The La Cañada Flintridge Orthopaedic Guild (LCFOG) annual Book & Author Luncheon will be held on Tuesday, Oct. 13 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the La Cañada Flintridge Country Club, 5500 Godbey Drive in La Cañada Flintridge. This year’s event features three gifted authors: Susan Frazee, Diane Wheaton and Deanna Nese.

Susan Frazee’s picture book, Martin Snell and His Worm Hotel, will be available for purchase and signing by the author. The book introduces young readers to composting, recycling and caring for the Earth … one banana peel at a time. Martin scrapes plates and collects crumbs to feed the squirmy guests in his worm hotel and children learn how composting works, how to start a worm bin and how every child can reduce waste at home or at school. Parents and teachers have used the book for early science lessons and Earth Day units. 

Frazee was raised in La Cañada Flintridge and is a product of LCUSD. She makes her home in San Diego and is the mother of four. She continues to host a robust worm hotel.

Diane Wheaton’s memoir, Finding Loretta: An Adopted Daughter’s Search to Define Family, will be available at the luncheon. Published by She Writes Press, it received a 2026 IBPA award. Diane, a reunited adoptee, was adopted by a naval officer and his wife during the Baby Scoop Era. Growing up, she heard conflicting versions of the truth about her origins and it was not until mid-life that she decided to search for her biological family. Her memoir recounts that search and the struggle to balance her feelings for her adoptive parents amid a shocking disclosure.

Deanna Nese will have her cozy mystery Checked Out at the Snowy Plover Inn, set on the California coast, available at the luncheon. A California native, Deanna has published six novels in four different genres. Her short stories have appeared in Typishly and the VC Reporter and won Best in Conference at WCCW 2025. She teaches English and history to middle schoolers and is a member of Sisters in Crime and West Coast Christian Writers.

A silent auction will be held in conjunction with the luncheon.

LCFOG members have supported Luskin Orthopaedic Institute for Children, formerly Orthopaedic Hospital, since 1956. The institute provides excellent care to children with orthopaedic disorders regardless of their family’s ability to pay. This year marks 69 years of LCFOG’s support.

Those interested in attending the LCFOG Book & Author Luncheon can contact Joan Cleven at (818) 249-4603.