SALON CANCELLATION

Due to unexpected circumstances beyond our control, we must cancel our beloved salon for 2012. Please check back for updates. Guests planning to attend the salon and anyone who has donated to our endeavor will receive full refunds via US mail for the full amount paid. We are as disappointed as you are, but we will continue to strive to bring creative Orange County women together in elegant venues with dynamic programs that will inspire and motivate them. All the best!

OUR MISSION STATEMENT

We believe a woman, born to create, has the right to pursue her artistic dreams within a community of mentors, supporters and role models who encourage, inspire and validate her efforts. Our fall salon celebrates a woman’s creative spirit and connects her with sister travelers who share her journey.

"... absolutely the best literary event I've ever attended!"

"Perfect! From beginning to end, it was the most delightful and wonderful experience! Please have another next year!"

"It was a Cinderella moment from start to finish. I felt lifted from my day-to-day ordinary life into another sphere and came away enlightened and inspired."

Mark Your Calendars for the October 6th Salon! Reserve Your Place NOW!

BOOK NOW! Reservations are already being received. Don't be left out of this wonderful event where you'll meet dynamic women who have proven themselves in the field of creative arts. 

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2012 in Coto de Caza, 1-5 pm. Book your reservation and mark the date on your calendar now! You don't want to miss our literary salon for creative women. Afternoon in the Garden includes a champagne reception, light lunch, music, poetry, art, prizes, networking, book signing and MORE in a lovely backyard setting. If you enjoy meeting authors & poets, or yearn to be inspired to follow your own creative dreams, this salon is especially for YOU! 

Featured speakers will be best-selling authors CAITLIN ROTHER (true crime) & LAUREL CORONA (historical fiction) and award-winning poet ALLISON BENIS WHITE who will speak about their own journeys as creative women. In addition, artist ROBIN WETHE ALTMAN will display some of her work, playwright THEA IBERALL will treat us to a mini-performance, harpist PAMELA BROWN will play during our champagne reception; Emcee for the salon will be editor/columnist BARBARA POTTER. This is your chance to meet your role models, develop new friendships, make important contacts, find your muse, and widen your own circle of creative women.

MEET AUTHOR CAITLIN ROTHER

CAITLIN ROTHER writes gripping true crime stories!

Featured speaker will be New York Times bestselling author Caitlin Rother, who has written or co-authored eight books, both fiction and non-fiction, that include Dead Reckoning and Lost Girls. A Pulitzer-nominated investigative journalist, Caitlin Rother worked nearly 20 years for daily newspapers, and has made dozens of TV and radio appearances as a crime expert.

"If you want an erudite and entertaining guest, Caitlin is every bit as entertaining and informative as her bestselling books." - Burl Barer, True Crime Uncensored Radio Show

Step into the mind of a female killer!

"A true crime novel that will keep you on the edge of your seat...a brilliant job of captivating the inner workings of a female killer." 

The tragic Newport Beach yacht murder on board Well Deserved!

"We've finally found the next Ann Rule! Caitlin Rother writes with heart and suspense. DEAD RECKONING is a chilling read by a writer at the top of her game."

The controversial book about sexual predator John Gardner.

LOST GIRLS  chronicles the controversial story behind the rape and murder of two innocents, teenagers Chelsea King and Amber Dubois, by sexual predator John Gardner.

MEET LAUREL CORONA

Featured speaker will be award-winning Laurel Corona, author of such books as Finding Emilie, Penelope's Daughter, and Four Seasons.  She writes high-quality fiction about women and the forgotten and undervalued roles they played in their societies. Whether it’s the real-life physicist Emilie du Chatelet, the literary heroine Penelope, or women who have sprung entirely from her imagination, she offers stories true to the facts of time and place.

LAUREL CORONA writes high-quality fiction about significant women in under-valued roles.

"I have always believed it is my obligation to the universe to thrive, and when grief, trauma, or misfortune hit, I treat recovery as requiring the same intensity of attention and commitment I pay to my work as a writer and professor."

