Next Meeting: Thursday, 28 May, at 6:30 p.m.
at the Tustin Marketplace Corner Bakery (13652 Jamboree Road, Irvine)
27 Feb meeting notes; 5 Mar reading list
27 FEBRUARY MEETING NOTES
Nine people attended: Casey, Joanne, Lance (read a chapter from Zrada), Leighanne (read three chapters from The Karma List), Leslie P., Maddie, PJ, Rosie, and Sherry C. (read 1.5 chapters from Time’s Up for Father Time).
News and Notes
PJ will be speaking at the Foothill Ranch Library’s monthly Writers Retreat on Saturday, 7 March, at 10 a.m. The library is at 27002 Cabriole in Foothill Ranch. Click here for more details.
Sherry C. is now secretary to the Orange County Chapter of Sisters-in-Crime. Congratulations!
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.
5 MARCH READING LIST
Marianna (2/13)
Burt (2/20)
Shari (2/6)
Dennis P. (2/6)
Rosie (2/27)
Maddie (2/27)
Glenda (2/20)
Joanne (2/27)
Leslie P. (2/27)
Casey (2/27)
PJ (2/27)
Leighanne (2/27)
Sherry C. (2/27)
Lance (2/27)
New addition to the blogroll
Ever look at the far right side of the screen when you’re in the PFL website? There’s a blogroll split into a number of different categories, all of them having to do with writing in some form. Of course, links to PFL members’ sites take pride-of-place.
There’s a new category: “Writing Podcasts.” It has links to seven current writing-related podcasts (including a few with some nexus to PFL or LIT UP!) and will probably grow over time. Check it out.
BTW: if you find a dead link in the blogroll, comment about it on this post so we can fix it or kill it. Thanks.
20 Feb meeting notes; 27 Feb reading list
20 FEBRUARY MEETING NOTES
Eight people attended: Burt, Casey (read a chapter from Nouveau Trashy Vampire Romance), Glenda, Joanne (read a character sketch, “Holiday Fixer-Upper”), Lance (read a chapter from Zrada), Leslie P. (read three reworked chapters from Ghost Dog), Maddie, and Sherry C.
News and Notes
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.
27 FEBRUARY READING LIST
Leighanne (2/13)
Marianna (2/13)
Burt (2/20)
Shari (2/6)
Dennis P. (2/6)
Rosie (2/13)
Sherry C. (2/20)
Maddie (2/20)
Glenda (2/20)
Joanne (2/20)
Leslie P. (2/20)
Casey (2/20)
Lance (2/20)
PJ (1/23)
Dana S. (1/23)
13 Feb meeting notes; 20 Feb reading list
13 FEBRUARY MEETING NOTES
Nine people attended: Casey, Joanne, Lance (read a chapter from Zrada), Leighanne, Leslie P., Maddie, Marianna, Rosie (read a chapter from The Bear and the Rising Sun), and Sherry C. (read 1.5 chapters from Time’s Up for Father Time).
News and Notes
The special romance-themed installment of LIT UP! on 11 Feb was a great success. Three local erotic romance authors (Caitlyn O’Leary, Louisa Bacio, and Sabrina Sol) read from their works and discussed them and the genre with the audience. As always, be sure to check the LIT UP Facebook page for the next event date and more details on the authors.
Speaking of LIT UP!… Maddie, the driving light behind LIT UP!, is now an internet radio star. She hosts Character Floss, “an entertaining deep dive into compelling characters and the authors who create them.” Current podcast episodes include interviews with Matt Coyle, D.P. Lyle, and S.A. Lelchuk. You can get more info on the Character Floss Facebook page; episodes are available on Spotify, Google Podcasts, I Heart Radio, and various other outlets.
20 FEBRUARY READING LIST
Leighanne (2/13)
Marianna (2/13)
Burt (2/6)
PJ (1/23)
Dana S. (1/23)
Shari (2/6)
Joanne (2/13)
Leslie P. (2/13)
Casey (2/13)
Dennis P. (2/6)
Rosie (2/13)
Lance (2/13)
Sherry C. (2/13)
Maddie (2/13)
Glenda (1/2)
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.
Pure Fiction League 