Previous Speakers
April, 2025 |
James L'Etoile
James L'Etoile's three-decade career in the criminal justice system--as associate warden in a maximum-security prison, hostage negotiator and as director of California's state parole system--provides him a unique perspective on the human condition. "I’ve witnessed the extremes of human behavior, depravity to redemption. The stories I write are influenced by firsthand encounters with gang leaders, drug traffickers, serial murderers, and those who face them every day. I strive to bring a piece of that experience alive in the stories I write." His latest novel, River of Lies, published this year, the second installment in the Detective Emily Hunter series, tells a story of Sacramento homeless encampments under attack by an arsonist.
Most folks haven't experienced "those who live in the dark edges of society," but L'Etoile says that all writers can mine their personal history and experiences to write compelling fiction: "We all have life experiences which color how we see the world. When we start to look at the people and places around us differently—as writers—it opens a treasure trove of possibilities." Author of ten novels, L'Etoile came to writing late. "I didn’t begin writing until after I retired. The Book Passage Mystery Writers Conference was a big part of my development—learning the elements of the craft of writing—story structure, dialogue, pacing, character development. I write seven days a week. My best creative time is early in the morning...I’ll write for about three to four hours, then shift over to the business side of writing with social media, marketing, etc."
Most folks haven't experienced "those who live in the dark edges of society," but L'Etoile says that all writers can mine their personal history and experiences to write compelling fiction: "We all have life experiences which color how we see the world. When we start to look at the people and places around us differently—as writers—it opens a treasure trove of possibilities." Author of ten novels, L'Etoile came to writing late. "I didn’t begin writing until after I retired. The Book Passage Mystery Writers Conference was a big part of my development—learning the elements of the craft of writing—story structure, dialogue, pacing, character development. I write seven days a week. My best creative time is early in the morning...I’ll write for about three to four hours, then shift over to the business side of writing with social media, marketing, etc."
His writing begins with characters: "I’m a character guy. I form a solid picture of who the main characters are before I put pen to paper. Once I know who they are, what they think, how they speak, and what their greatest fears are, then I’ll get to putting down an outline."
His first book, Little River, was published in 2013, “by a very small press. I knew if I wanted a bigger publisher I needed an agent. I listened to a panel of agents at the Book Passage Mystery Writers Conference and ended up pitching one of them. I signed with her a month later and she sold a two-book deal to a publisher in New York." His advice to fellow writers? "A published author is a writer who didn’t quit. I tell writers to be fiercely protective of their writing time and space. Make writing a habit and commit to the act of creating every day."
James L'Etoile's novels include the Detective Emily Hunter series, the Detective Penley series and the Detective Nathan Parker series. He is a member of Mystery Writers of America, International Thriller Writers, International Crime Writers Association, and the International Screenwriters Association. He is currently working on the fifth book of the Nathan Parker series and the third book of the Emily Hunter series.
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March, 2025 |
Christie Hardwick
Rossmoor resident Christie Hardwick, discussed her most recent book, To What End? An Inquiry, a follow-up to 2022's Radical Self-Tenderness: How Nurturing Your Own Soul Can Help Heal the World.
In To What End?, Hardwick, an ordained minister with Centers for Spiritual Living, poses an essential and existential question: To what end am I living? In the author’s words: "The book is about finding meaning in our later years. Decades have different focus for us; what we think is the ‘end’ for which we are working in our 20’s, 30’s, 40’s, 50’s, 60’s and beyond changes over time. I explore this as a universal theme." The book draws from her own personal spiritual journey: "The questions I ask myself about whether what I’ve done is enough, whether what I’ve done matters, whether loving people in my constellation is enough, many people ask themselves also. This book invites reflection. I have heard from a dozen people already who found it stimulated their own reviews of their lives, and what is next for them. I wrote the book for myself because the question was calling to me. It's a bonus that others are finding value and meaning in it."
According to Christie, the topics covered in To What End? embrace universal themes that hold appeal and application for everyone. "I believe you don’t need to have my same spiritual practices to benefit from the book. For example, when I talk about keeping your heart open when things are challenging, rather than shutting down, this too is a human experience. I use examples (from my life) to illustrate, but I always try to make clear that the reader should use their own experiences to find value. I share my life in order to give context to the conclusions I’ve drawn and to invite others to draw their own conclusions."
