring at your screen and get going to ask those questions!

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Paisley Reader, Lauren Miller, and Denise Grover Swank - utopYA Con 2015

Happy Friday, good people of the blogosphere! This week, over on The Paisley Reader, there's a huge opportunity for you. I'll give you a snippet of Maria's (she's the blog owner) post and give you a link so you can go check it out. Without further ado...

From The Paisley Reader:

Now back to this fantastic opportunity.

Each of these amazing authors, in addition to their keynote addresses, will be answering 10 questions in a blog post interview on utopYA’s webpage.

Guess what? Eight of these questions in each interview will come from you! That’s right, EIGHT! This is your opportunity to ask your burning questions of these authors.

This week, I am accepting questions for Denise Grover Swank and Lauren Miller. That means you have sixteen...

Yeah, you're dying to know more, huh? Well, get on over to this post and check it out!

Week one was an interview I did with Marissa Meyer. If you didn't catch that, you should certainly do so. It can be found at this link.

If you missed the post from A Book Vacation where Shana had the awesomesauce that's Heather Hildenbrand bring you a guest post, be sure and pay the post a visit here.

Next week, Ashley (Book Junkie: Not so Anonymous) will give you the chance to ask Kim Holden a question or two.

How exciting is this?

What are you waiting for? Get over to Maria's blog and get those questions rolling!

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

A Book Vacation and Heather Hildenbrand - utopYA Con 2015

Happy Friday, good people of the blogosphere! Today, I’m bringing you a snippet of the official utopYA Con post from Shana over at A Book Vacation. She has a guest post from the amazing Heather Hildenbrand you don’t wanna miss. Let’s get going!

Hello fabulous readers! This month for my official UtopYA post, I have a treat for you!
Heather Hildenbrand, author of Imitation, book one in the Clone Chronicles Series–an amazing series that Jerry Bruckheimer and Alloy have optioned for NBC–stopped by the blog to reminisce about her  experiences at UtopYA!

So, without further ado, I give you Heather:

I am what UtopYA refers to as a veteran. I was there at ground zero: year one.

And also at year two. And three. I’m what I call a repeat offender.

UtopYAcon for me is kind of like six degrees of Kevin Bacon. Except, without any Footloose dancing. And with a different type of celebrity. Okay, wait. There was that one time with the dancing. But we don’t talk about that. #staysinthevault

What I’m trying to say is that I’ve made so many connections as a result of attending UtopYA, beginning with year one and every year after, that when Shana asked me to write this post...


If you want to read more of Heather's post, you should check it out here.


Were you aware of Heather’s awesomeness? What did you think of that post?

Well, that’s all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Official utopYA Con Author Interview - Marissa Meyer

Happy, happy Wednesday, good people of the blogosphere! This is my official utopYA con 2015 post for the month of January. I’m excited to be bringing you one of the female authors tearing up the book market right now, Marissa Meyer! That’s right, the author of The Lunar Chronicles is gracing you with her presence. *grin* So exciting! She’ll be at the conference in June, and she’ll be speaking on two panels: ClockWise World Building and Gender Roles & Stereotypes. If you haven’t added those to your schedule yet, do that now.

For this month, the official bloggers are bringing you amazing utopYA panelist interviews, information, and awe-inspiring stories. Be sure and visit the other wonderful utopYA blogs:

Week 2 – A Book Vacation
Week 3 – The Paisley Reader
Week 4 – Book Junkie: Not So Anonymous

Remember, I'll be bringing you snippets of those posts with links every Friday so you'll remember to head over and check them out.

Let’s get to the interview! I know you’re all eager to hear what I’m going to ask.

Jo: Welcome to the blog, Marissa. You’re such an inspiration to so many female authors out there, and I’m honored to have you for a few questions. I can’t wait to meet you at utopYA. That being said, for my first question, I’d like to know what the best piece of advice you’ve ever gotten on writing was and who it came from.

Marissa: Thank you so much for including me in your utopYA blogger coverage! I’m not sure where I first heard this advice (it’s certainly not unique), but I think the best advice is to write what you’re truly excited about, and what you love. It can be tempting to try and write to the trends or follow the market, but writing can be a long, exhausting process, and you need love and passion to get all the way to the end. And that passion will show through in the final product!

