#Farewell to #Book Conferences by Pat Simmons

Whether you're a reader or author, we crave book conferences where the common goal is books, authors, and parties. We give little thought to the expense of dragging a fifty-pound suitcase of books through the airport or paying almost a hundred dollars to ship boxes home. It's part of our world.

It's my time to breathe, meet new readers, and hear new ways to promote.

I've been attending multiple book conferences a year since my first book was released in 2007, except during the height of the pandemic. Last month was bittersweet when I had to say goodbye to many longtime friends at Houston's last Book Lovers Con (BLC). This conference is one of the others that the pandemic, for lack of a better word, killed. This is the third one that I know about and they create voids in our travel destination plans.

Book lovers are a community, a family where we see attendees' children who tag along with their parents grownup. I think about my daughter who came with me to the now-defunct RT BOOKLOVERS CONVENTION. I think about Mark and his daughter we called Princess, and BLC's organizer JoCarol Jones and her granddaughter JoJo.

Authors and readers are cheering that JoCarol will be able to bounce back in the future. 

But I do have a bit of good news for readers looking for fun, fellowship, and a whole lot of books. Whether your interest is history or women's fiction, the Christian Book Lovers Retreat, creates an atmosphere for readers and authors to relax with craft activities, recharge with morning inspiration, and get to know authors with interactive games. Of course, there is a book fair. You do not have to be Christian to attend.

I hope those looking for a sweet, welcoming place to gather, collect new books, and meet new friends will check out www.ChristianBookLoversRetreat.com. I even have a coupon code for $50 off if you register within the next two weeks. Use pat23.

If you know about other conferences, please share them, so we can reconnect.

See more photos from my fun time at BLC on my website: 

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Get ready for my newest release DAY SHE PRAYED. sequel to DAY NOT PROMISED. Whether you read Christian fiction or not, this is a must-read. 

Here's a review of DAY NOT PROMISED: "The title is appropriate and the storyline could have happened anywhere in the world! Mitchell, Omega, Called and April all had their lives changed in an instant! Loved everything about how the story was told, the visual effects, showing the battle for our very souls! Prayer warriors in all shapes, sizes and ages on the front lines!"

About...

Pat Simmons is a multi-published Christian romance author of forty-plus titles. She is a self-proclaimed genealogy sleuth and a five-time recipient of the RSJ Emma Rodgers Award for Best Inspirational Romance and the 2022 winner of the Leslie Esdaile “Trailblazer” Award.

Pat holds a B.S. in mass communications from Emerson College in Boston, Massachusetts, and has worked in radio, television, and print media for more than twenty years. Visit her at www.patsimmons.net.