The other day I was looking at the LoveCat’s blog header and
remembering how I met each of the cats. It’s weird because I probably met most
of them “online” before I actually ever met them in real life! But for sure we
all eventually met through various Romance Writer’s of Australia functions over
the years and I'm honoured and humbled to be in their tribe. The funny thing is I can really only remember clearly (or
semi-clearly anyway) how I met three out of the thirteen. But I thought it
might be fun to share a little snippet of what I do remember of each of the
cats because, I don’t know about you, but I love hearing about how people met and not just men and women! I've even managed to dig up photos of almost all of us.
It will be interesting to see which of the cats
has a differing memory because honestly, all these recollections could be
wrong. I have a memory like a seive….
Rachael Bailey – I actually don’t remember which conference was the precise one in which we met, all I do know is that in
about half an hour of meeting her, I’d agreed to be on the RWA committee… She’s
sneaky like that, you gotta watch her!
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| Awww, aren't we sweet? |
Bronwyn Jameson – it was actually at a Harlequin dinner
during one of the conferences where I first met Bron. I remember chatting to
her at one point, crouched down beside her chair. At some stage during that
evening I lost one of my earrings, it was a dangly thing, not expensive but my
favourite at the time. I looked for it but couldn’t find it. The next morning
Bron tracked me down and gave it back to me – it had fallen into her coat pocket
while we were talking.
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| I know I must have a pic with just Bron and I but I couldn't find one but Jen always makes a picture better! |
Ally Blake – Ally and I were picked up by Harlequin at about
the same time. She was registering at the conference desk the same time I was
at our first conference since being signed. She had these amazing red-gold
ringlets and, I cannot tell a lie, I developed a huge girl crush on her. Imagine
my surprise to find the next day that she actually had straight hair!
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| See? Ringlets! Girl crusssssh! |
Now for some memories with the others……
Michelle and Annie – you know, I don’t remember formally
meeting either of these women but I feel like they’ve just always been in my
circle. Michelle and I are scarily alike in many ways it’s almost like we were
separated at birth and for sure, after every conference there’s going to be a
2am pic of us that is not very flattering…..I remember attending a couple of
early Harlequin functions with Annie where I met her lovely hubby but the moment
of introduction….I’m just not sure.
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| Annie and I at one of those early Harlequin functions with Robbie Grady and Lisa Chaplin |
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| This was breakfast at the Windsor, the morning after the last Melbourne conference. Because why not? |
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| The most recent Harlequin do - haven't aged a bit..... |
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| One of those 2 am shots..... |
Sue and Louisa – my fellow medical authors. You know, I’m
not sure which conference we met at, but I know it was in the bar π I think it was Sydney
but there have been many bar meetings since then! And then they took me under their wing at the
Auckland 2011 conference which will be forever seared into my brain because of
the tragic loss of Harlequin author Sandra Hyatt who fell ill during the event. I've also hooked up with Louisa in New York in 2015!
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| Louisa and I with some other medical authors in NYC! |
Melanie – I think we first met at a Harlequin author dinner
too but again, I don’t remember where or when. Or maybe it was a medical author
dinner…I do remember being utterly impressed by Melanie’s dedication to her
craft and remember hoping that I could grow up to be like her π
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| Not a great shot of either of us I'm afraid.....we weren't drunk, I promise. |
Helen and Kandy – again, I think I’ve known these two via
osmosis for such a long time. Always at the same conferences together, hell,
last year Kandy and I were on the same flight home from NY together in 2015 π Have looked high and low for pics but alas.....
Jen – she’s probably going to kill me for not remembering
our exact meeting…it seems like I’ve always know her too. I think she introduced
herself to me at a conference….I do know that Rach and I tag teamed to recruit
her onto the RWA executive. I told you, you had to watch out for that Rachel
Bailey π
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| Okay, I think we were probably a little tipsy in this pic... |
Stef – I think Stef and I have only physically met once.
