Diana R. Chambers was born with a book in one hand and a passport in the other. She studied Asian art history at university, worked at a Paris translation agency, then began an export business in India…which led, serendipitously, to Hollywood. She is an experienced scriptwriter and has followed her stories around the world. Her latest novel is The Secret War of Julia Child, published in 2024 by Sourcebooks Landmark. A former president of SinC-NorCal, she lives in a small Sonoma county town and Aix-en-Provence, France with her fellow-traveler husband, artist daughter, and Marco Polo the Cat. DianaRChambers.com. (Insta: @dianarc1)
My March 1, 2025 talk will be Location, Location, Location. Sometimes the story calls us, or the character(s)—or the setting. Of course, it’s usually a mix of the three, but there is nothing like place to highlight the senses and bring richness to our work. Sometimes it can suggest the story itself. In The Secret War of Julia Child, I wanted to explore the WWII theater of India and China, which I learned is known as the Forgotten War of Asia. I wanted to follow Julia’s size 12A footsteps through this little-known region, where she came to find herself and the man of her life.
Our own Ellen Kirschman will interview Christy Warren, former Berkeley FD Fire Captain, about her long career as a professional firefighter and paramedic and about how crime fiction writers get things right—or wrong—when writing about first responders, PTSD, firefighters, and minorities in the fire service (women and LGBTQ+). Attendees should come loaded with questions. Christy is a no-holds-barred, high-energy speaker.
Note: this is a hybrid event. Zoom registration link coming soon.