Next Meeting: Thursday, 26 May 2022, at 6:30 p.m.
at the Corner Bakery, 13786D Jamboree Rd. Suite 4 (Tustin Marketplace), Irvine
24 Feb meeting notes; 3 Mar reading list
24 FEBRUARY MEETING NOTES
Six people attended: Benafsha A. (a chapter from Grown in the Shade [formerly Dancing Words]), Donna R. (take 3 of the back-cover text for Running with Dogs…and an English Degree), Glenda, Joanne (a very short story, “Puberty: Not a Slam-Dunk Touchdown”), Lance, and Rosie.
NEWS & NOTES
You saw it here first: Donna R.’s long-anticipated opus on canine management and career planning — Running with Dogs…and an English Degree — will launch on Sunday, 24 April, at a party hosted by Book Carnival in Orange. The party will start at 2 p.m. Congratulations, Donna!
Our experiment with meeting at the Corner Bakery at Tustin Marketplace (13786D Jamboree Rd, Suite 4, in Irvine) worked out relatively well, so we’ll continue there until either it proves unsuitable or Panera reverts to its previous closing time. Corner Bakery is next to the Regal Edwards movie theaters on the east side of Jamboree, across the parking lot from Barnes & Noble and about two blocks south of Panera Bread.
Now that we’re no longer virtual, the usual reading-list-management policies are back in force.
3 MARCH READING LIST
Glenda (2/24)
Rosie (2/24)
Casey (2/10)
Lance (2/24)
Faridoon B. (2/17)
Joanne (2/24)
Donna R. (2/24)
Benafsha A. (2/24)
Leighanne (11/18)
Scott B. (11/18)
Burt (11/18)
Dennis P. (11/4)
17 Feb meeting notes; 24 Feb reading list
17 FEBRUARY MEETING NOTES
Six people attended: Benafsha A. (a chapter from Dancing Words), Donna R., Faridoon B., Glenda, Lance (a chapter from Bluejay Rises), and Rosie.
NEWS & NOTES
Our next meeting will be on 24 February starting at 6:30 p.m. at the Corner Bakery at Tustin Marketplace, 13786D Jamboree Rd, Suite 4, in Irvine. It’s next to the Regal Edwards movie theaters on the east side of Jamboree, across the parking lot from Barnes & Noble and about two blocks south of Panera Bread. Why not meet at Panera? They’re still closing at 8 p.m., which limits us to two readings. The Corner Bakery is open until 9 p.m. See you there!
The next virtual installment of LIT UP! A Conversation with Orange County Writers and Readers happens at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, 22 February, on Facebook Live. The indefatigable Maddie Margarita will lead two authors through a discussion of their latest works, readings, and whatever else crops up. The lineup:
- Joe Ide (mystery)
- Alex Finlay (crime thriller)
Catch the livestream on the Lit Up OC Facebook Page.
24 FEBRUARY READING LIST
Glenda (2/17)
Leighanne (11/18)
Dennis P. (11/4)
Scott B. (11/18)
Burt (11/18)
Joanne (12/2)
Rosie (2/17)
Casey (2/10)
Donna R. (2/17)
Lance (2/17)
Benafsha A. (2/17)
Faridoon B. (2/17)
10 Feb meeting notes; 17 Feb reading list
10 FEBRUARY MEETING NOTES
Seven people attended: Benafsha A. (two chapters from Dancing Words), Casey, Donna R., Glenda, Lance, Rosie, and potential new member Faridoon B. (welcome!).
NEWS & NOTES
Our next meeting will be on 17 February starting at 6:30 p.m. on the PFL Slack workspace. If you have something for the group to read, please put in your bid on the #feb17-meeting channel by Friday, 11 February, at 8 p.m. The two bidders who are highest on the reading list (below) will be our primary readers, while the third (if there is one) will be our backup.
We’re watching the COVID numbers on the OCHCA dashboard, and they seem to be going in a favorable direction. We’ll decide week-by-week whether we’ll be on Slack or in meatspace for the following meeting. Stay tuned!
17 FEBRUARY READING LIST
Glenda (2/10)
Leighanne (11/18)
Dennis P. (11/4)
Scott B. (11/18)
Burt (11/18)
Joanne (12/2)
Rosie (2/10)
Casey (2/10)
Donna R. (2/10)
Lance (2/10)
Benafsha A. (2/10)
3 Feb meeting notes; 10 Feb reading list
3 FEBRUARY MEETING NOTES
Six people attended: Benafsha A. (three chapters from Dancing Words), Casey, Donna R., Glenda, Lance (a revised chapter from Bluejay Rises), and Rosie.
