Fab Readers, Time to Make Your Voices Heard

ByJohn Brown

Whitney-logoEvery April, the Whitney Awards holds a gala to announce the year’s best novels by LDS authors. But how do they find and select the novels to consider?

They start with you, dear reader.

The Whitney committee  asks the public to let them know about novels by LDS authors they like. A panel of judges reads those novels that receive 5 or more reader nominations and select what they feel are the top 5 in each genre as finalists. Then the Whitney Academy, a group of “industry professionals, including authors, publishers, bookstore owners, distributors, critics, and others,” vote on those finalists. The winners receive a Whitney Award. It’s like the motion picture Academy Award, but for LDS authors.

Back in 2009, readers nominated my debut, Servant of a Dark God. The judges made it a finalist. And it won its category!

(And there was much rejoicing.)

This year, I released Curse and Raveler, books 2 and 3 in that series. Both are eligible. If you liked Curse, nominate Talen, Sugar, Harnock, and the gang  to be considered for the Whitney. If you liked Raveler, give the characters another chance and make a second nomination.

Don’t delay. The more nominations the better. You only have until December 31st! 

Here’s to hoping the Dark God makes another appearance.

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    ByJohn Brown

    TheGroveBead_ValerieMooreYes, you read that right. Valerie Moore, an Arizonan bead maker, read the book and loved it. After coming to the Poisoned Pen signing, she was inspired with a new bead design that she calls “The Grove,” after the Grove of Hismayas.

    She says, “I like when other people’s work speaks to me and I can release it in my form of art (which happens often enough through books or music). . . The Grove is a design, inspired by your work, made from polymer clay and 22k gold. The colors and design evoke a sense of depth, much like The Grove in Servant of A Dark God. It runs deep and true; like a network of roots. Earthy, deep and calm is what they “feel” like to me. The gold glints out like the sparkling of a soul, pure and shining and as yet untarnished. And in a way, think of the dragonfly “zinging” around. 😉 It must have gotten some funny cookies to eat.”

    I say “hear, hear!” to funny cookies! I’m so stoked my story inspired her. I think the beads look great. More importantly, so do my girls, who are true bead heads (we dropped $50 on Black Friday at a bead shop, ack!). Check it out. If you want some for yourself, you can get them online.

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  • Denver: fire, snow snakes, and farty beef jerky

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    2. On a lonely stretch of I-80 we passed a semi that was on FIRE. Didn’t stop because Larry and I wanted to see the driver burn.
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    1. A number of the stores ordered extra copies of our books for our driveby signings. But the Barnes & Noble in the Aurora Southlands Town Center beat them all hands down. They rolled out a hand truck stacked with books.
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    1. We almost died. You can read Larry’s version of the story here.
    2. More of that fine smelling jerky and road crawling with snow snakes.
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    John guests on Writing Excuses season 3 episode 19

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    writing-excuses-the-guys2-300x139

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  • Book Release Schedule

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  • Dark God Update! Audio book narrator has been cast

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  • Story updates

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    A couple of updates.

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2 Comments

  1. I have just finished you book,Bad Penny. I loved it. I read a lot and this is the best book I came across in years. It was a hard story at times but it was also sooo funny. some of Frank’s comments bought forth a belly laugh. Good for me to laugh and good for you, you are such a fantastic writer. carry on the good work. Thanks

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