UtopYA Con - Part Deux

Howdy reader/writer peeps!

I just wanted to pop in for a wee announcement from Nashvegas. Some of you may remember, or even attended, the virgin voyage of UtopYA Con last July. Well, things are ramping up for 2013! That's right, UtopYA Con is back for another round! WOOT!! And if the most recent feedback, inquiries, and general buzz (and awesomeness) is any indication, next June will ROCK - YOUR - SOCKS. Please feel free to check out the website for more information on the Black Friday sale and newly listed Exhibitor information.

UtopYA Con 2012, our local nod to all things YA and it's all around awesome, was stocked full of local and not-so-local authors, writers, and fans. If you're an author looking to network or boost your presence, this is an awesome way to get your name out there. I know, from personal experience, that UtopYA is a great way for readers to find new authors to love and fan-girl over. And you just never know who you'll see in attendance in June...(wink wink). If you are a HUGE fan of the young adult genre, then there is NO reason you shouldn't join in the party.

UtopYA is not your average Con. Please read this post I did earlier this year to catch a glimpse of how wonderful it is. It was nothing short of amazing and I cannot WAIT for June.

The best part? It doesn't matter if you are self published, independently published, or even pubbed by the big boys! All are welcome and encouraged to come. And the second best thing? Well, maybe a tie for best. UtopYA Con is once again at the Scarritt-Bennett Center (aka: Hogwarts Lite) for 2013. If you've been there, you know how wonderful this campus is. If you haven't, just check out the pics on their website and you will see just how beautiful Scarritt-Bennett is.

Hope to see y'all there for this 'heavenly' event! *cough, cough* Yeah, I'm lame, but you love that about me.

If you attended the last UtopYA, please feel free to chime in on the comments below. What did you love about it? Who did you discover at UtopYA? What author did you meet that you secretly (or blatantly) adore (or stalk) while at UtopYA? Who would you love to see at UtopYA Con 2013?

Just in case you forgot

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Trailer Park Tuesday (9): WHAT'S LEFT OF ME

Blood, Sweat and Books hosts the Trailer Tuesday meme and you can check out their awesomeness as well. Since I live in Middle Tennessee, I decided to country-fy my meme and go the trailer park route. *snortle* In my home away from home, I will spotlight some of the awesome book trailers out there in the world.

This week I'd like to talk about the uber cute Kat Zhang. She's a Nashville lass so that makes her even more awesome. Jus sayin. Anyway, her debut WHAT'S LEFT OF ME had a book birthday back in August and it looks pretty darned cool if you ask me. Dual souls in one body... Sort of Sci-Fi and Fantasy-ish... Oh how I love the idea! Actually, it reminds me a smidgen of THE HOST from Stephenie Myers. Say what you will about that woman, but I really enjoyed THE HOST.

Sorry, got off track. WHAT'S LEFT OF ME truly looks like an awesome read. All that I've seen, heard, read, proves that Miss Kat is on a fast track to awesomeness. .

In the meantime, check out the fab trailer below! I LOOOOOVE the very end. Creeeeeepyyyyyyy. *giggle* Feel free to post your own thoughts in the comments.

Author: Kat Zhang

Publication Date: 9/18/12

Goodreads Connection

Eva and Addie started out the same way as everyone else—two souls woven together in one body, taking turns controlling their movements as they learned how to walk, how to sing, how to dance. But as they grew, so did the worried whispers. Why aren’t they settling? Why isn’t one of them fading? The doctors ran tests, the neighbors shied away, and their parents begged for more time. Finally Addie was pronounced healthy and Eva was declared gone. Except, she wasn’t… 

For the past three years, Eva has clung to the remnants of her life. Only Addie knows she’s still there, trapped inside their body. Then one day, they discover there may be a way for Eva to move again. The risks are unimaginable–hybrids are considered a threat to society, so if they are caught, Addie and Eva will be locked away with the others. And yet…for a chance to smile, to twirl, to speak, Eva will do anything.

