(via Deseret News)

 

Several authors from Utah or with ties to Utah wrote books that were on one of the New York Times’ best-seller lists in 2013. Some writers had multiple books make the lists, and others made the lists for the first time.  A few of these authors were on the same lists at the same time.

James Dashner

James Dashner’s Maze Runner series has spent nearly 20 weeks in 2013 on the “Children’s Series List,” and it’s been in the top 10 a total of 63 weeks during the last couple of years. The first book in the series is being made into a movie that is scheduled to be released in September 2014.

His new young adult novel, “The Eye of Minds” (Delacorte Press, $18.99), has been in the top 15 on the “Young Adult” list for a dozen weeks. It’s been in good company, as Brandon Sanderson’s “Steelheart” has also been on that list for 11 of those weeks.

Ally Condie

The third book in the Matched series, “Reached” (Dutton Juvenile, $17.99), was published at the end of 2012, and the series spent at least 15 weeks on the “Children’s Series List” in 2012 and 2013.

The list also included the Hunger Games, Twilight, Percy Jackson and Diary of a Wimpy Kid series.

Ally Condie’s next book, a tale of twin sisters in an underwater city, is scheduled to be released in the fall of 2014.

Brandon Sanderson

Brandon Sanderson had three books on various lists this past year.

“A Memory of Light” (Tor, $34.99), which concluded Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time series, debuted at No. 1 on the hardcover fiction list and stayed there the following week. It was on the list for at least 12 weeks.

“The Rithmatist” (Tor Books, $17.99), a stand-alone young adult novel, was on the “Young Adult” list following its spring release.

His young adult novel “Steelheart” (Delacorte Books for Young Readers, $18.99), which was released in September, debuted at No. 1 on the “Young Adult” list and has been in the top 10 on that list for the past 10 weeks.

The Brigham Young University creative writing teacher also won two Hugo Awards this year.

Margaret Stohl

Margaret Stohl is a part-time Park City resident and co-author of the young adult Beautiful Creatures series, which was on the “Children’s Series List” for more than 30 weeks in 2013.

A film on the first book in the series was released earlier this year.

Stohl solo-authored “Icons” (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, $17.99) this year, and the second book in the series will be partly based in Utah.

Jennifer A. Nielsen

Jennifer A. Nielsen wrote on her blog at jennielsen.com that being on the list was a goal she had always strived for but kept close to her heart.

“It was risky — I’ve always known that it might forever stay out of my reach,” she wrote.

It was accomplished this year.

“The False Prince” (Scholastic Press, $17.99), the first book in her Ascendance Trilogy, targeted at middle-grade readers, was on the “Children’s Middle Grade” list in March and was in the list’s top 15 for at least six weeks.

The second book, “The Runaway King” (Scholastic Press, $17.99), was released in February 2013, and the third book in the trilogy, “The Shadow Throne,” is scheduled to be released in February 2014.

Jessica Day George

Jessica Day George didn’t find out at first that her middle-reader book “Wednesdays in the Tower” (Bloomsbury, $16.99), was No. 10 on the “Children’s Middle Grade” list in May.

“I was on a cruise at the time and didn’t get the news for a couple of days, and when I did, my arms went numb!” she wrote on her blog at jessicadaygeorge.com. “I sat there laugh-crying at my husband while he read the email because I was too stunned to talk! It is still so surreal to me.”

The book had a cliffhanger ending that left readers anticipating the “Thursdays” book due out in 2014. The first book, “Tuesdays at the Castle,” was released in 2011.

George is also the author of the Dragon Slippers trilogy and a series based on the tale of the 12 dancing princesses.

Brandon Mull

“Wild Born” (Scholastic, $12.99), first in the multi-platform and multi-author Spirit Animals series, debuted on the “Children’s Middle Grade” list at No. 2 in September. It’s been in the list’s top 10 for 14 weeks.

The second book in the series, “Hunted” by Maggie Stiefvater, is scheduled to be released in January.

Brandon Mull is the author of the Fablehaven, Beyonders and Candy Shop War series.

Richard Paul Evans

Richard Paul Evans’ Michael Vey series was No. 2 and No. 4 on the “Children’s Series” list in October following the release of the third book in the young adult series “Battle of the Ampere” (Simon Pulse/Mercury Ink, $17.99).

His book “The Four Doors” (Simon & Schuster, $19.99) was in the top 20 on the “Advice, How-to and Miscellaneous” list for a few weeks in November.

Evans is the author of “The Christmas Box” and the Walk series.

Check out the rest of the list here.