On the Author Stage

10:00 am - Kristina McMorris, Rosa Kwon Easton and Jennifer Coburn

Kristina McMorris is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author of two novellas and eight novels, including the million-copy bestseller Sold on a Monday. The recipient of more than twenty national literary awards, she previously hosted weekly TV shows for Warner Bros. and an ABC affiliate, beginning at age nine with an Emmy Award-winning program.

Kristina is a graduate of Pepperdine University and enjoys splitting her time between California and Portland, Oregon. Her latest historical novel, The Girls of Good Fortune, was named a notable read by The Washington Post, USA Today, and The New York Post. Inspired by Chinese lore and Portland’s notorious Shanghai Tunnels, this page-turning tale explores the complexity of family and identity, the importance of stories that echo through generations, and the power of strength found beneath the surface.

Rosa Kwon Easton is a Korean American lawyer, library trustee, and author of the debut novel, White Mulberry, an Amazon First Reads Editor’s Pick and a #1 Best Seller in Historical Fiction. Her novel has been reviewed by Booklist and named a “Best Book” by Parade Magazine, BookBub, and Book Riot, among others. Easton is an Anaphora Writing Residency Fellow, and her work has been published in CRAFT Literary, Electric Literature, Writer’s Digest and elsewhere.

A graduate of Smith College, Columbia University, and Boston College Law School, she resides with her husband and Maltipoo in sunny Southern California. Her sequel, Red Seal, is due out in 2026.

Jennifer Coburn is the USA Today best-selling author of The Girls of the Glimmer Factory and Cradles of the Reich, historical novels about the strength of women's friendship and the connections that can be forged during even the most harrowing of times. She has also published a mother-daughter travel memoir, We'll Always Have Paris, as well as six contemporary women's novels. Additionally, Jennifer has contributed to five literary anthologies, including A Paris All Your Own. 

Jennifer lives in San Diego with her husband, William. Their daughter, Katie is currently in graduate school. When Jennifer is not going down historical research rabbit holes, she volunteers with So Say We All, a live storytelling organization, where she is a performer, producer, and performance coach. She is also a volunteer with Reality Changers, a nonprofit that supports low-income high school students in becoming the first in their families to attend college. She specializes in college essay development, interview prep, and nagging.

11:00 am - Steven Rowley

Steven Rowley is the New York Times bestselling author of Lily and the Octopus, a Washington Post Notable Book of 2016, The Editor, named by NPR as one of the Best Books of 2019, The Guncle, a Goodreads Choice Awards finalist for 2021 Novel of the Year and winner of the 22nd Thurber Prize for American Humor, and The Celebrants, a TODAY Show Read With Jenna Book Club pick. His fiction has been published in twenty languages. All of his books are in development for feature film or television adaptation.

Originally from Portland, Maine, he is a graduate of Emerson College and currently resides in Palm Springs with his husband, the writer Byron Lane, and two rescue dogs. The Dogs of Venice is a heartwarming novella set to be released on October 14, 2025, exploring themes of love, courage, and self-discovery through the eyes of a man and a street dog in Venice.

12:00 pm - Matthew Quirk, Brett Battles

Matthew Quirk is the New York Times bestselling author of Inside Threat, Red Warning, Hour of the Assassin, The Night Agent, Dead Man Switch, Cold Barrel Zero, The Directive, and The 500. After graduating from Harvard College, he went to work as a reporter for The Atlantic in Washington, DC reporting on crime, terrorism prosecutions, and international gangs.  His novels have been translated into 20 languages and The Night Agent is now a #1 hit television series on Netflix. An Edgar award finalist and winner of the ITW Thriller Award for Best First Novel, Quirk lives in San Diego.

"Quirk has earned his spot in the front ranks of thriller writers." — David Baldacci

Brett Battles is a NEW YORK TIMES bestselling and Barry Award-winning author of over forty-five novels, including the Jonathan Quinn Series and its Night Man spinoff series, the Project Eden thriller series, and the time bending Rewinder series. He’s also the coauthor, with Robert Gregory Browne, of the Alexandra Poe series, and he has been given the honor of continuing the late Stuart Woods’ Stone Barrington and Teddy Fay series.

He is a member of Mystery Writers of America and International Thriller Writers. He lives and writes in Ventura County, California.

1:00pm - Susan Straight

Susan Straight has published nine novels, including Mecca, A Million Nightingales, and Highwire Moon, and one memoir, In the Country of Women. She's been a finalist for the Kirkus Prize, the Dayton Literary Peace Prize, the National Book Award, among other honors, and received the Lannan Prize, the O. Henry Award, the Edgar Award, a Guggenheim Fellowship, and the Robert Kirsch Award for lifetime achievement from the Los Angeles Times Book Prizes. Her fiction has been translated into ten languages.

She was born in Riverside, California in 1960, and still lives there with her family. She is Distinguished Professor of Creative Writing at the University of California, Riverside, where she has taught since 1988.

Her newest book is being published in late October and CLA has been approved to sell her book before her official publishing date.  Sacrament is a captivating new novel about a group of nurses fighting through the first year of a pandemic and the beloved California community they will risk their lives to protect

2:00pm - Lian Dolan

Lian Dolan is a writer and talker. She’s the USA Today Bestselling author of The Marriage Sabbatical, a People Magazine Best Book of the Week, published by William Morrow in April 2024.  Her other books are Lost and Found in Paris, The Sweeney Sisters, Helen of Pasadena and Elizabeth the First Wife- all LA Times bestsellers. She’s written regular columns for O, The Oprah Magazine, Pasadena Magazine and Working Mother Magazine. She’s also written for TV, radio and websites.  In 2024, she was inducted into the Vroman’s Walk of Fame for her contributions to the literary and philanthropic life of Pasadena. Her newest book, Abigail and Alexa Save the Wedding, will be published in May 2025. 

Lian is the producer and host of Satellite Sisters, the award-winning talk show she created with her four real sisters. Satellite Sisters began life as a syndicated radio show on ABC Radio, bringing lively talk and interviews to the airwaves. The Satellite Sisters interviewed everyone from Nora Ephron to Big Bird. The show was honored with 13 Gracie Allen Awards for Excellence in Women’s Media. From 2009 to 2023, Satellite Sisters remained a top-rated podcast for women.

In 2017, Lian was honored as a Podcast Pioneer by Women in Podcasting. A speaker who combines humor and heart, Lian has appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show, CBS Sunday Morning and The Today Show and many local TV stations. She’s been a featured speaker at the LA Times Festival of Books, the Santa Barbara Celebrity Authors Lunch, the Literary Guild of Orange County Festival of Women Authors and dozens of other events at libraries, book stores, schools and women’s organizations across the country. Lian graduated from Pomona College with a degree in Classics. She lives in Pasadena, California with her husband Berick Treidler and two adult sons who live nearby but don’t come over as often as they should.