Next Meeting: Thursday, 12 March, at 6:30 p.m.
at the Tustin Marketplace Corner Bakery (13652 Jamboree Road, Irvine)
2 June meeting notes; 9 June reading list
2 JUNE MEETING NOTES
A lucky thirteen people attended: Burt, Casey, Glenda, JoAnne, Jonathan (read two chapters of Bummin’ It), Julia, Lance, Maddie, Marianna, Melodye, Rosie (read two chapters of On Thin Ice), Shari and Stace.
News & Notes
Important!
PFL returns to Thursdays.
Most of the membership had issues with the library, so on Thursday, 2 June, we’ll return to our traditional Thursday meeting night at Panera Bread, 2467 Park Avenue, Tustin (in The District at Tustin Legacy). We’ll continue to start at 6:30 PM so we have time for three readings. Yes, you can eat.
News and Notes
The links on our website’s blogroll are just a starter set. If you have a favorite website you think others will find useful, propose it as an addition. Write a couple lines about the site and why it’s good and send it to the admins. Or, register your WordPress username and put up the post yourself.
There’s an addition to our blogroll: Members on Twitter. If you have a Twitter feed and would like it included, let us know.
9 JUNE READING LIST
Please review this list for accuracy. If you discover any mistakes or omissions, please let us know in advance of the meeting.
Stace (6/2)
JoAnne (6/2)
Glenda (6/2)
Julia (6/2)
Melodye (6/2)
Shari (6/2)
Burt (6/2)
Maddie (6/2)
Lance (6/2)
Rosie (6/2)
Jonathan (6/2)
Casey (6/2)
Marianna (6/2)
25 May meeting notes; 2 June reading list
25 MAY MEETING NOTES
Eight people attended: Burt, JoAnne, Julia, Lance (read four chapters of Identity), Maddie (read two chapters of Hit Me), Melodye, Rosie and Shari.
News & Notes
Important!
PFL returns to Thursdays.
Most of the membership had issues with the library, so on Thursday, 2 June, we’ll return to our traditional Thursday meeting night at Panera Bread, 2467 Park Avenue, Tustin (in The District at Tustin Legacy). We’ll continue to start at 6:30 PM so we have time for three readings. Yes, you can eat.
Member Published!
Burt announced that his essay, “Playing Baseball in the Library,” a story about Boyle Heights, has been published in the anthology Western States Jewish History. Congrats Burt!
News and Notes
The links on our website’s blogroll are just a starter set. If you have a favorite website you think others will find useful, propose it as an addition. Write a couple lines about the site and why it’s good and send it to the admins. Or, register your WordPress username and put up the post yourself.
There’s an addition to our blogroll: Members on Twitter. If you have a Twitter feed and would like it included, let us know.
2 JUNE READING LIST
Please review this list for accuracy. If you discover any mistakes or omissions, please let us know in advance of the meeting.
Stace (5/18)
Casey (5/4)
JoAnne (5/25)
Glenda (5/18)
Julia (5/25)
Melodye (5/25)
Jonathan (5/25)
Shari (5/25)
Rosie (5/25)
Burt (5/25)
Maddie (5/25)
Lance (5/25)
18 May Meeting Notes; 25 May Reading Llist
18 MAY MEETING NOTES
10 people attended: Burt (read 4 chs of Madness of March), Glenda, JoAnne, Maddie, Melodye, Rosie (Read 2 chs of On Thin Ice), Shari, Stace, Julia and Jonathan.
News & Notes
Important!
PFL now meets on Wednesdays.
We meet most every Wednesday at 6:30 PM in the Heritage Park branch of OC Public Libraries, 14361 Yale Avenue (@ Walnut Av), Irvine. The meeting room is to your left as you enter the library’s front door. Note that we can bring water and clear drinks, but no coffee or food. CLICK HERE FOR MAP.
PFL will continue to meet at Panera Bread on the 4th Wednesday of the month (25 May this month) for the foreseeable future, when the library isn’t available. Confused? Check this space to keep track of current meeting locations, or contact the PFL admins for help.
Member Published!
Burt announced that his essay, “Playing Baseball in the Library,” a story about Boyle Heights, has been published in the anthology, Western States Jewish History. Congrats Burt!
25 MAY READING LIST
Please review this list for accuracy. If you discover any mistakes or omissions, please let us know in advance of the meeting.
