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May 24th, 2008Lola De Julio De Maci Lola Di Giulio De Maci loves writing for children, gathering inspiration from her now-grown children and the many children she has taught over the years. Her stories have appeared in the Los Angeles Times, My Friend - The Catholic Magazine for Kids, Confetti, and Holidays & Seasonal Celebrations. She is a contributor to eight Chicken Soup for the Soul books, including Chicken Soup for the Teacher’s Soul and Chicken Soup for the Soul A Tribute to Moms, and has recently signed contracts for three additional upcoming Chicken Soup titles. Lola writes a recurring grammar column entitled, “Write It Right,” for The Bulletin, which is the official publication of the California Writers Club. She has a Master of Arts in education and English and continues writing from her sunny loft overlooking the San Bernardino mountains. Come to the April 27th meeting and support this terrific achievment of one of Inland Empire CWC's Charter Members.
Click here to find - Chicken Soup for the Teacher's Soul April 26th, 2008 No Speaker Scheduled
March 22nd, 2008 James Brown 
James Brown is the author of several novels and The Los Angeles Diaries: A Memoir, named a Best Book of the Year by Publisher’s Weekly, The San Francisco Chronicle, and The Independent of London. His personal essays have appeared in GQ, The New York Times Magazine, The Los Angeles Times Magazine, and Ploughshares and anthologized in Best American Sports Writing of 2006 and Fathers and Sons and Sports: An Anthology of Great American Sports Writing, out in May from ESPN. He teaches at California State University, San Bernardino.Join us at the March 22nd meeting to welcome back this incredible writer.
More information can be found at—
www.jamesbrown.barrybrown.info/
February 23rd, 2008 No Speaker Scheduled January 26th, 2008 Barbara Abercrombie 
Barbara Abercrombie has published two novels for adults, plus books for children, including the award winning picture book, Charlie Anderson. Her novels have been optioned for films and published in six languages. Her essays, articles and poems have appeared in numerous magazines and newspapers, including The Los Angeles Times, The Christian Science Monitor and United Airlines Hemisphere magazine.She teaches in the Writers' Program at UCLA Extension where she won an outstanding teacher award, and also conducts workshops for The Wellness Community, a nationwide organization for people with cancer. A previous book, Writing Out the Storm: Reading and Writing Your Way Through Serious Illness or Injury, (St. Martin's Press 2002) is part memoir and part writing guide, and based on her Wellness Community workshops. Her most recent book, Courage & Craft: Writing Your Life Into Story, (New World Library 2007) is based on her sixteen years of teaching at UCLA and her own experiences as a writer.
Check out her weekly blog/website for inspiration and writing advice: www.WritingTime.net
FRIDAY!!! December 14th, 2007 - 6:30 PM, Aleta's Home No Speaker Scheduled - Note the Meeting date and place have been moved due to the holiday... We will meet for a Holiday Gift Exchange/Reading. Check the November Fresh Ink for details. If you never got or have lost the Holiday Meeting information and directions please email Laura at freshink@rsfloor.com. November 24th, 2007 No Speaker Scheduled October 27th, 2007 Panel of Writers This year, our branch of the California Writers Club is celebrating California Writers Week by hosting a panel of published authors, representing different genres. Members will be able to ask our guest writers questions about their personal experiences in the evolving publishing world. Genres represented will be fiction, non-fiction, journalism and poetry. The panelists will be: Judith Merkle Riley (www.judithmerkleriley.com), Gayle Brandeis (www.gaylebrandeis.com), Jim Brown (www.jimbrown.info/), Mike Rappaport (www.americanhologram.blogspot.com) and Maurya Simon (www.mauryasimon.com). Join us on October 27th and enjoy what promises to be a very interesting discussion with our panel of successful published authors.
