Design credit: Nina of Nina Reads.
I am just going to go on record and say it: I think DFW has one of the best and most active book communities in the US. Specifically if you really love romance (all areas) and urban fantasy. We are blessed with numerous amounts of authors, book readers, and book organizations. It is enough to make my little book loving heart go BOOM BOOM!
The topic today is what do I do in my bookish community?
1: I actually belong to two book clubs: DFWTea and The Cover Girls. Both of these groups are very active in the romance book community. DFWTea was founded by Fresh Fiction and they bring a lot of events to our area: Readers and Ritas, Boas and Tiaras, Monthly Teas, Monthly Book clubs (3 in fact and 1 ran by yours truly), and tons of author dinners before signings. You can’t go wrong as a fan getting involved with this group. Cover Girls are also very active in the romance book community. Last year over 10 people from the group traveled to RomCon together and had a blast. It is run by a former buyer from a bookstore so she really knows her stuff! They have great monthly meetings and parties a couple of times a year. They are very good at promoting reading romance. Again you can’t go wrong getting involved with the group!
The Groups:
2: Every Read-a-Thon I participate in is for charity: Literacy Texas! I love this organization and all that it does. I am big supporter in teaching people to read. I don’t care how old you are, if you want to learn there should be a place for you to go do that. Literacy Texas does a great service for our state!
3: I go to TONS of book signings and book events in the area! In fact, I am going to one tomorrow night for Kevin Hearne and Jaye Wells. I get to hang with a bunch of DFW book bloggers and readers. Also, Amy from BookGoonie is coming up so I couldn’t be more excited. It will be a blast! We also have Readers and Ritas, Dreaming in Dallas, Fen Con, Comic Con, Boas and Tiaras, Buns and Roses, and I am sure a few more that aren’t popping in my mind!
Book Signings/Events DFW Area (click on thumbnails for bigger picture)
4: I travel to go to book events! I have been to AADPhilly and RomCon (twice)! Both were just fantastic experiences that I am hoping to repeat many years to come! I actually love going to these events because I get to meet fellow bloggers (that actually ends up being my favorite thing from each of these), readers, and authors. I can’t say enough about getting out there and connecting!
There is nothing more I can say (show) that should convince you to get out into your local (or national) book community than all the fun that is up there! I have several 100 more pictures where all of those came from but I think you get the actual jest! I highly recommend connecting with fellow readers in person as well as online! Nothing is BETTER!
Still on my Conventions wish list: BEA, Lori Foster’s Get Together, Romantic Times, RWA, Horror Con, Thrillerfest, San Diego Comic Con, and getting back to AAD/RomCon
© 2012, Geeky Bloggers Book Blog.
That’s so awesome. It all looks so fun! I hope I get to go to cool events and hang out with awesome bloggers soon!
Yea!! Last year’s AADPhilly was such an amazing time. I hope we can meet up again some where for a drink, some laughs and lots of book talk!!
Gah! Thia makes me want to move back to DFW like right now! It surprises me that DC doesn’t have more bookish type things, but all we get are smutty politicians :(
I do plan to attend BEA next year and hopefully RT2013.
I recognized the last picture in your post. The other blogger is Heather from Book Savvy Babe! Speaking of Heather, she was trying to talk me into going to RomCon this year LOL!
Heather and I had a blast last year. Kelly and I had a blast the year before. Now they are both going and I am the one staying at home. I swear next year I hope all 3 of us are there and maybe we can convince you to come—Just saying :)
I totally love the Romance Cover Shot. FUN!!!! You already rocked my online socks off. Now I’m going to have to charge up my toll tag and burn up the highway to tag along.
I can’t wait to see you tomorrow! It will be fun and we can fan girl over Kevin together :)
Wow! You sure are lucky, Felicia! I think you’re right..you’re in a great area for bookish networking! I would love to do some of my own, but school and work frequently end up getting in the way. Still, I’ll keep trying! Lol.
You have very important schooling to do—you get that done first young lady (there did I at least sound 40 while doing that?)! You will have plenty of time to get out there and get bookish networking :) :) :)
LOL!!! Yep. I think you definitely channeled your age for that one! :D
Love this post!
One reason I’d want to move to the DFW area is because you all have so many great events :)
I’m looking forward to heading there this weekend for Boas and Tiaras :D
Also, I love that pic of me!! LOL
I can’t wait to see you this weekend! It should be fun :)
I have several pictures of you and Joy but that one is my absolute favorite ! You were both just so pretty, relaxed, and sun kissed!
Yes! Everyone should go to one that Felicia is going to just to meet her! She rocks! Plus she helped this clueless girl out in getting around RomCon last year. Wish we were both going this year!
