Utopia Con 2017 - New Ticket Packages Available!

Happy Wednesday, good people of the blogosphere! Today, I bring you information! I know you're all super excited about this. Reader only tickets for Utopia Con 2017 are now available. Get your clicking fingers ready, and let's get going.

BUY THEM HERE

I'm going in order via price, least expensive to most expensive, I'm not getting into vendor table costs, and I'm just giving you an overview of the details. For more in depth explanations and the refund policies, please visit the official Utopia website ticket page here:

Exhibitor and Signing Hall ONLY (Choose Friday-June 23 OR Saturday-June 24)
Sales end June 22
Access to the Exhibitor and Signing Hall ONLY from 11AM-5PM
Price: $15 plus fees

One Day Admission (Choose Friday-June 23 OR Saturday-June 24)
Sales end June 22
Access to all official events. Does NOT include access to Master Classes, private events, or any other event that is listed for an extra charge on the website.
Price: $55 plus fees

Silver Ticket Package (Includes admission Thursday, June 22-Sunday, June 25)
Sales end December 31
Includes a welcome bag (while supplies last) and access to all official events. Does NOT include access to Master Classes, private events, or any other event that is listed for an extra charge on the website.
Price: $105 plus fees

Titanium Ticket Package (Includes admission Thursday, June 22-Sunday, June 25)
Sales end December 31
VIP Registration/Badge. Includes a welcome bag (while supplies last), t-shirt, lunch Friday and Saturday, early seating for the awards, and access to all official events. Does NOT include access to Master Classes, private events, or any other event that is listed for an extra charge on the website.
Price: $180 plus fees

Master Class - Revising Like a Pro (Thursday, June 22 at 4PM)
Sales end June 22
Bestselling author C. J. Redwine will teach pacing, character development, conflict arcs, prose, and more.
Price: $50 plus fees

Master Class - Save the Cat! (Friday, June 23 at 10:30AM)
Sales end June 22
Jose Silero teaches authors how to give their stories a strong "spine" and create a transformative journey for the protagonist.
Price: $75 plus fees

Master Class - Improv for Writers (Friday, June 23 at 2PM)
Sales end June 22
Two improv professionals (who are also authors) will teach writers how to get out of their chairs and get moving to create dynamic worlds and action for their characters.
Price: $75 plus fees

If you want information on promotional opportunities, those are also listed on the official Utopia Con website.

In case you need that link again:

BUY THEM HERE

What do you think? Will you be going?

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

Jo

Utopia Con 2017 - Ticket Prices are Increasing FRIDAY! Get Yours NOW, and Get Your Freak ON!

HA! I bet you all took that title as something entirely different than it means. But hey, you're here, you're reading this, and you're engaged! Win for me. *grin* So, now that you're all in, let's get to it.

Here are the guests coming to Utopia in 2017:

Ann Aguirre, NY Times bestselling author of YA and Adult books, such as Razorland series, Immortal Game series, Jax series, Dred Chronicles.

Isaac Marion (Author), NY Times bestselling author of WARM BODIES

Abbi Glines, #1 NY Times bestselling author of romance and YA books

Vilma Gonzalez of Vilma's Book Blog, Austin Book Fest and USA Today columnist

Daniel Errico, NY Times bestselling children's book author and creator of original animations on Hulu

Get your tickets or tables HERE.

The 2017 theme? FREAK SHOW! Here's a glimpse of some of the amazing graphics:

But wait! There's more! Come on, you knew that was coming, right? *grin*

Check out these awesome panels!

Did I mention that you can get tickets at earlybird prices through Friday? Well, here's that link again (you know, in case you missed it the first time).

Tickets HERE!

Oh man! I forgot to mention this one other cool thing that's happening in 2017. Remember back at the beginning of this post when I said Isaac Marion (Author), NY Times bestselling author of WARM BODIES will be attending? Well, he'll also be doing voiceover commentary for a screening of the WARM BODIES movie! You DO NOT want to miss it!

Yep, I know. Amazing things are happening. You clicked that ticket link, right?

What do you think? Will you be there?

