Tuesday, August 5, 2008

Jennie Lucas and Trish Morey - Overheard At RWA

by Caren Crane

While at the RWA national conference in San Francisco last week, I kept my eyes and ears wide open. Not only are there romance writing stars aplenty at conference, there is also plenty of goss to be heard (that's "gossip" for us Americans). Then again, sometimes you overhear good friends indulging in a treacly love-fest, completely adoring each other's work. I overheard one such conversation last week between Harlequin Presents authors Jennie Lucas and Trish Morey.



Lean in close and let me play the tape I conveniently made of their conversation:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

JENNIE: Trish, you were a pal and fave author long before you became a mentor. It's because of you that I got my first sale to my dream line, Harlequin Presents. You wouldn't let me quit writing that book, no matter how much I whined, "But I'm wasting my time, they won't buy another American author!" I've never been so happy to be wrong! I can't thank you enough!

TRISH: Well you sent a big basket of flowers to me in Australia when you got the Call, that was a nice start! The bouquet was even bigger than the one in the bike basket on your website! Seriously though, Jennie, I always thought you'd make it. And now look where we are - from Golden Heart finalists in 2003 to Presents shelfmates this month. Awesome!

JENNIE: I know, I can hardly believe it! Your books rock, Trish. I can't wait to read The Italian Boss's Mistress of Revenge. And not only are we shelfmates, but our stories both feature Italian heroes!

TRISH: Well, Jennie, there's probably a reason for that, and here's one of them... It's such a chore writing about Italian heroes when they look like this guy, when they're not doing the Presents scowl of course. So tell me about your Caretti's Forced Bride. I heard it was about a secret child. Maybe a little too secret? There's no mention of that anywhere on the cover.


JENNIE: The most beautiful princess in the world secretly had a baby at eighteen, the result of an affair with a poor Italian-American mechanic. To hide the scandal, her beloved elder brother passed off the child as his own. Ten years later, Isabelle desperately needs help and turns to that mechanic, now a self-made billionaire. Paolo agrees to help - but only if she'll be his one-night mistress. She accepts because she's never stopped loving him, but she's terrified. If he learns the truth, her "nephew" - who's now king of the Mediterranean country - could lose everything.

TRISH: That sounds amazing, I can't wait to read it. And you're probably not going to believe this, because the title doesn't give it away, but my story also features a baby, or at least a pregnancy, something that nicely complicates the bargain Dante Carrazzo has made to get hotel manager Mackenzi Keogh into his bed. A baby is something neither of them bargained on.

JENNIE: Babies, babies! What is it about these Italian men, do you think, that they're all so amazingly virile?

TRISH: LOL. Well, it's certainly got to be something good that makes people forget about protection, or renders it useless.

JENNIE: Ha!!

TRISH: Mind you, with the likes of men like this, I suspect I might not only forget about protection. I might just forget to breathe...

JENNIE: Phwoar. I take your point. Although I’m a married woman so looking at that photo is making me blush — I’m covering my eyes. (I swear!)

TRISH: Yeah. I’m covering my eyes too. *grin*

JENNIE: Ahem. (*still blushing*) I was just in Italy in May, attending a creative writing course with Sharon Kendrick. It was my first trip there and there really is something about those Mediterranean men. Even the waiters were incredible.

TRISH: I'm green with envy! Although I will be in Italy myself in just two short months.

JENNIE: Oooh, lucky girl! I only had one day to be look around Tuscany, as I was mostly hard at work on the writing course. Next time I just want to be a tourist!

TRISH: It's been years since we were last there and we're looking forward to taking the tinlids back and renewing our Italian love affair with the country. Here's a very ancient pic of me and a couple of the girls at Pisa, and to illustrate how ancient it is - or how short I am - all my kids are now taller than me, not just the one in my hubbies backpack while he took the pic but even the one that wasn't yet born. No wonder I write short contemporary. :-)

JENNIE: LOL. And I thought you were only in it for the men!

TRISH: It's research, Jennie, research. Here's another I think you might like. I slaved hours over a hot google looking for this one...



And this guy is so versatile. Not only does he look good dressed but he looks equally good undressed...



Now that's what I call versatile. :-)

JENNIE: Looks like he's hero material to me! But the beauty of our job is that we don't just have to limit ourselves to Italian men. It's the whole Mediterranean region.

TRISH: And that’s why I’m off to Greece right after Italy.

JENNIE: Grrr!!

TRISH: Don’t be jealous, Jennie. I promise I’ll be back with lots of photos! And then we can discuss our other favorite topic — Greek men! *wink*

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Trish Morey's The Italian Boss's Mistress of Revenge and Jennie Lucas’s Caretti's Forced Bride are on sale now in the U.S. Bring some Italian hunkiness home today!