Christie Hardwick, an American Leadership Forum Senior Fellow and faculty member, spent five years on the Women’s Leadership Board for the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard, and is a facilitator of Contextual Leadership with the Institute of Women’s Leadership. She was the founding board chair for GreatSchools.net, served two terms as an elected School Trustee (recognized by CTA with their State Gold Award), and also chaired the board for GLSEN, the Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network. She also founded Inspiration Gatherings, where she leads events promoting connection and interdependence through music, dance, spoken word and workshops, and also serves as an executive coach and spiritual guide to leaders from both the non-profit and corporate sectors.
Christie is currently working on the third book in this trilogy, tentatively titled, Is It OK To Be Happy in a World Full of Suffering? She and wife Jane Harper split time between Rossmoor and a home in Italy. She is a mother of three and grandmother to seven grandchildren.
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February, 2025 |
Rae James, James L'Toile, Dianne Emley
Acclaimed mystery writers Rae James, James L'Etoile and Diane Emley held a panel discussion on the importance of Creating Drama in their writing on February 1, 2025. The three award-winning authors delved into Drama as a critical element of successful writing, sharing insights and advice with club members and guests.
Rossmoor resident Rae James, writing as R. Franklin James, has published ten novels and multiple short stories in various anthologies, winning a best fiction award from Northern California Publishers and Authors. Her six-book Hollis Morgan Mysteries was aired by A&E/Lifetime as a TV movie series. The third book of her Johanna Hudson Mysteries--The Missing Link--was released in October 2024. James currently serves as past-president of the Bouchercon Board, an international mystery convention. She is a member of Sisters In Crime, Mystery Writers of America, International Thriller Writers, and Northern California Publishers and Authors.
Rossmoor resident Rae James, writing as R. Franklin James, has published ten novels and multiple short stories in various anthologies, winning a best fiction award from Northern California Publishers and Authors. Her six-book Hollis Morgan Mysteries was aired by A&E/Lifetime as a TV movie series. The third book of her Johanna Hudson Mysteries--The Missing Link--was released in October 2024. James currently serves as past-president of the Bouchercon Board, an international mystery convention. She is a member of Sisters In Crime, Mystery Writers of America, International Thriller Writers, and Northern California Publishers and Authors.
James L'Etoile is a former associate warden in a maximum security prison, hostage negotiator and director of California’s state parole system. He draws on his 29-year career “behind bars” as an influence in his award-winning novels, short stories and screenplays. His novels include the Detective Emily Hunter series, the Detective Penley series and the Detective Nathan Parker series. He is a member of Mystery Writers of America, International Thriller Writers, International Crime Writers Association, and the International Screenwriters Association. L’Etoile lives with his wife near Sacramento.
Los Angeles Times bestselling author, Diane Emley, has received critical acclaim for her Detective Nan Vining novels, her Iris Thorne Mysteries series, and The Night Visitor, a stand-alone paranormal mystery. She’s also published short fiction for anthologies including Literary Pasadena. Her books have been translated into six languages. Diane lives with her husband in Rossmoor and is currently Vice-President of the Published Writers of Rossmoor.
Ms. James moderated the panel conversation on the three authors' writing approaches and processes, focusing on techniques for creating drama in their works. Mr. L'Etoile says: "Drama is the fuel keeping the plot moving forward. Characters need conflict and the real story is in the drama and interaction between the characters that comes alive on the page." Ms. James adds that: "For me, drama in fiction writing, regardless of genre, provides a unique way to connect with readers through a character’s dialogue, action and internal struggles. It’s engaging the readers into a story where they have to continue reading to see how things turn out. Whether westerns, paranormal, mystery, romance, young adult, fantasy, adventure—the connecting thread is drama.
Diane Emley sums it up neatly: "Drama starts from Moment One. In every scene, craft a character who 1) draws the reader in (someone they can empathize with, trust, or even fear…); 2) seeks something critical (perhaps time is essential); 3) is faced with high stakes that are life-changing; 4) confronts obstacles in their quest; and 5) for whom failure is devastating—possibly deadly."
