Saturday, April 23, 2011

Romance Slam Jam

“The Romance Slam Jam grew out of an early desire to recognize, and pay respect to OUR authors, and to celebrate their craft with their avid fans.”

Emma Rodgers, Ashira Tosihwe and Francis Ray gave birth to the ROMANCE SLAM JAM in 1995 in Dallas, Texas, to demonstrate what Nikki Giovanni describes as “The Power, Passion and Pain of Black Love.” (quoted from www.romanceslamjam.org)

On April 27 hundreds of readers and authors (me included) will merge on Baltimore, Maryland for 4 days for fellowship and fun. This is one of the best reader-writer conferences ever. Its not too big and its not too small. It was the Romance Slam Jam conference where I realized there is a whole lot more to writing romance than I ever imagined. I remember the one I attended like it was yesterday. Raleigh-Durham, NC. My first book 'A Walk in the Rain,' had just been released maybe two months before I hit the road with Felicia Mason. I'm not sure if I was more afraid of the fact that I was going to this conference or that the Felicia Mason had invited me to join her on the road trip. It was Felicia's book, Body and Soul that tossed me into the world of African American romance and the desire to write a book. Wow. What a time of my life.

Now, even though the years have ticked by, and I have about 14 titles to my writing credit, my writing has evolved into something wonderful and the readers are as fantastic as ever, I will never stop going to the Romance Slam Jam. My hats off to the readers and authors who paved the way for us. My heartfelt thanks and gratitude.

Watch out Baltimore. Here we come!

1 comment: