Next Meeting: Thursday, 11 January, at 6:30 p.m.
at the Tustin Marketplace Corner Bakery (13652 Jamboree Road, Irvine)
6 Feb meeting notes; 13 Feb reading list
6 FEBRUARY MEETING NOTES
Nine people attended: Burt, Casey, Dennis P., Joanne, Lance (read a chapter from Zrada), Leslie P., Shari, Sherry C. (read the ending of her short story “Phaeton of the Opry”), and potential new member Karen W.
News and Notes
A romance-themed installment of LIT UP! is happening at 7:00 p.m. on 11 February at Bardot Bars & Coffee, 662 El Camino Real, Tustin. You can download posters here (1-up and 2-up). Three featured local romance authors will read from their works and discuss them with the audience. The lineup:
- Caitlyn O’Leary (Midnight Delta series).
- Louisa Bacio (paranormal & SF).
- Sabrina Sol (Latinx).
As always, be sure to check the LIT UP Facebook page for more details on the authors.
13 FEBRUARY READING LIST
Leighanne (1/30)
Glenda (1/2)
Marianna (1/23)
Burt (2/6)
PJ (1/23)
Dana S. (1/23)
Shari (2/6)
Joanne (2/6)
Leslie P. (2/6)
Casey (2/6)
Dennis P. (2/6)
Rosie (1/30)
Lance (2/6)
Sherry C. (2/6)
Maddie (12/5)
30 Jan meeting notes; 6 Feb reading list
30 JANUARY MEETING NOTES
Eight people attended: Casey (read the opening chapter of Nouveau Trashy Vampire Romance), Dennis P. (read a partial chapter from Winesburg Revisited), Joanne, Lance, Leighanne, Leslie P., Rosie (read the opening chapter of The Bear and the Rising Sun), and Sherry C.
News and Notes
Rosie recommends Before and After the Book Deal by Courtney Maum. Aimed at writers who want to know what to expect of the legacy publishing experience, it bills itself as “the definitive guide for anyone who has ever wanted to know what it’s really like to be an author.”
A romance-themed installment of LIT UP! is happening at 7:00 p.m. on 11 February 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.
6 FEBRUARY READING LIST
Leighanne (1/30)
Glenda (1/2)
Marianna (1/23)
Burt (1/23)
PJ (1/23)
Dana S. (1/23)
Shari (1/9)
Joanne (1/30)
Leslie P. (1/30)
Lance (1/30)
Sherry C. (1/30)
Casey (1/30)
Dennis P. (1/30)
Rosie (1/30)
Maddie (12/5)
23 Jan meeting notes; 30 Jan reading list
23 JANUARY MEETING NOTES
Nine people attended: Burt, Casey, Dana S., Joanne, Lance (read two chapters from Zrada), Leslie P. (read three chapters from Ghost Dog), Marianna, PJ, and Sherry C. (read two chapters from Time’s Up for Father Time).
News and Notes
Dana’s upcoming YA fantasy novel Cast in Firelight will be available online for preorder by the end of February. Stay tuned for the exact date.
The 21 January LIT UP! was a success, with a near-capacity crowd hearing readings from Nancy Klann, Casey Dorman, and Dennis Copelan.
A romance-themed installment of LIT UP! is happening at 7:00 p.m. on 11 February 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.
30 JANUARY READING LIST
Leighanne (1/16)
Casey (1/23)
Glenda (1/2)
Marianna (1/23)
Burt (1/23)
PJ (1/23)
Dana S. (1/23)
Shari (1/9)
Joanne (1/23)
Dennis P. (1/16)
Rosie (1/16)
Leslie P. (1/23)
Lance (1/23)
Sherry C. (1/23)
Maddie (12/5)
16 Jan meeting notes; 23 Jan reading list
16 JANUARY MEETING NOTES
Eight people attended: Casey, Dennis P., Joanne, Lance (read two chapters from Zrada), Leighanne, Marianna, Rosie (read the first two chapters of Well of the Moon), and Sherry C. (read 1.5 chapters from Time’s Up for Father Time).