Stace (5/18)
Casey (5/4)
JoAnne (5/18)
Glenda (5/18)
Julia (5/18)
Melodye (5/18)
Jonathan (5/18)
Shari (5/18)
Maddie (5/18)
Lance (5/11)
Rosie (5/18)
Burt (5/18)
11 May meeting notes; 18 May reading list
11 MAY MEETING NOTES
Nine people attended: Burt, Glenda, JoAnne, Lance (read three more chapters of Identity), Maddie (read a chapter of Hit Me), Melodye, Rosie, Shari (read 1.5 chapters of Lost in Dance) and Stace. A lost soul apparently looking for the 4th-Wednesday-of-the-month meeting stayed with us through our meeting…probably not what he was expecting, but he was gracious.
News & Notes
Important!
PFL now meets on Wednesdays.
We meet most every Wednesday at 6:30 PM in the Heritage Park branch of OC Public Libraries, 14361 Yale Avenue (@ Walnut Av), Irvine. The meeting room is to your left as you enter the library’s front door. Note that we can bring water and clear drinks, but no coffee or food. CLICK HERE FOR MAP.
PFL will continue to meet at Panera Bread on the 4th Wednesday of the month (25 May this month) for the foreseeable future, when the library isn’t available. Confused? Check this space to keep track of current meeting locations, or contact the PFL admins for help.
18 MAY READING LIST
Please review this list for accuracy. If you discover any mistakes or omissions, please let us know in advance of the meeting.
Stace (5/11)
Casey (5/4)
JoAnne (5/11)
Glenda (5/11)
Julia (4/28)
Melodye (5/11)
Rosie (5/11)
Burt (5/11)
Jonathan (5/4)
Shari (5/11)
Maddie (5/11)
Lance (5/11)
4 May Meeting Notes; 11 May Reading List
4 MAY MEETING NOTES
Ten people helped us inaugurate out new meeting space: Burt, Casey, Glenda, JoAnne, Jonathan (read a chapter from Bummin’ It), Lance (read three chapters of Identity), Maddie, Melodye, Rosie and Stace.
News & Notes
Important!
PFL now meets on Wednesdays.
Starting Wednesday, 4 May at 6:30 PM, we’ll convene at the Heritage Park branch of OC Public Libraries, 14361 Yale Avenue (@ Walnut Av), Irvine. The meeting room is to your left as you enter the library’s front door. Note that we can bring water and clear drinks, but no coffee or food. CLICK HERE FOR MAP.
PFL will continue to meet at Panera on the 4th Wednesday of the month for the foreseeable future, when the library isn’t available. Confused? Check this space to keep track of current meeting locations, or contact PFL admins for help.
11 MAY READING LIST
Please review this list for accuracy. If you discover any mistakes or omissions, please let us know in advance of the meeting.
Stace (5/5)
Casey (5/4)
JoAnne (5/4)
Glenda (5/4)
Julia (4/28)
Shari (4/28)
Melodye (5/4)
Maddie (5/4)
Rosie (5/4)
Burt (5/4)
Jonathan (5/4)
Lance (5/4)
Finding a Blog Voice
Justine Lee Musk, aka Tribal Writer, regularly has good articles about the art of blogging particularly for writers. Her most recent post, The Art of Discovering + Developing Your Compelling Online Voice (+ Why You Need To), is typical, in that it addresses a lot of issues that new author-bloggers might have, such as building the dreaded “platform”, what you should blog about, and whether you should start blogging before your book is even written. Her advice, though drawn from marketing and PR types, is especially writerly, to match our strengths.
One excerpt that forms the core of the article:
“…Seth Godin recommends that you start marketing your book three years before it comes out. Three years gives you time to cultivate those people formerly known as your audience, so that when the book comes out they are ready and waiting. (a.k.a. your ‘platform’.)
But how do you market a book that doesn’t even exist yet? That maybe hasn’t even been started yet? Especially if the book is supposed to be marketing itself because of its baked-in awesomeness?
Especially if you’re writing fiction?
It might help to reframe what it is you’re selling (and baby, I know it’s not romantic, but in the end we’re all selling something). You are not just selling a book. You are selling your ability to enlighten and entertain the reader through the content you provide….
Which means that you are marketing your unique and distinctive ability to make people feel and think.