Correct me if I’m wrong Stef…and that was in New York! I think
most of our correspondence has been online but I think she’s coming to the
Brisbane conference this year so we’re going to have to get a drink or two
together Ms London for makeup tips if nothing else!
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| Stef and I with some fellow authors in NYC! |
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| Another Love Cat pic with a ring in! |
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| Five out of the six of us LoveCats at a conference somewhere...the lovely Sharon Archer one of our cats in the wild! |
So there you have it. My recollections – patchy and
imperfect as they are! I’m sure the cats are going to come on and completely
correct me π
What about you? I’d love to hear about how you met one of
your really good friends.
What a great post Amy and I have been lucky enough to meet most of The Lovecats as well at RWA conferences and ARRA Conventions and lunches I have yet to meet Ally Blake Stefanie London and Yvonne Lindsay and I have to say it has been a joy meeting you all and fingers crossed I get meet you all soon.
ReplyDeleteI do remember the first time I met Anna Campbell after being "friends" with her on the internet at a library talk in Guilford and then a year later Annie West did a talk with Anna what a night there were squeals and Tim Tams involved :)
Have Fun
Helen
Helen, we've loved meeting you too! :-)
DeleteDitto from me, Helen! I clearly remember meeting you at that first ARRC in Melbourne, so there you go :-)
DeleteHelen, it feels like I've known you forever! Maybe we met at the first ARRA book signing?
DeleteThat must have ben it Rachel because I was there and been to all of the ARRC's and quite a few of the RWA Conferences and was planning on being in Queensland for this years RWA conference but they are not having a books signing so not sure now if I will be there might get up there to say hello :)
DeleteHave Fun
Helen
Oh, dear lord, those 2am pics! ;-)
ReplyDeleteWhat a fun post, AA. I can't remember when I actually met you either -- just that it's been fun...and that we're twins. :-)
Annie was the first Lovecat I met as I'd been a hermit writer before becoming published. When she heard a local (to her) had been signed to Harlequin she contacted me and we met for coffee...and we're still meeting for coffee more than ten years later. :-)
Funny story, though. I was sooooo nervous and awe-struck at my first conference that when Rachel said hello to me in the elevator I could barely mumble a hello back. My mind was doing the screeching OMG she just sold to Desire and she's the editor of HeartsTalk and a VERY important person...we still laugh about that. ;-)
lol Michelle. I had quite a few of those pics. Most of them also include Cathryn Hein :-)
DeleteI still feel like that sometimes with "famous" authors when I'm talking to them. I remember being in a lift with Stephanie Laurens in New York. I know Stephanie a little so we chatted but the whole time I was in the lift I was thinking if only these other people in this lift kn``ew that they were in the presence of royatly!! :-)
And after the elevator, Michelle, our first real conversation was at that Harlequin dinner. The fabulous Emily Gee was on my other side and we all had such a lovely time. You and I agreed on that very fist night that we would be (un-real) sisters from then on.
DeleteI remember that Harlequin dinner with much affection, Rach, as well as the commencement of our un-real sister status. :-)
DeleteI'm impressed Amy at your memories!!
ReplyDeleteWe met over email first when you were El Presidente and after I did a couple of things for RWA, you asked me to join the Executive. Interesting to learn that Rachel Bailey was behind the scenes on the recruitment! I think we first met in person at the Sydney conference when I was presenting to the RWA authors about media (I was very nervous as I was going on just after someone really famous!). You're been such a great supporter of my writing and such a great friend ever since!
Rachel was a major recruiter back in the day, Jen :-) She had feelers into everywhere! She really missed her calling in the intelligence indutry methinks :-)
DeleteI clearly remember this one - it was the last Brisbane conference that Amy organised and she was just about to be elected as the incoming RWA president (after the awesome Kelly Hunter stepped down). Amy briefly met Jen (who was at her first conference) and grabbed me (who was continuing on as RWA vice prez) in a break to tell me how awesome Jen was and that we needed her. A plan swung into action and the rest is history. :)
DeleteBwah ha ha ha ha :-)
DeleteI'm sure that I will always enjoy conference photos (no matter how tipsy) until I actually get caught in one myself.
