8 Things I saw at A Day of Wine and Romance at Brook Hollow Winery

1. People wanted to be there. Readers didn’t just go to the event because it just happened to be there and they were in the area. Brook Hollow was way out there. To get to the winery, I drove a couple big highways and then two lane roads. I didn’t see a WaWa for over a hour and a half! The authors at this event came from all parts of New Jersey. I saw readers wear shirts with pictures of books or sayings about how they enjoyed being a reader. It was a destination event.

2. The Brook Hollow Winery is a good place to spend the day. It is in very Northwest New Jersey on Route 94 in Columbia. The vinyard is pretty in the morning when the sun hits the greenery. It seems like miles of clean pretty space. Open fields surround the winery. You can just breathe in the air thinking about it. Parking is close. There are plenty of places for pictures. You have a patio area and open air wood shed. Brook Hollow sells cranberry wine, Riesling and white wine. Take a drink and just enjoy the area. 

3. Authors are creative when they want to get your attention. The days of an author at a folding table with a pile of books waiting for someone to look their way have passed. There were wire racks full of books. Multiple tables had portable lights or spotlights that ran off battery on a line. Ornate tablecloths with logos and designs. Plastic heart necklaces hung from romance books. Bookmarks with tassels and key holders were everywhere. This merchandising isn’t just table ornamentation, you can take home a lot of fun trinkets and pieces. 

4. A person in marketing told me that consistency helps a brand. Book series all have the same color scheme or similar looking characters on the covers. You want a sexy thriller? Look for the cover with the guy who didn’t shave this morning and has a few shirt buttons undone. There will be a woman real close to him. Want rebels? Look for the guy in front of dark background with tattoos on his arms. Want fun? Look for lighter covers with titles in sans serif fonts. The animated character cover is popular in light fare. Have you seen Jennifer Wilk’s covers? 

5. Once upon a time, social media grabbed attention. A lot of those sites aren’t what they once were. It seem like advertising rather than socializing nowadays. However I saw authors that I recognized from Facebook but never met. We didn’t recognize each other in person. It is odd to stand there thinking that “I know you but can’t remember why.” It’s wild to finally meet those authors who I’ve seen in pictures not real life. Thinking about you Lisa Hodorovych. 

6. There were 60 authors in one place. I got to meet  Roz Lee, who organizes these events, Caryl Janis,  Elizabeth John, Gary Frank,  Caridad Piniero, Samantha Ann and so many more. I bought a bunch of books that are now added to my “to read” list.  

7. The readers that came to the event were super-great to meet. Before the event started there was a line at the door! They knew what they liked and had carry bags ready. Even if an author wasn’t the preferred genre, there was no snubbing or judgement. The readers hung out with all of us. They made this event one for the books. 

8. Not sorry that I ended this blog with that lame joke.

   Link for the Winery: https://www.brookhollowwinery.com/

   Authors mentioned:

   http://www.rozlee.net/

   https://www.caridad.com/

   http://authorgaryfrank.com/

   https://www.elizabethjohn.com/