Next Meeting: Thursday, 29 January, at 6:30 p.m.
at the Tustin Marketplace Corner Bakery (13652 Jamboree Road, Irvine)
2 Mar meeting notes; 9 Mar reading list
2 MARCH MEETING NOTES
Eight people attended: Burt, Casey (read three chapters from World War Girl Soldier), Donna, Jo, Lisa W., Lance (read a chapter from Stealing Ghosts), Maddie and Rosie (read 2.5 chapters from On Thin Ice).
News and Notes
The next LIT UP! will take place on Tuesday, 21 March, at Kean Coffee in Tustin. You can download posters here (1-up and 2-up). Check the LIT UP! Facebook page for more details.
9 MARCH READING LIST
JoAnne (2/2)
Lisa W. (3/2)
Ava (1/26)
Burt (3/2)
Glenda (2/16)
Donna (3/2)
Jo (3/2)
Maddie (3/2)
Steve J. (2/16)
Marianna (2/23)
Casey (3/2)
Rosie (3/2)
Lance (3/2)
23 Feb meeting notes; 2 Mar reading list
23 FEBRUARY MEETING NOTES
Six people attended: Casey, Jo, Lisa W., Lance (read 1.5 chapters from Stealing Ghosts), Marianna (read a revised chapter from Red Snow, Gold Clouds) and Rosie (read 3.5 chapters from On Thin Ice).
News and Notes
The 21 Feb LIT UP! played to an SRO crowd that heard authors David Putnam, Anne Moose and PFL’s own Donna Roberts. The next LIT UP! will take place on Tuesday, 21 March, at Kean Coffee in Tustin. You can download posters here (1-up and 2-up). Check the LIT UP! Facebook page for more details.
Literary Orange is officially sold out, but if you contact Maddie, she may be able to hook you up.
2 MARCH READING LIST
JoAnne (2/2)
Lisa W. (2/23)
Ava (1/26)
Burt (2/9)
Glenda (2/16)
Casey (2/23)
Donna (2/16)
Jo (2/23)
Maddie (2/16)
Steve J. (2/16)
Marianna (2/23)
Rosie (2/23)
Lance (2/23)
16 Feb meeting notes; 23 Feb reading list
16 FEBRUARY MEETING NOTES
Eight people attended: Casey, Donna (read three chapters from Running with Hounds… and an English Degree), Glenda, Jo (read a revised chapter from Moonspell), Lisa, Maddie (read two revised chapters from Hit Me), Rosie and Steve J. (read three chapters from Lamia).
News and Notes
The next LIT UP! will take place on Tuesday, 21 February, at Kean Coffee in Tustin. This month’s lineup:
- Crime writer David Putnam.
- PFL member and contemporary women’s fiction author Donna Roberts.
- Debut contemporary fiction writer Annie Moose.
You can download posters here (1-up and 2-up). Check the LIT UP! Facebook page for more details.
23 FEBRUARY READING LIST
JoAnne (2/2)
Marianna (1/26)
Lisa W. (2/16)
Ava (1/26)
Burt (2/9)
Glenda (2/16)
Rosie (2/16)
Lance (2/9)
Casey (2/16)
Donna (2/16)
Jo (2/16)
Maddie (2/16)
Steve J. (2/16)
Shari (12/8)
9 Feb meeting notes; 16 Feb reading list
9 FEBRUARY MEETING NOTES
Six people attended: Burt, Casey (read two chapters from World War Girl Soldier), Glenda (read the first half of a short story, “Just For Fun”), Lance (read two chapters from Stealing Ghosts), Maddie and Rosie (read three chapters from On Thin Ice).
News and Notes
Maddie will be moderating a mystery panel in the upcoming Literary Orange. If you’re planning to go, talk to Maddie — she may be able to wrangle a discount for you. Watch for an event post with more details.
SCWA is planning to compile and publish an anthology of California-themed short fiction. D.P. Lyle will be the editor. Stories may be 1500-3000 words of any genre, as long as they pertain somehow to California. There’s a $55 submit fee for non-SCWA members; the deadline is on 15 April. See Maddie’s FB post for more details.
The next LIT UP! will take place on Tuesday, 21 February, at Kean Coffee in Tustin. You can download posters here (1-up and 2-up). Check the LIT UP! Facebook page for more details.
16 FEBRUARY READING LIST
Jo (2/2)
Maddie (2/9)
Donna (2/2)
JoAnne (2/2)
Marianna (1/26)
Lisa W. (12/8)
Shari (12/8)
Steve J. (1/26)
Ava (1/26)
Burt (2/9)
Glenda (2/9)
Rosie (2/9)
Lance (2/9)
Casey (2/9)
2 Feb meeting notes; 9 Feb reading list
2 FEBRUARY MEETING NOTES
Eight people attended: Burt (read revisions to the last four chapters of Dead is Not Enough), Casey (read two chapters from World War Girl Soldier), Donna, Jo, JoAnne, Lance (read two chapters from Stealing Ghosts), Maddie and Rosie.
