PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
Dear Redwood Writers,
January has a way of making writers feel like we need to figure everything out at once. New year, new goals, new plans…and suddenly the pressure is on to perform before we’ve even warmed up, which makes it so easy to lose steam before the month is through.
If you’re thinking about writing goals right now, I want to encourage a smaller approach. Instead of asking How much can I do this year? try asking What would help me show up to my writing more often? Goals don’t have to be big to be meaningful. In fact, the ones that tend to last are small enough to touch every day.
That might look like opening your document and rereading the last page before you write, lighting a candle or making a cup of tea before you sit down, or taking a couple of deep breaths to let your nervous system settle. Writing tends to come more easily when we feel steady and grounded, not rushed.
For me, I really love the idea of making a goal to connect with my writing more often instead of focusing all my energy on productivity and profits. This feels like a kinder way to create an intention around this new year, and to set my focus on what is sacred to me—my writing.
I hope whatever your intentions are for 2026, it keeps you in eager anticipation for every day you get to work on your goals.
As for branch news, I’m thrilled to share that Author Launch signups are now open, and I hope every member with a new book will consider signing up to be a featured author. This is one of my favorite events because it celebrates the courage it takes to bring a book into the world, and the community that makes that possible.
You’ll find more details elsewhere in this newsletter, but please note that the deadline to sign up is January 31, so don’t wait if you’d like to participate.
Here’s to a new year of writing that feels grounded, sustainable, and supported. I’m so grateful to be on this journey with you.
Until the next chapter,
Crissi Langwell
Redwood Writers President
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January Meeting & Potluck with Shelley Blanton-Stroud: "The Messy Intersection of Fact and Fiction" | We'll talk about the challenges and opportunities based on writing historical fiction. How much does your fiction "have" to adhere accurately to history? What happens, good and bad, when you diverge?
Shelley Blanton-Stroud grew up in California’s Central Valley. Her historical mystery series—Copy Boy, Tomboy, and Poster Girl—follows Jane Benjamin, a cross-dressing, tomato-picking, San Francisco gossip columnist who investigates crime stories that never make the front page. Her fourth novel, An Unlikely Prospect, features a widow publisher who fights to find her voice in 1945 journalism. | | | |
NEW! Redwood Writers is taking care of the fees.
Register online for the same price you'd pay at the door!
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Author Launch Signups
Redwood Writers invites recently published members to apply to be a featured author at our annual Author Launch event, a community celebration of new books and the authors behind them. The Author Launch will take place on March 28, 2026, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. in Room 5 at the Finley Center in Santa Rosa. The event is free and open to the public.
This opportunity is open to current Redwood Writers members who have published a book between January 1, 2025, and March 1, 2026. Both traditionally published and self-published books are eligible. Priority will be given to authors who have not previously participated in an Author Launch event. A total of 18 featured author spots are available, with an additional waitlist in the event of cancelations.
There is a $20 participation fee for accepted authors, which will be billed upon acceptance. This fee covers table space and room fees. Each featured author will receive half of an 8-foot table, shared with another author. Authors are responsible for bringing their own books and managing their own sales during the event.
The deadline to sign up is January 31, 2026. Submitting this sign-up indicates interest in participating but does not guarantee acceptance. Accepted authors will be notified after the deadline, and setup and event logistics will be provided at that time.
Questions may be directed to authorlaunch@redwoodwriters.org.
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The BOD Honors Judy M. Baker for Her Years of Service
With gratitude and admiration, the Board of Directors honored Judy M. Baker, Past President (2022–2024), with a Board of Directors award for her exceptional leadership and service to Redwood Writers. Her vision, creativity, and dedication have strengthened our community in countless ways.
Thank you, Judy, for everything you do to make Redwood Writers feel like a home to all writers!
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Want to help Redwood Writers shine?
Redwood Writers is a true writers-helping-writers community, and we’re always better when more voices are involved. Right now, we’re looking for a volunteer Social Media Manager to help share what’s happening in our branch on Facebook and Instagram.
This role is perfect for someone who enjoys highlighting meetings, events, and branch news, plus sprinkling in the occasional writing-related post to keep our community engaged. You don’t need to be a marketing expert, just someone who likes staying connected and helping others feel welcome. Canva (or other graphic program) skills are a plus!
We also have a few other volunteer opportunities available, if something else sparks your interest.
Curious about where you might fit in? Visit redwoodwriters.org/volunteer or reach out to Crissi at president@redwoodwriters.org.
| | Get Lit with Redwood Writers | |
Tuesday Mornings on The Krush
Every Tuesday at 8:45 a.m., tune in to The Krush, 95.9 FM, to hear a member of Redwood Writers talk about their book on the Mornings with Mindi show on KRSH. Watch your email for the lineup from coordinator, Carol Jacobsen.
If you miss it live, you can hear a recording of the interview at www.krsh.com/getlit
Coming up on Get Lit
| | | Shawn Langwell | January 6 | | John Duran | January 13 | | Robin Gabbert | January 20 | | Nancy Econome | January 27 | | | |
Writers Circle Gathering
Writers Circle is a place for you to join with other Redwood Writer friends to read your work. You have 5 minutes to read prose, essay, poetry, play, or whatever you like. At the end of each reading, brief evaluations will be filled out by attendees.
Next Date: Saturday, January 24 (please note corrected date)
Time: 10:30 - 1:00
Place: Linda L Reid's home
RSVP: Members who would like to attend should send an RSVP email to our Circle chair, Linda Reid, at circle@redwoodwriters.org. Upon confirmation, you will receive more information.
Refreshments: Light morning refreshments and drink will be provided by the host. You are not required to bring a dish to share, however, it is always welcome.
Note: In March, the Writers Circle moves to Friday, March 27 at 10:30 a.m. so that attendees can enjoy this event and Author Launch the next day.
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Redwood Writers is a club of writers helping writers. Do you have a writing-related topic you'd like to share about, or a Redwood Writers event you'd like to report on? We'd love to read it!
Where to submit
| | Attention Poets, Monthly Poetry Lab! | | |
Poetry Lab meets once a month on Zoom. Les Bernstein and Amrita Skye Blaine host the meeting, and we encourage people to bring their poems that are puzzling, frustrating, or confusing them. In the format, you send your poem to both Les and Amrita a week before Poetry Lab, then we meet in a positive, fun environment to make our poems stronger! Find reminders on Redwood Writers groups.io.
As Les Bernstein says, “Dare to be great and send us a poem you’re wrestling with. We promise you it is the safest, most empowering space… and if you just want to only observe, that’s okay, too. And remember—no risk, no reward.”
amritaskyepoetry@gmail.com
lessieb13@yahoo.com.
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Comfort
by Linda Reid
What I wonder about is hot cereal.
Who is eating it, given by whom?
Does one sit alone and poke at the oats?
Does a child refuse mush?
Cereal is sustenance, apple pie and a sunny morning.
It’s wrapped in love and a yearning to be hugged.
Warm, it fills and wanders in the remembering
when mom got up early to put a steaming bowl in front of sleep filled eyes.
Did she? Probably not.
Cereal stays with you all day - a lifetime, like a kiss on the brow.
Even made by oneself, it doesn’t lack for lumps of nostalgia.
Bland in color, no loudness early in the day,
just noncolored calorific goodness.
Gooey, sturdy, sticky, probably could cement bricks.
And the milk. What is more “home” than milk and mother.
Makes you strong, grandma said.
Did she? Yes, she did.
In the end cereal simply means that
someone cares - cared.
If even in your dreams.
Linda Loveland Reid teaches art history for SSU and Dominican Universities in the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute. She is Past President of Redwood Writers and a Jack London Awardee. Her two novels are available on Amazon. Linda’s abstract paintings can be seen at the Upstairs Art Gallery in Healdsburg. Linda is president of the Artist Workshop of Sonoma County, and is a board member of OLLI and Sebastopol Center for Arts. www.lindalovelandreid.com
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About the Poetry Editor
Amrita Skye Blaine develops themes of aging, disability, and awakening. She received a PocketMFA in poetry in 2024. She has published a memoir, a three-novel trilogy, and has been published in nineteen anthologies including fourteen poetry anthologies. Two poetry collections, every riven thing and strange grace, were published Spring 2025.
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Share Your Good News!
Have a book event coming up, a recent publication, an award, or any exciting writing milestone? We want to celebrate you! Share your news with the club using our quick online form. Your update may be featured in the next Redwood Writers newsletter.
Where to submit
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The Showrunner: Hollywood Culture Clash
by Tommie W. Whitener
Against long odds, Stuart Bennett, showrunner, was struggling to write and sell the new television series he was sure would restore him to the pinnacle of Hollywood success that had once been his when he was serendipitously introduced to Lena, the Russian woman he didn't know was more than his match. When he brought Lena to California on a Fiancé Visa along with her fifteen-year-old daughter, Dasha, the bowl of cherries he had promised quickly rotted into a morass of questions about acceptance, assimilation and love, the ultimate crucible of which was Dasha's descent into a world she had never known in Russia, one of drugs, easy sex and nihilism.
The Showrunner can be purchased on Amazon at https://bit.ly/3Xr12IE
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Between Wounded and Well
by Debra Palmer, PhD
Local Nurse Practitioner, Researcher, and Educator Shares Powerful Journey of Transformation
Dr. Debra Palmer unveiled a powerful and deeply personal exploration of emotional recovery in her new book, Between Wounded and Well: Lessons in Healing. Told through the lens of wound-healing stages as a metaphor for emotional healing, the book offers a profound reflection on trauma, resilience, and the strength that emerges when we choose to confront our past with honesty and courage. As a nurse practitioner, researcher, and educator, Palmer’s story demonstrates the intricate connections between physical and emotional healing in her life as a 14 year old mother. Her storytelling allows readers to see themselves in her journey, offering comfort, clarity, and hope in universal challenges. This book is ideal for healthcare providers, caregivers, and seekers of emotional wholeness.
Available everywhere, including Amazon and Audible.
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Fool’s Gold—AI's Assault on Indie Authors
by Bruce Lewis, CWC-Mt. Diablo Branch
Fool’s Gold—AI's Assault on Indie Authors is the first practical, real-world guide that exposes how scammers are using artificial intelligence to target writers with fake promotions, phony marketing packages, impersonated influencers, and automated ‘publicists’ that look shockingly real.
Written by award-winning journalist Bruce Lewis, this book cuts through the noise and gives authors a fast, clear system for spotting fraud before money is lost — or reputations are damaged.
Available on Amazon.
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Shawn Langwell Guest Presentations in January and February
All: Want to Start the New Year off with a bang?
If you want to learn more about being fully present and showing up for your writing and how to better promote yourself and your books, join me at the Napa Valley Writers club on Saturday, January 10, at 10 a.m. for:
The Art of Presence: Pro Marketing & Self‑Promotion Tips for Writers and Entrepreneurs.
Learn more here: https://www.napavalleywriters.org/
Also, I am sooooo stoked...
On February 14, (time TBD) I will be closing out a Personal Growth Track at the San Francisco Writers Conference!
This is a dream come true event and my talk is specifically designed to help you: Boldly Tackle All Necessary Publishing Tasks (Especially If You Don’t Want To).
Learn more here: https://www.sfwriters.org/conference/2026-sfwc-speakers/
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Share a Book Review!
Use the Newsletter Submission Form to send in your 250-word (or less) book review. We accept reviews of member and non-member books.
Where to submit
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If you have a paid event, you can purchase an ad in the newsletter as follows:
3 lines (text only) for $25.00
Display ads (square or horizontal images: .png, .jpg only, under 2MB) for $50.00
Canva can help you format your ads
Please submit your paid advertisements and pay online at
https://redwoodwriters.org/newsletter-submission/
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A Note From The Editor
Sometimes the little things are big things. I was reminded of this during Audrey Kalman’s fantastic presentation at our December Redwood Writers meeting. In one of her Creative Catalyst prompts, she encouraged us to close our eyes and take three deep breaths. Then, she asked us to open our eyes and write down whatever images came to mind, or images from our surroundings.
My eyes landed on something pretty mundane—another member’s coffee cup—but somehow this triggered a vivid, thirty-five-year-old memory that turned out to be story gold!
Here's wishing you a fresh new year full of moments, big and small, that fill your creative well.
Signe Ross-Villemaire
| | REDWOOD WRITERS LEADERS & VOLUNTEERS | | |
Volunteers make Redwood Writers possible. Thank you to our wonderful leaders and chairpeople who generously give their time and efforts. We appreciate you!
Board of Directors
Crissi Langwell, President
Mara Lynn Johnstone, Vice President
Shawn Langwell, Vice President
Barb Cottrell, Secretary
Malena Eljumaily, Treasurer
Roger Lubeck, Membership Chair
Karl Kadie, New Members Chair
Signe Ross Villemaire, Newsletter Editor
Nancy Econome, Author Launch Chair
Stasey Norstrom, Member at Large
Chairs and Editors
Judy M. Baker, 2025 Prose Anthology Editor
Barb Cottrell, 2026 Prose Anthology Editor
Amrita Blaine, Newsletter Poetry Editor
Les Bernstein, Poetry Anthology Editor
Robin Gabbert, Writers Salon
Pamela Heck, Conference Volunteers Chair
Carol Jacobsen, Get Lit Coordinator
Crissi Langwell, Website Editor
Shawn Langwell, Speakers, Communications & PR Director, and Conference Chair
Linda L. Reid, Writers Circle, Poetry Anthology Party
Board meetings are held 6:30-8:00 p.m. on the second Tuesday of each month unless otherwise noted and are open to any member in good standing. Contact president@redwoodwriters.org to receive an invitation.
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