Next Meeting: Thursday, 14 October, at 6:30 p.m.
at Panera Bread, 13205 Jamboree Rd., Tustin
7 Oct meeting notes; 14 Oct reading list
7 OCTOBER MEETING NOTES
Four people attended: Dennis P. (welcome back!), Glenda, Lance, Rosie. Alas, nobody brought anything to read.
NEWS & NOTES
The next PFL meeting will take place at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, 14 October at Panera Bread, 13205 Jamboree Rd., Tustin (at Irvine Blvd. on the west side of Jamboree).
The Muzeo Virtual Open Book Author Series will feature LIT UP! on Sunday, 10 October, moderated by PFL’s own Maddie Margarita. The featured authors are Quan Huynh (memoir/inspirational) and James L’Etoile (crime). The Muzeo Museum and Cultural Center sponsors the Open Book series. This event will take place on Zoom and requires pre-registration. The program runs 1-2 p.m.
14 OCTOBER READING LIST
Glenda (10/7)
Donna R. (9/30)
Leighanne (9/30)
Lance (10/7)
Rosie (10/7)
Joanne (9/30)
Burt (9/30)
Ken S. (8/26)
Dan O. (8/26)
Dennis P. (10/7)
The Muzeo Virtual Open Book Author Series will feature LIT UP! on Sunday, 10 October, moderated by 
PFL’s own Maddie Margarita.
Two featured authors will discuss their works with the audience. The lineup:
- Quan Huynh (memoir/inspirational)
- James L’Etoile (crime)
The Muzeo Museum and Cultural Center sponsors the Open Book series. This event will take place on Zoom and requires pre-registration. The program runs 1-2 p.m.
Upcoming author events, October 2021
The following author events will take place online in October. 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, Oct 16, 1:30 p.m.: Elizabeth Breck, Double Take (in-store)
- Saturday, Oct 23, 3 p.m.: Kim Davis, Essentials of Murder; Daryl Wood Gerber, A Glimmer of a Clue (in-store)
- Sunday, Oct 24, 2 p.m.: Mary Hill-Wagner, Girlz ‘n the Hood (in-store)
- Thursday, Oct 28, 4 p.m.: Alyssa Maxwell, Murder at Wakehurst; Dianne Freeman, A Fiancée’s Guide to First Wives and Murder (virtual)
- Saturday, Oct 30, 1 p.m.: Lee Goldberg, Gated Prey (virtual)
HUNTINGTON BEACH FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY
- Thursday, Oct 7, 4 p.m.: Lauren Willig, Band of Sisters
- Sunday, Oct 10, 3 p.m.: DP Lyle, The OC (launch party)
- Saturday, Oct 16: James McGrath Morris, Tony Hillerman: A Life
- Saturday, Oct 30, 11 a.m.: Lee Goldberg, Gated Prey
- Saturday, Oct 9, 10 a.m.: OCC’s 40th birthday bash (deadline for signup: 4 Oct)
SISTERS-IN-CRIME ORANGE COUNTY
- Sunday, Oct 24, 3 p.m.: Pat Broeske, “Conjuring Up a Mystery: Paranormal Elements in Fiction”; Chris Offutt and Willy Vlautin, writing mystery fiction and fiction with crime (with Barbara DeMarco-Barrett)
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA WRITERS ASSOCIATION
- Saturday, Oct 16, 10 a.m.: Dennis Palumbo, “Keeping Readers Up All Night! An SCWA Halloween Spooktacular!” (with Merrie Destefano)
30 Sep meeting notes; 7 Oct reading list
30 SEPTEMBER MEETING NOTES
Eight(!) people attended: Burt (the finale of When the Shvitz Hits the Fan), Donna R., Glenda, Joanne (a very short story, “The Boy in the Bar”), Lance, Leighanne, Rosie (the revised prologue and first chapter of The Lion and the Eagle), and potential new member Benafsha A., a writer of contemporary YA.
NEWS & NOTES
The next PFL meeting will take place at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, 7 October at Panera Bread, 13205 Jamboree Rd., Tustin (at Irvine Blvd. on the west side of Jamboree).
7 OCTOBER READING LIST
Glenda (9/30)
Donna R. (9/30)
Leighanne (9/30)
Lance (9/30)
Rosie (9/30)
Joanne (9/30)
Burt (9/30)
Ken S. (8/26)
Dan O. (8/26)
Engaño, Lance Charnes, action/adventure
Gun oil and sunscreen don’t mix.
Disgraced ex-cop Carson is working off the huge loans her father failed to pay back to a Russian mafiya godfather. So when the mobster asks her to round up Viktoriya Baranova, the wayward daughter of a Russian cabinet minister, Carson doesn’t get to say “no.”