NEWS & NOTES
Our next meeting will be on 10 February starting at 6:30 p.m. on the PFL Slack workspace. If you have something for the group to read, please put in your bid on the #feb10-meeting channel by Friday, 4 February, at 8 p.m. The two bidders who are highest on the reading list (below) will be our primary readers, while the third (if there is one) will be our backup.
10 FEBRUARY READING LIST
Glenda (2/3)
Leighanne (11/18)
Dennis P. (11/4)
Scott B. (11/18)
Burt (11/18)
Joanne (12/2)
Rosie (2/3)
Casey (2/3)
Donna R. (2/3)
Benafsha A. (2/3)
Lance (2/3)
27 Jan meeting notes; 3 Feb reading list
27 JANUARY MEETING NOTES
Six people attended: Benafsha, Casey, Donna R. (revised back-cover copy for Running with Hounds…), Glenda, Lance ( chapter from Bluejay Rises), and Rosie.
NEWS & NOTES
Benafsha told us about the UCI Illuminations event with Pulitzer Prize-winning author Viet Thanh Nguyen (The Collaborator) on Thursday, February 3, at 5 p.m. It’s online via Zoom. The UCI website is broken, but you can register on Eventbrite.
Our next meeting will be on 3 February starting at 6:30 p.m. on the PFL Slack workspace. If you have something for the group to read, please put in your bid on the #feb03-meeting channel by Friday, 28 January, at 8 p.m. The two bidders who are highest on the reading list (below) will be our primary readers, while the third (if there is one) will be our backup.
3 FEBRUARY READING LIST
Glenda (1/27)
Leighanne (11/18)
Dennis P. (11/4)
Scott B. (11/18)
Burt (11/18)
Joanne (12/2)
Rosie (1/27)
Benafsha A. (1/27)
Casey (1/27)
Donna R. (1/27)
Lance (1/27)
20 Jan meeting notes; 27 Jan reading list
20 JANUARY MEETING NOTES
Six people attended: Benafsha (the first chapter of a YA novel, Dancing Words)(her first PFL reading!), Casey (welcome back!), Donna R., Glenda, Lance, and Rosie (query letter and synopsis for The Lion and the Eagle).
NEWS & NOTES
Rosie’s in print in a bestseller (unfortunately, not hers): she’s named in the acknowledgements for The Collector’s Daughter, a historical novel involving the discovery of King Tut’s tomb by bestselling author Gill Paul.
Our next meeting will be on 27 January starting at 6:30 p.m. on the PFL Slack workspace. If you have something for the group to read, please put in your bid on the #jan27-meeting channel by Friday, 21 January, at 8 p.m. The two bidders who are highest on the reading list (below) will be our primary readers, while the third (if there is one) will be our backup.
27 JANUARY READING LIST
Glenda (1/20)
Leighanne (11/18)
Dennis P. (11/4)
Scott B. (11/18)
Burt (11/18)
Joanne (12/2)
Donna R. (1/20)
Lance (1/20)
Rosie (1/20)
Benafsha A. (1/20)
Casey (1/20)
13 Jan meeting notes; 20 Jan reading list
13 JANUARY MEETING NOTES
Four people attended our first 2022 virtual PFL meeting: Donna R. (a revised blurb for Running with Dogs…), Lance (a new chapter in Bluejay Rises, the long-untitled Kate DeWitt project), Rosie, and the return of Benafsha A. (welcome back!).
NEWS & NOTES
Our next meeting will be on 20 January starting at 6:30 p.m. on the PFL Slack workspace. If you have something for the group to read, please put in your bid on the #jan20-meeting channel by Friday, 14 January, at 8 p.m. The two bidders who are highest on the reading list (below) will be our primary readers, while the third (if there is one) will be our backup.
20 JANUARY READING LIST
Glenda (12/2)
Leighanne (11/18)
Rosie (1/13)
Dennis P. (11/4)
Scott B. (11/18)
Burt (11/18)
Joanne (12/2)
Donna R. (1/13)
Lance (1/13)
Benafsha A. (1/13)
6 Jan meeting cancelled; PFL goes virtual (again)
Because of the skyrocketing infections brought about by the current wave of COVID, and with an eye toward our more medically vulnerable members, we’ll be temporarily going back to our virtual format on Slack.