News and Notes
The next LIT UP! is happening at 7:00 p.m. on 21 January at Bardot Bars & Coffee, 662 El Camino Real, Tustin. You can download posters here (1-up and 2-up).
Three featured local authors will read from their works and discuss them with the audience. The lineup:
- Literary fiction writer Nancy Klann.
- Thriller and SF author Casey Dorman.
- Historical/psychological fiction writer Dennis Copelan.
As always, be sure to check the LIT UP Facebook page for more details on the authors.
23 JANUARY READING LIST
Leighanne (1/16)
Casey (1/16)
Glenda (1/2)
Marianna (1/16)
Burt (1/2)
PJ (1/9)
Dana S. (1/9)
Shari (1/9)
Leslie P. (1/9)
Joanne (1/16)
Dennis P. (1/16)
Rosie (1/16)
Lance (1/16)
Sherry C. (1/16)
Maddie (12/5)
9 Jan meeting notes; 16 Jan reading list
9 JANUARY MEETING NOTES
Ten people attended: Casey, Dana S., Joanne (read a short story, “A Rip in the Screen”), Lance, Leighanne, Leslie P. (read five chapters from Ghost Dog), PJ, Rosie, Shari, and Sherry C. (read part one of a short story, “Phaeton of the Opry”).
News and Notes
Anaheim Public Library has begun a monthly Writers’ Workshop Series, which will happen at 2 p.m. on the third Saturday of each month at the Central Library, 500 West Broadway in downtown Anaheim. Two PFLers will be featured: PJ on 18 January, and Casey on 14 November. All events are free.
Rosie and Dana S. are now mentors on Author Mentor Match, a program run by author Alexa Donne that pairs unpublished MG and YA authors with agented or published authors in those genres. The next round of aspiring mentee submissions opens in February.
The next LIT UP! is happening at 7:00 p.m. on 21 January 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.
16 JANUARY READING LIST
Leighanne (1/9)
Casey (1/9)
Glenda (1/2)
Maddie (12/5)
Marianna (11/21)
Rosie (1/9)
Burt (1/2)
Lance (1/9)
PJ (1/9)
Dana S. (1/9)
Shari (1/9)
Leslie P. (1/9)
Sherry C. (1/9)
Joanne (1/9)
Dennis P. (11/14)
2 Jan meeting notes; 9 Jan reading list
2 JANUARY MEETING NOTES
Six people kicked off PFL’s 2020: Burt (read the revised last three chapters of Shadows), Casey, Glenda, Joanne, Lance (read two chapters from Zrada), and Leslie P.
News and Notes
The PFL Holiday Party was a great success. Many thanks to Marianna, who hosted the event, and to Sherry and Leslie for organizing the writing contest and the food arrangements.
Lance will be speaking at the Foothill Ranch Library’s monthly Writers’ Retreat on Saturday, 4 January, at 10:30 a.m.
The next LIT UP! will be scheduled soon. Be sure to check the LIT UP Facebook page for the date and details on the authors.
9 JANUARY READING LIST
Leighanne (11/21)
Leslie P. (1/2)
Casey (1/2)
Glenda (1/2)
Maddie (12/5)
Marianna (11/21)
Rosie (12/5)
Sherry C. (12/5)
Joanne (1/2)
Burt (1/2)
Lance (1/2)
PJ (11/14)
Dana S. (11/14)
Dennis P. (11/14)
Don’t forget…
…Thursday, 2 January is the first PFL meeting of the year. See you there!
5 Dec meeting notes; 2 Jan reading list
5 DECEMBER MEETING NOTES
Seven people attended the last meeting of 2019: Burt, Casey, Lance (read two chapters from Zrada), Leslie P., Maddie, Rosie, and Sherry C. (read 1.5 chapters from Time’s Up for Father Time).
News and Notes
Our stats for 2019: average attendance was 9.9 people (now you know why some of us didn’t always seem all there), and we averaged 3.0 readings per meeting. Casey won the attendance sweepstakes with 42 appearances. Lance had the most readings with 20, followed by Rosie (18) and Casey (17).