FINDING EMILIE. As life in aristocratic society constricts around her like the excruciating corsets she is forced to wear, Emilie’s daughter Lili must learn what the reader already knows--that the secret to understanding herself and gaining the courage to fashion her own life lies in seeking out the story of the remarkable woman who bore her. 

PENELOPE'S DAUGHTER. "A beautiful excursion into the realms of The Odyssey, with some surprises Homer didn't know about."

A priest by profession, in his mid-twenties Antonio Vivaldi was renowned in Venice primarily as a superb violinist. In fact, he had barely begun to compose music when he was hired to be the violin teacher for the top soloists at the foundling hospital, cloister, and musical academy known as the Ospedale della Pieta.Vivaldi might never have reached his full potential as a composer if he had not had the coro of the Pieta, a disciplined and skilled ensemble of instrumentalists and vocalists.

MEET ALLISON BENIS WHITE

ALLISON BENIS WHITE writes poetry out of memoir  that can break your heart.

Featured poet will be award-winning Allison Benis White, author of Portrait With Crayon and Small Porcelain Head. Her poems have been described as "beautiful, sometimes achingly so." The Boston Review says, it's "rare to find a book of poetry that makes a reader remember why one reads poetry." Nick Flynn, Some Ether and Blind Huber, says, "I found myself thinking of Frost as I read these beautifully disturbing poems--'The whole great enterprise of life, of the world, the great enterprise of our race, is our penetration into matter, deeper and deeper, carrying the spirit deeper into matter.'"

MEET ROBIN WETHE ALTMAN

ROBIN WETHE ALTMAN appears in the Art-A-Fair and has a deep spiritual connection with her work.

Featured artist will be Robin Wethe Altman the cover artist for Interstices, the OC Anthology as well as the She Writes Anthology, who has shown her work in many venues including the prestigious Festival of the Arts in Laguna Beach and the Art-A-Fair. She has generously donated a glicee of a lovely sunflower to be raffled off at the salon. More of Robin's work can be seen at the end of this page. "There's something very unique about Robin's paintings. When you look at them you are transported to another 'realm' where only happiness exists. There is something magic that these paintings do to your heart. When you look at one of her paintings, it beckons you to abandon everything that isn't working in your life and step inside where you become happy and free once more."

"SUNFLOWER" by Robin Wethe Altman will be raffled off as a prize at the October 6, 2012  salon.

MEET THEA IBERALL

TJEA IBERALL is a performance poet and playwright.

Featured playwright Thea Iberall is also an award-winning poet, storyteller, ghostwriter, editor, and scientist. She has been published in The Southern California Anthology, Spillway, poeticdiversity, and numerous other journals and is the author of The Sanctuary of Artemis: A Collection of Contextual Poems. Her play, At Seven, was performed by the Toledo Repertory Company, and her Primed for Love had a run at the Eclectic Company Theatre. In addition, she is the playwright of We Did It for You! – a currently playing musical about how women got their rights in America. Her poetry has been published widely, including in Blood to Remember: American Poets on the Holocaust. She’s featured in the documentary GV6: Poets, Passion and Poetry.

MEET PAMELA BROWN

PAMELA BROWN has provided harp music at many venues throughout the county.

Featured musician will be harpist Pamela Brown who began her advanced study at age twelve with JoAnn Turovsky, distinguished professor at USC School of Music. Pamela received her musical education at Indiana University, Bloomington, where she majored in harp performance with Susann McDonald. She frequently plays at prominent venues in the area, such as the St. Regis Hotel, Ritz Carlton Hotel, Montage Resort, Biltmore Hotel, and Disneyland Resort. With more than 20 years of professional performance experience combined together with skill, artistry, and her passion for the harp, Pamela continues to deliver high-quality music to enhance the most special and memorable times of people’s lives.

MEET BARBARA POTTER

BARBARA POTTER has a lifelong addiction to books and writing.

Featured emcee will be Barbara Potter, columnist and editor at the Orange County Register and author of the book So She Says. "For most of my life I have had an addiction, one that has cost me some money: I can't stop buying books for my book shelves and now for my iPod Touch. My love of reading and listening to people's stories has resulted in a career as a reporter and editor for the Almanac in Pennsylvania and the Orange County Register in Southern California." 

if you are a published author or poet attending the event, contact MaryAnn at 949-285-3831 so that we can introduce you at the salon, recognize your success, and celebrate your creative process.
Become a Friend of the Salon. Women helping other women empowers us all! 949-285-3831.

