Monday, August 04, 2008

RWA Conference Cleavage

Helen here, and, yes, I’m talking about Friday night’s Harlequin party. Where the wine flows like water, the dance floor shakes, rattles, and rolls and palm trees are felled by crazy romance writers swinging from the limbs like tipsy monkeys.

Okay, okay. So the seven foot tall by four foot wide plastic palm tree actually fell over all by itself some time during the night, bonking some poor soul in the head, but it sounded good, right?

Still it was a wild night. To give you an idea of how wild, here’s Deb Dixon at the beginning of the party.






And here she is at the end of the night!

Whoa, Deb!!





Truly, I had a great time and everyone looked gorgeous. Sexy too. And what follows are the photos to prove it.

Somewhere in here we’ve got Yours Truly, Connie Brockway, Michelle Buonfiglio, Wendy Etherington, Susan Kay Law, Lisa Gardner, Heather Graham, Trish Milburn, Christie Ridgway, Mary Strand, Anne Stuart and Nancy Warren. Yes, Cindy, you're supposed to be in here too, but I deleted your photo - too revealing. I do have SOME discretion. Sheesh!

Let’s have some fun guessing who’s who.














And I have to give away one little clue. Nancy Warren got her 25 BOOK pin Friday night from Harlequin, and she's wearing that special little bauble dead center, as she should. Congrats, NANCY!! That's amazing.

Unfortunately, I took so many shots of lovely women, I forgot what names went with a few of the pics. Not that everyone wasn't wonderfully memorable. I'm just a ditz. Or was it the wine? In any case, claim your cleavage ladies!! Are you in here?


















There is a cute story that goes with these pics.

Saturday morning, the morning after the party, I got up early for breakfast with my editor. My dh and son were still sound asleep when I left. A while later, I returned to the room to find my husband flicking through the pics on the camera. He turned to me with a grin and said, "I'm so glad you didn't make me go to the Harlequin party last night. All the highlights are right here!"

Here's to beautiful boobs!!

22 comments:

Anonymous said...

Okay, at the next BelleBooks board meeting we're making Deb Dixon show her cleavage. LOL and now I'm off to copy my husband on this link.

Keri Ford said...

Soooo Cindy's picture was MORE revealing than Deb's 2nd one??

I can barely match names to faces, much less breasts to faces!

Kathleen Eagle said...

Helen, this is fantastic! I know all the people you name, but damned if I recognize any boobs.

Maybe Clyde will....

Kathleen Eagle said...

Helen, are your feet touching the ground yet? No rush. Float on, golden girl!

Unknown said...

Helennnnnn, I'm so sorry I couldn't stay to congratulate you in personal. But HUUUUUGGGGE Congrats! I was so happy to hear you won. You make us proud.

And now boobs on top of it all. Could things get any better?

Kathy, did Clyde have any luck matching photos to names?

And Michele, you're fantastic! Thanks for holding down the fort while we were off looking at boobage (a new word I just learned this weekend). :)

Anonymous said...

This is so hysterically funny! It's awesome to know that girls still wanna have fun! So sad that I missed the party. Congrats again to Helen and thanks for posting the fun pics.

Estella said...

Looks like fun was had by all!

WK said...

LOL that would be my hubby. When he sees this page he's gonna be eager for next year!

Sounds like a great time by all.

hugs,
WendyK

Christie Ridgway said...

First, congrats to our Helen! Yahoo!

Second, I can't boob match. I know mine, and Nancy Warren's because of the pin (congrats to her, too) but all I can say about the rest is...wow. And, um, thanks for posing. When I was told I had to show cleavage I couldn't exactly demur since I was well, showing cleavage. Plus, I made have already had a martini by that time.

The Harlequin party was fabulous as usual, I also saw the tree fall, but it didn't stop the crazy dancers (including myself).

Unknown said...

Okay, I was THERE and I still can't guess who was whom!

