March 18, 2013 (San Diego) – The Congress of History of San Diego and Imperial Counties has named San Diego regional publishers Diana and Lowell Lindsay as the recipient of their Media Award at their 2013 History Conference held this year in Vista, California. The award was given in recognition of their contributions to the preservation of “The History of this Region” through their publishing house, Sunbelt Publications, located in El Cajon.

The Media Award was one of several awards made during this year’s conference. The awards are given to individuals, organizations, and programs that have made significant contributions to the preservation and development of the regional history of San Diego and Imperial Counties and Baja, California, Mexico.

March 20, 2012 (San Diego)--Sarka-Jonae Miller's debut novel set in San Diego achieved what few self-published books accomplish: a spot on a best seller list. Miller's novel, Between Boyfriends, appeared on three Amazon best seller lists last month, including #9 for humorous fiction, #11 for humor ebooks and #54 for women's fiction.

To celebrate, Miller is gifting 22 copies of the Kindle version of her book that she will personalize through Authorgraph.com. The Kindle book is readable on any computer, tablet or smartphone using a free app. Winners will be selected on March 22, and also receive a download of Taylor Swift's hit song “22.”

Call for Submissions Answered by Hundreds, Exhibit Brings Exposure to Local Talent

October 8, 2012 (San Diego)--The San Diego Public Library is calling on San Diego county authors who have published books in 2012 to submit them to the 47th Annual Local Authors Exhibit.  The aim of the Exhibit is to nurture writers, foster the pursuit of the writing arts and to create a great opportunity for the recognition of San Diego literary talents. The deadline for registering and submitting books is Monday, December 10, 2012. Authors may register online at www.sandiegolibrary.org.

Participants must post photos of their bites to win

September 17, 2012 (San Diego) – To promote the release of his new novel Shady Palms in October, San Diego author Allen Dusk is holding a contest to give away signed copies of his book, set in El Cajon. Victims of bedbug attacks are encouraged to post photos of their bites on Twitter and Instagram with the hastag #ShadyPalms. On October 1, 2012 Allen will announce the winners on his website http://www.allendusk.com.

The Truth about Firearms, the Criminal Justice System, and You:  What Every Gun Owner Should Know About being Falsely Accused

According to Michelle Gesse, author of Bogus Allegations, being a gun owner puts you at increased risk for being falsely accused of a crime. (She should know—it happened to her husband!) Here, she shares what you should know about being falsely accused, and what you can do to protect yourself.

September 17, 2012 (Boulder, CO)—If you own a gun and consider yourself to be an upstanding, law-abiding citizen, you probably haven’t given much thought to being targeted or profiled because you own firearms. After all, as long as they’re legal and you don’t use them inappropriately, you have nothing to fear, right?

July 13, 2012 (Poway)--Woody Guthrie lived through the most significant events of the twentieth century, forging his talents as a prolific writer who, through his songs, prose and poetry, told the story of everyman.

San Diego County Library joins people around the world in celebrating Guthrie's life and influence. Woody Guthrie's 100th Birthday Celebration will be held at the Poway Library, 13137 Poway Road on Saturday, July 14 at 2 p.m.  San Diego musicians will band together in a free concert to honor the famed singer, who still has a profound impact even 45 years after his death.

By Dennis Moore

“I am thrilled to see how many local author submissions we received this year. It is an honor to highlight the diverse and abundant talent we have in the San Diego region. Thanks to all our authors for sharing your expertise and inspiration with the community. It is this type of sharing that helps the library fulfill its mission! -    Deborah L. Barrow, Library Director, San Diego Public Library

March 5, 2012 (San Diego)--It was with these sentiments that I joined so many other authors at this 46th Annual Local Authors Exhibit on February 3, 2012, many of whom have been profiled in the East County Magazine. I visited with such illustrious writers and authors as Joshua Graham, Linda Loegel, Anat Tour, Sam Warren and Zohreh Ghahremani.

 
What the Dickens!

by Richard Lederer   
courtesy of San Diego WriteWay 

by Mayan Avitable

La Mesa woman who wrote tell-all book about film industry was third-oldest Californian

January 8, 2012 (La Mesa) – Silent movie screenwriter Frederica Sagor Maas gained fame and notoriety in an era when few women attained such acclaim.  But on Thursday, December 29, 2011, Maas made her final exit, passing away at Country Villas, a La Mesa nursing home.

