About NVW

Amber Lea Starfire

President

Amber Lea Starfire, MFA is an author, editor, and journaling expert whose passion is helping others tell their stories. She has authored two memoirs, Accidental Jesus Freak and Not the Mother I Remember, as well as several books on journaling, including Journaling for Dummies, released in Nov. 2022. Amber has been a member of the California Writers Club since 2010 and joined Napa Valley Writers when it began in 2013. 

Paul Moser

Secretary

Paul Moser is a writer and editor.  He has authored four books, the first three reflecting his tragic fascination with satire: The New Revised Catechlysm, T-Bull and the Lost Men, Inside the Flavor League. The fourth is a memoir, Seeking.  To escape work on a current manuscript, he blogs at this unholymess.com. He lives in Napa.

Yvonne Baginski

Membership Chair

Yvonne Baginski started her first newspaper, "Neighborhood News," when she was just eight years' old. She decided to "get serious" about journalism but after earning her degree found that newspaper work was difficult to break into. Instead, she edited a campaign law newsletter and wrote extensive analysis of legislative bills prior to starting another newspaper, The Senior News, in Humboldt County. She was also a feature writer for the local daily newspaper, and a regular gossip columnist. After moving to Napa, she wrote a regular column in the Napa Register and was a ghost writer for four memoirs. She created another publication, Born To Age, which expanded into five Bay Area counties. She also created the nonprofit, Share the Care Napa Valley. After retirement, she's been active in writing poetry, personal prose and advocacy letters/editorials to save the local environment. Her work has earned her several recognitions, including  the California Newspaper Association, the Jefferson Award and 2022 Climate Champion for Napa County.     

Marty Malin

Member-at-Large

Marty has published a handful of poems and short stories online and in several print anthologies. His first book, Grandmother's Devil & Other Tempting Tales, is a collection of short stories. His debut novel, Transit, will be published in the Winter of 2023.  The novel is being serialized in advance of publication on Substack and some of Marty's short stories may also be read there at https://martymalin.substack.com/p/short-stories.

Antonia Allegra

Member-at-Large

Toni is an author, poet and coach to food and wine writers. She has launched culinary and wine symposia that have yielded numerous books in the industry. She established cooking schools in San Diego, Baja California, and Napa Valley, including Beringer and the CIA/Greystone. Toni has written two books and created/edited three magazines: Napa Valley Tables, Appellation, and, VINE Napa Valley. She is also an actor.

Justin Godey

Webmaster