I have been a romance reader for years, but I’ve never been fortunate enough to attend a reader convention. Until now. This year I attended ApollyCon 2022 in Washington, D.C. For those who don’t know about it, it’s a multi-author event that includes panels by authors, book signings, and book parties. There are three different levels for the tickets which provide different levels of access. Tickets range from $20 to $125 per ticket. Having never attended anything like this before, I have nothing to compare it with. If you plan on attending this event in the future, just make sure to factor in the cost of any travel expenses and hotel stay. If you plan on staying the entire duration, I recommend trying to book a room at whatever hotel the event is located at. The large group of attendees and the occasional long lines make it more convenient to be on-site versus coming from somewhere else. For the book signings, some fans pre-ordered books and picked them up at the event, while others (like me) just bought books while I was there. Initially, I was worried there wouldn’t be enough books to browse and buy, but I thought there were plenty available if you didn’t pre-order. Some of the events offered goodie bags that had miscellaneous author swag and one or two free books included.
Be prepared – you can encounter long lines to a few of the events, but it can depend. If you’re going to an event open to everyone – the lines can be long. I recommend taking a small bottle of water with you. If you are going to an event like an author panel or a book signing that has people divided into different groups – that cuts down on the lines.
Now I’ll talk about what made this convention cool. Getting to meet some of your favorite authors (and new-to-you authors) and hear them discuss why they love writing the books that you love reading is a hoot. All the authors I came across seemed just as excited to be there and talk with fans, just as much as we fans were excited to see them. I had a few authors I was specifically looking to see, like paranormal romance author Jen L. Grey. I’m happy to say that I got to meet everybody I was hoping to see.
There was an assortment of author panels focusing on some interesting subjects. Over the past few years, I’ve developed a liking for YA romance, so I went to the Young at Heart panel featuring authors Brigid Kemmerer, Lizzy Mason, Maggie Stiefvater, Mary Ting, Molly E. Lee, and Shaila Patel. I wasn’t familiar with any of these authors, but each described the personal connection they have with writing YA Fiction and explaining what their inspiration is. It was a diverse group – with stories more fantasy or sci-fi, and others more reality-based.
The second panel I attended was called Romantasy Lovers. I understood it to mean, based on explanations from the authors, stories with many of the elements from fantasy novels but with a love story as well. The featured authors were Amanda Bouchet, Danielle L. Jensen, E.J. Mellow, Jennifer Estep, L. Penelope, and Laura Thalassa. The only author on the panel whose books I’ve read was Jennifer Estep. An engaging discussion evolved about conflict and the roles of the hero (or antihero) and the heroine. Many of the authors preferred the “enemies-to-lovers” trope and in detail explained why. My preference is not usually “enemies-to-lovers”, but the authors present put forth some good arguments as to why that trope makes for an intriguing story. Although it’s not a trope I usually enjoy and look for, my favorite “enemies-to-lovers” stories have been fantasy romance novels by Sherrilyn Kenyon and Gena Showalter.
The last, but certainly not least, panel I attended was the Fantastic Beasts and Paranormal Heat panel with authors April Asher, Juliette Cross, Leteisha Newton, Maria Vale, Ella Maven, and Stacey Marie Brown. I was familiar with most of these authors and have read some of their books. This was, hands down, my favorite panel because the authors were wildly entertaining and got a few laughs. Each author described how they saw their paranormal characters and their world, with a focus on mingling and mating. Maria Vale is inspired by Anglo-Saxon myths relating to wolves, some of the authors like Juliette Cross and April Asher have very contemporary settings and romcom stories but with enticing paranormal twists, Ella Maven creates stories with swoon-worthy aliens, but all the authors obviously love what they do and don’t skimp on the sexy.
In addition to the books for sale that the authors sign, there is a ton of bags, buttons, stickers, and more for the romance book aficionado. I wanted one of just about everything. Romancelandia was floating on a sea of bibliophile merchandise. Everywhere you went, you saw fans (mainly women) with the requisite backpack to haul around books and other goodies. I saw some people decked out in Renaissance garb, pink tutus, black demon wings, animal character onesies, and more. Fans brought handmade commemorative boards, scrapbooks, and other types of imaginative things to freeze the moment. I enjoyed talking to other book lovers while waiting in line or mixing at one of the events.
It will be up to you to decide if this convention is worth it, but overall, I had a blast and was happy I came.
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