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FROM HISTORICAL MYSTERIES TO MODERN MARKETING ON MARCH 2
Creator of very popular medieval capers and mysteries Jeri Westerson will address “Historical Mysteries to Modern Marketing” for the Ridge Writers Thursday, March 2, meeting that starts 6:30 pm in the meeting room of Ridgecrest Presbyterian Church, 633 West Las Flores, public welcome, no admission charge, masks requested.
Launching from the premise that “It’s all right to have your writing sensibilities set in the past, but marketing your book must be most definitely in the present,” she will discuss how “the industry has changed and it’s no surprise authors have to change with it. Over and over again. Where should you focus your attention? Are you getting the most out of your advertising budget? Are you spending your time wisely or frittering away your opportunities?” She will share tips and a way to focus your energy productively and with an approach for whether your write historicals or not.
Author of fifteen Crispin Guest Medieval Noir novels, a series nominated for 13 national awards from the Agatha to the Shamus, she works in other genres as well including the Gaslamp-steampunk fantasy trilogy “Enchanter Chronicles.”
Westerson will bring insight, expertise, and anecdotes gleaned from an impressive literary life, and a book signing will follow the program.
Ridge Writers is the East Sierra Branch of the 114-year-old California Writers Club (calwriters.org) that traces its roots to Jack London and friends in the Bay Area, and has22 branches throughout the state.
KAREN BLAKE LOOKS AT STEM, GRAPHIC NOVELS, AND TRADITIONAL PRINT
January 5, 2023
Award-winning writer and poet, and also a STEM game and book publisher, Karen Blake will give the Ridge Writers January 5, 2023 program that starts at 6:30 p.m, at Ridgecrest Presbyterian Church, 633 W. Las Flores. Pubic invited. Admission free. Masks requested.
Her awareness of the importance of STEM education focuses on encouraging kids to learn about how the world works. This goes beyond science and into the world of business. She accomplishes this through games. She launched STEMdelivered.org and Rhizomes Books, Inc. in 2011 following her run for Superintendent of Public Instruction in 2010. It was her way of meeting the talent required to form the technical team for her publishing company that released two products in 2014, “Physics on the River” (a visual novel) and “Matwa Finds a Brother” (a children’s book). The matching game, Antelope UP, is available on multiple platforms.
For her program, she will discuss finding outlets for her new projects, whether there is a STEM market if members want to break into writing for it, and given her background ranging from graphic novels to traditional print, she will examine the features they would need to succeed such as strong plots and characters, as well as what to know about illustrations, lettering, any software that helps, and finding a publisher.
She will leave plenty of time for Q&A. We hope to see you there.
DICKENS TEA
Saturday, December 3, 2 pm at
The Heritage Club House
Following a two-year break forced on us by Covid, Ridge Writers enthusiastically presents our annul Dickens Tea — at the Heritage Club House, 425 W. Heritage Drive Ridgecrest, CA.
Come for a Dickens reading, pastries and tea, a book swap with two free books included, and crafts session with materials provided as well. Wear a Victorian costume if you’d like to compete for a prize, but otherwise come in regular street clothes.
Buy your ticket for $25 at Red Rock Books, 206 W. Ridgecrest Blvd., Ridgecrest, CA.
JENNIFER CRITTENDEN BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND
NOVEMBER 3
On the heels of her extremely successful summer program, Ridge Writers has brought publisher/author Jennifer Crittenden back to Ridge Writers to address a new subject, this time “Beyond the Book:” websites, blogging, audio versions, publishing others, consulting, and podcasts.” She will speak on Thursday evening, November 3, 6:30 pm in the meeting room of Ridgecrest Presbyterian Church, 633 W. Las Flores. Admission free. Masks requested.
Crittenden has written three books, The Discreet Guide for Executive Women; You, Not I; and The Mammoth Letters. Her company, Whistling Rabbit Press, has published four. She maintains three websites devoted to various aspects of her business and writing and publishing.
A devoted life-long reader, she says, “I fooled around a bit with writing in my teens and twenties. After I stopped working full-time, I returned to writing with a vengeance. I worked in corporate America so I wrote my fair share of emails, strategic plans, government and shareholder reports, and thinly disguised requests for money. Most business writing is awful, so I tried to do my part to generate clean, precise prose in a messy world.”
In tandem with this goal through Whistling Rabbit, she plans and produces the Eastern Sierra Book Festival in Mammoth Lakes in July.
We hope to see you when she comes to visit Ridgecrest and Ridge Writers.
WEIRD WEEKEND 2022
October 7-8
Weird Weekend returns with a vengeance starting 5 pm at Moe’s Music to celebrate the stranger side of the Mojave Desert – lost prospectors from 100 years ago, Bigfoot, aliens, and the legendary list goes on. Events range from a campfire storytelling competition and campfire song competition to a revival of one of our most successful productions, Monica Dwyer’s “Close Encounters of the Hairy Kind.”
Story Writing: $5 at the door, Oct. 7, 5 pm
Song Writing, 5$ at the door, Oct. 8, 5 pm
“Close Encounters” Oct 7 & 8, 7:30 pm
$20 tickets at Red Rock Books (incl. camp meal)
All three at Moe’s Music
207 W Ridgecrest Blvd, Ridgecrest, CA
Phone: (442) 294-3018
China Lake Native Talks About Switching Gears to Find a New Groove on Thursday, October 6
Author Iris Hattersley, one of the “Lucky 13,” will discuss “Switching Gears to Find a New Groove” at the Ridge Writers general meeting on Thursday, October 6, that starts at 6:30 pm at Ridgecrest Presbyterian Church, 633 W. Las Flores. Public welcome. No admission charge. Masks requested.
Hattersley explains that, “Growing up [maiden name Patricia Reid] at China Lake was one of the best things that happened to me. It was a home like no other place. Did it prepare me for the adventures I experienced later in life? Maybe not, but it was the safe environment of my youth, schools with smart teachers and smart kids, and the place where I developed strong and lasting friendships.
“My memoir, ‘Lucky Thirteen,’ relates my life in this place and my life after I left. Of most interest has been my career in the U.S. Marshals Service at a time when the first thirteen women were hired to carry the badge and credentials of a Deputy U.S. Marshal. I was assigned to Los Angeles, Honolulu, and Washington, D.C. I then worked as a Special Agent for the Department of Defense until my retirement in 1993 in Las Vegas. Years later, in 2017 with so many accomplishments already behind her as part of her advanced degree, Iris took courses at Oxford University.
“I married another deputy, Larry Hattersley,” she adds. “We juggled our jobs, work-related separations, children, and home life. Amazingly, our marriage survived, and our children are doing well. It has been quite a ride!
A book signing will follow the program. We hope to see you there.
JEANNIE BARROGA CROSSES THE LINES, DOTS THE TEASE
AT OUR SEPTEMBER MEETING
Award-winning playwright and author of “Turn Right at the Water Buffalo” Jeannie Barroga will speak about “Crossing the Lines and Dotting the Tease: When Fiction Mirrors Memoirs” for our general meeting, Thursday, September 1, in the meeting room of Ridgecrest Presbyterian Church, 633 W. Las Flores. The meeting starts at 6:30 p.m. Visitors welcome. Admission free. Mask requested.
Barroga explains that “An early beta reader asked ‘Was this memoir all true?’ I said ‘Turn Right at The Water Buffalo’ was not a memoir; it’s a trip with ‘fictionalized facts.’
My notes were thirty years old; the trip, five years older. Listeners said my verbal details seemed fresher than my written descriptions. As in pitching plays, a practice nurtured for 40-plus years writing them, I creatively layer fiction among facts. Review what elicits audience responses, on screen and onstage: ‘truths”— like the contrasting crunchy and chewy textures of a bagel—should already engage readers. Integrate carefully selected fiction—like ‘fresh lox or unspreadable cream cheese.’
“Internally I argued whether any writer needs to tag what is fictitious or not; I say, no. With seams undetectable between fact and fiction, a writer needs to tell a gripping, relatable, infuriating story, to cross a line, to tease, cap, and package. Determine in your ‘sandwich,’ how.”
Barroga, Lifetime Dramatists Guild member, is a published, award-winning playwright whose works are in Stanford’s Special Collections. Among many plays, she received the NEA Artistic Excellence Award. Twice a Literary Manager, she has also directed at LaMama NY, and acted in the cult film “I Am a Ghost.”
Her talk will conclude with Q&A and a book signing. We’ll look forward to seeing you there, and bring your friends.
Note that in addition to giving our general meeting program at 6:30 in Ridgecrest Presbyterian Church, Jeannie Barroga will chat informally about “Turn Right at the Water Buffalo” at 2 p.m., Thursday, September 1, in the back room of the Pizza Factory. For this, sign up and pay in advance at Red Rock Books; $32 includes the book autographed to you or someone of your choice, plus tea and scones, discussion, and entry in a raffle drawing.
BRETT BATTLES TO SPEAK JULY 7
Burroughs High School graduate and successful thriller writer Brett Battles will give the Ridge Writers program on Thursday, July 7, starting at 6:30 p.m. at Ridgecrest Presbyterian Church, 633 W. Las Flores. Public invited, admission free, masks requested.
Brett will discuss publishing platforms from print to electronic, along with pitfalls to avoid. A USA Today bestselling as well as Barry Award-winning author of over forty novels, including “Rewinder,” the Jonathan Quinn series, the Logan Harper series, the Project Eden series and, with Robert Gregory Browne, he has coauthored the Alexandra Poe series
His first novel, “The Cleaner” (2007), introduced recurring character Jonathan Quinn, freelance intelligence operative who specializes in making bodies disappear. His second novel, “The Deceived” (2008), won the Barry Award for Best Thriller. His third novel, “Shadow of Betrayal” (published in the U.K. as “The Unwanted”) continues Quinn’s adventures.
Publishers Weekly described “The Cleaner” as “displaying an enviable gift for pacing and action, Battles’s debut novel is a page-turner that may remind some readers of the cult TV spy series ‘Alias.’ Admirers of quality espionage fiction can look forward to a new series worth following.”
Looking on his formative years, he has reflected, “Brett Battles is that kid back in 6th grade who convinces his teacher that, as an assignment, everyone should write a short story that is at least 10 pages long. He received an A- on his project, while another student (name withheld) received an A+. Brett’s not bitter about this, nor does he ever think about the incident. Mostly.” One of the founding members of Killer Year, and a member of Mystery Writers of America and International Thriller Writers, he cites Stephen King, Robert Ludlum, Graham Greene, and Haruki Murakami as important influences on his worki.
He will follow his presentation with informal conversation and a book signing. Read more about him at www.brettbattles.com. Please come, and please bring your friends.
EMMY-NOMINATED COMEDY WRITER TO SPEAK JUNE 2
Emmy- and WGA-nominated comedy writer Glenn Boozan will give the Thursday, June 2 Ridge Writers program starting at 6:30 in the meeting room of Ridgecrest Presbyterian Church, 633 W. Las Flores. Masks required. Public invited, no admission fee.
What to expect: Being a mom is hard – and being a perfect mother is an impossible, unachievable standard. And yet, every mom has felt a creeping sense of guilt and shame. Now, Glenn Boozan offers the antidote to “mom guilt”: “There Are Moms Way Worse Than You: Irrefutable Proof That You Are Indeed a Fantastic Parent,” a deceptively playfully illustrated romp through the outlandishly terrible parenting practices of the animal kingdom. The book went viral on publication.
Glenn’s credits include “Conan,” “Comedy Central’s Lights Out with David Spade,” “Sarah Silverman’s I Love You, America” on Hulu, and TruTV’s “Adam Ruins Everything.”
A book signing follows.
Earlier the same day, she will chat informally with participants of “Read the Book, Meet the Author” at Mac’s International Restaurant, 1:30 p.m. For this, participants buy and read the book in advance of the get-together. The ticket price of $32 includes tea at Mac’s with tea sandwiches, cheesecake, beverage, a copy of the book that the author will autograph, entry in a gift basket drawing, and convivial discussion with Glenn. Sign up and get the ticket at Red Rock Books.
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RIDGE WRITERS PRESENT THE BIRTH OF A BOOK – MAY 5
Author Danny Nielsen and publisher/editor Jennifer Crittenden will discuss the origin and process of their collaboration to bring Straight Flossin’ and Other Stories of the American West into the world, at the Ridge Writers May 5 meeting, starting 6:30 pm in the meeting room of Ridgecrest Presbyterian Church, 633 W. Las Flores. Masks requested. Public welcome. Admission free.
Straight Flossin’ is a collection of creative nonfiction essays about Niesen’s experiences working in desert landscapes, both for pleasure and for his doctoral work in Environmental Science. The essays range from hair-raising stories about skunks and fires to philosophical musings about the American Dream, water, and environmental damage. The lovely illustrations in the book were drawn by Nielsen’s wife, Sunny Noel Sawyer.
