Friday, February 5, 2010

Happy Superbowl Weekend

Hey everybody - be happy, the weekend is here! The Game is coming. Yeah, that's right. All those awesome commercials and the tasty party finger food. Maybe even some football.

A few things:

1. I'm very honored to be a nominee for a Whitney Award this year (Speculative Fiction). Thanks to everyone on the Whitney committee!!!

2. Don't forget: I'll be at the Southtown Mall Barnes and Noble in Sandy, UT tomorrow (Saturday the 6th) starting at 1:00, with many other authors. Come see us!

3. Also, remember the LTUE symposium next weekend (11th, 12th, 13th) at BYU. My reading has been changed to 6:00 on Saturday night, where I'll be doing the first chapter or two from THE SCORCH TRIALS. My signing is still Friday at noon. For more details, CLICK HERE.

4. LOST. I know I've ranted and raved about this show before, and I'll do it again. I've been looking forward to this, the finale season, for many months and years. During the season premiere on Tuesday, I sat riveted the entire time. Honestly, I don't even care what the resolution is or what's behind it all. The sheer brilliance of every aspect of the show is enough for me. I love it as much as any type of entertainment I've ever experienced. Maybe the most.

If you are a writer, you can learn a lot from this show. Character development. How to reveal the layers of a mystery. How to structure chapters. All in all, just how to tell a story. I love LOST. I love it love it love it love it.

5. What have I been working on? I received the typeset pages for THE 13TH REALITY Book 3, so I've been going through those, almost done. I've also seen the cover and the inside illustrations, done by the very talented Brandon Dorman. (Not to worry, Bryan Beus will be back for Book 4!) Hopefully we'll reveal the cover next week, and the book comes out on April 6! In the meantime, go check out the paperbacks for books 1 and 2.

6. My knee is recovering well from ACL surgery. I've been a good boy and gone to physical therapy 3 times a week (Hi Drew, Chevelle, and crew!) and done lots of exercises at home. It's still swollen and hurts, but not too bad. I really appreciate all the well wishes on Twitter, Facebook, and in the comments. Thanks!!!

7. I'm past due to answer your questions from the comments. Here is a Dashner Gare-On-Tee: I'll do that early next week. So if you have more, let me know. I love hearing from you guys.

8. I'm reading a book that you will all hear about this summer. It's called THE PASSAGE by Justin Cronin. It is amazing. Unique, deep, scary, brilliant. Comes out in June. I also just received the ARC for Book 1 in DJ MacHale's upcoming new series, MORPHEUS ROAD. It's about ghosts!

Well, gotta run for now. Have a great weekend and we'll see you on Monday!

28 comments:

Aubrey said...

Sounds like you're busy! We love LOST in our house too.

Glad your knee is doing better!

P.S. Love that your title involves the Superbowl, yet you didn't mention it in your post. ;)

Anonymous said...

James,

As you know, my kids don't watch TV. Do you think that this generation is more creative due to the influence of visual media, less creative, or just... different?

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

Sorry James! That message was totally not for you. Sorry.

What I meant to say for you is CONGRATULATIONS ON THE WHITNEY NOMINATION and Congrats on the ACL healing up AND congratulations on the book3 for 13th! Lots of good stuff in your neck of the woods!

Why Not? Because I Said So! said...

Congrats on your Whitney nomination! You so deserve it for The Maze Runner. I want to put you in time out though for that incredible cliff hanger you wrote at the end!! Man! Talk about shocking me senseless!!

Laura said...

Congratulations on the Whitney's finals!

Danyelle Ferguson said...

Congrats on your Whitney nomination. Do I get to sit by you during the gala this year?

I'm glad you're going to physical therapy. Pain is good for you - and your ego. So keep going.

See you in April!

Anonymous said...

Just read Maze Runner. Absolutely loved it. I could not put it down. Whenever I tried I lost control of my left arm movement and was flicked reapeativly in the head until I picked the book up again. Those were not just your average flicks, these left bruises.

Anyway, I loved the book and cannot wait until The Scorch Trials! Keep em comin'!

Kimberly Vanderhorst said...

Congrats on being a finalist James! That's some good company you're in there!

Magenta said...

Yay, can't wait for Superbowl Sunday.

Brandon Dorman will do the illustrations for Shattered Hope? Awesome. ^_^

OMG, D.J. MacHale is writing a new book series? I LOVE D.J. MacHale! Please tell me you've read the Pendragon series?! It's the best thing I've ever read! (Aside from your books, of course.)

