GRL 2018

GRL 2018 has come and gone. What a world wind of excitement, love and friendship this event is. I was a "Newbie" to GRL this year and I received a button pin with two intertwined cherries on it. I met people who've attended 3, 5 or even 8 years, the number of GRL events that have taken place. Why, I wondered, would someone keep coming back year after year. Why? 

Here's what I discovered. GRL isn't just a book event where you can go meet your favorite authors. It's a place where you go to connect with those you already know and those you've shared social media with, sometimes for years. These people become new friends on a personal level. Most importantly GRL is a place where you can be yourself. 

It doesn't matter whether you are gay, lesbian, bi, pansexual, asexual, a trans man, a trans woman, trying to figure out where your place is in this spectrum of people, or like me an over sixty straight woman who just loves this genre and it's tribe. Yep, I said tribe, because when this group of diverse, multicultural people come together it becomes a family... a tribe... where everyone is accepted. 

Some might have personal issues with someone there but for a few short days, they put aside that and come together to share their love of books, authors, the written word and this genre in particular.

I also had the opportunity to meet an author who has personally inspired me on many levels. Josh Lanyon is a multi award winning writer in the MM genre. Her books have warmed my heart and made me think and she has been a gracious and kind internet friend. In person, she is just as gracious and just as inspiring. There were others as well, who have inspired me and challenged me as an author. GRL lets us all come together to encourage and uplift each other.

Now that I've been once, I don't ever want to miss another one. 

I'm busy working on Book 3 of the Knights Club and looking forward to the next 2 books as well. We're going to start a fire in our fire pit tonight and enjoy this crisp fall evening. I hope you are enjoying the weekend with your family as well. 

Love that Binds us All
CJ