My Thoughts: PROTECTING TRUTH

Seraphina’s keeping a secret from her Wandering team: she’s perfecting her fighting skills. But telling Sam and Bishop the truth would only alert them to her plan: to go back in time, save her mom, and finish what she started. With the help of Turner, Bishop’s handsome twin, she progresses toward her goal but plummets deeper into dangerous territory where the lines of friendship and romance are blurred. One passionate kiss changes everything, leading Sera to unravel a shocking web of family secrets, heartbreaking ulterior motives, and sinister agendas. Love and lies collide in a haunting climax, where the truest souls may not survive.

Miss Michelle has done it again. I had the distinct pleasure of reading PROTECTING TRUTH recently, and I have to say… It’s AWESOME! I just love Michelle Warren and her stories. If you missed the first installment to the SERAPHINA PARRISH TRILOGY, WANDER DUST, you seriously need to go catch up. You can get this delish piece of reading at a crazy reasonable price for your eReader. Just DO IT! 

WANDER DUST laid the perfect groundwork for PROTECTING TRUTH. In WD, we are introduced to our characters and this underground world of Wandering, a type of time-traveler. Miss Michelle took us on this wild journey of discovery and wicked action scenes that still have me foaming at the mouth. We met Sera, who totally needs to be my friend, and her uber wonderful Protector, Bishop. ‘Scuse me whilst I swoon a bit….

PROTECTING TRUTH had all that….and then some. We come into the story with the yummilishious Bishop overseas visiting his family and Sera is up to her blue-violet eyes in defense training. Side note: There are few things in this world that I love more than a butt-kicking heroine (literally). Our girl is beating herself silly to be a better fighter. Why? ‘Cause she has a date with Cece, the evil B that’s holding her mom prisoner. The I’m-taking-you-down kind of date. And Sera is getting seriously good at this fighting stuff. Problem is, Bishop doesn't know, and Sera really doesn't want him to find out.

There’s also this little problem with Bishop’s elusive fraternal twin, Turner, who we didn't really get to meet in WD. ‘Scuse me whilst I swoon again… Boy do I love me some Turner. He’s intelligent, good with his hands (Erm…for inventing/creating trinkets and hologram machinery of course so get your mind out of the gutter), and has this dark side to him that is holy-mother-of-time-travels HAWT. But something doesn't seem right with Turner. Bishop hinted at some ‘sibling rivalry’ but it goes waaaay deeper than that.

PROTECTING TRUTH still had some action to die for, wonderfully descriptive holographic circuses that left me breathless, and swoon-worthy dates in London, but it was the deeper aspect that really drew me in. Miss Michelle brings us deeper into the Wandering world and we finally see how corrupted it is. Traitors are welcomed back into the halls of Washington Square Academy, Terease, or The Lady in Black, still terrorizes but there is much she’s not sharing, Sera believes the students are being bribed into the Wandering life, Bishop is holding devastating secrets, and Sera can’t fight the infuriating attraction she holds for Turner. The Academy is breached, the Underground holds too many cards, and we meet new people only to lose them. Tears, yes there are tears. PROTECTING TRUTH was truly non-stop and I loved every page.

The best part of PROTECTING TRUTH is the truth of the characters and their journey. Sera is wonderfully conflicted and I fell in love with her even more. She wants to do right, but somehow doesn’t quite make it. She battles with some major life-changing events and her growth through them are spot on. Sera’s far from perfect, but yet she is.

I've been a fan of this series from the very beginning and I cannot wait to see what’s next for Sera, Bishop and Sam. More please, Michelle!

In closing’ I’d like to share a snip-it to leave y’all salivating, much like I was reading it… Enjoy!

“To touch him would release his secrets. To kiss him would set him free.” 

Trailer Park Tuesday (8): TEN

Blood, Sweat and Books hosts the Trailer Tuesday meme and you can check out their awesomeness as well. Since I live in Middle Tennessee, I decided to country-fy my meme and go the trailer park route. *snortle* In my home away from home, I will spotlight some of the awesome book trailers out there in the world.