Scripts written by Maas starred some of Hollywood’s leading talents on the silver screen, including Greta Garbo, Norma Shearer and Clare Bow. The Hollywood Reporter called her a “pioneering” female screenwriter, while the Los Angeles Times memorialized her as “one of the last links to the silent film industry.”

By Miriam Raftery

August 27, 2011 (Boulevard) – “Be the writer you have always dreamed of being,” urged Sharon Courmousis, ECM’s “Purple Mountain Sage” columnist and owner of Sacred Rocks Reserve. Now she is organizing a writer’s guild at her East County retreat in Boulevard, California.

Writers of every genre such as poems, short stories, novels and essays are invited to join fellow writers intent on honing their craft of writing.  The weekly meeting will be held in the early mornings starting promptly 7 a.m. reviewing specific writing pieces, evaluating the work of those who want to share, and closing at 8 a.m.

Looking for a new plant for your garden or architectural endeavor?

By Matt Kopjak

August 4, 2011 (San Diego's East County)--Choosing the right plant for your garden can be a daunting task, but with Plants-Pedia you can sift through 48,000 plants from the USDA plants database and narrow down your choices, complete with charts and images. You can filter your options by growth period, soil texture, lifespan, shade tolerance, temperature, toxicity, fire tolerance, drought tolerance and more, depending on your needs. This tool is simple enough for the average gardener and has enough advanced options to be useful for even the most experienced botanist.

By Dennis Moore 

June 20, 2011 (San Diego’s East County) -- East County resident Anat Tour, originally from Canada, is our community’s own Renaissance woman—a master of  mathematics, art, music, writing and much more.  By day, she is a mother of four and a math teacher at a local high school; by night, she is the lead singer for Possession, a local band. In between, she is a writer and illustrator of children’s books, as well as an animator.  She has also been an international model, which is easily discernible by her stage presence and how she carries herself.

June 16, 2011 (Poway) --To kick off the County Library’s Summer Reading Club, a team of search and rescue beagles visited children at the Poway Library today. Some kids even read their favorite books aloud to the friendly animals.

 
It was a fitting meeting: This summer, kids and adults can “Read for a Reason,” to benefit the beagles and the entire Sheriff’s Department’s Search and Rescue Canine Unit. As participants meet reading goals through the summer, a group of local sponsors has committed to buying lighted collars and canine first-aid kits for the dogs.
 

By Miriam Raftery

April 11, 2011 (La Mesa) – Break some rules and pick a pen name similar to your favorite best-selling author. Those were among the creative tips offered by Joshua Graham, local author of the best-selling legal thriller Beyond Justice.

Graham joined with local authors T.J. Johnson and Linda Loegel Saturday in a free forum for aspiring writers offered at Barnes & Noble bookstore in Grossmont Center, La Mesa.  The forum, organized by East County Magazine book reviewer Dennis Moore, drew a standing-room-only crowd.  It also attracted literary luminaries including other authors, publishers, and journalists. Panelists offered insights into how the publishing industry has changed dramatically as well as new strategies available for authors to get published and market works.

February 17, 2011 (El Cajon) – Closing a chapter for local book lovers, the Borders Group has announced plans to close 200 Borders bookstores nationwide, including stores at Parkway Plaza in El Cajon and in the Gaslamp district downtown.

The company filed for bankruptcy reorganization after running up over a billion dollars in debt. Three San Diego County stores will remain at Mission Valley, Carmel Mountain Ranch and National City.

Naming ceremony scheduled for Dec. 9

December 4, 2010 (Lemon Grove)--The Navy Band Southwest Brass Quintet, balloons, dignitaries--and legions of fans--will welcome Rosemary Putnam, doyenne of the Friends of the Lemon Grove Library, on Dec. 9 at 3 p.m. at the Lemon Grove Library, 8073 Broadway, for the gala Rosemary Putnam Naming Ceremony.

by Craig S. Maxwell

The memorial service for my grandfather, Vernon Wahrenbrock, was sparsely attended; the inevitable consequence, I suppose, of his having lived nearly a century. All his friends and much of his family were gone. We, his survivors, were there of course. And so were a few of the folks he'd come to know at the rest home. But the only other person to pay his respects that day was Chuck Valverde. It was February 18th, 2008 and already he was pale and thin. Still, I had no way of knowing that within six months I and hundreds of others would be attending a memorial service for Chuck himself.

The link between these very dissimilar but remarkable men was, of course, Wahrenbrock's Book House – the shop my grandfather founded in 1935 and that Chuck had operated (and later owned) since 1967.