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!

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.
• 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.