The Australian Romance Readers event
Last weekend ARRA had the next event in their “round Australia” series of one day events. I attended the Melbourne one. The day started with three author panels, the first on World-Building with a focus on fantasy and paranormals.
The second one was on Rural Romance. I moderated the discussion with authors Sarina Bowen, Cathryn Hein, Fiona Marsden and Lilliana Rose. They’re the ones in the photo — sorry it’s a bit dark.
It’s hard to see in this photo, but Fiona wore a fabulous dress printed with hundreds of book covers — perfect for a book signing event.
The topic was Creating your own small town, and here’s the panel description.
“Small towns and the people that live in them are a popular setting for many romance novels. And series, where the writer builds on the communities that make up those towns will—if they’re done well— bring readers back to those places, again and again. What is it about small towns that is so appealing? And what author magic goes into creating them so that readers will be drawn back to them?”
I also asked questions about what it was like to write with another author (Sarina and Fiona) and what it was like to write in a fictional setting shared with other authors (Cathryn).
Sadly, I missed the third panel.
Here’s me, looking very serious, in the middle of asking a question.
After the panels we broke for lunch and then there was a signing. With the help of a friend, I sold a number of the paperbacks of A BRIDE FOR MARCUS, slightly under the cost price, so they were a bargain.
It was a lovely day, so here are a few photos, mostly taken and sent to me by other people, for which I thank them.
Here’s Amy Rose Bennet displaying her charming romances with a touch of magic, where a nanny or someone like Mary Poppins tames a difficult duke.
The signing event surprised my friend, who is mainly a children’s author (multi published). She was impressed by the trouble so many authors went to, to decorate their table and present their books so spectacularly, with banners and fairy lights and various pieces of enticing swag, not to mention chocolates and other sweets.
Apparently children’s authors don’t do this kind of signing, possibly because there would be so many children attending it would be utter chaos! Especially with chocolate on every second table!
The photo below right is of me, with lovely reader Sharyn, who remembered me from a one-day workshop I did many years ago in Bundaberg in Queensland. We had a lovely chat about it.
And as if you hadn’t seen enough photos of me, here’s another one, this time with Sandra Simeone Damevski.
Have you ever attended a book signing? Who was it with? Or if you are an author (as I know some of you are) do you enjoy signings? Have you any signings coming up?