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January, 2025 |
Lois Silverstein
Author Lois Silverstein discussed her new novel, WHEN CRYING STOPS: Echoes of War in Romania. Based on interviews Ms. Silverstein conducted with survivors of the Romanian Holocaust, WHEN CRYING STOPS is a novel the author says "brings to light a lesser-known chapter of the Holocaust, illuminating the experiences of Romanian Jews and the brutal policies of the Antonescu regime."
Though the interviews took place years ago, the book was only recently published, by KTAV Publishing House, in 2024. "I wrote this work after interviewing three survivors from the Romanian Holocaust. I met them many years ago and wrote the book after a long process of living with the stories and my own understanding of them and of myself as narrator. I asked myself many times what my role was in doing this. It was of vital importance to me and to the nature of the book.”
The tale Ms. Silverstein crafts "focuses on the three survivors as they lived in the community of Chernowitz, Romania. They were part of a whole community, so their stories are reflective of what happened to the whole community. I have adapted the actual stories I was told to the larger story of that community, and others, before and during the war." The novel "delves into the complex relationships between Romanian civilians, Jewish communities, and the occupying powers, weaving a story of resilience amidst one of the darkest periods in European history."
Born and raised in New York City, Lois Silverstein received a B.A. from Columbia University, earned an M.A. in English from Hunter College, City of New York and a Ph.D. in English from McGill University, Montreal, Quebec. She has taught classes ranging from Women’s Studies, Creative Writing and The Philosophical Nature of Fiction to Advanced and Elementary Composition at Northeastern University, McGill University, University of West Florida, UC Berkeley Extension, University of San Francisco, John F. Kennedy University, Contra Costa Community College and City College of San Francisco.
After serving as co-director of the Tunbridge Program of San Francisco, at Lone Mountain College, she built a private consulting practice in Expressive Arts Therapy, consulting with men and women of diverse backgrounds and interests seeking to develop both writing skills and life skills that centered in their professional, legal, artistic, medical and educational careers.
Ms. Silverstein has written and published several novels, books of poetry, essays and reviews, and produced and performed in a one-woman show, VALIA: The Story of a Woman of Courage. "I believe in writing as an art and a spiritual practice. Nothing in my education prepared me for the depth and development it has offered me. I work with others to give back when I have only begun to fathom as I write and read, my daily fare. Some stories numb you. Some stories we have to let go. Or tell, over and over."
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October, 2024 |
Ron Cohn
Dictionary.com defines Artificial Intelligence as: “the capacity of a computer, robot, device, or software application to perform operations and tasks analogous to learning and decision-making in humans, such as speech recognition or question answering.” This emerging human-like ability has many supporters hailing its benefits while others sound the alarm. As Cohn points out, Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft, claims: "AI is as revolutionary as mobile phones and the Internet," while historian and author Yuval Noah Harari warns that “AI has hacked the operating system of human civilization.” Harari describes AI as “the first tool in human history that can make decisions by itself, the first that can create new ideas by itself,” while pointing out that “humans are not very good at using new tools, new technologies. While we are learning to use AI, it is learning to use us.”
To the uninitiated, Cohn describes three forms of AI: “Generative: A model that can generate or produce new content, such as text, based on the patterns it has learned. Pretrained: A model trained on vast amounts of data which helps it understand language structure, context, and meaning. And Transformer: a deep learning model known for its ability to handle sequential data (like sentences), capturing long-range dependencies (like what words will likely occur in the next few paragraphs.)”
While such abilities would seem to pose a threat to writers, Cohn points out that “AI’s are not perfect. They suffer from "hallucinations,” i.e., incorrect or misleading results generated by insufficient training data, incorrect assumptions made by the model, or biases in the data used to train the model. Nevertheless, Forbes Magazine reported in May that nearly 65,000 U.S. workers lost their jobs in the previous month to AI.
Cohn has been working with AI since 2023, primarily with graphics programs DALL-E2 and DALL-E3. A highlight of the October 5th meeting will be demonstrations of these programs along with a writing program called CHAT-GPT4. Using prompts from the audience, Cohn will show how AI can create complex images and written works in minutes.
