A sampling of previous programs 2007 - 2009   January 2007: Featured speaker author David Fury is the publisher of Artist's Press Publishers, which speciliazes in film history  and sports biographies. His books include Maureen O'Sullivan: No Average Jane; Johnny Weissmuller: Twice the Hero; Kings of the Jungle: An Illustrated Reference to Tarzan on screen and Television, and other titles.   March 2007:  Wendy Hornsby, who has been compared to Raymond Chandler for her evocations of urban Los Angeles, is a history instructor at Long Beach City College, her novels and numerous short stories have won many major awards. Her first book, No Harm, was published in 1987.   May 2007: Historical novelist Diana Johnson spoke about "Turning Your Ancestors into Fiction." Johnson's six novels are based on members of her family tree and are set in three different historic periods and locations: Medieval Europe (Destiny’s Godchild, Pepin’s Bastard, and Quest for the Crown), Colonial America ( Cradle of a Nation and Will and Davy), and in the Gold Rush era.   August 2007: Lisa Teasley spoke about "Setting Goals to Finish Your Fiction." Her Glow in the Dark, won the 2002 Gold Pen for Best Short Story Collection, and she is the author of the critically acclaimed novel Heat Signature.   January 2008 we started the year with open mic.  February 2008: "What Inspires Us To Write," combined advice, humor, and motivation as members shared their favorite examples from famous (and not-so-famous) writers.  March 2008: Writing teacher James Bonnet, author of "Stealing Fire from the Gods: The Complete Guide to Story for Writers and Filmmakers."  April 2008: Our guest speaker was acclaimed literary novelist and short story writer Lisa Glatt, author of "A Girl Becomes a Comma Like That" and "The Apple's Bruise." May 2008: Jean Hastings Ardell, author of "Breaking into Baseball: Women and the National Pastime" talked about After the Writing is Done: Marketing Your Manuscript. Our mini-panel in June 2008 was "Foot in the Door: Finding and Keeping a Literary Agent" featured two published writers who discussed the good and bad news about working with agents.	March 3, 2009 "New Publishing Opportunities Workshop" with Jeremy Aluma, project manager of Book By Authors: North Long Beach April 7, 2009 Eric Stone, author of the Ray Sharp detective novels (set in Asia and based on true stories) discussed "How to base your fiction on fact and not get Into too much trouble." His crime novels include Flight of the Hornbill, Grave Imports, and the Living Room of the Dead  (Bleak House Press). May 5, 2009 Phil Doran, author of The Reluctant Tuscan: How I Discovered My Inner Italian (Penguin Books)  talked about adventures, food and humor in travel writing June 2, 2009 Sandra Harper, author of the novel High Tea (Pocket Books) told us how she got published by a major imprint--twice in one year--after several years of trying.   July 7, 2009 "Book marketing for Savvy Authors"  Catherine Kitcho, who has six published books to her credit that range from fiction to cookbooks, talked about the innovative ways she markets such an eclectic mix.    August 4, 2009 Laurie Powers talked about The Colorful World of Pulp Fiction," and led us through the discovery, editing process, and how she landed a university press to publish her grandfather's lost memoir, Pulp Fiction, an account of life as a writer in the heyday of pulp fiction magazines.   September 1, 2009 "From Web Sites to Twitter: Exploring Tech Tools for Writers" A panel of four published writers talked about  social networking and other digital options for promoting our writing.   October 6, 2009: We celebrated California Writers Week with costumes and readings of our favorite authors. November 3, 2009, Darlene Quinn, author of the novel Webs of Power told us "What I wish I had known before I became a published author." December 1, 2009 for our festive Holiday Mixer and open mic we read 3-minute pieces, either original or by a favorite writer, and enjoyed sweet and savory dishes to celebrate the season.    January 5, 2010, our speaker was book industry and ghostwriting expert Claudia Suzanne, who discussed “Publishing Options and Realities 2010,” including when you should try for a traditional publisher or take the often-confusing self-publishing route, and she shared insider tricks that make your submissions look professional. February 2, 2010, Manny Pacheco, author of  Forgotten Hollywood, Forgotten History, offered a capsule course in publishing and marketing for authors who choose to self-publish. Pacheco also showed a DVD with highlights from his book, which focuses on great character actors from Hollywood's Golden Era.  March 2 Barbara Ardinger, Ph.D. "Don't Embarrass Yourself in Print: Tips from a Professional Book Editor."  Ardinger, who has edited more than 200 books in all genres from fiction and how-to books to memoirs, dissertations and technical titles, told us about pitfalls to avoid. April 6 Open Mic May 4 Denise Dumars of the Ashley Grayson Literary Agency  discussed "Working with a Literary Agent"    June 1  Editorial Director Lynn Price of Behler Publications.  "Why Did You Reject Me?"      July 6 Rebecca Camarena, tour coordinator "How to do A Virtual Book Tour"