California Writers Club Orange County

Guest Speaker: Barbara DeMarco-Barrett
Topic: "Short Stories and the Secret to Writing Transformative Fiction"

The California Writers Club meets monthly for our featured speaker series focused on the craft and business of writing. Topics are presented by major authors, publishers, self-published writers, college professors, literary agents, and other professionals.

■ 9:00am - 9:30am Networking
■ 9:30am - 11:00am Guest Speaker

Barbara’s latest book is Palm Springs Noir (Akashic), which she edited and contributed a story. Her venture into noir fiction began with the short story, “Crazy for You,” originally published in Akashic Book’s, Orange County Noir, later included in USA Noir: Best of the Akashic Noir Series. Her fiction and poetry have been published in Coolest American Stories 2022, CrimeReads, Dark City Crime & Magazine, The Ekphrastic Review, Crossing Borders, Shotgun Honey, The Literary Hatchet, Rock and a Hard Place, Paradigm Shifts, Broad River Review, Serial Magazine, Beach Reads, and The Oyez Review.

Her first book, Pen on Fire: A Busy Woman’s Guide to Igniting the Writer Within, was a Los Angeles Times best-seller and honored with an American Society of Journalists and Authors Outstanding Book Award. She was nominated for a Pushcart Prize for her short story, “Rowboat,” in Kelp Journal (Dec. 2023). In September 2025, Kelp Books will publish her debut short story collection, Pool Fishing.

Guest Speaker: Henry Lien
Topic: “Non-Western Storytelling Structures”

The California Writers Club meets monthly for our featured speaker series focused on the craft and business of writing. Topics are presented by major authors, publishers, self-published writers, college professors, literary agents, and other professionals.

■ 9:00am - 9:30am Networking
■ 9:30am - 11:00am Guest Speaker

Henry Lien is a graduate of Brown University, UCLA School of Law, and Clarion West Writers’ Workshop. He is the author of the Peasprout Chen fantasy series and the non-fiction book Spring, Summer, Asteroid, Bird: The Art of Eastern Storytelling. His writing has appeared in publications including Asimov’s, Analog, F&SF, Literary Hub, and Poets & Writers, and he is a four-time Nebula Award finalist.

Henry also teaches for institutions including UCLA Extension, the University of Iowa, Clarion West, and Writing the Other and won the UCLA Extension Department of the Arts Outstanding Instructor of the Year Award. Henry has previously worked as an attorney and fine art dealer.

Guest Speaker: Caitlin Rother
Topic: "Shifting Genres: Risk and Reward, Market and Craft"

The California Writers Club meets monthly for our featured speaker series focused on the craft and business of writing. Topics are presented by major authors, publishers, self-published writers, college professors, literary agents, and other professionals.

■ 9:00am - 9:30am Networking
■ 9:30am - 11:00am Guest Speaker

New York Times bestselling author Caitlin Rother has written or co-authored 17 books, the latest of which are HOOKED and STAGED from Rother’s new “Katrina & Goode” thriller series. Her other recent titles are DOWN TO THE BONE, about the McStay family murders, BODY PARTS, about serial killer Wayne Adam Ford, and DEATH ON OCEAN BOULEVARD, about the mysterious death of Rebecca Zahau.

Rother, who worked as an investigative newspaper reporter for 19 years before becoming a full-time author, has appeared more than 250 times on TV/radio shows and podcasts. She also works as a book coach, enjoys ocean swimming, and plays keyboards and sings in a jazzy bluesy trio.