The most romantic event at the Library returns August 8-10, 2024, at the Woodneath Library Center and Auditorium. Julia Quinn, author of the Bridgerton series, will be joining us to discuss the best-selling series (and top-watched show on Netflix), and sign copies of her books.
Get ready for a weekend of author panels, book signings, and opportunities to connect with fellow readers. Fans of every type of romance will find something to love. For writers, Romance GenreCon is an ideal platform to enhance your skills, refine your storytelling, and find inspiration for your craft.
Other events include the Lady KC Reading Salon hosted by Cathy Maxwell, a Romance State of the Union, author panels, a book fair, and more. Participants must register for each of the days they plan on attending, so stay tuned for daily schedules.
We can’t wait to see you there!
Schedule - Thursday, August 8
9:00 - 10:00 a.m.
- Opening gathering and welcome
10:15 - 11:45 a.m.
- Sierra Simone - Crafting the Carnal (Auditorium)
- Thinking of writing a spicy romance? Join romance author Sierra Simone as she walks participants through the process of writing emotionally resonant and delightfully indulgent romance, from designing settings that inspire intimacy to creating characters who demand it. Participants will leave with a solid framework on how to build a steamy story from start to finish, both on a foundational and a language level.
- Cathy Maxwell - Start Your Own Romance Book Club (Community Room 1)
- Have you started a Romance Book Club? Do you want to start one? Come join Cathy Maxwell to discuss what works and what doesn’t while nabbing some great book recommendations.
- Angela Anderson - Social Media 102 (Community Room 2)
- You have a social media presence now what? This workshop covers:
- How to have an effective social media presence using the KLT factor.
- Make your presence known and work for you in creating exposure for you, your books, and others in the book community. Bonus: Collaborating through social media with others to include readers, influencers, and industry leaders.
- You have a social media presence now what? This workshop covers:
11:45 a.m. - 12:45 p.m.
- Lunch Break
12:45 - 2:15 p.m.
- Shawntelle Madison - Unlocking Emotions to Strengthen Your Story (Auditorium)
- Explore how to unpack your scenes at the sentence-level to strengthen emotion and conflict. Discuss moments to “zoom in the camera” versus keeping the descriptions at a minimum and when each strategy is most effective.
- Janna MacGregor - Marriage Regency Style: Everything You Thought You Knew But Didn't (Community Room 1)
- You’re invited to a Regency wedding. What do you wear? What exactly is marriage breakfast? What is the reading of the bans, special license, bishop’s license, and standard marriage license? Affinity, Consanguinity, Polygamy, and Matrimony – what do all these have in common besides ending in the letter “Y?” Why were they important during our favorite historical period? Spend time with Janna MacGregor as she explores the pitfalls and hurdles our favorite Regency female characters faced when they said, “I do.”
- Carmen Schober - 3 Creative Writing Exercises That Can Improve Your Entire Novel (Community Room 2)
- Discover how three transformative creative writing exercises can drastically improve your novel and enrich your life at the same time. Internal and external goals are extremely important when crafting fiction while goal-setting plays a vital role in creating an exciting and fulfilling life, which is why Carmen Schober has spent much of her professional career testing the ways that creative writing and goal-setting converge and work together. Through guided exercises, you'll unlock new perspectives, overcome writer's block, and infuse your writing with fresh momentum. Perfect for writers at any stage, this course will not only improve your characterization skills but also inspire personal growth.
- Shari Golden from MCPL’s Midwest Genealogy Center - Romancing the Archives (Computer Lab)
- Explore the intricate tapestry of our ancestors by delving deep into letters, diaries, and historical records research. Discover tales of hope, survival, hidden passions, loss, and true love among their stories. Are you a seasoned writer? An aspiring novelist? No matter where you are, join us to learn how and where to unearth these first-hand accounts of our ancestors in order to craft authentic historical tales that resonate with the heart.
2:30 - 4:00 p.m.
- Chloe Yotter from MCPL’s Square One Small Business - Developing a Social Media Mindset (Auditorium)
- Navigating “bookstagram” can be fun – but overwhelming! Between deciding on a platform, figuring out who to follow, understanding how to post and interact with posts, learning about analytics and more – it can seem like too big of a task to take on. Join us as we dive into cultivating a social media mindset and capturing content in a way that aligns with you and your social media goals. Plus, learn some fun ways to follow your favorites and find fun content that introduces you to new books!