Sponsored by Windflower Press, The Writer's Best Friend!

MEET MARYANN EASLEY & JANN HARMON

Having a passion for creating what they love best––combining books, authors, artists, and other creaiive women in elegant gatherings where they can network and become inspired to follow their dreams, the Literary Salon for Creative Women is sponsored by  MaryAnn Easley, award-winning author & educator and Jann Harmon, graphic designer & artist. 

"I believe we are heroes of our own stories, and we are more interconnected than we realize. When we follow our passion and do what we love, something changes in ourselves, in the lives of others, and in the universe itself. It's serendipitous that we meet in this time and place." – MaryAnn Easley

Book your reservation safely online with credit card at the Buy Now link in the sidebar
Or pay $70 by check: Windflower Press
Box 7089, Laguna Niguel, CA 92607
Your reservation will be confirmed for your records. (Tax deducible for professional writers.)

Comments from Our Previous Salon

"Have you ever felt as if you have entered a magical sphere? Yesterday,all my troubles seemed to fade away”---thank you! From the moment I floated down the stairs of the Montage Resort to the sounds of a violin and the visuals of exquisite baskets, scrumptious, rich paintings, flashes of the MOST PERFECT southern California day, I realized I was in an elegant salon! It wasn’t Virginia Woolf’s, it wasn’t Simone de Beauvoir’s, it wasn’t Charlotte Bronte’s, it was MaryAnn and Jann’s tea party!"

"... absolutely the best literary event I've ever attended!"

"It was a Cinderella moment from start to finish. I felt lifted from my day-to-day ordinary life into another sphere and came away enlightened and inspired."

"All your hard work showed in the details from the chocolate dipped strawberries to the champagne to the violinist. Bravo!!!"

"Superb! Magnificent! A perfect event!"

"The Salon event was without flaw - the place, setting, food, and entertainment superb. My guests loved every minute, as I did - top drawer all the way."

"Perfect! From beginning to end, it was the most delightful and wonderful experience! Please have another next year!"

Oprah says: "Forget about the fast lane. If you really want to fly, just harness your power to your passion." 

Edith Wharton said: "There are two ways of spreading light. To be the candle, or the mirror that reflects it." 

Ayn Rand reminded us: "The question isn’t who’s going to let me; it’s who is going to stop me." 

Erica Jong says: "And the trouble is, if you don’t risk anything, you risk more."

Filled to Capacity!

Over one hundred women attended the literary salon held at the beautiful Montage Resort in Laguna Beach on Saturday, October 9th. Ever since I read about the French salons of earlier centuries, I’ve wanted to sponsor such an event for women. Such salons, held to amuse, entertain, and refine the taste of the participants through conversations about literature and philosophy became an important part of the French literary movement.

This day belonged to YOU, a day to network with others and make new friends. Guests were treated to an art exhibit by Robin Wethe Altman, violin music by Jessica Haddy, inspiring conversation with authors Dodie Cross, Kathryn Jordan, Barbara Potter, Ricki Mandeville, Lynette Brasfield, Jeri Westerson, Barbara DeMarco Barrett, and Regina Louise.

Click the "links" section in the sidebar to the right to access authors and artists featured at the salon. Check back for salon updates. Let's stay connected.

"To read is to empower
To empower is to write
To write is to influence
To Influence is to change
To change is to live."
~ Jane Evershed

My co-coordinator, Jann Harmon, and I worked hard to make this an event to remember. Each speaker spoke on the theme of risk we take as women in our own unique ways. We started with our emcee, Barbara Potter, who described how she risked to find her birth daughter after 42 years, and we ended with Regina Louise captivating us with the story of how, after 40 years, she found her mother, a woman who wanted to adopt her as a child and couldn't because of racial differences.