Straight Flossin’ is Nielsen’s first book and the eighth book published by Whistling Rabbit Press, Crittenden’s boutique publishing company. After publishing her own books, Crittenden wanted to use Whistling Rabbit Press to produce other worthy books by shepherding them through the same process and using some of the same vendors she had used.
It was important to her personally to protect the authors from some of the predatory or flawed practices she had seen from other publishers or author service companies. Whistling Rabbit Press uses a “traditional publishing” model in that all financial risk is assumed by the publisher, and the author is not expected to pay to be published. Other financial details will be reviewed during this evening conversation.
Crittenden and Nielsen will share their discoveries from working under this model and offer takeaways for audience members about writing, editing, publishing, and how they can have a positive experience publishing their own book.
Ridge Writers (ridgewriters@yahoo.com) is the East Sierra Branch of the 113-year-old California Writers Club (calwriters.org). The CWC traces its roots back to Jack London in the Bay Area and how has 22 branches throughout the state.
READ THE BOOK MEET THE AUTHOR APRIL 7
Ridge Writers has announced the next “Read the Book, Meet the Author” event, David George on Thursday, April 7, 1:30 p.m. at Mac’s International Restaurant. Masks requested except while eating and drinking.
Red Rock Books has the book in stock. Participants buy the book and read it in advance of the get-together. Sign up at Red Rock Books. The ticket price of $32 includes tea at Mac’s with tea sandwiches, cheesecake, beverage, a copy of the book that the author will autograph, entry in a gift basket drawing, and convivial discussion with David George.
His debut book, “Granddad’s Garden: Stories of the Natural World,” fits into the current “climate lit” genre. Each chapter of “Granddad’s Garden” stands alone as a complete story, intended for parents and grandparents to enjoy reading to their children and grandchildren. The stories relate adventures that Granddad and his grandson experience while exploring nature together. Jeremy starts as a three-year-old and grows with each new chapter until the age of nine, showing his magical transformation into a mature child. Jeremy becomes more aware of the natural world around him as he grows, and Granddad reveals nature’s most important lessons through modern-day fables. With “Granddad’s Garden,” the author has created a feel-good book for troubling times.
He will also give the Ridge Writers program on Thursday evening at Ridgecrest Presbyterian Church, 6:30 p.m., no admission charge. This will not be the same as the afternoon’s presentation.
JENNY MARGOTTA INTRODUCES THE WOMAN IN ROOM 23 ON MARCH 3
Author and editor Jenny Margotta will give Ridge Writer’s March 3 program, “The Woman in Room 23,” at 6:30 p.m. in the meeting room of Ridgecrest Presbyterian Church, 633 W. Las Flores. Admission free. Masks requested.
She’ll discuss her challenges as a writer as she balanced hard facts vs. the feelings of loved ones following 12 years dealing with personal relationships, family dynamics, the health care system, and financial issues as her mother suffered each agonizing step of Alzheimer’s disease, the sixth most common cause of death in the United States.
Employing a creative blend of narrative, dialogue, and letters, and under the pen name J. Margotta-Ferrara, she brought out “The Woman in Room 23” eight years after her mother’s passing, weaving together frank details and the central character’s remembrances of key events of her life. Although presented as a work of fiction, it stems from real-life situations and leaves readers profoundly moved.
An extremely active member of the CWC’s High Desert Branch, Jenny started spinning imaginative yarns as soon as she could talk, and she began writing as soon as she could pick up a pencil. Her subsequent efforts led to technical articles, opinion pieces, short stories, two young-adult fantasy/adventure novels, “Retribution” and “Resolution” that she co-authored, and the cookbook “Some Like It Hot…the Culinary Adventures of One Hot Momma and One Cool Dude” that she co-authored with her husband. Additionally, she has edited nearly 150 full-lengths books and has designed over 50 book covers,
She’ll conclude the evening with a book signing.
Note that Jenny will also discuss “The Woman in Room 23” for Read the Book Meet the Author, 1:30 p.m. at Mac’s International Restaurant. Purchase tickets in advance at Red Rock Books.
“WRITING FROM LIFE” AT RIDGE WRITERS FEB. 3
Local blogger, columnist, and playwright Monica Dwyer will talk about “Writing from Life” at the Ridge Writers February 3rd meeting, Thursday evening, 6:30 p.m. in the meeting room of Ridgecrest Presbyterian Church, 633 W. Las Flores. Public welcome. No charge for admission. Masks required.
Monica’s writing career began as a popular blogger with her blog, “Fluttering About: Musings of a Social Butterfly,” that later became a column for The Daily Independent newspaper. Her columns were personal stories about moments of her everyday life, be they heartwarming, heartbreaking, or just plain hilarious. Her work showed her to be a keen observer of life and all the wonderful quirks it has, mining on her experiences as a mom, a best friend, an actress, a co-worker, a Bigfoot fan, and more. She went on to pen her first play, “Close Encounters of the Hairy Kind,” produced by Master Mystery Productions for Ridge Writers’ Weird Weekend 2019 to sold-out audiences. Her shrewd observations about life in our city, the local characters, and funny memories from her own life infuse every word of her script, giving her story a lighthearted, natural, memoir feel.
Drawing from this experience, Monica will talk about how to identify those special moments perfect for stories, how to incorporate them in your writing, and how these slices of life work in both non-fiction and fiction. Most of all, she will do what she does best: share her true stories about her journey as a writer who uses the real world around her as her inspiration.
JANUARY MEETING: ON BECOMING A FANTASY AUTHOR – January 6 – Kelsey Norton
Local novelist Kelsey Norton will talk about “Becoming a Fantasy Author” at our January 6 meeting, Thursday evening, 6:30 p.m. in the meeting room of Ridgecrest Presbyterian Church, 633 W. Las Flores. Public welcome. No charge for admission. Masks required.
Aiming her spellbinding tales at the YA market (and some younger as well as older readers), Kelsey sets her tales in the Dells, a land of humans and mystics. Mystics have differently colored streaks in their hair, each hue revealing their individual powers: magic, light, emotions, and others. Blue, yellow, pink, and so on. But Alina, born with a red streak, poses a quandary because nobody ever had a red streak before. Kelsey explores a maze of questions of identity, self-acceptance, and self-doubt throughout Alina’s story. Ultimately, the message emerges that we should understand our power even if we don’t think we have any.
Now hard at work on her third book, Kelsey feels that she always had a flare for imagination. She started writing in the third grade, with a yarn about how a skunk got its stripe. In fact, she says, “I essentially wrote if for myself at 14. I would have wanted a book like this.”
You can find her first two books, “Dragon Scale Prophecies: Truth” and “Dragon Scale Prophecies: Courage” available at Red Rock Books and online from Amazon.
We hope to see you at our January meeting.
HOLIDAY PARTY ON THURSDAY, DECEMBER 2
A favorite Ridge Writers tradition returns at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, December 2, in the meeting room of Ridgecrest Presbyterian Church, 633 W. Las Flores, when we will hold our annual holiday party with special added extras. Admission free. Masks required.
Although Covid concerns preclude our doing a potluck this year, we will have refreshments, beverages, and plated desserts. We’ll accompany these with members’ readings (5-7 minutes limit, in good taste), a Dickens vignette, a seasonal craft, and the camaraderie we’ve come to so much enjoy and appreciate when we meet face-to-face, even if in fact mask-to-mask.
Please don’t miss this one. We look forward to seeing you there.
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DANIEL STALLINGS PRESENTS “LETTERS FROM ABANDONED CHARACTERS” WRITING WORKSHOP FOR NOVEMBER 4 MEETING
Ridge Writers President Daniel Stallings will present a writing workshop called “Letters from Abandoned Characters” for our November 4 meeting, starting 6:30 p.m. in the meeting room of Ridgecrest Presbyterian Church, 633 W. Las Flores. The public is welcome, admission free, masks required.
Making character voices distinct without description can be tricky. This workshop will help writers create characters without relying on narrative descriptors to describe them by pairing up guests and letting them write fictional correspondence to each other as different characters. What would famous literary characters like Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot write to each other in letters? What tricks can we use to identify them through their voice and writing style without relying on physical descriptors or even identifying them until the final signature? Can you guess the characters simply from hearing their voice in a letter? This interactive exercise will help you escape the adjectives and adverbs and focus on what is truly the heart of the character and how to make them shine on paper.
S. KAY MURPHY RETURNS OCTOBER 7
The always popular, upbeat, engaging S. Kay Murphy will revisit Ridgecrest for the Ridge Writers October 7 meeting, starting 6:30 p.m. in the meeting room of Ridgecrest Presbyterian Church, 633 W. Las Flores. The public is welcome, admission free, masks required.
On August 25, 1928, the sheriff of St. Louis County took into custody a fifty-year-old Missouri farmwife. Authorities sought to question her in a mystery which had built for twenty years: Had she masqueraded as a selfless saint who voluntarily cared for the acutely ill? Or evaded discovery as a minister of death whose crimes would qualify her as one of America’s few female serial killers? In her riveting nonfiction memoir “Tainted Legacy,” journalist S. Kay Murphy searches for the truth about her own great-grandmother — accused murderer Bertha Gifford.
Kay has spoken to Ridge Writers many times, invariably impressing and delighting us. She will talk about “How Your Subconscious Can Be Your Superhero” for the evening program, drawing on what she has learned with a fellow writer about how our subconscious minds actually work against us as writers, but there are strategies we can use to turn that around and put it to work for our benefit. Subtitle: “Learning to tap into the power of your subconscious can lead to a more productive and creative writing life.”
She’ll also preside over a “Read the Book, Meet the Author” at 2 in the afternoon at Mac’s International Restaurant on Heritage Drive. For more information, see the article below.
We hope to see you on the 7th. Bring your friends!
READ THE BOOK, MEET THE AUTHOR
OCTOBER 7, 2 PM
We’ll discuss “Tainted Legacy” with S. Kay Murphy on Thursday, October 7, 2 p.m. at Mac’s International Restaurant on Heritage Drive. The admission of $37 includes book, autograph by the author, tea sandwiches, cheesecake, tea, discussion, prize drawing, and a different program than the p.m. presentation. Purchase tickets at Red Bock Books, 206 W. Ridgecrest Blvd, 760-375-3454. If you already paid for this last year, you don’t have to do it again.
LET US WELCOME YOU TO WEIRD WEEKDAY – Thursday, Sept. 2, 6:30 p.m.
On Thursday, September 2, Ridge Writers transforms its meeting into an homage to the (pre-COVID annual) WEIRD WEEKEND event that celebrates everything strange and wonderful about our corner of the Mojave Desert,
Featuring:
Open Weird Storytelling Competition for members and the public. Bring your original stories (5-7 minutes long and in good taste) set in this desert – ghost stories, Bigfoot, UFO sightings, etc. – to win prizes and bragging rights. Truth optional.
After the competition: an interactive game, followed by a screening of Master Mystery Productions’ audio drama Regions Beyond with the episode “The Opera Ghost” inspired by the legendary Marta Becket’s Amargosa Opera House.
Admission free. Masks required.
In the meeting room of Ridgecrest Presbyterian Church 633 W. Las Flores
Thursday, July 8, 2021- VERONICA GIOLLI TO SHARE LIFE EXPERIENCES AND WHISPERS IN THE WIND
Originally scheduled for April of 2020 but repeatedly postponed owing to Covid, author Veronica Giolli will give the Thursday, July 8 Ridge Writers program at 6:30 p.m. in the meeting room of Ridgecrest Presbyterian Church, 633 W. Las Flores. The public is invited and admission is free.
She will start with her mesmerizing background. She has lived in 18 different cities and five towns in Nevada. These life experiences have influenced her in writing her novel “Whispers in the Wind.” She will also read from her book, explain how she chose the story and its characters, and conclude with a raffle of Indian pottery.
“Whispers in the Wind” introduces Sunny Davis, a Native American investigator who approaches cases with equal parts deductive logic, psychic intuition, and spiritual insight. While living on a reservation, Veronica acquired firsthand knowledge of tribal customs and practices.
To repeat: The public is invited. Admission is free. We hope to see you there, and please bring your friends.
Thursday, July 8, 2021 – READ THE BOOK MEET THE AUTHOR RETURNS
Ridge Writers has announced the return of the “Read the Book, Meet the Author” series, for which each highly acclaimed author gives one Thursday afternoon program, 2 p.m. at Mac’s International Restaurant on Heritage Drive, and a different one the same evening for the Ridge Writers general meeting at Ridgecrest Presbyterian Church, 6:30 p.m,, 633 W. Las Flores..
For the Thursday afternoon, “Read the Book, Meet the Author,” participants buy and read the designated book in advance, then discuss it with the author over tea and dessert. On July 8, Veronica Giolli will talk about her novel “Whispers in the Wind.”
The afternoon program combines the book, tea, dessert, conversation with the author, autograph, and entry in a door prize drawing. Tickets for $37 for each event are available at Red Rock Books, 206 W. Ridgecrest Blvd. For more information call the store at 760-375-3454.
If you paid for this one last year, you don’t have to pay again. We’ll see you there!