Author Bios - Gayle Brandeis received her MFA from Antioch University and is the author of Fruitflesh: Seeds of Inspiration for Women Who Write, Dictionary Poems and The Book of Dead Birds: A Novel which won Barbara Kingsolver’s Bellwether Prize for Fiction. In 2007, her second novel, Self Storage, was published by Ballantine. She is writer in residence for the Mission Inn Foundation’s Family Voices Project and has taught at universities, libraries, community centers and writing conferences around the country. In 2004, The Writer magazine honored Gayle with “A Writer Who Makes a Difference Award.” Website: www.gaylebrandeis.com Judith Merkle Riley teaches in the Department of Government at Claremont McKenna College in Claremont, California and holds a Ph.D from UC, Berkley. Her historical novels have been praised by critics for their compelling mixture of biography, history and fiction, noting that “Judith Merkle Riley’s novels are small jewels, smooth and polished, glowing with a light all their own.” Kirkus Reviews called her novels, The Master of All Desires, The Serpent Garden and The Oracle Glass, a dazzling mix of history, romance and the occult” and “prose alluringly luminous.” New additions of the Margaret of Ashbury Trilogy: A Vision of Light, In Pursuit of the Green Lion and The Water-Devil became available in 2007. Website: www.judithmerkleriley.com Michael Rappaport is a Southern California native whose parents ignored his advice and moved east when he was 6 months old. He grew up in Northern Virginia, where he began his career as a sportswriter in 1979. After 16 years of covering games, he became a columnist at the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin in 1996. His wife Nicole is a senior research scientist at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and their children Pauline and Virgile Borderies are stellar examples of the generation that will save America. Mike currently is business editor of the Daily Bulletin and the San Bernardino Sun. Website: www.americanhologram.blogspot.com Maurya Simon’s poem, Speaking in Tongues (Gibbs Smith, 1990), was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize. The Ghost Orchid (Red Hen Press, 2004) was nominated for a 2004 National Book Award in Poetry. Maurya was the recipient of a 2002 Visiting Artist Fellowship from the American Academy in Rome, a 1999-2000 NEA Fellowship in poetry, a University Award from the Academy of American Poets, the Celia B. Wagner and Lucille Medwick Memorial Awards from the Poetry Society of America, and a Fulbright/Indo-American Fellowship in Bangalore, South India. Maurya teaches in the Creative Writing Department at the University of California, Riverside. Website: www.mauryasimon.com
 September 22nd, 2007David Allen David Allen's column appears three days a week in the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin. His columns showcase his wry, affectionate take on life, politics and culture here in the valley. Born and raised in Illinois, and a reporter for various California newspapers for 20 years, he has lived and worked in the Inland Valley since 1997. A Claremont resident, David can sometimes be spotted eating in Montclair. Join us at the September 22nd meeting to welcome this journalist/columnist. To read David’s columns visit— Dailybulletin.com/davidallen
August 25th, 2007 No Speaker Scheduled 
July 28th, 2007Gayle Brandeis Gayle Brandeis is the author of Fruitflesh: Seeds of Inspiration for Women Who Write (HarperSanFrancisco), Dictionary Poems (Pudding House Publications), and The Book of Dead Birds: A Novel (HarperCollins), which won Barbara Kingsolver’s Bellwether Prize for Fiction in Support of a Literature of Social Change. Her second novel, Self Storage, will be published by Ballantine this year. Gayle’s poetry, fiction, and essays have appeared in numerous magazines and anthologies (such as Salon.com, The Nation, and The Mississippi Review) and have received several awards, including the QPB/Story Magazine Short Story Award, a Barbara Mandigo Kelley Peace Poetry Award, and a grant from the Barbara Deming Memorial Fund. Her essay on the meaning of liberty was one of three included in the Statue of Liberty’s Centennial time capsule in 1986. In 2004, The Writer Magazine honored Gayle with “A Writer Who Makes a Difference” Award. Gayle holds a BA in “Poetry and Movement: Arts of Expression, Meditation and Healing” from the University of Redlands, and an MFA in Creative Writing/Fiction from Antioch University. She is writer in residence for the Mission Inn Foundation’s Family Voices Project, and has taught at universities, libraries, community centers, and writing conferences around the country. Gayle is also a community activist and was recently named Communications Goddess of the international women’s peace organization, CODEPINK. She lives in Riverside, California, with her husband and two children.
June 23rd, 2007 No Speaker Scheduled  May 26th, 2007Carolyn Burns-Bass If you have been confused by the many different options available to writers on the web, you won’t want to miss our May meeting. CWC member Carolyn Burns Bass will discuss the importance of writers developing an online presence in today’s virtual world. Using examples of her own and from other authors, Carolyn will take you o n an interactive journey through websites, blogs, writer’s communities, and MySpace. Carolyn will provide a list of website resources and discuss such topics as internet privacy, site hits, keyword analysis, and platforms.
You can learn more about Carolyn Burns Bass from her author’s website at www.CarolynBurnsBass.com, from her blog Ovations at www.ovations.blogspot.com , or her MySpace page at www.myspace.com/carolynburnsbass.com . Carolyn is also the author of The Nexus, a novel represented by Nephele Tempest of The Knight Agency. Carolyn hopes to have the first draft of her second novel, The Sword Swallower’s Daughter, completed by the May meeting.
April 28th, 2007 No Speaker Scheduled  March 24th, 2007Susan Straight For our March meeting, we are honored once again to share some time with our friend, Susan Straight. Though she is probably most recognized as a novelist, Susan has published in various genres, including short stories and creative nonfiction. Her work has been featured on NPR, and her second novel, Highwire Moon, was nominated for a National Book Award. Her most recent novel, A Million Nightingales, presents a poignant yet harrowing tale of human struggle and profound inner courage. Susan teaches creative writing at UC Riverside and was instrumental in bringing the Master of Fine Arts program to the university. Join us on March 24th as she shares some writing wisdom with us.
 February 24th, 2007Megan Timothy Megan Timothy’ is back home! After completing her astounding 12,000-mile journey around America by bicycle, 63-year-old Megan arrived home in October. She immediately dug into her gardens that had been sadly neglected during her absence and found it great therapy for helping her wind down from her eight-month-long bike ride. Not one to allow moss to grow on her, she also began writing again - this time the story of her amazing journey. On February 24th, we are honored to have Megan Timothy, author of Let Me Die Laughing! Waking From The Nightmare Of A Brain Explosion, join us to give us a sneak-peek at her new book project. Megan has promised to share just a few stories "from the road", some of which may end up in Travels With Fredericka, Or How I Bicycled My Way Around America With A Chicken On The Back (expected out in Spring, 2008). Her publisher, CWC member, Nancy Layton, will be with Megan to ensure she doesn't reveal TOO much and to offer CWC members copies of Let Me Die Laughing! at a special Club price of $10.00. This is your opportunity to meet this indomitable woman and hear her talk about recovering from a major brain aneurysm and surgery only to get on her bike just a year later and ride it all the way around the United States. More information can be found at—Crone House Publishing Please join us on January 24th to hear of the adventures of Megan Timothy.
