Upcoming Events
October 29, 2026, 6:00-8:00 p.m. Pacific time. The Paperworks, 1115 Front Street, Sacramento, CA in Old Sacramento.
Mysteries and Mayhem
Presented by Wild Sisters and the Death by Natural Causes Exhibit at The Paperworks in Old Sacramento. I’ll moderate panelists James L’Etoile, Elena Tayor and Claire Booth in a panel on the thrill of mystery writing and the mayhem that comes with being a successful author.
Each ticket includes a copy of James L’Etoile’s latest book, Darkness Falls, admission to the Death By Natural Causes exhibit at the Paperworks, access to the Mysteries & Mayhem author panel and Q&A, signing lines and photo opportunities.
October 29, 2026, 4:00-5:00 p.m. Pacific time. Join webinar here.
Writing with Integrity: A Modern Take on Writing Historical Fiction for Today’s Modern Reader.
A Women’s Fiction Writing Association (WFWA) Webinar with authors Joan Fernandez, Jody Hadlock, and Terri Lewis. In 2026, we are living through a “moral battleground” where the past is often treated as a courtroom, and our ancestors are always on trial. But when we force historical figures to speak with 21st-century souls, are we practicing inclusion—or are we practicing a new form of erasure?
October 24, 2026, 8:00-9:00 p.m. Red Poppy Art House, 2698 Folsom St, San Francisco, CA.
Sacramento Noir: Mayhem in the Capital at SF Lit Crawl.
That city you drive past on 80 and rarely think twice about? It’s both lovelier and creepier than you know. Join 7 authors from 2025’s award-winning SACRAMENTO NOIR anthology for an hour of unsettling tales of capital crimes and misdemeanors. Readings by Luis Avalos, Shelley Blanton-Stroud, Maureen O’Leary, Janet Rodriguez, Nora Rodriguez Camagna, and Jen Soong. Moderated by Naomi Williams. Come for the spine-tingling stories; stay for some fun audience giveaways!
October 9, 2026, 6-8:30 p.m. Arts Council of Kern, Bakersfield, CA.
Clippings, An exhibition and talk about Facts, Fiction and Truth.
To celebrate the 160th anniversary of the Bakersfield Californian newspaper, I’ll talk about headlines, history and what they mean.
July 21, 2026
Writing Fiction in the Spaces History Skipped, Central Coast Writers, Pacific Grove, CA.
June 18, 2026
East Sac Book Club!
Email me if you’d like a book club visit.
May 20, 2026
Arden Park Book Club!
Email me if you’d like a book club visit.
May 14, 2026
Texas Book Club!
Email me if you’d like a book club visit.
May 3, 2026
Sacramento Noir Authors at Beers Books Book Signing for Beer Week at Drake’s Barn, West Sacramento, CA.
12-4. Enjoy the lawn at the barn, music, and lots of bookish people, including all the fine writers of Sacramento Noir.
April 25, 2026
CMC Leads Summit, Claremont McKenna College, Claremont, CA
Shelley will participate on the panel Creativity: Arts, Film, and Storytelling, with Akshata Murty, Ramon Torres, Amy Kind, and Diane Wagner.
April 19, 2026
10 a.m. – 5 p.m. PT | Sacramento Book Festival, Scottish Rite Temple, 6151 H Street, Sacramento, CA
Shelley will moderate the panel, Strong Women in History (Histfic), with authors Jasmin Hakes, Claire Johnson, and Vanitha Sankaran.
March 29, 2026
1:15 – 2:15 p.m. ET | History Through Fiction Conference, 295 Hale Street, Beverly, MA.
Panel–Historical Fiction and “Presentism”: A Modern Take on Writing Historical Fiction for Today’s Readers with Jody Hadlock, Shelley Blanton-Stroud, Joan Fernandez, Leslie Johansen-Nack.
February 28, 2026, 2026
11:30-12:15, PT, | Left Coast Crime, San Francisco, CA
Panel: Setting as Character. With moderator, Mindy Carlson and other panelists–C.W. Blackwell, Francesco Paola, Craig Robertson, Faye Snowden.
February 26, 2026
1:30 – 2:15 p.m. PT | Fair Oaks Book Club
(Open first to members; may open to others closer to event.)