March 2020 Speaker: “Marketing Your Book without Social Media”
Author and columnist Brent Gill will discuss “How to Market Your Book without Social Media” for our March 5 meeting. It starts 6:30 p.m. in the meeting room of Ridgecrest Presbyterian Church, 633 W. Las Flores.
Having published and successfully marketed two middle-school novels, Fire on Black Mountain (December 2018) and Snow on Black Mountain (September 2019), Gill comes armed with strategies for promotion and plenty of new ideas. His subjects will include book signings at various settings other than bookstores and libraries, scheduling to tie into high-traffic events and celebrations, lining up invitations to speak to service clubs and community organizations, and creating an introduction letter that makes them want you.
A fifth-generation Tulare County resident raised on a cattle ranch and still living on the same hilltop today, Gill hosts radio’s KTIP Traders Market and writes the weekly column “Daunt to Dillonwood” that appears Wednesdays in the Porterville Recorder (available by e-subscription without cost), all with popular local themes. His own true-life experiences inspired his two novels, and installments may follow as “The Scott Ranch Adventures.”
Expect to discover unique opportunities for advertising, selling, and sharing your work, Please bring your friends. The public is welcome and admission is free.
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2020
February meeting: Crittendon’s Learning Moments on a Publishing Journey
Author and publisher Jennifer Crittendon will give the Ridge Writers program on Thursday, February 6, starting at 6:30 p.m. in the meeting room of Ridgecrest Presbyterian Church, 633 W. Las Flores. She will speak about “Learning Moments on a Publishing Journey.” The public is welcome and admission is free.
Her presentation will include vendors, publishing options, economics, how to sell, and what’s coming, as well as the Third Annual Eastern Sierra Book Festival scheduled for July 12 in Mammoth, CA. She wrote and self-published her first book in 2012 after much agent- and soul-searching. In the intervening years, she has invested in her company, Whistling Rabbit Press, and has produced six more books with several in progress. A boutique publishing house located in San Diego, Whistling Rabbit Press began to consider unsolicited manuscripts in 2019.
Jennifer Crittenden earned a BA in Linguistics and Film Studies and an MBA in Finance. A former CFO, she worked for 20 years in corporate finance in the US and abroad. Now she splits her time between the beaches in Del Mar and the mountains in Mammoth Lakes. She has authored several business-related books, as well as “Working Dogs of the Eastern Sierra” and the award-winning memoir and travelogue, “The Mammoth Letters: Running Away to a Mountain Town.”
A book signing will follow her discussion and Q&A.
THE SEASON BEGINS WITH
DICKENS TEA, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2019
Ridge Writers ushers in the holiday season with its annual Dickens Tea on Saturday, December 7, starting 2 p.m. at My Enchanted Cottage and Tea Room. Victorian trappings set the festive mood: tea and bread pudding, a session of Yuletide crafting, book exchange (free books provided), and a dramatic reading from Charles Dickens. Period costumes encouraged! Sign up and get ticket at Red Rock Books, $20 each.
Underscoring the theme, Ridge Writers has curated the Dickens display at Ridgecrest Branch Library, December 1 through December 31.
Ridge Writers is the East Sierra Branch of the 110-year-old California Writers Club (calwriters.org). The organization has 22 branches throughout the state and traces its roots back to Jack London and friends in the Bay Area.
NOVEMBER 7: NORMA ASHBY CONFRONTS “SURVIVAL VS. TABOO”
Norma Ashby will talk about her long path confronting “Survival vs. Taboo” in a program originally planned for this past July but rescheduled following the earthquakes. The event takes place at the Ridge Writers meeting on Thursday, November 7, starting 6:30 p.m. in the meeting room of Ridgecrest Presbyterian Church, 633 W. Las Flores. The public is invited and admission is free.
Ashby has completed a memoir set in Hollywood in the ‘50s, ‘60s, and ‘70s. Her chronicle begins when her mother threw her out of their house with nothing more than a suitcase at the age of 18. The young girl supported herself with the jobs she could find, but eventually ran out of options and became a high-priced “appointments only” call girl. Terrified, she took the first step, learning her trade from a former Owls Saloon madam. In time, she had a child to raise and a new profession. Years later, one of her experiences caught the attention of the ACLU and they took her case. She has appeared on “Oprah” and the “Sally Jessy Raphael Show,” and spoken extensively around the country.
Ashby had the idea of putting her story to paper long ago, at one point sharing it with a writing class that reacted in an unexpected way. Since then, she has weighed her approach as to how candid to go, and how to deal with privacy considerations. She remains undecided and for that reason, will open her to presentation to plenty of questions and input from the audience.
OCTOBER 3: RIDGE WRITERS PRESENTS KREFFT ON CRAFT
Author Vanda Krefft will discuss “How to Craft a Cohesive, Compelling Narrative That Doesn’t Get Lost in the Telling” for the Ridge Writers Thursday, October 3 meeting. It starts at 6:30 p.m. in the meeting room of Ridgecrest Presbyterian Church, 633 W. Las Flores. The public is invited and admission is free.
Krefft wrote “The Man Who Made the Movies,” the biography of 20th Century Fox founder William Fox. She had to cover so much material that it threatened to fly out of control. “You’re passionate about the story and brimming with ideas,” she explains. “That’s the problem. With Fox, I had the rags-to-riches rise of probably the most important of all US movie studio founders because of his many pivotal contributions, and a time span from the Gilded Age to mid-century America, the entertainment industry, political and judicial corruption, personal life, and the list goes on. But the pieces have to hold together and keep the reader asking, ‘What’s next?’”
Harper Collins published her book in 2017 to considerable acclaim as an intriguing narrative as well as an important addition to cinema history. When she visits Ridge Writers, Krefft will detail her strategy for maintaining focus, managing subplots and minor characters, and deciding what to throw out.
SEPT 5: SERIAL SAGA EXPLORED AT RIDGE WRITERS MEETING
Julianna and Linda Crisalli will present “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to an Ending” for the Thursday, September 5 Ridge Writers general meeting. The meeting begins at 6:30 pm at Ridgecrest Presbyterian Church, 633 W. Las Flores. The public is invited and admission is free.
This past April, the Tehachapi Loop newspaper launched “Valley of Light: A Loop Serial Story” with installments contributed by readers – one by the first creative soul, the second by another, and so on. Additional pieces continue to arrive while an editorial team works on tying the various threads together and wrapping them all up with a punchy denouement.
The brainchild of Linda Crisalli, long-time head of TALE (Tehachapi Arts, Literature, and Entertainment), the communal effort draws from quirky happenings and occurrences spotted around town. The genre most closely resembles fantasy.
Linda’s daughter, Julianne Crisalli, shepherded the project through channels at the Loop while pursuing her other duties there. Today, still editing and reading for the 20-plus-year-old publication, she has a new job as an editor for Intuit as well.
Linda and Julianna will talk about the mechanics of getting such an ambitious opus off the ground, facing the challenges, and eventually making sense with the final product.
Join us at the September 5 meeting and by all means, bring your friends.
JULY 11: NORMA ASHBY & “SURVIVAL VS. TABOO”
Norma Ashby will talk about her long path confronting “Survival vs. Taboo” for her program at the Ridge Writers meeting on Thursday, July 11, starting 6:30 p.m. This takes place in the meeting room of Ridgecrest Presbyterian Church, 633 W. Las Flores. The public is invited and admission is free.
Ashby has completed a memoir set in Hollywood in the ‘50s, ‘60s, and ‘70s. Her chronicle begins when her mother threw her out of their house with nothing more than a suitcase at the age of 18. The young girl supported herself with the jobs she could find, but eventually ran out of options and became a high-priced “appointments only” call girl. Terrified, she braved the first step, learning her trade from a former Owl Saloon madam. In time, she had a child to raise and a new profession. Years later, one of her experiences caught the attention of the ACLU and they took her case. She has appeared on “Oprah” and the “Sally Jessy Raphael Show,” and spoken extensively around the country.
Ashby had the idea of putting her story to paper long ago, at one point sharing it with a writing class that reacted in an unexpected way. Since then, she has weighed her approach as to how candid to go, and how to deal with privacy considerations. She remains undecided and for that reason, will open her discussion to plenty of questions and input from the audience.
Note the date: Remember that we usually gather on the first Thursday of each month, but with Independence Day falling on this month’s first Thursday, we will move to Thursday, July 11.
NEWS FROM THE IMAGINATION LAB on Thursday, June 6
and a visit from “Mary Austin”
Noted High Sierra poet Eva Poole-Gilson won fans here several years ago at a “Read the Book, Meet the Author” tea coupled with an evening program. She will present the Thursday, June 6 Ridge Writers talk with information about exciting new developments from the Imagination Lab in Bishop. The meeting starts at 6:30 p.m. in the meeting room of Ridgecrest Presbyterian Church, 633 W. Las Flores. The public is invited and admission is free.
Activities of the Imagination Lab include the Eastside Writing Circle, conversation and music, yoga, Tai Chi, and Qigong. Building on the Lab’s achievements, Poole-Gilson has announced a campaign to launch the High Sierra Arts Museum, a permanent venue to honor local artists in their many diverse genres. It will be designed and blueprinted by a brain-storming network of area individuals and organizations.
For a bonus at the June 6 Ridge Writers meeting, she will bring Gail Swain who created and will perform a sneak preview of the premiere of the first High Sierra Cast of Characters film, “Mary Austin.”
Eva taught writing and literature for 20 years at Cerro Coso College. With California Arts Council grants, she was poet-in-residence at two High Sierra high schools. She has particularly enjoyed serving as a teaching poet via California Poets in the Schools, housed in San Francisco.
Please come for this wonderful evening, and please bring your friends.
PERILS AND JOYS OF AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL FICTION ON MAY 2
Bestselling author Steven Rowley will share insights about “The Perils and Joys of Writing Autobiographical Fiction” at the Thursday, May 2 Ridge Writers meeting, which starts at 6:30 p.m. in Ridgecrest Presbyterian Church, 633 W. Las Flores. The public is invited and admission is free.
Rowley’s first novel, “Lily and the Octopus”, made a huge impression on the publishing scene in 2016. The deeply autobiographical story of a man fighting to save his dog became a national bestseller that was translated into nineteen languages and is currently in development as a feature film for Twentieth Century Fox at Amazon Studios. His follow-up, “The Editor,” tells of a young writer in early 1990s New York who finds himself in an unexpected friendship with Jacqueline Onassis who appears on the scene as his book editor. Hear how the process of borrowing real events from his own life for his first venture led Rowley to center his second novel around writing and publishing.
He has worked as a freelance writer, newspaper columnist, and screenwriter, and divides his time between Los Angeles and Palm Springs.
In addition to the evening talk, he will have given a different program at 2 p.m. on Thursday May 2 at My Enchanted Cottage as part of the “Read the Book, Meet the Author” series. For this afternoon gathering, purchase tickets at Red Rock Books.
LAWYER LOOKS AT “SHATTERING THE DREAM” FOR WRITERS – April 4
Attorney and novelist Robert Rotstein will speak about “Shattering the Dream So It Can Come True” at the Ridge Writers meeting Thursday evening, April 4, in the meeting room at Ridgecrest Presbyterian Church, 633 W. Las Flores. The program starts at 6:30 p.m. The public is welcome and admission is free.
Rotstein describes himself as “one of those people who always wanted to write but didn’t” and will take the audience through the process with a real-world approach.
His latest legal drama, We, the Jury is a USA Today best sellerand a Suspense Magazine Best Thriller of 2018. With James Patterson, Rotstein wrote The Family Lawyer, the title story of the New York Times best-selling collection. His additional credits include Corrupt Practices (Booklist starred review), Reckless Disregard (Kirkus and Booklist starred reviews), and The Bomb Maker’s Son (2015), a series about lawyer Parker Stern. He practices intellectual property law with the Los Angeles firm Mitchell, Silberberg & Knupp, LLP, and has represented all the major movie studios and record companies, as well as prominent directors and writers.
Earlier on April 4, Rotstein will discuss We, the Juryas part of the afternoon series “Read the Book, Meet the Author” at My Enchanted Cottage beginning at 2 p.m. For this, participants buy and read the book in advance. The afternoon program ticket cost of $37 covers the book, tea and scone, personal autograph by the author, and entry in a gift basket raffle. Purchase tickets at Red Rock Books.
Ridge Writers (CWC-ridgewriters.org) is the East Sierra Branch of the 110-year-old California Writers Club
“Read the Book, Meet the Author” returns March 7
The popular Ridge Writers spring series “Read the Book, Meet the Author” returns on first Thursday afternoons this March, April, and May, with three highly acclaimed authors. For each event, participants buy and read the featured title in advance so that they can discuss it with its creator over tea and scones at My Enchanted Cottage, 214 W. Ridgecrest Blvd. The 2019 program presents Beverly Gray and Seduced by Mrs. Robinson: How The Graduate Became the Touchstone of a Generation on March 7, Robert Rotstein and “We, The Jury,” on April 4, and Steven Rowley and “The Editor” on May 2.