Helen, dear, congrats on the golden girl and enjoy, enjoy, enjoy! We're so very proud of you and I'm so disappointed I didn't get to see you on your big night. Believe me, I tried to find you and snap a photo for posterity. But it looks like you won't lack for those. . . for here you are, radiant and beautiful and successful beyond expectation.

Someday you'll have to post about your meteoric rise to fame and fortune. . . and your "girl interrupted/writer interrupted" career. And especially how it feels when things all go RIGHT!

Again, Congratulations and know that several glasses have been lifted in your honor!

Many, many more.

Darcy Burke said...

These pics are awesome! Deb told me you were doing this and I'm only sorry I didn't crash the Harlequin party!

Congratulations on your Rita, Helen!!

Kay Thomas said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Kay Thomas said...

Congratulations on the Rita, Helen!

I'm thrilled for you. Saturday night I turned to my friends and said, "I know her, I know her! I met her at the Harlequin party. She photographed my um....hmm."

You know there wasn't any way to explain it. I'll send 'em the link.

My very best wishes to you!

Helen Brenna said...

Okay, Kay, so which one are you? LOL

Time to tell, huh?

Top pic is Susie on the left (ain't she cute?) and Mary Strand on the right (she's one of my Princesses and was our local chapter president for years).

Next row - Me, Lisa Gardner and Wendy Etherington in the dazzling green sequins.

Next, Trish Milburn (who started all this at dinner when my camera just had to take a pic of her gorgeous skin!), Nancy Warren (see the pin) and our own Christie-we're-talking-cleavage-galore Ridgway!!

Next is Michelle Buonfiglio (very classy in black sequins) and Connie-let-'em-hang Brockway.

The bottom pic with the gorgeous fur is Heather Graham.

So there!

Sherry A Davis said...

Congratulations, Helen!! Wow, this really turned out better than I expected. It was a lot of fun, too :)

It was my first time at the Harlequin party. You ladies know how to have fun. Great DJ, too!

BTW, I'm the black lace. I was all worried about "too much" and "too little" but I can see I'm in great company.

Kay Thomas said...

Okay Helen
I chickened out on “outing myself” then reposted the same comment. It’s nice to know my bosom is in excellent company. I’m right below Heather’s lovely fur. In the center, black v-neck, no necklace. I’m just glad my momma doesn’t surf the web!

Again, many congratulations on your success Saturday night.

amy kennedy said...

Helen, I am so happy you won, it was so exciting and deserving. I'm still realing from all this.

And yes, my cleavage--or lack there of--is on display. I'm in the second group, second row grey dress with pendant with my hand under my breasts to show you where, indeed, they are.

Helen, a bench was broken as well...good times, good times.

Karen Foley said...

What a total riot!! I was at the party, so I totally recognize Nancy's cleavage, er, dress (lime green-yellow with chocolate insert), as well as Lisa Jackson's (gorgeous gold lace overlay) and Wendy Etherington's (mermaid green sequins).

Helen Brenna said...

Sherry and Kay! Yes, thanks for commenting. You were so brave to pose for such an interesting pic with a TOTAL stranger!! LOL

Amy - I didn't know this was YOU! Cool. So glad to connect these by-line names with faces!! And I loved the way you "Presented" your bosom with your hand. So cute!

Karen, now I'm wishing I hadn't named everyone! You got 'em!

Helen Brenna said...

Janet Dean is in the black and white leopard stripe. She's a debut author with her first HQ inspirational due to be released this September. Hoping to have her come and ride with us some time that month!

Debra Dixon said...

Hey, Helen said she really hadn't gotten serious cleavage and I said, well I could do better than the first shot.

But I'm looking at these pics and she had some serious cleavage shots.

We are RIDING WTH THE TOP DOWN. :)

jamie carie said...

Hilarious post, Helen! Congratulations on your RITA win!! I am so happy for you!! Sorry I didn't get the chance to see you in person - I looked for you after the ceremony but couldn't find you, darn it:-) Next time for sure though!
Jamie