This Week in Books: March 27 – April 2

The LA Books Examiner is your place for books articles, poetry videos, author interviews and local book events scheduled each week from LA to Hollywood, the Palisades to Pasadena. This week we shared with you two exclusive book excerpts from bestselling authors Terri Cheney and J.A. Jance from their respective books The Dark Side of Innocence and Fatal Error. If you haven’t read them yet, check them out now, because later this week, we have another surprise bestselling author sharing an excerpt from a new book that you don’t want to miss.

In the mean time, check out some of the great local events in this week’s Books Calendar from Frank Mundo, the LA Books Examiner. Also, I wanted to personally thank everyone who braved the rain and came out to my reading of The Brubury Tales for Feral Fusion at the Amsterdam Café last week. Thank you so much!

Sunday March 27

Joshua Foer discusses and signs Moonwalking with Einstein at Vroman’s Bookstore, 695 E. Colorado Blvd, Pasadena. 3 p.m. Free. (626) 449-5320.

Lynette Louise, MS, NTC, BCIA-EEG discusses and signs Miracles are Made:The Real Life Guide to Autism at Bodhi Tree Bookstore, 8585 Melrose Avenue, West Hollywood. 3 p.m. Free. (310) 659-1733. http://www.lynettelouise.com/

Monday March 28

Chris Jericho presents and signs Undisputed: How to Become the World Champion in 1,372 Easy Steps at Barnes & Noble (The Grove) 189 The Grove Drive, Los Angeles. 8 pm. Free. (323) 525-0270.

Cheryl Burke presents and signs Dancing Lessons: How I Found Passion and Potential on the Dance Floor and in Life at Barnes & Noble (The Grove) 189 The Grove Drive, Los Angeles. 8 pm. Free. (323) 525-0270.

Tuesday March 29

Open poetry reading plus Danika Dinsmore – 3:15 Experiment Reading at the Cobalt Cafe, 22047 Sherman Way, Canoga Park. Opens 8:30 p.m. Sign-up for open reading before 9 p.m. when reading starts. One drink minimum (no alcohol). Event Hosted by LA poet Rick Lupert.

Steven Whitney and Dr. David Kipper present and sign The Addiction Solution: Unraveling the Mysteries of Addiction through Cutting-Edge Brain Science at Book Soup, 8818 W. Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood. 7 p.m. Free. (310) 659-3110.

Mark Childress discusses and signs Georgia Bottoms at Vroman’s Bookstore, 695 E. Colorado Blvd, Pasadena. 7 p.m. Free. (626) 449-5320.

Meg Howrey reads and signs Blind Sight at Skylight Books, 1818 N. Vermont Avenue, Los Angeles. 7:30 p.m. Free. (323) 660-1175.

Wednesday March 30

Lois Banner presents and signs MM-Personal: From the Private Archive of Marilyn Monroe at Book Soup, 8818 W. Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood. 7 p.m. Free. (310) 659-3110.

Sarah Vowell discusses and signs Unfamiliar Fishes at Vroman’s Bookstore, 695 E. Colorado Blvd, Pasadena. 7 p.m. Free. (626) 449-5320.

Thursday March 31

Joel Selvin discusses and signs Smartass: The Music Journalism of Joel Selvin: California Rock and Roll at Book Soup, 8818 W. Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood. 7 p.m. Free. (310) 659-3110.

Jean Rosenfeld discusses Terrorism & Political Violence in the Contemporary Era at Village Books, 1049 Swarthmore Avenue, Pacific Palisades. 7:30 p.m. Free. (310) 450-4063.

Feral Fusion Open Mike: Hosted by Angel Uriel Perales and Cindy Weinstein, Feral Fusion encourages experimentation in the spoken word: lyric poetry, prose poetry, free verse, hip hop, slam and storytelling at The Amsterdam Café, 10905 Magnolia Blvd., North Hollywood. Free. Sign-up at 8 pm. Show starts at 8:30 pm. Email: feralfusion [AT] cindynw.com

Friday April 1

Camilla Läckberg discusses and signs The Ice Princess at Vroman’s Bookstore, 695 E. Colorado Blvd, Pasadena. 7 p.m. Free. (626) 449-5320.

Vidal Sassoon presents and signs Vidal: The Autobiography at Book Soup, 8818 W. Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood. 7 p.m. Free. (310) 659-3110.

Nahid Sewell discusses The Ruby Tear Catcher at Village Books, 1049 Swarthmore Avenue, Pacific Palisades. 7:30 p.m. Free. (310) 450-4063.

Saturday April 2

DR. John-Roger, Dr. Paul Kaye and Jsu Garcia discuss and sign Living the Spiritual Principles of Health and Well-Being and the DVD, Spiritual Warriors at Bodhi Tree Bookstore, 8585 Melrose Avenue, West Hollywood. 2 p.m. Free. (310) 659-1733. http://www.mandevillepress.org/   http://www.john-roger.org/  http://www.spiritualwarriors.com/

David Kates reads his memoir in poetry, Inheriting Weight at Village Books, 1049 Swarthmore Avenue, Pacific Palisades. 3 p.m. Free. (310) 450-4063.