Seduced goes behind-the-scenes of the movie that rocked the late Sixties and influenced filmmaking ever after. We, The Jury offers the jurors’ perspective by a prolific novelist and attorney who has represented major motion picture studios and record companies. The Editor by the internationally bestselling Steve Rowley, with Jackie O as a key player, comes hot off the presses in April.
Each afternoon program includes the book, tea, scones, conversation with the author, autograph, and entry in a door prize drawing. Tickets are available, $37 per ticket, at Red Rock Books, 206 W. Ridgecrest Blvd., 760-375-3454. Authors give one afternoon program, 2 p.m. at My Enchanted Cottage, and a different one in the evening for the Ridge Writers general meeting at Ridgecrest Presbyterian Church, 6:30 p.m. The evening meeting is free and open to the public.
RIDGE WRITER EXPLORES SURVIVING FIASCO
MARCH 7, 2019
Beverly Gray will go behind the scenes of writing her book about a landmark movie when she speaks about “Fiasco, and How to Survive It: The Genesis of Seduced by Mrs. Robinson” at the Ridge Writers meeting on March 7. The meeting begins 6:30 p.m. at Ridgecrest Presbyterian Church, 633 W. Las Flores. The public is welcome and admission is free.
As Gray explains, “Experienced authors know that things do not always go as planned. The challenge is to be resilient enough to survive – and to thrive – after the kind of catastrophe that derails a pet project.” Her presentation will reveal what happened when her contract with a major university press was threatened by the publication of another book on the same topic. After years of teeth-gnashing, she turned her failed concept into something much better, and was rewarded with a choice of three publishing deals.
In November 2017, to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the film’s release, Algonquin Books published her Seduced by Mrs. Robinson: How The Graduate Became the Touchstone of a Generation. This exploration of the movie’s legacy has attracted national attention and numerous rave reviews.
Gray has spent her career divided between the worlds of the intellect and show biz. While completing her doctorate in Contemporary American Fiction at UCLA, she surprised everyone by taking a job with B-movie legend Roger Corman, for whom she helped develop 170 low-budget feature films. Following her Corman years, she covered the movie industry for The Hollywood Reporter. She has also published the best-selling Roger Corman: Blood-Sucking Vampires, Flesh-Eating Cockroaches, and Driller Killers, now in its third edition, as well as Ron Howard: From Mayberry to the Moon . . . and Beyond. Currently she teaches an advanced online screenwriting workshops for UCLA Extension’s internationally-known Writers’ Program, and her popular twice-weekly blog, “Beverly in Movieland,” addresses movies, moviemaking, and growing up Hollywood-adjacent.
Gray will also talk about her book over tea and scones at My Enchanted Cottage at 2 p.m. the same day, $37 for book, refreshments, and discussion group. Contact Red Rock Books for details.
SPOTLIGHT ON “AUTHORPRENEURSHIP” AND ZOMBIES
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2019
The Thursday, February 7 Ridge Writers meeting looks at “Authorpreneurship: Writing and Publishing, Selling the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly” with speakers Jonathan and Jynafer Yañez. The program begins at 6:30 p.m. and takes place in the meeting room of Ridgecrest Presbyterian Church, 633 W. Las Flores.
Jonathan Yañez has authored over a dozen fantasy novels. His works include The Elite Series, The Nephilim Chronicles, Thrive, Bad Land, and The DeCadia Code, and have been both traditionally and independently published, released in ebook, print, audiobook format, and optioned for film. His latest is currently under development being adapted into a mobile game. His tenure in sales leadership and one-to-one client training have helped him counsel numerous authors to reach their publishing goals.
When not writing his next novel that more than likely includes some kind of zombie, superhero, angel or alternative steampunk universe, he enjoys running with his dogs and working out at the gym. President of the Orange County Branch of the California Writers Club, he holds the Jack London Award for his contributions to literacy having partnered with Scholastic.
Jynafer Yañez, who directs the marketing and advertising side of their company, has led limited-budget as well as multimillion-dollar client campaigns. Leveraging her experience in behavioral marketing, psychology of influence strategy, results analysis, copywriting, events development, and project management, she also runs her own marketing company for authors, providing services from blurbs to Facebook and Amazon ads, sales analysis, and market consulting.
The public is invited to attend their talk and admission is free. Bring your friends!
RIDGE WRITERS PRESENT AN INSIDE LOOK AT POLICE CRAFT ON
THURSDAY, JANUARY 3, 2019
Adam Plantinga, a sergeant with the San Francisco Police Department, will talk about his new book “Police Craft: What Cops Know about Crime, Community and Violence” at the Ridge Writers meeting on Thursday, January 3. It begins at 6:30 in the meeting room of Ridgecrest Presbyterian Church, 633 W. Las Flores.
Plantinga previously visited Ridgecrest in connection with his earlier “400 Things Cops Know,” which received rave reviews from star crime writers Lee Child, Edward Conlon, and Joseph Wambaugh, and which The Wall Street Journal hailed as “the new bible for crime writers.”
We see police officers all the time in movies, TV shows, mystery novels, and the news, but we rarely hear how real cops work, live, and think. Plantinga will deliver an inside look at policing from the viewpoint of a working cop – how investigations are conducted, the sociology of crime, the culture of cops, and more. Filled with details unknown to the general public, his information will be invaluable to mystery writers and anyone who wants to better understand the police. He will also share some of the most common – and some of the more offbeat – questions he gets as an officer.
Plantinga holds a B.A. in English with a second major in Criminology/Law Studies from Marquette University, where he graduated Phi Beta Kappa and magna cum laude in 1995. He has written 13 nonfiction articles on various aspects of police work for the literary magazine The Cresset, published by the Valparaiso University Press.
Ridge Writers (CWC-ridgewriters.org) is the East Sierra Branch of the 109-year-old California Writers Club (calwriters.org). The public is invited to the meeting, and admission is free.
“Memoirs for a Purpose” Takes the Spotlight on Nov. 1
Ridgecrest’s own Tammy Hise will speak about memoirs at the Ridge Writers general meeting on Thursday, November 1, starting at 6:30 p.m. The presentation takes place in the meeting room at Ridgecrest Presbyterian Church, 633 W. Las Flores. She’ll address the problems of getting to publication and what you might hope to accomplish by reaching that pinnacle.
As she explains, “The time and effort expended in preparing a manuscript for publication is enormous. Aspiring authors pour hours into text development, research, and cover design. Finally, persistent and creative individuals achieve the remarkable distinction of ‘author’ and delight in seeing their finished product has become available to readers everywhere. This creative marathon, which has been so important to the author, sometimes sits overlooked on shelves (or online in e-book format) as readers choose other purchase selections.
“There are many things learned during the writing experience and I look forward to sharing them on November 1st.
“The focus will be on what I learned from my own experience in becoming a published author. How do I measure if my book, “The Child He Gave Me, Sara (Obtaining Appropriate Education and Exposing Educational Myths, Disparity, and Inflexibility),” was a success or failure? Other than being in print, what were my achievements? What were the obstacles to overcome throughout the process? What were the challenges with publishing and marketing a controversial and faith-based work encouraging advocacy? Was it profitable and would I do again?”
Monthly Ridge Writers general meetings are free and open to the public. We look forward to seeing you on Nov. 1.
RIDGE WRITERS GIVE GHOULSWRITER WORKSHOP OCT. 4
Getting into the holiday “spirit” assumes new meaning when it comes to Ridge Writers’ October meeting as we all get ready for Halloween. Events unfold on Thursday evening, October 4, at Ridgecrest Presbyterian Church, 633 W. Las Flores, beginning at 6: 30 p.m.
Led by Ridge Writers president, Daniel Stallings, participants will gather around flickering candlelight to tell their spookiest, silliest, and scariest ghost stories while also learning about effective storytelling with restrictions.
“Anyone can create a spooky story in 100 words,” says Stallings. “But can you do it in 55? And what about the internet-famous two-sentence horror stories?” In an informal, yet informative session with Stallings as costumed “Ghost Host,” the group will discover useful tricks to create punchier writing while also inducing a suitable note of fright.
Ridge Writers (www.facebook.com/RidgeWritersand CWC-ridgewriters.org) is the East Sierra Branch of the 109-year-old California Writers Club (www.calwriters.org). Monthly general meetings are free and open to the public. Details about Ridge Writers membership will be available at the meeting.
WEIRD WEEKEND, FRIDAY-SATURDAY, SEPT. 21-22
“Celebrating the stranger side of the desert” – Indie Shorts Film Fest on Friday afternoon (calling for the weird, quirky, highly creative, up to PG 13 rating, horror, fantasy, science fiction, Death Valley themes, or “Twilight Zone-ish”), Weird Weekend Storytelling Competition on Saturday afternoon, and a Master Mystery Production interactive murder mystery for both nights, Friday and Saturday.
First-place winner of each of the two contests will win one free ticket to “What Happens at Sundown” and the privilege to walk the red carpet.
Sign up at Red Rock Books (206 W. Ridgecrest Blvd.; 760-375-3454) to present a film or reading.
RIDGE WRITERS LOOK AT INDIE AUTHORS’ FIVE MISTAKES, September 6
Author, marketing pro, and proud fourth-generation small-businesswoman Kathleen Kaiser will discuss “The Five Mistakes Indie Authors Make When Launching a Book” at the Thursday, September 6 Ridge Writers meeting. The program begins at 6:30 p.m. in the meeting room of Ridgecrest Presbyterian Church, 633 W. Las Flores. The public is invited and admission is free.
Ten years ago, she published her own novel. When she realized that she made major marketing gaffes, she decided to hone her skills by joining groups and meeting and corresponding with top industry PR experts. She next turned those learning points into actions by helping many authors as their advisor and publicist.
For her Ridge Writers presentation, using examples from her own experiences and those of clients, she will detail the pitfalls and how to avoid them. “Most are easy to prevent,” she says. “Why spend months or years writing, and then launch the book out into the world without the proper support for success? I will go step-by-step through each problem and show a variety of ways to avoid becoming a victim of poor marketing decisions. As president of two literary nonprofits, I receive phones and emails from members wanting to know what they did wrong. I’ve condensed these insights, and I’ll give facts and costs for the various things successful book launches have done to capture an audience.”
Named Publicist of the Year in 2016 by the Book Publicists of Southern California for her contributions to the literary community, Kaiser maintains a small list of clients that allow her to continue her volunteerism, which includes being president of the national literary organization Small Publishers, Artists & Writers Network (SPAWN), board member of the Ojai Film Festival, and organizer of a monthly literary meeting in Thousand Oaks, CA, co-sponsored by IWOSC and SPAWN. She has served as past president and season producer of the Ojai Shakespeare Festival, past president of the Ventura County Writers Club, and other community organizations. She has produced the 805 Writers’ Conference for seven years.
Learn more about her at www.KathleenKaiserAndAssociates.com and about Ridge Writers from CWC-ridgewriters.org and www.facebook.com/RidgeWriters.
WALLEN EXPLORES THE MAGIC OF MEMOIRS ON THURSDAY, AUGUST 2
Amy E. Wallen will explore “Digging for the Truth in All Our Stories, or How to Get Fiction and Memoir to Play Nicely” at the Thursday, August 2 Ridge Writers meeting, starting 6:30 p.m. at Ridgecrest Presbyterian Church, 633 W. Las Flores. The public is invited and admission is free.
As a novelist, she came to memoir reluctantly, but when a memory emerged as a fiction her own mind had made up, she had no choice but to mine the Truth. She’ll share how and why she wrote a memoir, what her family thinks of it (!), what “toys” from fiction she shared with nonfiction, and what new games she had to learn.
The associate director of the New York State Summer Writers Institute, Wallen has authored a bestselling novel and the recent When We Were Ghouls: A Memoir of Ghost Stories. Her essays have been published in The Gettysburg Review, The Normal School, anthologized in The Shell Game, and in other national magazines. She also facilitates 200-page manuscript weekend workshops at her home in San Diego.
Earlier in the day at 2:00 p.m., she will discuss “Ghouls” over tea and scones at My Enchanted Cottage, 214 W. Ridgecrest Blvd.
For this, participants sign up in advance at Red Rock Books, 760-375-3454. The public is invited and the cost of $35 includes the book, tea, scone, conversation group with Wallen, and entry in a gift basket drawing. The two August 2 programs will not duplicate each other.
RIDGE WRITERS INVITE PUBLIC TO OPEN MIC JULY 5
The Ridge Writers will hold their annual Open Mic on Thursday evening, July 5. Ridge Writers and members of the general public will share and present their original works in the meeting room of Ridgecrest Presbyterian Church, 633 W. Las Flores. The meeting starts at 6:30 p.m. Admission is free.
All genres are welcome and appreciated, although each speaker is limited to 5-7 minutes, and content must be in good taste. Anyone who has not yet signed up may still read simply for showing up. There will be light refreshments on hand, as well as time to socialize.
Ridge Writers is the East Sierra Branch of the 109-year-old California Writers Club (calwriters.org).
