Lights, Camera, HEA: Romance Screen Adaptations

Romance-Con | Presented by Toledo Library

The rom-com is back, and we are here for it! Cara Tanamachi and panelists will explore how screen adaptations have helped boost the genre, influence publishing trends, and create new readers.

At each program, authors will speak, followed by a question and answer session. This event is free, and tickets are not required.  For other Romance-Con events and offerings, visit toledolibrary.org/romance-con.

ABOUT THE MODERATOR

Cara Tanamachi is the USA Today bestselling author of the Emma-Award Winning, The Takeover, and the Diverse Writers and Readers International romance book literary award winner, The Second You’re Single. She also writes under the name Cara Lockwood, and has written 38 books and counting, including I Do (But I Don’t), which became an original Lifetime Movie. She wrote the novelization of The Dater’s Handbook, a Hallmark movie starring Meghan Markle. She lives near Chicago with her spouse and blended family. Her next book, a rom-com murder mystery called Kiss, Marry, Kill will be published by Hachette/Grand Central Publishing the summer 2026.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Adib Khorram is a queer Iranian American author of fiction for all ages. He lives in Kansas City, Missouri.

Ellie Palmer is a lifelong lover of love stories, a carrier of the BRCA1 mutation, and a prototypical Midwesterner who routinely apologizes to inanimate objects when she bumps into them. When she’s not writing romantic comedies featuring delightfully messy characters, she’s at home in Minnesota, eating breakfast food, watching too much reality television, and triple texting her husband about their son.

Shyla Colt, a USA Today Bestselling author, is a chaos wrangler, chronic crafter, and imaginary friend collector. The wife and mom of two road trips with her weird brood when she’s not taking on a new hobby or bingeing on spooky podcasts and documentaries. She writes strong women with sass, plenty of nerdy tendencies, and intriguing, intense males who love them.

Emery Rachelle (they/them) is bisexual, genderfluid, and somehow always hungry. They write spicy queer love stories with magic, diversity, plenty of love interests, and (eventually) happily-ever-afters.

Sensory Considerations: This program will use artificial lighting.  All speakers will use microphones.

Accessibility Details: Located on the first floor, accessed by elevator and/or stairs. All doors will feature an automatic function or be propped open prior to program start. Tile or low pile carpet throughout the building. Limited free parking is available in the attached garage. 

Please call Public Services at 419-259-5293 to request an accommodation at least two weeks prior to the program date. 

Romance-Con is presented by Toledo Library, with support from Destination Toledo, the official Destination Marketing Organization promoting the Toledo, Ohio region to visitors, meeting and convention business locally, regionally, and nationwide.