For complete Calendar including Authors Events, go to www.SDWriteWay.org

May 15 (Wednesday, 5:00 pm) — Greg van Eekhout, San Diego-based author of the middle-grade novel Kid vs. Squid, The Boy at the End of the World and the adult novel Norse Code will be signing copies of his books at Barnes & Noble, Oceanside, 2615 Vista Way, Oceanside.

Lisa Kovach - Community Relations Manager, at 760-529-0270 or crm2153@bn.com for additional information.

May 9, 2013 (Mission Hills) – Frequent ECM contributor Walter G. Meyer will be speaking about the timely topic of bullying at Mission Hills Books and Collectibles on May 15 at 6:30 p.m.

Meyer said he never set out to become a bullying expert, but his novel Rounding Third was published just before the bullying/suicide crisis started making the news. ECM reviewed the book when it was published http://www.eastcountymagazine.org/node/2580 and he has written about bullying for ECM http://www.eastcountymagazine.org/node/7976

At Mission Hills Books and Collectibles, he will be presenting a version of the PowerPoint he has done at libraries and community centers across the country. It covers what bullying is, how to respond to it, the role of bystanders in ending it, and what can be done to prevent it in the first place.

May 7 (Tuesday, 5:30 pm) — Barnes & Noble Oceanside, 2615 Vista Way, Oceanside, presents Gretchen Wendel who will talk about her book, Becka and the Big Bubble series.

May 7 (Tuesday, 6:00 pm) — Barnes & Noble Oceanside, 2615 Vista Way, Oceanside, presents Kevin Gerard, who will talk about his book, Diego's Dragons.

May 7 (Tuesday, 7:30 pm) — Warwick's will host Dean of Arts and Humanities at UCSD Seth Lerer, who will discuss and sign his memoir Prospero's Son. This event is free and open to the public. In order to be signed the author's most current book must be purchased from Warwick's.

April 29 (Monday - 7:00 pm) — Post World Book Night. Mysterious Galaxy Bookstore, 7051 Clairemont Mesa Blvd, San Diego.

For additional information go to www.writeoutloudsd.com or call (619) 297-8953 or email writeoutloudsd@gmail.com.

April 30 (Tuesday – 9:30 am) — California Gold – Bradbury & Other California Writers. Grossmont Community College - Griffin Hall, 8800 Grossmont College Drive, El Cajon.

For additional information go www.writeoutloudsd.com or call (619) 297-8953 or email writeoutloudsd@gmail.com.

April 27, 2013 (El Cajon)--An award winning short-story writer and an Iraqi poet will headline Grossmont College’s Literary Arts Festival April 29 through May 2.

Tobias Wolff, a Stanford professor, won The Story Prize in 2008 for his collection of short stories, “Our Story Begins.” He has published several novels and memoirs, and his work regularly appears in magazines and literary journals, including “The New Yorker,” “The Atlantic” and “Harper’s.” Wolff will read and sign his books from 7 to 9 p.m. on Wednesday, May 1.

April 25, 2013 (Crest) – The County library in Crest will hold El Dia de los Niños/El Dia de los Libros (Children’s Day/Book Day) on Tuesday, April 30 at 4:30 p.m.  The celebration includes bilingual story times in Spanish, French and Arabic. In addition, you can enjoy music and refreshments, plus learn how to make paper flowers.

The library is located at 105 Juanita Lane in the Crest community of El Cajon.  For more information on county library events, visit www.sdcl.org.

April 23 (Tuesday, 7:30 pm) — Warwick's will host bestselling author and Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Anna Quindlen, who will discuss and sign her memoir Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake. This event is free and open to the public, however Reserved Seating is available. Please call the Warwick's Book Dept. at (858) 454-0347 for details. In order to be signed Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake must be purchased from Warwick's.

For complete Calendar including Authors Events, go to www.SDWriteWay.org

April 14 (Sunday 2:00 pm) — Bradbury Poems Accompanied by Carol Williams at the Organ, Spreckels Organ Pavilion, Pan American Road- Balboa Park.