Well, Banditas, who knew we would get our tender ears burned eavesdropping - er, listening - to that conversation? Wah! I feel slightly naughty eyeballing those Italian hunks, don't you? There is a better than slight chance that both Jennie and Trish will be with us today (barring jet lag on Trish's end and total conference meltdown on Jennie's). They saw me sneaking off with the tape recorder and Jennie twisted my arm (really hard) until I told her they could be guests and defend themselves and their love of Italian hunks.

Graciously, Jennie and Trish have offered signed copies of their books to lucky Bandita Buddy commenters. So tell us BBs, how do you really feel about Italian hunks?

100 comments:

Gannon Carr said...

Bwahahaha!!!!

Gannon Carr said...

Oh, how I wish there were pictures!

Seriously, I love Italian men! We lived in Italy for two years, so I was able to ogle to my heart's content. Lucky for me, my own hubby is half Italian, and I definitely ogle him!

Jennie Lucas said...

Hi Gannon!

Ooh, married to an Italian? That must really be something! Details???

Although to be honest, at the moment my mind is straying from Italian men to think about how great conference was. It was so cool to see the Banditas at dinner on Tuesday night--I knew it was you because, well, basically how many groups worship a big stuffed rooster over dinner??

What a thrill it was to see some of my old pals like Caren and Trish M, and I definitely let loose a big ol' squee to finally meet FauxAnna. God that was cool. And I got pictures. When photos are working on blogger again maybe I'll post some!

But I'm almost relieved that the photos aren't working on blogger. One of Trish Morey's photos really made me blush. It's an Italian guy in bed with a strategically placed sheet. It's hot--almost too hot to handle. I had to close my eyes!!

Louisa Cornell said...

Gannon,congrats on capturing our own version of an Italian hunk .... of chicken!!

Jennie, you canNOT describe the picture of the Italian man clad in just a bit of sheet and then not show it!!! Unfair!!

Got back from conference late last night and let me just say that the Banditas KNOW how to party!! I had such a lovely, lovely time meeting and hanging out with the Bandits. You are all such wonderful, wonderful, sweet, friendly women. I love you all dearly and I am so glad I got to meet you!! Congrats Susan on your Golden Heart win!!!! SQUEEEEE!!!!

Italian men? What's NOT to love. Gorgeous ..... Gorgeous ..... Gorgeous. I visited my friend (also named Pam - she was Tall Pam and I was Short Pam when we were in grad school - when she was doing her Fulbright year in Italy while I was doing mine in Austria. She lived in Perugia in an apartment building that seemed to be occupied by her, one other girl and 30 or more GORGEOUS Italian men. They were all so sweet and sexy. They have a way of looking at any woman and making her feel sexy! It's all that golden skin, dark hair, dark eyes and white teeth and those sexy half-grins that does it. I spent most of my visit to Italy in a perpetual state of MELTING because they were SO hot!! And YES, they do pinch your bottom, given the opportunity!! The very best was riding on the back of one of those little scooters all over town with my arms around a young Italian god who was ten years younger than me!! MAMA MIA!!!!

Tawny said...

Oooooooh man! I'm pouting majorly here at blogger for ruining our eye candy :-( Not fair! These hunks sound delish.

I'm a fan of hunks of every nationality, but the Italion ones are definitely extra hot, IMO. As these books sound, too.

Jennie, Trish -welcome to the Lair and thank you so much for letting us peek into your conversatin ;-) congrats on your new releases, I'll definitely watch for them.

Gannon, you treat that rooster gently... he had a rough week LOL. I do have a picture of him in a tiara, though - I'll have to upload it and share.

Jane said...

Wtg, Gannon.

What's not to love about Italian hunks? Tall, dark and handsome always gets to me. Greek men fit that category, too. I just checked out those lovely book covers.

Trish Morey said...

Hey wow, a gal goes away a few days and everything she says is taken down in evidence against her? I just today lobbed back home (where it is mightily damp and chilly, I might add) from a fabulous conference in SF, and at this stage I'm still vertical (who knows for how long?). But hey, Jennie, did you know those Banditas were listening to our chat that day? What a tricky bunch!:-))

Truly, it's a pleasure to be here, even if the pics aren't showing up. Let's hope that can be rectified soon, because honestly guys, you're missing out on some serious eye candy here...

Helen said...

Well done Gannon have fun with him

Great post Ladies I wish I could see the pictures the description is enough to give me a hot flush.

Italian and Greek men tall dark handsome and they have such beautiful dark eyes and their bums are usually georgous love seeing eye candy like that.

