Next Meeting: Thursday, 29 January, at 6:30 p.m.
at the Tustin Marketplace Corner Bakery (13652 Jamboree Road, Irvine)
22 Jan meeting notes; 29 Jan reading list
22 JANUARY MEETING NOTES
Three people attended (where is everyone?). We decided to try again next week.
NEWS & NOTES
Upcoming author events for the next week:
- Saturday, Jan. 24, 10 a.m.: Dave Putnam, Imogene’s Grand Fiasco (in person for Mystery Ink at Studio 14 in Old World Village, 7561 Center Ave, Huntington Beach)
- Saturday, Jan 24, 2:30 p.m.: Dion Leonard, Finding Gobi (at the Laguna Beach Library, 363 Glenneyre St., Laguna Beach)
- Sunday, Jan. 25, 3 p.m.: Sisters in Crime OC‘s “2026 Crime Fiction Kickoff” (at Book Carnival)
- Wednesday, Jan. 28, 6 p.m.: Duff Goldman, Duff Bakes (at the Laguna Hills Community Center, 25555 Alicia Pkwy., Laguna Hills)
29 JANUARY READING LIST
Leighanne (1/22)
Jo (1/15)
Donna R. (1/8)
Burt (1/8)
Benafsha A. (1/8)
Rosie (1/22)
Lance (1/22)
Joanne (11/20)
15 Jan meeting notes; 22 Jan reading list
15 JANUARY MEETING NOTES
Four people attended (where is everyone?): Jo, Lance (a chapter from Bluejay’s Riviera), Leighanne, and Rosie (1.5 chapters from In Arcadia Ego).
NEWS & NOTES
Upcoming author events for the next week:
- Saturday, Jan. 17, 10 a.m.: Nancy Klann, Kathleen Troy, and PJ Colando: “Beyond ‘The End’: Turning Your Book into a Published Reality” (in person for SCWA at 19 Restaurant, 24122 Moulton Pkwy, Laguna Hills; $25-35)
- Saturday, Jan. 17, 2 p.m.: John McMahon, Inside Man (in person at Book Carnival)
- Thursday, Jan. 22, 10 a.m.: Marjorie McCown, Final Cut (in person at the Laguna Woods Library, 24266 El Toro Rd., Laguna Woods)
- Thursday, Jan. 22, 5 p.m.: Ruth Reichl (in person at the Laguna Hills Community Center, 25555 Alicia Pkwy., Laguna Hills)
22 JANUARY READING LIST
Leighanne (1/15)
Jo (1/15)
Donna R. (1/8)
Joanne (11/20)
Burt (1/8)
Benafsha A. (1/8)
Rosie (1/15)
Lance (1/15)
8 Jan meeting notes; 15 Jan reading list
8 JANUARY MEETING NOTES
Five people attended the year’s first meeting: Benafsha A. (2 revised chapters from The Jewels of Herat), Burt (chapters from The Class of 1942), Donna R., Lance (a chapter from Bluejay’s Riviera), and Rosie.
NEWS & NOTES
Upcoming author events for the next week:
- Saturday, Jan. 10, 10 a.m.: Lauren Sapala, “Writers Who Can’t Write”; Sarah Elisabeth Sawyer, “Using Dictation to Draft” (virtual for OC Romance Writers)
- Monday, Jan. 12, 6 p.m.: Amy Meyerson, The Water Lies (at the Los Alamitos-Roosmoor Library, 12700 Montecito Rd., Seal Beach)
15 JANUARY READING LIST
Leighanne (11/20)
Jo (11/13)
Rosie (1/8)
Donna R. (1/8)
Joanne (11/20)
Burt (1/8)
Lance (1/8)
Benafsha A. (1/8)
Upcoming author events for January 2026
The following author events will take place online in January. The featured guest will appear in person unless otherwise noted. Click on the venue links for more information and for registration or access codes. Events pop up unpredictably, so return to your favorite venues during the month to see if anything new has surfaced.