The PFL Holiday Party will happen on Thursday, 12 December, from 7-9 p.m. at Marianna’s joint in Irvine. Besides eating and drinking, the entertainment will include readings of participant-written short stories (500-1000 words) set during Christmas Eve outside the U.S. Many thanks to Leslie for wrangling the food list.
Many thanks also to Sherry, who’s been compiling a contact list for all the PFL members.
The next LIT UP! is happening at 7:00 p.m. on 10 December at Bardot Bars & Coffee, 662 El Camino Real, Tustin. You can download posters here (1-up and 2-up). The lineup:
- Mystery/crime writer Lance Charnes.
- Fantasy author Dot Caffrey.
- Essayist and contemporary fiction writer Liska Jacobs.
As always, be sure to check the LIT UP Facebook page for more details on the authors.
2 JANUARY READING LIST
Leighanne (11/21)
Leslie P. (12/5)
Burt (12/5)
Casey (12/5)
Glenda (11/21)
PJ (11/14)
Maddie (12/5)
Dana S. (11/14)
Dennis P. (11/14)
Marianna (11/21)
Rosie (12/5)
Sherry C. (12/5)
Lance (12/5)
Shari (10/24)
Joanne (10/24)
Lisa W. (10/24)
21 Nov meeting notes; 5 Dec reading list
21 NOVEMBER MEETING NOTES
Eight people attended: Casey, Glenda, Lance (read two chapters from Zrada), Leighanne, Leslie P., Marianna (read a revised first chapter from Red Snow), Rosie (read two chapters from The Lion and the Eagle), and Sherry C.
News and Notes
The days dwindle down to a precious few… the last PFL meeting of 2019 will be on 5 Dec.
Sherry is compiling a PFL contact list so we can contact (or cyber-stalk) each other. If you didn’t fill out a form this time, she’ll surely have more at the next meeting.
The PFL Holiday Party will happen on Thursday, 12 December, from 7-9 p.m. at Marianna’s joint in Irvine. Besides eating and drinking, the entertainment will include readings of participant-written short stories (500-1000 words) set during Christmas Eve outside the U.S. Leslie circulated a food signup list during the 21 November meeting and will do so again for the 5 Dec meeting.
The audience for the 19 November LIT UP! braved traffic and (gasp!) rain to hear readings from and interviews with Casey Pope, Dennis Phinney, and Christina Adams. Good work, all!
The next LIT UP! is happening at 7:00 p.m. on 10 December 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.
5 DECEMBER READING LIST
Leighanne (11/21)
Leslie P. (11/21)
Burt (11/14)
Casey (11/21)
Glenda (11/21)
PJ (11/14)
Sherry C. (11/21)
Maddie (11/14)
Dana S. (11/14)
Dennis P. (11/14)
Marianna (11/21)
Lance (11/21)
Rosie (11/21)
Shari (10/24)
Joanne (10/24)
Lisa W. (10/24)
14 Nov meeting notes; 21 Nov reading list
14 NOVEMBER MEETING NOTES
Twelve people attended: Burt, Casey, Dana S. (read the first chapter of Bound by Firelight), Dennis P. (read a partial chapter from Winesburg Revisited), Lance, Leighanne, Leslie P., Maddie (read two revised chapters from Hit Me), Marianna, PJ, Rosie, and Sherry C.
News and Notes
The days dwindle down to a precious few… the last PFL meetings of 2019 will be on 21 Nov and 5 Dec.
The PFL Holiday Party will happen on Thursday, 12 December, from 7-9 p.m. at Marianna’s joint. Besides eating and drinking, the entertainment will include readings of participant-written short stories (500-1000 words) set during Christmas Eve outside the U.S. A food signup list will circulate during the 21 Nov meeting.
Lance will be appearing at Mysterious Galaxy in San Diego on Friday, 15 Nov, with mystery writer and LIT UP! alum Anne Cleeland. He’ll also be at Book Carnival in Orange on Saturday, 16 Nov, with thriller writer Michael Niemann.