“LIVING ON THE EDGE” AT RIDGE WRITERS MEETING, JUNE 7, 2018
Author Kim Steinhardt will give the Ridge Writers program on Thursday, June 7, 6:30p.m. in the Ridgecrest Presbyterian Church meeting room, 633 W. Las Flores. He will share thought-provoking observations from a lifetime growing up along the California coast, including colorful personal anecdotes, along with historical, legal, and political insights – as well as how his recent book, The Edge, emerged from that experience. He will also discuss what it was like for an attorney and a scientist to write together on topics as varied as science and philosophy. The talk will be illustrated with some of his award-winning photographs. Expect the unexpected; anything is fair game.
A former Administrative Law Judge turned environmental author and marine wildlife photographer, Steinhardt delivers popular talks on ocean conservation, sea otters, and the sometimes-troubled relationship between humans and nature. He writes frequently about these topics, and his photographs and storytelling have been recognized by National Geographic Books, as well as in his recent book The Edge: The Pressured Past and Precarious Future of California’s Coast, co-authored with marine expert Gary Griggs. He also teaches law courses on legislation, emphasizing ocean protection and advocacy.
Ridge Writers is the East Sierra Branch of the 109-year-old California Writers Club. The public is invited and admission is free (www.facebook.com/RidgeWriters; CWC-ridgewriters.org).
2017 Speakers & Events
Jan 5, 2017- Helm to Jump-Start Writers for the New Year
Widely published poet, short story writer, and fantasy/science fiction novelist G. Lloyd Helm will talk about “The Process: How do I get the words on the paper?” for the Thursday, January 5, 2017 Ridge Writers meeting. The meeting starts at 6:30 p.m. at Ridgecrest Presbyterian Church, 633 W. Las Flores.
The public is invited and admission is free.
For anyone who has ever asked, “Where do you start a story?,” “Do you need an outline?,” “How hard should I work?” and “Should I set a number of words per session?,” Helm has the answers. He speaks from 40 years of experience, having published poetry in a wide variety of magazines and newspapers, among them “The New York Poetry Anthology,” “Stars and Stripes News,” “The Los Angeles Times,” “The Antelope Valley Press,” and “The Antelope Valley Anthologies,” and short stories and memoirs both in the US and in England. He has also produced three novels in the F&SF field, “Other Doors”,” Design,” and “World Without End.” His most recent volume of short stories is “Train Wheels, Flying Saucers, and the Ghost of Tiburcio Vasquez.”
The presentation will include plenty of advice, insights, and Q&A to help writers harness the full spectrum of their creative skills in 2017. A book signing follows.
Feb 2,2017 –Brett Battles
His debut novel, The Cleaner (The Jonathan Quinn Thrillers #1), was nominated for the 2008 Barry Award for Best Thriller, and the 2008 Shamus Award for Best First Novel. His second novel, The Deceived, won the 2009 Barry Award for Best Thriller. He cites Isaac Asimov, Robert Heinlein, Alistair MacLean, Robert Ludlum, Stephen King, Graham Greene, Haruki Murakami, and Tim Hallinan as his influences, and he’ll talk about “craft, writing habits, life as a full-time, mostly independent writer.”
The meeting starts at 6:30 p.m. at Ridgecrest Presbyterian Church, 633 W. Las Flores.
The public is invited and admission is free.
March 2, Mary Sojourner
CELEBRATED SOUTHWEST AUTHOR TO SPEAK
2:00 PM – Read The Book,Meet The Author
6:30 PM – Evening Meeting Program
Author Mary Sojourner, columnist, NPR commentator, and devoted fan of the Mojave Desert, will give two Ridge Writers programs on Thursday, March 2. The first will be a “Read the Book, Meet the Author” afternoon at My Enchanted Cottage, 214 W. Ridgecrest Blvd., at 2 p.m. The second will be at the Ridge Writers meeting that starts 6:30 p.m., Ridgecrest Presbyterian Church, 633 W. Las Flores.For “Read the Book, Meet the Author,” Sojourner and participants will discuss her acclaimed novel “29” set in Twentynine Palms (“at the intersection of a local road to Nowhere and an interstate to Everywhere…crystalline and lovely, a kind of geode broth, filled with light and piquancy” according to David Kranes, author of “The Legend’s Daughter”). The $35 ticket, available at Red Rock Books, covers the cost of the book, tea and scones, and entry in a door prize drawing. The evening presentation, to which the public is invited and admission is free, will address “Breakthrough Writing and the Importance of Craft” and Sojourner’s just-released Southwest-themed story collection, “The Talker.”
In addition to her novels “29,” “Sisters of the Dream,” and “Going Through Ghosts,” essay collection “Bonelight: Ruin and Grace in the New Southwest,” and two memoirs “Solace: Rituals of Loss and Desire” and “She Bets Her Life,” Sojourner’s credits include Distinguished Writer in Residence for the Virginia Piper Creative Writing Program at Arizona State University and her monthly writing contest in the Arizona Daily Sun.
Sojourner has mentored writers one-on-one for over 25 years in fiction, non-fiction, creative non-fiction and memoir, and teaches at universities and colleges, conferences, book festivals and in private workshops. For more information about this remarkable talent, visit breakthroughwriting.net. For Ridge Writers, the East Sierra Branch of the California Writers Club, go to cwc-ridgewriters.com and facebook.com/RidgeWriters.
March 31- April 2, Ridgecrest Desert Wildflower Celebration- Maturango Museum’s annual wildflower exhibition (maturango.org; 760-375-6900) heads the lineup of flora-inspired activities blooming around town, among them a Ridge Writers booth at Red Rock Books and workshop with author signing.
April 6, Denise Hamilton
2:00 PM – Read The Book,Meet The Author
6:30 PM – Evening Meeting Program
Nationally bestselling and critically acclaimed Denise Hamilton’s novel features reporter/sleuth Eve Diamond. Coursing through L.A.’s theater community, Savage Garden confirms Hamilton’s reputation for sexy, sophisticated crime writing with an urban edge. It “rises above the level of an ordinary detective novel to become a vibrant, powerful and relevant story” (- Chicago Sun Times)
For the afternoon “Read the Book, Meet the Author,” participants buy and read the designated book in advance, then discuss it with the author over tea and scones at My Enchanted Cottage. The event includes the book, tea, scones, conversation with the author, autograph, and entry in a door prize drawing. Tickets are available, $35 per ticket, at Red Rock Books, 206 W. Ridgecrest Blvd., 760-375-3454.
April 29, Independent Bookstore Day – Red Rock Books will have special events and we’ll have a table there.
May 4, Linda O. Johnston, Bite the Biscuit- 2:00 PM – Read The Book,Meet The Author
6:30 PM – Evening Meeting Program
(a Bakery & Biscuits Mystery) Linda Johnston has written dozens of mysteries and romances, notably the Pet Rescue Mysteries and the Pet-Sitter Mysteries for Berkley Prime Crime, and Lost Under a Ladder in the Superstition Mystery series with Midnight Ink.
For the afternoon “Read the Book, Meet the Author,” participants buy and read the designated book in advance, then discuss it with the author over tea and scones at My Enchanted Cottage. The event includes the book, tea, scones, conversation with the author, autograph, and entry in a door prize drawing. Tickets are available, $35 per ticket, at Red Rock Books, 206 W. Ridgecrest Blvd., 760-375-3454.
June 1, 6:30 PM, Stephen H. Provost
“Making Connections: Using Nonfiction As an Inspiration for Fiction”
Author and journalist Stephen H. Provost will give the Ridge Writers program, “Making Connections: Using Nonfiction as an Inspiration for Fiction,” on Thursday, June 1, beginning 6:30 p.m. at Ridgecrest Presbyterian Church, 633 W. Las Flores.
His novel Memorality came out last February. In March, Provost appeared at the fantasy and science fiction ConDorCon convention in San Diego. His Ridge Writers presentation will address how his research on various topics, including mythology, informed the creation of Memortality. In Memorality,” when Minerva Rus’ dead childhood friend returns to life, she discovers she has the power to raise the dead. This genre-altering contemporary paranormal thriller poses one of the most frightening questions of all: what if the dead don’t stay dead? The plot involves unlikely allies, a truly evil villain, and profound questions about the consequences of our actions.
Also an editor and columnist with more than 30 years of experience, Provost has covered subjects as diverse as history, religion, politics and language, as well as in his popular culture exploration Fresno Growing Up: A City Comes of Age 1945–1985, and his next nonfiction work, an examination of the history of U.S. Highway 99 in California, due for release next month.
Provost frequently blogs on writing and current events at his website, stephenhprovost.com. A Q&A and book signings will follow his talk. The public is invited and admission is free.
July 6, 6:30 PM, Master Mystery Productions Panel
“Striving for Emotional Connection with Readers”
The Thursday, July 6 Ridge Writers meeting will feature a panel of Master Mystery Productions actors past and present. The meeting starts at 6:30 p.m. at Ridgecrest Presbyterian Church, 633 W. Las Flores. The public is invited and admission is free.
Striving for emotional connection with readers is so important. As a writer, you want your readers to care about what happens, to become invested in the story and characters. You want there to be intensity in the emotions without telling anyone what they are. Actors and directors are the same way. Oftentimes, with very little stage direction, they must pull out the emotion, tension, and tone of piece through nothing more than dialogue.
Writers work the same way. They have to put on solo shows and be actor, director, and producer all in one to have their characters and storylines resonate with readers. So thinking like an actor and director and how they create gestures, movements, and vocal qualities from a script can help create the drama you need in a story.
The panel includes favorites such as Skeleton Key and Diamond Mask Winners, Monica Lorenz and Katie Cozine (“The Last Garden Party” and “Bury Me in Paris”), Devanne Fredette (“The Last Garden Party,” ”Bury Me in Paris”), and Skeleton Key Winner Calvin Johnson (“Goodbye Hollywood,” “GH: Rainbow’s End,” “Ex Luna”). The audience will ask them questions about how they build characters from the text and what writers can do to add intensity to their work. Ademonstration of the concepts will accompany the discussion. After the panel, there will be a live preview of Master Mystery Productions’ latest show, “Ode to Agatha,” starring Monica Lorenz, Daniel Stallings, Devanne Fredette, Nicole Johnson, Katie Cozine, and Nicole Cepaitis, that will perform July 15 at 2 p.m. at Ridgecrest Presbyterian Church.
Summer Date TBA– Agatha Christie Tribute. We’ll do something special this summer to celebrate Dame Agatha’s first mystery, Mysterious Affair at Styles, set precisely a century ago in the summer of 1917.
Ridge Writers Calls for Storytellers
August 3, 6:30 PM, Open Mic
AND Sept. 22-23 Weird Weekend
Ridge Writers will hold its annual Open Mic on Thursday, August 3, starting at 6:30 p.m. in the meeting room of Ridgecrest Presbyterian Church, 633 W. Las Flores. The public is invited, admission free, and light refreshments will be served.
Please come and share your hidden talents with the rest of us. Anyone can attend or read, with short fiction, nonfiction, essays, and poetry welcome in any genre, however readings must be written by the reader, no longer than 5-7 minutes, and in good taste. No sign-up is required.
Looking ahead: Ridge Writers, dedicated to encouraging creative writers and storytellers in the Indian Wells Valley, will host two related events Sept. 22-23, during Weird Weekend (“celebrating the stranger side of the desert – lost gold mines, aliens, haunted hideouts, bigfoot sightings”) with an indie film shorts festival on Friday and the Third Annual Weird Storytelling Competition on Saturday afternoon. For these, filmmakers and storytellers interested in participating must sign-up in advance at Red Rock Books. The weekend will conclude Saturday evening with “The Silent City” set in Ridgecrest 2063 A.D., a Mastery Mystery Productions interactive mystery by C.R. Rowenson.
SEPT. 7 – BUILD MARVELOUS MAGIC SYSTEMS WITH C.R. ROWENSON
Award-winning author C.R. Rowenson will present a “Four-Stage System for Building Marvelous Magic Systems” on Thursday, September 7, starting 6:30 p.m. at the Ridge Writers meeting held at Ridgecrest Presbyterian Church, 633 W. Las Flores. C.R. has spent the last several years distilling his experience into this process, which has already helped several authors strengthen their fictional magic systems and can be applied to any audience, medium, or genre. The public is invited and admission is free.
Trained in the dark and mysterious art of chemistry, he passes his time blowing things up, spreading chaos, and killing people. Fortunately, it’s all in his head. For anyone who loves the wondrous magic of Harry Potter, the elemental forces in “Avatar,” “The Last Airbender,” or the nearly mechanical powers of Sanderson’s “Mistborn” trilogy, his system will shed important light on reaching creativity at a new level. He urges, “Be sure to bring your notebooks, ideas, and questions as we all strive to build better magic in our fiction.”
Recently, Rowenson penned “The Silent City,” an interactive mystery set in Ridgecrest 2063 A.D., which will debut at this year’s Weird Weekend on Saturday, September 23.
