The CALM Auxiliary is proud to announce the 28th Annual Celebrity Authors’ Luncheon, a unique literary event where guests get the chance to hear from captivating celebrity authors and renowned local authors alike, all to benefit CALM’s vital programs that help prevent child abuse and treat children and families who have suffered from violence and abuse. The 28th Annual Celebrity Authors’ Luncheon will take place on Saturday, March 8, 2014, at 10:00 am at Fess Parker’s DoubleTree Resort.

This year’s celebrity author lineup includes Tim Conway, Lian Dolan, Meg Gardiner, and Margrit Biever Mondavi. Andrew Firestone will serve as Master of Ceremonies for the event, and Starshine Roshell and Tom Weitzel will interview the authors. Book sales and signing will begin at 10:00 am. Lunch will be served at 11:45 am, and author interviews will begin at 12:45 pm. Tickets are $150. For tickets and event information, please call (805) 969-5590 or visit http://calm4kids.org/events/authors-luncheon/. All ticket proceeds and a percentage of book sales will benefit CALM, the only nonprofit in Santa Barbara County focused solely on preventing, and treating child abuse.

CALM Auxiliary members Becky Cohn and Carolyn Gillio are co-chairing the luncheon for the third year in a row, and shared, “We are looking forward to another engaging event this year, and we think guests will be excited to hear from these authors who all have such entertaining stories to share.”

Since 1986, the CALM Auxiliary women have raise d over one million dollars to help children and families in Santa Barbara recover from the devastation of child abuse, and to live happier, healthier lives.

More about this year’s interviewed authors:

Seven-time Emmy Award-winning comedian Tim Conway, best known for his roles with Carol Burnett and in McHale’s Navy, recently published his first major book, a memoir entitled What’s So Funny? My Hilarious Life. Conway’s often-improvised humor, razor-sharp timing, and hilarious characters have made him one of the funniest and most authentic performers to grace the stage and studio in the last forty years. In 1989, Conway received his much-deserved star on Hollywood’s “Walk of Fame,” and in 2002, he and Harvey Korman were inducted into the Academy of Television Arts, & Sciences’ Hall of Fame. In 2005, the duo joined the rest of the Carol Burnett cast in receiving TV Land’s Legend Award, and in 2008, Conway received his 7th Emmy Award for his Guest Appearance on 30 Rock. Conway currently resides in Encino, CA with his wife of thirty years. He has seven children and two grandchildren. For more information about Conway, please visit www.timconway.com.

Lian Dolan, author of Elizabeth the First Wife, is a writer, producer, talk show host, podcast pioneer and social media consultant. She writes the blog and produces the weekly podcast called “The Chaos Chronicles,” a humorous look at modern motherhood. She writes for Oprah.com as a parenting expert. A decade ago, Lian created Satellite Sisters, an award-winning talk show, blog, and website, with her four real sisters. Her writing has appeared in many national magazines, including O, The Oprah Magazine and Working Mother and essays in such anthologies as Chicken Soup for the Sister’s Soul. She is a popular speaker for groups and corporations, always using humor as her hook. Her previous books include Helen of Pasadena and Satellite Sisters’ Uncommon Senses. Lian graduated from Pomona College with a degree in Classics. She is married and lives in Pasadena, CA with her husband and two sons. For more information, please visit www.liandolan.com.

Edgar Award-winning thriller writer, Meg Gardiner, grew up in Santa Barbara, CA. After graduating from both Stanford University and Stanford Law School, she practiced law in Los Angeles and taught writing at UCSB. She is a former collegiate cross country runner and three-time Jeopardy! Champion. Gardiner has written eleven novels, including five in the Evan Delaney series, four in the Jo Beckett series, as well as Ransom River and her latest novel, The Shadow Tracer. She has won multiple awards for her novels, including the Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America for China Lake, the Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award for The Dirty Secrets Club, the Audie Award for Thriller/Suspense audiobook of the year for The Nightmare Thief, and The Shadow Tracer was recently named one of Kirkus Reviews’ “Best Books of 2013.” Meg currently lives in Austin, TX. For more information, please visit www.meggardiner.com.

A native of Appenzell Switzerland, Margrit Biever Mondavi is Vice President of Cultural Affairs at Robert Mondavi Winery and the wife of the late Robert Mondavi. A pioneering woman of the modern-day California wine industry, she joined the winery in 1967, pursuing a life-long interest in uniting wine with fine arts, music, and culinary artistry. Recently, Margrit created a collection of personal stories and sketches based on diary entries and reflections about her life with Mr. Mondavi at their winery. Reflecting on her long and fulfilling life in the Napa Valley, Margrit’s book shares personal and defining stories from her life, providing a deep look inside the rich history of the winery. A number of Margrit’s close friends helped compile her memoir, including a forward by renowned chef Thomas Keller, and Janet Fletcher’s writing contributions.

In addition to the interviewed authors, the following authors will also attend the event and be available for book signing:

M. Catherine Berg, Discovering April

Ken Boehs, The Tilted Truth

Polly Bookwalter, The Keeper of Butterfly Beach

James Botting, River Bottom Run, A Collection of Stories

Dallas Clark, Secret Recipes of A Santa Barbara Icon

Valerie Hobbs, Wolf

Nadine Kassity-Krich, First, Heal Thyself

Karen Keskinen, Blood Orange

Leslie Lehr, What A Mother Knows

Glenna Luschei, Leaving It All Behind

Gina Shapiro, Wild & The Adventures of Goldie

Teddy Steinkellner, Trash Can Days: A Middle School Saga

Ken Waxman, MD, Ajak’s Song

CALM was founded in 1970 to reach stressed parents before they hurt their children. CALM continues to be the only non-profit agency in Santa Barbara County focusing solely on preventing, assessing, and treating child abuse and family violence through comprehensive, cutting-edge programs. CALM offers children, families, and adults a safe, non-judgmental, caring, and strength-based environment to heal and increase family well being. For more information about all of CALM’s services, please call 805-965-2376, or visit www.calm4kids.org.

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