Jo: You’re so very welcome. We're stoked you had the time! That’s awesome advice, and I know a lot of writers will benefit from it. Hear that, everyone? Write what you’re excited about! Question two: Did you expect the wild success of your series, and how did you feel when you realized it was taking off the way it did?

Marissa: Oh, never. When I was writing Cinder I thought it would be a miracle if anyone else ever read it. There were many days when I thought I must be crazy, thinking that anyone else in the world would be interested in reading about a cyborg Cinderella! But that goes back to writing what you love – I was so excited about Cinder’s story from the moment it popped into my head, so I knew I had to write it and try to publish it. Once I started submitting to agents, though, things started to happen fast and I began to think that, okay, maybe I’m not crazy after all! The series ended up going to auction between two publishers, and Macmillan sent us a preliminary marketing plan, which was very extensive and enthusiastic. I think that was the first point when I realized that maybe this was going to be a Big Thing. (Though to this day it doesn’t feel entirely real!)

Jo: I can’t imagine how you felt. Must’ve been one heck of a high! You’re living the dream so many authors have. Congratulations! How awesome. Question three: What fuels your creative process?

Marissa: Ever since I was a kid I’ve lived my life half in reality, half in daydreams. I just constantly have little fantasies going through my head, and over time those start to crystallize into stories, complete with characters and adventures and little snapshots of different scenes. I long ago realized that if I didn’t write those stories down, they would haunt me forever. I might go through periods where I’m not “inspired” or excited about a particular writing project, but that need to write never goes away entirely.

Jo: I’m with you there. So many words, so little time! *grin* I have to know: Did you plot out your entire Lunar Chronicles series before you started writing? If yes, how long did it take you and what were some of the road-bumps you had to navigate through? If no, what’s been the biggest drawback to not having a set plot?

Marissa: I did – I’m big on outlines, and I knew early on that I wanted this series to overlap and intertwine in a way that felt really airtight. So I outlined all four books before I started writing, which probably took a couple of months, and then I drafted Cinder, Scarlet, and Cress all back to back. It was really helpful for getting a feel for the plot and characters and being able to foreshadow some events in the later books. That said, things always change, no matter how much forethought I put into them! So while I may have drafted the first three books early on, they all ended up having to be rewritten once I really started figuring things out. It was worth it, though—having so much written at the beginning of the process gave me a lot to work with.

Jo: I bet that helped when you were shopping book one. I know I’d like to see an author with their stuff together if I were a publisher. That’s quite an undertaking. Fantastic job! Last question! Since time travel is the theme of utopYA con 2015, I like to ask about past and future choices. So, is there anything you’d go back and change in your writing career? What impact do you think it would have?

Marissa: Oh my, good question! There was one novel that I’d started writing before Cinder about a teenage girl who was secretly an assassin. I ended up setting that novel aside for various reasons, but it still has a special place in my heart and I sometimes wonder what would have happened if I’d finished and tried to sell that book first, especially now with the success of assassin books like Grave Mercy and Throne of Glass. This isn’t so much a regret—obviously things have worked out pretty well with The Lunar Chronicles!—but it’s one of those things that I think about sometimes. Who knows, maybe that book will make a reappearance someday!

Jo: Well, if it does, I’m sure it’ll be as amazing as your series! Thank you so much for gracing us with your presence. I know you’re a very busy lady, and I appreciate you taking the time for my interview. I’ll see you at utopYA!

Now you know what kind of amazing people you’ll get to meet at the con. If you don’t have tickets yet, get them here while they’re still at early-bird prices.

Want to read Cinder? Pick up a copy on Amazon here for $2.99 (as of the date of this post).
Already read Cinder? Interested in Fairest? Pre-order it on Amazon here for $9.99 (as of the date of this post). Releases Jan 27, 2015.

Let’s give Marissa a follow on social media, shall we?
Twitter: @Marissa_Meyer
Facebook: Marissa Meyer Author
Website: MarissaMeyer.com

Thanks for reading the interview, and I do hope you pick up a copy of Cinder, book one of the series!

Well, that’s all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo