"Attendees of the Santa Maria Authors Forum rank among the warmest, most supportive, and most well-informed readers that I've had the honor of addressing. The event is beautifully choreographed, providing authors, and of course the audience, with a wonderful and meaningful literary experience. Thank you so much for the opportunity to be a part of the event." -- Lynette Brasfield "Coming to Santa Maria for this forum was a joy in every way. The scenery was beautiful; the community - welcoming, and the other authors were terrific but, my favorite part was the attendees: they were smart, gracious, and fun to be with. Thank-you for inviting me." -- Joyce Dudley M.A., M.Ed. J.D. "For both authors and attendees, this is a wonderful opportunity to mingle and chat and gain exposure to new writers in a comfortable and relaxed setting. The Santa Maria AAUW chapter welcomed me with enthusiastic and open arms. I recommend this event to everyone." -- Denise Hamilton "To sit next to Thomas Steinbeck at the 2007 Santa Maria Authors Forum -- what a thrill it was for me as a writer and a reader! A wonderful afternoon in the beautiful Santa Maria Valley, the forum assembles top-notch authors representing diverse genres. If you live in the area and love books, this is a must-go event." -- Naomi Hirahara “AAUW is a meeting ground for such wonderful, vibrant, and interesting women. I appreciate the opportunity that the Authors Forum gives me, as an author, to meet these same women, exchange ideas, and celebrate literature. I also love the chance to connect with a delightfully diverse selection of authors!” -- Aimee Liu "The Authors Forum was delightful. What writer wouldn't love talking with such thoughtful, passionate readers?" -- Paul Mandelbaum "Attending the Santa Maria Authors Forum was one of the highlights of my career as a writer. Not only were the people warm and welcoming, they responded to my talk and my books. It was a most enjoyable experience." -- Marilyn Meredith "The 2008 Santa Maria Authors Forum was a truly wonderful day. It was an honor and pleasure for me to share the program with such a group of talented and interesting writers. But best of all was the large crowd of enthusiastic readers who turned up to support this memorable event. I enjoyed getting to know those at my table and later swapping stories and experiences with so many other well-traveled guests. Finally, kudos to those responsible for putting all this together. So many delightful little touches contributed to the overall success and these things don't just happen ... it takes hard work and careful planning. So members of the Santa Maria AAUW, take a bow!" -- Frank Nelson "The AAUW author's forum was a blast: from the warm reception of the audience, to the collegial atmosphere of the vibrant and talented writers, this tremendous forum of writers and literary enthusiast remains for me a highlight of book events." -- Leslie Schwartz "Thanks so much for inviting me to the Author's forum - what a wonderful event! Everyone was so friendly & receptive, my table's host, Mickey, was a delight, and it was great meeting the other authors and hearing what they had to say. It's terrific that your organization makes this available every year...glad I could be part of it!" -- Jill Smolinski "Santa Maria is very fortunate to have its AAUW chapter so committed to producing a first rate event. The authors to date have been exceptional writers,whose work I read and enjoy. Without the AAUW Book and Authors Forum introducing me to them, I might have missed their work." -- Helen Ann Thomas, Columnist "The Authors Forum was a wonderful opportunity to engage with other writers and remarkably thoughtful readers. I had a terrific time talking with attendees and also got some great additions to my own reading list! A real pleasure all around." -- Jennifer Vandever |
Quotes from Featured Authors |