Left Coast Writers® Live: Susanna Solomon 🗓

Melinda Adams AKA LilyCat

On Sunday, March 19th from 12-2pm, join Left Coast Writers® Live on FCCFREE RADIO’s popular show, Lilycat on Stuff. Lilycat’s guest on Sunday will be Susanna Solomon. 

When Susanna Solomon read her first short story about the day nothing happened in West Marin, called “Sheriff’s Calls”, to a packed house at Pints ‘N Prose in Fairfax, California, the house exploded with laughter. Now, onto something, she used the sheriff’s calls entries in the “Point Reyes Light” as inspiration for more. Susanna asks, “How can I run out of material with the intriguing people of West Marin, California as my inspiration?” Her collection of short stories, entitled “Point Reyes Sheriff’s Calls”, has been published December 2013 by HD Media Press.

Her success with short story writing came as a complete surprise after over twenty-five years of struggling with writing novels and memoirs. (more…)

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Book Party: The Rangity Tango Kids by Lorraine Rominger 🗓

LEFT COAST WRITERS FERRY PLAZA BOOK PARTY:  The Rangity Tango Kids with Author Lorraine Rominger

Lorraine Rominger

Monday, March 13th, 2017 || 6pm Book Passage || San Francisco 1 Ferry Building, San Francisco ||www.bookpassage.com

You’ll enjoy spending an evening with Lorraine Rominger, so don’t miss the event for her new book.

The Rangity Tango Kids is the story of a fifth-generation, German Catholic farm family in 1950s and 1960s California, narrated by the eldest of 17 grandchildren. Born into a loving, hard-working, highly competitive family, and united by a strong faith, every day was an adventure growing up on a bucolic American farm, a way of life that is rapidly disappearing. The land provided her, her siblings and cousins with a sense of place, an upbringing steeped in rituals and traditions that was in stark contrast with the values and preoccupations of the outside world. When the Rangity Tango Kids’ coming-of-age rebellion ran wild, they were often tangled up in the family’s strict morals and values. Regardless of the situation or conflict, the kids were surrounded by a swarm of loving relatives who put their arms around them and stuck together, no matter what.

Lorraine Rominger was born and raised on a fifth-generation family farm in rural California, where she worked every summer in the fields until leaving home to attend college. At Winters High School she lettered in four sports, ran AAU track, and at California State University, Sacramento, was a starter on the women’s basketball and field hockey teams as a freshman. She married her college sweetheart, who sadly passed away at a very young age. Lorraine lived in Sacramento, where she worked at a modeling agency as an instructor and runway model, before becoming director of John Casablanca Elite Modeling School in San Francisco.

After leaving Elite, Lorraine became an associate producer for Lombardo & Associates, a San Francisco based company that produced and syndicated statewide and nationally televised live specials, including the Miss California and Miss Texas pageants. Moving to the south of France with a girlfriend for a year, she was hired by Cavallo, Ruffalo & Fargnoli, an entertainment management company based in Los Angeles, who managed Prince and other artists, to work as a production coordinator on the film, “Under the Cherry Moon,” filmed on location on the French Rivera. When the film wrapped, Lorraine moved to Los Angeles and worked for CRF for five years before taking a position with Guber-Peters Entertainment at Sony Pictures. Interested in being closer to her family in northern California, Lorraine moved back to San Francisco and went to work for Sports Channel, where she produced a variety of specials, including “The San Francisco Forty Niner Highlight Show.” (more…)

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Book Launch: Running Wild and Living Wild by Elaine Miller Bond 🗓

LEFT COAST WRITERS BOOK LAUNCH: Running Wild and Living Wild by Elaine Miller Bond

Elaine Miller Bond

Saturday, March 11th, 2017 || 7pm Book Passage-Corte Madera|| 51 Tamal Vista Dr. Corte Madera || www.bookpassage.com

This month we have a launch for two different books by Elaine Miller Bond, Running Wild and Living Wild.

Elaine Miller Bond began her career as senior science writer for the University of California Natural Reserve System and went on to write and photograph independently.

Her photos have appeared on Discovery Channel Canada, and her publishing credits include Science, NPR, BBC Earth News, The American Naturalist, The Washington Post, Journal of Mammalogy, Berkeleyside, and other scientific and popular outlets.