 January 27th, 2007Maralys Wills Maralys Wills calls herself a “genre-hopper.” Her books span no fewer than six different genres, though this wasn’t her intent when she began writing. “In the beginning,” she says, “I just wanted to write. The genre-hopping was an accident.” Her fiction works include four romance novels and a techno-thriller about airplane sabotage. Her memoir about the sons who were hang gliding champions, Higher Than Eagles had five movie options. Save My Son is another product of her personal experiences. Her latest book, A Circus Without Elephants is described as “The spirit of the Wright Brothers meets Erma Bombeck.” Sidney Sheldon wrote: “Maralys Wills, genre-hopper extraordinaire, will make you laugh and cry and laugh again in this gripping how-to handbook for writers everywhere. She is clearly a force to be reckoned with.” More about Maralys can be found on her website, maralys.com and in an interview on wow-womenonwriting.com/1-maralyswills.php. Please join us on January 27th to welcome Maralys Wills as our first speaker of the new year.
December 23rd, 2006 No Speaker Scheduled - Meeting date may be moved due to the holiday... visit the Branch News page of this website for more information, which will be posted as soon as we know all the details. November 25th, 2006 No Speaker Scheduled  October 28th, 2006Mike Foley Mike Foley, editor of Dream Merchant Magazine, will speak to us, teach us and mentor us (if only briefly) at the meeting on Saturday, October 28th. He will be offering to us how you can "Avoid the Kiss of Death" in your work--the unforgivable writing mistakes that kill your chances at publication. We are pleased to have welcome back this terrific writing instructor to our meeting. I encourage you not to miss this special opportunity.
Mike Foley's Writer's Review Website  September 23rd, 2006Barbara DeMarco-Barrett Barbara DeMarco-Barrett was born in Altoona, Pennsylvania, and at 11 moved to Lansdale, just outside Philadelphia. She attended Goddard College in Plainfield, Vermont, where she earned a bachelor's degree. She has published fiction, poetry, articles and essays in such journals as the Los Angeles Times, The Writer, Poets & Writers, Sunset, Westways, Orange Coast Magazine and the San Jose Mercury News . Her work has been anthologized in two books: The ASJA Guide to Freelance Writing (St. Martin's Press, 2003) and Conversations with Clarence Major (University Press of Mississippi, 2002). She is host of Writers on Writing, a weekly radio show that airs on KUCI-FM (88.9) and at www.kuci.org and teaches creative writing at the University of California, Irvine Extension and through Gotham Writers Workshop in NYC. 
She lives in Corona del Mar, California, with her jazz and blues musician husband, her 11-year-old son, two tanks of fish and two cats. Her first book is Pen On Fire: A Busy Woman's Guide for Igniting the Writer Within (Harcourt/Harvest, October 2004), which was honored in New York City in April with the 2005 ASJA Outstanding Book Award, Self-help/Service.
More information can be found at Barbara's Website - barbarademarco.com
August 26th, 2006 Phil Elderkin Phil Elderkin will discuss the changing world of journalism. Mr. Elderkin was a beat reporter for the Boston Celtics, a nationally syndicated columnist for The Christian Science Monitor and The Sporting News and is the author of Collection of Great Sports Stories.
Please join us to welcome this interesting journalist and author at our August meeting.
July 22nd, 2006, 2006 No Speaker Scheduled  June 24th, 2006Dora Levy Mossanen Born in Israel and raised in Iran, Dora Levy Mossanen fled to the United States at the onset of the Islamic Revolution. She is the recipient of the San Diego Editor's Choice award and the author of Harem which was translated into numerous languagesand her latest work Cortesan said to be "A cross between The Girl With the Pearl Earring and The Da Vinci Code". She is a graduate of the USC masters of professional writing program and lives in Beverly Hills, California.
More information can be found at Dora's Website - doralevymossanen.com
 May 27th, 2006Kate Niles Kate Niles was the recipient of the Colorado Council of the Arts Individual Artist Fellowship for Creative Writing in 2003. Her book of poems, Geographies of the Heart, was published in 1997, and her poetry, short stories and essays have appeared in literary journals and have been broadcast on public radio. Her first novel, The Basket Maker came out in 2004 and was a finalist in the Heekin Group Foundation Awards for a novel-in-progress.  April 22th, 2006Wilma Gore Join us at our April meeting as we welcome Wilma Gore. She is sure to motivate you to write and submit. Wilma Gore has published many travel articles, essays, profiles and short stories, as well as nineteen children's books. Just Pencil Me In—Your Guide to Moving & Getting Settled After 60 was released in 2002. She has addressed audiences in more than two-dozen cities over the past three years. Wilma presently lives in Arizona where she writes a monthly humor column for The Villager and leads four writer workshops. Wilma is also bio'd in the 25th edition of Marquis' Who's Who of American Women--2006-2007.