News and Notes
The Camino Real Playhouse in San Juan Capistrano is once again hosting its annual 24-Hour Creative competition on 4 February at 8 p.m. In it, six playwrights (including PFL’s own Steve J.) and directors are selected to each create a one-act play in 24 hours.
Maddie will be moderating a mystery panel in the upcoming Literary Orange. If you’re planning to go, talk to Maddie — she may be able to wrangle a discount for you. Watch for an event post with more details.
SCWA is planning to compile and publish an anthology of California-themed short fiction. D.P. Lyle will be the editor. Stories may be 2000-2500 words of any genre, as long as they pertain somehow to California. There’s a $50 submit fee; the deadline is in March. See Maddie for more details.
The next LIT UP! will take place on Tuesday, 21 February, at Kean Coffee in Tustin. You can download posters here (1-up and 2-up). Check the LIT UP! Facebook page for more details.
9 FEBRUARY READING LIST
Glenda (1/26)
Jo (2/2)
Maddie (2/2)
Donna (2/2)
JoAnne (2/2)
Marianna (1/26)
Lisa W. (12/8)
Shari (12/8)
Steve J. (1/26)
Rosie (2/2)
Ava (1/26)
Burt (2/2)
Lance (2/2)
Casey (2/2)
26 Jan meeting notes; 2 Feb reading list
26 JANUARY MEETING NOTES
Nine people attended: Ava (returned from a long absence), Burt, Casey (read two chapters from World War Girl Soldier), Glenda, Jo, Lance (read two chapters from Stealing Ghosts), Marianna, Rosie (read three chapters from On Thin Ice), and Steve J. (read the final three chapters from Lamia)(congratulations!).
News and Notes
Remember that we’re now meeting at a different Panera Bread: 13205 Jamboree Road at Irvine Blvd., in the Ralph’s shopping center on the west side of Jamboree. The old one at Tustin Legacy is closed.
Steve mentioned that the Camino Real Playhouse in San Juan Capistrano is once again hosting its annual 24-Hour Creative competition on 4 February at 8 p.m. In it, six playwrights and directors are selected to each create a one-act play in 24 hours.
The 24 January LIT UP! boasted a standing-room only crowd to hear Herb Williams-Dalgart, Merrie Destefano, and Megan Haskell. Check the LIT UP! Facebook page for information on the February LIT UP.
2 FEBRUARY READING LIST
Glenda (1/26)
Jo (1/26)
Maddie (1/19)
Donna (1/19)
Burt (1/26)
JoAnne (1/19)
Marianna (1/26)
Lisa W. (12/8)
Shari (12/8)
Lance (1/26)
Casey (1/26)
Steve J. (1/26)
Rosie (1/26)
Ava (1/26)
The Dead Listing, Burt Golden, mystery
Tony Bravo had his P.I. license revoked when he went to jail for misdemeanor vandalism. Behind bars, he studied for a real estate sales license. On the outside, he passed the test. Now he lives in his car and has to earn $40,000 in 45 days to keep his daughter from being adopted by her conniving grandmother. Bravo believes that a Newport Beach real estate sale is his ticket. But on the way he must solve the country’s largest bank heist and a murder – conditions they don’t cover in real estate school.
Available for Kindle on Amazon US/AU/BR/CA/DE/ES/FR/IN/IT/JP/MX/NL/UK
Trade paperback available at Amazon US/BR/CA/DE/ES/FR/IN/IT/JP/MX/UK
Burt Golden is the author of the Amazon bestselling mystery novel Madness of March and the drama Jericho’s Walls. He is currently working on his third novel.
Golden was raised in East Los Angeles, where “dreams go to die.” It’s no wonder his novels have all been about underdogs.
As a young man, Golden wrote for the Los Angeles Examiner, Rafu Shimpo (a Japanese-language newspaper), and La Opinion, a Spanish-language newspaper. After college, he put aside his dreams of becoming a major league baseball player, and instead took jobs coaching underdog teams at the high school and college levels. He continued his professional life by founding a company that helped fired executives rebuild their careers.
Whether as a coach, businessman, or novelist, Golden has always been obsessed with the factors that drive human achievement.
19 Jan meeting notes; 26 Jan reading list
19 JANUARY MEETING NOTES
That’s better — eleven people attended: Burt, Casey, Donna, Glenda, Jo, JoAnne (read perhaps the first chapter from A Woman No One Could Touch), Lance, Maddie, Marianna (read a chapter from Truth Games), Rosie (read a chapter from On Thin Ice), and Steve J. (read three chapters from Lamia).
