UtopYA 2014: A Recap

Hi everyone!!
Well, it has been a week since UtopYA 2014 has ended and I have been going through pics and trying to put together this post just so you guys can know how awesome this conference is...

So, I figured the best way to fill you guys in on all this fabulousness is to just start from day one and tell you everything...LOL!!!

So, upon arriving, it's like a family reunion.  You meet up with friends that you haven't seen in a year (more or less) and that's when the screaming begins...YES...there is screaming, squealing, hugs...just any type of excited emotion you can think of is pouring out of you...

Hence the amount pf pictures being taken now...Yes, we must have those memories solidified so that we can always treasure these moments..

So, starting on Thursday and all the way until Sunday...I was getting as many pics with my friends as possible...

Check out the amazing people I was able to see...

 Pictured: Carlyle Labuschagne, Starla Huchton, Michelle Warren, Lila Felix, Heather Lyons, Teal Haviland, Rachel Harris, Heather Self, & Bailey Ardisone

 Pictured: Jackie McPherson, Heather King, Lisah Stephens, Candace Selph, 

Jessica @LovinLosLibros, & Val @Stuckinbooks

That was just a fraction of the awesomeness that was there by the way....

Now Thursday evening I was given such an honor by the amazing Janet Wallace to be able to dine with our keynote speakers for the conference.  I was extremely excited and as you can see it was a beautiful place to dine...

After choosing the table in which I would sit at, I had the esteem company of fellow blogger Toni @Mybookaddiction, Janet Wallace, her husband, Katie Cook and the wonderful Sylvia Day.  Yes, my nerves were crazy...but it was beyond FANTASTIC!! Between the fabulous dinner and conversation it will definitely be one of those nights you will never forget. OH...and check out this delicious dessert that was served...Mmmmm....To die for!!!

And yes, to wrap up the awesome dinner evening, the awesome Sylvia Day posed for pics...Words cannot describe how memorable this night was...

But, it wasn't completely over...As soon as dinner finished I ran downstairs to see if I could catch up on the Reader Appreciation Party hosted by the Marvelous Tiffany King, Quinn Loftis, Carol and Adam Kunz, and Jennifer Armentrout (who couldn't make it b/c of the craziness of the airlines)...

This party was epic and they had games, prizes, and of course cupcakes...

Just ask Quinn and Tiffany how good those cupcakes were...(they had icing everywhere..LOL)

So, day one ended and I headed to the room to chill.  So much to do and I knew Friday would be non-stop...

I had a fab roomie this year...Jackie @SatedFaery...Thanks Jackie for rooming with me!! Major shout out to you!!!

Ok...so Friday begins and we begin as always meeting together to hear announcements, win prizes and hear from the keynote speakers.  

Janet started it off right with music and getting everyone pumped for the day...

Our keynote speaker was Sylvia Day and she packed in an amazing speech that riddled the guests with informative advice and interesting experiences.

After this, we all headed out to catch some of the awesome panels that were offered as well as head in to the exhibitor rooms to see some of our favorite authors...

Check it out...

Here is Nely Cab with her award winning Table..Yep she won Best Swag and Best Decorations...(yes, she had some cool swag...)

Later on Friday evening, there was a huge FAN INVASION author signing...

Check out the authors that were here....

It was a lot of fun and people were lined up eager to see their favorite authors...

So, for me...I was completely exhausted and checked out for the night...

Saturday has now rolled around and as we all meet together this morning, our keynote speaker comes in and again, delivers a phenomenal speech that totally captivates the audience...

Meet Gennifer Albin, author of the Crewel series and Catching Liam...

Directly afterwards, Gennifer was meeting and signing... Heather and I jumped in together to get our picture made...Just loved meeting her...

After this the level of my nerves skyrocketed because I was about to be on my first panel...Blog Your Face Off...I seriously thought I could puke...But, I have to say that I felt it went very well and so much was learned during our hour...

Blog Your Face Off Panel: Heather Smiddie (moderator), Michelle Miller (author), Tess Watson (author), me, & Toni @MyBookAddiction

 The awesome crowd for the panel...(I see you Heather :D)

Once the panel was over...I could finally breathe and time passed hanging with my amazing friends...

The Beta Babes with Rha Babe...