I am so sad I won’t see you this year :( Next year though it is my plan to get back! Come heck or high water—as long as it isn’t an AC Unit or Roof LOL
So much fun! I definitely want to venture out more. Today’s inspired me to try to find more groups a few towns over…hopefully I’ll find some group I can connect with.
You won’t regret it if you do! Meeting fellow readers is just the bomb diggity (yes I did just say that LOL)
Wow you’ve done a lot in the book community. I love all your pictures..especially the one with you in the book cover. haha I want to try a book club that actually gets together like the one your in.
-Melissa @Harley Bear Book Blog
I am really lucky with book clubs! I would say if you were looking for one–look on meetup.com that is where I originally found one of the ones that I joined :) I also found the crochet group I go to there!
Awesome! So much fun! Love all the pics especially that last one, that dude could be on your Top Off Tuesdays. Portland has a great community as well and I am eager to start navigating it a bit more.
Oh wow! You get to meet Kevin Hearne… doing my Napoleon Dynamite imitation here…. “Lucky…”
LOL That dude was at RomCon last year. We had a lot of fun with the modles :)
I bet Portland has an amazing community! It just seem like it would!
Yep tomorrow night —Kevin Hearne and me being all fan girly!
Haha, I love that photoshopped pic! Too cute.
It’s awesome that you’re able to travel to so many things.
I love to travel and last year I based all my traveling around book conventions. I won’t be able to do that for another 2 years but it was a super fun year!
YOU!!! On the cover of a romance novel! LOVE IT!!! You make me want to move to Dallas just so I could be apart of all that awesomeness!
Can’t you just see me on the cover LOL That actually would be sorta fun :)
Ahh, so many great pictures :D What an awesome group of bloggers! I love having so many blogger buddies and access to awesome bookish events!
Oh and how much do I adore the pic of you in costume? I would totally tag along with you for tea-time ;)
♥Isalys / Book Soulmates
Armchair BEA: Book Soulmates on Networking
I love our book teas (we actually have one this weekend) and our group is so loud, fun, and well we talk about all the naughty books we read :)
I adore blogging buddies too and we are both lucky to live around so many :)
OMG too adorable. And so many great pictures. I need to get active in my local book community.
Today and tomorrow’s posts are picture heavy but they speak much better than I can about the fun that I have :)
I am so jealous that you’re so close to so much bookish activity! The nearest events for me are sometimes 3-4 hours drive away and with me being a poor just-graduated student I can’t afford to take the time off work or pay for the gas to go to things :( I am determined to get myself to an event sometime soon though! I’ve made such great friends through the online community and I really want to meet them!
Thanks for sharing!
That would be hard! I am sure though in the coming years that you will be able to attend many of an event. I highly recommend it if you can–they are a total blast :)
I think I hate you!! You are so freaking lucky!! How long have you been blogging that you’ve been to so many conventions so far??? Or did you do it before blogging? Just curious…
I had to pause for a moment and think so early in the am… I forgot what DFW stood for!!! In case anyone else stayed up late on the twitter party, it’s Dallas/Fort Worth… She’s a Texan, baby!!
I’m still hating you b/c you do Readers & Ritas!!! Grrrr, I hear how awesome it is all the time thru Rachel Caine!!! Thanks for sharing your pics!!
NOOOOOO Don’t hate me LOL :)
I have been blogging since 2009 and when I started it was because I didn’t think there was anyone in my area to talk to about books that I read. Boy was I wrong—very very wrong!
I have met Rachel Caine about 20 times and each time she is a delight. I am so lucky that in this area we have her, Rosemary Clement-Moore, Jaye Wells, Dakota Cassidy, Michelle Bardsley, Jill Myles, Loretta Chase, Heather Long, Deborah Crombie, and a few more. Dallas is a great place for authors/readers to interact even in the grocery store though that was quite by accident and a pretty funny story.
I totally regret that I wasn’t into reading when I lived in San Diego (one of the Mysterious Galaxies bookstores is there). Although I had read George RR Martin and I did try and go to a signing of his and that was a fiasco!! Couldn’t get in the store! And it was only for book 3!
I could never hate you!!! I’m just a nice bright shade of green!! Living vicariously :)
LOL I know you couldn’t hate me but that was funny :)
I can relate to the George Martin signing—I missed both Pioneer Woman and Charlaine Harris because the signings were just huge and hard to get into. The Janet Evanovich I had to take off, stand in line at 6 in the morning (and I was number 110) to get a ticket to come back later that night for the signing . It was CRAZY!
Awesome Felicia! And after just having my first (mini) convention in Berlin, I could not agree more with you! It is so much fun finally meeting the people you only know online, and of course the authors! I had such a blad. Totally worth all the travel time and expense.
I am so glad that you had fun and had a chance to experience it! It is totally worth the time/expense/and nervous before feelings. I hope that you get to experience many many more to come!