I’m writing this from my hotel in beautiful (but hot) New York City, where the annual Romance Writer’s of America conference has officially begun. Its location is one reason I’m attending. I love the energy and pace of the city, the sights and sounds and exhibits, and the people. I also get to see my editor and agent, and all of the people at Harper who work so hard every year to see my books through to publication. It’s a joy and adventure, and I try not to go too long between visits.
However, more than anything, I’m thrilled to be attending this conference for the very first time. I was a member of RWA for seven long years before I became published, and would devour the articles and information in the RWR (their monthly report) and the affiliated loops and online chapters. It’s a genre that’s easily disparaged as it’s written primarily by and for women, but it also excels at providing readers what they love best: a meaningful emotional connection through the exacting lens of a story. Writers write for a bevy of different reasons, but I can tell you that I write specifically for that connection. I’m interested in what unites us as people, regardless of any individual’s sex, race, sexuality, religion, birthplace or class. In short, I like to focus on our shared humanity, because splitting hairs over any of the above is divisive … not to mention it makes you a shitty lunch partner. (Ie. Nobody likes to dine with an asshole.)
At its best reading is a connection between the author and reader … between people, but in romance we get to see that human connection played out on the page. Those who disparage romances and the (mostly) women who write them have generally either 1) never read a romance or 2) don’t much care for women. But I can tell you as someone who has long devoured the romances of Nora Roberts and Susan Elizabeth Phillips and Jennifer Crusie that the best romances are not about sex. They’re about relationships, and specifically about the ones that matter most. We’re all hardwired to crave intimacy, and romance addresses that overtly.
So if you haven’t tried a pure, unapologetic romance it might be high time. And if you have, please share who you’ve loved in the past. I’m always looking for a good read.
Meanwhile, I’m not sure how much I’ll be able to blog from the conference – it’s much like its hosting city, a fast paced sensory overload, with every minute filled to the brim. I’ll definitely be updating my Facebook wall and Twitter feed multiple times a day, so if you’d like verbal and literal snapshots of the con from my POV, you can follow my adventures there. Here are some of the pictures I’ve taken so far, admittedly not that many, but I promise to try and improve that in the next few days.
First, the view from my room: See – there’s even a sliver of water!
My Harper paranormal group girls – Amanda Alverez, Terri Garey, Colleen Gleason, Pamela Palmer and Karina Cooper. I heart them all!
The floor of the literacy signing – loud, mad, wonderful:
Some awesome readers, whom I had so much fun with. Thank you D, E, and K! That was an awesome laugh:
This is Jeap, my Facebook friend, and now my real friend. We had a wonderful chat, and I just adore him. Isn’t he edgy and hot? Sweet to boot. I love meeting good peeps.
Oddly, no pic yet of my roomie, Jeaniene Frost. Why is that? Is she shy? Is she mean? Is she overly fond of eggs? Time will tell (though I can already answer affirmatively on the last) …