The stories sound great I will have to look when I am shopping on Friday are they available here in Australia.

Trish the cool weather is great for curling up with a great book with a georgous Italian in it !!.

Have Fun
Helen

Helen said...

Louisa

Congrats on your win and I am so glad you had such fun

Have Fun
Helen

Margay Leah Justice said...

I looooooove Italian food - and the lasagna's not bad, either! Seriously, I am a hardcore "tall, dark and handsome"-loving girl, so Italian men are right up my alley, so to speak. Bring 'em on!

Maureen said...

Congratulations on your books Jennie and Trish and how lucky for you to visit Italy for your research of Italian men.

Caren Crane said...

Jennie and Trish, welcome! And everyone, the HOTTIES ARE NOW POSTED!! Yes, Blogger decided to play nice with us and has released the pictures. Be sure to go back and ogle - er, see - the gorgeous pics.

Love to all. I'm off to work! Please make Jennie and Trish most welcome whilst I slave away, won't you?

Carol said...

Wow Gannon...12.02, that was well done the GR would not have had time to catch his breath...like cinderella ...whisked over to your house!!

Words from Helen yesterday
Welcome back everyone so glad that you all had such a good time in SF I am really looking forward to seeing more photos and hearing more about it. I am sure we will hear more from the cloned GR you had in SF with you!!

Hi Everyone, Ditto to Nancy's words...
Lots of photo's please when blogger cranks up!

Re Italian men...I actually don't know any!
Ummm I have an idea (am I wrong?) that they are rather chauvinist... and I love a man who will wipe the the dishes for his woman!

Gosh...the only Italians I can think of are Michelangelo (David ain't bad!)and Leo da vinci!

Someone give me a name please! Blogger some pic's...

Cheers Carol

Carol said...

Ps ...Sorry that quote was from Helen...sorry Helen on the misquote!

Gannon Carr said...

Yay! The pictures are up. Now, that's a wonderful sight to wake up to!

The GR is sleeping in this morning. Still feeling the effects of all that partying in San Fran, I suppose. ;)

jo robertson said...

Welcome to the Lair, Jennie and Trish! My goodness, such heart palpitations created by you two ladies and your amazing-looking fellows!

Congrats on the rooster, Gannon, and how lucky for you to have LIVED in Italy for two years. Sigh. I'm sooooo jealous.

Jennie and Trish, your books sound delicious. I do love a good angsty story!

Dina said...

Hi and congrats on your realeases Jennie and Trish.

I was married to an Italian man, but he was not a hunk like your picks, lol. But I do love them. :)

Donna MacMeans said...

Dear Heaven - Where's a girl's fan when she needs one. Those pics were HOT! (and the stories as well - well done, ladies). Don't know about you guys - but me moniter shows the tighty whities on that A/X hunk as ultra-white, like they were air-brushed on. Take them OFF! Whew -

Had to take my black pants to the dry cleaners to see if they can get the cake frosting off. Plus they need to work on the brush with my pink ink pad again on black. I'm nothing if not a challenge to my drycleaner.

Gannon - better check the GR for frosting as well. He was on a sugar high at the party.

Lovely post, Caren

Anonymous said...

Great post, ladies, and such fun to meet everyone in SF! For me, cold hard reality set in at 8AM yesterday, when I set foot back into the offices of the DDJ (dreaded day job) and found rather than importing Esri's elves to do the work in my absence, my boss just let it pile up behind me! Darn it! So I'll be digging out for a while.

Meanwhile, thanks for the eye candy, ladies, but what's with the self-love? Is it just me, or do all those Italian men have their hands down their own pants? Hmmm? ;-)

Joan said...

I'll take two of the first Italian guy...the one who looks like he's being tickled.....and yes, I have successfullly imagined MY hands being the ones doing the tickling.

Welcome to the lair ladies! Your stories sound amazing and it is always cool to see yet another example of writers mutually supporting (haranging, prodding, threatening, er, encouraging) each other.

And I'll agree, Italian guys are hot....the ancestors of your guys (my Roman boys) are prime examples.

:-)

Terri Osburn said...

Mamma Mia is right! Whew! Those boys are adorable. And I'm with Joanie, I want that first one. Only I say we take the shirt away as it looks like he might be thinking of putting it back on.

I dated an Italian Cajun once. Those were good times. VERY good time. ;)

These books sound like great fun - secret babies and all. I'm still recovering from the conference but have become very popular here at work as I have Tim Tams on my desk. LOL!

That GR certainly got around in SF. I wouldn't count on him waking up any time soon, Gannon.

Anonymous said...

Joan and Terrio, take a look at that picture again. I think the only one tickling that boy is himself!! I'm not sure he needs your help!