Holy - buttered - biscuit! Have you seen the trailer for TEN yet by Gretchen McNeil? No? What the frick are you waiting for? Seriously! Okay, so I haven't read her books...yet...but this trailer is so AWESOME! POSSESS has been on my TBR list for eons I think. Remember that super freakish movie, The Ring. A friend and I held hands and linked elbows leaving the theater after that movie, just waiting for the creepy little girl to jump out at us. Sissy-pants, I know. But yeah, this trailer is JUST - LIKE - THAT! No lie. The music is creepy, the flickering images are standing-arm-hair worthy, and after watching this (more than a few times) I am STILL getting tingles!

Anyone who knows me will agree that I'm a bit of a horror movie geek. Love a good creeper flick. The trailer for TEN  has that same vibe. I guess it sort of helps that the book is YA horror and all... But I am so sold.

Creepy. Scuuury. Padded cell. Awesome.

Please feast your eyes on this fantabulousness and let me know your thoughts. Read it? Was it as awesome and creeptastic as the trailer? Please share because I am soooo dying (Heh, get it? Dying.) for this book now!

Author: Gretchen McNeil

Publication Date: 9/18/12

Goodreads Connection

And their doom comes swiftly.

It was supposed to be the weekend of their lives—an exclusive house party on Henry Island. Best friends Meg and Minnie each have their reasons for being there (which involve T.J., the school’s most eligible bachelor) and look forward to three glorious days of boys, booze and fun-filled luxury.

But what they expect is definitely not what they get, and what starts out as fun turns dark and twisted after the discovery of a DVD with a sinister message: Vengeance is mine.

Suddenly people are dying, and with a storm raging, the teens are cut off from the outside world. No electricity, no phones, no internet, and a ferry that isn’t scheduled to return for two days. As the deaths become more violent and the teens turn on each other, can Meg find the killer before more people die? Or is the killer closer to her than she could ever imagine?

Trailer Park Tuesday (7): INBETWEEN

Blood, Sweat and Books hosts the Trailer Tuesday meme and you can check out their awesomeness as well. Since I live in Middle Tennessee, I decided to country-fy my meme and go the trailer park route. *snortle* In my home away from home, I will spotlight some of the awesome book trailers out there in the world.

INBETWEEN by Tara Fuller is one of those books that comes off as a sort of sleeper book. The kind that sneaks up on you and then hits the book stores by storm. Like Category 4 hurricane style. I've seen the banter on Twitter and book blogger sites. People have raved about the ARCs and pumped up the hype. I totally fell for it. I followed Miss Tara and have been watching the awesomeness of INBETWEEN unfold over the internet.

I am soooo excited about this book. I know, I get excited a lot. Shush. So do you, or you wouldn't be reading this post. So there. Anyway, I L-O-V-E this trailer. It's so simple and sort of peacefully haunting...if that makes sense. And there is always that kiss....yum-my.

Hot boy stories involving reapers is so incredibly sexy to me. It's weird, but I'm far from abnormal. Hello? Tod anyone... Sorry, squirrel happened. Please enjoy the below trailer and just TRY to tell me that kiss doesn't look super yummy.

Author: Tara Fuller

Publication Date: 8/28/12

Goodreads Connection

Since the car crash that took her father's life two years ago, Emma's life has been a freaky-and unending- lesson in caution. Surviving countless "accidents" has taken priority over being a normal seventeen-year-old, so Emma spends her days taking pictures of life instead of living it. Falling in love with a boy was never part of the plan. Falling for a reaper that makes her chest ache and head spin? Not an option.

It's not easy being dead-especially for a reaper who is in love with a girl fate has put on his hit list not once, but twice. Finn's fellow reapers give him hell about spending time with Emma, but Finn couldn't let her die before, and he's not about to let her die now. He will protect the girl he loves from the evil soul hell bent on stealing her body, even if it means sacrificing the only thing he has left...his soul.

LUX NOVEL: OBSIDIAN and ONYX

       

Raise your hand if you’ve read OBSIDIAN and ONYX by JenniferL. Armentrout. Hmmm… I’m not seeing a whole lot of hands. This is no bueno people! Allow me to explain why.

