Lisa Mangum's Blog

There and Back Again: An Author's Tale

So this weekend, Tracy and I took a trip to St. George. I'd been invited by the Utah Library Association to be an a Teen Author Panel, and since I have a long history with libraries—my first job was shelving books at the Sandy library—I was happy to say yes. And since I hadn't yet been that far south in my book signing travels, I figured it was a good chance to stay all weekend and sign at the Barnes and Noble and the Deseret Book in St. George and the Deseret Book in Cedar City.

 

The ULA...

Launch Party Success!

Balloons. Chocolate. Prizes. Yep, it was a party through and through.

When The Hourglass Door came out last May, I invited some friends and family to a party at the park to celebrate and followed it up with a book signing. This year, for the release of The Golden Spiral, I had two book signings scheduled, so I had to skip the party in the park. It worked out okay, though, since my family and lots of my friends came to see me anyway. (Plus, last year the weather was windy and cold; this year...

The Last Word

If you know anything about me, you know that I love to make lists. Christmas lists. Shopping lists. Lists of things to do. Lists of things I've done. Aside from the obvious joy I get from organizing my life, I love the rush of satisfacation I get when I can check something off my list.

And for the last three months or so, I had plunked down on my calendar: 12/1 Golden Spiral manuscript due to editor.

It was an ambitious deadline and, I'll be honest, there were more than a few days where I...

Dragons and Adventure at Dixon Middle School

[image error](I know, I know, I haven't been blogging as regularly as I should, but if it helps ease the sting, please know that I have been working on Golden Spiral more. A lot more. And I really, really like where it's going.)

 

I did take day off from writing, however, to spend the day at Dixon Middle School to celebrate reading, writing, and all things creative with the 7th and 8th grade classes. Fellow authors James Dashner, J. Scott Savage, and Jessica Day George rounded out the party and I hope that...

First Look: The Golden Spiral

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His eyes. His touch. His kiss. Dante was unlike anyone Abby had ever met. Now he's gone, and Abby will do anything to get him back…

 

The hourglass door has closed behind Dante, sending him back in time to hunt down Zo, Tony, and V. Abby knows that Dante, as a Master of Time, is the only one who can stop them from destroying time itself. She also knows that he will need her help. But almost immediately, things start to change and Abby's worst fears are realized when Zo begins targeting her...

Ladies Night at Deseret Book

Saturday night was Ladies Night at Deseret Book and I was invited to the Layton store for a book signing with some other authors. It had been a long time since I'd been to a Ladies Night event and I was happily surprised at how many people came to the store. I was lucky enough to share a table with one of my favorite authors Josi S. Kilpack. We had a steady stream of people coming by to visit with us and talk about all things books with us.

 

There was definitely a party atmosphere at the...

What's Big and Pink and Plays a Wicked Guitar?

Why, the Australian Pink Floyd show of course!

 

My brother is a huge fan of Pink Floyd and with tickets on sale for $10, all four of us were able to go (me and Tracy, my brother and his wife). I'd seen the APF show once before when, in addition to some of the greatest hits, they played all of Dark Side of the Moon. Very cool.

 

The show was at the Usana, which is one of the best places to see a show. There's something about being outside under the stars watching a great band perform amazing...

Reading, Writing, and Roller Coasters

So this Labor Day weekend, my sister-in-law took her family to the amusement park for a day of riding rides and playing games. And my littlest niece was, for the first time, tall enough to ride the roller-coaster with, not one, but two upside-down loops. Guess which once was her favorite ride?

            I think writing is a lot like that. Sometimes you have to let an idea grow a little before it becomes a story. Sometimes it's really scary to look at what's head of you—whether it's two...

Let the Palooza Begin!

No big surprise here, but I love words. I love using them, learning about them, misspelling them on occasion, and even making them up. Perhaps that is why I love the clearly-made-up word "authorpalooza." It makes me think of collective nouns. You know—"a school of fish," "a sleuth of bears," "a flock of seagulls" (pause to quietly hum the opening bars of "I Ran" to myself). Perhaps the collective noun is "a palooza of authors."

 

There certainly were enough authors to qualify as a palooza on Tuesd

Three, Two, One . . .

Aaaahhhhh, what could be better than a three-day weekend? Maybe a three-day weekend to close out a month that was unspeakable at its best and horrific at its worst. I'll be honest—I can't remember the last time I was this glad to see the end of July. Whew!

 

So, yes, I was thrilled when, on Thursday, I took a look at my work schedule and realized that if I wanted to, I could ditch work on Friday. Say no more. J I did have one bit of business to do Friday morning: I attended a committee meeting fo