Don’t ask me where to time disappeared too....


Episode #2: New York, United States of America

Traveling overseas is always fun - but then I have to admit that I had never actually done a long distance trip like this on my own. I’ve been spoilt and always travelled with family (even if it was only my boys...) I know I talk to strangers, bad habit #999... I always have talk to strangers, so maybe it was no different... but it was probably the most alone time I have had in many many years.

Sunday 19th July found me on a Virgin flight to USA - New York, via LA. I did however forget to enlighten the airline that I needed a special meal - fail #1... lucky there was this awesome steward on the plane who took fruit and other ‘stuff’ from business class so that I could have something to eat because I couldn’t believe it when both meals had egg in them.... ( And he also told me to bring food for the way home... which I did.) Without any trouble at all, I actually manage the transfer at LA alone and get on my next Delta flight for NY. And on that flight I saw a friend from Aus - Linda Jones (yeah!)

So the 19th was pretty much a write off - just travelled for 30 hours door to door to get to New York. But what view from my hotel room..... Time Square!


















Monday it was time to acclimatize (winter to summer) and get over Jet lag.... And do a spot of sight seeing... okay a bus trip of sights!

And on Monday night - the first of my fabulous Brisbane friends arrived - Leisa Rayven. (So not sure why we didn’t actually take an photies of all of us together... so I stole this from her page instead...).

















And a week of serious writing orientated fun with friends began!

On Tuesday morning I had breakfast with the wonderful editors from Harlequin, Mira. I got there in plenty time,and changed from flat shoes into heels in the lobby of the Woolworths building - YES the actual Woolworths building is where the Harlequin offices are located! I got to go out to this little french restaurant with them. Now editor meetings always make me nervous - so right up I knew that eating was going to be hard... add to that that the restaurant served my hot chocolate in a bowl (yip that is right - a BOWL). But it all worked out alright - they laughed, as did I and we were all happy I sipped at the weird crockery didn’t try and lap it it like a dog....hehe....

The door man gave me a little business card in the Woolworths building to prove I had been into the lobby and not just looked form outside like a tourist window-shopping! But I was lucky enough to go all the way up to the Harlequin floor. It’s amazing up there - and I’m so sorry to hear they will move offices.

The rest of the day I was back on my bus tour ( yes in my nice dress.... just wore the flats and I got kind of sunburnt too!) and on the river, doing my thing, seeing the sights and chatting to lots of interesting people from around America and the rest of the world!

A few pictures of my journey around New York City!



















































And what NY trip would be complete without a waving to the Apple Store just for my hubby!

































Amy Andrews arrived on Tuesday...
and the three amigos were together
and ready to face the RWA America
Community.










Wednesday I volunteered for RWA - got to spend hours and hours in the signing room unpacking 8 pallets of books. And the room looked so awesome when we were all done. Next we chair dropped a room for about 1000 people who would attend the signing, unpacking those boxes there and arranging everything on the chairs so they could sit, and then go through the signing in an orderly fashion - crowd control was fantastic at this conference.

I didn’t get to attend the actual signing as again, I was on the ‘bag’ table ensuring that people going in were not carrying books they could get charged for on exit.

I then went to dinner with the other Aussie and NZ girls and Harlequin Junkie - Sara! It was sort of Stefanie London’s idea to get together, but it was such an awesome dinner. Us down under d are loud but it was so much fun!
















Thursday the conference started and what an amazing time. I met with editors from HarperCollins and St Martin’s, both not the editors I needed to see, but people who could tell me who the right person within their publishing house was to approach - or not... and agents and again... an awesome time was had. And within that awesome was also lots of hard work, lots of management of time and ensuring that I was on time to places and where I had to be in the the right place in a HUGE hotel.

I attended workshops and panel discussions and generally immersed myself into the conference, enjoying it, learning not only my craft, but also how the American market works!

On Thursday night I attended the Harlequin Pajama Party - and yes, I walked down Times Square with my pajamas on... no one batted an eye lid... So this is the Harlequin publicity lady, Kendal Talbot and Emily Madden both fellow stable sisters.





























Friday night - I was dancing in the Startlight Roof of the Waldorf Hotel, attending my very first American Harlequin Black & White ball. So fancy they even gave us socks to dance in so that no one danced bare foot. Glammed up, and alongside all the other Harlequin authors it was such a grand affair! This was THE event to have a ticket to at the conference, and they ticked our names off at the door. Yes, they really did - an invitation only event . Felt surreal to be honest! But I had an amazing time - totally!








































































































An awesome new friend and my doppelgänger .... Mia Kay (I love writers we all have so many names... and yet us two have 2 real names the same... amazing stuff! )

Saturday I met with an agent for two hours over lunch, and it was really not only interesting, but work wise, it was extremely productive and I began to understand why in the NY publishing world, they all breakfast and lunch so much. When you are trying hard to not slurp your lobster bisque, you have to concentrate on every word the other person says so that you can coordinate your eating with her words so if you do happen to drip or anything, it passes in a flurry of words and by the time she is finished, your mouth is empty again and you can answer back... lol


Saturday night was the end of the conference... and the night of the stars - The Rita awards. No dinner or anything, but we got these great gifts, and a chocolate RITA. I brought mine home and it is sitting on my dressing table... I told my family it can only be eaten when its replaced with a Oscar ( I don’t qualify for a RITA as my books have a romantic element and are not romance driven) So Oscar it has to be - for the movie (Talk about aiming high expectations and dreams! )




















On Sunday I met up early with a familiar face and friend - Paul Griffin. He came to CYA Conference a few years back, and we had an amazing time together both then and in NY. Being a paramedic it was handy having him in my home when my one son’s nose decided to do the mother of all bleeds, but he’s also an author, and so we chatted away our time together, and only just as he was putting me on the subway, did we remember to take a ‘selfie’ together. Amazingly, we chatted heaps about the plot for my book #5, and how it effects people in NY and how they cope with it there... you will have to wait and see that subject when it comes, but it was so interesting, I was sorry when our time was up.




Later in the day, Amy and I took the free Staton Island ferry, and while I sang ‘Let the river run’ from Working Girls (quietly so as not to disturb fellow passengers,) Amy was doing these awesome selfies with the statue of liberty in the background.







We ended off with a visit to Ground Zero. Last time I was in NY the towers were still standing, so for me it was an emotional visit to this site. The tastefulness of the memorial is beyond words, and I was surprised at the amount of mums and babies who perished. Yes, I went around looking at all the name!












































Finally, on Monday before we flew out, we visited a post office, and on the way I saw this... there is a construction site on the other side, and there are peep windows to see whats happening.... I was laughing and thinking how the world has changed - 100 years ago it was men who had a peep show from the ladies - now these are ‘perv’ windows for us ladies to goggle at the construction guys... lol

Flight home to Australia was uneventful and I was really happy to get home to my family - but I had such an amazing adventure in NY - I want Shaun to come with me next time, and redo NY through my older eyes... It really is very beautiful!

Till next installment - PNG...