The 6 January meeting is cancelled — there wasn’t enough time to switch formats. Our first meeting for 2022 will be on 13 January starting at 6:30 p.m. on the PFL Slack workspace.
I’ve already sent out the how-to sheet to remind you how this works. If you have something for the group to read, please put in your bid on the #jan13-meeting channel by Friday, 7 January, at 8 p.m. The two bidders who are highest on the reading list (below) will be our primary readers, while the third (if there is one) will be our backup.
If your Slack account doesn’t get you into the PFL workspace, let me know and I’ll re-invite you. If you don’t have a Slack account, either ever or not now, please create one and tell me about it so I can invite you to the workspace.
This isn’t a welcome development, but we have to deal with the situation head-on. We got through it once; we’ll manage again. See you on the 13th!
13 JANUARY READING LIST
Glenda (12/2)
Donna R. (12/2)
Leighanne (11/18)
Rosie (11/18)
Dennis P. (11/4)
Scott B. (11/18)
Burt (11/18)
Lance (11/18)
Joanne (12/2)
2 Dec meeting notes; 6 Jan reading list
2 DECEMBER MEETING NOTES
A cozy three people attended the final meeting for 2021: Donna R. (who filled in as Imperator), Glenda, and Joanne (a short story, “Sexual Suffrage 60s: The Yellow Cab Ride”).
NEWS & NOTES
The first PFL meeting of 2022 will take place at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, 6 January at Panera Bread, 13205 Jamboree Rd., Tustin (at Irvine Blvd. on the west side of Jamboree).
2021 stats: we averaged 4.9 attendees and 1.7 readings per meeting, down from 6.5 and 2.2 respectively for 2020. However, we welcomed three new members since going live on 24 June and hope to build up our numbers in the new year. If you haven’t attended a live PFL meeting for a while, come back to the fold soon!
6 JANUARY READING LIST
Glenda (12/2)
Donna R. (12/2)
Leighanne (11/18)
Rosie (11/18)
Dennis P. (11/4)
Scott B. (11/18)
Burt (11/18)
Lance (11/18)
Joanne (12/2)
18 Nov meeting notes; 2 Dec reading list
18 NOVEMBER MEETING NOTES
Seven people attended the penultimate meeting for 2021: Burt (a revised chapter from The Spirit of 1942), Donna R., Joanne (a very short story, “Carrying Water”), Lance (one revised and one new chapter of the still-untitled Kate DeWitt Adventure), Leighanne, Rosie, and Scott B.
NEWS & NOTES
The final PFL meeting of 2021 will take place at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, 2 December at Panera Bread, 13205 Jamboree Rd., Tustin (at Irvine Blvd. on the west side of Jamboree). Note the non-standard starting time — this is to accommodate Panera’s planned early closing that night.
2 DECEMBER READING LIST
Glenda (11/11)
Donna R. (11/18)
Leighanne (11/18)
Rosie (11/18)
Dennis P. (11/4)
Scott B. (11/18)
Burt (11/18)
Joanne (11/18)
Lance (11/18)
11 Nov meeting notes; 18 Nov reading list
11 NOVEMBER MEETING NOTES
Five people attended: Donna R., Glenda, Joanne (a very short story, “‘Tis No Season For the Elders”), Lance (a revised chapter of the still-untitled Kate DeWitt Adventure), and Rosie.
NEWS & NOTES
The penultimate PFL meeting of 2021 will take place at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, 18 November at Panera Bread, 13205 Jamboree Rd., Tustin (at Irvine Blvd. on the west side of Jamboree).
We’re approaching the end of the year. The last two PFL meetings of 2021 will be on 18 Nov and 2 Dec. There are no plans afoot for a holiday party as of now.
The Thanksgiving edition of LIT UP! will be held online on Tuesday, 16 Nov, at 6:30 p.m. Dot Caffrey, Lance Charnes, and Leonard Szymczak will be the featured authors. Watch the action on Facebook Live.
18 NOVEMBER READING LIST
Glenda (11/11)
Donna R. (11/11)
Leighanne (10/14)
Rosie (11/11)
Burt (11/4)
Dennis P. (11/4)
Scott B. (11/4)
Joanne (11/11)
Lance (11/11)
4 Nov meeting notes; 11 Nov reading list
4 NOVEMBER MEETING NOTES
Six people attended: Burt, Dennis P. (a chapter from Angeltown), Donna R., Glenda, Lance (a revised chapter of the still-untitled Kate DeWitt Adventure), and Scott B. (the opening chapter of a dystopian novel, ReForm).