Noone said...

Will there be tryouts for the movie? if so, then when? And im reading TMR to find intresing stuff for www.thegladers.info. oh yeah,the colts are gonna win!

Laura Hartness said...

The Passage and Scorch Trials are on my "must read" list for 2010. I've heard raves about the former and I know the latter is going to be great!

I watched the "Lost" premiere as well. I'm more confused than ever, but I'll keep watching. You're right-- it's amazing writing. I know all of this will resolve itself over the course of the season. And we'll miss it when it's gone. But on the other hand, it'll give me more time to read books, as it's one of the few TV shows I watch anymore. Too many good novels out there to read!

Laura Hartness
The Calico Critic

Anonymous said...

Can't wait for super bowl going over to my aunt and uncle's ever body's going to be there.

Also can't wait to see the cover of book 3.

Is there going to be a 13th reality movie?

Love your books.

Diva Donna said...

Hey there, Can't wait for LTUE sooo fun and the start of the Conference season. Yippee.

Also Congrats and all that. Looking forward to the reading.

Dashnog: NERPR- a person who breaths loudly through their nose making it difficult for those around them to hear anything else.
Usage: That kid next to me in class is such a nerpr!

Erin G. said...

Glad to hear your recovery is going well! Are you allowed to walk around yet?

Okay, so question: How important to you is research?

The reason I ask is because I've heard of authors going to locations where they're setting their books. Like Stephenie Meyer went to Forks, Jessica Day George went to Norway, etc. So I was wondering if you ever did this or do you just rely on google?

Happy Superbowl! ;)

Cranberryfries said...

I'm so hoping to make it to the big event tomorrow. It'd be fun to get to see all these great authors.

Happy Superbowl weekend to you!

Vanessa M. said...

So James, Book 3 is now in the SL county Library System catalog! (I will still buy it, of course.)

Stephanie Black said...

Congrats on the Whitney finals! I loved Maze Runner.

storyqueen said...

Congratulations!

And, yeah, LOST is awesome.

Karen said...

Haha, congratulations on the Whitney's finals--you deserve it! I'm happy that your knee is doing well also! I know you have a lot on your plate, but I have a question for you:
Do you think you will be able to come to Honolulu, Hawaii sometime for a BN signing or something?
Thanks for reading this

emily said...

I was wondering if you knew any details about the LTUE conference. I'm a BYU student, but can't seem to find info of where the events are taking place. I am very excited and am even taking off work for your signing, so I just want to make sure I am at the right place at the right time. If you know anything, could you let us know? Otherwise, I am going to be making some phone calls on campus to find out. :D

Anonymous said...

Emchien:
http://ltue.org/LTUE2010.html
http://ltue.org/Maps.html
"The map on the bottom is of the third floor of the Wilkinson Student Center, where LTUE is held every February."

It's what I want to be said...

Out of curiousity... who was Minho named after? (or Zart?)(My friends and I can't figure it out!:p)Thanks!

emily said...

Thanks, Charles. I know the WSC and the JKB pretty well, but I was wondering if there was any place where the actual room numbers were posted for the signing and reading. Do you happen to know? Am I missing something?

Jack Porter said...

Congrats,
yeah, the saints won.

I'm sick right now and have nothing to do. Thinking to reread 13th realities and The Maze Runner.

You're my inspiration,
like really, I plan to be an author when I grow up.

Hope to see you at LTUE or whatever it's called.
By the way, 24 series also helps my writing. Not necessarily the story line, more of the intense violent scenes.

Gavin Chatterley said...

Apparently my parents met you on Saturday. I didn't realize you were going to be there, or I'd have gone too. Here's another for the Q&A:

How do you pace your writing throughout the day so you can get several hours of writing done and not be completely burned out?

Anonymous said...

Ok, so it's great that your traveling to everyone else, EXCEPT New Jersey. I asked my mother where the Wilkinson Center is that you will be going this Saturday, hoping I could go. To my surprise she tells me DALLAS! Please, Please, with every pleading ounce in my body, come to New Jersey so I can get your autograph and everyone else in this state can be graced with your presence. :) Thanks, by the way, the maze runner = amazingness.

Shelby

Your #1 Fan said...

Any thoughts about coming to Canada?
(No igloos in sight- I live in British Columbia, which is actually part desert.) It would be FREAKING AMAZING to meet you!!

-A Fan