Thursday February 11       2-6:00pm
Writing Seminar with Steve Berry
author of The Paris Vendetta
Location:   Towne Center Books
AND
Thursday February 11       6:30pm
Public Reception with Steve Berry
Everyone Welcome!
Location:   Little Valley Winery

Steve Berry is the New York Times bestselling author of The Paris Vendetta, The Charlemagne Pursuit, and The Venetian Betrayal, among many others. He has 10 million books in print, which have been translated into 37 languages and sold in 50 countries.

A writing seminar is offered [see details below], but we encourage all Steve Berry fans to join us for the Reception that will be held at the Little Valley Winery at 6:30pm. Steve will regale us with stories of the 85 rejections he received before finally becoming a published author. The admission charge is $35, which will benefit the Museum on Main. Reservations are helpful, but not required.

For the writers among us--Steve's also an accomplished instructor, having taught the concepts of writing to many an audience across the globe. On February 11th, you'll have a chance to learn the craft of writing from Steve Berry himself, including the 'Four Cs' of story, structure, effective dialogue and point of view, as well as ten essential Rules of Writing. All this will be done over three 50-minute sessions, followed by a question and answer period.

Reserve your place in this great workshop now! Your $125 fee includes a copy of Steve Berry's latest novel, The Paris Vendetta, as well as admission to the public Reception which will be held at 6:30pm. Reception only: $35. Proceeds from these events will benefit the Museum on Main.

Steve and his wife Elizabeth have also started a foundation, History Matters, dedicated to aiding the preservation of our heritage. To learn more visit Steve's website .

Thursday     February 25    11:30am social; 12:00 lunch
Read It and Eat Luncheon with Yiyun Li
author of The Vagrants
Location:   Towne Center Books

Yiyun Li's book The Vagrants is beautifully written and will definitely stay with you. She wrote the novel to highlight the political state of even the small villages in the time before the Tiananmen Square Uprising. I promise you will enjoy meeting Yiyum and hearing what she has to say.

$20.00 for book and lunch; $15.00 for lunch alone. Reservations are required. 925-846-8826 or email us info@townecenterbooks.com.

Paperback edition will be available on Fegruary 16th. Read about Yiyun Li here.

Friday     February 26    7:30pm
Mystery Party with Mystery Writers
Penny Warner, Dana Mentink, and Diana Orgain
Location:   Towne Center Books

Penny Warner is an Agatha Award-winning author whose latest book is How to Host a Killer Party. No recipes, which may be just as well, considering what the corpses-to-be ate just before exiting the party. She offers plenty of hosting tips, for "Like MacGyver, a good event planner can fix any party mishap with a toothpick, duct tape, or some crepe paper. Especially those pesky blood spatters." Rhys Bowen, award-winning author of the Royal Spyness Mysteries says, "Penny Warner dishes up a rare treat, sparkling with wicked and witty San Francisco characters, plus some real tips on hosting a killer party." Check out Penny's website.

After many years teaching elementary school, Dana Mentink now writes full length fiction for Harlequin and Barbour Books. She is the author of Endless Night, a love-inspired suspense story. You can learn more about Dana on her website.

Diana Orgain writes the Maternal Instinct Mysteries , and in her latest book Motherhood is Murder, first-time mom Kate Connolly may have found the perfect work-from-home Mommy job: Private Investigator. After all, the hours are flexible, she can bring the baby along on stake-outs, and if you’re going to be up all night anyway, you might as well solve some crimes…...right? Diana's website will tell you more about her.

This is a free event and no reservations needed. Come and join us for an evening of mysteries and fun! Refreshments, too.

Saturdays     10:30am
Story Time
Location:   Towne Center Books

We're pleased to announce a New Event! - Storytime for ages 3+ and their parents. Come down on Saturday mornings at 10:30 when Nadia Firoozmand , a student at Pleasanton Middle School, will act out stories and involve the children in activities. This event will be ongoing, so come and enjoy whenever you can.

Our own Pleasanton Library has a great series called Books into Film. Read the book, see the movie, then come to the library and discuss which version was better!

Wonder Boys will be shown Feb. 21 at 2:00. Mention the film series when buying the book and receive the 15% bookclub discount.

Livermore Library continues many great programs for their all-city reads…. Get the next book, Travels with Charlie, at Towne Center and receive the bookclub discount of 15%.

Remember!
Convenient parking behind the store. We're open 6 nights (Sunday 6:00 closing). Save $10.00 on every 10th visit with our Free Loyalty Program. Special orders are usually received in the store within 24-48 hours.

Lucy Cousins, the creator or Maisy, is one of today's most acclaimed author-illustrators of children's books. Her unique titles instantly engage babies, toddlers, and preschoolers with their childlike simplicity and crayon-bright colors. And the winsome exploits of characters like Maisy--star of her own animated television program on Nick Jr.--reflect the adventures that young children have every day.

Lucy admits that illustration comes more easily to her than writing, which tends to work around the drawings. "I draw by heart," she says. "I think of what children would like by going back to my own childlike instincts." And what instincts! Lucy Cousins now has more than 4 million books in print, from cloth and picture books to irresistible pull-the-tab and lift-the-flap books to Maisy's Pop-Up Playhouse.

Working at home in Hampshire, England, Lucy is the mother of four young children, including, most recently, twins. Her daughter, Josie, who was 7 months old during the creation of the My Cloth Books, has been a helpful critic: "Josie looked at them and chewed them and did all the right things." The author's plans include even more books for the under-5 age group. Wendy Boase--Lucy's former editor and one of the founders of Walker Books, Candlewick's parent company in the U.K.--said of Lucy, "It's wonderful to help someone develop into one of the greats. And Lucy will be one of the greats." Fans of Maisy and other brilliant creations by Cousins seem to agree!