Attention, all MWA members--

Come meet the founder of the Men of Mystery and Festival of Women Authors programs, the award-winning author and host of book events for local independent bookstores, and a leader of Toastmaster International on Tuesday, July 24!

Don’t miss this opportunity to strengthen your speaking skills, expand your contacts, and just have fun with members of the Southern California chapter of Mystery Writers of America.

This free program will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. on Tuesday, July 24 (next week) at the Palms-Rancho Park Branch Library, 2920 Overland Ave., Los Angeles, 90064 (just north of 10 Freeway in between National and Pico).

Featured panelists will be discussing on what to do and what not to do as related to:

GETTING ON THE RADAR OF BOOK GROUPS—Joan Hansen, literary events organizer extraordinaire. Joan, who was recognized by MWA National with a Raven Award in 2006 for her creation of the popular Men of Mystery program, is also behind the Festival of Women Authors program in Orange County. Joan, a retired English teacher, works with numerous literary and book groups across both Los Angeles and Orange counties and will give us tips on how to best get the attention of these groups.

HOW TO PRESENT YOUR BOOK—Jorge Ribeiro, the outgoing Toastmaster International division governor (District 52), college English instructor, and a mystery aficionado, will tell us how to engage our audience, whether it be through words or body language. He will also provide information on various Toastmaster chapters to those who would like extra help in making presentations.

HOW TO READ BOOK EXCERPTS—Noel Alumit, host of book events for Skylight Books and noted performance artist, is also an award-winning novelist. His latest book, TALKING TO THE MOON, was heralded in Eddie Muller’s San Francisco Chronicle mystery column as “truly beautiful, moving.” He most recently interviewed Armistead Maupin at the Los Angeles Public Library.

Also included in this program will be MYSTERY IDOL, in which two volunteers from our chapter will respectively make a brief 10-minute book presentation and reading for our esteemed panel. Let’s see what they will have to say!

To RSVP, please e-mail Naomi Hirahara at speakers@socalmwa.com. Use this summer to sharpen your skills for the next book event!