Next Meeting: Thursday, 2 April, at 6:30 p.m.
at the Tustin Marketplace Corner Bakery (13652 Jamboree Road, Irvine)
Zrada, Lance Charnes, action/adventure
Two priceless paintings. Two million euros. A civil war. What could go wrong?
The DeWitt Agency assigned disgraced ex-cop Carson a simple job: carry two briefcases of cash to swap for two artworks stolen from a German museum. Except nothing’s simple in the Donbass, the breakaway Ukrainian region overrun by militias, warlords, and bandits.
After a brutal zrada – betrayal – Carson finds herself alone and hunted forty miles behind the front lines with half the money, one of the paintings, and a huge target hung on her back. The militia behind the exchange thinks she blew up their deal and wants the money and her hide. Her co-workers were in on the double-cross. And the Agency can’t send help into the hottest war in Europe.
Carson’s never been one to wait to be rescued. She hires Galina – a tough local with a harrowing past and a taste for revenge – to help her cut through every checkpoint, freelance army, crooked cop, and firefight between her and the West. But the road to safety is long and poorly paved. A vengeful militia commander, a Russian special-forces operator with an agenda, and her own ex-colleagues have Carson in their crosshairs.
Carson’s life is now worth less than a suitcase of money or paint on a plank…but if they want to take it from her, she’s going to make them pay.
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.
Zrada may be the first book in a projected DeWitt Agency Adventures series.
12 Nov meeting notes; 19 Nov reading list
12 NOVEMBER MEETING NOTES
Five people attended: Casey (a chapter from Nouveau Trashy Vampire Romance), Donna R. (a chapter from Running with Hounds…and an English Degree), Glenda, Lance, and Rosie.
NEWS & NOTES
Please put in your bids to read in the #nov19-meeting Slack channel by 8 p.m. Friday night. The reading submission deadline is 11:59 p.m. on Monday. The next meeting will start on Thursday at 6:30 p.m.
The last two meetings of 2020 are 19 Nov and 3 Dec. There will be no holiday party (sniff). We’ll resume on 7 Jan 2021.
19 NOVEMBER READING LIST
Glenda (11/12)
Joanne (10/1)
Leighanne (10/15)
Lance (11/12)
Rosie (11/12)
Casey (11/12)
Donna R. (11/12)
Lisa W. (7/23)
Sherry C. (7/23)
Leslie P. (7/23)
Marianna (3/26)
Burt (3/26)
Dennis P. (3/5)
PJ (2/27)
Maddie (2/27)
5 Nov meeting notes; 12 Nov reading list
5 NOVEMBER MEETING NOTES
Five people attended: Casey, Donna R. (a reworked chapter from Running with Hounds…and an English Degree), Glenda, Lance, and Rosie (the first two chapters of The Bear and the Rising Sun). Leighanne put in a last-minute guest appearance as a ghost.
NEWS & NOTES
Please put in your bids to read in the #nov12-meeting Slack channel by 8 p.m. Friday night. The reading submission deadline is 11:59 p.m. on Monday. The next meeting will start on Thursday at 6:30 p.m.
The end-of-year meeting schedule looks like this: 12 Nov, 19 Nov, and 3 Dec. There will be no holiday party (sniff).
A reminder: the first three episodes of Deep State Dossier-Season One are now live. RadioJuice Media’s (Casey and Marianna’s production company) ten-episode scripted drama is what happens when Pulp Fiction and The X-Files have a baby. The episodes average 17 minutes each. If you decide to listen to them and don’t hate them, please rate and review! Find them on Apple Podcasts and Radiojuice Media.
12 NOVEMBER READING LIST
Glenda (11/5)
Joanne (10/1)
Leighanne (10/15)
Lance (11/5)
Casey (11/5)
Rosie (11/5)
Donna R. (11/5)
Lisa W. (7/23)
Sherry C. (7/23)
Leslie P. (7/23)
Marianna (3/26)
Burt (3/26)
Dennis P. (3/5)
PJ (2/27)
Maddie (2/27)
29 Oct meeting notes; 5 Nov reading list
29 OCTOBER MEETING NOTES
Four people attended: Casey (a chapter from Nouveau Trashy Vampire Romance), Donna R. (a reworked chapter from Running with Hounds…and an English Degree), Lance, and Rosie.
