May 5, 2014

I am BACK with the WINNERS of the WHITNEY AWARDS!

Stephanie Black, Annette Lyon, Shauna Wheelwright, Dean Wheelwright 

I am back!
And I had a TON of FUN!

I went to the Whitney Awards Gala...
and came home by way of Paradise Island, Bahamas and Jackson, WY.

The Whitney Award is like an Academy Award for LDS authors.

There are 8 categories... and the readers are the ones who vote for their favorites. 

These books are the BEST of the BEST!

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BEST SPECULATIVE FICTION 2013
went to Jeffrey S. Savage for DARK MEMORIES

I was able to read this one...IT REALLY IS GOOD!

There are things in the darkness--things much worse than the tracks and abandoned pieces of equipment that trip the children up and gash at their feet and legs--things that brush silently past them, touching their faces before disappearing again . . .

1977- In the sleepy town of Twin Falls, Colorado, what starts as a carefree school picnic ends in tragedy when six children disappear into an abandoned gold mine. Six enter the dark void and days later, only five emerge. After an arduous search, the hunt for the last child is called off and the mine entrance is blasted. Little Frankie is left behind, alone in the darkness. He is coming.

2011 - Police Chief Cal Hunt’s investigation into a recent string of bizarre murders in Twin Falls takes a chilling turn when he learns that each of the victims was a survivor of the Seven Stars Mine incident. Cal realizes that they share a dark secret--the truth about what happened to Frankie. To drag them deeper. With time running out for the remaining survivors, Cal must face a killer that defies logical explanation. Because no matter how Cal analyzes the facts, there is only one conclusion: A supernatural force is reaching out from the depths to reclaim those who escaped more than thirty years before. And it will not rest until it takes them all . . . Into the darkness.


About the Author
J Scott Savage is the author of the Farworld middle grade fantasy series and the Case File 13 middle grade monster series. He has been writing and publishing books for over ten years. He has visited over 400 elementary schools, dozens of writers conferences, and taught many writing classes. He has four children and lives with his wife Jennifer and their Border Collie, Pepper in a windy valley of the Rocky Mountains. You can follow Scott on: FACEBOOK \ HIS BLOG

This is a picture of him accepting his award...it was really fun that he brought his wife to the stage with him. 

All the authors talked about how wonderful their spouses were in supporting their efforts of writing.

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THE OTHER FINALISTS WERE 

Echo in Time by C. J. Hill 
After being pulled 400 years into the future, twins Taylor and Sheridan have found some refuge from the government of Traventon, which used the dangerous Time Strainer to yank the girls from the past. Yet the threat of the dangerous technology still looms. Taylor and an ally, Joseph, are selected to go on a mission to destroy the time machine and weapon. But their actions before they do may have major consequences for the future and the past.

Action-packed and romantic, this futuristic sequel to Erasing Time is perfect for fans of dystopian and sci-fi novels such as The Maze Runner by James Dashner, Across the Universe by Beth Revis, and Matched by Ally Condie.


Heart of the Ocean by Heather B. Moore 
A dark secret . . . a grieving ghost . . . a handsome stranger... What more could Eliza Robinson want? Except for maybe her life.

In Heather B. Moore’s enthralling 1840s historical romance, Heart of the Ocean, Eliza Robinson has turned down the very pretentious Mr. Thomas Beesley’s marriage proposal. As a business partner of Eliza’s father, Thomas quickly discredits the family and brings disgrace to the Robinson name. While her father scrambles to restore his good name in New York City, Eliza flees to the remote Puritan town of Maybrook to stay with her Aunt Maeve. Although relieved to be away from all- things-male and unforgiving gossip columns, odd things start to happen to Eliza, and she is plagued by a ghostly voice. Her aunt’s explanation? That Eliza is being haunted by a woman who died of a broken heart twenty years ago. After Aunt Maeve is tragically killed, Eliza's life is put in danger as she tries to uncover the mystery of her aunt's death. She encounters Jonathan Porter in Maybrook, whose presence in the town seems suspicious, yet she finds herself drawn to him. When she discovers that Jonathan’s dark secrets may be the link between the dead woman who haunts her and her aunt’s murderer, Eliza realizes that Jonathan is the one man she should never trust.


The Witnesses by Stephanie Black 
I also read this one...LOVED IT!

Welcome to New America, where patriots are traitors and religion is a crime.

After government agent Daniel Lansbury fakes the executions of three believers on national television, he and the fugitives Alisa Kent, Ian Roshek, and Ian's sister, Jill face the perilous task of outwitting President Amanda Ryce and her power-hungry Council long enough to escape to freedom. While a government reformer is on their side, rigorous new security measures thwart any chance of aid. And Daniel's estranged father, Marcus, an underground terrorist leader, is hatching plans to sabotage the breakable trust between Daniel and Ian and put himself in power at the head of the nation. As faith and loyalties come under fire, the fugitives struggle to stop Marcus and his zealous terrorists and bring to light the wrongs committed against the citizens of this fragile, fledgling nation.



Winter Queen by Amber Argyle
~Becoming a winter queen will make Ilyenna as cold and cruel and deadly as winter itself, but it might be the only way to save her people from a war they have no hope of winning.~ 

Mortally wounded during a raid, seventeen-year-old Ilyenna is healed by winter fairies who present her with a seductive offer: become one of them and share their power over winter. But that power comes with a price. If she accepts, she will become a force of nature, lose her humanity, and abandon her family. Unwilling to pay such a high price, Ilyenna is enslaved by one of the invaders, Darrien. While in captivity, she learns the attack wasn’t just a simple raid but part of a larger plot to overthrow her entire nation. With the enemy stealing over the mountains and Darrien coming to take her to his bed, Ilyenna must decide whether to resurrect the power the fairies left behind. Doing so will allow her to defeat Darrien and the other invaders, but if she embraces winter, she will lose herself to that destroying power—forever.



Check back tomorrow to see who won

~ BEST MYSTERY/SUSPENSE 2013 ~

2 comments:

  1. It looks like the Whitney Awards Gala was a ton of fun! I love seeing the books that come out as winners and finalists. Thanks for sharing!

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    1. Thank you for stopping by and leaving a comment!
      I am glad you are enjoying these post!
      Come see me again soon :)

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