Monday, April 26, 2010

Writer & Award Weekend

This last weekend I was the the LDStorymakers Writers conference, got to meet a lot of great authors and industry people, rub shoulders with some greats and some not so greats (I kid because I love).
I especially enjoyed Dave Wolverton/Farlands presentation whether his keynote address or his class-he's great and he always has wonderful advice on craft. I also liked Sarah Eden's descriptive writing presentation-very entertaining and Howard Tayler's winging it Worldbuilding class when Jessica Day George was late. Too many others for me to name right now.

Saturday night, was the 2009 Whitney Awards celebrating the best of LDS literature. I was honored to present along with Rachelle Christensen for Best New Novel by a New Author. Very pleased Dan Wells won with a tie no less with Riley Noehren. My other favorites also won-John Brown for Servant of a Dark God in the Speculative category and Dave Farland for Novel of the year with In the Company of Angels. Speculative was the only genre I read in, remember THIS?.

The Supreme Jaime Theler wielding the sword of justice, or at least borrowing one of my props.
If I seem a little strange well that's because I am. I sensed funny business going on behind Rob Wells (the president of the Whitney Awards) and I-Julie Wright was goosing-she is a serial prankster.
Me and Dan Wells, author of I Am Not A Serial Killer (and winner of Best New Novel by a New Author to whom I presented too)-he tied with Riley Noehren-Gravity versus the Girl.
My wife and I at the Whitney Awards dinner, I like this pic of us.
My wife liked this pic better.
Me and my sword after the Whitney's and ushering the stragglers out.
Rob Wells and I not getting goosed.
Elizabeth Mueller and I at the Whitney Awards
Me, Tamara Hart Heiner, Melissa Cuningham and Mary Gray at the Friday night dinner Why didn't I take more pics with other friends? Guess I'm not sentimental enough to do it just think about it.
Me, Mary Gray And Tamara Hart Heiner
All in all a great weekend and I already look forward to next year-and my nomination wink wink.

20 comments:

T.J. said...

I'm so disappointed that I didn't get a pic with you. Ok, not really, I'm not that lame. It was a great weekend and great to meet you. Thanks again for your advice.

nephite blood spartan heart said...

Good to meet you too TJ. I meant to take a lot more pics at Storymakers and just kept forgetting.

Angie said...

Oh, it was so much fun! I love that picture of Jaime with the sword. It was nice to meet you.

Mary Gray said...

Dude, that's the first time I've looked monstrous standing next to two people. Throw Sarah M. Eden in there and everyone will be sure I'm collosal.

Great pics!

Tamara Hart Heiner said...

I forgot to take a lot of pictures too. These are great! It was so awesome!

Elizabeth Mueller said...

David! I LOVE those pictures! Thanks for posting them!

I had so much fun there, too! I can't wait for next years!

OH! Tell me if you like this scene from my Viking story!

http://elizabethmueller.blogspot.com/2010/04/body-language-blogfest.html

Cluttered Brain said...

Lovely! I love the picture of you and your wife too. Hmm. I never saw your sword--NUTS.
but it looks awfully cool in Jaimie's hands...:) I'd watch out if I were you...

nephite blood spartan heart said...

Angie-nice to meet you too.

Mary-what are you talking about? Being 6 foot seven is pretty big-accept it.

Tamara-so glad we got to meet in person.

Elizabeth-I will get to that soon as I can and let you know.

Alexes-so you never looked in the bookstore? It was right there. Jaime's not quite as dangerous as she seems.

Charles Gramlich said...

Gotta love that beret, man. I'm not sure it goes with the sword though.

David P. King said...

It was a great conference and it was awesome to meet you. I'm glad you enjoyed the Whitney Awards and got to present one. I can't help it. I gotta say this. The picture with your beret off, with your wife, looks EXACTLY like one of the characters I drew up for my first novel, some ten years ago. If it were made into a movie, I'd cast you straight away.
I hope you like robots.

Anyway, it was great to see you and I really appreciated your feedback. It was ultra helpful. Even though you didn't like one of them, you still managed to point out why you didn't like it so I could focus on the problem, instead of receiving a general "fix all" answer.

Keep up with your writing, good sir.

LisaAnn said...

That looks like a blast! I can't wait until next year so I can meet everyone.

Thanks for the pics David.

nephite blood spartan heart said...

Charles-heh, thanks. It was part of my book display.

David-glad I could help at least a little. It was good to meet you too, we'll have to stay in touch.

I look forward to it Lisa.

Kimberly Vanderhorst said...

I took my camera with me everywhere and took a total of two pictures, I think. Sometimes it's a choice between living and documenting life, and living just wins out.

Here's to next year!

Voidwalker said...

Looks like fun. I recognize a few of those faces! Yay for blogger buddies. Love the sword prop, but you didn't mention how many people were harmed in the making of this post? :)

nephite blood spartan heart said...

Kim-yeah I had my camera with me the whole time too and yet almost no pics.

Void-there was quite a few faces you would find familiar-like I said I didn't take enough pics.

Mary Gray said...

lol! hey now. i just may be tempted to dig for some real dirt.

Melissa Cunningham said...

Loved the post, loved the pics! See, I told you. You need to smile more! Your wife agrees! LOL

I sure loved meeting you and congrats on your book!

nephite blood spartan heart said...

Mary-you got nothing on me.

Melissa-I'll try to remember.

Kathi Oram Peterson said...

You did a great job at the Whitneys. I'm glad our paths crossed. It was great meeting you.

nephite blood spartan heart said...

Thank you Kathi. I still want to read your sequel.