For more information visit Wilma's Website - www.willmagore.com
March 25th, 2006 No Speaker Scheduled February 25th, 2006 Patricia Teal ~ Literary Agent Pat Teal completed her Masters in English Literature at Cal State Fullerton. She began her career as an agent in 1978. Her emphasis is on women's fiction, although she has represented non-fiction authors. In the past twenty-seven years, she has sold hundreds of novels. One of her authors has now published 179 Romances; another author had a two-hour CBS Movie of the Week as a result of her published Romance. Pat enjoys talking to writers and welcomes the opportunity to give members of CWC a glimpse into today's world of publishing.
We hope you will join us at the February 25th meeting to welcome Patricia Teal as our speaker.
 January 28th, 2006Judity Merkle Riley At our January 28th meeting we will welcome well known Historical Fiction Writer Judith Merkle Riley. Judith Merkle Riley teaches in the Department of Government at Claremont McKenna College in Claremont, California, and holds a Ph.D. from the University of California at Berkeley. She is married and has two children. "I grew up in the then-isolated town of Livermore, California. It was the sort of spot that made one cultivate a host of eccentric hobbies and a taste for historical reading -- in fact, any kind of reading that happened to be on the shelves of the local Carnegie library. The truth is, ever since then, I have assumed that heaven is really a Vast Library, with comfortable chairs, cozy fireplaces, big bay windows and courtyard gardens. A colleague of mine adds 'and good Scotch'-- but I could even do without the Scotch..." "Given this attitude, the step from reading to writing did not seem like a large one, especially since the excellence of creating historical fiction is this: it is absolutely REQUIRED that one must spend a LOT of time in the library."
More information and all Judith’s books can be found at
www.judith.com
December 24th, 2005 No Speaker Scheduled Meeting moved to Saturday evening the 17th, visit Branch News page of this website for more information. November 26th, 2005 No Speaker Scheduled October 22nd, 2005Mike Foley Mike Foley, editor of Dream Merchant Magazine, will speak to us, teach us and mentor us (if only briefly) at the meeting of CWC-Inland Empire on Saturday, October 22nd. We are pleased to have welcome back this terrific writing instructor at our meeting. This is one you should not miss.
Mike Foley's Writer's Review Website  September 24th, 2005Elizabeth Cox Southern California resident Elizabeth Cox is best known for the historical stories she wrote for the wildly popular (now defunct) FEDCO Store Reporter. After securing a publishing contract from McKenna Publishing Group she wrote Southern California Miscellany, which was published in late 2003. Her newest book, similar in concept to her first, is California Pioneers, Their Stories, Culture and Cuisine, 1800 to 1920 (McKenna Publishing Group). Elizabeth also is a columnist for the award winning monthly publication The Old California Gazette. As "Ask Auntie Fannie" she pens a spoof advice column that answers contemporary questions from a Victorian point of view. True to the language and social references of the ever-so-proper Victorian era, there is, quite naturally, differences Fannie simply cannot relate to. Nonetheless, she does her best to advise accordingly. Elizabeth's love for researching and writing about history began early in life. As a young girl she was passionate about America's Old West and life in the 1800s. That passion grew into a writing career of many twists and turns. Besides writing historical stories, she also wrote corporate histories for some of California's best-known companies. In writng about California and the Old West, Elizabeth is particularly keen on writing lesser-known aspects about people, places and events. And she pays special attention to women's history, which all too often is sorely neglected in history books. Her other life-long passion is culinary history. As the daughter of a world-class chef (her dad) she strongly believes that food--the ways in which it is harvested, prepared and offered--is a true key to a society's culture and customs. Elizabeth is a member of The Culinary Historians, Southern California Chapter, an association devoted to researching, collecting and preserving culinary history. Elizabeth will welcome your questions during her talk to our group on September 24th. She invites you to email her your questions in advance so she can give them thoughtful answers. Please email her at Quillspinner@aol.com.
Join us on September 24th to welcome this exciting writer.
August 27th, 2005 Nancy Layton 
If you’ve ever wondered what a major book signing tour is like, you won’t want to miss this month’s speaker, Nancy Layton. Nancy will be telling us everything she learned while on her seven week tour of the Midwest, including what she loved and didn’t love about the experience. Come learn about:
Join us at the August 27th meeting to welcome back Nancy Layton.
July 23rd, 2005 No Speaker Scheduled  June 25th, 2005Marcia Wallace Prior to her recent role as Maggie the housekeeper on THAT'S MY BUSH, the irreverent sitcom by the creators of SOUTH PARK, Marcia Wallace was best known for her Emmy award winning role as Bart's teacher, Mrs. Krabappel, on THE SIMPSONS, and as Carol Kester on THE BOB NEWHART SHOW. She reprised that role when she guest starred as MURPHY BROWN'S 66th secretary, for which she received an Emmy nomination. She reunited with Murphy as a member of her breast cancer support group, with her old boss on GEORGE AND LEO and recently appeared on SEVENTH HEAVEN and PROVIDENCE . Marcia's voice has also been heard on several animated series, films and commercials.
This is a book for anyone who has felt unloved and unattractive, been broke, experienced failure, been fat and thin and fat again, had a fire, had cancer and/or a nervous breakdown, and been widowed. This is also a book for anyone who has found love in midlife, experienced success, adopted a child, had a spiritual awakening, flourished from the love of family and friends and started all over again after losing a spouse .. or would like to. And would like to hear about it from a woman who can still “count her lucky chickens”, a woman who makes you laugh out loud and a woman you feel like you've known your entire life. Join us at the June 25th meeting to welcome this writer.
