Adventures in Historical Fiction

Tim's talk, Adventures in Historical Fiction, combines his account of traveling (sometimes stumbling) through Western Europe and Turkey in pursuit of historical accuracy with tips on research for novelists. What he discovered in his travels created the realistic underpinnings for his first novel, The Wool Translator. His talk will offer pointers on research useful to all authors.

Takeaways will include:

•        How travel helps create verisimilitude in setting.

•        How to get free access to expensive or difficult-to-find books or materials for research.

•        Hierarchies of research authority.

•        How to properly use Wikipedia.

•        Using the Internet Archive, WorldCat, and other online resources for research.

Saturday, June 13, 2026
10:00 AM – 12:00 PM 

Where 

Napa Valley Unitarian Universalists
1625 Salvador Ave., Napa 

Open to the Public 

NVW Members: $10
Guests: $15
Students: Free with ID 

Tim Schooley’s first job out of high school was as a circus clown with Ringling Bros., Barnum & Bailey Circus. When he began to question the strength of his funny bone, he went to college at UC Santa Barbara and then law school at UC Berkeley. He spent 35 years as an appellate lawyer, taught appellate law at UC Davis Law School for 10 years, and worked first as a “writ attorney” and then as the managing attorney of the California Court of Appeal, Third Appellate District, in Sacramento. 

All along, Tim wrote fiction, but waited until his retirement to publish his debut novel, The Wool Translator, released in July 2022. The Wool Translator won the University of Pacific Creative Writing Conference’s Jameson Award and was shortlisted for the 2021 Chaucer Book award.

Tim’s forthcoming novel, The Circus of the Vanishing Elephant, is based loosely on his employment many years ago as a circus clown. The novel will be published by HTP (History Through Fiction) Publishing on September 15, 2026. 

Tim lives with his wife in Northern California. His website: www.timschooley.com 

What You’ll Learn: 

Build a Profile That Tells Your Story. 

Go beyond a title. Craft a profile with a clear voice, a strong narrative, and a compelling Unique Value Proposition. 

Find and Grow Your Audience. 

Connect with the right people—not just more people. Learn how to engage with readers, editors, and influencers already in your space. 

Create Content That Gets Noticed. 

What works on LinkedIn today: posts, articles, newsletters, polls, and commentary. 

Why original content wins—and how to make yours stand out. 

Engage Like a Pro (Without Feeling Salesy)

Comment, share, and participate in conversations that matter. 

Understand how the algorithm really works: “people you know, talking about the things you care about.”

Become Your Own Publicist. 

Use LinkedIn as a 24/7 platform to promote your work, build credibility, and create opportunities—without spending a dime.

Why This Matters for Writers: 

Most professionals are on LinkedIn, but only a small percentage actively create content. That creates a huge opportunity for writers willing to show up consistently. Visibility leads to readers, speaking opportunities, collaboration, and book sales.

Saturday, May 9, 2026
10:00 AM – 12:00 PM 

Where 

Napa Valley Unitarian Universalists
1625 Salvador Ave., Napa 

Open to the Public 

NVW Members: $10
Guests: $15
Students: Free with ID 

Jim Lauria is an international business executive, author, and water industry thought leader who has been an active LinkedIn member since 2004, building a community of over 12,000 followers and 4,500+ subscribers to his LinkedIn newsletter To Know Water Is to Love Water. A chemical engineer by training, Jim has leveraged LinkedIn to establish himself as a leading voice in the water space publishing feature and cover articles for top industry publications, co-hosting the podcast Water We Talking About?, reviewing 75+ water books, and posting a daily water quote for over 500 consecutive days. He is also the author of How to Get Your Money Back From Big Companies and has used LinkedIn strategically to attract consulting clients, speaking engagements, and collaborations across the global water sector. Jim lives in Napa, California, and looks forward to sharing the practical LinkedIn strategies that have fueled his publishing and professional journey. Connect with him at linkedin.com/in/jimlauria.