Next Meeting: Thursday, 9 APRIL 2020 at 6:30 PM
online in the PFL Slack workspace
Sisters-in-Crime Orange County: Chris Hauty, 23 Mar 2020
The 23 March Sisters in Crime – Orange County meeting will feature veteran screenwriter Chris Hauty.
Employed for the last thirty years as a screenwriter, Chris Hauty has worked for every major movie studio in nearly all genres. He currently lives in Venice, California in the company of a classic Triumph motorcycle and a feral cat. Deep State is his first novel.
Sisters in Crime – Orange County meets monthly at the Irvine Ranch Water District on 15500 Sand Canyon Av. in Irvine. The meeting starts at 2 p.m. Admission is free, but membership is always encouraged.
SCWA: Nancy Cole Silverman, 21 Mar 2020
The 21 March Southern California Writers Association meeting features radio personality and author Nancy Cole Silverman talking about “How to Plan a Mystery Series and the Expanding World of Cozies”.
Nancy Cole Silverman spent nearly twenty-five years in Los Angeles talk radio. After a successful career in the radio industry, she turned to writing fiction. Her crime-focused novels and short stories have attracted readers throughout America. Her Carol Childs Mysteries series (Henery Press) feature a single-mom whose “day job” as a reporter at a busy Los Angeles radio station often leads to long nights as a crime-solver. Her most recent series with Misty Dawn is centered on an aging Hollywood Psychic to the Stars.
The meeting takes place at SCWA’s new home in the Mile Square Banquet Center, 10401 Warner Av., in Fountain Valley. Doors open at 9:30 and the program begins at 10:00. Tickets are $25 for members, $35 for non-members ($30 with a reservation), and include a buffet breakfast. Check the SCWA website for more information.
The 14 March Romance Writers of America – Orange County meeting will feature a “Wordsmithing Your WIP” workshop with Celeste Barclay and a “90 Days to Launch” seminar S.L. Hannah.
Celeste Barclay has been an educator for nearly 15 years, including as a high school English teacher and college instructor. Celeste began publishing in April 2018 and currently has 14 novels and two novellas published. She’s had 12 “#1 New Release” novels over multiple Amazon historical romance and historical fiction categories. The two novellas are featured in Amazon “#1 Best Seller” anthologies.
S.L. Hannah was born in Poland, grew up in Canada, and moved to Southern California to pursue her love of single-engine airplanes. She’s currently working on re-branding and finishing the fourth book in her chick-lit series, Sex, Life, & Hannah. When she’s not writing fiction, she continues to solve the aviation problems of the world.
RWA-OC meets monthly at the Juniper and Cypress rooms on the CSU Fullerton campus. The meeting starts at 9 a.m. with “Ask the Author”; the afternoon program begins at 12:15. Guest admission is $15 for the first meeting. Check the website for maps, more events, and membership information.
5 Mar meeting notes; 12 Mar reading list
5 MARCH MEETING NOTES
Seven people attended: Casey (read a chapter from Nouveau Trashy Vampire Romance), Dennis P. (read a partial chapter from Winesburg Revisited), Joanne (read a short story, “Boycotting Christmas Eve”), Lance, Leslie P., Rosie (read the first two chapters from Farbourne Manor), and Sherry C.
News and Notes
Maddie is now vice president of the Orange County Chapter of Sisters-in-Crime. Congratulations!
Version 3.0 of the PFL Guidelines is now available on the website. This is the first significant revision in ten years, though most of it consists of updates (it used to list our previous meeting place twice removed, still had the website on Multiply, and predated our social media presence). The only material change regards use of the member contact data Sherry C. gathered and distributed to our current members. Please read the updated guidelines on the website, or download a PDF here.
Want to have new posts delivered to your email inbox? Go to the website’s home page and look to the right-hand side of the page; you’ll see two narrow columns. In the left one you’ll find FOLLOW BLOG VIA EMAIL. Enter your email address in the blank field under the headline. Join the 216 other people who get notified whenever a new post goes up!
The next LIT UP! is happening at 7:00 p.m. on 24 March at Bardot Bars & Coffee, 662 El Camino Real, Tustin. You can download posters here (1-up and 2-up). As always, be sure to check the LIT UP Facebook page for more details on the authors.
12 MARCH READING LIST
Marianna (2/13)
Burt (2/20)
Maddie (2/27)
Glenda (2/20)
Leslie P. (3/5)
PJ (2/27)
Leighanne (2/27)
Sherry C. (3/5)
Lance (3/5)
Dennis P. (3/5)
Rosie (3/5)
Joanne (3/5)
Casey (3/5)
Shari (2/6)
Book Carnival
, an independent Orange County bookstore dedicated to mysteries and thrillers, will host the following author readings/signings through the end of March:
- Saturday, March 7, 2 p.m.: John McMahon, The Evil Men Do
- Saturday, March 21, 2 p.m.: Jennifer Chow, Mimi Gets a Clue; Tori Eldridge, The Ninja Daughter
- Sunday, March 22, 3 p.m.: Margot Kinberg, A Matter of Motive (launch party)
- Saturday, March 28, p.m.: Jeri Westerson, Moonrisers; Laurie Stevens, Twilight’s Hush
- Sunday, March 29, 3 p.m.: Anne Cleeland, Murder in Deep Regret
The events are mostly free (unless marked otherwise), although it’d be nice if you buy the featured book. Book Carnival is located at 348 S. Tustin Street in Orange, three-ish blocks south of Chapman Avenue. Look for more information on the store’s website or Facebook page.
Upcoming Author Events, Laguna Beach Books, March 2020
Independent bookstore Laguna Beach Books will be hosting the following event this March:
- Sunday, March 22, 4 p.m.: Randy Kraft, Rational Women: A Collection of Short Stories (RSVP here)
Events are free unless otherwise noted. Laguna Beach Books is located at 1200 South Coast Highway in Laguna Beach. Get more information on their website or Facebook page.
Upcoming Author Events, Mystery Ink Books, March 2020
Independent bookstore Mystery Ink will be hosting the following author events in March:
- Sunday, March 1, 2 p.m.: Maria DiRico, Here Comes the Body (series debut); Christine E. Blum, Clarets of Fire; Mary Marks, Knot on her Life
- Saturday, March 21, 4 p.m.: Jennifer Graeser Dornbush, Secret Remains
Events are free, but it would be nice if you bought a book. Mystery Ink is located at 8907 Warner Ave. #135 in Huntington Beach. Get more information on their website or Facebook page.