NEWS & NOTES
Please put in your bids to read in the #nov05-meeting Slack channel by 8 p.m. Friday night. The reading submission deadline is 11:59 p.m. on Monday. The next meeting will start on Thursday at 6:30 p.m.
The 18 October LIT UP at Muzeo, featuring authors Ona Russell, Tanya Hutchison, and Quan Huynh, is now replaying on the Facebook Live page.
The 27 October LIT UP with Joe Ide and Jonathan Maberry is playing on the LITUPOC Facebook page.
The first three episodes of Deep State Dossier-Season One are now live. RadioJuice Media’s (Casey and Marianna’s production company) ten-episode scripted drama is what happens when Pulp Fiction and The X-Files have a baby. The episodes average 17 minutes each. If you decide to listen to them and don’t hate them, please rate and review! Find them on Apple Podcasts and Radiojuice Media.
Lance will be appearing with Doug Lyle at a virtual Book Carnival event on 4 November at 6 p.m. Go to the Book Carnival events page to get your Zoom link (when it’s up).
5 NOVEMBER READING LIST
Glenda (10/15)
Joanne (10/1)
Leighanne (10/15)
Rosie (10/29)
Lance (10/29)
Casey (10/29)
Donna R. (10/29)
Lisa W. (7/23)
Sherry C. (7/23)
Leslie P. (7/23)
Marianna (3/26)
Burt (3/26)
Dennis P. (3/5)
PJ (2/27)
Maddie (2/27)
15 Oct meeting notes; 22 Oct reading list
15 OCTOBER MEETING NOTES
Six people attended: Casey (a chapter from Nouveau Trashy Vampire Romance), Donna R., Glenda, Lance, Leighanne, and Rosie (the final chapter and epilogue from The Lion and the Eagle) (congrats on finishing!).
NEWS & NOTES
Please put in your bids to read in the #oct22-meeting Slack channel by 8 p.m. Friday night. The reading submission deadline is 11:59 p.m. on Monday. The next meeting will start on Thursday at 6:30 p.m.
LIT UP! OC and Muzeo present authors Ona Russell, Tanya Hutchison, and Quan Huynh in conversation with PFL’s own Maddie on Sunday, 18 October, at 1 p.m. Look for the registration link at https://muzeo.org/ or RSVP in the comments section of the Lit Up OC Facebook event to receive your link.
P.J. will appear on a Book Carnival virtual author’s event on Wednesday, 21 October, at 6 p.m. Go to the Book Carnival events page to get your Zoom link.
The next standalone LIT UP! is happening at 6:30 p.m. on 27 October on Facebook Live. Jonathan Maberry and Joe Ide are the featured authors. As always, be sure to check the LIT UP Facebook page for upcoming programs and more details on the authors.
22 OCTOBER READING LIST
Glenda (10/15)
Joanne (10/1)
Leighanne (10/15)
Rosie (10/15)
Casey (10/15)
Lance (10/15)
Donna R. (10/15)
Lisa W. (7/23)
Sherry C. (7/23)
Leslie P. (7/23)
Marianna (3/26)
Burt (3/26)
Dennis P. (3/5)
PJ (2/27)
Maddie (2/27)
Shadows, Burt Golden, mystery/suspense
Sergeant Joe Donahue returns to his hometown from Afghanistan as a hero with the Medal of Honor. But he is not the macho guy who turned down an offer from the NFL to go to war four years earlier. War took away his identity, leaving him with a strong sense of guilt and a great fear of intimacy. Donahue drinks heavily to numb the effects of PTSD that he brought home. Adding to this stress is his estrangement from his father.
Seeking stability, Donahue accepts a job with well-known Whiting Development, whose president believes that Donahue can bring legitimacy to their real estate deals as a “show horse.” Donahue does his best to present a picture of normalcy at work, while alcohol and the ghosts of war refuse to let go of him. He is overpaid and materially spoiled at Whiting so he won’t quit when he finds out the company’s true business. However, Donahue soon learns that he has sold out to the devil, that murder solves all company problems, and that his life is in danger.