Jennie Lucas said...

Good morning everyone!

Just woke up and I'm feeding my hungry kids some breakfast. Saw all the photos surfacing--thanks, Caren!--and what a way to wake up! The photo that I was thinking of, the one that made me blush, was actually not the sheet one but the man in the briefs. YOW! It didn't leave much to the imagination, did it?!? My cheeks are hot!

I can see that many of you have already had lots to say this morning and I'm going to go jump back into your comments and read...

Rebekah E. said...

I love Italian men. I hope to someday visit there. The accents are just so darn sexy, in fact, most accents are so darn sexy. I also love Italian food, but unfornately alot of it is made with tomates and I recently became allergic to tomatoes. Thank for the great post.

Nancy said...

Gannon--two days running? You must really like that pesky bird. *g*

Gorgeous guys and great travel pictures--what more does a blog need? What a fun interview, y'all! Jennie, we enjoyed seeing you, too. How are you coping now that Blogger has accepted the photos?

Louisa, we were glad you could hang with us. Congrats on your Daphne and Beau Monde wins. Great job! You take the most wonderful trips. You and KJ are always going somewhere way cool.

Must go. Someone's here to check the phone line, which I'm using because we live on Planet Dial-Up. Back later.

Jennie Lucas said...

Louisa, I always thought it would be amazing to go on a Fulbright scholarship but after reading your post, I know I really missed the boat!! What an amazing experience! Was it equally great in Austria for you? Or were the Italian visits the best??

I can't imagine how I would react if some strange man pinched my bum. It's never happened before and I can't say that I would want it to happen. And yet, it would be nice to know (at 36, married with 2 kids) that I've still "got it", know what I mean? Although alas, I fear the days a girl gets pinched are long behind me.

I'd love to hear from some of you girls who got pinched or winked at *after* the age of 35. Just to know there's still hope!

Off to take my baby to the peditrician for a well child check, will be back in an hour!!

cheryl c said...

Oh my, Italian hunks! Those bodies, those eyes, the accents, and the romantic souls...how can you NOT love them?

CrystalGB said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Joan said...

Oh, Kirsten...he needs me. He REALLY needs ME!

{calming breath}

BTW, you looked FABULOUS in your gold dress on GH/RITA night. How proud you must have been of your wonderful CP Susan!

CrystalGB said...

I think Italian men are really sexy and sensual guys.

pjpuppymom said...

Oh my, those pics were worth waiting for! I love Italy, Italian food and, oh yes, most definitely Italian men. I've been to Italy three times and I swear the men get better looking with every trip. :)

Gannon, congrats on nabbing the GR!

Pat Cochran said...

So glad to see the photo problem has
been cleared up! When I swung by @
1:something am, there were no pics!
Today I see what all the discussion
was about! Very nice!! Thanks to
Jennie and Trish for sharing!

Congrats AGAIN Gannon!

Pat Cochran

Buffie said...

Bring on the Italian men, bring them on!!!!!

I totally love the dark hair and dark eyes (just like my dh!). And I could just melt when I hear the accent.

Jennie Lucas said...

Tawny, thanks for all your nice comments! Definitely looking forward to seeing your photo of the GR in a tiara! :)

Jennie Lucas said...

Jane, so would you say you prefer Greek men or Italian men? Or Spaniards? Or sheikhs? Those four types of hunks definitely seem the most popular in the Presents line-up. What's your personal favorite?

Nathalie said...

I was a bit sleepy when I read your post... but let's be honest, the pics really woke me up ;)

I like to read a book with Italian men, as they are sensual and a great example of those alpha males!

However, in real life, all my italian friends are obnoxious and not so handsome!

Jennie Lucas said...

Trish Mo, great to see you again sweetie! How was your long flight to Australia? I bet not quite so fun as your flight to the US with its lovely 3-day Hawaiian layover!

I wanted to thank you again for the marvelous Tim-Tam cookies, which have had miraculous properties of helping me stay up late last night, working on the revisions I got yesterday!

*big hugs* Miss you already!

Jennie Lucas said...

Helen, you are so right about the eye candy...hope you are enjoying the great photos thanks to Caren and Trish!

Thanks for asking about the Australian release dates... Caretti's Forced Bride actually came out there in May as part of a 2-in-1 release with Sharon Kendrick.

My next Aussie release is another Italian, though. A young, desperately poor single mother is working in a Chicago gas station when a handsome Italian prince stalks in, punches her horrible boss in the face and insists that she come to Italy to be his princess bride.

The book is called Italian Prince, Wedlocked Wife, and it should be Down Under in November.

Jennie Lucas said...