Ron Cohn, a native of Baltimore, has worn many hats. A graduate of Johns Hopkins University with a PhD in Physics from the University of Maryland, Ron has led an eclectic life as world traveler, yoga student, assistant editor at Physics Today, sculptor, artist, cab driver, COBOL programmer, chairman of a college computer department and professor of physics. Along the way he found time to publish six books on Amazon on a variety of topics. His latest book is titled Advanced Fooling Around: Thought Poppers, Volume 4, a collection of drawings, photographs, poems, and autobiographical writings. He and wife Carol have lived in Rossmoor for thirteen years and are the proud parents of two children and two grandchildren.
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September, 2024 |
Ruth Schwartz
You’ve written your book . . . now what?
You have finally finished writing your book and you know that self-publishing is probably the way to go, but there are so many decisions and details that you don’t know where to start. Plus, you aren’t ready—or willing—to spend the big bucks to buy a publishing package that can cost several thousand dollars.
In this program, Schwartz will explain the differences between traditional publishing, hybrid publishing and self-publishing. She will also give an overview of the self-publishing industry and its evolution, along with a high-level walkthrough of the self-publishing process and the importance of editing, formatting and professional cover design. The basics of marketing, choosing the self-publishing platforms that are right for you will be covered. Schwartz’s aim is to give the writer a solid understanding of the self-publishing landscape, the fundamental steps to get started, and practical tips to avoid common pitfalls.
Ruth Schwartz will provide a concise and powerful overview of the self-publishing process. Whether you’re a first-time author or looking to refine your self-publishing skills, her program will arm you with essential knowledge and actionable steps to kick-start your self-publishing journey. Ruth is an industry expert with years of experience, and will help you gain insights into the critical aspects of turning your manuscript into a professional, market-ready book.
What makes Schwartz unique among the other book shepherds, book midwives or self-publishing consultants is that, in addition to managing your project from start to finish, educating and advising you along the way, she is an experienced cover designer and does customized interior layouts. She also has great resources for creating eBook editions that incorporate the print edition typography and styling as much as possible.
Schwartz is a current board member, and a very active volunteer, with the Bay Area Independent Publishers Association. She recommends that all writers check out this dynamic organization.
Why the Wonderlady? Schwartz’s husband, Curt, called her that when, out of the blue, it seemed as though she made good things happen, just when they were most needed. He said that these magical happenings were due to his Ruth. When good things happened to anyone, he says, “it is clearly due to the Wonderlady Effect”.
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August, 2024 |
Gregory Crouch
The speaker for PWR’s August meeting will be Gregory Crouch, a local author who specializes in historic and adventurous subjects. He will be talking about the process of writing his epic rags-to-riches tale, “THE BONANZA KING: John Mackay and the Battle Over the Greatest Riches in the American West”.
Crouch graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, where he studied history. He completed U.S. Army Airborne and Ranger schools and led two infantry platoons before leaving the Army to pursue other interests, most notably in rock and ice climbing and in mountaineering. He developed a particular fascination with the peaks of Patagonia. Along the way he became a writer; his work has appeared in magazines such as National Geographic, the Atlantic, Outside, Islands, American History, Ascent, Rock & Ice, Climbing (where he was a senior contributing editor), and many others.
A regular book reviewer, Crouch has reviewed for the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, the New York Times, and NPR.
“THE BONANZA KING” tells the story of John W. Mackay, a penniless Irish immigrant who came of age in New York City, went to California during the Gold Rush, and mined without much luck for eight years. When he heard of riches found on the other side of the Sierra Nevada Mountains in 1859, Mackay abandoned his claim and walked a hundred miles to the Comstock Lode in Nevada.
Over the course of the next dozen years, Mackay worked his way up from nothing, thwarting the pernicious “Bank Ring” monopoly to seize control of the most concentrated cache of precious metals ever found on earth, the legendary “Big Bonanza,” a stupendously rich body of gold and silver ore discovered 1,500 feet beneath the streets of Virginia City, the ultimate Old West boomtown. But for the ore to be worth anything it had to be found, claimed, and successfully extracted, each step requiring enormous risk and the creation of an entirely new industry. Gregory Crouch tells Mackay’s amazing story—how he extracted the ore from deep underground and used his vast mining fortune to crush the transatlantic telegraph monopoly of the notorious Jay Gould.