Available for Kindle on Amazon
Trade paperback available at Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Burt Golden, M.S., has written the Amazon mystery bestseller, Madness of March. This is his fifth novel. Earlier in his life, Golden coached a college basketball team that went to the NCAA tournament. He also was president of a West Coast outplacement company. Recently, Golden was inducted into the Roosevelt (Los Angeles) High School Hall of Fame, whose 46 members include two Ninth Circuit court judges, a Heisman Trophy winner, the owner of an NBA team, and a Congressional Medal of Honor recipient.
Dead is Not Enough, Burt Golden, crime/detective
Tony Bravo is the main guy in Dead is Not Enough, the second neo-noir mystery in the Tony Bravo series. A P.I. in the afternoon and a reluctant real estate agent in the morning, Bravo decides what is right and what is wrong in the dark world, and he doesn’t like to explain it to anybody. He likes women, but he usually ends up with the wacky ones who single him out for help. You might not relate to the cynic in him, yet you cannot deny he’s real.
In Dead is Not Enough, Bravo’s life is on the line when he takes on two high-stakes cases: a serial murder rampage that threatens an entire region, and a death threat to a superior court judge, who he has met on an online dating site. During the investigations, Bravo is knocked off-balance when he has to protect his fourteen-year-old daughter from his druggie ex-wife.
Available for Kindle on Amazon
Trade paperback available at Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Burt Golden, M.S., has written the Amazon mystery best seller, Madness of March. This is his fourth novel. Earlier in his life, Golden coached a college basketball team that went to the NCAA tournament. He also was president of a West Coast outplacement company. Recently, Golden was inducted into the Roosevelt (Los Angeles) High School Hall of Fame, whose 46 members include two Ninth Circuit court judges, a Heisman Trophy winner, the owner of an NBA team, and a Congressional Medal of Honor recipient.
8 Oct meeting notes; 15 Oct reading list
8 OCTOBER MEETING NOTES
Five people attended: Casey, Donna R. (a chapter from Running with Hounds…and an English Degree), Glenda, Lance (a chapter from Zrada), and Rosie.
News and Notes
Please put in your bids to read in the #oct15-meeting Slack channel by 8 p.m. Friday night. The reading submission deadline is 11:59 p.m. on Monday. The next meeting will start on Thursday at 6:30 p.m.
LIT UP! OC and Muzeo present authors Ona Russell, Tanya Hutchison, and Quan Huynh in conversation with PFL’s own Maddie on Sunday, 18 October, at 1 p.m. Look for the registration link at https://muzeo.org/ or RSVP in the comments section of the Lit Up OC Facebook event to receive your link.
The next standalone LIT UP! is happening at 6:30 p.m. on 27 October on Facebook Live. Jonathan Maberry and Joe Ide are the featured authors. As always, be sure to check the LIT UP Facebook page for upcoming programs and more details on the authors.
Joanne reports there’s a new bookstore in downtown Tustin: Arvida Book Company. They describe themselves as “a locally owned and operated independent bookshop that provides Orange County with a community hub and an intimate and eclectic collection of used and new books, gifts and locally made arts & crafts.” It’s located at 115 Main St. at El Camino Real, just a stone’s throw from Lit Up’s home at Bardot Bars & Coffee.
15 OCTOBER READING LIST
Glenda (10/8)
Joanne (10/1)
Leighanne (9/24)
Rosie (10/8)
Casey (10/8)
Lance (10/8)
Donna R. (10/8)
Lisa W. (7/23)
Sherry C. (7/23)
Leslie P. (7/23)
Marianna (3/26)
Burt (3/26)
Dennis P. (3/5)
PJ (2/27)
Maddie (2/27)
1 Oct meeting notes; 8 Oct reading list
1 OCTOBER MEETING NOTES
Six people attended: Casey, Donna R., Glenda, Joanne, Lance (a chapter from Zrada), and Rosie (a chapter from The Lion and the Eagle).
