Mimi Latt

Best-selling author Mimi Latt will speak at the Orange County Women Lawyers Assn. luncheon meeting Tuesday in Orange. Latt, a former Los Angeles trial attorney, has published three legal thrillers since leaving her law practice in the late '80s--"Powers of Attorney," "Pursuit of Justice" and "Ultimate Justice." The luncheon meeting will be in the Orange County Medical Assn. building, 300 S. Flower St., Orange. $25 for members; $35 for nonmembers; $17 for students.

Best-selling author Mimi Latt will speak at the Orange County Women Lawyers Assn. luncheon meeting Tuesday in Orange. Latt, a former Los Angeles trial attorney, has published three legal thrillers since leaving her law practice in the late '80s--"Powers of Attorney," "Pursuit of Justice" and "Ultimate Justice." The luncheon meeting will be in the Orange County Medical Assn. building, 300 S. Flower St., Orange. $25 for members; $35 for nonmembers; $17 for students.

Right there, on the jacket of her new book, "Ultimate Justice," Mimi Latt reveals to all the world that she lives in Encino. Often, Valley-based writers instruct their publishers to say only that they live in Los Angeles. But Latt and her husband, Arron, are happy to occupy a gorgeous home up near the Skirball Cultural Center--this despite the fact that they are former residents of Beverly Hills.

Right there, on the jacket of her new book, "Ultimate Justice," Mimi Latt reveals to all the world that she lives in Encino. Often, Valley-based writers instruct their publishers to say only that they live in Los Angeles. But Latt and her husband, Arron, are happy to occupy a gorgeous home up near the Skirball Cultural Center--this despite the fact that they are former residents of Beverly Hills.

FESTIVAL The Grecian Festival by the Sea takes place Saturday- Monday, noon-9 p.m. at Blessed Virgin Mary Greek Orthodox Church, Long Beach. (562) 494-8929. VOLUNTEER California AIDS Ride holds an orientation tonight. The Village at Gould Plaza, 1125 N. McCadden Place, Hollywood. 7 p.m. (323) 874-7474. HISTORY Celebrate Mexican Independence Day at the L.A. Zoo on Saturday in the zoo's Eucalyptus Grove. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. (323) 644-6400.

The New Short Fiction Series, which bills itself as "L.A.'s only live literary magazine," will present "My Brain Escapes Me" by Robert Steven Rhine at 8 p.m. Tuesday at the Lankershim Arts Center, 5108 Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood. Rhine, a Valley resident, has published short fiction in more than 65 magazines plus several anthologies. Featured Tuesday will be spoken-word artist Sally Shore, plus guest performers Bill Lee Brown, Rob Elk, Benito Martinez and Rafael Noble. $10.

* Irwin Gellman will discuss "The Contender: Richard Nixon the Congress Years" at 8:30 a.m. today on "Let's Talk Business . . . and More," with Gloria Zigner, on KUCI (88.9 FM) in Irvine. * Poets Ricki Mandeville, Penelope Darling and Lewis Umbrellahem will read at 8 tonight at Alta Coffee House & Roasting Co., 506 31st St., Newport Beach. * Yxta Maya Murray will sign "What It Takes to Get to Vegas" at 7 p.m. Thursday at Martinez Books and Art Gallery, 1110 N. Main St., Santa Ana.

A kickoff signing and recipe-sampling party for its new horror writers' cookbook, "Conjuring Dark Delicacies," will be held Sunday from 2-5 p.m. at Dark Delicacies, 3725 W. Magnolia Blvd. in North Hollywood. Those who have contributed recipes or artwork include Stephen King, Clive Barker, Pamela Franklin, Tim Curry and Nancy Holder. Some contributors will attend. Of the cookbook's $19.95 sales price, $10 will go to the NEVA Foundation, which helps abused and abandoned dogs. Also, Joe R.

In "Hank & Chloe," her 1993 debut novel, Jo-Ann Mapson introduced a pair of unlikely lovers. Hank Oliver is a conservative and cautious untenured 43-year-old professor of folklore and mythology at an Orange County community college; Chloe Morgan is an earthy, impetuous 33-year-old part-time horse trainer and waitress with a troubled past and a hot temper.

Who among us has not sent off a letter to the editor opining about something? Wendy Dager, an expert on the greeting-card market whose work has also appeared in numerous journals, will explain how writers can make money from their opinions by getting published on op-ed pages in newspapers and magazines. Sponsored by the Ventura County Writers Club, the event is scheduled at 7:45 p.m. Tuesday in the Orchid Professional Building, 816 Camarillo Springs Road, Camarillo. Fee for nonmembers is $5.