Thanks to Miera Rao for her successful efforts to support the formation of CWC SF-Peninsula critique groups! Matchmaking began last month, and after a flurry of introductions, writers have begun to plan their dates and share their work for critique. To find out more, click here or email Miera at mieraraocwc@gmail.com.

Richard E. McCallum is proud to announce that the Museum of the Rockies in Bozeman, Montana, seeks permission to make his film, Changing Dawn, available in their library. Screened for the Montana Archaeology Society on April 22, 2023, the documentary is about an archaeological site in Montana’s Three Forks area. In addition, check out the makeover of his REMStories Author Page.

On April 29, the Chanticleer Authors Conference celebrated the winners of the Chanticleer International Book Awards (CIBAs) in Bellingham, WA. Laurel Anne Hill won a Chanticleer Blue Ribbon (in the Dante Rossetti YA Fiction division) for her novel, Plague of Flies: Revolt of the Spirits, 1846. In addition, Laurel served as a panelist and announced this year’s winners of the Ozma Fantasy Fiction Awards.

Julie Vie will be speaking on two panels: “Creating Vast Worlds and Keeping Track of Them” and “Exploring Possibilities with Legal Systems in SFF Online” at the 2023 SFWA (Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers Association) Nebula Conference, May 12 to 14 in Anaheim.

The Palo Alto Weekly has published a full-page article about Geri Spieler and her book, Housewife Assassin: The Woman Who Tried to Kill President Ford. Read the article here.

Alfred Jan has contributed a catalog essay for Eve Page Mathias’s exhibition, The Big Red Chair Project, which runs from May 6 to August 13 at Triton Museum of Art in Santa Clara. The reception takes place May 20 from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Current president of our CWC-SF Peninsula branch, Geri Spieler has been asked to run for vice president of the state CWC board. In May, she will present “Advanced Internet Research Skills for Writers” at the CWC Mt. Diablo and CWC Central Coast branch meetings.

Marianne Brems’s new poetry collection, In Its Own Time, is now available at a special pre-order price April 10–June 16 at Finishing Line Press. In addition, her poem “A Simple Stillness” was published in Front Porch Review on April 15.

Ida Lewenstein’s book launch party and reading will take place on Saturday, April 29, from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. Her newest rhyming books are Where Would We Be without a Tree? and Bird on My Dome. Please contact Sheila Sandow, sheilasandow@yahoo.com, or call her at (650) 341-5621 (landline).

Heather Folsom will read her short story, "Pixelated," at LitCamp's "Unreliable Narrator" event at the Bay Area Book Festival in downtown Berkeley on Sunday, May 7, from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. 

Having already won a BookFest award for Nonfiction: True Crime and five stars as a Readers’ Favorite, Geri Spieler’s Housewife Assassin: The Woman Who Tried to Kill President Ford now receives further acclaim as the Grand Prize Winner of the Firebird Book Award.

October Hill Magazine is one of Dave LaRoche’s favorites, and once again they have elected to publish one of his stories, “Waiting for the Five Fifteen.” In fact, it’s the lead story, page 1.

Current chapter members can now readily communicate with each other about writing-related topics in our new private Facebook group. To join, first email Megan McDonald at memcdonald@aya.yale.edu requesting access. Megan will generate a link members can click to enter the Group’s page. Please note: the link will expire two days after being sent, so be alert for Megan’s email response. The group will use the main Feed for communications. Once a majority of members have joined, side Chats will be created for select genres (e.g., poetry, memoir, literary fiction). See you on Facebook!

On Saturday, April 29, from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at The Peninsula Regent in San Mateo, Ida Lewenstein will read from Where Would We Be without a Tree? and Bird on My Dome. Both rhyming picture books will be available for purchase and author signing. Attendees of this free event will also meet illustrators Matt Wills and Colleen Sullivan and receive refreshments. RSVP & Reading Request: Dan Jenkins, djenkins@grapplehook.com, 813-877-4665

Geri Spieler’s latest book, Housewife Assassin: The Woman Who Tried to Kill President Ford (Diversion Books, Feb 7, 2023) has won a BookFest award for Nonfiction: True Crime.

“Elmwood,” a short story by Dave LaRoche, appears in the 2022 winter edition of October Hill Magazine. Dave’s opus, Ordinary Times, will be out this spring and available on Amazon along with the rest of his books. “Keep an eye out,” he says.

On Tuesday, March 28, from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., the CWC High Desert branch will host a FREE zoom meeting featuring WNBA members who are adept and experienced in showing you how to pitch to an agent. Details and meeting link are posted on the http://www.calwriters.org Events Calendar. Limited to 50 attendees.