The Morrill Memorial Library is partnering with Ashland Public Library and other Massachusetts public libraries to host a panel discussion on the topic of body positivity in romance novels with romance authors Olivia Dade, Julie Murphy, Sierra Simone, and Denise Williams on Saturday, September 14 at 10:00am on Zoom.

Romance authors Olivia Dade, Julie Murphy, Sierra Simone, and Denise Williams will speak about body positivity in the romance genre. This promises to be an important, fascinating, and fun conversation with some of the very best contemporary romance authors advocating the message that every body is deserving of love and respect!

About the authors:

Olivia Dade grew up an undeniable nerd, prone to ignoring the world around her as she read any book she could find. Her favorites, though, were always, always romances. As an adult, she earned an M.A. in American history and worked in a variety of jobs that required the donning of actual pants: Colonial Williamsburg interpreter, high school teacher, academic tutor, and (of course) librarian. Now, however, she has finally achieved her lifelong goal of wearing pajamas all day as a hermit-like writer and enthusiastic hag. She currently lives outside Stockholm with her delightful family and their ever-burgeoning collection of books.

Julie Murphy lives in North Texas with her husband who loves her and her cats who tolerate her. A former librarian, Julie is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of books for all ages including Dumplin’ (now a film on Netflix and one of TIME Magazine's 100 Best YA Books of All Time), Dear Sweet Pea, and If the Shoe Fits. She is also the co-author of the Christmas Notch series with Sierra Simone. Julie has been featured by Good Morning America, Teen Vogue, The New York Times, Vanity Fair, and more. When she's not writing or reliving her reference desk glory days, she can be found watching made-for-TV movies, hunting for the perfect slice of cheese pizza, and planning her next great travel adventure.

Sierra Simone is a voracious reader of all things including the smuttiest smut, piles of non-fiction, and old-timey books with brooding widowers. She loves writing about the dirtiest things that she can think of, King Arthur, sparkling water, ancient mystery cults, coffee, leggings, and fog. Her previous jobs have included firing ceramics, teaching living history lessons in one-room school house in full 1904 school marm attire, and working in a library for several years (not in that order). She lives in the Kansas City area with her husband, two children, and two giant dogs. And one horrible cat.

Denise Williams wrote her first book in the second grade. I Hate You and its sequel, I Still Hate You, featured a tough, funny heroine, a quirky hero, witty banter, and a dragon. Minus the dragons, these are still the books she likes to write. After penning those early works, she finished second grade and eventually earned a PhD. After growing up a military brat around the world and across the country, Denise now lives in Iowa with her husband, son, and two ornery shih-tzus who think they own the house. How to Fail at Flirting was her debut novel and she can usually be found reading, writing, or thinking about love stories.

Register directly on Zoom HERE.

Registrants will receive a link to access the Zoom webinar via email from Ashland Public Library, the hosting institution. This program is generously supported by the Friends of the Ashland Public Library. Note: This program will be recorded. All registrants will receive the recording via email within 48 hours of the program.