I’m in San Diego this week at the Romance Writers of America
conference. It’s always an exciting
event for me and many of the other writers
who blog at Super Authors since we get to visit with each other, meet readers
and chat with the incredibly talented people who work in our publishing house. ![]() |
Last year's Harlequin Party-- Jules Bennett, Joanne Rock, Danica Favorite and Super Author Dana Nussio |
This week is a reward of sorts for all of us. Writing—while
fun!—is an isolating sort of business. To be successful at it, a writer has to
spend long hours alone with the computer, thinking and creating. Some days it’s
fun and more days it’s incredibly difficult. Writing one book is a thrilling
challenge. Making a career of this work means spending large chunks of time
alone with no one to share the day to day challenges of storylines and characters
that are unique to one writer’s brain. In other words, it’s tough to draw
people into our strange little worlds! Readers won’t meet the characters we’re
engaging with until long after we’re done with the hard work of penning their
stories.
That’s where the reward comes in. Our yearly writing
conference gives us all the chance to socialize. We celebrate our success,
quietly mourn our setbacks, and share all the craziness of an otherwise lonely
job. And feel fortunate for the outlet. I feel bad for writers of other genres
who don’t have the outreach that Romance Writers of America has—we have a big
network of support in one another.
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Book #4 in Heartache, TN series |
The romance community is bonded not just by the choice of
books we choose to read and write. It’s also bound by a positive outlook that
pervades our stories and—we hope—our lives. You see, authors of romance differ
in many ways. But we are the same in our need to fight for a happy ending. I’ve
wondered in the past how I got so lucky to know such a positive, uplifting
group in my romance friends. But it’s occurred to me there’s a reason we’re all
drawn to romance in the first place. We are the kind of people who hope that
obstacles can be overcome with hard work, that relationships can be healed with
care and effort, and that love is a beautiful driving force in the world.
Every year, I look forward to that kind of sisterhood—the
embrace of a caring community that works to make the world a better place. And if that sounds like a romanticized view? It may just be. And that's precisely why I like it.

27 comments:
I call my friend Rosemarie for a quick pick me up. She's a hoot & a half. Solid as a rock too.
My mom, she is also my best friend & I can always count on her!
I would call my daughter she's 21 and the best friend/daughter anyone could have.
Penney
The members of my sisterhood include my mom and aunts, my female cousins, my nieces, and my three very dear best girlfriends. I am blessed to be surrounded by wonderful women! I would love to read this book as would my "sisters" as we are Tennessee girls!
I have my sisters that mean the world to me! They're my all time pick me up! Love them to pieces!
When I'm down & I need someone to talk to which is a lot lately, I call my friend Ann. I'm dealing with my Husband who has Stage 4 Kidney Cancer for the last 2 years & almost every day he sleeps more & eats less & deals with pain, which he takes pills for. I try & do what I can for him, but sometimes it is overwhelming & I need a distraction & that's where books come in. They help me keep my mind on the story & not what is going on in my life. Thanks for this over the top generous giveaway. Thanks for listening to my story. Linda May
I call my mom
My best friend. She lives several states away now, but I know she'll always be there for me and cheer me up when I'm down!
If I need someone to lift my spirits, I call my daughter or sisters or my friends.Thank you for the opportunity to win. I enjoy reading your books.
I call a girlfriend. We have been friends since high school.
I call my Aunt Beth or a few of my Besties from back home .. Sometimes I just need nature and a good book
I am always afraid I am going to bother someone when they are busy. So, I usually send an email or Facebook message with someone. That way they can reply on their own terms. But my go to friend when I need a lift is one of my cats. She is always there for me. And lets be honest, sometimes telling your problems to someone you know won't repeat them or judge you is often the best of all. Plus a cuddle doesn't hurt either.
I will usually text one of my close friends or talk to my husband.
My mom and my best friend are gone now. Thank God for my husband and daughter.
Great giveaway, BTW. 😊
I call my friend Marsha.
denise
I will go to my mother. She is my rock.
But most of the time, I don't really like to show my emotion and talk about it.
My mom
I used to talk with my best friend Teresa until God took her to a better place to relieve her pain. Now, I write it in a journal. It's not the same though.
i would call my twin sister....we talk several times a day
My best friend, she's only a phonecall away. I can talk to her about anything, she never judges me & knows just what I need to hear.
Depends on the time of day, day of the week, my mood, and what is depressing me. Could be my sister 2000+ miles away ... or girlfriends 1, 2 or 4 hours away ... a neighbour ... or even my daughter. If it is something I can share with a male, I would share with my friends at badminton, as I see them several nights a week (plus weekend tournaments), but usually I share with females. Girlfriends Rock (pun intended)!
mom
bn100candg at hotmail dot com
Now that my daughter is almost 18, we have the best talks. I love her insight too. Have fun Joanne. Wish I could be there, everyone looks like they are having so much fun
I text or call my best friend Jessica. She has known me for close to 16 years and we have gone through a lot together. I have buried my dad, aunt, grandmother, step-grandmother, and step-grandfather in the last 5 years or so and she was right by my side through it all... and I was right by her side when she had to bury her husband 3 years ago. She is like a sister to me, and she understands that life gets in the way sometimes. So even when we don't talk to each other for months at a time, when we are able to talk to each other again, we pick up right where we left off. :) She is my rock. (and i hope i'm hers!)
Linda May, hugs on the hard road with your husband. I'm so glad to know that romance and books are a good outlet for you... and Ann too! Where would we be without the friends to bolster us when we need it?
Sonya-- how fortunate you are!! So glad you have that kind of network around you to lift you up. I just got back from my biggest dose of friend time at that RWA conference and it was so wonderful to be surrounded by a wealth of positive, uplifting women.
***Congratulations to Janine, winner of the post prize!! Janine, all you need to do is email me with a mailing address and I'll ship your prize out ASAP. Send to jrock008@gmail.com
Thank you all so much for sharing in the sisterhood this week!!
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