Margay, I love Italian food, too! It was really hard to come back to my own bad cooking. Seriously, I'm terrible. I keep buying cookbooks because I have the fantasy of becoming a wonderful homemaker (and eating yummy, healthful meals with lots of variety) but the cookbooks end up just sitting there. Like domestic porn. I read the pages avidly, drooling over the pictures, but nothing ever comes of it.

Next time I go to Italy I'm going to eat everything in sight. (Although I know Caren and Trish right now are saying, "Hmm, and how's that different from usual, Jennie?")

Jennie Lucas said...

Maureen, thanks for your nice words. It was really great to go to Italy, even though I unfortunately was working in the hotel on a writing workshop most of the time. I barely saw any Italian men! I did meet some really fun romance writers though, and actually dedicated my sixth book to them, the book I just handed in. (Based, not so surprisingly, in Tuscany--hmmm, I'm starting to see a trend here.) The landscape was primarily what inspired me. Gorgeous.

Oh, and the food of course. :)

Jennie Lucas said...

Carol, it's great to meet you!

I think you're right--Italian men (and Greeks, and sheikhs, and Spaniards) definitely have the reputation for being "chauvinist" or macho. But that just makes taming them so much more rewarding. :)

Jennie Lucas said...

Hi Jo! Great to see you, and thanks for the nice words!

I'm nodding in agreement with your jealousy for Gannon living in Italy for two years. I would love to go there for six months. Or even three. I'd definitely have to learn to speak Italian though. I felt really lame not knowing the language.

Here are some of my fave fantasy travel websites when I dream of going to Italy:

For going with my husband and kids:

http://www.ciaobambino.com/

(They will organize a rental house, a babysitter, etc.)

For going on my own:

http://www.gutsywomentravel.com/

I'm actually hoping to travel with them next year. They can arrange a roommate, and I think it'd be awesome to travel with a group of adventurous, cool women rather than totally alone or with married couples. And they're even having a sale right now--$250 off to book a trip to Italy before Aug. 15.

There's my tip of the day. But warning: those sites can be addictive if you're a travel fantasy fanatic, like I am. ;)

Jennie Lucas said...

Hi Dina! So you're married to an Italian man? Any hints or insights into their psyche you'd care to share?!

Jennie Lucas said...

Donna, I'm totally with you on the tighty-whitey briefs guy. That was just too hot. The image is now burned into my mind. Oh well, it could be worse!

Tell me more about the cake. White buttercream frosting?? I'm bummed I missed your fab party. Knowing there was also cake (my favorite thing in the world) kills me! Just rub it in, why don't you! :)

Jennie Lucas said...

Kirsten, so sorry about the DDJ and that Esri's elves were nowhere on sight. But you made me laugh out loud with your comment about the Italian men and their self-love! I think you might have a point. But you know what they say: "Love the one you're with." (Or is the saying, "I'm too sexy for my pants"?)

Jennie Lucas said...

Joan, thanks for the wonderful welcome! I'd love to hear more about your Roman heroes....?

Jennie Lucas said...

Terrio, aren't Tim Tams the best? Did you get yours from Trish Mo as well?

And when I saw your exclamation "Mamma Mia!" I immediately thought of the movie musical. Have you seen it yet?? It was so awesome! The movie theater was packed with women from their twenties to their seventies and everyone was whooping it up and cheering at times. And this wasn't even the premiere, but the middle of Saturday afternoon! What an amazing experience! So sexy and funny and sad and energizing. The "Dancing Queen" scene alone is worth the ticket.

Jennie Lucas said...

Oh no, Rebekah! Allergic to tomatoes? That's a bummer. :( But at least you can still enjoy all the fettuccine alfredo and delicious creamy pasta!

The accents are great, you're right. I hope you make it to Italy someday--check out the travel websites I posted above if you're ready to start dreaming about it. Dreaming is free, and sometimes it's even better than the real thing IMO! In my imagination and on the internet, I travel to about 100 places a year. It's so nice to avoide those pesky travel delays! :)

Jennie Lucas said...

Nancy, we met once, do you remember, at the Moonlight & Magnolias conference in fall 2002? We were both finalists that year in the historical category. Great to see you again. You have such acerbic wit--I love it! How am I coping now that the photos are posted? Well, I'm shielding my virgin eyes, of course!

Although since I have two kids, I guess I can't quite pull that one over. As Miranda said on Sex and the City..."the jig is up." :)

Jennie Lucas said...

Cheri, you're so right about Italian men! What's not to love??

Jennie Lucas said...

Crystal, I totally agree with your comment about Italian men!

Jennie Lucas said...

PJ, you've been to Italy three times?! I'm totally jealous! Where did you go? Have you been south at all, towards Naples and Sicily?

