Celebrate Romance 1999
I’ve been a romance reader all of my life. I started out with the oldies but goodies—Woodiwiss, McBain, Busbee—and as the genre has grown and expanded I’ve been growing and expanding right along with it, though not always in the right places (age has a way of expanding the body as well as the mind). So you’d think that after almost two decades of immersing myself in stories that have always satisfied a large corner of my soul, I’d know all there is to know about romance readers, right?
Wrong.
CR99 crystallized a whole bunch of thoughts for me about myself and about romance readers. I’m happy to report that I know myself much better and rejoice in the fact that there are so many others out there like me. What exactly did I discover?
Romance readers are a sensual bunch. Be it a Riesling white wine from Germany, the delicious cuisine of a five-star restaurant, a decadent chocolate dessert, or the titillating picture of a Scotsman with his kilt flapping up, the ladies at CR99 always found a way to turn an ordinary occurrence into a moment well-lived and unforgettable. The saying "live each moment to its fullest" gained new meaning those two nights in Philadelphia.
Romance readers are a caring bunch. They have never heard the term "outsider." If you read romance, you’re "in" with the group and welcomed unconditionally with open arms. I have rarely had an experience such as the CR99 conference, where I immediately felt at ease with folks I have never met. I walked into the Westin Suites Hotel and discovered a true sisterhood with ladies who understood my passion for romance and appreciated me for it.
Romance readers are an obsessive bunch. I thought I was the only one who bought romance novels to the point of obsession. It was a relief to discover that all of those tricks I’ve used to sneak another bag of new books past my husband are shared by the CR99’ers. I learned that my sagging bookshelf and mountainous TBR pile are repeated in homes across the country and as they say, misery loves company. Someday, I promise I’ll read every last one of them, but for now, I’ll just rearrange the piles of books so they don’t fall over, and dream of the day when I’ve planted myself on a sandy beach with only one task: to read what I’ve bought.
Romance readers are a stubborn bunch. I have my favorite authors, as does everyone else. I’m willing to defend my favorite authors to the death, as was everyone else at CR99. So I’m not alone in my pigheadedness. I heard many rousing discussions about various authors around the tables in the CR99 conference rooms, and no matter how logical the argument, readers simply would not give up their favorite authors. Yes, a reader would listen to criticism about an author, but just as quickly she’d counter those criticisms with positive comments. How nice, I thought, listening to these debates. I felt like I was among family. In fact, I remember doing just the same for my black-sheep brother a month or so back.
Romance readers know how to have fun. The CR99 conference easily ranks as one of the most enjoyable in my experience. Perhaps this last point is a result of the four previous ones: romance readers routinely seek ways to stoke their senses, they obsess over books, and stubbornly debate stories; while a thread of caring runs through it all. In essence, readers at CR99 gave each other the freedom to be themselves, without pretense or political correctness. We debated and indulged and rejoiced in the common thread that binds us all together: the love of romance.
I’m looking forward to next year’s CR99 conference, a place where I can lay my sins on the table and discover they’re not sins at all but an expression of gladness over stories that have moved me since I first started reading. There, among friends both new and old, I’ll celebrate romance as only a romance reader can, and gain memories that will keep me smiling long afterward.