Ink & Espresso: Ideas Brewed

4 days ago
2 min read

I just got home from a three-day book event, IRAE, and the best way I can describe it is this:

It didn’t feel like an event.

It felt like a family reunion.

The kind with laughter echoing across the room, inside jokes forming between people, some who had just met, and playful back-and-forth moments that picked up right where we left off—even after two years apart—like no time had passed at all. There were stories shared, tight hugs, and more than a few play-fights that had everyone laughing.

And honestly? That’s the magic of book people. 📚

One of my favorite parts of the weekend was sitting in on the Q&A panels that included both husbands and readers. Their responses had the entire room crying with laughter one minute—and letting out a collective aww the next. There’s something incredibly special about seeing partners step into the conversation and support the worlds their wives love so deeply. And hearing readers share their perspectives right alongside them made the experience even richer.

But what stayed with me the most were the conversations.

Not just with readers.

With authors, too.

There’s a quiet understanding that happens when writers gather together. Many of us have walked similar roads—struggles with doubt, delays, revisions that never seemed to end, stories that took longer than expected to find their way into the world. Talking with other authors who get it reminded me how important community is in this journey.

Not just any community.

A supportive one.

One that shows love. One that builds each other up. One that reminds you that you’re not walking this road alone.

Writing can be solitary.

Being an author shouldn’t be.

And then there were the readers. 💬

Hearing what readers are excited about… what stories they’re waiting for… which characters stayed with them… what they hope to see next—that kind of connection fuels a writer in ways that are hard to explain unless you’ve experienced it.

It reminded me why I started writing romance in the first place.

Because books create sisterhood.

Between authors.

Between readers.

Between women who believe in love stories, second chances, and characters who stay with us long after the final page.

This weekend wasn’t just about signing books.

It was about celebrating what we all share.

A love of stories.

A love of connection.

And a love of the worlds we build together—one page at a time. ✍🏽☕

If you were there, laughed with me, talked books with me, or simply stopped by my table to say hello… thank you.

You made the whole weekend feel like home.

Today’s Brew ☕

Red Bull, Whiskey, and the tasty Painkiller carried me through IRAE. A nice strong pot of Bustelo is working its magic as I review my notes & recover!