- Saturday, Jan. 17, 2 p.m.: John McMahon, Inside Man
HUNTINGTON BEACH FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY
- No programs scheduled
- Saturday, Jan. 24, 10 a.m.: Dave Putnam, Imogene’s Grand Fiasco
All events at Studio 14 in Old World Village, 7561 Center Ave, Huntington Beach
- Monday, Jan. 12, 6 p.m.: Amy Meyerson, The Water Lies (at the Los Alamitos-Roosmoor Library, 12700 Montecito Rd., Seal Beach)
- Thursday, Jan. 22, 10 a.m.: Marjorie McCown, Final Cut (at the Laguna Woods Library, 24266 El Toro Rd., Laguna Woods)
- Thursday, Jan. 22, 5 p.m.: Ruth Reichl (at the Laguna Hills Community Center, 25555 Alicia Pkwy., Laguna Hills)
- Saturday, Jan 24, 2:30 p.m.: Dion Leonard, Finding Gobi (at the Laguna Beach Library, 363 Glenneyre St., Laguna Beach)
- Wednesday, Jan. 28, 6 p.m.: Duff Goldman, Duff Bakes (at the Laguna Hills Community Center, 25555 Alicia Pkwy., Laguna Hills)
- Saturday, Jan. 10, 10 a.m.: Lauren Sapala, “Writers Who Can’t Write”; Sarah Elisabeth Sawyer, “Using Dictation to Draft” (virtual)
- Sisters in Crime L.A.: Sunday, Feb. 1, 2 p.m.: Rachel Howzell Hall, in conversation with Naomi Hirahara (at the Radford Studio Center, Studio City)
- Sisters in Crime OC: Sunday, Jan. 25, 3 p.m.: “2026 Crime Fiction Kickoff” (at Book Carnival)
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA WRITERS ASSOCIATION
- Saturday, Jan. 17, 10 a.m.: Nancy Klann, Kathleen Troy, and PJ Colando: “Beyond ‘The End’: Turning Your Book into a Published Reality” (in person at 19 Restaurant, 24122 Moulton Pkwy, Laguna Hills; $25-35)
No PFL meeting on 11 Dec
The assembled crowd at the 4 Dec Holiday Party decided that it’s too much of a hassle to have a meeting on 11 Dec (this Thursday). So we’re not.
See you on 8 January at our first meeting of 2026. Merry Saturnalia!
20 Nov meeting notes; 11 Dec (?) reading list
20 NOVEMBER MEETING NOTES
Five people attended: Benafsha A. (1.5 revised chapters from The Jewels of Herat), Donna R. (a revised chapter from Monster Book), Joanne (a revised short story, “The Roots of Destiny”), Leighanne, and Rosie.
NEWS & NOTES
There will be no 27 Nov meeting because we’ll be murdering turkeys.
The Holiday Party will take place in BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse (Tustin Marketplace, 13130 Jamboree Rd., Irvine) on Thursday, 4 Dec, at 6:30. There is no homework associated with this event. The participants will decide whether there will be an 11 Dec meeting.
The first meeting of 2026 will be on 8 Jan.
Upcoming author events for the next week:
- Saturday, Nov. 22, 10 a.m.: Ellen Byron, Crescent City Christmas Chaos; Patricia Smiley, A Dark September Night (in person for Mystery Ink at Studio 14 in Old World Village, 7561 Center Ave, Huntington Beach)
- Sunday, Nov. 23, 3 p.m.: Patricia Smiley and Andrew Rubin, “Novelists v. Screenwriters: The Great Storytelling Showdown” (in person for Sisters in Crime OC at Book Carnival)
11 DECEMBER(?) READING LIST
Leighanne (11/20)
Jo (11/13)
Burt (11/6)
Rosie (11/20)
Donna R. (11/20)
Joanne (11/20)
Benafsha A. (11/20)
Lance (10/30)
13 Nov meeting notes; 20 Nov reading list
13 NOVEMBER MEETING NOTES
Five people attended: Donna R., Jo, Joanne, Leighanne, and Rosie (the first two chapters of a new work, Bridewater Blue).
NEWS & NOTES
There will be no 27 Nov meeting because we’ll be murdering turkeys.
The Holiday Party will take place in BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse (Tustin Marketplace, 13130 Jamboree Rd, Irvine) on Thursday, 4 Dec, at 6:30. There is no homework associated with this event. The participants will decide whether there will be an 11 Dec meeting.
