In the last two weeks I’ve had the pleasure of attending two book signing events. These events involve a lot of preparation, particularly when they are interstate (OMG I feel for those authors coming from overseas!), and I think most authors find the lead up fairly stressful. Will the paperbacks I’ve ordered turn up on time? What swag would my readers like? How to I get everything (including me) to the venue on time? Plus, like many others I know, there’s the nervous anticipation about the day itself. It’s so easy to have doubts. Will anyone stop by to say hi? Will they even know who I am?
The Sydney event was large and predominately MF authors. There were only a few of us who write MM and even fewer who write only MM. But I felt it important to attend and wave the MM flag. The nerves were high but I was also excited.
I needn’t have worried. It was wonderful to meet the readers who’d preordered my books. Can you imagine? People who loved my stories enough to want to make sure they didn’t miss out on a copy of the paperback. And then there were the readers who stopped by to grab a book on the day. There were readers who just wanted a signature and that was wonderful too. They’d stop by my table and tell me what a fabulous day they were having meeting all the authors they adored. I had some fun conversations with readers who didn’t even know gay romance existed and were intrigued by the concept of these romance books. I hope that I’ve managed to tempt them enough to give our genre a try!
Regardless of the genre and tropes they read, it was great to belong. I was surrounded by hundreds of people just like me – people who are passionate about reading and adore their book boyfriends, people who live for joy of reading and experiencing happy ever afters.
This past weekend in Brisbane took the tribe to a whole new level. The MM presence was ramped up including a few MM authors who’d flown in from overseas (any fans of Nora Phoenix and Sloane Kennedy out there?) – such a thrill for readers in Australia because we know how far and how expensive it is for these authors to travel – damn Australia for being so far away from everywhere else! There was also a great Aussie MM author presence. There was very much social feel to this signing with a couple of group dinners. It was great to see all the people so passionate about the meet up that they’d traveled from all areas of the country, and such a thrill to put faces to the names of Facebook friends!
So many readers told me what an honour it was to meet me, but let me tell you, that goes both ways.
Being a writer can be a lonely and isolating business. I quietly type away and produce my stories, giving my characters the happy ending I know they deserve, then sending them out into the ether. It’s passion for telling stories that keeps me writing, but seeing the reader love for my books is so nurturing for my spirit.
This weekend brought home how blessed I am to be part of such a wonderful book community.
And today I start on a new journey, sharing my thoughts with the readers of the Love Bytes blog. A big thank you to Dani for inviting me and a big thank you to everyone for sharing the love of gay romance stories.
Happy reading,
Nic xx
Nic Starr lives in Australia where she tries to squeeze as much into her busy life as possible. Balancing the demands of a corporate career with raising a family and writing can be challenging but she wouldn’t give it up for the world.
Always a reader, the lure of m/m romance was strong and she devoured hundreds of wonderful m/m romance books before realising she had some stories of her own that needed to be told.
Nic loves to spend time with her family—an understanding husband, two beautiful daughters, and a cherished Cairn terrier. Nic is a foodie and wine lover who lives in the city but is a country girl at heart. When not writing or reading, she is often found indulging in her love of cooking and planning her dream home in the country.
You can find Nic on Facebook, Twitter and her blog. She’d love it if you stopped by to say hi.
Author Social Media Links
Website & Blog: http://www.nicstarr.com
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Nic-Starr/e/B00MAWRRQG/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nicki.nicstar
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/NicStarrAuthor
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/NicStarr/
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Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8139967.Nic_Starr