She wrote and photographed three children’s board books, Running Wild, Living Wild, and Wild Colors — forthcoming from Heyday Books. She is the photographer for The Utah Prairie Dog: Life Among the Red Rocks by (more…)

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Literary Salon: Aleta George 🗓

LEFT COAST WRITERS LITERARY SALON: Aleta George, Author of Ina Coolbrith: The Bittersweet Song of California’s First Poet Laureate

Aleta George

Monday, March 6th, 2017 || 7pm
Book Passage || Corte Madera
51 Tamal Vista Drive, Corte Madera ||www.bookpassage.com

It’s Ina Coolbrith’s birth month and also a prelude to National Poetry month, which takes place in April! What better time to join Aleta George in her look at the world of poetics and this important California contributor.

Aleta George is the author of the award-winning biography, Ina Coolbrith: The Bittersweet Song of California’s First Poet Laureate. She has written for Smithsonian, High Country News, the Los Angeles Times, and the San Francisco Chronicle. She is currently the open space reporter for the Bay Area Monitor, a publication of the League of Women Voters.

Ina Coolbrith: The Bittersweet Song of California’s First Poet Laureate is a new biography about a pioneer poet, Oakland’s first public librarian, and the most popular literary ambassador in the early American West.

California named Coolbrith its first poet laureate in 1915 during San Francisco’s Panama-Pacific International Exposition, and 2015 marks her centennial of being named California’s beloved first lady of poetry and America’s first laureate.

George’s deftly told and deeply researched book follows the struggles and triumphs of Coolbrith from her birth in (more…)

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Left Coast Writers Poetry: Mike Mirabella, Special Music Edition 🗓

Left Coast Writers Poetry:  Mike Mirabella, Musician and Author of On the Luck of an Irish Sailor

Mike Mirabella

Kawika’s Ocean Beach Deli
734 La Playa St, San Francisco, CA 94121
Sunday, March 5th from 5pm-7:15pm

Join a featured LCW poet (this time it’s a musician) at the First Sunday of the Month Happy Hour Poetry series at Kawika’s Ocean Beach Deli. Our featured poet’s reading is followed by an open mic for other poets to share original work, or even just to read favorite poems aloud. Happy Hour starts at 5pm, and after our featured poet reads for 30 minutes, open mic (three minutes per poet) goes until 7:15 pm. Celebrate creativity and poets while supporting a local, community-oriented, and family owned business! Enjoy $1 off your sandwich with the purchase of a glass of wine or bubbly! Up in March is Mike Mirabella.

“Papa Mike” Mirabella is an accomplished guitar player and singer-songwriter known for his children’s songs “Sister Butterfly”; “I Am So Like You”; and “I Used To Be Shy.” In his early career Mike performed with folk groups and arranged compositions and toured a choral group of young singers who performed nationally, with a special performance at the White House. In addition to his music career, Mike is a retired public school teacher, and resides with his wife in the San Francisco Bay Area.

(more…)

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Book Party: On the Luck of an Irish Sailor by Mike Mirabella 🗓

LEFT COAST WRITERS FERRY PLAZA BOOK PARTY:  On the Luck of an Irish Sailor, with Author Mike Mirabella

Mike Mirabella

Monday, February 13th, 2017 || 6pm Book Passage || San Francisco 1 Ferry Building, San Francisco ||www.bookpassage.com

On the Luck of an Irish Sailor is a story-song and sea tale in an illustrated book for children (4-9 years old) — and adults who enjoy Irish lore and sea chanteys. Written by singer, composer and musician, Mike Mirabella, the story fanciful, full-page illustrations by Amy O’Hanlon. The book tells of a young Irish sailor who is cast adrift in the sea, but is saved from drowning with the help of a mermaid princess and his Irish luck.

The book was inspired by the stories the author heard as a little boy during large family dinners in San Francisco. His grandfather and uncles would tell tales of fishing the waters off the coast of California. One in particular told of a scary time for a young cabin boy who was captured by pirates while working on the tall ships. The book blends in another favored story and a never-ending argument about a strange (more…)

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Book Launch: Reptile Wines by John Hewitt 🗓

LEFT COAST WRITERS BOOK LAUNCH: Reptile Wines by John Hewitt

John Hewitt

Saturday, February 11th, 2017 || 7pm Book Passage-Corte Madera|| 51 Tamal Vista Dr. Corte Madera || www.bookpassage.com

John Hewitt’s newest novel Reptile Wines opens with a zinger—the race-is-on hallmark of his four previous comic novels. Miles Trout is a tour guide for a low frills wine country tour outfit when he’s called from the break room by fellow drivers to find his pal dead—for a second time. (more…)

