2011 started off with a bang, and it doesn’t look like the pace is going to let up any time soon. I spent this past week at a trade show in Vegas with my day-job company, Onyx Graphics. Trade shows are exhausting, yet I had a wonderful time meeting with both co-workers and customers.

And Spongebob.

This week I get to attend a different conference; this one for my part-time writing job. I’m very excited to see all of my friends at LDStorymakers and the Whitney Awards gala in a few days. I’m working hard on my pages for Boot Camp. If you’re going to be at the conference, be sure to say hi–I’ll be the guy in the Hawaiian shirt.

This week is also very busy on the Bumpy Landings Giveaway tour. There are two contests going right now. The first is at Fire and Ice Photo, and the second is on Tristi Pinkston’s blog.

Lastly, Bumpy Landings and I were mentioned in this month’s BYU-Hawaii Alumni eNewsletter. Thanks, Trevor!

It’s been a great weekend here, and I have a couple of pictures to share with you. First is a picture of me at my book singing yesterday, at Moon’s LDS Books in Dallas.

Both the chocolate macadamia nuts and the paper airplanes were a big hit!

This next one is a family picture we just took for the BYU-Hawaii eNewsletter, which will have a piece about me and my book next month.

And of course, the only way to secure a good smile from Becky is to promise her the chance to take a silly picture at the end.

The Bumpy Landings Spring Giveaway contest at Cranberry Fries ends tomorrow, and a new contest starts, so stay tuned!

I have in my hot little hands Key Lime Pie by Josi Kilpack, the forth novel in her Sadie Hoffmiller culinary mystery series.

Chances are, you don’t.

But my purpose in writing this post is not to gloat. It’s to share.

Because I actually have two copies of Key Lime Pie, and I want to give one of them to you. I’m generous like that.

Here the book is being modeled by my lovely daughter – let’s call her Xondra here on the blog.

It’s absolutely hilarious.

Okay, actually I haven’t read it yet, but I’ve pushed it to the top of my TBR pile. I know the previous three books were great, and I can tell you that the recipes are delicious, as I’ve been honored to participate in Sadie’s Test Kitchen.

So what, you ask, do you need to do to win this fine literary creation? Simply leave a comment, and you’ll be entered into the contest.

And if you tweet about the contest, I’ll give you another entry.

Same if you link back to this post on your blog.

Plus, there’s one more way to get an entry – tell me about the best practical joke you’ve ever ever seen/heard/thought of but didn’t have the nerve to try. You see, I have a practical joker in More Bumpy Landings, and she needs some good material. And I’m going to try and steal it from you.

So there you go – a possible four entries to win your very own copy of Key Lime Pie, signed by Josi herself!

Comment away. I’ll give you until midnight on Friday, and then Xondra will pick a winner first thing Saturday morning.

Last night I had the great pleasure of attending the launch party for Josi Kilpack’s new book, Devil’s Food Cake. Although I’ve met so many wonderful authors lately and often get invited to events like this, I rarely get to attened, living some 1400 miles from the heart of LDS fiction.

This week, however, I happened to be in Utah for work, so I was thrilled to learn that Josi’s launch party for Devil’s Food Cake was one I could attend. I talked my mom into being my date for the night, and we had a great drive up to Brigham City.

Here’s a picture of my mom and I with Josi.

I was excited to find that Julie Wright was also at the book signing, and it was very nice to meet in person my online friend, Karen Hoover.

I’ve read all of Josi’s Sadie Hoffmiller mysteries, and have had the great privilege of participating in Sadie’s Test Kitchen, a group dedicated to testing out the recipes before they make their way into these fun culinary mysteries.

I strongly encourage you to read Josi’s Sadie Hoffmiller books – Lemon Tart, English Trifle, Devil’s Food Cake, and the still-in-progress Key Lime Pie (I’ve heard Josi mention that title in an interview, so I’m hoping it’s okay to share). And then once you’ve read the books, you will want to read and make the recipes that are included. They are so good!

To help you get started, I’m going to do my February giveaway early, and hand out a copy of Devil’s Food Cake to one lucky reader. And since it’s such a great book, I won’t even make you work for it – just leave a comment. Contest ends next Thursday night, and the winner will be announced next Friday.

Once again, congratulations, Josi!

Wow! It’s the last Friday of January already. Do you know what that means?

That’s right! It’s almost Groundhog Day. It also means that there will soon be more available treadmills and ellipticals at the gym. And, of course, the W-2’s and 1099 are coming fast and furious. Yes, it’s that time already.

But it also means giveaway time here at 90,000 Words of Delusion, and I aim to deliver.

Since I’ve been having so much fun plotting and planning my new story, I thought I would give you the tools you need to follow in my footsteps. So I took the last of my Christmas money to Wal-Mart and picked up a notebook and colored pens, so you can plot like me.

I also got a nice bar of dark chocolate for you to use as you see fit: Feed your muse; incentivise yourself; bribe the kids to leave you alone for an hour; include it as an “offering” with your next query letter (not recommended).

Now, this kind of awesome giveaway should probably require you to do some work, so I’m going to hold a Title Contest. I’ve gone through dozens of titles for my last book, and just not loved any of them. So I’m going to ask you for help.

Each title suggestion you make will give you an entry in the drawing, to be held next Friday, February 6th. Now, I make no promises about actually using one of your titles since, as you may know, authors have very limited say over what their book is finally called. But I thought this would be fun.

Okay – here are the details on the book that will help you brainstorm an awesome title. The story is a contemporary romantic coming-of-age. The main character is a male student at BYU-Hawaii who works in a flower shop. Factoring significantly into the story are small planes and flying lessons, flower leis, and a tendency to hide the truth in order to avoid conflict.

Have at it. I’m dying to see your suggestions!