May 28th, 2005 No Speaker Scheduled April 23rd, 2005 No Speaker Scheduled  March 26th, 2005Nancy Layton Nancy Layton grew up in North-Central Iowa, where the winter winds howl and the summer mosquitoes can carry a small child away. She has traveled far from her geographical beginnings, but has never strayed far from her spiritual roots. She writes earthy stories populated by characters whose strengths and weaknesses speak truth. Having done everything from waitressing in a coffee shop to driving a school bus to owning her own computer consulting company, Nancy has turned to writing in the second half of her life as a way to speak her own truths through her characters' mouths. Now living in the small town of Idyllwild in the San Jacinto Mountains of Southern California, Nancy shares her home with her husband of twenty-seven years, Rick Foster, and their four cats and one very big dog. When asked why she chose writing as her latest career, Nancy remarks, "I just love to tell stories." Telling stories, indeed, of women and men who live largely and love intensely, Nancy Layton is an author to be remembered.
About Nancy's March 26th talk to our group - Nancy Layton, owner of Crone House Publishing in Idyllwild, offers that alternative. From basic editing of your manuscript to book and cover design to full publishing project management, Nancy is able to bring her knowledge of what it takes to produce a book and her contacts both in book printing and distributing to the table to help you make your “dream” a reality. At our March meeting, Nancy will present a compact, concise overview of co-publishing and will also address many basic book and cover design issues. Bring your questions about book printing, design, marketing, and distribution and Nancy will help make sense of it all. Join us at the March 26th meeting to welcome Nancy Layton.
 February 26th, 2005Stephen J. Wersan Steve Wersan, author of Smooth Stones on the Bottom, will join us at our February meeting with a program entitled “Why the Stones Are Smooth.” Wersan explains, “There is an awful lot of flat prose out there pretending to be poetry, because the author has written it out in verse form. Palpable meter and musicality are important to me as a poet. You know ‘It don’t mean a thing if it ain’t got that swing.’” Wersan says the intent of his talk is to illustrate these points through the reading of selected poems from his book. Wersan, who has undergraduate degrees in mathematics and physics and a doctorate in civil engineering, says “My right brain just refused to quit.” Wersan spent his career in software development for computer and defense electronics manufacturers with a three-year stint abroad. The last ten years of his career were spent at China Lake, from which he retired in 1999. He and his wife, Francine, currently reside in Ridgecrest.
Join us at our February 26th meeting to welcome this poet.
 January 22nd, 2005Sharon Boorstin Sharon Boorstin is a contributing editor of Los Angeles Confidential and she writes for publications including MORE, Lifetime, Bon Appetit, Food Arts, Conde Nast Traveller UK, Porthole, The Los Angeles Times, The Orange County Register, Jewish Woman Magazine and Copley News Syndicate. Her memoir/cookbook 
Let Us Eat Cake: Adventures in Food and Friendship was a selection of the Pulpwood Queens Book Club and the Satellite Sisters ABC Radio Book Club. Her novel with recipes Cooking For Love, published in August, 2004, is a selection of the Pulpwood Queens Book Club. . Join us at the January 22nd meeting to welcome this interesting writer.
December 25, 2004 Christmas... check the Branch News for our alternate meeting plans. 
November 27, 2004Eva Shaw Look for the word prolific in a dictionary and one of the definitions will be Eva Shaw. Check best selling and award winning, too. You’ll see Eva’s name there as well. As an author and ghostwriter, she has produced more than sixty books, which have garnered rave reviews and won prestigious awards. Her articles have appeared in those national magazines you see at the supermarket and scores of others. At last count, she has written more than one thousand articles. With this impressive publishing record, some writers might slow down. Not Eva. New books are underway and articles are being published monthly. Eva is a lively, engaging, and highly sought-out speaker. At conferences and events throughout the United States, her presentations draw standing-room-only crowds who seek her advice on writing and publishing. Unlike other well-published writers, Eva happily shares the tricks of the trade and how you, too, can become as abundantly creative. With the sure-fire steps she outlines, every writer can be published. Eva’s latest books for writers are Writeriffic: Creativity Training For Writers and Ghostwriting For Fun & Profit. Join us at our November 27th meeting when IECWC is privileged to welcome this dynamic and engaging speaker.
For more information visit
EvaShaw.com
October 23, 2004 No Speaker Scheduled  September 25th, 2004Bret Anthony Johnston Originally from south Texas, Bret Anthony Johnston has lived in Ohio, Iowa, Michigan, and Southern California. His work has been featured in The Paris Review and Open City, as well as many anthologies, including New Stories from the South: The Year's Best, 2003 and 2004; Prize Stories: The O. Henry Prize Stories 2002; and Scribner's Best of the Fiction Workshops 1999. He holds degrees from Texas A&M University, Miami University and the Iowa Writer's Workshop. His work has received three awards in the Atlantic Monthly, Shenandoah's Jeanne Goodheart Prize for best story of the year, and two short fiction honors from the Texas Institute of Letters. A skateboarder for over fifteen years, he teaches creative writing at California State University, and is currently completing his first novel. 