Carole Eglash-Kosoff discusses and signs The Human Spirit at Vroman’s Bookstore, 695 E. Colorado Blvd, Pasadena. 5 p.m. Free. (626) 449-5320.

*All events and speakers are subject to change without notice. Always confirm with the bookstore before attending any event.

If you’d like to announce your Los Angeles area book events on LA Books Examiner, or the release of an upcoming book, send info at least 10 days prior to the email address under my bio. While you’re there, sign up for my emails and follow me on Twitter @LABooksExaminer.

Frank Mundo is the author of The Brubury Tales (foreword by Carolyn See), which is available on Amazon.com in paperback and in eBook. The Brubury Tales won Reader View’s 2011 Reviewers Choice Award for Poetry Book of the Year and the 2011 Bookhitch Award for Innovative Poetry Book of the Year.

LA Books Examiner’s Author Interview Series

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LA Books Examiner’s Pause for Poetry Profiles

Feral Fusion Presents LA Poet Frank Mundo at the Amsterdam Cafe

On Thursday March 24th Feral Fusion presents LA poet Frank Mundo, author of The Brubury Tales, at the Amsterdam Cafe in North Hollywood at 8:30 pm.

10905 Magnolia Blvd.
North Hollywood, CA  91601
(NoHo Redline Metro Station)
(818) 506-1938

Hosted by Angel Uriel Perales and Cindy Weinstein (aka Feral Artist) this Feral Fusion event is immediately followed by an open mike, so come on out and share your work in front of a live audience. Feral Fusion encourages experimentation in the spoken word: lyric poetry, prose poetry, free verse, hip hop, slam and storytelling. Sign-up at 8pm.

About the Author
Frank Mundo has been a writer and book reviewer in Los Angeles for 17 years, publishing hundreds of stories, poems, essays, book reviews and author interviews. Currently a Senior Financial Writer, Frank earned a BA in English from UCLA, where he completed the Creative Writing Program. Born in Maryland, Frank grew up in Los Angeles where he currently lives with his wife, Nancy, and their dogs, Jax and Rusty.

About the Book
An ambitious homage to Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, The Brubury Tales takes Chaucer’s story and frame to Los Angeles just after the riots, where seven security guards on the graveyard shift swap tales in a hilarious storytelling competition for Christmas vacation time. The tales themselves are “readable” updates of classic stories by Dostoevsky, Dickens, Boccaccio, O Henry, Poe, Twain, Gilman, Crane, Saki, Anderson, Bierce, and even Khayyam’s Rubaiyat. This edition also contains a special foreword by California literary legend, Carolyn See, the Friday-morning book reviewer for The Washington Post and bestselling author of Handyman and There Will Never Be Another You.

The Brubury Tales won a Poet Laureate Award nomination for UCLA and Berkeley, Reader Views 2011 Reviewers Choice Award for Poetry Book of the Year and the 2011 Bookhitch award for Most Innovative Poetry Book of the Year. The book has also won a Reason to Rhyme Award from Byline Magazine, was selected for Powell library’s month-long WORDS… exhibit, and an excerpt was published by Indiana University.

The Brubury Tales by Frank Mundo is available in paperback and eBook formats at Amazon, Borders, Barnes & Noble. Signed copies are available at live events or at Authors Den. Read a sample of The Brubury Tales.

 Watch the book trailer for The Brubury Tales at LA Books Examiner

For the latest updates to LA Books Examiner, be sure to subscribe and follow me on Twitter @LABooksExaminer.

LA Books Examiner’s Author Interview Series

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This Week in Books: March 20 through March 26

The LA Books Examiner is your place for books articles, poetry videos, author interviews and local book events scheduled each week from LA to Hollywood, the Palisades to Pasadena. Check out some of the great local events in this week’s Books Calendar from Frank Mundo, the LA Books Examiner.

Sunday March 20

Meredith Baxter discusses and signs Untied at Diesel Books (Brentwood), Brentwood Country Mart, 225 26th Street, Santa Monica. 3 p.m. Free. 310-576-9960.

Cara Black discusses and signs Murder in Passy at Vroman’s Bookstore, 695 E. Colorado Blvd, Pasadena. 5 p.m. Free. (626) 449-5320.

Sammy Hagar signs Red: My Uncensored Life in Rock at Book Soup, 8818 W. Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood. 5 p.m. Free. (310) 659-3110.

Monday March 21

Lisa Catherine Harper and Cristina Nehring present and sign their respective titles A Double Life: Discovering Motherhood and Vindication of Love: Reclaiming Romance for the Twenty-First Century at Book Soup, 8818 W. Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood. 7 p.m. Free. (310) 659-3110.

Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson discuss and sign Hellhole at Vroman’s Bookstore, 695 E. Colorado Blvd, Pasadena. 7 p.m. Free. (626) 449-5320.

Tuesday March 22

Laurel Ann Bogen’s UCLA Extension Writers’ Program Student Poetry Reading at Diesel Books (Brentwood), Brentwood Country Mart, 225 26th Street, Santa Monica. 7 p.m. Free. 310-576-9960.

