The cap of the LDStorymakers' Writers Conference this weekend was the Whitney Awards Gala, held last night in Sandy, Utah.
I'm actually writing this on Saturday night, and I know it will post itself when I hit Publish Post, but tomorrow I'll be on the road toward home, and won't have Internet access until I get home, very very late on Sunday night. I don't want to miss my turn!
The Gala was sold out--in fact, it was as packed as could be without the fire marshal stepping in. After a dinner of filling chicken something-or-other (I'm not good at identifying food I don't get from the drive-thru or off a menu) with rice and green beans, Robison Wells, the President of the Whitney Committee, began the evening's festivities. Included were readings from the finalists for the Best Novel of the Year.
I'm not going to go in the order Rob did, but I'll give you the Whitney Award Winners and Lifetime Achievement Honorees and go hit the sack. I'm exhausted, and the odor of chlorine in the lobby where I have to go to get a good connection is overpowering!
Each award was accompanied by a check from the Marquis Sponsor of the Whitneys, yourLDSneighborhood.com. The first award went to the Best Romance / Women's Fiction Novel, Counting Stars, by Michele Paige Holmes. The Best Mystery / Suspense Novel award was given to Sheep's_Clothing, by Josi Kilpack.
Fablehaven, Volume II: Rise of the Evening Star, by Brandon Mull, won the award for Best Young Adult / Children's Literature. The award for Best Speculative Fiction went to Book of a Thousand Days, by Shannon Hale.
The final Category Award went to the Best Historical Novel: Out of Jerusalem, Volume 4: Land of Inheritance, by H. B. (Heather) Moore.
The award for Best Novel by a New Author went to Dragon Slippers, by Jessica Day George.
Lifetime Achievement Honorees were Jennie Hansen, Dean Hughes, and Anita Stansfield.
The final award, that of Best Novel of the Year, went to On the Road to Heaven, by Coke Newell.
I had a ball teaching my class with Jewel Adams, met many longtime friends face-to-face for the first time, bought too many books, and I'm glad I'll get a good night's sleep before hitting the road. So long!
I would have loved to be able to attend. Alas I had to choose between writing and family. Family won. Thanks for sharing the results of the Whitney awards with us. I'll definately want to purchase those books to read. Please let us know about what you taught. Hopefully I'll be able to attend the confence next yeat.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the posting, Marsha. I'll be there next year, but I 'attended' via blog and was glad for that connection. Nice to have your update the morning after the morning after so I can remember, even so far away, the glow I felt. Nice to ba a part of something so good. And, I wouldn't be a part of either ANWA or Storymakers if it hadn't been for you.
ReplyDeletethanks for sharing, Marsha! I was actually up there Friday with Aprilynne, who was very excited about attending the awards. Sounds like you had a great time! I came home Saturday just in time to attend a clients childbirth...4 weeks early. I hope you arrived home safe and sound!
ReplyDeleteIt's always exciting to be in on an historical event like the first Whitney Awards. To teach a class there must have been exciting, Marsha. The decisions must have been a difficult task. I've judged competitions a few times and had nightmares over them, after the fact. I was still cheering for Joyce, Maybe some year I can attend. Who knows?
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