The first meeting of 2026 will be on 8 Jan.
Leighanne’s mother (writing under Abigail Leigh Reed) has a short story, “Death Rolled a Bunco,” in Camden Park Press’s new anthology Cooking up Death, now available from Amazon.
Upcoming author events for the next week:
- Friday, Nov. 14, 10 a.m.: Dr. Cristina Le Port, Change of Heart (at the Clifton C. Miller Community Center, 300 Centennial Way, Tustin)
- Saturday, Nov. 15, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.: The Orange County Book Fair takes place in Old Town Tustin.
- Saturday, Nov. 15, 10 a.m.: Daryl Wood Gerber, “Plot Twists & Sleight of Hand: Writing the Unexpected” (in person for SCWA at 19 Restaurant, 24122 Moulton Pkwy, Laguna Hills; $25-35)
- Sunday, Nov. 16, 2 p.m.: Charles Finch, Hidden City (in person at Book Carnival)
- Thursday, Nov. 20, 6 p.m.: Pyet Despain, Rooted in Fire (at the Donald Dungan Branch Library, 1855 Park Ave., Costa Mesa)
20 NOVEMBER READING LIST
Leighanne (11/13)
Jo (11/13)
Donna R. (11/13)
Burt (11/6)
Lance (10/30)
Joanne (11/13)
Benafsha A. (11/6)
Rosie (11/13)
6 Nov meeting notes; 13 Nov reading list
6 NOVEMBER MEETING NOTES
Seven people attended: Benafsha A. (a revised chapter from The Jewels of Herat), Burt, Donna R., Jo, Joanne (a short story, “The Roots of Destiny), Leighanne, and Rosie (a re-revised synopsis for In Arcadia, Ego).
NEWS & NOTES
We’re approaching the end of the year, which means our meeting schedule gets weird. We’ll have some decisions to make next meeting.
- There will be no 27 Nov meeting because we’ll be murdering turkeys.
- Should 4 Dec be Holiday Party day (more people will be able to attend)? If so, should there be a meeting on 11 Dec?
- Where should the Holiday Party be? We have a nomination for BJs Grill and Bar in the Tustin Marketplace. Any other ideas?
- The first meeting of 2026 will be on 8 Jan.
Upcoming author events for the next week:
- Saturday, Nov. 8, 2 p.m.: Robin Ray, Reveal Not Conceal (in person at Book Carnival)
- Monday, Nov. 10, 4 p.m.: Chris Epting, “Unlock Your Storytelling Potential” (at the Westminster Branch Library, 8180 13th St., Westminster)
13 NOVEMBER READING LIST
Leighanne (11/6)
Jo (11/6)
Donna R. (11/6)
Burt (11/6)
Lance (10/30)
Rosie (11/6)
Joanne (11/6)
Benafsha A. (11/6)
Ottilia S. (9/11)
30 Oct meeting notes; 6 Nov reading list
30 OCTOBER MEETING NOTES
A cozy four people attended: Jo, Lance (a chapter from Bluejay’s Riviera), Leighanne, and Rosie.
NEWS & NOTES
We’re approaching the end of the year, which means our meeting schedule gets weird. We’ll have some decisions to make next meeting.
- There will be no 27 Nov meeting because we’ll be murdering turkeys.
- 4 Dec will be the first (and perhaps last) meeting in December.
- Should 11 Dec be a meeting or the Holiday Party? If it’s a meeting, when does the Holiday Party happen (or does it)?
- Where should the Holiday Party be? We have a nomination for BJs Grill and Bar in the Tustin Marketplace. Any other ideas?
- The first meeting of 2026 will be on 8 Jan.
