Meg Miller | Guest columnist

The Pflugerville Public Library will host its 13th annual Romance Readers Social at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 13, to celebrate the romance genre and Texas authors. We'll meet virtually via Webex for a live author chat and sun catcher craft tutorial. Register online to receive an event link and to submit questions for the authors atbit.ly/3sb5ZEH.

Through a generous donation by the Friends of the Pflugerville Library, the first 50 registered guests will be able to pick up a bag with craft supplies and other goodies using the library'scurbside service between Feb.8 and Feb. 20.

As with all library programs, theevent is free. You'll just need a device with access to audio and video, or you can call in for audio only. Anyone 18 and olderis encouraged to register. Hosting the event virtually allows the library to welcome romance fans from Pflugerville and beyond. If you arent already a fan of the genre, this is a prime opportunity to enjoy an afternoon with other readers and authors talking about stories they love.

Maybe you found comfort reading a romance in the past year or are a long-time fan of the genre. Perhaps you even have fond memories of previous Romance Readers Social events. Wesure do. This year wont have the traditional spread of cupcakes and signed copies, but our romance readers are getting an amazing lineup of authors representing a wide spectrum of titles. The authors range from Tracey Livesay and Sajni Patels fresh contemporary stories to the paranormal worlds of Kerrelyn Sparks to the historical charm of Lorraine Heath. Read on to find out a bit more about each of this years authors and join us on Feb.13.

Patel was born in vibrant India and raised in the heart of Texas, surrounded by a lot of delicious food and plenty of diversity. She draws on her personal experiences, cultural expectationsand southern flair to create worlds that center around strong Indian women. Once in MMA, shes now all about puppies and rainbows and tortured love stories.

Heath always dreamed of being a writer. After graduating from the University of Texas, she wrote training manuals and computer code, but something was always missing. When she read a romance novel, she became not only hooked on the genre, but quickly realized what her writing lacked: rebels, scoundrelsand rogues. She's been writing about them ever since. Her work has been recognized with numerous industry awards, including RWA's RITA. Her novels have appeared on the USA TODAYand New York Times bestseller lists.

Livesays latest release, "Like Lovers Do," was named one of the 100 Best Fiction Books of 2020 by Kirkus Reviews and one of the Top 10 Romances of 2020 by Entertainment Weekly. Shes the 2020 Emma Award winner for Best Interracial Romance for "Sweet Talkin Lover." In addition to being named to USA TODAYs list of 100 Black Novelists You Should Read, shes been featured inThe New York Times,The Washington Post, The Chicago Tribuneand onCBS This Morning.

Sparks apparently has issues with reality.After writing 16 books about vampires, she has now completely gone off the deep end and wound up on another planet.But how thrilling that she can share her magical world of "The Embraced" with her readers. Although she is best known (so far) for the "Love at Stake" series, which has hit as high as No. 5on the New York Times list and 22 on the USA TODAYlist, she hopes her readers will also love "The Embraced" series.

For more information on events at the Pflugerville Public Library, check us out on Facebook @PflugervilleLibrary or visit library.pflugervilletx.gov for event dates and times. The library regularly offers free programs and special events for all ages. We hope to see you soon.

Meg Miller is the adult services librarian at the Pflugerville Public Library.

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Guest column: Love is in the air at the Pflugerville Library - Austin American-Statesman