Sheriff, Writer to Discuss Their Joint Project

Writer Maralys Wills and Orange County Sheriff Mike Carona, co-authors of “Save My Son,” subtitled “A Mother and a Sheriff Unite to Reclaim the Lives of Addicted Offenders,” will discuss their book at the Round Table West literary luncheon at noon Thursday at the Balboa Bay Club, 1221 W. Coast Highway, Newport Beach.

Wills, whose youngest son became addicted to drugs and alcohol as a teenager, and Carona, whose mother died of alcoholism, will be joined on the speaker’s stand by John Crean, founder of Fleetwood Enterprises, the nation’s largest manufacturer of recreation vehicles and mobile homes, who will discuss his autobiography “The Wheel & I,” and Jane West, author of the Christmas tale “The Lonesome Pine.”

$40. For reservations, call (323) 256-7977.

‘Becoming American’ Authors to Speak

PEN Orange County will present five Southern California authors whose autobiographical works appear in the book “Becoming American” at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Libreria Martinez Books, 1110 N. Main St., Santa Ana.

Scheduled to appear are: Helie Lee, Gabrielle Donnelly, Nola Kambanda Amasaro, Ute Margaret Saine and Mitsuye Yamada. (714) 973-7900.

Historian to Speak on First Families

First Family historian Carl Sferrazza Anthony will discuss his new book “America’s First Families: An Inside View of 200 Years of Private Life in the White House” at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday at the Richard Nixon Library & Birthplace, 18001 Yorba Linda Blvd., Yorba Linda.

A book signing at 11:30 a.m. will follow the lecture, and a VIP luncheon will be held at 12:30 p.m. Lecture, $7; VIP luncheon, $45. For reservations, call (714) 993-5075.

Gift-Giving Book Ideas to Be Discussed

Orange Coast College Librarian Debbie Webb and Latitude 33 Bookstore manager Irma Wolfson will discuss their favorite current books for holiday gift-giving at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at the Lido Isle Woman’s Clubhouse, 701 Via Lido Soud, Lido Isle, Newport Beach.

Free to members of the Lido Isle Woman’s Club and the Friends of the Norman E. Watson Library of Orange Coast College; general admission is $5. For reservations, call (714) 432-5087.

Also Coming Up

* Edward Humes will sign copies of his new nonfiction book, “Baby E.R.,” at a publication party at David Bayles Fine Portraits Studio, 322 Main St., Seal Beach. 2 p.m. today. (562) 493-5615.

* Joyce Spizer will discuss “I’m Okay, You’re Dead” at the Los Alamitos-Rossmoor Library, 12700 Montecito Road, Seal Beach. 3 p.m. today. (562) 430-1048.

* Poet Jamie O’Halloran will read at Borders in The Block, 20 City Drive West, Orange. 7:30 p.m. Monday. (714) 828-3281.

* Burke Leon will discuss and sign “The Insider’s Guide to Buying a New Car or Used Car” at Borders, 429 S. Associated Road, Brea. 7 p.m. Monday. (714) 672-0120.

* Writer and teacher Lisa Alvarez, who co-directs the fiction program of the Squaw Valley Community of Writers, will speak in Humanities Center Room A-203 at Irvine Valley College, 5500 Irvine Center Drive, Irvine. 7 p.m. Tuesday. Free. (949) 451-5328.

* Tracey McBride will discuss and sign “Frugal Luxuries by the Season” at Coffee, Tea & Mystery, 11931 Valley View St., Garden Grove. 7 p.m. Wednesday. (714) 898-2583.

* D.J. Waldie will discuss how to balance a writing life with a day job and read from his book “Holy Land: A Suburban Memoir” at the Orange County Public Library, 101 N. Center St., Orange. 7:30 p.m. Wednesday. (714) 288-2410.

* Barbara DeMarco Barrett will interview literary agent and author Don Maass (“The Career Novelist”) on “Writers on Writing” on KUCI (88.9 FM) in Irvine. 5 p.m. Thursday.

* Michael Hague will sign “Book of Fairies” at A Whale of a Tale Children’s Bookshoppe, 4199 Campus Drive, Irvine. 4 p.m. Friday. (949) 854-8288. Hague also will sign at The White Rabbit Children’s Bookstore in South Coast Plaza, 3333 Bristol St., Costa Mesa. 3 p.m. Saturday. (714) 445-0010.

* Shannon Richardson will discuss and sign “Deadly Deceptions” at Borders, 429 S. Associated Road, Brea. 7 p.m. Friday. (714) 672-0120.

* Mystery writers L.M. Lawson (“Green Flash”) and Sam McCarver (“Case of the 2nd Seance”) will discuss their books at a luncheon at the Huntington Beach Central Library, 7111 Talbert Ave., Huntington Beach. 11:30 a.m. Friday. $15. For reservations, call (714) 842-4481, Ext. 7.

* Hubert Selby Jr. will sign “Requiem for a Dream” at Latitude 33 Bookshop, 311 Ocean Ave., Laguna Beach. 2 p.m. Saturday. (949) 494-5403.

* Gary Phillips will sign “High Hand” at Bookman Too, 19111 Beach Blvd., Huntington Beach. Noon Saturday. (714) 596-1999.

* Baron Birtcher will sign “Road House Blues” and John Douglas will sign “The Cases That Haunt Us” at Book Carnival, 348 S. Tustin Ave., Orange. 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., respectively, Saturday. (714) 538-3210.

* Jacqueline Hanson will discuss “Matilda’s Story” at the Mission Viejo Library, 25209 Marguerite Parkway, Mission Viejo. 1 p.m. Saturday. (949) 830-7100.

* Gary McAuley will sign “The Hero’s Journey” at Borders in South Coast Plaza, 3333 Bear St., Costa Mesa. 2 p.m. Saturday. (714) 432-7854.

* Steve Nakamoto will sign “Men Are Like Fish: What Every Woman Needs to Know About Catching a Man” at Borders, 25222 El Paseo, Mission Viejo. 3 p.m. Saturday. (949) 367-0005.

Send information about book-related events at least 10 days before event to: Dennis McLellan, O.C. Books & Authors, The Times’ Orange County edition, 1375 Sunflower Ave., Costa Mesa, CA 92626. Or e-mail to dennis.mclellan@latimes.com.