Newsletter
Book Club June 11 + Upcoming Classes Worth Your Time
Hello memoirists, If you haven't started our next book club choice, Finding My Way, yet, I'd encourage you to pick it up this week. I went in assuming that I wouldn't be able to identify much with Malala, but was surprised at feeling a relatable pang of longing and...
A powerful author Q&A (especially for those writing difficult stories)
Hello memoirists, I wanted to share the recording of our recent author Q&A. I think it will be especially meaningful for those of you writing about trauma or painful parts of your life. (Also find a summary of the book club discussion below.) Watch here:...
Two Very Different Kinds of Hope in Our Book Club
Hello memoirists, Have you picked up a copy of The Dirt Beneath Our Door (the next book for our book club) yet? I tore through it! What a wild read. I’ll admit, I wondered at first how it would read, knowing Pamela only made it through fifth grade. But once I started,...
Book Club Today! Plus a replay of the Book Launch Event
Hello Writers, A quick reminder that we'll be meeting this Thursday (tomorrow, January 29) for the Book Club Discussion of Reason for Hope by Jane Goodall. This was one of the first books I can remember reading where so much of the story is cheerful and uplifting with...
Link to 2026 Goal Setting Video inside
Hi everyone, Happy New Year 💛If you’re feeling hopeful and a little wary about resolutions this year, you’re not alone. On December 28, I hosted a live goal-setting session for writers who are tired of ambitious plans that quietly fall apart by February. ...
The Anthology Is Out! 🎉 (Plus Book Club Recap + Upcoming Events)
Happy Holidays, Memoir Mentors! I hope this message finds you with a moment to breathe in what can be an incredibly full and sometimes stressful season. Personally, I’ve been riding the line between festive and frazzled—but I’m so glad to be ending the year with...
Book Club + Anthology Update + 2026 Goal-setting
Hi Everyone, Just popping into your inbox with a few updates and things to look forward to as the year winds down (and yes, we’re already talking about 2026 😮). New Book Club Pick: Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris Our next book club read is David Sedaris’s...
Book Club Insights, Author Q&A, and Cover Reveal!
Hello Lovelies! I hope you're enjoying autumn as much as I am. I love seeing, as a friend put it recently: "the colors that belong in the sky appearing in the leaves of the trees." Last week, we had a wonderful Author Q&A with Qin Sun Stubis as well as a great...
Book Club Next Week, Author Q&A + Anthology & Community Ideas 10/02/2025
Hi everyone, It's been a minute since my last newsletter, but it’s not because nothing is happening, it’s because so much is! I’ve taken a little break from my memoir to focus on other writing activities like posting more regularly over on Substack. Speaking of...
Don’t forget! Book Club today! Author Q&A next Thursday.
Hi everyone, Just a quick note with a few exciting things on the horizon! Book Club is Today – Junkyard Girl I'm looking forward to seeing you today for our book club discussion of Junkyard Girl by Carlyn Montes De Oca. Whether you’ve finished the book, are halfway...
Book Club July 30 + Self-Editing Tips
Hello memoirists,
I hope your summer is going well! Mine has started to race away from me. We had to reschedule the book club for Finding My Way, to July 30, so you still have time to read it and join us.
Book club discussion questions are ready and waiting for you here:
https://memoirmentors.com/book-club-questions
🗳️ VOTE FOR OUR NEXT BOOK
https://forms.gle/rDMR972FLob546oz5
Vote for whatever speaks to you, and I’ll happily go wherever the majority leads.
–Meeting change on the third Thursdays–
I’ve been enjoying the low pressure Writing Only sessions on the first Thursday of the month so I’m switching the third Thursday every month from Read Then Write to Writing Together.
We’re experiencing our standard summer dip in attendance, but the energy for those of us who show up has been great!
Warmly,
Christina

Need some editing tips?
I turned the Memoir Mentors Substack into a podcast last week! The first post is about self-editing:
https://memoirmentors.substack.com/p/editing-your-own-book-typos-blind
If you want more on editing, there’s a class coming up soon that looks good.
Layer by Layer: How to Edit Your Book — July 19 | 11am–3pm EDT | $99 (use code CHRISTINA10 for 10% off)
Learn how to move from a rough first draft to a polished manuscript, one layer at a time. At the end of the day, you’ll leave with practical tools and a clearer plan for making your book shine. Replays available for 28 days.
https://reedsy.com/learning/events/how-to-edit-your-book/?ref=christinaet
Memoir Mentors Sessions
July 2026
Thursday July 9
- 7:00pm CEST – 10:00pm CEST
- Memoir Mentors – ONLINE Write then Read — 7pm Munich, 10am Pacific
Thursday July 16
- 7:00pm CEST – 10:00pm CEST
- Memoir Mentors – Writing Together
Thursday July 23
- 7:00pm CEST – 10:00pm CEST
- Memoir Mentors – Writing Together
Thursday July 30
- 7:00pm CEST – 8:30pm CEST
- Book Club: Finding My Way – Malala Yousafzai
August 2026
Thursday August 6
- 7:00pm CEST – 10:00pm CEST
- Memoir Mentors – Writing Together – No Reading
Ideas? Questions? Suggestions?
Reply to this email and let me know or reach out directly at: xtina.howell@memoirmentors.com