News and Notes
Please put in your bids to read in the #oct08-meeting Slack channel by 8 p.m. Friday night. The reading submission deadline is 11:59 p.m. on Monday. The next meeting will start on Thursday at 6:30 p.m.
8 OCTOBER READING LIST
Glenda (10/1)
Joanne (10/1)
Leighanne (9/24)
Rosie (10/1)
Lance (10/1)
Casey (10/1)
Donna R. (10/1)
Lisa W. (7/23)
Sherry C. (7/23)
Leslie P. (7/23)
Marianna (3/26)
Burt (3/26)
Dennis P. (3/5)
PJ (2/27)
Maddie (2/27)
24 Sep meeting notes; 1 Oct reading list
24 SEPTEMBER MEETING NOTES
Five people attended: Casey (a chapter from Nouveau Trashy Vampire Romance), Donna (a chapter from Running with Hounds…and an English Degree), Glenda, Lance, and Leighanne.
News and Notes
Please put in your bids to read in the #oct01-meeting Slack channel by 8 p.m. Friday night. The reading submission deadline is 11:59 p.m. on Monday. The next meeting will start on Thursday at 6:30 p.m.
The recording of Tuesday’s LIT UP! is now playing at https://www.facebook.com/litupoc. James Bartlett, Julia Bricklin, and Scott Decker read from their latest works and bantered with Maddie. As always, be sure to check the LIT UP Facebook page for upcoming programs and more details on the authors.
1 OCTOBER READING LIST
Glenda (9/24)
Joanne (8/13)
Leighanne (9/24)
Rosie (9/17)
Lance (9/24)
Casey (9/24)
Donna R. (9/24)
Lisa W. (7/23)
Sherry C. (7/23)
Leslie P. (7/23)
Marianna (3/26)
Burt (3/26)
Dennis P. (3/5)
PJ (2/27)
Maddie (2/27)
17 Sep meeting notes; 24 Sep reading list
17 SEPTEMBER MEETING NOTES
Four people attended: Casey, Donna, Lance (three chapters from Zrada), and Rosie (two revised chapters from The Lion and the Eagle).
News and Notes
Please put in your bids to read in the #sep24-meeting Slack channel by 8 p.m. Friday night. The reading submission deadline is 11:59 p.m. on Monday. The next meeting will start on Thursday at 6:30 p.m.
The next LIT UP! is happening at 6:30 p.m. on 22 September on Facebook Live. The lineup:
- James Bartlett (mystery).
- Julia Bricklin (historical nonfiction).
- Scott Decker (crime).
As always, be sure to check the LIT UP Facebook page for upcoming programs and more details on the authors.
24 SEPTEMBER READING LIST
Glenda (9/10)
Joanne (8/13)
Leighanne (9/10)
Casey (9/17)
Donna R. (9/17)
Rosie (9/17)
Lance (9/17)
Lisa W. (7/23)
Sherry C. (7/23)
Leslie P. (7/23)
Marianna (3/26)
Burt (3/26)
Dennis P. (3/5)
PJ (2/27)
Maddie (2/27)
10 Sep meeting notes; 17 Sep reading list
10 SEPTEMBER MEETING NOTES
Six people attended: Casey (read a chapter from Nouveau Trashy Vampire Romance), Donna (read a chapter from Running with Hounds…and an English Degree), Glenda, Lance, Leighanne (!), and Rosie.
News and Notes
Please put in your bids to read in the #sep17-meeting Slack channel by 8 p.m. Friday night. The reading submission deadline is 11:59 p.m. on Monday. The next meeting will start on Thursday at 6:30 p.m.
The next LIT UP! is happening at 6:30 p.m. on 22 September on Facebook Live. James Bartlett, Julia Bricklin, and Scott Decker are the featured authors. As always, be sure to check the LIT UP Facebook page for upcoming programs and more details on the authors.