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Literary Salon: Andy Ross 🗓

LEFT COAST WRITERS LITERARY SALON: Andy Ross, Literary Agent and Founder of Andy Ross Literary Agency

Andy Ross

Monday, February 6th, 2017 || 7pm
Book Passage || Corte Madera
51 Tamal Vista Drive, Corte Madera ||www.bookpassage.com

Spend an evening with favorite Bay Area literary figure and agent, Andy Ross. Andy has worked in the book business for 39 years, all of his working life. He was the owner and general manager of Cody’s Books in Berkeley, California from 1977-2006. Cody’s has been recognized as one of America’s great independent book stores.

During this period, Andy was the primary trade book buyer. This experience has given him a unique understanding of the retail book market, of publishing trends and, most important and uniquely, the hand-selling of books to book buyers.

Andy is past president of the Northern California Booksellers Association, a board member and officer of the (more…)

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Left Coast Writers® Live: John Hewitt 🗓

Melinda Adams AKA LilyCat

On Sunday, January 15th from 12-2pm, join Left Coast Writers® Live on FCCFREE RADIO’s popular show, Lilycat on Stuff. Lilycat’s guest on Sunday will be John Hewitt. 

Over the past 40 years John Hewitt’s films and books have explored a mosaic of cultures and nationalities. A native of Los Angeles, he grew up in the smog of Southern California and, at various times, has worked as a newspaper and television reporter and editor, magazine writer, producer, cameraman, university professor and author of news writing textbooks as well as five novels. He has traveled in Mexico, Central and South America, Europe, Southeast Asia, Australia, Europe and the Middle East. His first three novels, Drone Baloney, Stranger in Baja, and Under the Padre’s Thumb, explored the bewildering culture in communities in Mexico’s Baja Peninsula. He currently lives in Northern California.

John Hewitt’s newest novel Reptile Wines opens with a zinger—the race-is-on hallmark of his four previous comic novels. Miles Trout is a tour guide for a low frills wine country tour outfit when he’s called from the break room by fellow drivers to find his pal dead—for a second time. (more…)

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Workshop: Writing Sexy Stuff with Linda Watanabe McFerrin and Laurie McAndish King

Linda Watanabe McFerrin
Linda Watanabe McFerrin
Laurie McAndish King
Laurie McAndish King

Saturday, January 21st, 2017 || 10am-4pm
Book Passage-Corte Madera|| 51 Tamal Vista Dr. Corte Madera ||
www.bookpassage.com

If you have trouble steaming up the page or even your life, this is the workshop for you. Spend a day learning the techniques for adding spicy, sensual, and sometimes funny sizzle to your work and your days. The class is full of quick free-writes and entertaining exercises that will have you

moving from comfort to erogenous zones in no time.

A careful investigation will also reveal that you can receive Dominican College credit for this workshop.

The workshop will be held on Saturday, January 21st, from 10am-4pm at Book Passage, 51 Tamal Vista Blvd, Corte Madera, CA, 94925.  Sign up here.

Poet, travel writer, novelist and Left Coast Writers® founder Linda Watanabe McFerrin (www.lwmcferrin.com) is a contributor to numerous newspapers, magazines and anthologies. She is the author of two poetry collections, past editor of a popular Northern California guidebook and a winner of the Katherine Anne Porter Prize for Fiction. Her novel, Namako: Sea Cucumber, was named Best Book for the Teen-Age by the New York Public Library. In addition to authoring an award-winning short story collection, The Hand of Buddha, she has co-edited several anthologies, including the Hot Flashes: sexy little stories & poems series. Her latest novel, Dead Love (Stone Bridge Press, 2009), was short-listed as a finalist in the 2007 William Faulkner-William Wisdom Creative Competition and was a Bram Stoker Award Finalist for Superior Achievement in a Novel in 2009.

Linda has judged the San Francisco Literary Awards, the Josephine Miles Award for Literary Excellence and the Kiriyama Prize, served as a visiting mentor for the Loft Mentor Series and been guest faculty at the Oklahoma Arts Institute. A past NEA Panelist and juror for the Marin Literary Arts Council, she has led workshops in Greece, France, Italy, Ireland, Central America, Indonesia and the United States and has mentored a long list of accomplished writers and best-selling authors toward publication.

 Laurie McAndish King grew up in rural Iowa, studied science and philosophy at Cornell College, and has (more…)

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