By Sam Warren, San Diego Write Way

May 21, 2016 (San Diego) – The next two weeks include many events for readers and writers, from appearances by award-winning authors to workshops and classes across our region.

Answering your questions about writing, publishing, and marketing books

By Sarka-Jonae Miller

May 5, 2016 (San Diego's East County) - Local writer, award-winning journalist and USA Today best-selling author Jennifer Coburn is finally joining me to offer advice to authors and talk about her latest book, We'll Always Have Paris: A Mother/Daughter Memoir. I've been trying to get her here for months and have been a fan since reading The Wife of Reilly, though I had no idea at the time that Coburn lived in San Diego – not until we both ended up scheduled at a local author event at the Barnes & Noble in Santee. She was promoting We'll Always Have Paris, her first memoir. Coburn has also authored six novels and contributed to four literary anthologies, not bad for someone who originally thought she couldn't write a novel.

How do you decide whether to write a sequel? - G. Elizabeth Kretchmer, author of Women on the Brink

100 Things Padres Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die, by Kirk Kenney (Triumph Books, Chicago, Illinois, 2016, 269 pages).

By Dennis Moore

May 3, 2016 (San Diego’s East County) - Baseball has been called “America’s Pastime,” and for those who have played or enjoyed watching the game as I have, they will absolutely fall in love with the book by Kirk Kenney; 100 Things Padres Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die. With a foreword by former San Diego Padres’ pitcher Randy Jones, this book resurrected many of my childhood memories and dreams about actually playing in the Major Leagues.

By Kara Murphy

April 25, 2016 (El Cajon) - Continuing its tradition of producing quality works on the natural and cultural histories of the southwest deserts, Sunbelt Publications is pleased to share several new accolades with author and retired Anza-Borrego Desert State Park Superintendent Mark C. Jorgensen, photographer Jeff Young and designer Kathleen Wise. Two of the most reputable agency awards in the independent publishing community, Independent Book Publishers Association’s Benjamin Franklin Awards and Jenkins Group’s Independent Publisher (IPPY) Book Awards have recognized the immensely popular Desert Bighorn Sheep: Wilderness Icon with gold medal awards for cover design. Additionally, the book was awarded a Benjamin Franklin silver medal in the category of nature and environment and an IPPY silver medal for best regional non-fiction in the west-mountain region.

Answering your questions about writing, publishing, and marketing books

By Sarka-Jonae Miller



April 23, 2016 (San Diego's East County) - Aidan Donnelley Rowley and I tackle works in progress (WIPs) in this week's column, specifically the part of the process when they stop being “in progress” and become completed manuscripts. Rowley is the author of Life After Yes and a Yale University graduate with a law degree from Columbia University. Her latest novel The Ramblers is a “sophisticated tale of entangled urban lives” about three 30-something Manhattanites whose lives are forever altered over the course of Thanksgiving week.  

How does an author know when to stop editing/changing/reading the WIP and send it out into the world? – Linda Crawford

By Tom and Judy Myers

April 7, 2016 (Alpine) - The following are some upcoming events from the Alpine Historical Society.

1. Potluck Luncheon & Presentation, Sunday, April 17, 2016

History in the Headlines, by Del Hood, contains a half-century of El Cajon Valley’s most notable events, from 1950 to 2000, chronicled as a ready reference to the area’s important historical moments. Drawn from headlines in The Valley News and The Daily Californian, more than 1,700 “little stories” about what happened in the valley and in neighboring communities depict the notable events of those years. The events are presented in chronological order and are designed as a guide for those researching specific events or newsmakers. Historic photographs enhance several stories.

By Ed Barrena

March 29, 2016 (San Diego’s East County) -- Pew Research Center published an article by Paul Taylor this week with some interesting political analysis, detailing a move toward polarization of the two political parties. The article discusses points from the first chapter of a book that Taylor co-authored with Pew Research entitled, “The Next America: Boomers, Millennials, and the Looming Generational Showdown.” The book was originally released as a hardback in 2014 and now a paperback edition is being released with 100 pages of additional material.

Hear our interview with Rebecca Grant, originally aired on KNSJ 89.1 FM:  https://www.eastcountymagazine.org/sites/eastcountymagazine.org/files/au...

(Note: Audio files can take a few moments to load)

March 18, 2016 (San Diego) -- Rebecca Grant, author of A Sticky Web of Vengeance: The Coach's Wife sat down for an exclusive interview with East County Magazine Radio Show's Bookshelf host Reina Menasche.

Grant endured shocking revelations about her well-known husband's past, forgave him and stood by him in his final challenge: a battle with brain cancer.  She survived these hardships only to endure betrayal by his family members. Yet she weathered the storms in her life, finding inner strength.

She has since dedicated her life to activism, hoping to help others. 

March 6, 2016 (San Diego) — Compliments of San Diego Write Way, here is an abundance of events for both readers and writers across San Diego County.

by Sárka-Jonae Miller

February 14, 2016 (San Diego's East County) - Just in time for Valentine's Day, 10-time #1 New York Times best-selling author Robyn Carr drops by to give writing advice and to talk about her new romance, What We Find, coming in April 2016. During her more than twenty-five-year writing career, the former California resident has authored nearly 50 novels that blend romance and women's fiction. The RITA award winner is also ranked among the top 100 authors on Amazon.

February 7, 2016 (San Diego) — This month there are many exciting events for readers and writers, from author booksignings to a symposium by the sea. Scroll down for a complete list of events for readers and writers, courtesy of San Diego Write Way. 

East County News Service

February 1, 2016 (Lemon Grove) -- The Lemon Grove Historical Society’s popular "History Alive" lecture series will feature noted historian James D. Newland and his latest book "Around Mt. Helix" on Feb. 4 at 7 p.m. in the H. Lee House Cultural Center, 3205 Olive, Lemon Grove.

January 30, 2016 (San Diego) — Literary lovers will find a wealth of activities coming up locally for both readers and writers, from author appearances to a major writer’s conference, as well as a reading of Valentine’s sonnets and much more.

Source: County News Service

January 17, 2016 (San Diego’s East County) – County Supervisors have approved spending $50,000 in Neighborhood Reinvestment funds to acquire land for new libraries in Lakeside and the Casa de Oro community in Spring Valley.  The plan was proposed by East County Supervisor Dianne Jacob.

Update: Hear our interview with Victor Contreras, Descendants of Early San Diego, on Twainfest, including a reading from a monologue on his own famous ancestor from early San Diego.  The interview originally aired on KNSJ; listen here: https://www.eastcountymagazine.org/sites/eastcountymagazine.org/files/au...

East County News Service

January 3, 2016 (San Diego)--The Descendants of Early San Diego (formerly known as the Old Town San Diego Descendants Group seek submissions of short  monologues for presentation at TwainFest 2016 to be held at Old Town San Diego State Park in August of 2016. Each monologue should be in first person, accurately reflecting real people who lived in our region in the 1800s. Two $100 prizes will be awarded and authors can also audition for opportunities to perform their works for additional compensation. See below for details.