Join us at the September 25th meeting to welcome this talented writer who will be discussing his book Corpus Crisiti. About Corpus Christi - Writing with tough humor, deep humanity, and a keen eye for the natural environment, Bret Anthony Johnston creates a world where inner and outer landscapes are united by their experience of grief and hope, where cataclysmic events cut people loose from their "regular lives, floating and spiraling away from where we had been the day before." Corpus Christi is an extraordinarily ambitious and accomplished debut, one that introduces readers to one of the few remaining mysterious parts of the country and marks the arrival of an important, exquisitely talented voice to American fiction.
 August 28th, 2004Diana Guerrero What happens after you write your book? After it is published? What are the hidden secrets you need to know? Find the answers on Saturday, August 28th as Guerrero discusses, "Covering Your Ass-ets: What You Need To Know After Your Book Is Published." Bring your questions to this dynamic session at the CWC-Inland Empire and discover vital information critical to your success as an author.
In addition to her written work, Guerrero speaks and instructs for a variety of groups including The Learning Annex, the largest adult education provider in the United States. She hosts and facilitates author events and writing workshops throughout southern California, is a professional member of the California Writers Club, and is founder of the Alliance Of Writers. Visit her website at Alliance of Writers July 24th, 2004 No Speaker Scheduled
We are pleased to have this terrific writing instructor at our June 26th meeting.
Mike Foley's Writer's Review Website May 22nd, 2004 No Speaker Scheduled April 24th, 2004Carolyn Burns-Bass Carolyn Burns-Bass will join us at our April meeting to speak to our group about Memoir writing. Carolyn was an assitant editor for Contemporary Christian Music magazine where she wrote cover stories, personality profiles, record and concert reviews. After a stay in Japan with her Marine Corps pilot husband she returned to the US and became a "WAHM (Work At Home Mom)" Since then she has written restaurant reviews for local publications, articles for specialty journals, and self-published two books: Kalligraphia--the Art of Beautiful Handwriting (a workbook for learning italic calligraphy, now out of print) and Write from the Heart, a guidebook on writing personal memoirs.
Please join us in welcoming this author at our April 24th meeting, it is sure to be an informative and interesting time.
March 27th, 2004 No Speaker Scheduled
In James Brown’s The Los Angeles Diaries, he reveals his tough childhood—starting when his mother bankrupted the family business and got jailed for igniting an apartment complex on-fire. He also exposes the special pressures and demeaning facts of Hollywood for a young unknown writer. Now, clean and sober for five years, Brown comes to terms with how he got hooked on drinking and doping, as well as the pain and incomprehension of losing both his brother and sister to suicide. Brown examines the skeletons of mental illness in his family closet and comes clean with how his addictions on his writing, his teaching, his kids, his marriage made him wake up and change. THE LOS ANGELES DIARIES reveals a life marked by crushing loss and a compulsion for self-destruction.
Los Angeles Diaries is available at Barnes & Noble
By focusing on any benefit he saw in any situation, he managed to survive and frequently prosper as a musician, radio talk show host, and finally as a comedian. During a NeuroLinguistic Programing seminar, he found that the NLP tool of Reframing was exactly the empowerment technique he had been using all along, looking for the positive benefit in any event. Even though his speaking engagements focus on this powerful tool, it seems that everything he does makes people laugh at him. Join us at our January 24th meeting and meet this speaker who is sure to inform and entertain.
For more infomation visit Richard's Website
December 27, 2003 No Speaker Scheduled But join the fun by participating in the Holiday Gift Exchange/Open Reading See the Branch News page for more information. November 22, 2003 No Speaker Scheduled Octboer 25, 2003 Mike Rappaport  Please join us Saturday the 25th as we continue to appreciate and enjoy California Writers Week. Mike Rappaport, one of Southern California’s leading columnists, will be our guest speaker. He is the recipient of the 1997 Sweepstakes Award from the Society of Professional Journalists for the best writer in inland Southern California.
In addition to reporting for the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, Mike writes a column, “American Dreamin’,” every Monday and Friday on his website MikeRappaport.com
for all of America to enjoy. Mike is truly an exemplary California writer. Let’s welcome him. September 27, 2003 Pam Noles  At our September meeting Inland Empire CWC will welcome Pam Noles. A journalist and writer living in Southern California. Pam is currently a writer for The Los Angeles Times. She has also worked for the Cleveland Plain Dealer and The Tampa Tribune. She will be speaking to us about how she got started writing for the paper followed by a question and answer session. Don’t miss what is sure to be an interesting and informative meeting.
August 23, 2003 No Speaker Scheduled  July 26, 2003Two Lazy Women ~ Judie O'Neill and Bridget Fonger Co-authors of The Lazy Woman's Guide to Just About Everything will be joining us at our July 26th meeting and speaking on "How to Get Your Book Into Print, One Way or Another." If you have a manuscript that's been rejected by mainstream publishers, or have never had the guts to even submit, we have been told you will want to meet Bridget and Judie. They sent a mere 12 book proposals to publishers, received four offers, and after months of negotiations, they decided to start their own press. This talk will take you from a twinkle in your eye to a beautiful book on your local bookstore's shelf.