And you do that by…providing unique and distinctive online content that makes people feel and think.”
This makes sense to me, and offers some good advice to any of us who are blogging already or thinking about blogging as a means of marketing a novel some day! But go read the rest of the article and then come back and discuss your thoughts….
Indie Book Reviewer Yellow Pages
From Victory Crayne via Glenda:
Christine Pinheiro-Silva has come out with the second edition of her very helpful listing of sites ( The Indie Book Reviewer Yellow Pages ) that review self-published books. She lists 97 book reviewers in this edition. All will review books for free.
Richard Sanders wrote this in his review of her book:
“If Christy had done nothing but compile a list of willing critics (a task in itself), that would’ve been virtue enough. But the Yellow Pages is much more than that. The entries for each of the reviewers includes a rating, a history of their sites or blogs, their audience size, a complete list of what genres and publishing formats they accept/don’t accept, submission guidelines, approximate turn-around times plus a Q&A giving you a feel for their personalities and tastes.”
Some of the reviewers listed require ebooks and some physical books, and many accept either.
This very helpful listing can be purchased for the paltry sum of 99 cents on Amazon Kindle at http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004XTWYGC/
and for $1.99 Barnes and Noble Nook ereader at http://search.barnesandnoble.com/The-Indie-Book-Reviewer-Yellow-Pages/Christine-Pinheiro/e/2940012683175/
Paperback versions are priced at $9.99.
Victory Crayne
28 Apr Meeting Notes; 4 May Reading List
28 APRIL MEETING NOTES
A lively gathering hailed our last regular meeting at the Tustin Panera. Attending were: Stace, JoAnne, Glenda, Julia, Shari, Melodye, Maddie, Rosie (read two chapters of On Thin Ice), and Burt (read several chapters of Madness of March).
News & Notes
Important!
PFL is now meeting on Wednesdays.
Starting Wednesday, 4 May at 6:30 PM, we’ll be moving to our new home at the Heritage Park branch of OC Public Libraries, 14361 Yale Avenue (@ Walnut Av), Irvine. Note that we can bring water and clear drinks, but no coffee or food. CLICK HERE FOR MAP.
PFL will continue to meet at Panera on the 4th Wednesday of the month for the foreseeable future, when the library isn’t available. Confused? Check this space to keep track of current meeting locations, or contact PFL admins for help.
May 4 READING LIST
Please review this list for accuracy. If you discover any mistakes or omissions, please let us know in advance of the meeting.
Stace (4/28)
Casey (4/21)
JoAnne (4/28)
Glenda (4/28)
Julia (4/28)
Shari (4/28)
Jonathan (4/14)
Melodye (4/28)
Maddie (4/28)
Lance (4/21)
Rosie (4/28)
Burt (4/28)
Marianna (3/31)
John D. (3/31)
21 Apr Meeting Notes; 28 Apr Reading List
21 APRIL MEETING NOTES
A cozy seven people attended: Burt (read three chapters from Madness of March), Casey, JoAnne, Lance (read 1.5 chapters of Identity), Maddie, Rosie and Stace.
News & Notes
This will be our last weekly meeting at the Tustin Panera Bread (2467 Park Ave, Tustin, also at The District). We’ll come back occasionally for the days when the library isn’t available.
Remember that on Wednesday, 4 May at 6:30 PM, we’ll be moving to our new home at the Heritage Park branch of OC Public Libraries, 14361 Yale Avenue (@ Walnut Av), Irvine. If you need to rearrange your schedule in order to stay with us, now’s a good time to start. Note that we can bring water and clear drinks, but no coffee or food.
28 APRIL READING LIST
Please review this list for accuracy. If you discover any mistakes or omissions, please let us know in advance of the meeting.
Stace (4/21)
Casey (4/21)
JoAnne (4/21)
Glenda (4/14)
Julia (4/14)
Shari (4/7)
Jonathan (4/14)
Melodye (4/14)
Maddie (4/21)
Rosie (4/21)
Burt (4/21)
Lance (4/21)
Marianna (3/31)
John D. (3/31)
14 Apr meeting notes; 21 Apr reading list
14 APRIL MEETING NOTES
Ten people attended: Burt, Glenda, JoAnne, Jonathan, Julia, Lance, Maddie (read two chapters from Hit Me), Melodye (read an excerpt from Can I Have a Witness?), Rosie (read two chapters from On Thin Ice) and Stace.