NEWS & NOTES
The next PFL meeting will take place at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, 11 November at Panera Bread, 13205 Jamboree Rd., Tustin (at Irvine Blvd. on the west side of Jamboree).
We’re approaching the end of the year. The last three PFL meetings of 2021 will be on 11 Nov, 18 Nov, and 2 Dec. There are no plans afoot for a holiday party as of now.
Lance will appear live at Book Carnival in Orange on Saturday, 6 Nov, at 2 p.m. Joining him via Zoom will be Gregory Galloway, author of the new crime novel Just Thieves. You can watch on Zoom (get the code from the Book Carnival website), or if you’re in the area, you can attend the event in person and support a local indie bookshop.
11 NOVEMBER READING LIST
Glenda (11/4)
Donna R. (11/4)
Leighanne (10/14)
Rosie (10/21)
Burt (11/4)
Joanne (10/28)
Lance (11/4)
Dennis P. (11/4)
Scott B. (11/4)
28 Oct meeting notes; 4 Nov reading list
28 OCTOBER MEETING NOTES
Seven people attended: Burt (modified excerpts from Act II of When the Shvitz Hits the Fan), Dennis P. (2.5 chapters from Angeltown), Donna R., Glenda, Joanne (a short story, “The Nebshit and the Martyr”), Lance (a revised first chapter of the still-untitled Kate DeWitt Adventure), and Scott B.
NEWS & NOTES
The next PFL meeting will take place at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, 4 November at Panera Bread, 13205 Jamboree Rd., Tustin (at Irvine Blvd. on the west side of Jamboree).
Lance will appear live at Book Carnival in Orange on Saturday, 6 Nov, at 2 p.m. Joining him via Zoom will be Gregory Galloway, author of the new crime novel Just Thieves. You can watch on Zoom (get the code from the Book Carnival website), or if you’re in the area, you can attend the event in person and support a local indie bookshop.
4 NOVEMBER READING LIST
Glenda (10/28)
Donna R. (10/28)
Leighanne (10/14)
Rosie (10/21)
Lance (10/28)
Burt (10/28)
Joanne (10/28)
Dennis P. (10/28)
Scott B. (10/28)
21 Oct meeting notes; 28 Oct reading list
21 OCTOBER MEETING NOTES
Eight people attended: Burt, Dennis P. (three chapters from Angeltown), Donna R., Glenda, Joanne (a short story, “I’m a Lawyer”), Lance, Rosie, and potential new member Scott B., who just published his first cyberpunk novel, ReStart.
NEWS & NOTES
The next PFL meeting will take place at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, 28 October at Panera Bread, 13205 Jamboree Rd., Tustin (at Irvine Blvd. on the west side of Jamboree).
Dennis P. just published his third Red Car Noir novel, The Society for the Complete Extermination of Ethan Frome, which is now available on Amazon. Congratulations, Dennis!
The recorded Halloween edition of LIT UP! featuring DP Lyle, Dana Hammer, and PJ Colando, is now watchable on the LIT UP Facebook page.
28 OCTOBER READING LIST
Glenda (10/21)
Donna R. (10/21)
Leighanne (10/14)
Lance (10/21)
Rosie (10/21)
Burt (10/21)
Joanne (10/21)
Dennis P. (10/21)
Ken S. (8/26)
Dan O. (8/26)
14 Oct meeting notes; 21 Oct reading list
14 OCTOBER MEETING NOTES
Six people attended: Burt (a revised first chapter from The Spirit of 1942), Dennis P. (two chapters from a historical novel, Angeltown), Glenda, Lance, Leighanne, and Rosie.
NEWS & NOTES
The next PFL meeting will take place at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, 21 October at Panera Bread, 13205 Jamboree Rd., Tustin (at Irvine Blvd. on the west side of Jamboree).
The Halloween edition of LIT UP! will be held online on Tuesday, 19 Oct, at 6:30 p.m. DP Lyle, Dana Hammer, and PJ Colando will be the featured authors. Watch the action on Facebook Live.
21 OCTOBER READING LIST
Glenda (10/14)
Donna R. (9/30)
Leighanne (10/14)
Lance (10/14)
Rosie (10/14)
Joanne (9/30)
Burt (10/14)
Dennis P. (10/14)
Ken S. (8/26)
Dan O. (8/26)
Pure Fiction League 