For more infomation visit their Website
June 28, 2003 No Speaker Scheduled  May 24, 2003Jessica Barksdale Inclán Her debut novel Her Daughter's Eyes, published in 2001, was the premier novel published under New American Library's new imprint Accent. Her Daughter's Eyes was a final nominee for the YALSA Award for the best books of 2001 and best paperbacks for 2001 and has been published in Dutch and Spanish. Her next novel The Matter of Grace was published in May 2002, and her third, When You Go Away is set for an April 2003 publication. She recently sold her fourth, One Small Thing, and it will be published late 2004. She is a 2002 recipient of the CAC Artist’s Fellowship in Literature. Inclan teaches composition, creative writing, mythology, and women’s literature at Diablo Valley College in Pleasant Hill, California, and on-line creative writing courses for UCLA extension. She has studied with Sharon Olds, Anne Lamott, Kate Braverman, Grace Paley, Marjorie Sandor, and Cristina Garcia. Her short stories and poems have appeared in Rockhurst Review, Hotwired, The Salt Hill Journal, Free Lunch, The West Wind Review, The Prairie Star and many other journals and newspapers. Her short story Open Eyes was given first prize by Sandra Cisneros for El Andar magazine's 2000 writing contest. She co-edited a women’s literature/studies textbook Diverse Voices of Women (Mayfield Publishing, 1995). Ms. Inclan has degrees in sociology and English literature from CSU Stanislaus and a Master’s degree in English literature from SFSU. Ms. Inclan lives in Orinda, California with her husband and two sons and is currently at work on her next novel. Join us at the May 24th meeting as we welcome this author.
For more infomation visit this Website
April 26, 2003 No Speaker Scheduled at this time March 22, 2003 Hard Words Novel Critique Group 
Members of this innovative Critique Group came to our March meeting to talk to us. This group was started 8 years ago by Janet Fitch author of White Oleander. This group has some wonderful published authors in it which include Mary Rakow author of the highly praised novel The Memory Room and Sam Dunn author of the novel Failing Paris and the memoir Not By Accident. They have a unique way of writing and critiquing that is fascinating. They will be talking about their process. Pictured are the members of the Hard Words Novel Critique Group that joined us at March 22nd's meeting were Lola Willoughby, Jody Hauber, Rochelle Low, Mary Rakow and Nancy Spiller February 22, 2003 No Speaker Scheduled  January 25, 2003Cora Corbett Fiction from a relatively new small press is almost impossible to get onto the book shelves. Cora Corbett's, Half Nation Under God, a political thriller, is getting into bookstores, and picking up speed through word of mouth sales, but none of it has been easy. Unable to hire a publicist, Cora has had to do all the marketing for her book alone. From setting up book signings to designing ads and begging for press she has learned a lot about the book sales business and will share with us her successes and failures.
For more infomation visit this Website
For more infomation visit this Website December 28, 2002 No Speaker but... 
What a great time we all had at our Holiday Open Reading and Gift Exchange. Everyone had such terrific writings to share. We had inspirational poems, terrific short stories and some awesome non-fiction. And it was fun to open our writing related gifts at the end of it all. November 23, 2002Mike Foley For the past seven years, Mike Foley and Writer's Review have helped hundreds of aspiring writers and business people strengthen their writing skills, promote businesses and improve their chances at success. We are pleased to have this terrific writing instructor at our November meeting. Mike's workshop will be a hands-on lesson about dialog.
Mike Foley's Writer's Review Website  October 26, 2002Kim Jocelyn Dickson A writer and teacher living in Southern California. Kim Jocelyn Dickson's new book, Gifts from the Spirit: Reflections on the Diaries and Letters of Anne Morrow Lindbergh, is sure to inspire many. Come to our meeting and get to know this talented local auther.
Link to Kim Jocelyn Dickson's Book on Amazon.com  September 28, 2002Willma Gore What can I say? Willma Gore is my hero. She has had tremendous adventures in her life, from writing and editing major publications to raising pigs—and everything in between. Many years ago when I first began freelancing there were certain magazines that I dreamed of having a byline in: Reader’s Digest, Westways, Boys’ Life. Willma has sold pieces to all of these—and many, many more, including Woman’s World, Modern Maturity, Parent’s and even Popular Mechanics. (This last I think I am most envious of—oh to be able to boast that I’ve been published in Popular Mechanics! What a feather in my Universal Tomboys International cap!) Besides being a prolific writer, Willma is simply a down-to-earth, good ol’ gal who is knowledgeable and wise—and knows the difference between the two. I am pleased and excited that Willma will be our guest speaker for the September meeting on the 28th. We’ve had some great guest speakers in this past year, but I can guarantee you that Willma will be memorable, and the information she will dispense will be invaluable. I’ve been more excited about her visit than any other speaker we’ve had so far this year. So bring your notepads and a cup of coffee and get comfortable—Willma’s comin’ down! ~ S. Kay Murphy
August 24, 2002  July 27, 2002 Kelly Lange KELLY LANGE is the author of Gossip, Trophy Wife and The Reporter and is a special correspondent for Women 2 Women, a daily news broadcast in Los Angeles. A former news co-anchor and reporter for KNBC-TV, Ms. Lange has received numerous honors and awards, including an Emmy for Best Los Angeles News Anchorperson. We are pleased to welcome Kelly Lange as our speaker for the July 27th meeting.
