Indie bookstores nationwide will celebrate the romance book genre with store events, author readings, and themed merchandise on Saturday, August 17, 2019.  Avoiding the oversaturation of Valentine’s Day in February, Bookstore Romance Day is scheduled to take place during Romance Awareness Month, occurring each August (because August is the hottest month of the year). Begun in 1987 by Eileen Buchheim, Romance Awareness Month was intended to celebrate romance in all its forms. Tired of the antiquated notion that independent bookstores are too snobby to sell romance titles, the independent booksellers behind Bookstore Romance Day intend to show romance authors, romance publishers, and romance readers that romance books are more than supported – they’re celebrated. “There are those of us who have been quietly reading and supporting the genre for years, and we’re being joined and supported by a new generation of booksellers who believe all reading is good reading,” said Billie Bloebaum of Third Street Books in McMinnville, OR, the bookseller who first proposed the event. “There’s still a lot of work to do, still hearts and minds to change, but progress is being made, and an event like this should, we hope, raise the visibility of romance-friendly bookstores.” The 2019 date is intended to be a soft launch for what will become a yearly event with booksellers and bookstores around the country, corporate and independent publishers, authors from all romance genres and sub-genres, and romance readers coming together for author readers, in-store and virtual events, exclusive merchandise, and above all, a celebration of love and romance.

For more info:BookstoreRomanceDay.org or contact Billie Bloebaum billie@bookstoreromanceday.org