For additional information go to www.writeoutloudsd.com or call (619) 297-8953 or email writeoutloudsd@gmail.com.

April 14 (Sunday - 3:00 pm) — SD Writers Ink Discusses Fahrenheit 451. Inspirations Gallery, 2730 Historic Decatur Road – Barracks 16 #204, San Diego.

For additional information go to www.writeoutloudsd.com or call (619) 297-8953 or email writeoutloudsd@gmail.com.

The Dark and Light Sides of Fantasy, by R.e. Taylor (Shadowlight Publishing, MacGregor, Australia, 2013).

Book Review by Dennis Moore

R.e. Taylor, the author of The Dark and Light Sides of Fantasy, will be bringing this intriguing collection of fantasy tales to the upcoming Los Angeles Times Festival of Books at the University of Southern California on April 20 & 21, where upwards of 150,000 attendees are expected for this showcase of talent.

At least two other bestselling authors that I have written book reviews for in the East County Magazine will also be at this event, New York Times Bestselling Author Caitlin Rother, author of Lost Girls, and Joshua Graham, Barnes & Noble #1 bestselling author of Beyond Justice. Here’s hoping that Taylor has similar success with his book at the Festival of Books.

By Laura Preble

Reviewed by Walter G. Meyer

Out is inside-out.

West Hills High School teacher and East County resident Laura Preble has authored a new book, Out, which turns society inside out. The book’s publication is well-timed to coincide with the Supreme Court hearing two cases about gay marriage, because at the heart of her book is an alternate universe in which being gay and same-sex married is the norm and being straight, or as the book puts it, “perpendicular” is the aberration.

For complete Calendar including Authors Events, go to www.SDWriteWay.org

April 7 (Sunday 2:00 pm) — Bradbury Poems Accompanied by Carol Williams at the Organ, Spreckels Organ Pavilion, Pan American Road- Balboa Park.

For additional information go to www.writeoutloudsd.com or call (619) 297-8953 or email writeoutloudsd@gmail.com.

For complete Calendar including Authors Events, go to www.SDWriteWay.org

April 4 (Thursday, 6:30 pm) — Carolie Jean-Murat will be signing her new book, Voodoo in My Blood at Barns & Noble, 10775 Westview Parkway, San Diego. Call (858) 684-3166 for additional information.

April 6 (Saturday, 11:00 am) — Mark Carlson will be signing his new book, Confessions of a Guide Dog, the Blind Leading the Blind, at the Carmel Mountain Ranch Library, 12095 World Trade Drive, San Diego. Call (619) 538-8181 for additional information.

Celebrate The Big Read: Imagine a World without Books: Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451

March 12, 2013 (La Mesa)--La Mesa's San Pasqual Winery will be hosting an overview of Bradbury’s celebrated novel, and a dramatic reading of his poignant short story The Love Affair of Laurel and Hardy on Tuesday, April 2 at 6:00 p.m. in the San Pasqual Winery Tasting Room (8364 La Mesa Blvd).

March 25, 2013 (San Diego) – Sam Warren is the publisher and editor of www.SDWriteWay.org.  Visit the site for additional news and calendar events for both Readers and Writers.

READERS

MARCH

March 27 (Wednesday, 7:30 pm) — Warwick's will host author Amy Hatvany, who will discuss and sign her latest novel Heart Like Mine. This event is free and open to the public. In order to be signed, Heart Like Mine must be purchased from Warwick's.

March 18, 2013 (San Diego) – The Congress of History of San Diego and Imperial Counties has named San Diego regional publishers Diana and Lowell Lindsay as the recipient of their Media Award at their 2013 History Conference held this year in Vista, California. The award was given in recognition of their contributions to the preservation of “The History of this Region” through their publishing house, Sunbelt Publications, located in El Cajon.