January 17, 2026
11 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. PT | Redwood Writers, The Finley Center, 2060 West College Avenue, Santa Rosa, CA
Presentation on Writing Historical Fiction.
Launch Events for An Unlikely Prospect Below
August 16, 2025
1:00–3:00 PM PT | Online (Zoom)
Moderator Jennifer K. Morita will grill award-winning authors Naomi Hirahara, Cheryl Head, and Shelley Blanton-Stroud on how they weave historical research with fiction, nail the details without weighing down their stories, and recreate a time and place for their readers. Sponsored by Capitol Crimes.
August 18, 2025
12:40-1:00 PM PT | Live and Recorded Radio
Capitol Public Radio’s Insight. Interview with Vicki Gonzalez on the eightieth anniversary of the VJ-Day peace riot. Listen here.(Go to minute 36:30.)
August 19, 2025
5:30–8:30 PM PT | Magpie Cafe, Sacramento, CA
🎉 Publication Day for An Unlikely Prospect!
Join Shelley with journalist Carla Meyer for FOOD BY THE BOOK — an evening of food, drink, and conversation. Program from 5:30–7:30, with continued eating, visiting, drinking, and signing until 8:30.
Location: Magpie Cafe, 1601 16th St, Sacramento, CA 95814
Event is sold out. Attendees can collect their pre-ordered books at the event.
August 20, 2025
5:00–6:00 PM PT | Online (Zoom)
💬 Women Who Make Good Trouble: A Zoom conversation with Shelley’s brilliant critique group — Gretchen Cherington, Ashley Sweeney, and Debra Thomas — as they talk about the women characters who stir things up in fiction. Join us here.
August 21–24, 2025
Killer Nashville Conference | Franklin, TN
Shelley will appear on two panels:
- Friday, August 22, 9:00–9:45 AM — “Writing Historicals for the Modern Reader” (Hickory Room). Moderator: Shelley Blanton-Stroud.
- Sunday, August 24, 11:30–12:15 — “Writing the Historical Novel” (Franklin Room).
August 28, 2025
4:00–6:00 PM PT | Sacramento History Museum
Talk Books! A discussion of the real history behind An Unlikely Prospect, book signing, snacks, and conversation.
📍 101 I St, Sacramento, CA 95814
August 29, 2025
6:00–7:30 PM PT | Ruby’s Books, Folsom, CA
Two crime novelists in conversation, one of them a journalist who asks the tough questions. Shelley chats with Jennifer K. Morita about writing history, mystery, and everything in between.
📍 724 Sutter Street, Folsom, CA
September 3, 2025
6:00–7:00 PM PT | Wild Sisters Book Company, Sacramento, CA
Signing copies of An Unlikely Prospect. Please drop by this local gem of a bookstore to pick up a copy, get it signed, and visit. (I may even share treats!)
September 7, 2025
10:00–11:00 AM PT | Live Radio Interview
🎙️ A Novel Idea with Suzanne Lang, live on KRCB/NPR-FM 104.9 / streaming @ norcalpublicmedia.org. It will then be syndicated to its NPR podcast page: https://www.npr.org/podcasts/504991626/a-novel-idea
September 13, 2025
1:00–3:30 PM PT | A Seat at the Table Books, Elk Grove, CA
Writing workshops for all ages!
🖋️ 1:00–2:00 — Youth writing workshop with Dorothy Rice
🖋️ 2:30–3:30 — Adult writing workshop with Shelley Blanton-Stroud
📍 9257 Laguna Springs Dr, Suit
September 14, 2025
2:00–3:00 PM PT | Book Passage-Ferry Building, San Francisco, CA
Ferry Building, One Ferry Building 42, San Francisco, CA 94111
Join me in San Francisco for an intimate conversation about An Unlikely Prospect, with Laura Wenus, an independent multimedia journalist and editor. She is a co-founder of News Relay Network, a journalism venture that works to empower communities. She has launched and hosted podcasts for the San Francisco Chronicle (“Fixing Our City”) and San Francisco Public Press (“Civic”) focused on solutions reporting and civic engagement.
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Events After Launch
Every month
Book Clubs. (Would you like to schedule an author visit to your book club? Email Shelley.)
January 17, 2026
Redwood Writers. On writing history. 11:00 AM–1:00 PM. Finley Center, Santa Rosa.