Mario Garcia and Sal Castro discuss and sign Blowout! Sal Castro and the Chicano Struggle for Educational Justice at Vroman’s Bookstore, 695 E. Colorado Blvd, Pasadena. 7 p.m. Free. (626) 449-5320.

Joe Matthews and Mark Paul present and sign California Crackup: How Reform Broke the Golden State and How We Can Fix It at Book Soup, 8818 W. Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood. 7 p.m. Free. (310) 659-3110.

Open poetry reading plus Jack Bowman at the Cobalt Cafe, 22047 Sherman Way, Canoga Park. Opens 8:30 p.m. Sign-up for open reading before 9 p.m. when reading starts. One drink minimum (no alcohol). Event Hosted by LA poet Rick Lupert.

Wednesday March 23

Terri Cheney presents and signs The Dark Side of Innocence: Growing Up Bipolar at Book Soup, 8818 W. Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood. 7 p.m. Free. (310) 659-3110.

Gary Vaynerchuk discusses and signs The Thank You Economy at Vroman’s Bookstore, 695 E. Colorado Blvd, Pasadena. 7 p.m. Free. (626) 449-5320.

Mario Garcia and Sal Castro discuss and sign Blowout! Sal Castro and the Chicano Struggle for Educational Justice at Skylight Books, 1818 N. Vermont Avenue, Los Angeles. 7:30 p.m. Free. (323) 660-1175.

Thursday March 24

Frank Mundo (the LA Books Examiner) reads and signs The Brubury Tales, a modern version of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales in Los Angeles at The Amsterdam Café, 10905 Magnolia Blvd., North Hollywood at 8:30 pm. Free. (818) 506-1938. Hosted by Angel Uriel Perales and Cindy Weinstein, this Feral Fusion event is followed by an open mic. Feral Fusion encourages experimentation in the spoken word: lyric poetry, prose poetry, free verse, hip hop, slam, storytelling. Sign-up at 8pm.

James Brown and Victoria Patterson discuss and sign This River & This Vacant Paradise at Vroman’s Bookstore, 695 E. Colorado Blvd, Pasadena. 7 p.m. Free. (626) 449-5320.

Mike Bara discusses signs The Choice: Using Conscious Thought and Physics of the Mind to Reshape the World at Bodhi Tree Bookstore, 8585 Melrose Avenue, West Hollywood. 7:30 p.m. Free. (310) 659-1733. www.MikeBara.com

Dan Savage and Terry Miller discuss and sign It Gets Better: Coming Out, Overcoming Bullying, and Creating a Life Worth Living at the Renberg Theatre, 1125 N McCadden Place Hollywood. 8 p.m. More info at Book Soup (310) 659-3110.

Friday March 25

Eleanor Brown discusses and signs The Weird Sisters at Vroman’s Bookstore, 695 E. Colorado Blvd, Pasadena. 7 p.m. Free. (626) 449-5320.

Candace Walsh, Laura Andre and various contributors present and sign Dear John, I Love Jane: Women Write About Leaving Men for Women at Book Soup, 8818 W. Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood. 7 p.m. Free. (310) 659-3110.

Students from the Master of Professional Writing graduate program at USC will read their work, joined by USC faculty member and acclaimed poet Amy Gerstler at Skylight Books, 1818 N. Vermont Avenue, Los Angeles. 7:30 p.m. Free. (323) 660-1175. This reading’s theme is “Road Trip–Get Me Outta Here!” and the student readers are: Erin La Rosa, Sarah Lowe, Justin McFarr, Breene Murphy, and Russell Nakamura.

Saturday March 26

Village Books in the Palisades presents: Maisie Dobbs Literary Adventure (3:30 pm – 8:30 pm): Climb aboard a comfortable, touring coach bus and take a cruise up the coast and back in time to a vintage English pub in Ventura, where you will enjoy an authentic English dinner with Jacqueline Winspear, bestselling author of the Maisie Dobbs series, to celebrate the publication of the 8th book in the series, A Lesson in Secrets. For more information and tickets, visit Village Books’website or call (310) 454-4063.

Brett Battles presents and signs The Silenced: A Novel at Book Soup, 8818 W. Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood. 4 p.m. Free. (310) 659-3110.

JA Jance discusses and signs Fatal Error at Vroman’s Bookstore, 695 E. Colorado Blvd, Pasadena. 5 p.m. Free. (626) 449-5320.

*All events and speakers are subject to change without notice. Always confirm with the bookstore before attending any event.

If you’d like to announce your Los Angeles area book events on LA Books Examiner, or the release of an upcoming book, send info at least 10 days prior to the email address under my bio. While you’re there, sign up for my emails and follow me on Twitter @LABooksExaminer.

Frank Mundo is the author of The Brubury Tales (foreword by Carolyn See), which is available on Amazon.com in paperback and in eBook. The Brubury Tales is a finalist for Reader View’s 2011 Reviewer’s Choice Award for poetry.

LA Books Examiner’s Author Interview Series

LA Books Examiner’s Five Favorite Books Feature

LA Books Examiner’s Pause for Poetry Profiles