Ricki Mandeville began the program by reading some of her marvelous poetry; Barbara DeMarco-Barrett gave everyone valuable tips on writing; Kathryn Jordan described how both she and her story heroines have risked; Lynette Brasfield revealed the courage it took to write the truth; Jeri Westerson discarded her seven page prepared speech and spoke of how she has risked all her life without realizing it; and Regina Louise brought everyone to tears with her dramatic story of growing up unwanted and unloved. All have risked in some way and are the better for it.

Congratulations to those who won the five gift baskets filled with expensive wines, coffee, jewelry, gift certificates and more valuable prizes as well as to the lucky winner of the trip to Los Gaviotas for a two-night stay in a fabulous artist's residence only steps from the sand!

I want to thank everyone who participated in this event and helped me bring my vision of a French literary salon to 21st Century Orange County women.

"There came a time when the risk to remain tight in the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom." - Anais Nin

"A word after a word after a word is power." - Margaret Atwood

"Your own words are the bricks and mortar of the dreams you want to realize. Your words are the greatest power you have. The words you choose and their use establish the life you experience," - Sonia Croquette

"A woman is the full circle. Within her is the power to create, nurture and transform." - Diane Mariechild

SALON SCHEDULE:

10:30 am - Arrival, Networking, Art Exhibit, Champagne
10:50 am - Welcome, Introductions:
MaryAnn Easley, Windflower Press
Anthology Cover Artist: Robin Wethe Altman
Violin music: Jessica Haddy
Emcee: Barbara Potter, Columnist & Inspirational Speaker
11:15 am - Poetry Reading: Ricki Mandeville
11:30 am - Speaker: Barbara DeMarco-Barrett, Author
12:00 pm - Lunch
12:55 - 2:00 pm
- Drawing for Gift Basket #1.
Speaker: Kathryn Jordan, Author
- Drawing for Gift Basket #2.
Speaker: Lynette Brasfield, Author
- Drawing for Gift Basket #3.
Speaker: Jeri Westerson, Author
- Drawing for Gift Basket #4.
Speaker: Regina Louise, Author
- Drawing for Gift Basket #5
- Drawing for the Los Gaviotas holiday.
2:00 - 3:00 pm:
Networking
Book signing
Art exhibit

LUNCHEON MENU
Assorted Tea Sandwiches:
Cucumber and Mint
Smoked Salmon on Pumpernickel
Chicken Curry
Egg Salad and Watercress
Asparagus and Prosciutto
 
PASTRIES & CONFECTIONS
Currant Scones
Strawberry Jam, Devonshire Cream, Lemon Curd
Assorted Mini Pastries and Cakes
Fancy Tea Cookies
Chocolate Dipped Strawberries
Dark and White Chocolate
 
BEVERAGES
Montage Assorted Deluxe Tea Boxes
Honey, Lemon Slices, Sugar Sticks, Sugar Cubes
Champagne ~ Mimosas
Coffee

Laguna Beach Violinist Booked for the Salon!

Paul McIntire, our scheduled violinist, had emergency surgery last night and will not be able to appear on Saturday. We have booked another local musician you should know about.

Jessica Haddy is a freelance violinist in Southern California, performing with the Golden State Pops Orchestra, O.C., Fullerton, Downey, and Debut Symphonies. She graduated in 2004 with a degree in violin performance at California State University Long Beach.

Jessica has appeared in music videos with Elton John, Sheryl Crow, Sting, Il Divo and Randy Travis. She has made television appearances performing with Burt Bacharach for the Hollywood Tree Lighting Ceremony and performing with the Golden State Pops Orchestra at the Dorothy Chandler Pavalion.

We are delighted she is able to join us at the salon.

RESERVATIONS ARE CLOSED!

Thank you for accessing our site. We are excited about the upcoming "She Writes" Salon. We expect stellar weather on October 9th at the beautiful Montage Resort in Laguna Beach.

Women writers, readers, and friends will gather at the Studio to network with others interested in the literary life.

There will be a drawing for valuable prizes, authors available to sign books, a featured artist, a violinist, and interesting people to meet plus a fabulous view. What could be better?

If you missed your chance to make a reservation or have any questions regarding the women's salon, please call MaryAnn at 949-285-3831 in case there's a last minute cancellation.

See you at the salon on Saturday!