4 Authors to Discuss New Books in Newport

Ray Bradbury (“Graveyard for Lunatics”), David Levy (“Potomac Jungle”), Moira Johnston (“Roller Coaster--The Bank of America and the future of American Banking”) and John Welwood (“Journey of the Heart”) will discuss their new books at the next monthly luncheon meeting of Round Table West.

Advance reservations ($30) for the noon luncheon on Thursday Sept. 27 at the Balboa Bay Club may be made by calling (213) 256-7977.

During the luncheon, John and Donna Crean of Newport Beach will be honored with an “Adela,” the Award for American Achievers.

The Adela award is named after Round Table West’s late co-founder, journalist Adela Rogers St. Johns. In addition to their numerous accomplishments in business, social causes and philanthropy, the Creans are being honored for being instrumental in bringing Round Table West to Orange County in 1989.

Round Table West was founded by St. Johns and Los Angeles public relations firm partners Margaret Burk and Marylin Hudson to encourage people to read by exposing them to authors. The organization recently celebrated its 13th anniversary in Los Angeles, where it has logged appearances by more than 650 authors and celebrities.

Previous Adela recipients include former First Lady Betty Ford, Chuck Yeager and the late Western author Louis L’Amour.

Book Signings: Children’s author Patricia Polaco (“Babushka’s Doll”) will sign from 3 to 5 p.m. today at The Children’s Bookshoppe, 1831 Westcliff Drive. . . . Jonathan Kellerman (“Time Bomb”) will sign from 1 to 3 p.m. Sunday at Book Carnival, 870 N. Tustin Ave., Orange.

Writers’ Guild: An evening of Steve Mellow’s Readers Theater will be held at 7 p.m. Friday at the Saddleback Valley Writers’ Guild at Mercury Savings & Loan, 23021 Lake Center Drive, El Toro. Free.

Members of the audience will be encouraged to read aloud passages from the works of T.S. Eliot, Anais Nin, Robert Frost and others.

Mellow will also discuss his work in progress, “The Magic of the Written Word.”

For information, call Mark Wibe at (714) 581-3324. The Saddleback Valley Writers’ Guild is a nonprofit literary organization.

Poets Reading: Poets Tira Palmquist and Ras Jimi Jaimin will read at the Poets Reading meeting at 8 p.m. Saturday at Fullerton Museum Center, 301 N. Pomona Ave., Fullerton. $3.

Book Sales: The Friends of the La Habra Library will hold a “mammoth” used book sale from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at the library, 221 E. La Habra Blvd.

The Friends of the San Juan Capistrano Library will also hold its “biggest-ever” used book sale from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at the library, 31495 El Camino Real.

Money Talk: Victoria Felton-Collins of Laguna Beach, a certified financial planner and author of “Couples and Money,” will discuss Women Managing Money in the ‘90s at 11:30 a.m. Monday at the Center Club in Costa Mesa. For reservations ($22, includes lunch), call (714) 662-3414.

Columnist Speaks: As part of an observance of National Banned Books Week, author and Los Angeles Times columnist Jack Smith will speak at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday in the McKinney Theater at Saddleback College, Mission Viejo. General admission: $5. For ticket information, call (714) 380-0464.

Fiction Consultant: Orange County writers who don’t want to drive to Westwood to take Newport Beach suspense novelist Douglas Muir’s fiction writing class at UCLA can now tap Muir’s expertise by participating in UCLA’s Manuscript Consultation Service.

As a new member of the tutorial faculty at the UCLA Extension Writing Program, Muir will be available for meeting with writing students locally for two to four meetings during the quarter.

Muir said several authors, poets and screenwriters are participating in the tutorial service.

For information, call the UCLA Extension Writing Program at (213) 825-9415.