Saturday
May 17, 2025
10:00 a.m. – 2 p.m.

This event will be held in person in the Person Theater at the Finley Center.

The event will be recorded for later viewing and sharing.

Price: 
FREE
for Members, Guests
& General Public

Apocalyptic Lullaby by Jesse Bilyeu

Six-year-old Punkin finds herself the last human alive after a meteor storm brings about a zombie apocalypse. Alone in her paranoid uncle’s fully stocked survival shelter, she lives safe and sound until her 15th birthday. With the considerable resources of the shelter depleted, she must brave the topside world for provisions. 

Along the way, she befriends a wounded puppy and frees a chronicler she will never know. In her otherworldly music, Punkin discovers a secret that could free the world from the scourge of the undead. But she must survive in those horrors, to see it done.

Jesse Bilyeu is a retired graphic design instructor. He began writing novels 15 years ago. Genres include Sci-fi and Fantasy.

He and his wife – along with several horses, goats and cats – live on a small ranch in Northern California’s Wine Country. 

The Lighted Pull of Dreams by Abby Lynn Bogolmony

In this extraordinary poetry collection influenced by the moon’s silver luminosity, Abby Lynn Bogomolny elevates us with gorgeous images to “fill ourselves and fly.” Yet each boon is balanced by gravity. From her immigrant grandparents’ struggles to those of her own, she writes with heart and wit of vivid Brooklyn streets, the pine flats of Florida, and coastal California. If you thrive on words from a female-centered perspective, one with a strong sense of place in lyrical rhythmic lines, The Lighted Pull of Dreams is a must read. 

Abby Lynn Bogomolny is editor of New to North America and author of three poetry collections. Her poetry appears in scores of literary publications. Originally from NYC, Abby founded Burning Bush Publications and juried its poetry prize for 11 years. After teaching with SRJC, she continues to write and stir the cultural soup in Sonoma County. 

All You Care to Eat by Susan Church-Downer

Five years after their romantic breakup, Susan and her best friend buy a vegetarian buffet restaurant, having little idea how demanding, frustrating, and rewarding the endeavor will be. What could go wrong? In the crucible of financial pressures, challenging employees, customer expectations, and their own unresolved issues, they create an extraordinary venue for delicious, healthy food, art, music and community—and lose buckets of money.

This memoir spans their ten-year run and is for anyone who has fantasized about owning a restaurant as well as those already doing it.

At 16 years old, Susan Church-Downer was told by a cynical college professor that she had no ability to write and nothing to write about. Accepting his critique, she abandoned her dream until retirement. Fifty-five years later, she reclaimed her passion, writing memoir, poetry and two short stories– so far.

Compost Happens by Diana Morgan Dean, Psy.D.

One woman’s journey of transforming childhood sexual abuse into compost to grow a flourishing life. Thirteen-year-old and motherless, Diana is determined to care for and protect her younger siblings despite their father’s constant abuse. But when his cruel girlfriend convinces him to send her away, she is spun into a decades—long battle to reconnect with her family and find wholeness within herself. She chases true healing, from coast to coast and beyond, through doomed marriages to two men and one woman, to living on a sailboard, and from careers as a secretary to that of a newspaper photographer, minister and neuropsychologist. It is only through great loss that Diana is finally able to find the family, and the love, that she’s been searching for all along.

Diana Morgan Dean, Psy.D. had physically left her father behind on the West Coast but emotional reactions from childhood abuse kept her in survival mode as an adult. Secretary in New York City, photojournalist in Florida, Unity minister in California, nothing filled her ‘hole in the soul.’ “Transforming crap into compost opened my heart to live in the wonder of what today offers.”

The Ghost Ship Fire by Colleen Dolan

Colleen’s daughter Chelsea, a well-respected San Francisco electronic musician known professionally as Cherushii, was one of 36 young people who died in the Oakland Ghost Ship Fire. The book, The Ghost Ship Fire, chronicles the terrifying events of that December night and Colleen’s devastating loss, piecing together the gripping story behind the media headlines. It moves to the high-profile criminal trial two years later that captured the nation with tales of horrifying death at an off-the-grid artists’ collective. Colleen’s struggle with questions about her daughter’s death, accountability, and justice will help others who are grieving understand they are not alone in their search for answers. 

