It’s been a busy summer so far for the Dare family!  I recently returned from a wonderful time at the American Library Association conference in Las Vegas, and soon I’ll be headed to two events in Texas.

July 20-22 – “For the Love of Books: Readers Love Romance!” at Lake Austin Spa

I am beyond excited for this. What could be better than a gathering of readers and writers, at a world-class spa retreat?  Lake Austin Spa is gorgeous in the photos, and I can’t wait to experience it myself. I’ll be there with amazing bestselling authors Lori Wilde and Kerrelyn Sparks, and anyone else who would love to join us for a few days of pampering, writing, and talking romance. There will be romance trivia, a writing workshop, wine and cheese… I think I’m even leading (or straggling on) a hiking excursion!  If you have a few days to spare, please consider joining us!

Romance Writers of America annual conference, July 22-27 in San Antonio, TX

The RWA annual conference is always a highlight of my year.  If you’re anywhere near San Antonio, please mark your calendar for the annual “Readers for Life” Literacy Autographing on Wednesday, July 23rd, from 5:30-7:30 at the Marriott Rivercenter hotel. This wonderful event with 500 authors is open to the public – all books are donated by the publishers, and proceeds go to support local literacy causes.

For those attending the conference, I’ll be moderating a panel on Thursday at 4:30:

Suffragettes and Alpha Males: Exploring Feminism in Romance.

Speakers: Zoë Archer, Lorelie Brown, Tessa Dare, Julie Leto, Carrie Lofty, and Jeri Smith-Ready

Six multipublished authors and self-described feminists representing multiple romance subgenres engage in a lively roundtable discussion of varying interpretations of feminism, the evolution of the romance genre, writing strong female characters, and gender power balance in and out of the bedroom.

I’m also looking forward to the RITA and Golden Heart awards on Saturday night, not least because Any Duchess Will Do is a finalist in the Historical Romance category! Like Pauline, I will be trying not to trip over my feet in my fancy, sparkly gown. 🙂

Hope you’re having a great summer!