(Heather, Jackie, Misty, Me, Candace & on the phone is Lisa!!)

 The Awesome Annie Hargrove and Mary Smith  

 The fabulous Lindsay Paige

The Awesome Jordan Deen

 My girls: Heather & Jackie..

I have to add...Flat Ian arrived and seemed to stop the show...Heather here giving us a show of his hotness...

But...UtopYA offered us a few live bodied models too...And lets just say that you could be having a conversation with someone and BAM hotness walks by...

Check out one of those moments here...

 I whisper to Jackie to let me get a pic of her so this way the model can be in the pic...Jackie steps it up and pssst's him...

 Yes, it was funny to see that we wanted a pic of him...But he was awesome and decided to pose for a pic...

So everyone, meet Jesse Daniels, cover model...

The last thing to come is the awards ceremony that night...

 Janet welcoming everyone..

 Katie Cook hosting the awards...

 Heather and I 

 Annie and I

 Myself, Bailey, Mary, & Candace

 Back: Jackie, Toni, Candace

Front: Me, Starla, Mary

Everyone dressed up and looked BEAUTIFUL!!!

Having fun...

 Me and Nely Cab

  Me and Lila Felix

Me and Heather....

So, as you can see there was so much to do and so many people to see...

Being able to hang out with some of the most amazing people I know is priceless...

While there are some that I didn't get to spend as much time with as I would have wanted, being able to see Mary, Lindsay, Bailey (and hubs), Candace (and Jason), Annie, Toni, Nely, Misty, Carol, Adam, Heather, Quinn, and so many more....

Heather: Thank you...thank you for being YOU...When I look back on UtopYA 2014, my most fondest memories have you wrapped up in them...

Jackie: Thank you for being an awesome friend and roomie!! WOOT!! We had some awesome times!!

So, now that this year is over...Plans for next year are already under way...

 Check it out..Next years theme is TIME TRAVEL!!! Woot!! How fun is that going to be??

So, now is the time to get in on the action...

You can go to Eventbrite now to get your earlybird tickets...Here are your options:

$70 Earlybird General Admission

4-day pass to the UtopYA convention (UtopYACon)
Fan admission to the Saturday Public Signing Event
Admission to the Fourth Annual UtopYA Awards

$95 Earlybird VIP
4-day pass to the UtopYA convention (UtopYACon)
Fan admission to the Saturday Public Signing Event
Admission to the Fourth Annual UtopYA Awards
Lunch Thursday and Friday
Souvenir T-shirt

For more information you can go to UtopYACon 's website or their Facebook page

So, I am closing now and saying thank you to Janet Wallace for such an awesome Con...What she has created here is something that you just can't describe.  I really encourage you to get in on the full experience of this powerful conference next year...

Happy reading everyone!!
Kat

BLOG TOUR: Little Black Book by Tabatha Vargo & Melissa Andrea

My name’s Sebastian Black, and I want to buy you. I could have any woman I want, but I choose you.
NO RELATIONSHIP, JUST SEX.

Here’s my offer…
I’ll put your name in my LITTLE BLACK BOOK, and when I want you, I’ll call you. When I call, you’re going to come, in more ways than one. It will be mutually pleasurable for both of us.

There are only two rules:
DON'T EVER DENY ME.
DON'T FALL IN LOVE.

If you do either, I’ll remove you from my book and payment stops.

Do we have an understanding?

Tabatha Vargo

Tabatha is a sweet tea sippin', front porch sittin' kind of girl from South Carolina. She loves old, historical anything, wind chimes, and all things romantic. She is the mother of an 8 y/o rockstar/princess and the wife of her very own Prince Charming.
When she isn't writing, she's texting book ideas to herself.