Jennie Lucas said...

Pat, great to see you! Thanks for your nice comments. Credit goes entirely to Trish for the photos!

Jennie Lucas said...

Buffie, your dh sounds like a dream. Is he Italian as well?

Jennie Lucas said...

Nathalie, I'm glad we woke you up! :)

So the Italians you know can be a bit obnoxious rather than dreamy? Yeah, I can imagine that alpha males in real life would be occasionally tough to take. Fortunately in the fantasy they can be as perfect as we like. They'll even do the dishes (as Carol requested)!

Buffie said...

Jennie - nope, the dh is not Italian. He is a southern gentlemen born and bred with many generations of Georgians in his blood. But he does have the dark eyes and the dark hair. Well, the hair was dark before we had our boys :)

Terri Osburn said...

Jennie - my Tim Tams came from the lovely and talented Anna Campbell. She really is too good to be true. As all the Banditas are.

I haven't seen the movie yet but it's on my agenda for this weekend. I can't wait. And I love that Gutsy Women travel site. I've bookmarked it. I've wanted to get to Italy for years but my addiction to the movie Under the Tuscan Sun has made it an obsession. LOL!

pjpuppymom said...

Jennie, yes, I've been south to Naples (although Gannon can tell you a lot more about that area than I can), Pompeii and Capri (love Capri!). On my last trip we took a fascinating and beautifully scenic tour bus ride north from Naples to Assisi to Venice (such a fabulous, mysterious city). I love the history of Rome but my favorite region is Tuscany with its medieval cities like Siena, Florence, San Gimignano and others. There's just something about that region, and Florence in particular, that speaks to my soul. I'd go there every year if I could.

Helen said...

Those pictures really woke me up this morning WOW

Jennie I will be looking for your books this week while I am at the shops glad to hear they are available in Australia

Have Fun
Helen

Unknown said...

I love Italian hunks! Maybe I just love hunks in general. They just seem to be sexy to me.

Gannon Carr said...

Jennie, we lived in Naples. Not the cleanest city in Italy, but very interesting. Having the Amalfi coast so close was a delight.

Trish Morey said...

Good morning!!

Sorry to love you and leave you but I went to bed and lights out for ten glorious hours. After just one night on a plane, I discovered it's so nice to sleep horizontally:-))

Wonderful to see the pix working this morning - you really don't want to miss those. And great to see Jennie's been busy while I've been in the land of nod. Thanks Jennie. Didn't we have fun in SF!

Trish Morey said...

OOh, Gannon, I'll be travelling down the Amalfi Coast in just a few short weeks. Can't wait!

Trish Morey said...

Hey Jennie! Are you still up? So glad you're enjoying those Tim Tams while you slave over those revisions. Tim Tams help with lots of life's little difficulties. I came home to find Proof edits waiting for me. I may just resort to Tim Tam therapy myself:-))

Mt flight to Sydney was 14 hours - I really don't recommend that seat next to the galley - but it was the 3 hour wait in Sydney for my connecting flight to Adelaide that finished me off. A girl needs a liberal dose of chocolate after that long in the saddle. Lucky I have just the pantry for the job!

Jennie, it was so lovely to see you in SF (and meet some of you lovely ladies as well - waves to Caren and Tawny, just to name a couple!) but it is so lovely to be home with the family once again. My pooch just about went fruit loops. Lovely to have a welcome home:-)

Jennie Lucas said...

Buffie, your husband sounds very handsome! And a southern gentleman--all the better!

I had to laugh at your comment that his hair "used" to be dark before you had your sons. I swear I didn't have any gray hairs before three years ago, either!!

Jennie Lucas said...

Terrio, if you ever start an Anna Campbell fan club, let me know 'cause I'm first in line!!!

You'll love Mamma Mia this weekend. I already want to see it again. And I'm glad you liked the Gutsy Women travel website. I hang out there waaay too much waiting for their 2009 schedule to be announced. I'm dreaming about Russia at the moment, getting a picture of St. Basil's Cathedral in Moscow. That would rock. What would your top travel choice be?

Jennie Lucas said...

PJ, I'm drooling about every place in Italy you mentioned. Did I just say my biggest travel dream is Russia? Since you were talking about Venice and Capri and Florence and Naples, I can't stop thinking about Italy!

Ahhh....good thing dreaming is free!

Jennie Lucas said...

Helen--thanks for saying you'll keep an eye out for my books. And as for the photos, Trish gets all the credit for those!! Aren't they great though?

Jennie Lucas said...

Virginia, thanks for your comment about loving hunks of any nationality! (Me too BTW!) So nice to meet you. :)

Jennie Lucas said...

