My Top Ten Moments at LTUE 2012

Top Ten Moments for me at Life, The Universe and Everything (LTUE) a writing conference held at Utah Valley University (UVU). This was its 30th year and still going strong.





#1 My friend and fan Lyda Mae doing a spontaneous tai chi routine for me in the middle of the lobby at UVU on the first day. She’s been confined to a wheel chair for years, but after a successful surgery SHE CAN WALK AGAIN! This was the best news of the weekend.


#2 James A. Owen’s keynote address, which was so incredibly inspiring (listen to the audio here, it’s worth your time). James is not only a motivational speaker, but is an amazing illustrator and author. Please check out his books after you listen to his speech.


#3 Having dinner with James A. Owen and some of my friends Thursday night. The best dinner ever at LTUE.


#4 Tracy Hickman saying he was having a “fan boy moment” when he ran into me while I was being interviewed on Residual Hauntings Revived


#5 Attending a seminar on how to give a good reading by Hugo and Campbell award winning author Mary Robinette Kowal—she’s the best reader in sci-fi fantasy writing today. She also did a two minute shadow puppet show—she’s a professional puppeteer and totally awesome.



#6 Listening to Mary Robinette Kowal read from her upcoming novel, Glamour in Glass, coming in April 2012. It’s Jane Austen with magic.






#7 Getting to hang out with Patrick Tracy, my best friend.




Authors Dan Wells, Paul Genesse, Larry Correia, and Zachary Hill

#8 Seeing so many friends and fans.



# 9 The Secret Empire (my third book) hitting number 57 on Amazon.com’s eBook bestseller list the first day of the conference. It went from 20,0000 to 57 that day.



#10 Selling out of Book 1, The Golden Cord in the UVU bookstore.