UtopYA Con: The Awards

This was my first year attending UtopYA but I was rather curious about the Awards, it's like a mini MTV Awards that you see on TV but a lot smaller and more focused on books, the authors, the editors, photographers, categories/genre of the books, and the cover models!

Inside the Awards

The Models & Katie Cook

Yes there were some dancing involve but I do not dance

Recap on UtopYA Awards Winners!

Best Dystopian Book of the Year ~  
Red Hill by Jamie McGuire

 

Best Sci-Fi Book of the Year ~  
Under Different Stars by Amy A. Bartol

Best Fantasy Book of the Year ~ 
Rapture by Quinn Loftis

 

Best Paranormal Book of the Year ~ 
White Hot Kiss by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Best Contemporary Book of the Year ~  
Crash Into You by Katie McGarry 

Best Contemporary Book Cover ~  
Into the Deep by Samantha Young

 

Best Supernatural Book Cover ~  
Under Different Stars by Amy A. Bartol

Book Cover Model of the Year ~  
Jesse Daniels

Best Book Trailer ~  
Few Are Angels by Inger Iverson (produced by Timid Monster)

Best Edited Book of the Year ~ 
Under Different Stars by Amy A. Bartol (edited by Gloria Lutz)

Most Innovative Marketing ~   
Maybe Someday by Colleen Hoover

Best Contemporary Lead ~  
Cameron Hamilton – Trust in Me by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Best Supernatural Hero/Shero ~  
Tristan Knight – Soul Savers series by Kristie Cook

Best Supernatural Villain ~  
Cameron – Cinder by Jessica Sorensen

 

Best Couple ~ 
Daemon & Kat – Lux series by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Best Kiss ~ 
Skyla & Gage – Celestra Forever by Addison Moore

Best Bestie/Buddy ~   
Elora – Rapture by Quinn Loftis

Best Book Hangover ~ 
Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare

 

Best Debut Novel ~   
Lucky Number Four by Amanda Jason

 

Best Book to Screen ~    
Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

 

Best Blog of the Year ~   
My Book Addiction

Blogger of the Year ~ 
Toni Lesatz – My Book Addiction

Best Companion Novella ~  
Consequence (A Significance Novella) by Shelly Crane

Best Serial Series ~ 
 
Starwalkers by Julia Crane & Lizzy Ford

Best Contemporary Series ~ 
Sea Breeze by Abbi Glines

 

Book of the Year ~ 
Under Different Stars by Amy A. Bartol

Fan of the Year ~  
Tammie Ross Zimmerman

Utopian of the year ~   
Raine Thomas

Raine Thomas and Me

Author of the Year ~  Jennifer L. Armentrout

Adam Kunz was kind enough to accept the awards for Jennifer L Armentrout's behalf since she wasn't able to be there herself. He rocked the stage with multiple awards acceptance and wore the Owl hat.

This was copied off JLA's FB page, I do not own this picture

UtopYA Con: Day two

We got more panels today and tonight is the UtopYA Awards! I slept in a little just because I didn't need to get up early to buy books.

Since the two keynotes speakers switch places, Friday was Syliva Day and today was Gennifer Albin. It always nice when authors share their struggles, their ups and downs. Gennifer probably shared one of her hardest moment in life for her and her husband.

Gennifer and I

After that I went to check out more of the exhibitors, since some were still setting up when I walked around yesterday but I was early as well but with how the panels started I didn't have much time to linger around.

The Blog Your Face off was interesting, Toni of My Book Addiction was one of the speakers and I found that it was really important that bloggers are able to pass on advices to other bloggers.

The Stellar Swag that had Carol Kunz, Heather Hildenbrand, Amy Miles, and Sarah M Ross. They shared about their thoughts and their honest on creating swags. While some had someone else do the design and swag works even Heather spent hours writing on rocks for swags and people seems to love them even though she thought that would never draw interest.

If I had to create swags, I love bookplates, bookmarks, some other sizes of books swags. I've collected many of those things so I know what I like and don't particularity care for. There are great sites to make your own swags as for me with my business cards I did that all on my own.

The best panel I like the most was the Future of YA & NA Trends, this is where I got to meet Kelly of Ink Slinger PR. I think a lot of new authors/writers worry about trends, you know vampires and werewolves were a thing and they still are but not in that big attention like Twilight was.

Kelly and I

I've told myself even when I had doubts, don't worry about trends you will drive yourself out of your mind. My characters are what they are and who they are even if something is consider DEAD. As long you love what your writing it doesn't matter, you have to have the passion to push yourself.

Well Check back for the UtopYA Awards because that needs a post all on its own,

UtopYA: Day One

It the offical Day One of UtopYA, full of panels, check out the exhibitors, and the Fan Invasion signing!

I had no idea what to do or where to start, except avoid the ICE room at all cost (if I can) BRRRR there was one or maybe it was two conference room that were ICE cold.

But My favorite conference room was on the 10th floor there was an whole view of the city! You could get so inspired by the view (now I'm not planning to send my characters off to Nashville but you never know in the future)

The view from the 10th floor

But then attending a panel about clumping (not in the way it sounds) clumping as find your book buddies, what Megan Curd pointed out is that we already past the ice breaker by having something in common . . . We all love books. So I reminded myself that we were or I was here because of the books and the authors that I've connected over the past four years or so. 

Then as the day went along I was ready to meet new authors that I've never heard of and meet authors that I I have heard of. Taking pictures was a challenge for me but I got them or at least I got what I could get. 

Then I needed to practice handing out my business cards, and they were a hit! Everyone love the name and the design which made it easier for author to remember who I am because of my name Kat and my card has a picture of a cat (not Buddy the cat who I miss like crazy!)