Check out Tabatha's blog: www.tabathavargo.blogspot.com
Follow Tabatha on Facebook: www.facebook.com/tabathadvargo
Follow Tabatha on Twitter www.twitter.com/tabathavargo

New York Times & USA Today Bestselling author, Melissa Andrea-
I find it hard to sum up my life in a paragraph, but I'll try.
Reading has always been a passion for me, and writing as instinctive as breathing. Every inhale is an idea; every exhale a creation. Flutter will be my debut release, and I couldn't be more excited about it! The only thing I do better than writing you ask? Making beautiful girls. My daughter's will always be my greatest accomplishment.
I was born in Denver, Colorado -but I will always think of sunny Arizona as my home. I don't have a big family, but I'm close with my sister, brother & my mom. My mom is my hero, my inspiration, and I couldn't have asked for a more amazing person to be raised by.
4 things you should know about me: I'm very girly, but I can get down and dirty with the best of them. I adore the color pink, I love things that sparkle (including vampires) and I like even numbers (hence 4 things about me, not 5)

Amazon

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BLOG TOUR: Five Ways to Fall by K.A. Tucker

Sometimes you can’t change—and sometimes you just don’t want to. Discover Ben’s side of the story in this fourth novel by the beloved, top-selling indie author of Ten Tiny Breaths,One Tiny Lie, and Four Seconds to Lose.

Purple-haired, sharp-tongued Reese MacKay knows all about making the wrong choice; she’s made plenty of them in her twenty-odd-years. So when her impulsive, short-lived marriage ends in heartbreak, she decides it’s time for a change. She moves to Miami with the intention of hitting reset on her irresponsible life, and she does quite well…aside from an epically humiliating one-night stand in Cancun with a hot blond bouncer named Ben. Thank God she can get on a plane and leave that mistake behind her.

Football scholarship and frat parties with hot chicks? Part of charmer Ben Morris’s plan. Blown knee that kills any hope of a professional football career? So not part of the plan. Luckily Ben has brains to go with his knockout looks and magnetism. After three long years of balancing law school with his job as a bouncer at Penny’s Palace, he’s ready to lead a more mature life—until his first day of work, when he finds himself in the office of that crazy, hot chick he met in Cancun. The one he hasn’t stopped thinking about.If Ben truly were a smart guy, he’d stay clear of Reese. She’s the boss’s stepdaughter and it’s been made very clear that office romances are grounds for dismissal. Plus, rumor has it she’s trouble. The only problem is, he likes trouble, especially when it’s so good-looking… 

Atria Books ** IndieBound B&N ** Amazon ** iBookstore ** BAM ** Bookish ** Other

I love this series.  Each character has brought so much to each book and getting to know each one has been phenomenal!!
So, when we first meet Ben, he is this cocky guy that really grates on your nerves in Ten Tiny Breaths.

I have to say I loved it when Kacey handed his ass to him.. LOL!!  Now we get to know him better and I have to say...I really liked him.  He is an honest, upfront guy that you just don't see much nowadays.  He told you how it was and what you could expect.

So, when he meets Reese, you know this is going to be an explosive interaction. And boy was it!!
These two together were hilarious!! I enjoyed every moment.  They kept me on my toes waiting to see if things will progress, knowing that these two were truly perfect for each other.  

But, it was just right to see this relationship work its way slowly.  The sexual innuendos slung around kept the tension between these two on high and left me panting; wanting so much more to happen...

But, both have pasts that haunt them.  Histories that hinder them from truly moving on to brighter things.  I worried so much on whether each one would really let it go and take those steps in the right direction...

With a heated scorching relationship, Ben and Reese burn through the pages of Five Ways to Fall and have you melting in to their lives with ease.  

This was a story I could not put down and loved every moment of it.  It filled me with a plethora of emotions that as I came to end of this heart-stopping tale, all i could do was take a deep breath and smile...

K.A. Tucker has brilliantly done it again...

I highly recommend that you read this book and if you haven't read this series...GO...Go get Ten Tiny Breaths today and begin your love affair with these amazing characters...

ABOUT K.A. TUCKER: Born in small-town Ontario, Kathleen published her first book at the age of six with the help of her elementary school librarian and a box of crayons. She is a voracious reader and the farthest thing from a genre-snob, loving everything from High Fantasy to Chick Lit. Kathleen currently resides in a quaint small town outside of Toronto with her husband, two beautiful girls, and an exhausting brood of four-legged creatures.      

Website ** Twitter ** Facebook ** Novel Goodreads ** Author Goodreads ** YouTube ** Pinterest ** Instagram

   

Don’t forget the rest of the Ten Tiny Breaths Series…

TEN TINY BREATHS

ONE TINY LIE

FOUR SECONDS TO LOSE

...and you can Preorder…

IN HER WAKE: A Ten Tiny Breaths Novella

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