The Media Award was one of several awards made during this year’s conference. The awards are given to individuals, organizations, and programs that have made significant contributions to the preservation and development of the regional history of San Diego and Imperial Counties and Baja, California, Mexico.

March 20, 2012 (San Diego)--Sarka-Jonae Miller's debut novel set in San Diego achieved what few self-published books accomplish: a spot on a best seller list. Miller's novel, Between Boyfriends, appeared on three Amazon best seller lists last month, including #9 for humorous fiction, #11 for humor ebooks and #54 for women's fiction.

To celebrate, Miller is gifting 22 copies of the Kindle version of her book that she will personalize through Authorgraph.com. The Kindle book is readable on any computer, tablet or smartphone using a free app. Winners will be selected on March 22, and also receive a download of Taylor Swift's hit song “22.”

Twice Begun, by Reina Lisa Menasche

Book review by Miriam Raftery

March 17, 2013 (San Diego)--Paris Jablonski has a seemingly idyllic life in San Diego with her charming French husband and young daughter.  But that illusion is shattered on her seventh anniversary, when she finds love letters in her husband’s closet from a woman in France.  

Twice Begun, a novel by San Diego author Reina Menasche, opens  with this line: “Before I stepped into the closet, my life felt like an Impressionist masterpiece—filled with elusive light yet made of simple dabs of color that even a child could paint.”

But  Paris is given no opportunity to absorb the shock, caught in the moment not by her philandering husband, Serge, but by the family dog tailed closely by Paris' 7-year-old daughter, who asks innocently,  “Mommy, why are you in the closet?”

For complete Calendar including Authors Events, go to www.SDWriteWay.org

March 16 (Saturday, 2:30pm) — Ladies Literary Tea Adventure. Adventures by the Book, in partnership with The Westgate Hotel, presents the next in its series of Ladies Literary Tea Adventures with award-winning author Christopher Castellani at the Westgate Hotel, 1055 Second Avenue, San Diego.

March 10, 2013 (Alpine)--The Alpine Woman’s Club will hold their next monthly luncheon on Tuesday, March 19^th at 12:00 noon.  After the meeting, local author, Cordell Falk will talk about his New Fiction Series Release “Valley of the Damned”, taking us back at least 140 years to the barren California desert where conspiracy, intrigue and suspense are on tap. 

For complete Calendar including Authors Events, go to www.SDWriteWay.org

February 28 (Thursday, 7:30 pm) — Warwick's will host Co-editor of Patagonia's The Footprint Chronicles, Vincent Stanley, who will discuss and sign The Responsible Company. This event is free and open to the public. In order to be signed, The Responsible Company must be purchased from Warwick's.

Billionaires & Ballot Bandits: How to Steal an Election in 9 Easy Steps, by Greg Palast (Seven Stories Press, New York, NY, 2012, 300 pages).

Book Review by Dennis Moore

February 23, 2013 (San Diego’s East County)--Greg Palast,author of the New York Times’ best sellers The Best Democracy Money Can Buy, Armed Madhouse, and, most recently, Vultures’ Picnic, has followed up in a similar satirical vein with Billionaires & Ballot Bandits: How to Steal an Election in 9 Easy Steps.  An internationally acclaimed investigative journalist, Palast has roots in California; his parents were long-time residents of La Mesa.

Between Boyfriends, by Sárka-Jonae Miller, ATG Publicity, San Diego

Review by Miriam Raftery

February 18, 2013 (San Diego)--Between Boyfriends hit three Amazon best-seller lists the week after Valentine’s Day, ranking #9 for humor books, #11 for humor e-books and #54 for women's fiction.  Written by San Diego-area resident Sárka Jonae Miller, this book is the ultimate chick-lit read—a light-hearted romp focused on the travails of Jan, a college student dumped by her boyfriend, an SDSU student.  The moment proves an epiphany, as Jan resolves to stop dating and find fulfillment as a single woman.

Raised in pampered privilege, Jan’s problems soon get worse when she loses her parents’ financial support and must learn to be a self-sufficient.

