On Thursday, May 8, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Writers Helping Writers at the San Mateo Public Library, author David M. Strom will discuss how he started performing his Super Holly Hansson stories at open mics, what he added to his performances (e.g., music!), and how open mics have influenced his writing. You will learn about reading stories in front of a microphone and a live audience. And you will see Dave perform a story!

Carole Bumpus’s latest book Adventures on Land and Sea: Searching for Culinary Pleasures in Provence and Along the Cote d’ Azur has been chosen as a Finalist in the Travel category by the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) for 2025. Award announcements for either Silver or Gold will be made in May. Learn more about Carole.

Trying to find a publisher is a bit like finding that special someone. On Thursday, May 15, from 6:30 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. at the Rinconada Library in Palo Alto, Tim Flood, author of his debut novel, The Flower of Canaan, to be published by Histria Books in 2026, will present his successful approach to finding a publisher and show you how he organized for that all-important and complex search.

Megan E. McDonald will be reading from her memoir-in-progress at Lit Crawl Sebastopol 2025 on Saturday, May 17. Her session, titled “Dangerous Games,” will be held in the charming downtown area at Taylor Lane Organic Coffee at 5:00 p.m.

James Hanna’s “Putting the Galaxies in Their Place” appears in Literally Stories. This is a tale about an eccentric astronomer who discovers galaxies too incredible for his stunted imagination to handle. Hanna’s “Orville Baumgardner and Saint Elmo's Fire” has been reprinted in A Thin Slice of Anxiety. Lecturer extraordinaire, Orville enchants the League of Women Voters.

Miera Rao’s haiku is currently on display in Washington DC’s business district. The 2025 Golden Haiku Contest had nearly 5,000 entries from sixty-six countries. Along with winners, selected haiku are posted on signage around the forty-four blocks and will remain until early May. Follow Miera at mierarao.com.

Conventional wisdom and recent guidance in traditional publishing hold that, in seeking representation for your work, you should send at least one hundred query letters. But where do you find a hundred or more agents to query?

On Thursday, April 10, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the San Mateo Public Library, member Megan E. McDonald will demystify the process of compiling a comprehensive agent target list. She will demonstrate essential tools, use her current projects as an example, and open the floor up to attendees who’d like to start to build their lists live.

Colleen Olle’s picture book Sophia and Sinclair Get Lost! is now available at Fireside Books & More, a new independent bookstore on Broadway in Redwood City.

Want to move past writing blocks, find your creative edge, and go deep into your imagination to produce your most powerful writing? Darlene Frank’s “Spark Your Creativity: A Writing Journey into the Deep Imagination” will help you open the door to your true writing voice. This five-week program starts April 26. More details at Darlene Frank Writing. 

Will your story meet readers’ expectations? In this free, one-hour Zoom session, discover how consistent world-building, hitting genre beats, and creating a main character to root for, can fulfill your story’s promise to readers and lead to a most satisfying ending.

Join developmental editor Eva Barrows and copy editor Lila LaBine for their Ask an Editor workshop on Wednesday, April 16, at 11 a.m. To register, visit www.evabarrows.com/workshops.

How do you promote your book? Preparation is key. It is never too early, and the more time you have, the more tactics you can employ to promote not just your book but you. Learn more from member and publicist Sarah Sherwood at Writing Helping Writers on Thursday, April 17, from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Rinconada Library in Palo Alto.

David Harris’s short story “Notes from a Reunion” was published in On the Seawall, a literary journal based on Martha’s Vineyard. Former classmates at a twentieth high school reunion try to come to terms with the murder of a brilliant but troubled friend who pulled a gun on a driver while hitchhiking. Read more about David Harris. 

The Kindle version of Geri Spieler’s Revenge of the Sisters: A Tale of Retribution is on sale now for $4.99. The hard copy of this second of two Regina of Warsaw books launches June 3.

James Hanna’s novella Lights Out Lizzie won the humor category for the 2024 Book Excellence Awards. Equally tickled by Hanna’s novella, the 2024 Reader Views Awards declared Lights Out Lizzie a finalist in their humor category.

Ida Lewenstein hosted her second book festival in Tampa, Florida, on Sunday, March 30. Featured were all eleven of her books of rhyming poetry. Follow Ida at Rhyming with Ms. Ida.