The region’s first romance book convention is in Scranton on Saturday, with 113 authors organized by level of spiciness and around 450 tickets already sold. Scranton author Tara Conrad and her husband, George, said Electric City Love Con is exceeding their expectations.
Here’s what romance lovers can expect:
Authors will chat with readers, sell and sign books, and give out little extras, such as stickers and bookmarks. Among the best known authors are Dakota Willink, who is the convention’s main sponsor, and Aleatha Romig, also a sponsor. Regional authors include Tina Gallagher, Cissy Mecca, Raven Storm, Eden Bradley and Stephanie Julian.
A map will lead readers to various genres of romance, such as dark mafia, LGBTQ + and romantasy, a blend of romance and fantasy. A scale of hot pepper icons will steer readers to their comfort level of sexual explicitness. “We have such a variety of authors,” Conrad said.
Dakota Willink is one of the nationally known writers participating in Electric City Love Con. ( Dakota Willink)
Aleatha Romig will meet readers at Electric City Love Con on Saturday. (Aleatha Romig)
Author Willow Winters will be at Electric City Love Con. (Willow Winters)
Tara Conrad at the Radisson Lackawanna Station Hotel, where she will hold Electric City Love Con.
(JASON ARDAN / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
The setting is the Radisson at Lackawanna Station hotel, 700 Lackawanna Ave., an elaborate 1908 train station Conrad said would be perfect for a historical or time-travel romance.
Electric City Tattoo will be offering themed tattoos and the Lackawanna County Library System will be issuing library cards.
Admission is $25 at the door or at taraconradauthor.com/eclc. Admission is free for library and bookstore staff, with identification. All 125 VIP tickets and all the scheduled dinners with authors sold out within weeks of being announced, she said.
Around 50 foreign authors, most of them Canadian, canceled. “They specifically said they are afraid to cross the border,” Conrad said. The convention was originally going to use two spaces in the hotel; now the entire event will be in a ballroom.
Amid increased immigration enforcement, there have been high-profile accounts of travelers and American citizens delayed or detained at borders, even with valid passports and visas. Canadians are wary, and angry, as President Donald Trump repeatedly says he wants Canada to become an American state, Conrad said.
The convention is a sign that romance is big business, Conrad said. A frequently cited statistic puts annual revenue for American romance writing at $1.4 billion. It boomed after “Fifty Shades of Grey” became a bestseller in 2011. The number of authors and readers grew with the rise of self-published books and e-books, Conrad said.
“Sometimes people laugh at us. But you know, we are cashing our paychecks,” said Conrad, who will be selling and signing. She has published 14 books under the tagline “Where Darkness and Love Collide.” Her books include retellings of Edgar Allan Poe stories, with mafioso in leading roles.
If you go
What: Electric City Love Con romance book readers and writers convention, with 113 authors and on-site tattoos.
When: Saturday, from 1 to 5 p.m.
Where: Radisson at Lackawanna Station hotel, 700 Lackawanna Ave., Scranton.
Tickets: $25 at the door and at taraconradauthor.com/eclc. The website also gives a list of authors. Admission is free for library and bookstore staff, with identification.
(Ravi Kant via pexels.com)