Book Talk Over Lunch

A cast of publishing professionals will be on hand to advise writers on getting their work published at the Ventura County Writers Club’s annual Agents and Editors Seminar and Lunch from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 13, at Four Points Hotel, 1050 Schooner Drive, Ventura. On hand will be Melvin and Marcia Grad Powers of Wilshire Books, agents Michael Hamilburg and Julie Popkin, publisher John Daniel and Richard F.X. O’Connor, acquiring editor of Renaissance Books. Nonmember fee is $60. For reservations, call Kathleen Sublette at (805) 986-3584.

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Santa Barbara resident Elaine St. James, author of “101 Ways to Simplify Your Life” and cited as “a role model” by Oprah Winfrey, continues her advice on how to strip away the clutter in “Simplify Your Life With Kids,” which she will sign at 7 tonight at Ventura Bookstore, 522 E. Main St.

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Mysteries to Die For, 2940 Thousand Oaks Blvd., Thousand Oaks, will host four major authors this week. C.E. Poverman will sign “On the Edge” at 10 a.m. Saturday, and Hollywood journalist Aljean Harmetz, author of books about the making of “Casablanca” and “The Wizard of Oz,” will sign her first mystery, “Off the Face of the Earth,” at noon Saturday.

Julie Smith presents her new book, “Crescent City Kill,” at noon Sunday and Joe R. Lansdale will sign “Bad Chili” at 1 p.m. Wednesday.

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Catherine Templeton, the 85-year old Camarillo resident whose historical novel “The Righteous Rebel” is based on the adventures of her ancestor Adam Cloud, will discuss her research and road to publication at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at Barnes & Noble, 4360 E. Main St., Ventura.

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Henry Holt, Sue Grafton’s publisher, printed 1 million copies of “M Is for Malice” last year and may top that when the alphabet queen delivers her next Kinsey Millhone mystery. Grafton and Paul Bishop, an LAPD detective and himself author of six mysteries, will visit the Thousand Oaks Borders Books, 125 W. Thousand Oaks Blvd., at 10 a.m. Sunday to sign books and appear as guests on this columnist’s radio program, which will be broadcast from the bookstore.

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“Get Ready, Get Set, Get Published,” a Rancho Simi Recreation and Parks district class taught by Jan Johnson, author of eight books and 900 magazine articles, will begin at 7 p.m. Tuesday at 1692 Sycamore Drive, B-1, Simi Valley. Fee is $15. Call (805) 522-3221.

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Sally Romero will describe how to “Preserve Photographs” at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Conejo Valley Genealogical Society, Thousand Oaks Library, 1401 E. Janss Road. There is a class for beginners at 6 p.m. Call (805) 497-8293 for details.

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Sex sells products and books. And Roni, performance artist and author of “Sensuous Cinema of My Mind,” will discuss the use of erotica in writing at 7:45 p.m. Tuesday at the Ventura County Writers Club, Orchid Professional Building, 816 Camarillo Springs Road. The nonmember fee is $5. Call (805) 482-5648.

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Ojai City Councilwoman Suza Francina will sign “The New Yoga for People Over 50” at a reception at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at Ojai Table of Contents, 208 E. Ojai Ave.

In Santa Barbara: Peter Nichols, who sailed across the Atlantic in a wooden boat, will read from his new book “Sea Change” at 3 p.m. Sunday at Earthling Bookshop, 1137 State St.

Julie Smith signs “Crescent City Kill” at 3 p.m. Sunday at Chaucer’s Books, Loreto Plaza, 3321 State St.

* Frances Halpern and Jon O’Brien are co-hosts of “Beyond Words” at 10 a.m. Sundays on KCLU-FM (88.3), Ventura County’s National Public Radio station.