*Leans forward in seat and cocks a no-nonsense finger in your direction*

Listen here. You read YA goodies, right? You like high-stake plots that push the MC to their limit and beyond? You lust after…um…enjoy swoonable guys who are not only strong, loyal, and fiercely protective, but also smexy as hell? Yeah, thought so.

OBSIDIAN had been sitting on my TBR stack for longer than I’d like to admit. Finally, in a moment of my own WIP frustration, I plucked it off the Tower of Neglect and began to read. I couldn’t stop. Then, when the remaining pages to read dwindled, I jumped on Amazon and ordered ONYX. From my PHONE. That’s right. Sitting at work, ignoring what I was supposed to doing and thinking about Katy and Daemon, I jumped on my trusty iPhone and gave in to my crack-head like addictions to have MORE YA.

Oh. My. GAWD!

I cannot say enough about this series so far! OBSIDIAN pulls you in with its building tension between Kat and Daemon. And when I mean tension, I mean nail biting - stay up all night to get to the next chapter – holy crap will you freakin’ kiss her already – kind of drama! The chemistry between Kat and Daemon is so beyond hot I had dreams about it. Oh yeah, people. Awesome.

The characters themselves are fantastic as well. Kat is totally your average teen with all around normal going for her. Seriously, she could have been me in high school. A good kid, does well in school, but sort of invisible in an average way. She’s not the most popular girl, but far from the school misfit. In a word – real.

Then we have Daemon. Sure, he’s super hot and knows it, but there’s so much more to him than a pretty…um…well everything. Daemon in dedicated to his family, his sister, Dee. He would do anything to keep her safe, even go against what he truly wants. The boy has so much responsibility it’s crazy, but he does all he can (and then some) to live up to those expectations. All without feeling sorry for himself or wanting to shirk off some of the load. Daemon is also very much broken in a way. He’s angry, scared, and flat out suicidal in his attempts to keep those he loves protected.

OBSIDIAN introduces us to the world of the Luxen, an alien race that has defected to Earth. They’ve been here for ages and are ‘protected’ (read controlled) by the DOD (Department of Defense). They live among us, but are not allowed to get too close.

After a few run-ins with Daemon’s alien mo-jo, Kat ends up with a trace (alien cooties, or residual energy) that lights her up like a disco ball to non-human eyes. This would be all fine and good if the Arum, the baddie equivalent to the Luxen, weren’t able to see the trace as well. Forced into a babysitting arrangement, the fire builds between Kat and Daemon until it finally explodes. Literally. Poor laptop… HA!

Just when things couldn’t get worse, a nasty run-in with some Arum ends in near death and a freakish connection between Daemon and Kat. Suddenly, he is all about being with Katy and she is so not having it. Katy wants more, she wants real.

ONYX is nothing short of amazing. It picks up where OBSIDIAN leaves off and takes you away. The plot thickens. There is betrayal somewhere in the circle of trust. The Arum are still on the hunt. A new boy at school knows more about Katy’s…um…situation than he should. And to top things off, Katy is showing Close Encounter symptoms in the form of things moving randomly, exploding, and all sorts of crazy.

And there is a possibility that Dawson, Daemon and Dee’s brother, is still alive.

ONYX was a rollercoaster of everything. Kat is such an awesome character. She is the girl next door and so relatable. Far from perfect, she makes loads of mistakes and trusts the wrong people. When she should be listening to her gut, she doesn’t, and pays the price. Daemon struggles so much in ONYX it broke my heart. He is pushed to the point of ultimate loss so many times you almost see him fracture.

Miss Jen is such a phenomenal writer. Her characters are so well done I scream with writer envy. Each book I read of hers gets better and better. Her snark was off the hook in the CONENANT series, but it’s the chemistry that stands out in the LUX series. The bonds she creates between characters and how they play off each other is so amazing I’m at a loss.

NEED. MORE. NOW. JEN!