I first met Kathy at a Kansas book group. I’d been invited to speak and, boom! Just like that, a friendship started. Every time I am in Kansas, Kathy comes to see me. We laugh, we catch up, and she takes a picture of us holding previous year pictures. It is our inside joke and then we laugh about that. Yes, some people look at us strangely. Most are jealous.
One of the best places Kathy and I meet is at Romance Genre Con sponsored by the Mid-Continental Public Library. This year, she surprised me with a mug of previous years picture, and then we took another picture. Here we are in a picture holding a picture of us holding a picture holding a picture of us. In each one, we are laughing because we are friends, celebrating this genre we all love to read.
The biggest joy for 2022 was having the opportunity to be with readers and reader friends again. I have a number of those reader friends. At some point we shared a bond–a good laugh, an enjoyment of book, something–and ever after, we make a point of connecting. I adore seeing Kathy in Kansas, and Ruth in Virginia, and Samantha in Dallas, and Sharlene in Memphis, and, and . . . This world of books and readers has brought me so many new friends.
(BTW, Romance Genre Con is the BEST conference on romance in the country. They bring in librarians from all over to discuss the genre. That also means they bring some of the top writers. Readers are always welcome and it is FREE. Bring your friends, take a weekend for yourself, head to Kansas City. First week in August. Check out www.mymcpl.org for info.)
