About this event
Calling all sapphic fiction lovers! Get ready for two days of fun, insight, and creativity at TLR Con—where stories, imagination, and the love of sapphic fiction take center stage!
Panelists
- A.L. Brooks
- Alyson Root
- Anne Shade
- Aurora Rey
- Bryce Oakley
- Cheyenne Blue
- Clare Ashton
- Clare Lydon
- Emily Waters
- Georgia Beers
- Jamey Moody
- Kimberly J.M. Wilson
- Melissa Brayden
- Melissa Tereze
- Rachel Lacey
- Rita Potter
- S.W. Andersen
- Stephanie Shea
The Details
Dates: 15 and 16 March 2025
Times:
6:00 PM – 10:00 PM UK time
11:00 AM – 3:00 PM Pacific Time (PT)
1:00 PM – 5:00 PM Central Time (CT)
2:00 PM – 6:00 PM Eastern Time (ET)
4:30 AM – 8:30 AM Australian Central Time (ACT) (next day)
Platform: Zoom (download and sign up to zoom for free, no need for a zoom subscription to attend).
Video Recording: Yes, the event will be recorded and available to ticketholders for a limited time after the event. Thereafter it becomes TLR Champion/Patron content only.
Tickets: $30 each. Free for TLR Champions, and there are free community tickets available for those who would love to attend but cannot afford it (contact me to book a community ticket).
Panels 15 March
The Ultimate Showdown – Sweet vs Spicy
Panelists: Melissa Tereze, A. L. Brooks, Bryce Oakley, Clare Ashton
It’s showdown time! Our panelists will face off, defending either the sweet romance or spicy romance tropes in sapphic fiction. Who will win the crowd’s favour? You decide! It’s going to be fierce, fun, and fabulous.
How Life Informs Art and Art leads Life
Panelists: Alyson Root, A. L. Brooks, S.W. Andersen, Rachel Lacey
Experiences, funny things or skills that have made it into your books. What passions do you share, food, great alcohol etc
And then how your art has affected readers – got them to try new places, new experiences, new foods
Top Tropes
Panelists: Jamey Moody, Melissa Tereze, Emily Waters
We discuss some of the best known and most loved tropes in the sector Age Gap, Ice Queen, Workplace, One Bed, Fake Relationship, Steamy. Why do we love them? How are they changing? Why are they so popular?
We also check in on some past favourite tropes like Coming out, Straight to gay, Friends to lovers, Second chance, Small Town – do these still hold up, do we still have an appetite for them Have they evolved for the modern reader?
How Romance Authors Do It
Panelists: Clare Lydon, Jamey Moody, Anne Shade, Melissa Brayden
Behind the scenes of the process from idea to publishing.
- What happens when the muse is on strike? What it means to be a full time author. Deadlines – love them or hate them?
- What was the best thing you ever did for yourself as an author?
- How do you write a novel that readers will fall in love with? How do you stand out from the crowd? What is involved in marketing? How involved are you in the editing, cover design and
Panels 16 March
Live Story Creation Panel
Panelists: Bryce Oakley, Alyson Root, SW Andersen, Rita Potter
Ever wondered how authors come up with those incredible plots? Watch the magic happen live as talented authors collaborate on the spot to craft an original sapphic story. You’ll give them some plot points and witness their creativity in action as they plot out a story.
Books from Start to Finish
Panelists: Rita Potter, Kimberly J.M. Wilson, Stephanie Shea, Aurora Rey
How to pitch a book, how to actually write the book, plotting, planning, pantsing, coming unstuck and fixing major plot problems.
Skills you need to be an author – how much is writing and how much is everything else?
What surprised you about being an author?
The Romance Rundown
Panelists: Cheyenne Blue, Anne Shade, Clare Ashton, Aurora Rey
Let’s talk love! Join our panelists as they explore the heart of sapphic romance—their personal favourite tropes, steamy dynamics, and what makes a romance unforgettable. Come ready to swoon, sigh, and pick up book recommendations!
This one is a little bit of romance fan love, a little bit of what they love to write and a little peak of what’s coming to your romance shelves soon.
US, Australia, vs UK romances
Brayden and Beers Behind the Scenes
Panelists: Melissa Brayden and Georgia Beers
The journey from start to now: how they got to where they are; how the sector changed and how they changed the sector.
Where to from here: where they want to see the sector go and where they want to go as an author.