News & Notes
Since Panera Bread closes at 9 PM (as does the library), we’ll continue to meet at 6:30 to leave enough room to get in a third reading.
We’ll continue to meet at the Tustin Panera Bread (2467 Park Ave, Tustin, also at The District) until May or until they kick us out, whichever comes first. While you’re not required to eat there, it would be politic to buy some coffee or dessert.
Remember that on Wednesday, 4 May at 6:30 PM, we’ll be moving to our new home at the Heritage Park branch of OC Public Libraries, 14361 Yale Avenue (@ Walnut Av), Irvine. If you need to rearrange your schedule in order to stay with us, now’s a good time to start. Note that we can bring water and clear drinks, but no coffee or food.
21 APRIL READING LIST
Please review this list for accuracy. If you discover any mistakes or omissions, please let us know in advance of the meeting.
Stace (4/14)
Casey (3/31)
Marianna (3/31)
JoAnne (4/14)
Glenda (4/14)
Julia (4/14)
John D. (3/31)
Burt (4/14)
Lance (4/14)
Shari (4/7)
Jonathan (4/14)
Melodye (4/14)
Maddie (4/14)
Rosie (4/14)
7 Apr meeting notes; 14 Apr reading list
7 APRIL MEETING NOTES
Ten people attended: Burt, Glenda, JoAnne, Jonathan (read 1.5 chapters of Bummin’ It), Julia, Lance, Maddie, Rosie, Shari (read two chapters of Lost in Dance) and Stace.
News & Notes
Since Panera Bread closes at 9 PM (as does the library), we’ll meet on 14 April at 6:30 to leave enough room to get in a third reading. If this works and the members choose to continue this, we can move the start of our regular meeting time to 6:30 PM.
Jonathan had his first author event on 8 April as a speaker at LibertyChristianHigh School in Huntington Beach.
Rosie alerted us that some publishers have begun including bonus content in selected YA titles sold through major chains such as Target and Barns & Noble. This content isn’t available from other retailers.
We’ll continue to meet at the Tustin Panera Bread (2467 Park Ave, Tustin, also at The District) until May or until they kick us out, whichever comes first. While you’re not required to eat there, it would be politic to buy some coffee or dessert.
Remember that on Wednesday, 4 May, we’ll be moving to our new home at the Heritage Park branch of OC Public Libraries, 14361 Yale Avenue (@ Walnut Av), Irvine. If you need to rearrange your schedule in order to stay with us, now’s a good time to start.
14 APRIL READING LIST
Please review this list for accuracy. If you discover any mistakes or omissions, please let us know in advance of the meeting.
Melodye (3/31)
Casey (3/31)
Marianna (3/31)
JoAnne (4/7)
Glenda (4/7)
Kermit (3/17)
Julia (4/7)
Maddie (4/7)
Rosie (4/7)
John D. (3/31)
Burt (4/7)
Lance (4/7)
Stace (4/7)
Shari (4/7)
Jonathan (4/7)
31 Mar meeting notes; 7 Apr reading list
31 MARCH MEETING NOTES
Eleven people attended: Burt (read two chapters of Madness of March), Casey, JoAnne, John D., Julia, Lance (read 1.5 chapters of Identity), Maddie, Marianna, Melodye, Rosie and Shari.
News & Notes
We’ll continue to meet at the Tustin Panera Bread (2467 Park Ave, Tustin, also at The District) until May or until they kick us out, whichever comes first. While you’re not required to eat there, it would be politic to buy some coffee or dessert.
Remember that on Wednesday, 4 May, we’ll be moving to our new home at the Heritage Park branch of OC Public Libraries, 14361 Yale Avenue (@ Walnut Av), Irvine. If you need to rearrange your schedule in order to stay with us, now’s a good time to start.
7 APRIL READING LIST
Please review this list for accuracy. If you discover any mistakes or omissions, please let us know in advance of the meeting.
Melodye (3/31)
Casey (3/31)
Marianna (3/31)
JoAnne (3/31)
Glenda (3/24)
Shari (3/31)
Jonathan (3/24)
Kermit (3/17)
Julia (3/31)
Maddie (3/31)
Rosie (3/31)
John D. (3/31)
Burt (3/31)
Lance (3/31)
Stace (3/10)
24 Mar meeting notes; 31 Mar reading list
24 MARCH MEETING NOTES
Eight people attended: Burt, Casey, Glenda, Jonathan, Lance (read 2.5 chapters of Identity), Maddie, Melodye and Rosie (read two chapters of On Thin Ice).