The next LIT UP! is happening at 7:00 p.m. on 19 November at Bardot Bars & Coffee, 662 El Camino Real, Tustin. You can download posters here (1-up and 2-up). The lineup:
- SF/fantasy/romance writer Casey Pope.
- Historical noir author Dennis Phinney.
- Journalist/nonfiction writer Christina Adams.
As always, be sure to check the LIT UP Facebook page for more details on the authors.
21 NOVEMBER READING LIST
Leighanne (11/14)
Shari (10/24)
Leslie P. (11/14)
Burt (11/14)
Joanne (10/24)
Lisa W. (10/24)
Casey (11/14)
Glenda (10/24)
Marianna (11/14)
PJ (11/14)
Lance (11/14)
Rosie (11/14)
Sherry C. (11/14)
Maddie (11/14)
Dana S. (11/14)
Dennis P. (11/14)
After a brutal breakup with her high school boyfriend, a devastated Lolly is determined to fight the injustices of the world and decides to “put things to right” as a way to overcome her heartache and gain a semblance of control over the emotional chaos of her life. And so the summer after her freshman year in college, she applies for summer internship positions, including with the FBI, CIA, and ATF. They all reject her. Except one: The Office of Anti-Villainy and Undisclosable Matters, a.k.a. OAVUM.
Lolly’s one and only assignment entrusted to her by OAVUM is Hamm Metepakker. He is OAVUM’s top-tier superhero, but has been out of commission because of an injury. It is Lolly’s duty to keep Hamm on track to fast recovery so he can get back to battling supervillains. But it’s kind of hard for Lolly to stay focused on her job because Hamm’s not only a superhero, he’s super hot and pretty cool, and is a celebrity and living the good life. They soon start flirting and experiencing warm fuzzies for each other and get hot and heavy and—
But wait. Lolly isn’t supposed to do any of that because fraternizing with an OAVUM employee is grounds for termination. Also, getting involved with Hamm will distract him from his job of fighting the supervillains who are intent on world domination. On top of which, Hamm is rumored to be dating world-famous pop star, Daria Buttermilk, who is not the kind of person that will allow a “nobody” like Lolly to upstage her. But Lolly can’t help herself and follows her heart and pursues a course of action that sets off a domino effect of ginormously dire consequences.
Available for Kindle on Amazon
Trade paperback available at Amazon
Casey Pope writes novels in the mainstream/upmarket category, i.e., literary/commercial hybrid. His previous works include A Love Life Like Karmic Disaster, The Boy Who Couldn’t Fly, and World War Girl Soldier.
7 Nov meeting notes; 14 Nov reading list
7 NOVEMBER MEETING NOTES
Seven people attended: Casey, Lance (read the first chapter of Zrada), Leighanne, Leslie P., Marianna, Rosie (read 1.5 chapters of The Lion and the Eagle), and Sherry C. (read 1.5 chapters from Time’s Up for Father Time).
News and Notes
The days dwindle down to a precious few… the last PFL meetings of 2019 will be on 14 Nov, 21 Nov, and 5 Dec.
The PFL Holiday Party will happen on 12 December at Marianna’s joint. More details to come soon.
The next LIT UP! is happening at 7:00 p.m. on 19 November 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.
14 NOVEMBER READING LIST
Maddie (10/17)
Leighanne (11/7)
Shari (10/24)
Leslie P. (11/7)
Burt (10/17)
Joanne (10/24)
Dana S. (10/10)
Lisa W. (10/24)
Casey (11/7)
Glenda (10/24)
Marianna (11/7)
PJ (10/24)
Dennis P. (10/24)
Lance (11/7)
Rosie (11/7)
Sherry C. (11/7)
24 Oct meeting notes; 7 Nov reading list
24 OCTOBER MEETING NOTES
Eleven people attended: Dennis P. (read a partial chapter from Winesburg Revisited), Glenda, Joanne, Lance, Leighanne, Leslie P., Lisa W., PJ (read a short story, “Paradise is Not on the Menu”), Rosie, Shari, and Sherry C. (read a chapter from Time’s Up for Father Time).