Colleen Dolan is a writer, Certified Grief Educator, and retired Educational Therapist. She facilitates the monthly meetings of The Compassionate Friends of Marin, a grief group for bereaved parents. 

Shinbone Lane by Laura McHale Holland

San Francisco, 1974. Sixteen-year-old runaway Maddy is escaping the blame for a crime she didn’t commit. Miles from home, she is befriended by two elderly neighbors, Clara and Ted. The teenager soon finds a place among the kaleidoscope of personalities on the oddly named Shinbone Lane. Ted’s Italianate Victorian house overflows with travelers, free spirits and artists. His backyard is a haven for all who can see its magic. But like all who tread on it, Shinbone Lane has secrets. And, like all secrets, they lie uneasily in the dark, until the truth emerges to lay the past to rest. 

Laura McHale Holland is a recipient of several independent publishing awards, writes stories long and short that tend to bend reality— often with characters whose lives have gone terribly wrong but are ultimately redeemable. Shinbone Lane is her second novel. For more info about Laura, please visit lauramchaleholland.com. 

Doing the Right Thing by Carol Jacobsen

This third book in the Women of Color and Accomplishment series was inspired by the events of 2020. Drawing from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s words, “The time is always right to do the right thing,” she painted 100 colorful portraits of Black women who overcame challenges of race and gender to achieve their dreams and also give back to their community. This book contains inspiring stories of 31 of these overlooked women. It’s a fun and colorful way to learn about the histories of women who have made a positive impact on society and furthered the cause of social justice.

Carol Jacobsen has been painting since childhood. Her current series, “Women of Color and Accomplishment”, has over 100 portraits of overlooked Black women that she has painted since the murder of George Floyd in 2020. From this series, she has written three books telling the stories of these amazing women whose achievements have broken barriers.

Golf at Northwood by John M. McCarty

Golf at Northwood is a work of historical fiction. The novel traces the adventures of Alister MacKenzie during his transition from surgeon to camoufleur to golf architect. He soon travels to Sonoma County in California where he carves the Northwood Golf Course out of a redwood forest along the Russian River. The story leaps from 1928 to 1961 as eight-year-old Eddie Bale befriends an eccentric Homer Williams who maintains the layout by his lonesome. Eddie comes of age and together with Dr. Charlie Schaap rescues the course from loan sharks, developers and con artists.

John Michael McCarty is a fourth generation San Franciscan and retired educator, having taught California History on both the secondary and graduate levels. John has also received numerous national awards for his historical fiction. He lives with his wife Patricia along the lower reaches of the Russian River in rural Sonoma County.

If the Gods be Willing by Taylor Metzler

The Gods themselves thrice blessed Cassia’s life. All that is shattered when her wife contracts a magical illness. Now she must challenge Fate and the Gods to save the woman she loves and restore the life they had. Yet, how can she stand before the Gods when that means standing against the one she loves?

Taylor Metzler currently lives in northern California with her family and cats (and some other pets that need not be mentioned, but we did anyway). She’s been writing since always and reading more than is healthy. She also enjoys such boring hobbies as crocheting and baking things that are far too tasty to be safe. 

The Magic of Yes by Lori Pappas

An empowering and transformative journey for women seeking to navigate life’s challenges with wisdom, courage, and grace. As modern life becomes increasingly fast-paced and demanding, it reminds us that true wisdom comes not from age or experience but from the ability to reflect, learn, and embrace the present moment. In a world where self-care and mindfulness are crucial to well-being, practical tools and inspirational stories help readers discover the magic within themselves. It includes a Timely Message of Empowerment, Tools for Self-Discovery and Growth, Stories that Inspire and Heal, and a Blueprint for Embracing Change.