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

Jo

UTOPiAcon 2016 - Nashville, TN, June 22-26 - Hot Venues, Food, and Celebrity Sightings

Happy Wednesday, everyone! Today, we're touching on some of the amazing places you can visit in Nashville, and a couple of celebrity type topics. Ready? Let's get going!

First off, if you don't have tickets to the event, what are you waiting for? Get them here. Right now. Here's a little infographic that'll tell you what you get!

So, as you may know, Nashville is home to some big stars (like Blake Shelton, for example), but it's also home to some rather amazing food and some pretty cool star owned venues. I'm going to highlight one such venue, and tell you a little bit about the amazing food I had while I was at Utopia last year.

Let's start with pop star Tiffany. Y'all remember her from the 80s, right? Well, it just so happens she has a little clothing store in Nashville called Tiffany's Boutique. You can find it on Facebook here.

They're located at 1106 Fatherland Street, Nashville, TN (which is about 11 minutes from the Millennium Maxwell House hotel), and you can check out all the new stuff on their website here. Yes, it's very BoHo, but it's also pretty cool!

Now, as far as food goes, I'm sure you've all seen the commercials lately about KFC's Nashville Hot Chicken, right? Well, there's a place called Hattie B's, and Reagan Claire (a Nashville native) took me over there for some amazing food the day I arrived. A few other people joined the party (you don't go anywhere alone when you're at Utopia), and we had a fantastic time! Here's a photo of us being goofy and one of the sign.

We did have to drive there! But, as an alternative, if you're not a huge fan of hot chicken (experience it IN Nashville just once, I beg of you), and you don't have a car or a ride, the hotel shuttle will take you downtown to the strip. From the stop there, you can walk around a corner and have darn near any kind of food you want (and go Honkey-Tonking if you choose to do so). Well, the Fractured Glass ladies and I had a dinner date, so we hopped into a shuttle and moseyed on over. Of course, several people joined the party! It was amazing! Here's a couple of pictures from Jimmy Buffet's.

What's that you say? You want more about celebrities? Okay!

Just a couple of miles down Rosa Parks Blvd. (five minutes from the hotel), there's a place that does tours of Nashville called NashTrash Tours. You can find their website here, and I hear they have an uncanny knack of finding celebrities around the city. They ask that you book a few weeks out, so if you wanna do it, be sure you plan ahead.

If you'd like to hit a couple of hot spots on your own, here's a short list of celebrities and places they might be seen:
Nicole Kidman likes the Starbucks at 5 points in Franklin, along with the Country Boy restaurant in Liepers Fork, and she and Keith have been seen at J. Alexanders on the West end, and they like the Green Hills area on Sunday mornings.
Racecar driver Darrell Waltrip can be found at Famous Dave’s BBQ and at J. Alexanders.
Layla R'ul (weekend nights - guaranteed sightings of several celebrities).

If you want more, the other bloggers will be highlighting hot-spots, too! Be sure and pay them all a visit this month!
Week 1: Jo Michaels and Maria Pease
Week 2: Shana Benedict and Delphina Miyares
Week 3: Toni Lesatz and Ren Reidy
Week 4: Ashley Bodette and Kathryn Grimes

UtopYA Con Presents Authors R My Idols Public Book Signing

Are you an avid reader who wants to meet and hang out with their favorite authors?

Here's your chance - and you get to do it for a great cause!

Meet bestselling authors like Denise Grover Swank, Lauren Miller, Kim Holden and Rysa Walker (and many, many more!) at Authors R My Idols (ARMI), sponsored by Indie-Visible and presented by UtopYA Con.

On Saturday, June 20, an open-to-the-public book signing will be held at Nashville’s Millennium Maxwell House Hotel. The book signing benefits local non-profit group Book 'Em. The signing is free for fans who donate a book, or only $5 without a book. Two signings will be held from 10A-12P and 1-3PM to insure readers get plenty of time to find their next pile of books to read!

All donated books and admission fees go directly to Book ‘Em to help them with their two-part mission: to get books to children and teens in lower-income families who might not otherwise have books of their own; and providing volunteer readers to local pre- and elementary schools. Book’em creates a more literate Nashville by helping economically disadvantaged children, from birth through high school, discover the joy and value of reading through book ownership and enthusiastic volunteers.