 June 22, 2002 Kathryn Lynn Davis Kathryn Lynn Davis received a BA in Literature and History from the University of California, Riverside--graduating Phi Beta Kappa, Magna Cum Laude. Two years later, she received an MA in History. Ten days after college graduation, she signed her first publishing contract. She has not stopped writing since. She has completed eight historical novels and one contemporary thriller (as yet unpublished). Her novels have appeared on bestseller lists all over the country, and have been published in Germany, France, Israel and Italy, as well as in Britain and Canada (both in English and French). Now she is at work on a series of novels of legal suspense with her new partner, Virginia Blumenthal, a high profile criminal defense attorney whose practice is in Riverside. She enjoys doing readings and workshops, and speaks often in public schools, in an effort to promote literacy and encourage students to read, write and dream. We encourage all of our members to attend the June 22nd meeting and hear this outstanding writer speak.
May 25, 2002Gayle Brandeis A writer and a dancer, Gayle Brandeis lives in Riverside, California with her husband and two children. Gayle holds a B.A. in “Poetry and Movement: Arts of Expression, Meditation, and Healing (a self-created major) from the University of Redlands, and a MFA in Creative Writing/Fiction from Antioch University. Gayle has been published in dozens of magazines and anthologies, writing poetry, essays and fiction. Her writing awards include the Quality Paperback Book Club/Story Magazine Short Story Award and a grant from the Barbara Deming Memorial Fund. Exploring the connection between writing and the body her wonderfully inspirational new book, Fruitflesh, has just been released by Harper San Francisco. Come to the May 25th meeting and hear this unique and inspirational writer talk about her new book and about the beauty of writing.
April 27, 2002Lola De Julio De Maci Lola's true-life story, "Begin at the Beginning" will be published int he new book, Chicken Soup for the Teacher's Soul, due for release in May. Lola will be the Inland Empire guest speaker, talking about her story and the trials and tribulations she experienced getting published in the celebrated Chicken Soup series. Come te the April 27th meeting and support this terrific achievment of one of Inland Empire CWC's Charter Members.
March 23, 2002 Aaron Race, Poetry Workshop Bring your notebooks, your pens and pencils and let’s get creative!! At the March 23rd Meeting Inland Empire CWC is pleased to welcome Aaron Race who will be giving us a hands-on poetry workshop. Suitable for both the poets and non-poets among us, because even if you're not the poetry writing kind, Aaron assures us that you will at least be inspired to add figurative language to your prose. Aaron Race teaches Poetry at Crafton Hills College in San Bernardino Come ready to create a work of poetic genius (Semi-genius is acceptable as well) February 23, 2002 No Speaker 
January 26, 2002Lena Nozizwe Our branch is pleased to welcome Lena Nozizwe as our guest speaker to our January 26th meeting. Lena Nozizwe is a multi-award-winning TV journalist, author, and speaker. She has earned a reputation as the correspondent who can and will go anywhere--from Palm Beach to South Central, Stockholm to San Diego, Dublin to Brooklyn. Her awards include a Golden Mike, an Emmy and the New York Film Festival Silver Award. She won the latter for a documentary she hosted and produced that followed the lives of L.A. runaways over a two-year period. Lena Nozizwe's life story reads like an improbable movie plot. Her life began in a tiny village in Malawi, Africa. The first miracle in her life happened when the television program "This is Your Life" brought her whole family to the United States. Her mother, Dr. Alice Princess Siwundhla was the show's featured guest. Lena, the multi-award-winning TV journalist, would grow up to broadcast to millions within the global village. Along the way she has interviewed hundreds of stars from the worlds of sports, politics, art, movies and television. Lena's hut to Hollywood background has provided her with plenty of material to write her book, "Starring in Your Own Life: Reveal Your Hidden Star Quality and Make Your Life a Blockbuster Hit!" (ISBN:0-684-87308-7) published by Simon and Schuster. Lena is on a world wide tour to promote the release of this motivational book that contains info about the writing process and many of the motivational messages are sure to be especially helpful to writers. This is her first book--and she faced many people who told her that she would never get it published. We hope you will be able to be at the January 26th meeting to hear her talk about her book and her career as a journalist.
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In October of 1998, Marcia was featured in a People Magazine cover story on the American breast cancer epidemic along with other celebrities who have survived breast cancer. As a fifteen year survivor, Marcia has become a high profile advocate for breast cancer awareness. In addition to sponsorships, media appearances and her visibility as a television actress, Marcia is also a motivational speaker. She has spoken to thousands of women across the country sharing her hilarious and moving story. She also just finished her first book. Both her speech and her book are entitled “Don't Look Back, We're Not Going That Way”. The title is a quote from her larger than life father. Of course, he also used to say “If I don't see you again the mule is yours”, so not everything he said was deep. The book is subtitled “How I Overcame a Rocky Childhood, a Nervous Breakdown, Breast Cancer, Widowhood, Fat, Fire & Menopausal Motherhood and Still Managed to Count My Lucky Chickens.” 
Diana L. Guerrero is contributing editor to Crisis Management in Zoos and Animal Care Facilities (American Association of Zoo Keepers, 1999), and author of What Animals Can Teach Us about Spirituality: Inspiring Lessons of Wild and Tame Creatures (SkyLight Paths, 2003). Her articles have appeared in zoological trade journals, pet industry publications and magazines throughout the world. 
Richard Stockton claims to be a feral child raised by Republicans; indeed he looks like a cross between Ronald Reagan and Don Knotts. When Richard was young, his father instructed him in the power of being positive, “Don’t be so damn negative.” Richard’s desire to become an evangelist healer was frustrated because he had no faith. 
January 25, 2003