September 22-23
WEIRD WEEKEND
FRIDAY-SATURDAY
SEPTEMBER 22-23
celebrating the stranger side of the desert
– lost gold mines, aliens, haunted hideouts, bigfoot sightings
Friday, 2 p.m.: Indie film shorts festival
Saturday, 2 p.m.: Third Annual Weird Storytelling Competition
Saturday, 7 p.m.: “The Silent City” set in Ridgecrest 2063 A.D., Mastery Mystery Productions interactive mystery By C.W. Rowenson
Film entries should be weird, quirky, highly creative, preferably relating to the stranger side of the desert, in good taste, and not longer than 12 minutes each. Entrants will bring them on their own laptops, ready to screen. The afternoon will close with an iconic half-hour of government documentary and public service footage about atomic testing in the desert.
For the Third Annual Weird Storytelling Competition, entries must involve the stranger side of the desert, run 5-7 minutes, and be in good taste, truth optional.
For both contests, interested filmmakers and storytellers should sign up in advance at Red Rock Books (760-375-3454). Last-minute entries may sign up at the door on the day of the event on a space-available basis. Everyone is welcome to attend, watch, and enjoy refreshments. Admission is $5 per event. With paid admission, anyone may also compete, provided that the rules are observed
Oct. 5, Samantha Dunn – Executive Editor, Orange Coast Magazine
Oct 15 – 21 – Celebrate California Writers Week Third Week in October, Visit our display case at Ridgecrest Branch Library in October.
Nov. 2, to be announced
2016
Wrapping Up 2016- EAST SIERRA PARTNERS
WITH SANTA, DICKENS, AND CAPT. KIRK
The East Sierra Branch of the CWC works side by side with Santa Claus at Red Rock Books’ Stocking Stuffer Saturday on Nov. 19. Activities include helping Santa with kiddie photo ops and promoting the CWC with handouts and word games. Author Julianne Black will autograph her books, My Desert Coloring Book, the 3D Sleep Sweet, and more.
On Tuesday, Dec. 6, East Sierra entertains in Victorian Yuletide style with its popular annual Dickens Tea at My Enchanted Cottage and Tea Room – dramatic presentation, costumes, tea, scones, games, and prizes.
For the entire month of December, the Ridgecrest Branch of the Kern County Library will have a display celebrating the 50th anniversary of Star Trek – co-curated by the East Sierra Branch of the CWC.
For further details: facebook.com/RidgeWriters.
November 19th
Ridge Writers to Host Pictures with Santa at Red Rock Books!
November 4th
Peer Critique at Beanster’s Lounge, 6:30
Our next Critique Group meeting is Friday, November 4, 2016 at 6:30 p.m. in the Beanster’s Lounge inside Pizza Factory. It will be our two-year anniversary! We’ll be reading a member story and doing a workshop on plot twists and how to integrate them in stories without interrupting the flow. We’ll also be instituting a new system for Critique Group where members can sign up to receive works to critique through their email, allowing for us to critique longer and more works from our writers. So come to the November Critique Group if you want to find out more!
November 3rd
RIDGE WRITERS TAKES NOVEL LOOK AT ONLINE GAMBLING
Debut novelist David Moss will talk about his just-released “This Isn’t a Game” at the Thursday, November 3 Ridge Writers meeting. The program starts at 6:30 p.m. at Ridgecrest Presbyterian Church, 633 W. Las Flores.
“This Isn’t a Game” takes a phenomenally contemporary approach to online gaming: VegasVegas casino lays odds on the outcomes of TV reality shows. When a movie director appears to have murdered his wife, a customer bets that all charges will be dropped. They are, and the payoff will be huge. So casino head Jackson Oliver pursues clues from Costa Rica to New England, a trail that leads from antique weathervane thieves to a crime blogger.
Moss, an advertising copywriter, has worked for national agencies. He has written in every conceivable medium from menu tray liners and coffee cup sleeve to radio, television, and motion pictures. His Ridge Writers presentation will follow his path from early years in the business to emerging as a published author, with insights and lessons collected along the way.
Ridge Writers is the East Sierra Branch of the 107-year-old California Writers Club (www.calwriters.org). This meeting is open to the public and admission is free (cwc-ridgewriters.com; facebook.com/RidgeWriters).
October 6th
FILL THAT EMPTY NEST WRITE NOW
You can earn money writing or at least spare change, preserve family history for future generations, apply your eloquence to champion a cause, and learn how on Thursday evening, October 6, at the next Ridge Writers meeting. The program “Fill That Empty Nest Write Now” begins at 6:30 p.m. in the meeting room of Ridgecrest Presbyterian Church, 633 W. Las Flores. .
Although primarily aimed at newly empty-nest households and the recently retired, the informal panel discussion will guide writers and bloggers of all ages who suddenly have well-deserved free time. Topics include putting that time to good use by penning sci-fi/fantasy and romance, gathering family memoirs, writing stories and articles for publication, ensuring that veterans leave a legacy in print, and “unleashing the hidden talent you’ve always had.”
September 23-24
WEIRD WEEKEND STORYTELLING COMPETITION
RETURNS TO THE EAST SIERRA
Three Events!
“FRANKENSTEIN” AUTHOR MARY SHELLEY VISITS SEPT. 23 – SORT OF
Actress Stevie Taken, a longtime favorite at the annual Riverside Dickens Festival for her portrayal of author Mary Shelley, brings her spot-on performance to Ridgecrest on
Friday, Sept. 23 to launch Ridge Writers’ Sept. 23-24 Weird Weekend. Beginning at 2 p.m. and remaining in character throughout, she will talk about “When Frankenstein Was Science.” The literary Victorian gathering will unfold over tea and scones in the intimate back room of My Enchanted Cottage, 214 West Ridgecrest Blvd.
The $35 cost of the afternoon includes tea, scone, discussion, and the Signet Classic edition of “Frankenstein,” “Dracula,” and “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” with a foreword by Stephen King. Purchase tickets at Red Rock Books, 206 W. Ridgecrest Blvd., preferably well in advance to allow time to order and read the book.
September 24, 2 p.m. Ridge Writers, the East Sierra Branch of the California Writers Club, holds its third annual storytelling competition in conjunction with the September 23-24 Weird Weekend in Ridgecrest, CA. The two-day event celebrates the stranger side of the desert – aliens, lost gold mines, apparitions, Bigfoot sightings, objects moving when they shouldn’t, and an assortment of eerie tales.
The contest takes place on Saturday, September 24, starting 2 p.m. in the meeting room of Ridgecrest Presbyterian Church, 633 W. Las Flores. Advance sign-up at Red Rock Books (760-375-3454, 206 W. Ridgecrest Blvd.) is strongly encouraged but not mandatory. Prizes will be awarded, together with the concomitant bragging rights. The rules: 1. Story must be original and written by you; 2. Must be in good taste; 3. Cannot run longer than 5-7 minutes; 4. Must relate to the stranger side of the desert; 5. Truth is optional.
Admission is $5 and includes participation in the competition for those who want to read, provided that the rules are observed.
September 24, 7:30 p.m– Daniel Stallings/C. W. Rowenson interactive murder mystery “Pauper’s Grave,” Saturday September 24, 7:30 p.m. at Ridgecrest Presbyterian Church. Ridgecrest is located off Hwy 395, about two and a half hours northeast of Los Angeles, “on the road to Mammoth.”
A fog drapes over the village of Crow’s Killing nestled in the English moors, and shifting shadows play tricks with the eye. Is someone…or something…digging up the graves of the poor? The mystery only deepens when, the following morning, the villagers discover a defiled grave, a missing corpse, and the body of the local gravedigger whose heart has been pierced with an arrow. Hiding in the sanctuary of the church, guests, playing as villagers, will hear local legends about the village’s resident ghosts and ghouls. Could they be responsible for the murder in Crow’s Killing? Or is a far more human presence involved?
Guests will join four powerful families that govern the village of Crow’s Killing–the Masons, the Smiths, the Fletchers, and the Carpenters. Within those families, they’ll learn family secrets, their family tree, and a supernatural legend that binds them all together. Using their wits and bravery, our audience will have to trade information with other families, hide secrets, and face three mysterious challenges in order to unearth the truth behind this fully interactive mystery.
PAUPER’S GRAVE is the closing event of Ridge Writers’ fourth annual Weird Weekend. The show will feature a light refreshment buffet for our guests to enjoy as they play along. Period dress is welcome, but not mandatory. Tickets are $20 for a single ticket, $30 for two and are available right now at Red Rock Books.
Come and join us for a weird, wicked, and wonderful night of ghosts, ghouls, and gumshoes at PAUPER’S GRAVE!
Sept 9, 2016
Peer Critique at Beanster’s Lounge, 6:00
The workshop topic for this critique group will be on genre blending, combining multiple genres together.
You DO NOT need to be a member of the group to participate, having a love for writing is enough!
Sept 1, 2016
STALLINGS DESIGNS DASTARDLY DEEDS
AT SEPT. 1 RIDGE WRITERS MEETING
Daniel Stallings, mystery writer and founder of Master Mystery Productions, presents “Poisoned Pen: How to Design Dastardly Deeds, Puzzling Plots, and Meticulous Mysteries” for the Thursday, Sept. 1 Ridge Writers meeting. The program takes place starting at 6:30 p.m. in the meeting room of Ridgecrest Presbyterian Church, 633 W. Las Flores.
It will be an interactive workshop on the art of crafting complex yet compelling mysteries where the public will help design a mystery story and learn everything including how to balance suspects, crafting alibis, the art of red herrings, how to organize your solutions, and managing mystery subplots. The discussion will trade on multiple sources of mystery media from prose to television to film to theatre.
A lifelong lover of mystery and detective fiction, Daniel Stallings, founder of Master Mystery Productions, has been writing mysteries for 12 years. His passion for authors of the Golden Age of Detective Fiction such as Dame Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, Dame Ngaio Marsh, and Ellery Queen, and so on inspired him to become a mystery writer. In addition to writing, Stallings has a long history with theatre, working in areas such as acting, publicity, directing, and play production. His theatrical and writing experience led him to develop Master Mystery Productions in 2015. That same year, Stallings received The Jack London Award from the California Writers Club for all his hard work. He currently serves as president for the East Sierra Branch of the CWC.
The public is invited and admission is free.
August 13, 2016
Summer Reading Day at Red Rock Books
Local Authors
Please join us at Red Rock Books to
CELEBRATE SUMMER READING
Saturday, August 13, 2016
Following its success with Independent Bookstore Day in April, Red Rock Books will hold a Celebrate Summer Reading Day on Saturday, August 13. Festivities include local author book signings, a scavenger hunt, games, prizes, a Hawaiian shirt and cruise wear contest, and a lemonade stand. Ridge Writers, the East Sierra Branch of the 107-year-old California Writers Club, will have a table featuring a word game, door prize drawing, sign-up for September 24th’s Weird Storytelling Competition, and a sneak preview of Weird Weekend’s activities.
August has been designated May Your Reading Be a Haven Month. Ridge Writers adds, “To Read Is to Travel.” In keeping with that spirit, the door prize basket will be loaded with travel-themed goodies.
August 4, 2016
Open Mic with refreshments
We invite the public to attend and read from their original works, in good taste, limit 5-7 minutes
July 8, 2016
Peer Critique at Beanster’s Lounge, 6:00
This event’s topic is Your Elevator Speech – Discussing Your Novel or Story
You DO NOT need to be a member of the group to participate, having a love for writing is enough!
July 7, 2016
KIGGENS TALKS ABOUT THE LITERARY GOAT JULY 7 AT RIDGE WRITERS MEETING
Jim Kiggens last spoke to Ridge Writers several years ago, back when he chaired the Cerro Coso Community College Media Arts Department. He returns on Thursday, July 7, to talk about “The Literary Goat and World-Building (and a Few Surprises).” The meeting starts at 6:30 p.m. in the Ridgecrest Presbyterian Church meeting room, 633 W. Las Flores.
In the intervening years following Cerro Coso, Kiggens left the area while continuing in CGI and game development. Still a game developer, he recently came home to the South Fork of the Kern River to add goat ranching to his portfolio. Today Fairy Mountain Farms Goats, operated by Jim and wife Debbie, specializes in soaps, lotions, and artisanal “Moroccan Date” Chevre cheese, and has a booth at the Ridgecrest Farmers Market on Sundays.
They launched their effort with eight Nubian goats. The herd has grown, and its award-winning lineage and registration allow Fairy Mountain Farms to support local education in that the kids born each year can go to FFA and 4H families.
“When our does get older and retire from the milking line, they will live out their days on the farm as store mascots and assisting with landscaping,” declares their website fairymountainfarms.com, “and every goat has a name and a story.”
Jim will share tales, adventures, and insights at the July 7 meeting, including the fascinating role of goats in literature and how writers can incorporate goat lore in the world-building aspects that reside at the core of science fiction and fantasy creation.