ReplyDeleteI know I've met both current Lovecat Yvonne Lindsay and Lovecat in the Wild Barbara DeLeo when the RWNZ conference was last in Wellington. I'm sure I'll meet the other Lovecats in person given time though.
I don't remember how I met most of my friends - but the most memorable in terms of how the friendship truly developed is the one who I share an ex-boyfriend with. Neither of us actually have anything to do with said male any longer. Basically I knew him from school days, and after he broke up with her a few years ago now, he was trying to control who I had contact with, so I dumped him as a friend all together and spent more time with her.
I LOVE that story, Lyn! :-)
DeleteAnd how awesome to have met some NZ Lovecats!
I'm impressed, Amy. I think we first met at my first Oz conference in Melbourne but got to know each other way better in Coogie, Sydney. And yes, definitely a drink or two involved - but then we can say that for every time we've got together with other Cats.
ReplyDeletelol, yes Sue - a bit of booze is always appreciated isn't it? :-)
DeleteMelbourne...well there you go!
Amy, you're right! Obviously we haven't aged at all! Though I think I'll be asking for soft focus in future pics! I so well remember the night of my first Harlequin ball in Sydney where our hubbies chatted the night away as well. Those nights were such fun. Like you I've met so many special people through conferences and stuff linked to RWA. I can't remember all the dates or places but the warmth of the friendships just keeps on keeping on.
ReplyDeleteI so enjoyed this post. Thanks for sharing.
It was fun putting it together, Annie :-)
DeleteHa! See, my memory is that YOU recruited ME onto the RWA committee. :)
ReplyDeleteHa! You were always beavering away behind the scenes Ms Bailey as offical and unoffical volunteer head honcho!
DeleteYou are amazing to remember all of us like that? I remember being super impressed with your output. Still am! You're a machine. And your friendliness and fun loving nature. You bring such a lot of joy to everyone.
ReplyDeleteWell in that case, Melanie, we have a mutual admiration society going on :-)
DeleteWhat a fun post!! I think we actually met briefly once before the New York confernce - there was a KISS authors lunch organised by Flo Nicholl at Sydney conference in 2014 and I think you were there. My first book had only just come out so I was a super newbie...but I remember sitting next to Nikki Logan and being very star-struck by all the guests :D
ReplyDeleteI knew we *must* have met more than once Stef!
DeleteWhat a fun post! Great idea. I can't actually remember when I first met you, Amy. It must have been at a conference. But I remember how much you (as president of Romance Writers of Australia) helped me when we organised the Sydney conference in 2010. You are always so friendly and inclusive at conferences, which sometimes can seem a tad overwhelming. I loved our flight home from NY in 2015 and shopping in the Duty Free. I still have the beach towel the lady in the perfume shop gave to the Aussies. I'm thinking of when I met the other LoveCats and very clearly remember meeting Annie when we were the first to be published by Power of Love all those years ago. I have RWA to thank for some, wonderful long-lasting friendships.
ReplyDeleteAww, thanks Kandy!
DeleteYou know I'd forgotten all about that towel. See, memory like a seive! :-)
Hmmm, can't quite remember the first time I met you, AA but you're right, I'm pretty sure it was in a bar!!! Hope to keep that tradition up again soon!
ReplyDeleteMe too, Louisa!
DeleteThat's so cool!!!! (and I must take more photos at conferences - your stash is awesome.)
ReplyDeleteMy memory is the sieve-iest ever. One of my clearest early memories of you, AA, is sitting together at a Mills and Boon lunch and talking vasectomies. I can still remember how sore my tummy was from laughing.
Love your trip down memory lane to bits.
Ally