Upcoming author events for the next week:
- Saturday, Nov. 1, 2 p.m.: Daryl Wood Gerber, Murder by the Millions; Kim Davis, Essentials of Murder (in person at Book Carnival)
- Sunday, Nov. 2, 2 p.m.: Dennis Palumbo, “Writing Through the Hard Times” (in person for Sisters in Crime L.A. at the Radford Studio Center, Studio City)
- Tuesday, Nov. 4, 6 p.m.: Priya Krishna, Indian-ish (in person at the Crown Valley Community Center, 29751 Crown Valley Pkwy, Laguna Niguel)
- Wednesday, Nov. 5, 6:30 p.m.: David Rosenfelt, Dogged Pursuit (in person at the Clifton C. Miller Community Center, 300 Centennial Way, Tustin)
6 NOVEMBER READING LIST
Leighanne (10/30)
Jo (10/30)
Rosie (10/30)
Donna R. (10/16)
Burt (10/23)
Joanne (10/23)
Benafsha A. (10/23)
Lance (10/30)
Ottilia S. (9/11)
23 Oct meeting notes; 30 Oct reading list
23 OCTOBER MEETING NOTES
Seven people attended: Benafsha A. (a revised chapter from The Jewels of Herat), Burt, Jo, Joanne, Lance (a chapter from Bluejay’s Riviera), Leighanne, and Rosie.
NEWS & NOTES
Upcoming author events for the next week:
- Saturday, Oct. 25, 10 a.m.: Lee Goldberg, Fallen Star (in person for Mystery Ink at Studio 14 in Old World Village, 7561 Center Ave, Huntington Beach) (launch party)
- Saturday, Oct. 25, 2 p.m.: Jennifer Chow, Star-Crossed Egg Tarts; Lorie Lewis Ham, One of You (in person at Book Carnival)
- Sunday, Oct. 26, 3 p.m.: Veronica Bane, “The Scary Art of Ghostwriting” (in person for Sisters in Crime OC at Book Carnival)
- Monday, Oct. 27, 6:30 p.m.: Coltan Scrivner, Ph.D, Morbidly Curious: A Scientist Explains Why We Can’t Look Away (in person at the Foothill Ranch Branch Library, 27002 Cabriole Way, Foothill Ranch)
30 OCTOBER READING LIST
Leighanne (10/23)
Jo (10/23)
Rosie (10/23)
Donna R. (10/16)
Burt (10/23)
Joanne (10/23)
Benafsha A. (10/23)
Lance (10/23)
Ottilia S. (9/11)
Glenda (8/21)
16 Oct meeting notes; 23 Oct reading list
16 OCTOBER MEETING NOTES
Seven people attended: Burt (a revised chapter from The Class of 1942), Donna R. (a chapter from Monster Book), Jo, Joanne (a short story, “Diet Plan”), Lance, Leighanne, and Rosie (a synopsis for In Arcadia Ego).
NEWS & NOTES
Upcoming author events for the next week:
- Saturday, Oct. 18, 10 a.m.: Eric Beetner, “Dark Laughs: Humor, Irony, and the Writer’s Long Con” (in person for SCWA at 19 Restaurant, 24122 Moulton Pkwy, Laguna Hills; $25-35)
- Sunday, Oct. 19, 2 p.m.: Tim Reuben, Tequila (in person at Book Carnival)
23 OCTOBER READING LIST
Leighanne (10/16)
Jo (10/16)
Benafsha A. (10/9)
Lance (10/16)
Rosie (10/16)
Donna R. (10/16)
Burt (10/16)
Joanne (10/16)
Ottilia S. (9/11)
Glenda (8/21)
9 Oct meeting notes; 16 Oct reading list
9 OCTOBER MEETING NOTES
Five people attended: Benafsha A. (a revised chapter from Jewels of Herat), Burt, Joanne (a short story, “The Loss of a Friend”), Lance (a chapter from Bluejay’s Riviera), and Rosie.
NEWS & NOTES
Upcoming author events for the next week:
- Saturday, Oct. 11, 10 a.m.: Jane K. Cleland, “Tell Your Story to Beat the Bots: A Writer’s Guide to Thriving and Surviving in the Age of AI” and “Mastering Plot Twists” (in person and virtual for OC Romance Writers)
- Saturday, Oct. 11, 2 p.m.: Eight authors from the Hollywood Kills anthology (in person at Book Carnival)
- Sunday, Oct. 12, 4:00 p.m.: Walter Mosley, Gray Dawn (in person for Huntington Beach Friends of the Library)
- Thursday, Oct. 16, 6 p.m.: Steve Sando, The Bean Book (in person at the Donald Dungan Branch Library, 1855 Park Ave, Costa Mesa)
16 OCTOBER READING LIST
Leighanne (9/18)
Rosie (10/9)
Ottilia S. (9/11)
Donna R. (9/25)
Jo (9/25)
Burt (10/9)
Joanne (10/9)
Benafsha A. (10/9)
Lance (10/9)
Glenda (8/21)
2 Oct meeting notes; 9 Oct reading list
2 OCTOBER MEETING NOTES
Four people attended: Benafsha A. (a revised chapter from Jewels of Herat), Joanne, Lance (a revised chapter from Bluejay’s Riviera), and Rosie.