It should be easy. Viktoriya’s splashed all over Instagram as she parties along Spain’s Mediterranean coast. Find her, toss her on an airplane, and send her home to Daddy: no problem, and a chunk of Carson’s debt disappears.
As Carson plunges into the lifestyles of the rich and idle, the world starts going to hell around her. She’s tailed by gangsters. Drug dealers start dying around Viktoriya and her friends. When a hit team tries to kill them all, Carson realizes Viktoriya’s posse is up to way more than scoring likes on social media.
From the megaclubs of Ibiza to the vineyards of Barcelona, Carson’s dancing a fine line between killer raves and raving killers…and the music’s about to stop. Carson has to discover whether anything about Viktoriya is true, or if it’s all a deception – what the locals call engaño.
Available for Kindle on Amazon
Available in ePub on Kobo | Apple Books
Trade paperback available at Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Indiebound
Lance Charnes has been an Air Force intelligence officer, information technology manager, computer-game artist, set designer, and Jeopardy! contestant, and is now an emergency management specialist. He’s had training in architectural rendering, terrorist incident response, and maritime archaeology, but not all at the same time. His Facebook author page features spies, archaeology, and art crime.
Engaño is the second book in the DeWitt Agency Adventures series.
23 Sep meeting notes; 30 Sep reading list
23 SEPTEMBER MEETING NOTES
Five people attended: Burt (Act II, Scene 2 of When the Shvitz Hits the Fan), Donna R., Glenda, Joanne, and Lance (a chapter from the still-untitled historical adventure).
NEWS & NOTES
The next PFL meeting will take place at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, 30 September at Panera Bread, 13205 Jamboree Rd., Tustin (at Irvine Blvd. on the west side of Jamboree).
Lance’s latest novel, Engaño, the second entry in the DeWitt Agency Adventures series, releases on 30 September.
30 SEPTEMBER READING LIST
Glenda (9/23)
Rosie (9/16)
Donna R. (9/23)
Ken S. (8/26)
Dan O. (8/26)
Leighanne (9/16)
Joanne (9/23)
Lance (9/23)
Burt (9/23)
16 Sep meeting notes; 23 Sep reading list
16 SEPTEMBER MEETING NOTES
Seven people attended our largest meeting since 23 July 2020: Burt (Act II, Scene 1 of When the Shvitz Hits the Fan), Donna R., Glenda, Joanne (a very short story, “Tidbits from an Occasional Believer”), Lance (a chapter from the still-untitled historical adventure), Leighanne, and Rosie.
NEWS & NOTES
The next PFL meeting will take place at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, 23 September at Panera Bread, 13205 Jamboree Rd., Tustin (at Irvine Blvd. on the west side of Jamboree).
Don’t forget the monthly author events post two slots below this.
23 SEPTEMBER READING LIST
Glenda (9/16)
Rosie (9/16)
Donna R. (9/16)
Ken S. (8/26)
Dan O. (8/26)
Leighanne (9/16)
Lance (9/16)
Burt (9/16)
Joanne (9/16)
9 Sep meeting notes; 16 Sep reading list
9 SEPTEMBER MEETING NOTES
Five people attended an abbreviated meeting: Burt (Act II, Scene 1 of When the Shvitz Hits the Fan), Glenda, Lance, Leighanne, and Rosie.
NEWS & NOTES
The next PFL meeting will take place at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, 16 September at Panera Bread, 13205 Jamboree Rd., Tustin (at Irvine Blvd. on the west side of Jamboree).
16 SEPTEMBER READING LIST
Glenda (9/9)
Rosie (9/9)
Donna R. (9/2)
Ken S. (8/26)
Dan O. (8/26)
Lance (9/9)
Leighanne (9/9)
Burt (9/9)
Joanne (7/22)
2 Sep meeting notes; 9 Sep reading list
2 SEPTEMBER MEETING NOTES
Five people attended: Burt (the revised final scene of Act I of When the Shvitz Hits the Fan), Donna R., Glenda, Lance (the first chapter of an untitled historical adventure), and Rosie.
NEWS & NOTES
The next PFL meeting will take place at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, 9 September at Panera Bread, 13205 Jamboree Rd., Tustin (at Irvine Blvd. on the west side of Jamboree).
9 SEPTEMBER READING LIST
Glenda (9/2)
Rosie (9/2)
Donna R. (9/2)
Ken S. (8/26)
Dan O. (8/26)
Burt (9/2)
Lance (9/2)
Leighanne (7/29)
Joanne (7/22)
26 Aug meeting notes; 2 Sep reading list
26 AUGUST MEETING NOTES
Five people attended: Dan O. (the first third of a short story, “The Earth and Sky”), Donna, Glenda, Ken S., and Lance (two chapters from Engaño).
NEWS & NOTES
The next PFL meeting will take place at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, 2 September at Panera Bread, 13205 Jamboree Rd., Tustin (at Irvine Blvd. on the west side of Jamboree).
