Note from Amy: Reminder that we split Jennie’s RWA photos into 2 posts. Click here to see Part One!
By Jennie Lucas, author of Reckless Night in Rio (Harlequin Presents Extra, July 2011)
The next day, the editors of Harlequin Mills & Boon invited us for luncheon at a bistro on the Upper East Side. Presents authors being the thrifty girls we are, we decided the most economical way to get to the luncheon was via white stretch limo.
Below, Sharon and I pose with our lovely long-suffering driver.
Inside the limo. From left: Lynn, Sandra, Janette and Sharon.
At lunch. (Hey, isn’t that I Heart Presents guru Amy Wilkins to the right?)
Then came my favorite night of the conference. In fact – my favorite night of the year. THE HARLEQUIN PARTY!!
This exhilarating, exclusive annual party, with dancing, desserts and open bar, always makes me feel so extra happy and proud to be a Harlequin author! The location in New York City was the glamorous Waldorf-Astoria, with a black and white theme. Below: I’m in white and Kate’s in black.
But the party isn’t all just about dancing. In the presentation at the beginning, Sharon Kendrick (below, in gorgeous black opera coat) was awarded for her astounding milestone of 75 published books!
Gorgeous Presents authors Abby, Lucy King and Heidi Rice at the Harlequin party!
Below, some of us take a short break from the dance floor. From left: Maisey Yates, Jennie Lucas, Lynn Raye Harris
The next night was the Rita gala, where we celebrated four (count ‘em, FOUR!) finalists who were Presents authors! I sadly didn’t get a photo of our wonderful Rita finalist Sarah Morgan at the event, but check out the other three in their full-screen glory, at this dessert gala attended by 2,000 people!
First is Abby Green…
And finally, Kate Hewitt.
Speaking of Kate, check out this sex-ay dress that Maisey, newbie Presents author Natasha Tate and I talked her into buying at Lord & Taylor! Kate looks so amazing – like a Presents heroine, instead of a mother of four!! Yowza! (And you can’t even see the dress’s bare back!)
Alas, none of our Presents girls won the Rita this year, but a good time was had by all. Below at our table in the audience, from left: Sandra, Susan and Carole.
Below, Lynn (with wine in her hand… hmmm… so unusual) and Sharon.
Thanks for a wonderful time, New York and RWA!! See you in Anaheim in 2012!
And Presents girls – see you this October in London!! 
Reckless Night in Rio, out now
Thanks for sharing all your wonderful photos, Jennie!
If anyone can’t tell from the photos, Jennie has THE cutest dresses. I covet her fun striped number from the lunch with the editors.
And yeah, that’s me in blue at the lunch
Jennie – you done us proud!
Thanks for posting these – you are an intrepid observer of the social interaction which goes on at these fabulous do’s. See you in October!
xx
Jennie, you are amazing for taking all these photos! You know I never would have bought the dress if you hadn’t been egging me on…
It was a fabulous conference!
Hey, Presents girls, just want you to know that if I only used your first name here, it’s because I already linked to your website (with your full author name) in Part 1.
Amy, it was such a pleasure to finally meet you at the editors’ lunch! Thanks for your comment about my dress. I was in love with it for ages after I saw it in a Kate Spade ad – stuck the ad on my bulletin board for months and finally just had to buy it!
Sharon, you’re so lovely! Thanks as always for hamming it up for photos! It’s more fun to take photos of YOU than anyone.
Kate, you looked so gorgeous! I hope your husband loves seeing you in it on formal night on your cruise to England!
More fabulous pictures! I have no idea why I’m holding the wine, except I must have been ready to take a sip when you snapped the pic.
Thanks for sharing these wonderful photos. It looks like a great time.
Lynn, don’t you remember how you teased me like 3 times in NY, rolling your eyes about the photo I posted of you last year in the Disneyworld bar? The one where you looked so horrified and shocked as you stared at the empty table, and I captioned it, “Where is the wine? Why is there no wine??”
So voila. A photo of you with wine.
Hehe
Hmm. I added a g in brackets that didn’t come through, then a “hehe” that didn’t come through either. That last comment was supposed to be a joke. Please don’t smack me.
Thanks for all the pics and memories Jennie! It was such a great week…it’s too long till next year!
x Abby
Hi Clarissa! Lovely to see you here! Thanks for your nice comments.
Abby….wherever you are is where the party is!
Counting on seeing you in London in October!
Consider yourself smacked.