Gannon, you lucky duck! Have you set any books in Italy perchance? I'd love to read more settings along the Amalfi Coast. And Naples, clean or not, does seem to have an awful lot of real character--not just a Disneyesque Italian theme town for tourists!

(Although I happen to love pristine tourist towns as well. San Francisco seemed a lot like that-- it had so much charm and character that it just seemed pre-planned and manufactured! Well, except for all the panhandlers.)

Dina said...

Jennie, I am divorced for along time now, but this Italian man could be romantic at times, but not as often as I would have liked and there's the little temper they can have. I would consider dating another Italian man though. :)

Jennie Lucas said...

Trish, it's great to see you back after such a long flight. Glad you had a nice rest--and I'm glad you're back to join me here in Banditaland as my wrist is falling off from all this fast and furious typing! hehe

I've just finished my revisions an hour ago (yay!) and I'm getting some snuggle time with my toddler--we're watching Cinderella and I hear my baby calling upstairs for me to come get him out of his crib!

I had such a wonderful, glamorous, fun-filled time in SF. It was my favorite conference ever, and after seven years, that's saying something. Thanks to you and the Banditas for rocking such a great conference!

But I gotta admit, as you said, it's kinda nice to be home too, back to the little ones who love us...And the big handsome ones who love us, too. ;)

Jennie Lucas said...

Dina, I'm so sorry to hear about your divorce. But it's great that you wouldn't let that experience hold you back if you met another Italian man who was a little more romantic with a little less of a temper! Here's hoping he's just around the corner.

Smart, loyal, handsome, funny, sexy as hell and rather rich. Italian heritage optional. How's that? ;)

limecello said...

Heh. Great post. Loved it - and Italian hunks -what's not to love? I talk about Raoul Bova whenever possible. And one of my favorite heroes is Ren Gage, from Breathing Room, who is 1/2 Italian - but, hey - he owns a villa in Tuscany. That's Italian enough for me :P - and no language barrier!

Trish Morey said...

Hey Jennie, not only did we hang around together in SF, we're still hanging together on the Borders/Waldies list:-) It's just gone up for the week ended 26th July -
http://www.rwanational.org/cs/authors_and_books/bestselling_authors/borders_group

And I see your Caretti is the #1 best selling Presents on amazon.com at the mo. Congratulations Jennie!

Trish Morey said...

Hey Limecello, great to see you! Can see I'm going to have to exercise my google muscles some more and check our your hunky suggestions. It's a dirty job...

:-))

Anonymous said...

jennie, I just got to see Mama Mia last night, and it was absolutely dance-ably fabulously fun! I agree that San Fran was a fantastic conference, BTW! And your books and Trish's sound wonderful! Can I get in on that prize? ;-)

Yvonne Lindsay said...

Hmmm, yep, definitely have a soft spot for Italian heroes. Am currently writing one of my own, in Tuscany no less! Would love to go there for real. Films and books and research on the region just aren't enough sometimes.

Great blog ladies! Thanks for the giggle. Jennie, I'm definitely putting your book on my next e-book purchase list. Sounds fascinating! Trish, you know I already totally adore your Italian boss--too yummy for words!

Cherie J said...

I agree! I think Mediterranean men are quite attractive. Worthy of romance stories.

Trish Morey said...

Hey Yvonne, so great to see you here! And thanks for your lovely words about my Italian boss. I do so love Italian men, it's such fun writing about them - as you well know:-))

I'm so looking forward to reading your Tuscan book. What are you doing blogging - go finish it woman!

Trish Morey said...

Cherie, you're so right, Mediterranean men are the goods. I can't work out whether it's the dark hair, or the flashing eyes, or those super sexy long eyelashes, or the accent, the passion or the hot bods.

Heck, whatever it is, it sure works for me:-))

Dina said...

Jennie, I hope you're right and I find him very soon. :)

Caren Crane said...

Donna, I had almost forgotten your frosting-coated black pants. Oh, dear! Buttercream icing might be hard to get out. I hope the drycleaner comes through for you!

Louisa, we were glad to have you party with us. What a great bash conference is!

Caren Crane said...

Trish, so glad you made it home and were vertical for a while, at least. I've been home almost two days (got home at midnight on Sunday) and am still exhausted.

I went to work out with the personal trainer tonight. I'm afraid I was rather pitiful. Oh, well. At least I went! (I was really tempted to beg off =:0

Caren Crane said...

Margay, I totally love tall, dark and handsome, too. That's why my son is dark and handsome. I'm afraid he's not tall, though, merely average height. But very dark and handsome! :-)

Caren Crane said...

