Napa Valley Writers Club Starts 2014 Off With Local Book Publisher

Napa Valley Writers Club will launch the new year with a guest appearance by local book publisher D. Patrick Miller.

Miller, of Fearless Books in Napa, will speak on the topic, "The Golden Age of Self-Publishing is NOW," at the meeting at 6:30 p.m. Jan. 8 at Napa Valley Unified School District office, 2425 Jefferson St. (at Lincoln), Napa.

"He is becoming the resource for Napa Valley writers who want to get published,"  said club President Lenore Hirsch.

The meeting will also feature a reading by club member Ana Manwaring.

The event is open to the public: members $5, non-members, $8

Napa Valley Writers Club is one of the newest branches of the California Writers Club, becoming officially part of the statewide organization at the beginning of 2013.  The Napa group, founded May 19, 2012, celebrated its one-year anniversary last May.

Hirsch said the membership continues to grow, apparently mining a strong but somewhat hidden cache of literary talent and interest in the Napa Valley.

"At our first meeting, we posted a small notice, and 50 people showed up," said Hirsch, whose own book, "My Leash On Life," was published last year with the help of Fearless Books.

Hirsch made an appearance and signed books late last year at Napa's newest bookstore, Napa Bookmine. Napa Bookmine, at 964 Pearl St., will also host a talk and book-signing Jan. 16 for Kevin Fisher-Paulson, author of a new Fearless Book memoir, "A Song for Lost Angels."

Miller, meanwhile, and Fearless Books have a strong track record in the industry. Before founding Fearless Books in 1997, Miller sold three solo projects to major publishers: Viking, Henry Holt, and Dell. 

He is now the author of nine titles, including "Understanding A Course in Miracles" (Ten Speed/Random House), and "Living with Miracles"  (Tarcher/Penguin) as well as two novels, a volume of poetry, and four nonfiction works under the Fearless imprint. 

As a collaborator, ghostwriter or principal editor, Miller has helped other authors prepare manuscripts for such publishers as Viking, Doubleday, Warner, Crown, Simon & Schuster, Jeremy P. Tarcher, Hay House, and John Wiley & Sons. Miller provides professional consultations to literary agents and publishers as well as published and unpublished authors. 

Through his Assisted Publishing program, he helps many writers launch their own print and digital books. His current clientele includes James Conaway, the noted author of NAPA and the recent novel NOSE.

Miller is a member of the Authors Guild and Independent Book Publisher Association, and serves as president of the Northern California chapter of the American Society of Journalists and Authors (ASJA).

For more information on Napa Valley Writers Club, see their website or Facebook page.