News and Notes
There will be no 31 October meeting. There will be too many ghosties and ghoulies and long-legged beasties about to make it to Panera.
PJ recommended ChapterBuzz, a Scribd alternative that allows authors to post a chapter at a time of a work-in-progress and share it with readers.
Leighanne and Rosie reminded us that NaNoWriMo is at our throats once again. They’re both Municipal Liaisons for the Orange County South region. To find out how NaNo works in general or to see OC South events, check the NaNo website.
The 22 October LIT UP! was a success, with another near-capacity crowd hearing readings from DP Lyle, Jolene D’Zmura, and Lorenzo Porricelli.
The next LIT UP! is happening at 7:00 p.m. on 19 November 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.
7 NOVEMBER READING LIST
Maddie (10/17)
Leighanne (10/24)
Shari (10/24)
Leslie P. (10/24)
Burt (10/17)
Joanne (10/24)
Lance (10/24)
Dana S. (10/10)
Lisa W. (10/24)
Casey (10/17)
Glenda (10/24)
Marianna (10/17)
Rosie (10/24)
PJ (10/24)
Dennis P. (10/24)
Sherry C. (10/24)
Lily (9/19)
Chasing Clay, Lance Charnes, crime/caper
It’s pure white, deep blue… and dirty all over.
Nam Ton ware – centuries-old ceramics from Southeast Asia’s Golden Triangle – captivated the DeWitt Agency’s tech-tycoon client. Now Immigration and Customs Enforcement is on his case for buying smuggled antiquities. To get immunity, he’s hired the agency to run an off-books investigation into Nam Ton’s source.
Disgraced ex-L.A. gallerist and ex-con Matt Friedrich is in charge. If he finishes within sixty days, he’ll earn an early end to his probation. If he doesn’t, he may go back to prison for bending the federal criminal code into a pretzel.
Soon enough, Matt’s in San Francisco, getting tight with Savannah, the client’s beautiful art advisor, to scam his way into the smuggling operation. As the burglary, blackmail, tax evasion and customs fraud piles up and Matt finds himself sandwiched in a federal turf war, he realizes he’s in way over his head with no good way out. And that’s before he ends up in a real live jungle.
Matt’s dealing with a type of art he knows nothing about from an area he’s seen only in war movies. Now the fate of some trafficked pottery may decide whether Matt gets his freedom… or spends a long stretch in a concrete cell.
Available for Kindle on Amazon
Trade paperback available at Amazon | Barnes & Noble
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.
Chasing Clay is the third book in the DeWitt Agency Files series, following The Collection and Stealing Ghosts.
17 Oct meeting notes; 24 Oct reading list
17 OCTOBER MEETING NOTES
Twelve people attended: Burt, Casey, Dennis P. (read a chapter from Winesburg Revisited), Glenda, Joanne, Lance, Leighanne, Leslie P., Maddie, Marianna, Rosie (read two chapters from The Lion and the Eagle), and Sherry C. (read a chapter from Time’s Up for Father Time).
News and Notes
There will be no 31 October meeting. There will be too many ghosties and ghoulies and long-legged beasties about to make it to Panera.
The next LIT UP! is happening at 7:00 p.m. on 22 October at Bardot Bars & Coffee, 662 El Camino Real, Tustin. You can download posters here (1-up and 2-up). The lineup:
- Crime writer DP Lyle.
- YA paranormal author Jolene D’Zmura.
- Multi-genre author/screenwriter Lorenzo Porricelli.
As always, be sure to check the LIT UP Facebook page for more details on the authors.
The last two LIT UP! events for 2019 will be on 19 November and 10 December.
24 OCTOBER READING LIST
Maddie (10/17)
Leighanne (10/17)
Shari (10/10)
Lily (9/19)
PJ (9/12)
Leslie P. (10/17)
Burt (10/17)
Joanne (10/17)
Lance (10/17)
Dana S. (10/10)
Lisa W. (10/3)
Casey (10/17)
Glenda (10/17)
Marianna (10/17)
Dennis P. (10/17)
Sherry C. (10/17)
Rosie (10/17)
Pure Fiction League 