News & Notes
Dear Bully, the anthology that includes Melodye’s autobiographical essay about school bullying, will be released by HarperCollins on 23 August.
Glenda’s short story “What’s the Real Story?” was accepted by the 2011 Arkansas Literary Festival.
Burt recommends agent Donald Maass’ Twitter feed. Maass wrote Writing the Breakout Novel, which was a PFL homework reading.
We’ll continue to meet at the Tustin Panera Bread (2467 Park Ave, Tustin, also at The District) until May or until they kick us out, whichever comes first. While you’re not required to eat there, it would be politic to buy some coffee or dessert.
Remember that on Wednesday, 4 May, we’ll be moving to our new home at the Heritage Park branch of OC Public Libraries, 14361 Yale Avenue (@ Walnut Av), Irvine. If you need to rearrange your schedule in order to stay with us, now’s a good time to start.
31 MARCH READING LIST
Please review this list for accuracy. If you discover any mistakes or omissions, please let us know in advance of the meeting.
Stace (3/10)
Melodye (3/24)
Casey (3/24)
Marianna (3/17)
JoAnne (3/17)
Glenda (3/24)
Shari (3/17)
Jonathan (3/24)
Kermit (3/17)
Julia (3/10)
Burt (3/24)
Maddie (3/24)
Rosie (3/24)
Lance (3/24)
John D. (3/3)
17 Mar meeting notes; 24 Mar reading list
17 MARCH MEETING NOTES
Eleven people attended: Burt (read five chapters of Madness of March), Casey, Glenda, JoAnne, Jonathan, Kermit, Lance (read 2.5 chapters of Identity), Maddie (read a chapter from Hit Me), Marianna, Melodye and Shari.
News & Notes
After discussing Melodye’s proposal to close membership until May, the membership voted to carry on with our current policies.
We’ll continue to meet at the Tustin Panera Bread (2467 Park Ave, Tustin, also at The District) until May or until they kick us out, whichever comes first. While you’re not required to eat there, it would be politic to buy some coffee or dessert.
Remember that on Wednesday, 4 May, we’ll be moving to our new home at the Heritage Park branch of OC Public Libraries, 14361 Yale Avenue (@ Walnut Av), Irvine. If you need to rearrange your schedule in order to stay with us, now’s a good time to start.
24 MARCH READING LIST
Please review this list for accuracy. If you discover any mistakes or omissions, please let us know in advance of the meeting.
Stace (3/10)
Melodye (3/17)
Casey (3/17)
Marianna (3/17)
JoAnne (3/17)
John D. (3/3)
Glenda (3/17)
Shari (3/17)
Rosie (3/10)
Jonathan (3/17)
Kermit (3/17)
Julia (3/10)
Burt (3/17)
Maddie (3/17)
Lance (3/17)
10 Mar meeting notes; 17 Mar reading list
10 MARCH MEETING NOTES
Ten people attended: Burt, Glenda, JoAnne, Julia (read three revised chapters of White Russian), Kermit (read a revised first chapter of an unnamed SF novel), Lance (read 1.5 chapters of Identity), Maddie, Rosie, Shari and Stace.
News & Notes
Melodye suggested in absentia that we close PFL to new members until we settle at the library in May. The members discussed this idea briefly at the end of the meeting and will come to a conclusion at the 17 March meeting.
We’ll continue to meet at the Tustin Panera Bread (2467 Park Ave, Tustin, also at The District) until May or until they kick us out, whichever comes first. While you’re not required to eat there, it would be politic to buy some coffee or dessert.
17 MARCH READING LIST
Please review this list for accuracy. If you discover any mistakes or omissions, please let us know in advance of the meeting.
Stace (3/10)
Melodye (2/24)
Casey (2/24)
Marianna (2/24)
JoAnne (3/10)
Maddie (3/10)
Burt (3/10)
John D. (3/3)
Glenda (3/10)
Shari (3/10)
Rosie (3/10)
Jonathan (3/3)
Kermit (3/10)
Julia (3/10)
Lance (3/10)
Pure Fiction League 