Kirsten, I noticed the Italian men seemed to have hands that gravitated to their nether regions. Maybe they are in such demand they need to protect the equipment!

Caren Crane said...

Jennie, I think the only way to get over blushing when looking at scantily clad Italian men is to indulge in lots of it. After a while you'll hardly even notice them. Really! *eg*

Caren Crane said...

Jennie, getting flirted with after 35 is totally possible. Even by young hotties! You just have to learn to accept the compliment and not read anything into it. *g* This being happily married business really puts a damper on the flirting. ;-)

Caren Crane said...

Jennie, when you go to Italy next, I need to go with you. I'll accompany you to every meal and eat with you so you don't feel conspicuous. Then, to make up for it, we can hike from one village to the next for the next meal. I figure we can cover a lot of ground in a short time. Not sure we'll fit on the plane coming back, though. *g*

Caren Crane said...

Jennie, why oh WHY did you give us that gutsy women travel link. WHY?! You know I am as bad a fantasy traveler as you are. I pine for faraway lands!

While I want to go to South America or Europe next year, I've been told we are DRIVING to Glacier and Yellowstone National Parks. Maybe if I can work in a side trip to Idaho, it would be worth the drive? *g*

Trish Morey said...

Caren, that Jennie does herself a great disservice. Did you see her in that gorgeous, gorgeous wrap around dress for the Harlequin party? No wonder we keep the men to a minimum at those gigs - there would have been a stampede!

Caren Crane said...

Jennie, it was wedding cake with buttercream icing and a lovely raspberry jam filling. OMG, so heavenly!

Caren Crane said...

Trish Mo, I think with the Mediterranean men, it's definitely the eyelashes around those dark, dreamy eyes. I dated quite a few sets of eyes like those. *g* My dh, though, has hazel-green eyes quite like mine. My tastes quite changed when I met him.

Caren Crane said...

Oh, and Trish Mo, I only managed to snag this conversation on tape because you two were drinking wine and wearing high heels while I was (mostly) sober and wearing Aerosoles for a fast getaway. *eg*

Caren Crane said...

Wow, congrats on the Walden's list, ladies. And Jennie in the #1 spot for Presents? Awesome! Not surprising, of course. If you haven't read Jennie or Trish, you absolutely must, Bandita Buddies. They are both fabulous!

Caren Crane said...

Trish Mo, I have found that our dear Jennie likes to talk about how "fat" she is when in reality she resembles a pencil. Of course, she did have a bit of baby weight to shed, but really that's what it was. My own baby is almost 14, so I lost that excuse YEARS ago. Now it's just too many Tim Tams and not enough hauling my fat arse around the block!

I didn't see Jennie rigged out for the Harlequin party, but she looked SMASHING at the awards ceremony. So gorgeous! I suppose we'll have to go behind her on every blog and debunk her "I eat everything in sight" myths. *g*

Trish Morey said...

Oh Caren, we could be twins! I had my Mediterranean flirtations too, before settling down with my gorgeous fella. He doesn't have the dark eyes but I gotta admit, he's tall, dark and hunky:-))

And thanks for your gorgeous comments about our books and for the *secret* recording of our conversation. It's lovely to be part of the bandits blog.

Especially while that Anna is still in transit and one can get a word in edgewise:-))

Says Trish, ducking for cover

Trish Morey said...

In fact, gotta say that Anna is one heck of a friend. Not only did she let me store my bags (and a few others' besides) in her room during my last day in SF, but she let me mess up her bathroom into the deal.

Thanks Anna! Safe journey home.

Caren Crane said...

Trish Mo, I keep hearing about how everyone stored their gear in Foanna's room after they checked out. How long did that tart linger in Sf, anyway? If she hasn't made it back yet, she must be dilly-dallying in Kuala Lumpur or something. *g*

(You're quite right about getting a word in while she's gone, though. We all love Fo, but that girl is a TALKER! *g*)

Jennie Lucas said...

Caren and Trish, now my kids are in bed I'm just settling in to some quality time with the dh (on the couch watching a Tivo'd episode of Psyche) but I just had to interject a big ol' thanks for all the nice stuff you said. As I'm sitting here surrounded by empty wrappers of the junk food I consumed while finishing my revisions (just how many Tim-Tams are in a box, anyway?), it was very fun to hear you call me skinny--HA! (And isn't that the pot calling the kettle black--You both looked awesome! I'll post the pics soon as proof and then we'll see who's "willowy" eh?!)

It's funny, but as soon as conference was over, I said to myself "Whew, now I can relax--it doesn't matter what I look like now!" and dove straight into the ice cream. Um. So we'll see if I still even fit into that Harlequin bandage dress next year!