Literary Lights

It’s a literary bonanza. A number of major authors--among them Ray Bradbury, Paul Erdman and Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Tony Kushner--will greet their fans in Ventura and Santa Barbara this week.

Robert Crais will sign “Indigo Slam” at 7:30 tonight at Barnes & Noble, 4360 E. Main St., Ventura.

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Michael McGarrity will sign “Mexican Hat” at 10 a.m. Saturday at Mysteries to Die For, 2940 Thousand Oaks Blvd., Thousand Oaks.

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Marla Frazee will read from “The Seven Silly Eaters,” which she illustrated, at 11 a.m. Saturday at Adventures for Kids, 3457 Telegraph Road, Ventura.

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Ray Bradbury will participate in a live radio broadcast and present his latest book, “A Graveyard for Lunatics,” at 11 a.m. Sunday at Borders, 125 W. Thousand Oaks Blvd., Thousand Oaks.

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Historical romance author Margaret Brownley, a local resident, will talk about “Creating Perfectly Flawed Characters” at 8 p.m. Monday at a meeting of American Pen Women/Simi Valley branch. Call Diane Reichick at (805) 522-7575 for information about the meeting and becoming a member.

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The Conejo Valley Genealogical Society will meet Tuesday at the Conejo Valley Adult Center, 1025 Old Farm Road, Thousand Oaks. The beginners class “How to Use the Library” starts at 6 p.m. At 7:30 p.m., Donna Coullard will describe “How to Secure Copies of Unusual Military Records.” Call (805) 497-8293.

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Santa Barbara Writers Conference workshop leader S.L. Stebel, author of six novels and the writer in residence at USC’s Master of Professional Writing program, will discuss his latest book, “Double Your Creative Power,” at the Ventura County Writers Club meeting, 7:45 p.m. Tuesday in the Orchid Building, 816 Camarillo Springs Road, Camarillo. Call (805) 482-5648.

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In Santa Barbara

Local author Ciji Ware’s third novel, “A Cottage by the Sea,” is about a curious form of time travel based on a genealogy chart. She will discuss her research at 10 a.m. Saturday at the Santa Barbara Genealogical Society, Emanuel Lutheran Church, 3721 Modoc Road. Call (805) 965-7423.

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The Small Publishers, Artists & Writers Network will hear Imogene Bercaw, Louise Cabral and Patti Teel on “Writing From Your Life Experiences” at 1:30 p.m. Saturday in the Karpeles Library, 21 W. Anapamu St. Call (805) 962-4680 for details.

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Events at the Earthling, 1137 State St.: Lawrence Schiller, whose “An American Tragedy” focuses on the O.J. Simpson saga, signs at 3 p.m. Saturday. Dick Wimmer, editor of the baseball anthology “The Sandlot Game,” will appear at 7:30 p.m. Monday.

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Tony Kushner, whose play “Angels in America” earned the Pulitzer Prize and the Tony and Drama Desk awards, will lecture at 8 p.m. Tuesday in Campbell Hall at UCSB. Call (805) 893-3535.

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Financier-author Paul Erdman will address the Channel City Club on the economy and sign his latest book, “The Set-Up,” at a luncheon meeting at noon Wednesday in the Miramar, 1555 S. Jameson Lane, Montecito. Call (805) 966-6303.

* 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.