17 SEPTEMBER READING LIST
Glenda (9/10)
Joanne (8/13)
Rosie (9/10)
Lance (9/10)
Leighanne (9/10)
Casey (9/10)
Donna R. (9/10)
Lisa W. (7/23)
Sherry C. (7/23)
Leslie P. (7/23)
Marianna (3/26)
Burt (3/26)
Dennis P. (3/5)
PJ (2/27)
Maddie (2/27)
3 Sep meeting notes; 10 Sep reading list
3 SEPTEMBER MEETING NOTES
Five people attended: Casey, Glenda, Lance (two chapters from Zrada), Rosie (two revised chapters from The Lion and the Eagle), and Donna R.’s long-anticipated return (welcome back!).
News and Notes
Please put in your bids to read in the #sep10-meeting Slack channel by 8 p.m. Friday night. The reading submission deadline is 11:59 p.m. on Monday. The next meeting will start on Thursday at 6:30 p.m.
The 30 Aug Muzeo Open Book Series featuring LIT UP! OC was a success. Ed Aymar, S.A. Cosby, and Peppur Chambers discussed their work and their latest books, with Maddie moderating. The video replay is now available on Muzeo’s Facebook page (@muzeoanaheim). As always, be sure to check the LIT UP Facebook page for upcoming programs and more details on the authors.
10 SEPTEMBER READING LIST
Glenda (9/3)
Joanne (8/13)
Casey (9/3)
Donna R. (9/3)
Rosie (9/3)
Lance (9/3)
Lisa W. (7/23)
Sherry C. (7/23)
Leslie P. (7/23)
Leighanne (7/2)
Marianna (3/26)
Burt (3/26)
Dennis P. (3/5)
PJ (2/27)
Maddie (2/27)
27 Aug meeting notes; 3 Sep reading list
27 AUGUST MEETING NOTES
Four people attended: Casey, Glenda, Lance (two chapters from Zrada), and Rosie (a revised chapter from The Lion and the Eagle). (No, this is not a rerun, but it is deja vu.)
News and Notes
Please put in your bids to read in the #sep03-meeting Slack channel by 8 p.m. Friday night. The reading submission deadline is 11:59 p.m. on Monday. The next meeting will start on Thursday at 6:30 p.m.
The next Muzeo Open Book Series featuring LIT UP! OC is on 30 Aug at 1 p.m. Go to the Zoom meeting page to register. The lineup:
- Ed Aymar (mysteries & thrillers).
- S.A. Cosby (mystery).
- Peppur Chambers (playwright).
As always, be sure to check the LIT UP Facebook page for more details on the authors.
3 SEPTEMBER READING LIST
Glenda (8/27)
Joanne (8/13)
Casey (8/27)
Rosie (8/27)
Lance (8/27)
Lisa W. (7/23)
Sherry C. (7/23)
Leslie P. (7/23)
Leighanne (7/2)
Marianna (3/26)
Burt (3/26)
Dennis P. (3/5)
PJ (2/27)
Maddie (2/27)
20 Aug meeting notes; 27 Aug reading list
20 AUGUST MEETING NOTES
Four people attended: Casey, Glenda, Lance (two chapters from Zrada), and Rosie (1.5 revised chapters from The Lion and the Eagle).
News and Notes
Please put in your bids to read in the #aug27-meeting Slack channel by 8 p.m. Friday night. The reading submission deadline is 11:59 p.m. on Monday. The next meeting will start on Thursday at 6:30 p.m.
The replay of the 18 August LIT UP! is available on the @litupoc Facebook page. Hank Phillippi Ryan, Rachel Howzell Hall, and Fiona Davis read from their latest books and fielded Maddie’s questions with no casualties.
The next Museo Open Book Series featuring LIT UP! OC is on 30 Aug at 1 p.m. Go to the Zoom meeting page to register. As always, be sure to check the LIT UP Facebook page for more details on the authors.
27 AUGUST READING LIST
Glenda (8/20)
Joanne (8/13)
Casey (8/20)
Rosie (8/20)
Lance (8/20)
Lisa W. (7/23)
Sherry C. (7/23)
Leslie P. (7/23)
Leighanne (7/2)
Marianna (3/26)
Burt (3/26)
Dennis P. (3/5)
PJ (2/27)
Maddie (2/27)
Pure Fiction League 