- Rachel Newhouse - Content Generation for Standalone Books (Community Room 1)
- Content generation is easy when you've got a long series, but what if you only have one book--and it isn't even published yet? Whether you're promoting a standalone romance or marketing your first book, this program will give you tips and tricks for generating fresh content and building buzz without stretching yourself too thin. We'll discuss exclusive content, reader magnets, content scheduling, and more. Program in collaboration with MCPL’s Story Center.
- Angela Anderson - Reader Connection through Newsletters and Reading Groups (Community Room 2)
- The question is whether to have a newsletter or not! This workshop focuses on the importance of a newsletter, how to set one up, what to include in it, connecting to your audience and book readers, and utilizing reader groups.
- The question is whether to have a newsletter or not! This workshop focuses on the importance of a newsletter, how to set one up, what to include in it, connecting to your audience and book readers, and utilizing reader groups.
Schedule - Friday, August 9
9:00 - 10:00 a.m.
- Morning Social Hour
10:15 - 11:45 a.m.
- Sierra Simone - Intro to Indie Publishing Thinking of going indie? (Auditorium)
- Join romance author Sierra Simone as she outlines the basics of indie publishing and walks participants through the process of producing a finished book. Participants will then get an overview of their indie publishing options, including publishing digitally, in audio, and in print, and will leave with the resources to build their very own indie author toolkit.
- Janna MacGregor - How to Keep Reader's Expectations When You're Changing Lanes (Community Room 1)
- Have you ever asked yourself, “Mafia romances are making serious bank, so why shouldn’t I?” First off, it’s not a get-rich-quick scheme! But if you’re seriously thinking of writing in a new genre or subgenre, how will you accomplish it while keeping your current readers? How will you find new readers for your new genre? Will you sell wide or put your books into Amazon’s KU? Should you write under another pen name? Spend time with Janna MacGregor as she discusses planning, branding, and how to launch a new subgenre series.
- Xander Winkle from MCPL’s Culinary Center - Will There Be Food? (Community Room 2)
- Learn from the MCPL Culinary Center team how to elevate your next book group or watch party with a themed menu. We’ll discuss some tips for sustaining a lasting book group, and we’ll provide insight for finding the perfect match of cuisine and drink for your romantic read or viewing. And yes, in this session there will be food to try along with the recipes for making that food yourself.
- Angela Anderson - Are You a Fan or Superfan? (Computer Lab)
- This is a street team workshop. It will provide the "How To" of creating that group of fans who are ten toes down for you and your books. This interactive workshop will discuss the power of street teams and the benefits of having a tribe to help spread the word about new releases, author events, activities, and more.
11:45 a.m. - 12:45 p.m.
- Lunch Break
12:45 - 2:15 p.m.
- Lady KC Reading Salon (Auditorium)
- Hosted by Cathy Maxwell, featuring Carmen Schober, Janna MacGregor, & Sierra Simone
- Angela Anderson - Are You PR Ready? (Community Room 1)
- Media interviews, book signings, book launches, tour stops, podcast interviews, video vlogs...
- Ask yourself: Is your media kit, or lack thereof, costing you money, readers, and an audience? How are you showing up? This is an interactive PR marketing workshop to assist you with representing your brand, showing up as your best self, and being ready for your next event, interview, tour, etc.
- It will also include the "Must Haves" to be PR Ready.
- Media interviews, book signings, book launches, tour stops, podcast interviews, video vlogs...
- Shawntelle Madison - Romancing the Beat with LaVryle Spencer (Community Room 2)
- What makes a romance just “work”? It’s not a secret formula. It’s the story beats that hit emotional highs and reader expectations. In this workshop, we’ll break down LaVryle Spencer’s Morning Glory using Gwen Hayes’ Romancing the Beat to explore why the story continues to resonate today.
2:30 - 4:00 p.m.
