Cari McComas

“We need a writer’s group,” I told my friend, as I glanced around the small coffee shop.

“There’s a group here already.” She looked at me over the edge of her cup as she sipped on ginger peach tea.

We were schmoozing at a favorite downtown Café after having met several published authors at a conference. 

“I mean a specific writer’s group—like for Romance Writers.”

A quiet “Oh,” issued forth as she peered into her cup, “I don’t think there are many of those kind of writers around here,” she admitted in a low voice.

I rolled my eyes in her direction. “Why do people do that? You automatically assumed that writing romance is, well, not ‘real’ writing?”

“Sorry, I didn’t mean it that way.”

I leaned forward in the leather chair and set my own cup on a slate coffee table. As a Romance Writer, I can get a bit touchy when others, even other writers don’t understand the truth of it. So, for the millionth time I said, “It’s the same process as all novel writing. There are so many genres—contemporary, suspense, historical, paranormal--and of course, you have to know how to write the love scenes. But you’ve got to be the best at it to get published.”

After a moment of silence she replied, “Okay, then where shall we start with this new group of yours?”

“How about with ‘Write Your Heart Out’,” I said, and smiled big.

We got the word out about the new group, which started up as an online Romance Writers group. We opened the doors to several other writers of fiction as well. But we restricted the posts to writing, marketing or critiquing each others work. In other words, all serious and about becoming published.

I’ll never forget one of the first email inquiries I received. It was from Becky. And she sounded so excited to hear about the new group. “...I’m writing a romantic suspense, and I can’t wait to get into a romance critique group. Oh, my name is Becky Conrad and by the way, I’m blind...” Just like that, so matter of fact that it was hard to believe at first.

Over the past two years, I’ve come to know Becky well. As the old saying goes, ‘to know her is to love her’ is certainly true. We developed a friendship as we became romance writing buddies. Up until just a few weeks ago, our emails passed back and forth several times a week as we worked on our stories, and sometimes talked on the phone.   

I believe in this woman who is so full of life and energy and drive. I know she will accomplish anything she sets out to do. And she will beat the latest overwhelming horrible dilemma that has charged headlong into her already hectic life.

I believe in Becky Conrad who is so much more than a mother, a wife, a business owner and an author. She is one of the strongest, bravest women I’ve ever known.

Yes, she is a Romance Writer too, who will no doubt become published in her chosen genre.

Copyright © 2007 by Cari McComas

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