After  two days spent  wallowing in a a self-pitying stupor  following  the breakup with her boyfriend, Jan awakens in her apartment. Appalled upon looking in the mirror, she whacks her hair with manicure scissors. Then she clears out the medicine cabinet of souvenirs from losers she has dated, determined to rid herself of ghosts of boyfriends past.

Review By Walter G. Meyer

Infinity Publishing

February 21, 2013 (San Diego)--In her book, Back Off! Your Kick-Ass Guide to Ending Bullying at Work, Catherine Mattice knows whereof she writes. At one of her first jobs out of San Diego State, she was bullied at the nonprofit where she was working. It wasn’t that long ago, but bullying, if it was thought of at all, was considered a schoolyard, not a workplace phenomenon.

She decided to do something about it. She got her Masters in Organizational Communications at SDSU, writing her thesis on workplace bullying. For her research, she inverted a survey on workplace bullying and instead of asking targets what they thought of being bullied, she asked why people were bullies. She even dedicated it to “The Post-it Nazi,” to her former co-worker who inspired it.

February 17, 2013 (Alpine) – The Alpine Library celebrated “Library Lovers’ Day” in style, with a delightful performance of the Alpine Chamber Players. The audience enjoyed beautiful classical pieces, intermixed with rousing and romantic vocal numbers sung by Sylvia Hartman, the group’s pianist and leader. Alpine Library Friends Association sponsored the program, and also provided delicious Valentine cookies for all in attendance.

Other Library News for this week include:

1. The next “RUFF Readers” program is scheduled for Tuesday, February 19. Call now (619-445-4221) to sign up for a slot after school, and read toward a FREE book! Beginning March 5, we will be offering this program weekly.

February 17, 2013 (Lakeside) – The Lakeside Library is having its 100th birthday party on Saturday February 23rd from 12:30 - 3:00 p.m. You’re invited to a Centennial Celebration.

Scroll down for a schedule of events, including games, a trivia contest, historical presentations, Sparkles the Clown, a costume contest (dress as your favorite character from a book, or as a librarian) and of course, birthday cake.

For complete Calendar including Authors Events, go to www.SDWriteWay.org

February 10, 2013 (San Diego)--The San Diego Public Library's 47th Annual Local Authors Exhibit: The Library is going to display it in the exhibit, which will run the entire month of February 2013 in the lobby of the Central Library downtown.

No Cats, No Chocolate, by Ken Kuhlken and Alan Russell, Hickey’s Books, La Mesa

Book review by Miriam Raftery

February 10, 2013 (La Mesa)--What happens when a pair of formerly acclaimed but now down-on-their-luck mystery novelists hit rock bottom? 

In No Cats, no Chocolate,  local authors Ken Kuhlken and Alan Russell  pen themselves in as the main characters.  Best noted for their literary-quality mystery works,  they resolve to make some quick cash writing a romance novel after an outline sent as a lark lands an assignment from a publisher.  Delilah Bluefeather and Violet St. Claire ( the authors’ noms de plume), are born. Worse, they must complete the task in days, while on a road trip to jump-start their careers  with a coveted appearance on Oprah’s show.

The book  is a sequel to Road Kill, in which the same quirky duo embarked on a journey to convince readers across America to buy their books.  It’s a clever literary trick for the authors to write themselves in as characters in their own works—and create a series to boot.  As a former participant in a writing critique group led by Kuhlken, I can’t help wondering how many quirky traits described in the book are fact – and which are fiction?

February 7, 2013 (Crest) – The Crest Branch of the San Diego County Library, 105 Juanita Lane, El Cajon, is hosting a number of events throughout the month of February.  They encompass activities for every age.

February 7, 2013 (San Diego) – Marsha Kay Seff, a former seniors writer for the Union Tribune, is teaching a class a class on storytelling at the College Avenue Older Adult Center, 4855 College Ave., on the first and third Wednesday of each month at 12:45 p.m.  The classes began February 6 and the next one will be Feb. 20.