Fan Invasion Signing!
I meet so many authors, my feet didn't hurt from standing . . . the lines weren't long and I snagged a few books just before the Fan Invasion all thanks to Mom who pointed it out in interest for her as well.

I carry my brag book and got just as many and more authors to sign it! I put a lot of hard work into it and I had two authors signed on the two black pages because I ran out of time to design each pages of the book so a Silver Sharpie really turns out well when I was doubtful.



Crazy packed! And photo bombs with heavy, heavy books and swags to carry. I didn't know that swags could get that heavy!

Some authors that set up a preorder went above and beyond for those that preorder, which was awesome we got a few more goodies!

The one sad thing on Day one panels and the Fan Invasion signing, Jennifer Armentrout
As you know/heard she couldn't make it due to flights being delayed, overbooked, just beyond impatient trying to wait for an available plane and such. But she also said that with her eye condition/disease that flying isn't that good for her so she also have to place her eyes first before her fans.

I had all of the Lux books (not the volumes), Wait for Me and Trust in Me, Half Blood, & Frigid. Why did I bring that many? Well because I'm crazy about authors signing my books and she a big time author and my town or even the next state over deem to have very little interest of having BIG TIME Authors come do signing events and such.

Hopefully one day I will meet JLA, take a picture with her and possibly hug her for just being there at whatever event I'm at/she's at.

Plus I want some swag from her as well, which I'll be getting bookplates eventually from her as a gift for all of us readers/fan that had hoped she be at UtopYA.

UTopYA Con: Day 0.5

Meow! I know it been forever since I've done a post! I'm not hiding I swear, I just got a lot of life things going one that I'm going in a million different direction. 

First off I like to say that I visited my really good friend in North Carolina after 5 years meeting her so long ago. 

Tuesday/Wednesday, she and her finace took my mom and I out to dinner then the very next day her doctor said that it was time to go to the hospital (she was expecting) so instead of spending time with her I visited her at the hospital during her early stages of labor.

You can say I cross off a bucket list or something, visiting a friend at labor & Delivery, She had a boy (she knew she was having a boy) he was born June 18th 11:36pm, weight 6lbs 13oz and 19inches. Completely healthy and they were send home Friday.

Anyway to start off I'm at UTopYA Con, 


it's been awesome so far although Thursday night and early Friday I went to my shyish self, I haven't been this shy in a long time but as I warn people earlier that I am shy when meeting new people (a lot) of new people. 

Thursday night was kind of a bust, the Reader Abduction party wasn't as great as I thought it would be. There had to have been 100 people in one small conference room, you could barely walk around. Now I'm not always claustrophobic, but small rooms and way more people that the room can tolerate makes me feel that way. 

The entertainment of games were fun from what I'd played,  the little prizes that I won were cool. I wish that they had held it in a bigger room and be more set up in a sense. I guess I was expecting more out of it rather than getting that feeling of being confined in a small room. 

If they do plan to do another Reader Abduction party, hopefully they might consider a bigger room and more games or activities instead of people just standing around (especially for some that are shy and don't know anyone)

I did meet Megan of Paperbook Princess, no I didn't get a pic of me and her we had our own plans that it just didn't fold over. But it was great meeting her! 

My next post will be all about Day one then so on with the next couple posts.

Currently Reading: Too Many 2 Handle

Yes my current reads are more than I can handle, I think I bit off more than I can chew this time around. But what can I say? I love books and I love to read but reviewing is a whole different process.

 

So here's what I've bceen reading,

Obsidian (Lux #1) and Onyx (Lux #2) By Jennifer L Armentrout
The World i Your Litter Box: Deluxe Edition By Steve Fisher
All of these books have been reviewed expect for Onyx, I'm still working on the review

I am going to going on a trip this coming week, so I will be absent from my blog for the next week or so, but most of my posts will be pre-scheduled.

Where am I going you aksed?  BALTIMORE!!!

Yes I'm really excited and if you didn't know, Baltimore's Barnes and Noble is in a Power Plant! Yes you heard me right,. So I can't wait to see this store and do some book shoping as well other shopping.

 

What I need to read

Steel Lily By Megan Curd

Two Halves By Marta Szemik

Mortality (The Hitchhiker Strain #1) By Kellie Sheridan

False Sight By Dan Krokos

 

These are all ebooks and three of out the four are from Netgallery, Steel Lily was giving to me as a ARC prize from the author.

 

So What is my Current Read?

It's a re-read of  OATH BOUND (Unbound Series #3) By Rachel Vincent

I've read this book when it was first release but I also was reading a lot of other books, so when I tried to review this book. I wasn't doing it justice to myself as a blogger, to the book and the author. SO that is my book to read while traveling. Here's a little info on what's Oath Bound, also this is the last book of Rachel's Vincent Unbound Trilogy

 

OATH BOUND

 

The Tower Syndicate will fall...

The secret daughter of the head of an infamous Skilled crime family, Sera Brandt has hidden her past, her potential and especially her powers. But when a tragedy strikes her other family, Sera needs justice. And the only way to get it is to reveal her heritage–including a rare Skill–and take the reins of the Tower Syndicate from her cunning and malicious aunt.

If he can figure out how...

Kristopher Daniels might have the answer. He's fought the syndicate to protect his sisters, but he'd never realized just how close to the new heir he needed to get....

And if they can survive

Neither is used to trusting. But there's something between them that can't be ignored. And so Sera is on the run with a man she can't figure out, a target on her back and the new knowledge of just how powerful she really is....