I went to Booklovers Con a few weeks ago. Yes, right before Christmas but not a moment too late.
I had a great time. It is true I pretty much have a great time everywhere I go, but this Con was valuable because it reminded me of how important readers are to my creativity.
First, I don’t want to write in a vacuum. When I’m in my office, struggling with all the crazy doubts writers have, I start to wonder what good all this plotting and thinking is. What does story matter when life seems upside down or sideways?
Nor do I think writers are the only ones who question themselves when left alone too long. We all do. Daily routines keep me going but they can also be stagnating.
What plugs me into life is when I take time out for a bit of adventure . . . which, when I think about it, is exactly what I ask the characters in my books to do. After all, when did Belle become interesting enough to have her own story? When she was going to the bookstore again? Or when she went to rescue her father? The Beast reminds us that we never know the full measure of our lives until we try something new.
By the way, yes, I was masked up at Booklovers. (I pray that someone reading this twenty years from now won’t know what I’m talking about. Or have images of Zorro in their head.) However, meeting readers, hearing what romance novels and stories mean to them, is invaluable to my creative energy. Readers are my Beast. Their enthusiasm makes me come alive. I’m out of the vacuum.
The Con was fun for readers because, well, cons are fun. If you haven’t been to one, go! A Romance event is one of the few places I can travel as a single woman and know I am going to enjoy myself. I met two police dispatchers who work sixteen-hour days. They made Booklovers a “friends” trip—they celebrated the books they love to read, they swam with the manatees, they dressed up, and ate good food. Oh, and they probably slept in a time or two because they weren’t answering to anyone.
In other words, they let go of the daily grind. I was doing the same thing, and I will continue to do so.
In 2022, I’m heading to several Fresh Fiction events around the Dallas area where I can talk books, maybe dance, and certainly step out of the predictability of everyday life. I also hope to be at Booklovers Con when they have it sometime in August (maybe) and in Texas (perhaps). Maybe I’ll even meet a Beast. They assure me that if I hang around Texas long enough, I will trip over one or two. The fun of adventure is that I never know what is ahead.
But most of all, I hope I meet you. We’ll have a great time. I promise.
About Cathy Maxwell
The books you love to read
Cathy Maxwell’s enthusiasm for life graces the pages of her books and are the topic of the talks she gives to readers and writers groups about her chosen career.She is no stranger to the limelight. After graduating from college, Cathy started off as a news broadcaster. She later decided reporting was boring compared to making news and joined the navy. After a successful stint in Naval intelligence, including a tour with the Pentagon, Cathy proceeded to pursue writing. Now, she has over thirty-five published romance novels (and five anthologies) to her credit, many of them spending significant time on the New York Times and USA Today mass market best-seller lists. Several have been nominated for Romance Writers of America’s prestigious RITA award and has been honored with RT Book Review’s “Love and Laughter” award among others. Recently, the Washington Romance Writers named her a recipient of the Kathleen Gilles Seidel “Legend” award for her service to the chapter. Best of all, she has made some wonderful friends along the way and has had a great time.
Originally from Kansas, she now finds herself in Texas! When not writing she is likely to be busy with one of many local charities or packing her bags to research her next novel. Cathy’s motto is “travel light” and she enjoys meeting her fans all over the world.
Seductions and Scandals | Chattan Curse | Night Huntress World | Brides of Wishmore | Marrying the Duke | The Spinster Heiresses | Logical Man’s Guide to Dangerous Women
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