NEWS & NOTES
Upcoming author events for the next week:
- Saturday, Oct. 4, 2 p.m.: Maggie St. Thomas, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (in person at Book Carnival)
- Sunday, Oct. 5, 2 p.m.: Sisters in Crime LA presents Nicholas Meyer, “From the Page to the Stage” (in person at the Radford Studio, Studio City)
9 OCTOBER READING LIST
Leighanne (9/18)
Joanne (10/2)
Rosie (10/2)
Ottilia S. (9/11)
Donna R. (9/25)
Jo (9/25)
Burt (9/25)
Benafsha A. (10/2)
Lance (10/2)
Glenda (8/21)
25 Sep meeting notes; 2 Oct reading list
25 SEPTEMBER MEETING NOTES
Seven people attended: Benafsha A. (a chapter from Jewels of Herat), Burt (a chapter from The Class of 1942), Donna R., Jo, Joanne, Lance (a chapter from Bluejay’s Riviera), and Rosie.
NEWS & NOTES
Upcoming author events for the next week:
- Friday, Sep. 26, 12:00 p.m.: Historical Fiction Luncheon: Jennifer Coburn and Kristina McMorris (in person for Huntington Beach Friends of the Library)
- Saturday, Sep. 27, 2 p.m.: Poetry reading by Diosa Xochiquetzalcóatl, West of the Santa Ana and Other Sacred Places (in person at the Seal Beach Branch Library, 707 Electric Ave, Seal Beach)
- Sunday, Sep. 28, 3 p.m.: Barbara DeMarco-Barrett, “Writer’s Survival Camp” (in person for Sisters in Crime OC at Book Carnival)
- Wednesday, Oct. 1, 6:30 p.m.: Carolyn Huynh, The Family Recipe (in person at the Foothill Ranch Branch Library, 27002 Cabriole Way, Foothill Ranch)
2 OCTOBER READING LIST
Leighanne (9/18)
Glenda (8/21)
Joanne (9/25)
Rosie (9/25)
Ottilia S. (9/11)
Donna R. (9/25)
Jo (9/25)
Burt (9/25)
Benafsha A. (9/25)
Lance (9/25)
18 Sep meeting notes; 25 Sep reading list
18 SEPTEMBER MEETING NOTES
Four people attended: Benafsha A. (a chapter from Jewels of Herat), Jo (two chapters from Dandelion Seeds), Lance (two chapters from Bluejay’s Riviera), and Leighanne.
NEWS & NOTES
Upcoming author events for the next week:
- Saturday, Sep. 20, 10 a.m.: Barbara DeMarco-Barrett, “Short Story Structure: The Secret to Writing Transformative Fiction” (in person for SCWA at 19 Restaurant, 24122 Moulton Pkwy, Laguna Hills; $25-35)
- Saturday, Sep. 20, 10 a.m.: Kaira Rouda, Jill is Not Happy (in person for Mystery Ink at Studio 14 in Old World Village, 7561 Center Ave, Huntington Beach)
- Thursday, Sep. 25, 6:30 p.m.: Alka Joshi, Six Days in Bombay (in person at the Laguna Hills Community Center, 25555 Alicia Pkwy., Laguna Hills)
25 SEPTEMBER READING LIST
Leighanne (9/18)
Glenda (8/21)
Joanne (8/7)
Rosie (9/11)
Ottilia S. (9/11)
Donna R. (9/11)
Burt (9/11)
Jo (9/18)
Benafsha A. (9/18)
Lance (9/18)
Pure Fiction League 