How I Met The Girls
by Rhys Ford
I owed The Blogger Girls a post. In the middle of a firestorm of deadlines and art and more deadline, I owe a blog post and for the life of me, I had no idea what to write about. One of them suggested I write about meeting the most fantastic Blogger Girls.
Okay and to be honest, it was pretty fantastic. Because they are awesomesauce.
Let me set the scene.
The fantabulous Jacob Flores and I are huddling at a table in a corner of a massive hall. Okay maybe not Comic Con massive but large enough. We’ve already decided we would sit together, drink coffee and probably spend the time talking since no one in their right minds has heard of us and really, we’re not authors*. Not really.
So the doors open and well, Jacob gets swarmed. I’m pretty sure they were not only drawn by his brilliance but also by his thousand-watt smile. People come by and ask me to sign things.
I am perplexed. Still… pretty much a bit of what the fuck is this? I don’t know you! Only people I know have read my shit because well, they HAVE to.** Guilt, emotional terrorism…whatever you want to call it.. that’s how you got a Rhys Ford book on your kindle.
Because you had no choice.
And then in the mass of confusion, names and faces… a pack of women appear.
I can’t even tell you who all was in the group. I was that flummoxed. They knew about Cole and Jae…and Miki and Kane. Or maybe… I can’t even tell you what I talked about because it was a blur. Their faces I remembered because really they were so damned nice.
It’s good to be nice to a terrified writer. We also like coffee and maybe the occasional caramel but mostly coffee.
And see from that pack of very sweet people, you have a few of the Blogger Girls.
Who are fantastic people and truly, wonderful, strong, personable and most of all generous with their affection. And man, a love of books.
Because that’s what binds us all together at GRL. Books.
I don’t go to GRL because I’m an author. I go because I’m a reader who happens to throw brain vomit on some pixels and someone’s foolish enough to push them into larger pixels and onto pages. I am grateful for that foolishness. I am an author by the grace of readers, not because I write. I will always write or concoct or spin stories in my head but getting them past my brain, past my thoughts and past my fingers requires a reader.
And see, I love to read. I love to discuss books. And the why of a plot and the who of a character. There’s so much background to writing that interests me or rather tickles some part of my brain and it hums when it’s happy. It purrs too. There’s an immense satisfaction in reading but there’s also a connectivity between all of us. People speak of the Tribe which does envelope our devotion to equality but see, GRL goes beyond that bond. I think it goes even deeper that.
We are Readers, first and foremost. And I truly believe that’s the foundation of our experiences at GRL. We have sought out one another and celebrate that bond. This gathering allows us to discover new authors and connect with familiar ones. We make new friends and renew old friendships.
I’m looking forward to seeing the Blogger Girls again. Because nothing beats a smile in person and a lovely hug from people you scarcely know in person but are so intimate with on so many levels.
So there you go. Gay Rom Lit in a nutshell. Yes, alcohol, talking, no sleep, early mornings, late nights, mumbling over food, loud laughter but most of all, readers. Singularly, readers.
* By the way, that feeling never really goes away.
** Yeah, this is another thing that never goes away. In my head, only people I know on a face to face basis on whom I’ve foisted my book on have read it. I have six readers. They might rotate depending on the book but SIX!
Rhys Ford was born and raised in Hawai’i then wandered off to see the world. After chewing through a pile of books, a lot of odd food, and a stray boyfriend or two, Rhys eventually landed in San Diego, which is a very nice place but seriously needs more rain.
Rhys admits to sharing the house with three cats of varying degrees of black fur and a ginger cairn terrorist. Rhys is also enslaved to the upkeep a 1979 Pontiac Firebird, a Toshiba laptop, and an overworked red coffee maker.
As part of her GRL stop, Rhys is offering up a $20 gift card to Amazon (or other e-tailer)! Yay!
The giveaway starts now and will end next Thursday, July 31st, 2014, at 11:59 pm EST. After which the lucky winner will be randomly picked. To enter, just click the link below!
Please be aware that the only way to enter the giveaway is to click the Rafflecopter link above. Any comments on this post will not count towards entering the giveaway, except to verify your Rafflecopter entry.
Good luck!
Check out TBG’s GRL Blog Tour Schedule
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Title: Dark Space
The Blogger Girls 