News and Notes
Remember that we’re now meeting at a different Panera Bread: 13205 Jamboree Road at Irvine Blvd., in the Ralph’s shopping center on the west side of Jamboree. The old one at Tustin Legacy is closed.
Burt’s first Tony Bravo mystery, The Dead Listing, is now available (congratulations, Burt!). Check the separate post for details.
Maddie got a revise-and-resubmit letter from her prospective agent for her romantic suspense novel Hit Me. Good work, Maddie!
The next LIT UP! will take place on Tuesday, 24 January, at Kean Coffee in Tustin. You can download posters here (1-up and 2-up). The lineup:
- Amazon Breakthrough Novel quarter-finalist Herb Williams-Dalgart.
- Urban-fantasy author Merrie Destefano.
- Fantasy-adventure writer Megan Haskell.
Check the LIT UP! Facebook page for more details.
26 JANUARY READING LIST
Glenda (1/19)
Jo (1/19)
Maddie (1/19)
Donna (1/19)
Burt (1/19)
Lance (1/19)
Casey (1/19)
JoAnne (1/19)
Steve J. (1/19)
Marianna (1/19)
Rosie (1/19)
Lisa W. (12/8)
Shari (12/8)
12 Jan meeting notes; 19 Jan reading list
12 JANUARY MEETING NOTES
Once again, we had five attendees: Burt, Casey (read three chapters of World War Girl Soldier), JoAnne, Lance (read 1.5 chapters from Stealing Ghosts) and Rosie.
News and Notes
Remember that we’re now meeting at a different Panera Bread: 13205 Jamboree Road at Irvine Blvd., in the Ralph’s shopping center on the west side of Jamboree. The old one at Tustin Legacy is closed.
The next LIT UP! will take place on Tuesday, 24 January, at Kean Coffee in Tustin. You can download posters here (1-up and 2-up). Check the LIT UP! Facebook page for more details.
19 JANUARY READING LIST
JoAnne (1/12)
Glenda (12/1)
Steve J. (12/1)
Jo (12/1)
Lisa W. (12/8)
Maddie (12/1)
Donna (12/1)
Marianna (12/8)
Shari (12/8)
Burt (1/12)
Rosie (1/12)
Lance (1/12)
Casey (1/12)
5 Jan meeting notes; 12 Jan reading list
5 JANUARY MEETING NOTES
The first meeting of 2017 was an… intimate affair of five people: Burt (read the final three chapters of Dead is Not Enough)(congratulations!), Casey (read two chapters of World War Girl Soldier), JoAnne, Lance (read 2.5 chapters from Stealing Ghosts) and Rosie (read a chapter from On Thin Ice).
News and Notes
Remember that we’re now meeting at a different Panera Bread: 13205 Jamboree Road at Irvine Blvd., in the Ralph’s shopping center on the west side of Jamboree. The old one at Tustin Legacy is closed.
The next LIT UP! will take place on Tuesday, 24 January, at Kean Coffee in Tustin. You can download posters here (1-up and 2-up). Check the LIT UP! Facebook page for more details.
12 JANUARY READING LIST
JoAnne (1/5)
Glenda (12/1)
Steve J. (12/1)
Jo (12/1)
Lisa W. (12/8)
Maddie (12/1)
Donna (12/1)
Marianna (12/8)
Shari (12/8)
Burt (1/5)
Rosie (1/5)
Lance (1/5)
Casey (1/5)
PFL’s new roost…
…is in the Tustin Ranch Plaza Panera Bread at 13205 Jamboree Road in Tustin, at the southwest corner of Jamboree and Irvine Blvd.
This is across the street from the northernmost part of the Tustin Marketplace. A Ralph’s supermarket anchors the southern end of the center, which also includes a Boston Market, Starbucks, Pick Up Stix and First Class Pizza. It’s also within two blocks of PFL’s birthplace in the Marketplace Barnes & Noble.
We’ll meet at 6:30, as usual. See you there!
8 Dec meeting notes; 5 Jan reading list
8 DECEMBER MEETING NOTES
Seven people attended the final meeting of 2016: Burt, Casey (read three chapters of World War Girl Soldier), JoAnne, Lance (read a chapter from Stealing Ghosts), Lisa W., Marianna and Shari (read two chapters from Raised to Win).
News and Notes
The last PFL meeting of 2016 will also be the last one at the Panera Bread at Tustin Legacy; the store is closing on 31 December. Casey and Lance will be scouting for a new location during the break. There are two other Paneras nearby: one in the Tustin Marketplace, the other at Barranca and Culver. Stay tuned for further developments. We should’ve bought more cookies…
The next LIT UP! will take place on Tuesday, 13 December, at Kean Coffee in Tustin. You can download posters here (1-up and 2-up). This month’s lineup:
- New York Times bestselling true-crime author Caitlin Rother.