UtopYA Con is a proud supporter of this organization and looks forward to connecting authors and readers for such a great cause. For more information such as exhibitors, conference tickets, and more, visit utopyacon.com or you can purchase tickets (or save your signing space) here.

Join us on Saturday!

UtopYA Con 2015 - Millennium Maxwell House Information - Rooms, Rates, Codes

Hello everyone! It's Friday and I'm running a bit behind. *frowns* I've waited and waited to do this post, but since it seems I've had a little snafu, I'm posting it now.

What I wanted to give you was information about the number of rooms left at the Millennium Maxwell House Hotel (the official hotel for utopYA Con - shown on the left here), and a couple of blurbs from the manager. Alas, it was not meant to be. *head/desk*

Instead, I'm gonna relay the information from the utopYA website, tell you some of my own experiences, and inundate you all with photos of the hotel. Yay!

BOOKING LINK

First of all, they're offering a rate of $105 per night on the standard rooms with the code:

1506UTOPYA

Here's what you get:
This is the standard king

And here's the standard double:









Now, if you feel froggy, you can upgrade to a superior king (club room). Here's the photo of that room:

When I went, Tia and I stayed in the club room with two double beds (couldn't find a photo of that one, but it looks a lot like the standard double above). They have pictures at the ticket purchase link below. *grin*





It wasn't much more per day, and we got a free meal coupon (one each) for each night we were there. A buffet at Maxwell's (the hotel restaurant) was around $15, so it kinda balanced out. We loved it!

So, all that being said, you're now armed with the information you need to get to booking.

But wait! There's more! Isn't there always? *grin*

The hotel has a number of (the website says 2-3) shuttles every half hour or so from the airport, so there's no need to take/pay for a cab. How nice is that?

If you'd like to ship your books to the hotel ahead of time, they'll store them for you at a rate of $25 per box, per day. You'll need to call them at this number to talk with them about storing your sweet paper babies.

1-800-457-4460 M-F 8 am to 5 pm

I don't know how many rooms they have left (that's one of the questions I so dearly wanted to ask), but you better get cracking! Last year, people were scrambling at the last minute for rooms. You don't wanna be one of those folks!

As an added bonus, you can check out the utopYA schedule here. It's gonna be so much fun!

Again, the link to purchase your room:

GET A ROOM

Be sure and pop on over to the other official utopYA blogs this month for more awesome information on the hotel (like the bar, menu at Maxwell's, Nashville stuff to do, and in depth information on the rooms and amenities - there are TONS - available).

A Book Vacation - Week 2

The Paisley Reader - Week 3

Book Junkie: Not So Anonymous - Week 4

So, did you get your room yet? How was it last year?

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

Jo

UtopYA Con 2014

Happy Tuesday, everyone! Well, you all know I'll be at UtopYA Con this coming weekend. What you may not know is some of the facts about that event. I'm gonna share those now, as well as give you information on where you can find me and my awesome table mate, Tia Silverthorne Bach.

First up, the super awesome Fan Invasion event!

This event is completely separate from UtopYA Con. Even if you don't have tickets to the con, you can still attend the Fan Invasion on Friday, June 20, 2014, from 6-9pm. Attendance is free IF you bring a new or gently used children's book. Otherwise, you can get in for just five bucks. More about the sponsor here in a moment.

First, here's a little video I made to promote it:



It includes information on all the authors I did interviews with here on the blog. Here's a list of authors that'll be at the signing:
Charlotte Abel
Jennifer Armentrout
Amy Bartol
Stacey Marie Brown
Jacinda Buchmann
Susan Burdorf
Nely Cab
Chelsea M. Cameron
G. P. Ching
Kristie Cook
Shelly Crane
Anna Cruise
Megan Curd
Silvia Day
Rebecca Ethington
Amy Evans
Lila Felix
Sherry Ficklin
Michelle N. Files
Chelsea Fine
Amber Garr
Nichole Greene
Chanda Hahn
Rachel Harris
Amanda Havard
Teal Haviland
Erin Hayes
Andrea Heltsley
Heather Hildenbrand
Erin Horn
P. K. Hrezo
S. A. Huchton
C.C. Hunter
Ella James
Amanda Jason
Carmen Jenner
Sarah Ashley Jones
Tiffany King
Heather Love King
Elizabeth Kirke
C. A. Kunz
Anna Kyss
Carlyle Labuschagne
Cydney Lawson
Quinn Loftis
Liz Long
Bethany Lopez
Heather Lyons
Kelsey Macke
Jen McConnel
Christina Mercer
Jo Michaels
Amy Miles
Michele G. Miller
Christal Mosley
K. C. Neal
Rhiannon Paille
Melissa Pearl
Eva Pohler
Misty Provencher
C. J. Redwine
Kristina Renee
Sharron Riddle
Kelly Risser
Sarah Ross
Mindy Ruiz
Heather Self
B. J. Sheldon
Chelsea Starling
Nancy Straight
Felicia Tatum
Keary Taylor
Raine Thomas
Paulina Ulrich
Magan Vernon
Rysa Walker
Annie Walls
Devri Walls
Stacie Wilson
Morgan Wylie

We're listed (and will be seated) alphabetically.

This event is sponsored by Book 'Em. Here's a little info about them:

Book’em, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2014, is a nonprofit 501c3 organization focusing on two core areas: the collection and distribution of books to children and teens in lower-income families who might not otherwise have books of their own; and providing volunteer readers to local preschools and elementary schools. 

Now, the con kicks into full swing that morning, so be sure you get there early if you have tickets.

Here's the information about where you can find Tia and me Friday and Saturday:

We'll be in Area 51 at table number 27. If you get lost, look for the big banner on the front of our table with the INDIE Books Gone Wild logo front and center, and our logos on either side with our book covers.

Here's a picture of those logos:

We'll have a huge prize pack of books for a giveaway at the con. Titles include:
Keepers of Arden - The Brothers, Volume One by L. K. Evans
Tbinkerknese 101 - Poetic Enrichment for Teens - Book One by E. L. Thomas
First Visions - Second Sight, Book One by Heather Topham Wood
A Pair of Docks - The Derivatives of Displacement, Book One by Jennifer Ellis
Borrowed Things by Doris Schneider
I, Zombie by Jo Michaels
Chasing Shadows by Tia Silverthorne Bach
Sixty Days of Grace by Dorothy Ruppert

As you can see, it's a great bundle of books. We've worked on all of them in some way (may have been a small way, but we did something for each one). You can enter by stopping by our table and filling out a quick entry slip with your name. We'll draw the winners on Sunday morning.

We're so excited to meet everyone! Come on by and say hello because we aren't the shy type!

Come back tomorrow for a wonderful guest post by Tia, and find out who won my super secret sharing prize!

Are you going to UtopYA Con this year? Are you excited about next year? Planning to join us then?

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

Jo

UtopYA Con 2014 Fan Invasion Author Signing Event

Happy Friday, everyone! Well, it's time for the weekend and two days off. I heard that sigh of relief from you all! *grin* Today, I'm gonna take a moment to tell you about a very special event happening at UtopYA in June. An Explorer Package (general admission) is currently $75.00, a Superstar Package (VIP access) is currently $95.00, and a ticket to get into the Awards only is currently $55.00. But, on Friday, June 20, 2014, from 6pm-9pm, UtopYA Con is holding a Fan Invasion event. Price of admission? Free if you bring a new or gently used children's book to donate to Book 'Em; otherwise, it's just $5. All proceeds from this event will go to Book 'Em.

I know! They've lost their minds! How awesome is that?

You can find out more here.

However, there will be a ton of great authors to meet and greet, and get your copies of their books signed!

Which authors are participating? These:

See anyone you know on there? *grin* Yes, I'm up there; but so are a ton of the authors you've gotten to know right here on the blog through the awesome author interviews I've been doing. Still to come: Amy Evans, Eva Pohler, and Elizabeth Kirke! Yup, meet them here, then meet them there.

Heck yeah! You can come say hello to me and get your copy of any (or all) of my books signed! Share the banner with your friends, grab a children's book, and come meet us all!

Join us for a ton of fun! I look forward to seeing you at the event.

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

Jo