According to a review in The San Francisco Chronicle, “No one does a better job than Crouch when he explores the subject of mining, and no one does a better job than he when he describes the hardscrabble lives of miners”. “The Bonanza King” is a dazzling tour de force, a riveting history of Virginia City, Nevada, the Comstock Lode, and America itself.
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June, 2024 |
Brett Weiss
Anyone considering writing their life story, or those needing a hand in getting their memoir over the finish line, should stop by the Published Writers of Rossmoor’s next meeting, 10AM-Noon on Saturday, June 1, in the Fairway Room at the Creekside Clubhouse, when Brett Weiss, founder of YourLegacy:YourStory, will talk about turning folk’s fondest memories into a polished, professionally-produced book or video.
Brett Weiss grew up "in a Kodak family, thrilled by the film and slide projectors and the family memories cast upon the wall." In college he worked at a large wedding photography studio, cutting his teeth in the image production business. After several years in a variety of photo-production related jobs, honing his technical, management and entrepreneurial skills, he decided to "dive into the digitizing industry," converting and restoring traditional film photos, slides and movies into digital format. As the operation grew, Brett and his team recognized that the images and information they were handling were personal, first-hand accounts of their clients' lives and life events; thus the storytelling division was born, using clients' "collateral," i.e., their digitized images and documents to produce books, documentaries and websites for everyday people with great stories to tell.
The MyLegacyMyStory team works with clients to realize their projects "going from idea to concept to plan to finished product." Their services include planning, creative collaboration, ghostwriting, editing, proofreading, layout and design and more. What sets them apart is their singular expertise in collecting, digitizing, curating and restoring people's photos, home movies, videos and important documents.
The process, conducted mostly online, begins with a Creative Exploration Meeting, where the company meets with the client for initial discussions of objectives and concepts. From there they move to a Creative Planning Meeting where the company presents their project vision and budget, based on the scope of work, size of book, number of pages, amount of collateral to be included, writing and editing to be done, etc. Projects range from Narrative Books with little to no images, Photos-Only books, Combination books and Special Project Books. Most books fall within the 60-250 page range and can cost anywhere from $1,500 to $10,000, depending on the scope.
Residents of Rossmoor, an incredibly diverse community filled with rich, compelling life stories, may find MyLegacyMyStory a valuable resource for organizing and telling those stories. Those interested in recording their histories in print--with photos, documents and narrative--may discover that Mr. Weiss's company can help turn their story into their legacy.
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May, 2024 |
Anne M. Breedlove
Anyone contemplating a 4000-mile bicycle ride--and those who wouldn't dream of it--should attend the next meeting of the Published Writers of Rossmoor, Saturday April 6, from 10AM-Noon in the Fairway Room at the Creekside Clubhouse, when guest speaker Anne Breedlove will describe the rigors and joys of international bicycle touring. Anne's new book, "Part-time Nomads: Traveling the World By Bicycle," tells the story of her evolution from middle-aged recreational bicyclist to World Loaded Bicycle Traveler.
Anne's account begins in 1997, when she and husband Jim signed up for a self-guided bicycle tour of rural France that "changed the direction" of their lives. After ten years of preparation, training and waiting for the right moment they took the plunge, retiring early to travel the world on two wheels, under their own power. In the ensuing eight years they rode across twenty-one countries and several U.S. states, braving extreme weather, harsh terrain, unexpected route changes and many other physical and psychological challenges while making new friends and strengthening their own relationship along the way.
A native of New York, Anne has lived in the Bay Area since 1972. A historian by profession, she researched 18th and 19th-century American women printers, her Master's Thesis, "Inspired and Possessed, San Francisco's Nineteenth-Century Women Newspaper Publishers," being published in the 2001 edition of the California Historical Society Quarterly.
Anne lives in Martinez with husband Jim. She is currently working on her second book of cycling adventures, detailing their post-retirement 6-month bicycle sojourn from California to Bar Harbor, Maine, and halfway back again. Aside from writing, Anne is a fine-art screen printer and enjoys yoga, swimming, gardening, long walks, all things French and spending time with her two grandchildren.