- Karen S. Walker, writer of cozy mysteries.
- Contemporary fiction author Theresa Sena.
Check the LIT UP! Facebook page for more details.
The PFL Annual Holiday Party will happen at 7:00 p.m. on 15 December at Burt’s house. Burt handed out maps to the venue at this meeting and probably also at the last one.
In 2016, we averaged 9.1 attendees per meeting and 3.1 readings. Keep up the good work!
5 JANUARY READING LIST
JoAnne (12/8)
Glenda (12/1)
Steve J. (12/1)
Jo (12/1)
Lisa W. (12/8)
Burt (12/8)
Maddie (12/1)
Donna (12/1)
Rosie (12/1)
Marianna (12/8)
Shari (12/8)
Lance (12/8)
Casey (12/8)
1 Dec meeting notes; 8 Dec reading list
1 DECEMBER MEETING NOTES
Eleven people attended: Burt, Casey, Donna (read a chapter from Running with Hounds…and an English Degree), Glenda, Jo, JoAnne, Maddie (read a synopsis for Hit Me), Marianna (read a chapter from Truth Games), Rosie (read a chapter from On Thin Ice), Shari and Steve J.
News and Notes
The next LIT UP! will take place on Tuesday, 13 December, at Kean Coffee in Tustin. You can download posters here (1-up and 2-up). Check the LIT UP! Facebook page for more details.
The final meeting of the year will be the next one on 8 December.
The PFL Annual Holiday Party will happen at 7:00 p.m. on 15 December at Burt’s house. More details to follow.
8 DECEMBER READING LIST
JoAnne (12/1)
Glenda (12/1)
Shari (12/1)
Lance (11/17)
Steve J. (12/1)
Casey (12/1)
Jo (12/1)
Lisa W. (11/17)
Burt (12/1)
Maddie (12/1)
Donna (12/1)
Rosie (12/1)
Marianna (12/1)
17 Nov meeting notes; 1 Dec reading list
17 NOVEMBER MEETING NOTES
Eleven people attended: Burt (read three revised chapters from Dead is Not Enough), Casey, Donna, Glenda, Jo (read two revised chapters from Moonspell), Lance, Lisa W. (read two revised chapters from The Artifact), Maddie, Rosie, Shari and Steve J.
News and Notes
The 15 November LIT UP! brought twenty audience members together to hear Maria Alexander, Lance Charnes and Casey Pope read from their latest works. The next LIT UP! will take place on Tuesday, 13 December, at Kean Coffee in Tustin. You can download posters here (1-up and 2-up). Check the LIT UP! Facebook page for more details.
There will be no meeting on 24 November. Our last two meetings for the year will be on 1 December and 8 December.
The PFL Annual Holiday Party will happen at 7:00 p.m. on 15 December at Burt’s house. More details to follow.
1 DECEMBER READING LIST
JoAnne (11/3)
Glenda (11/17)
Maddie (11/17)
Donna (11/17)
Rosie (11/17)
Shari (11/17)
Lance (11/17)
Marianna (11/10)
Steve J. (11/17)
Casey (11/17)
Jo (11/17)
Lisa W. (11/17)
Burt (11/17)
The Collection, Lance Charnes, international crime
Four years ago, what Matt Friedrich learned at work put him in prison. Yesterday, it earned him a job. Tomorrow, it may kill him.
Matt learned all the angles at his old Los Angeles gallery: how to sell stolen art, how to “enhance” a painting’s history, how to help buyers hide their purchases from their spouses or the IRS. He made a load of money doing it – money he poured into the lawyer who worked a plea deal with the U.S. Attorney. Matt’s out on parole and hopelessly in debt with no way out…until a shadowy woman from his past recruits him to find a cache of stolen art that could be worth millions.
Now Matt’s in Milan, impersonating a rich collector looking for deals. He has twenty days to track down something that may not exist for a boss who knows a lot more than she’s telling. He’s saddled with a tough-talking partner who may be out to screw him and up against a shady gallerist whom Matt tried to send to prison. His parole officer doesn’t know he’s left the U.S. Worse yet, what Matt’s looking for may belong to the local branch of the Calabrian mafia.
Matt’s always been good at being bad. If he’s good enough now, he gets a big payday with the promise of more to come. But one slip in his cover, one wrong word from any of the sketchy characters surrounding him, could hand Matt a return trip to jail…or a long sleep in a shallow grave.
Available for Kindle on Amazon US/AU/BR/CA/DE/ES/FR/IN/IT/JP/MX/NL/UK
ePub available on Nook, Kobo and iTunes
Trade paperback available at Amazon US/BR/CA/DE/ES/FR/IN/IT/JP/MX/UK | Barnes & Noble | Books-a-Million | Indiebound | Vroman’s
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, shipwrecks, archaeology and art crime.
Pure Fiction League 