Utah Book Month: Author Event

I figured this being Utah Book Month and all, that I should tell you about all the local authors I listened to and met (well some of them) this past weekend! And many of them new to me! You'd think with all my trying to keep track of them that I would be familiar with more of this crowd than I was.

This event at the Orem Library was big enough that they split up the panels and had kids authors in one place and teen and adult authors in another. I went to hear the teen and adult authors... all women! I found that interesting.

So I thought I'd do little mini spotlights on who was there.

Andrea Pearson: She discovered the writing bug fairly recently and has since published the Kilenya series (YA fantasy), and the first book is currently a free ebook on Kindle. She is also starting another series she describes as soft teen horror/thriller/paranormal, with a very slight hint of romance that takes place at Katon University which will be about every year of college for three different students.

Tristi Pinkston: Describes herself has someone who writes a bit of everything including non-fiction, mystery, cookbooks, and her latest a Jane Austen retelling, Turning Pages (which I reviewed recently here.) She is also does a lot in the community to help and inspire other writers.

C. Michelle Jefferies:  She's the mother of seven children and since they've started getting a bit older, she's started to fulfill her life long dream to write. Her genre is what she calls technical suspense, her latest just out is called Emergence.

Cindy Hogan: Is a mom and a teacher and writes YA suspense like the Watched trilogy. Her latest books, Adrenaline Rush and Gravediggers will be launched coming up on Oct. 26 at the King's English!

Pendragon Inman: On her blog she describes herself as: a martial artist, a writer, a musician and a book binder. She writes the Shinehah Saga, which is YA fantasy.

Donna K. Weaver: Her first book, A Change of Plans, just came out earlier this summer. (My review here.) She writes new adult adventure romance and has plans to perhaps add YA fantasy, a book based on her granddaughter. She is also an author who is very much in marital arts!

Wendy Knight: She writes the YA fantasy series Fate on Fire, where, as she says, "Girls are the heroes of their own stories." The next book out is called Feudlings in Flames.

The panel was short and simple. Some of the things they discussed:

What are your challenges? having enough time, balance, too many idea and marketing!

Do you need an editor? YES! Also, you need writing groups and conferences.

What are some of your favorite resources? a cover designer, Google and Pinterest, social media, a formater and a typesetter

How do you reward yourself to finish a deadline? getting to start another book, chocolate, buying books, having uninterrupted family time, checking off a white board list

And ways to get unstuck? block out time chunks, stop and do something else, go READ!

After the panel, I bought the whole Watched trilogy by Cindy Hogan, and then quickly left before I could by all the books by everyone else!