Ridge Writers is the East Sierra branch of the 107-year-old California Writers Club. General meetings take place on the first Thursday evening of most months at Ridgecrest Presbyterian Church. Admission is free and the public is welcome to attend
June 2, 2016
SMASHWORDS MARKETING DIRECTOR TO DISCUSS E-BOOK SELF-PUBLISHING
Smashwords marketing director Jim Azevedo will present “A Jargon-free Introduction to Ebook Self-Publishing: How to Publish, Distribute and Sell Your Book” at the Ridge Writers meeting on Thursday, June 2. It starts at 6:30 p.m. at Ridgecrest Presbyterian Church, 633 W. Las Flores. Jim will explain what makes it “easier to self-publish an ebook than you might imagine. No technical experience necessary!” The public is invited and admission is free.
Smashwords, the largest distributor of self-published ebooks, serves over 120,000 independent authors, publishers, and literary agents and has helped authors around the world publish and distribute more than 380,000 titles to ebook retailers, subscription services, and libraries. Jim’s program will cover the basics with an ebook publishing checklist that includes an overview of the latest publishing trends, the advantages of ebook self-publishing, and guidance on ebook creation, pricing, and distribution. Throughout the session, he will reveal some of the best practices from bestselling self-published ebook authors.
Prior to joining Smashwords, Jim’s high-tech public relations expertise led him to Mark Coker in 1994. They worked together for eight years before parting ways for another eight years. From p/r, Jim moved into industry analyst relations, positioning clients favorably in the eyes of the high tech researchers who recommend multi-million dollar software packages to large corporations. Toward the end of this stretch he began consulting. When Coker launched Smashwords, he asked Jim to come aboard.
In his spare time for the past 16 years, Jim has been the drummer for Rivals, a popular San Francisco Bay Area hard rock band. His forthcoming book, “How to Get Your Band out of The Garage,” will show fledgling musicians/bands how to transition from hanging out to playing their first live events. It comes out later this year
We hope to see you at the meeting, and please bring your friends.
May 5, 2016
KATHRINE BATES APPEARS AS DOROTHY PARKER,
RETURNS AS HATSHEPSUT SCHOLAR MAY 5
Acclaimed actress and playwright Kathrine Bates will appear as literary legend Dorothy Parker when this year’s “Read the Book, Meet the Author” series wraps up on Thursday, May 5, 2 p.m. at My Enchanted Cottage & Tea Room (214 W. Ridgecrest Blvd).
J.J. Murphy’s mystery novel “A Friendly Game of Murder” features real-life Dorothy Parker as a fictional sleuth. “Read the Book” participants buy it in advance at Red Rock Books (760-375-3454, 206 W. Ridgecrest Blvd), read it, then discuss it over tea and scones with Kathrine, in character as Parker. The $30 ticket includes book, tea, scones, an afternoon with Kathrine, and entry in a gift basket drawing.
Later the same day for Ridge Writers’ May general meeting – 6:30 p.m. at Ridgecrest Presbyterian Church (633 W. Las Flores) – Kathrine will talk about “Building a Drama around Hatshepsut of Egypt.” This evening program is free and open to the public.
Kathrine returns to Ridgecrest by popular demand, having visited first as creator of “The Manor” and next in a one-woman show about Lucrezia Borgia. She has performed frequently with Theatre 40 in Beverly Hills in “Blood Wedding,” “The Constant Wife,” “Chekhov in Yalta,” “Roar of the Crowd,” “An Act of Imagination,” and other productions. As a musician, she plays classical piano. During the holiday season, she conducts “The Choraliers,” a Culver City-based choral group that she organized.
Ridge Writers is the East Sierra Branch of the California Writers Club in Ridgecrest (cwc-ridgewriters.com; facebook.com/RidgeWriters; California Writers Club: calwriters.org).
April 7-10, 2016, Ridgecrest Desert Wildflower Celebration
*
Friday Apr. 8, 2 p.m. interactive murder mystery Wildflowers for the Funeral
at Ridgecrest Presbyterian Church; and Sat. Apr. 9, 11:30-2:00
Ridge Writers and Master Mystery Productions present “Wildflowers for the Funeral.”
Daniel Stallings presents his seventh interactive murder mystery, WILDFLOWERS FOR THE FUNERAL, on Friday, April 8, 2016 at 2 p.m. at Ridgecrest Presbyterian Church. Audiences will experience the story of Wildflower, a serial killer menacing the Mojave Desert whose habit of leaving desert wildflowers by her victims’ bodies quickly becomes her signature. When Wildflower mails her murderous scrapbook detailing her crimes to a newspaper, it raises alarms that a new victim is about to fall. Set at a memorial service for her victims, the audience will work in teams to sift through clues left by Wildflower to not only discover the killer’s identity, but also save someone’s life. Our teams play both detective and hero as they try to stop the agenda of an insane killer. WILDFLOWERS FOR THE FUNERAL will feature a tasty treat banquet for our guests and lots of twists and turns during the story.
The show performs on Friday, April 8th at 2 p.m. at Ridgecrest Presbyterian Church (633 W. Las Flores Ave.). Tickets are $12 general admission and $20 for couples, and are available now at Red Rock Books. Seating is limited, so buy your ticket soon and don’t miss out on this unique experience!
*
Saturday, April 9th, Local Author Showcase at Ridgecrest Library
LOCAL AUTHOR SHOWCASE
Saturday April 9, 11:30-2:00
11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Round Table Writing Discussion
Open to the public – Listen in and ask questions about
writing, inspiration, promotion, publishing & more
1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Reception & Meet and Greet
Light refreshments served
Writing Workshop
(by April Hayman, IWV NaNo Group following reception)
**** Participating Authors Include *****
April Hayman, NaNoWriMo
Nanowrimo.com | picayunepen.com, Instagram.com/april_picayunepen, facebook.com/iwvwritersgroup
Tamara Hise, Non-Fiction =
thechildhegaveme.com, facebook.com/helpsarahise
Daniel Stallings, Mystery
mastermysteryproductions.wordpress.com, facebook.com/mastermysteryproductions
Theresa Goldstrand, Contemporary Romance Fiction
Freelance Journalist / Photographer / Editor – www.theresagoldstrand.com
Chautona Havig, Christian Fiction =
chautona.com | twitter.com/Chautona, facebook.com/justhewriteescape, instagram.com/chautonahavig
Julianne DiBlasi Black, Children’s Author & Illustrator =
julianneblack.com | twitter.com/4JBlack, facebook.com/JulianneDiBlasiBlack
Deborah Mills, Investigative Journalist =
ridgecrestca.com, findingmywaythrough2012.blogspot.com
Robert Mariner, Science Fiction
therefugeconfederation.com
Cheryl McDonald, Artist & Writer =
cherylmcdonald-art.com, facebook.com/cherylmcdonaldcreative
*** “=” This author will have books on sale at the event!
Every book sale includes a 20% donation to the Friends of the Ridgecrest Branch Library!
facebook.com/RidgeWriters
cwc-ridgewriters.org
facebook.com/iwvwritersgroup
kerncountylibrary.org
April 7, 2016
Eva Poole-Gilson, poet/author, talks about U.S. poet laureate Billy Collins and the Key West Literary Seminar workshop
2pm: Read the book and meet the author event at My Enchanted Cottage
Buy the ticket and book in advance at Red Rock Books, 206 W. Ridgecrest Blvd. Read it. Discuss it with the author over tea and scones at My Enchanted Cottage & Tea Room, 214 W. Ridgecrest Blvd.
&
6:30: April meeting speaker
More information coming soon!
March 4, 2016
Peer Critique at Beanster’s Lounge, 6:00 pm
You DO NOT need to be a member of the group to participate, having a love for writing is enough!
March 3, 2016
RIDGE WRITERS EXPLORE EAST SIERRA THROUGH FICTION
Kathleen Haun will give two programs about her novel “Dear Carrie: Letters from the East Sierra 1878-1899” on Thursday, March 3, first at 2:00 p.m. for “Read the Book Meet the Author” at My Enchanted Cottage & Tea Room (214 W. Ridgecrest Blvd) and next for the Ridge Writers meeting that takes place starting 6:30 at Ridgecrest Presbyterian Church (633 W. Las Flores).
For “Read the Book Meet the Author,” participants purchase the book in advance at Red Rock Books, read it, then discuss it over afternoon tea and scones with the author in a relaxing Victorian ambiance on March 3. Tickets ($35) include the book, tea, scones, a personalized autograph, and entry in a gift drawing. Kathleen will address other aspects of her writing at Ridge Writers’ March 3 evening speaker program (free admission), among them why she writes what she does, anecdotes of her research trips, and “a few things not everyone might know about in the eras in which my stories occur.” Both events are open to the public.
Set in the 19th century Eastern Sierra, “Dear Carrie” uses the device of fictional letters to weave the fictional Eastman, Perry and Carrington families in with those who actually populated the region during the timeline of her books—and whose descendants count themselves among her most ardent fans. So far Kathleen has four titles in her very popular saga, each one drawing on the local history and towns of the Sierra during the 1800s.
Before moving to the Owens Valley, Kathleen distinguished herself as a nature and California history photographer with corporate clients and considerable success at major art and garden shows. Exploring the Eastern Sierra led to her building a house in the middle in the Alabama Hills sagebrush, where she developed an acre of lush and colorful wildlife gardens now registered with the National Wildlife Federation in its “backyard habitat” initiative.
Through her “real job” as the manager of the Mt. Whitney Cemetery District in Lone Pine, Kathleen is responsible for four historic cemeteries that date back to 1865. Each year she organizes “Echoes from the Past,” a walking tour that celebrates the lives of the miners, pioneers, stagecoach drivers, artists, Civil War soldiers and local business people buried in these cemeteries—using actors to portray those featured.
For more information about either “Read the Book Meet the Author” or the evening presentation, visit cwc-ridgewriters.com or facebook.com/RidgeWriters, or phone Red Rock Books at 760-375-3454.
February 27-28, 2016
Riverside Dickens Festival
CWC South will again have a booth at the Riverside Dickens Festival, February 27-28 and Ridge Writers will be there to help staff it. The festival takes place on Main Street between University Avenue and 10th Street in Historic Downtown Riverside and the booth sits next to the Authors Salon where actors portraying Charles Dickens, Jane Austen, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Edgar Allan Poe, Mary Shelley, Bram Stoker, Mark Twain, H.G. Wells, and other authors of the period appear, lecture, and debate. In addition to serving as their relaxation station when they go on break, our booth will have plenty of club literature available and a display about Dickens contemporaries in California, and we’ll present the workshop “There’s a Great Dickens Essays inside You. Write It with a Twist” at the request of Festival organizers who sponsor an annual Dickens essay contest for schools.
Other Festival activities include Pickwick Pub Night, the what-if drama “The Trial of John Wilkes Booth,” and Gilbert and Sullivan Performances.
February 4, 2016
JOHNSON RETURNS TO TALK ABOUT SUCCEEDING WITH INDIE MARKET
Jenna Elizabeth Johnson will speak about ”How I Became a (Semi) Successful Indie Author” at the Thursday, February 4 Ridge Writers meeting that takes place beginning 6:30 p.m. in the meeting room of Ridgecrest Presbyterian Church, 633 W. Las Flores Avenue.
She will talk about YA (Young Adult) books and what she has done to market hers with online sites, social media, local book fairs and more, then will broaden her remarks to cover the entire “indie” (independent) spectrum.
A popular and multi-award-winning author of fantasy and young adult paranormal romance, Johnson received a BA in Art Practice with a minor in Celtic Studies from the University of California at Berkeley. It was during her time in college that she decided to begin her first novel, “The Legend of Oescienne – The Finding.” Reading such classics as “Beowulf,” “The Mabinogi” and “The Second Battle of Maige Tuired” in her Scandinavian and Celtic Studies courses finally inspired her to start writing down her own tales of adventure and fantasy.
Johnson is currently at work on the fourth book of her “Oescienne” series, as well as more novels and novellas in the “Otherworld” series, and any book ideas that might come to her along the way. Besides writing and drawing, she enjoys reading, gardening, camping, hiking, bird watching, and practicing long sword fighting and archery using a long bow. She also loves creating the many images and maps for her various worlds and getting feedback from readers, “so feel free to send me a message any time.” Reach her at authorjejohnson@gmail.com and http://www.jennaelizabethjohnson.com.
A book signing follows the formal program. The public is welcome and admission is free. Ridge Writers (cwc-ridgewriters.com and facebook.com/RidgeWriters) is the East Sierra Branch of the 107-year-old California Writers Club (calwriters.org).
January 8, 2016
Peer Critique at Beanster’s Lounge, 6:00
You DO NOT need to be a member of the group to participate, having a love for writing is enough!
January 7, 2016
JANUARY MEETING LOOKS AT SELF-PUBLISHING MISTAKES
AND HOW TO AVOID THEM
Chautona Havig will speak about “Mistakes People Make in Self-Publishing (and how to avoid them)” for the Thursday, January 7 Ridge Writers meeting which starts at 6:30 p.m. at Ridgecrest Presbyterian Church, 633 W. Las Flores.
