It’s spring and time for Assistance League of San Fernando Valley’s annual Authors Luncheon – except it’s a brunch this year! The date is Saturday, April 19, at the Hilton Woodland Hills, 6360 Canoga Avenue.
The event begins at 9 am with registration, vendor shopping, the served brunch at 11:15 am, followed by the authors’ presentations, book signing, etc. Proceeds from the brunch go to fund Assistance League’s five philanthropic programs here in the Valley for children, women and men.
Authors for the day include Lian Dolan, who’s a writer and talker, author of five bestselling novels including The Sweeny Sisters, Helen of Pasadena, Elizabeth the First Wife, Lost and Found in Paris and her latest novel, The Marriage Sabbatical. It was a USA Today bestseller and a People Magazine pick. For more than two decades she’s hosted and produced a top-rated podcast for women that she created with her four real sisters. She graduated from Pomona College with a degree in Classics and lives in Pasadena with her husband and two adult sons.
Ken Levine is an Emmy- winning writer, director and playwright. He’s authored four books including his memoir, The Me Generation…By Me. He has written over 200 episodes of well-known television shows such as MASH, Cheers, Fraiser, The Simpsons, Everybody Loves Raymond, and the list goes on. With writing partner David Isaacs, he created the series Almost Perfect. He has won a primetime Emmy, two Writers Guild Awards, a Peoples’ Choice Award and received Peabody and Humanitas recognition.
Marjorie McCown has spent her entire professional life in the story-telling business. She brings that wealth of experience to her writing, giving her readers a look at Hollywood that’s different from what they see on the red carpet: her mysteries are set behind-the-scenes in the everyday working world of a movie production. Being a part of the mystery writing community is a dream come true for Marjorie; she is a member of Sisters in Crime and Mystery Writers of America.
Laurie Stevens is the author of the Gabriel McRay thriller series. The books have won several awards, including the Kirkus Review’s “Best of” and a Random House Editors’ Book of the Month. As for writing psychological suspense, International Thriller Writers say she’s “cracked the code” while Suspense Magazine claims she’s the “leader of the pack.” Her short stories have appeared in many anthologies, the most recently released in March 2025, called “A Killing at the Copa” that features stories based on Barry Manilow songs. Her recent novel, The Return, pits human consciousness against artificial intelligence and is currently nominated for the Science Fiction Writers of America Nebula Award.
Assistance League of San Fernando Valley is in its 35th year of serving those less fortunate here in the Valley. For an email invitation to the event or to make a donation, email Rosa Acosta at rosa.g.acosta28@gmail.com.
