LTUE 2014

I know it has been some time since I have written. My family life is changing, in a very good way, and it has taken up the free time I've had. I am hoping things will be more stable, though not calmer, in the next week or two.

This weekend I attended the LTUE Symposium in Provo. This is my favorite conference. Once again my awesome dad and I presented a research paper and lo and behold people other than our family and friends came to it. I even had people stopping me in the hall later that day telling me that we did a good job.

What I really want to get to, while I have a minute to sit in front of the computer, is a particular experience I had. I was able to sit on several panels and offer advice. The people on the panels have an opportunity to promote themselves. I don't have a book out yet but my friend, who is with the same publisher, does. I would tell people I have a book coming out but while they wait for mine they should read this other awesome book and then I would hold up my friend's book and put it in front of me. On one panel, the person sitting next to me told that I shouldn't do that. I asked why. She said because it wasn't my book and people might think it was mine. I just thought it was kind of odd that she didn't think I was doing the right thing.

I really don't know if I helped out my friend. I really don't know if I helped myself in the long run. But truthfully, I don't think I did anything to hurt me. I just found it interesting that another author didn't think I should be promoting someone else's book.

By the way . . . While you wait for my AWESOME Urban Science Fiction "Future of Lies" you should read my AWESOME Friend's Book "The Plague Legacy: Acquisitions." It is available on Amazon or from Fox Hollow Publications.

My Amazon Review:
I know Christine and had the chance to be a Beta reader for this particular novel. The first time I read it I thought, "This is a good story." When I read the final draft I sat back on my heels and said "Wow. Crap. Now I have to wait for the next one."

Acquisitions takes place in our future. A virus has decimated the world and the the survivors are put into two categories, Mutants and Immunes. The story follows a teen-age boy who learns that he doesn't fit into either category. As a No-Code he has to fight for his survival more than the others. No-codes aren't suppose to exist and therefore they are killed ASAP.

This book is an apocalyptic sci-fi. There is potential for dystopic, but at this point it is really more about the survivors trying to clean up the mess. I think it would be great for any teenager who is into Hunger Games, Maze Runner, Divergent or any of those type of books. Christine brings the characters to life and makes you care about them. We aren't just cheering for Cam we are cheering for all the characters. We don't want them just to survive but we want to see them actually get a chance at a life without violence or fear. There isn't anything in the books that I would consider inappropriate language, physical, or violence wise. All-in-all it is a well written book and I am ready to pound the door to get the next one as soon as I can.