- Carmen Schober - If I Was Building An Author Platform From Scratch, Here's Exactly How I Would Do It (Auditorium)
- There's nothing more helpful than hindsight! Join Carmen Schober as she shares what she's learned from launching her writing career in 2018 and how she would do it all over again bigger and better. In this course, you will learn the exact strategies and tools necessary to create a strong online presence from the ground up, what to plan for as you gain momentum, and how to troubleshoot when inevitable challenges come. Whether you're a seasoned writer or just starting out, you'll leave with inspiring ideas for effectively promoting your work and connecting with your audience.
- Angela Anderson - Book Reviewing 101 (Community Room 1)
- This is a live interactive book review writing workshop. Learn how to write a book review through note-taking and journaling. Create your own book review journal and how to write an effective book review by answering 3 simple questions.
- Taylor Santini - TikTok for Storytellers & Writers (Computer Lab)
- Learn the basics of storytelling with content creator Taylor Santini. Using examples from well-known writers and storytellers, we will discuss the skills needed to create and polish engaging videos. We will also discover how to recognize and adapt to trends to help you promote your own work while connecting with community.
- Learn the basics of storytelling with content creator Taylor Santini. Using examples from well-known writers and storytellers, we will discuss the skills needed to create and polish engaging videos. We will also discover how to recognize and adapt to trends to help you promote your own work while connecting with community.
Schedule - Saturday, August 10
10:15 - 11:00 a.m.
- Meet the Author: Julia Quinn – (Auditorium)
- Join Bridgerton author, Julia Quinn, for a discussion of her best-selling series followed by a book signing with the author. Attendees are limited to two books per person at the book signing to allow all attendees a chance to have their book signed by the author. Doors will open at 9:45am for this event.
11:00 - 12:00 p.m.
- Book Signing with Julia Quinn
- Attendees are limited to two books per person at the book signing to allow all attendees a chance to have their book signed by the author.
12:00 - 12:30 p.m.
- Lunch Break
12:30 - 1:30 p.m.
- Featured Author Panel (Auditorium)
- Join authors Cathy Maxwell, Janna MacGregor, Shawntelle Madison & Sierra Simone for a discussion about books, writing, and all things romance.
1:30 - 3:00 p.m.
- Book Fair (Community Room 1 & 2)
- It’s everyone’s favorite event – the annual book fair! Browse around, meet the authors, and collect some new books to add to your TBR pile.
- It’s everyone’s favorite event – the annual book fair! Browse around, meet the authors, and collect some new books to add to your TBR pile.
Featured Authors
Check out our collection of books written by some of our Featured Authors!
Contemporary Romance
View all >
All Fired up
All Fired up
The Worst Best Man
The Worst Best Man
Mr. Wrong Number
Mr. Wrong Number
The Neighbor Favor
The Neighbor Favor
Book Lovers
Book Lovers
Fake It Till You Bake It
Fake It Till You Bake It
Husband Material
Husband Material
The Hookup Dilemma
The Hookup Dilemma
Georgie, All Along
Georgie, All Along
Dating Dr. Dil
Dating Dr. Dil
For Butter or Worse
For Butter or Worse
The Soulmate Equation
The Soulmate Equation
The Family You Make
The Family You Make
The Honeymoon Cottage
The Honeymoon Cottage
Part of your World
Part of your World
The Best Is Yet to Come
The Best Is Yet to Come
One Last Stop
One Last Stop
View All
Bridgerton Bibliophiles: Audiobooks You Will Burn For
View all >
Emma
Emma
The Grand Sophy
The Grand Sophy
A Most Suitable Duchess
A Most Suitable Duchess
Devil in Winter
Devil in Winter
Beyond Seduction
Beyond Seduction
The Danger of Desire
The Danger of Desire
The Romance
The Romance
Lord of Scoundrels
Lord of Scoundrels
Pride and Prejudice
Pride and Prejudice
A Lady's Guide to Fortune-Hunting
A Lady's Guide to Fortune-Hunting
In Which Margo Halifax Earns Her Shocking Reputation
In Which Margo Halifax Earns Her Shocking Reputation
A Noble Masquerade
A Noble Masquerade
My Fake Rake
My Fake Rake
What I Did For a Duke
What I Did For a Duke
The Trouble with Dukes
The Trouble with Dukes
A Lady for a Duke
A Lady for a Duke
