LTUE Followup, Contests and Nonesense

For the last three days (the ninth to the eleventh) Jackson, Matt and I have been a quite awesome conference at UVU called LTUE; or, Life, the Universe and Everything. While there, we ate lots of food, met lots of authors, burned holes in our pockets, learned about writing, and exhausted ourselves in every way possible. In one simple word: fun. The best part was the book signing. Jackson, Matt, and I got awesome birthmarks that looked suspiciously like a very awesome YA novel, Everneath by Brodi Ashton.

We talked to Bree Despain for a good half hour and were also fortunate enough to be gifted with ARC's of The Savage Grace. *happy . . .

On Saturday, I got to meet Natalie Whipple! Yes! Glad she showed up, I've been wanting to meet her for months. Her YA novel, Transparent will be out summer of 2013. She has a very fun blog, complete with an abundance of advice for aspiring authors.

In other news, I am diving headfirst into the Triage of LUX (heaven help me). I have pulled the scenes apart, rearranged, cut, pasted, added and demolished everything, and now I think I'm ready for the real rewrites. Wish me luck!

Bree Despain, author of The Dark Divine trilogy is holding a contest that is open for all writers and artists until the 17th of February. Check it out here. 

Kiersten White (the goddess of teenage paranormal fiction --- sorry, Stephanie) is holding a contest on her blog for those interested in reading the end of the Paranormalcy trilogy six months in advance. Just sayin'. . . .

The Help was an excellent book, and I recently watched the movie --- which, I have to say, was an immensely satisfying adaption. But, I think it's time for a new book of the week. Namely, Everneath, by the lovely Brodi Ashton.

Isn't it a beautiful cover!? *sigh . . .

Anyway, here's a brief synopsis and Brodi's blog:

Last spring, Nikki Beckett vanished, sucked into an underworld known as the Everneath, where immortals Feed on the emotions of despairing humans. Now she's returned- to her old life, her family, her friends- before being banished back to the underworld... this time forever.

She has six months before the Everneath comes to claim her, six months for good-byes she can't find the words for, six months to find redemption, if it exists.

Nikki longs to spend these months reconnecting with her boyfriend, Jack, the one person she loves more than anything. But there's a problem: Cole, the smoldering immortal who first enticed her to the Everneath, has followed Nikki to the mortal world. And he'll do whatever it takes to bring her back- this time as his queen.

As Nikki's time grows short and her relationships begin slipping from her grasp, she's forced to make the hardest decision of her life: find a way to cheat fate and remain on the Surface with Jack or return to the Everneath and become Cole's... 

 "I was pulled under by this bittersweet, beautiful retelling of the Persephone myth. Wonderful!"

--- Ally Condie, author of the MATCHED trilogy.

Brodi Ashton.

As a final note, I am going to hold a contest. If I can reach 750 views and ten followers by the 6th of March, I'll give a sneak peek of TIME LOCK, and or a page of the first book I ever tried to write when I was ten years old. Deal? Alright. So tell your friends, spread the news!

I know I haven't done a song of the week in forever and, like, twenty-one days, and I hope you'll forgive me for that; I've had some technical issues. But I feel I must blog about this song. It's just so . . . so darn addicting. It's a little song called Paradise by a band you probably won't know called Coldplay *wink, wink.*

  http://www.playlist.com/searchbeta/tracks?category=Homepage-logged_out&action=ClickSubmitSearch#paradise%20/all/1

Okay, everybody, happy writing! I'll see y'all next week. 

~Jared