Havig says she writes to provide her readers an escape. And, she says, “Not just any escape. . . the ‘write’ escape.” Like many authors, she spent most of her free time as a child, reading. “One day I realized that I had stories in my heart and mind that I wanted to tell. Time passed, life, family, and work got in the way, and my dream of being a writer seemed to vanish into the desert winds.”
Her dreams didn’t completely disappear, though. She began writing, editing, and writing more. She has over 200 books in progress. More than 50 have been published. “I write the stories of fictional people who have real problems, weaknesses, and triumphs,” Havig says. “Through their stories, I try to share the hope that is within me.”
Havig encourages her fans to visit her Facebook page at “Just the Write Escape” and blog @Chautona where she offers weekly Amazon gift card giveaways in addition to free episodes of her serial novels. She also shares opinions about writing, characters, inspiration, and books she’s read. “When I’m not writing,” says Havig, who lives in the Indian Wells Valley with her husband and six of their nine children, “I enjoy paper crafting, sewing, and trying to finish home educating the rest of my children, so that I can retire.”
We look forward to seeing you at the January meeting, and by all means, bring your friends.
December 8, 2015
Dickens Tea at My Enchanted Cottage, 2pm
https://www.facebook.com/events/995317110520047/
Ridge Writers holds its second ever Dickens Tea at My Enchanted Cottage (214 W. Ridgecrest Blvd.) for Tuesday, December 8 at 2 p.m.
Join us for Victorian holiday tea and treats provided by My Enchanted Cottage and Tea Room along with other gifts and goodies inspired by Charles Dickens and his classic holiday tales provided by Ridge Writers. Enjoy a traditional Victorian Christmas craft, our holiday craft and advanced reader copy book exchange, and even a visit from a famous literary ghost for a performance from one of Dickens’ classic stories.
Tickets are $20 and will be sold at My Enchanted Cottage (214 W. Ridgecrest Blvd.). Seats are limited, so reserve yours soon.
Proceeds from the event will benefit the Ridge Writers Allison Aubin Scholarship for Young Writers.
November 13, 2015
Peer Critique at Beanster’s Lounge, 6:00
You DO NOT need to be a member of the group to participate, having a love for writing is enough!
November 5, 2015 – David Berg
JAY LENO PRODUCER TO TALK ON THURSDAY, NOV 5
Dave Berg, Jay Leno’s longtime co-producer and author of the new memoir “Behind the Curtain: An Insider’s View of Jay Leno’s Tonight Show,” will present the Thursday, November 5 Ridge Writers program, beginning at 6:30 p.m. at Ridgecrest Presbyterian Church, 633 Las Flores.
He will discuss writing a “tell-all” and no doubt reveal, if not all, at least a tantalizing array of anecdotes about booking and working with the most erratic, barely coherent, most demanding, and most appreciated guests. Expect to hear about superstars, sports giants, presidential and vice presidential candidates, “wardrobe malfunctions,” lists of celebrities’ demands, and bouts of uncooperative behavior. Find out who ended a pre-interview because he deemed the questions, such as “where did you grow up?” too personal.
Beyond the gossip, Berg will explain Leno’s contributions to late-night television, what goes into the day-to-day mechanics of putting a TV show on the air, and the roles of writers in the monologues and other aspects of “Tonight.” Leno dominated late-night ratings for nearly two decades, a feat unprecedented in the modern era of television. Berg co-produced “Tonight” for most of those years.
Bill O’Reilly has said, “Dave Berg knows everything about late-night TV. And if you read ‘Behind the Curtain: An Insider’s View of Jay Leno’s Tonight Show,’ so will you.”
Berg will conclude his November 5 talk with a Q&A and book signing. The public is welcome and admission is free.
October 23rd, 2015 – Pizza Fundraiser
October 17th, 2015 – Local Author Showcase
Saturday 10/17 at the Ridgecrest Library
Presentation Panel from 11 am to 12 pm
Meet and Greet from 12 pm to 1 pm
Reception at 1pm
Beginning Writers Workshop (by April Hayman, IWV NaNo Group) following the reception.
Authors confirmed so far:
C.R. Rowenson, Fantasy
crrowenson.com
(Main Area)
Tamara Hise, Non-Fiction
bookstore.westbowpress.com facebook.com/helpsarahise
(Community Room)
Daniel Stallings, Mystery
cluedinwithdaniel.blogspot.com
(Main Area)
Theresa Goldstrand
Contemporary Romance Fiction Freelance Journalist / Photographer / Editor
(Main Area)
Terry Pierce, Children’s Author
terrypiercebooks.com terrypierce.blogspot.com
(Children’s Area)
Chautona Havig, Christian Fiction
chautona.com | twitter.com/Chautona facebook.com/justhewriteescape instagram.com/chautonahavig
(Community Room)
Julianne DiBlasi Black, Children’s Author & Illustrator
julianneblack.com | twitter.com/4JBlack facebook.com/JulianneDiBlasiBlack
(Children’s Area)
April Hayman
NaNoWriMo Nanowrimo.com | picayunepen.com Instagram.com/april_picayunepen facebook.com/iwvwritersgroup
(Community Room)
Deborah Mills, Investigative Journalist
ridgecrestca.com findingmywaythrough2012.blogspot.com
(Non-fiction Area)
October 1, 2015 – Julianne DiBlasi Black
Marketing for Authors
September 17, 2015
The Historical Society of the Upper Mojave Desert and Ridge Writers present
Family and Oral History Panel
Thursday, September 17, 2015, starting at 7:00 p.m.
Panel Discussion and Dinner at the Historic USO Building in Ridgecrest
The Panelists: Felicia Kelley, Senior Programs Manager, Cal Humanities (formerly California Council for the Humanities)
Tex Hoppus, President, Historical Society of the Upper Mojave Desert; past president, Indian Wells Valley Genealogical Society
Casey Wilson, interviewer, journalist, seven-term past president of the California Writers Club
Donna McCrohan Rosenthal, columnist, journalist, lecturer (including the Smithsonian), author specializing in popular culture and cultural history
The Dinner: A tri-tip entrée and beverages; you add the salads, side dishes, and desserts. Prepare recipes from old school, church, and group cookbooks and contribute both the food item to the potluck and (if you feel generous) the cookbook to the HSUMD archives.
The Program: Along with the panel discussion on family oral history with an emphasis on Ridgecrest, we invite family photos with Ridgecrest and the Indian Wells Valley in the background for scanning into the collection, and we urge veterans (or a veteran’s family) to bring the veteran’s photo and a narrative of his/her service to go into the Veterans Memorial Building.
September 11-12, 2015 (Friday-Saturday)
RIDGE WRITERS PRESENTS – WEIRD WEEKEND 2015
“Celebrating the stranger side of the desert”
THREE EVENTS – ALL INTERACTIVE!
Jenna Elizabeth Johnson talks about “Lorehnin: A Novel of the Otherworld”
Friday, Sept 11, 2 p.m. at My Enchanted Cottage, 214. W Ridgecrest Blvd.
The popular Ridge Writers “Read the Book Meet the Author” series takes a paranormal detour as part of September’s Weird Weekend. Jenna Elizabeth Johnson will speak at 2 p.m. on Friday, September 11, at My Enchanted Cottage & Tea Rooms, 214 W. Ridgecrest Blvd. Over tea and scones, she will discuss her spellbinding romance/thriller ‘Lorehnin: A Novel of the Otherworld.”
“Lorehnin” spans two realms, both the Otherworld of legend and magic and the more familiar realm defined by San Luis Obispo and Cuesta College. Protagonist Robyn Dunbarre, pursuing a course in business at Cuesta, lands squarely in the path where they converge. Written for older YAs and adults, the story moves forward with touches reminiscent of Harry Potter, “The Twilight Saga,” and perhaps a little Anne Rice. Expect some dark behavior.
Participants sign up at Red Rock Books (206 W. Ridgecrest Blvd., 760-375-3454) to give themselves enough time to read the book in advance. The $35 cost of each program includes the book, tea and scones at My Enchanted Cottage & Tea Rooms, and a seat for the event.
These afternoon book discussions are definitely not limited to Ridge Writers members. The public is welcome.
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Weird Storytelling Challenge
SATURDAY, September 12th, 2:00 p.m.
At the Historical Society of the Upper Mojave Desert,
230 W. Ridgecrest Blvd.
Weird Storytelling Challenge
Read your story. Compete for accolades and prizes.
We’re calling all tale-spinners to share their original weird stories for a chance to win fans, acclaim, and prizes. We’ll emphasize aliens, lost mines and spirits haunting them, bigfoot sightings, and related happenings. Truth optional.
The rules:
1. Anyone who attends is eligible to tell a story onstage. Admission: $5/person.
2. The story must be by you or part of the lore of the desert. Truth is optional.
3. A time limit of no more than 10 minutes per story will be strictly observed.
4. Stories must be in good taste – no obscene or profane language or situations.
5. We would prefer that entrants sign up in advance. However, you may also enter up until 15 minutes before the contest begins.
6. Prizes including gift certificates and coveted strange stuff will be awarded.
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Murder Mystery Dinner
World Premiere of Daniel Stallings’ “Hello Out There”
Saturday, Sept 12, 6 pm at the Historical Society of the Upper Mojave Desert, 230 W. Ridgecrest Blvd.
facebook.com/RidgeWriters • 760-375-3454
September 3, 2015- Victoria Heckman
Novelist Sets the Scene for Mystery at Ridge Writers September 3 Meeting
Novelist Victoria Heckman will present the September Ridge Writers program, “Setting as a Character,” on Thursday, September 3, starting at 6:30 p.m. at Ridgecrest Presbyterian Church, 633 Las Flores.
Victoria has produced several mystery series, each one exemplary in its use of colorful backdrop that advances her story. She stages the first two series in Hawaii and the third, featuring animal communicator Elizabeth Murphy, on California’s Central Coast. Her recently released stand-alone mystery, “Pearl Harbor Blues,” has particular significance in Ridgecrest for the next few months, because its theme ties in with the 70th Anniversary celebrations of the Historic USO Building. Heckman’s presentation will include discussion on that subject, together with newspaper clippings and photographs related to Pearl Harbor Day.
The plot of “Pearl Harbor Blues” begins on December 7, 1941, when the United States enters World War II, unleashing a chain of events that, 50 years later, has explosive consequences. A family, a corporation, greed and power combine to reveal terrible secrets, and a community icon dies.
Victoria divides her time between Hawaii and California’s Central Coast and serves as Vice-President of the Central Coast Chapter of Sisters in Crime. She will conclude her talk with Q&A and a book signing. The public is welcome to attend, and admission is free. Please bring your friends.
August 6, 2015 – Open Mic Night
This month’s program will be our always popular annual Open Mike night. We will begin at 6:30 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 6, at Ridgecrest Presbyterian Church. Members of the public are also invited to attend and to read from their own work.
Presentations must have been written by the people who read them, must be in good taste, and are limited to no more than 5-7 minutes in length. If you have not already signed up to read, you can get your name on the list at the beginning of the meeting.
Please also bring a plate of fruit, cheese, cookies, or other snacks to share. And do bring your friends. Sometimes our guest Open- Mike readers turn into members!
July 2015 – Karen Gorback
July Meeting Looks at “Writing Dazzling Dialogue”
Award-winning novelist Karen Gorback will speak about “Writing Dazzling Dialogue” at the July Ridge Writers meeting. Although we usually get together on first Thursdays, we’ve scheduled this event for July 9, second Thursday in July, to avoid Independence Day conflicts. The program begins at 6:30 pm at Ridgecrest Presbyterian Church, 633 Las Flores.
Readers love dialogue, one of the most intimate components of storytelling. In this hands-on workshop, Karen will discuss and practice a few basic strategies for writing crisp dialogue to keep readers engaged and glued to your pages. Please bring paper and pens, or a laptop with a fully-charged battery, for an hour of fun.
CWC member Karen has belonged to the San Fernando Valley Branch since 2008. Her short stories have placed in a number of contests, and her one-act plays have been selected for production several times by the New Works Festival at College of the Canyons in Santa Clarita, California. “Writing for the stage is terrific training for crafting engaging dialogue,” she says. “For me, it’s the most exciting and pleasurable part of fiction writing.”
Her novel “Freshman Mom” is a fast-paced story of a divorced mother’s difficult decision to go back to college and the personal challenges she encounters throughout her freshman year. The book won the 2015 Regional Excellence Book Award in the category of Adult Fiction for the Western United States and was also honored as a Finalist in the 2014 Readers’ Favorite Book Awards.
In a recent email, Karen let it slip that “as part of the Ms. Senior Ventura County Pageant, I read an excerpt from my novel and won the award in the category of best talent. Then, I went on to win the pageant. What a surprise! Now, I’m going to compete for Ms. Senior California in June. That will be a very interesting experience!”
On the subject on interesting experiences, we look forward to seeing you at our meeting, and please bring your friends. The public is welcome and admission is free. To contact Karen, go to www.karengorback.com.
Ridge Writers 