The chapters from Engaño that Lance read at this meeting will be the last he brings to PFL. He has to prepare the novel for its release on 30 Sep.
The Southern California Writers’ Conference will take place 17-19 September at the Sonesta Irvine Hotel in, natch, Irvine. Registration is $325 for Saturday and Sunday only, or $425 for the full conference. Check the event website for more information, a schedule, and registration links.
2 SEPTEMBER READING LIST
Glenda (8/26)
Leighanne (7/29)
Joanne (7/22)
Rosie (8/19)
Burt (8/5)
Donna (8/26)
Ken S. (8/26)
Dan O. (8/26)
Lance (8/26)
Casey (6/10)
19 Aug meeting notes; 26 Aug reading list
19 AUGUST MEETING NOTES
Five people attended: Dan O., Glenda, Ken S., Lance (two chapters from Engaño), and Rosie.
NEWS & NOTES
The next PFL meeting will take place at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, 26 August at Panera Bread, 13205 Jamboree Rd., Tustin (at Irvine Blvd. on the west side of Jamboree).
The Southern California Writers’ Conference will take place 17-19 September at the Sonesta Irvine Hotel in, natch, Irvine. Registration is $325 for Saturday and Sunday only, or $425 for the full conference. Check the event website for more information, a schedule, and registration links.
26 AUGUST READING LIST
Glenda (8/19)
Leighanne (7/29)
Joanne (7/22)
Rosie (8/19)
Burt (8/5)
Donna (8/12)
Ken S. (8/19)
Lance (8/19)
Dan O. (8/19)
Casey (6/10)
12 Aug meeting notes; 19 Aug reading list
12 AUGUST MEETING NOTES
Six people attended: Donna R. (a revised query letter for Running with Hounds…and an English Degree), Glenda, Ken S., Lance (a chapter from Engaño), Rosie, and potential new member Dan O. (welcome!).
NEWS & NOTES
The next PFL meeting will take place at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, 19 August at Panera Bread, 13205 Jamboree Rd., Tustin (at Irvine Blvd. on the west side of Jamboree).
19 AUGUST READING LIST
Glenda (8/12)
Leighanne (7/29)
Joanne (7/22)
Rosie (8/12)
Burt (8/5)
Donna (8/12)
Lance (8/12)
Ken S. (8/12)
Casey (6/10)
5 Aug meeting notes; 12 Aug reading list
5 AUGUST MEETING NOTES
Five people attended: Burt (the first chapter of The Spirit of 1942), Donna R., Lance (a chapter from Engaño), Rosie, and potential new member Ken S. (welcome!).
NEWS & NOTES
The next PFL meeting will take place at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, 12 August at Panera Bread, 13205 Jamboree Rd., Tustin (at Irvine Blvd. on the west side of Jamboree).
Season 2 of Casey and Marianna’s podcast Deep State Dossier has begun to drop on Radio Juice Media, Apple Podcasts, Audible, and a bunch of other places. Check it out on the podcast’s Facebook page.
12 AUGUST READING LIST
Glenda (7/29)
Donna R. (8/5)
Leighanne (7/29)
Joanne (7/22)
Rosie (8/5)
Burt (8/5)
Lance (8/5)
Casey (6/10)
29 July meeting notes; 5 Aug reading list
29 JULY MEETING NOTES
Four people attended: Glenda, Lance (two chapters from Engaño), Leighanne, and Rosie (three revised chapters from an untitled adult fantasy).
NEWS & NOTES
The next PFL meeting will take place at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, 5 August at Panera Bread, 13205 Jamboree Rd., Tustin (at Irvine Blvd. on the west side of Jamboree).
5 AUGUST READING LIST
Glenda (7/29)
Donna R. (7/15)
Leighanne (7/29)
Joanne (7/22)
Burt (7/22)
Rosie (7/29)
Lance (7/29)
Casey (6/10)
22 July meeting notes; 29 July reading list
22 JULY MEETING NOTES
Five people attended: Burt (the end of A1S3 and start of A2S1 of When the Shvitz Hits the Fan), Glenda, Joanne (a short story, “Cat Napping”), Lance (three chapters from Engaño), and Rosie.
NEWS & NOTES
The next PFL meeting will take place at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, 29 July at Panera Bread, 13205 Jamboree Rd., Tustin (at Irvine Blvd. on the west side of Jamboree).
The 20 July virtual edition of LIT UP! was a success, with Maddie grilling authors Anne Moose and Brian Fitzpatrick on their work. The recording is now available on the LIT UP Facebook page.
29 JULY READING LIST
Glenda (7/22)
Donna R. (7/15)
Rosie (7/22)
Leighanne (7/8)
Joanne (7/22)
Burt (7/22)
Lance (7/22)
Casey (6/10)