Lori Pappas is an award-winning entrepreneur, humanitarian, and survivor of a traumatic childhood who learned to leverage the power of self-reflection and redefine my core beliefs. “I have mentored hundreds of employees, thousands of customers, and earned the moniker of the ‘wise woman’ of South Omo, Ethiopia.”

for the birds by Sara Paris

“Paris’ haiku are signposts on the highway of poetry, imploring us to slow down to observe all the little things that are actually big and important. She reminds us that these, added up, are what make a meaningful and beautiful life.” ~Bryan Rickert, former president, Haiku Society of America

Sarah Paris is a Swiss-American writer and haiku poet. Her collection of haiku, For the Birds, was published by Red Moon Press in 2024. Among her prose publications are the novellas The Hermit and The Traveler (as “Chris Solano”), the short story collection Waywards, and the German-language novel, Ahnenbeschwörung.

Dusty Roads by Elaine Rock

Barbara “Dusty” Roads was a trailblazing stewardess and union leader who took on the airline industry’s sexist policies in the 1950s and ’60s. Fighting against marriage bans, age limits, weight restrictions, unequal pay, and humiliating girdle checks, she refused to back down. As one of the first female union lobbyists to Congress, she pushed for workplace equality and later made history by filing the first-ever EEOC sex discrimination complaint. Her efforts helped stop a strike, transform airline policies, and open doors for women and men nationwide. “Dusty Roads started it all.“ ~ Gloria Steinem 

Elaine Rock is a writer who uncovers the untold stories of courageous, unsung heroes who changed history. A former history teacher and technology executive, she’s passionate about women’s rights and forgotten narratives. Her expertise, featured in PBS’s documentary Fly With Me, inspires and empowers by bringing hidden voices to light. 

Silver Echoes by Rebecca Rosenberg

1920s Chicago: Rising starlet Silver Dollar Tabor’s life shatters after a traumatic attack, unleashing a hidden self. She plunges into the city’s dangerous underworld, her ambition twisting into destruction, her love affair with screenwriter, Carl, fraying. 

1932, Colorado. Her mother, Baby Doe, haunted by Silver’s disappearance, desperately seeks answers. With Carl, she uncovers a shocking truth that rewrites their family’s history. This true story explores the dark side of ambition, the cost of hidden selves, and the enduring power of love. 

Bestselling author Rebecca Rosenberg brings remarkable women from history to life. When not writing, she’s exploring ghost towns, tending lavender, or indulging her champagne obsession. 

White Sheep, Black Wool by Jenna Scott

In her journey of self-discovery and acceptance, Jenna Scott’s captivating narrative explores the struggles of fitting in, the power of embracing individuality, and the beauty of finding your place in the world.

Jenna Scott has been a storyteller for her entire life. Whether writing stories or bending a stranger’s ear, her love of words has been her ‘favorite addiction.’ When she was young, Jenna discovered her ‘gift of gab.’ As a matter of fact, she has a faint memory of pushing her way out of the birth canal because she had something she wanted to say.

The Bar Pilot by Tommie W. Whitener

Ryan is a bar pilot on San Francisco Bay and the book is heavy on the many fascinating places, people and situations unique to that world famous body of water. As skilled as he in in piloting the huge ships in and out of the Bay, so he fails time after time in his search for the love of his life, until finally . . . 

Tommie W. Whitener is a former lawyer who has successfully transitioned to writing novels and short stories. Although The Bar Pilot has nothing to do with Russia, because of his lifelong interest in things Russian, including his Russian wife of 26 years, his other writings often do.

Bear is Not a Bear by Jean Wong

A collection of poetry; spanning from the humour & the whimsical to a commentary of the social predicament of our times; also a proclamation of love to the people and animals in my life. 

Jean Wong, author of Sleeping with the Gods and Hurtling Jade, is an award-winning poet, fiction, and memoir writer. Her work has been produced by the Petaluma Reader’s Theater, and Sixth Street Playhouse. Jean writes from the bottom of a well, amazed to look up and see the sky.