Diane Dean-Epps

Writer, Teacher, Speaker

 
   

Summer in the City: 50 Fun Things To Do

Wondering what to do this summer? Here are 50 ideas. Plus, what area celebs like best about summer in our city.

13. Add these books by local authors to your summer reading list: Kill TV by Diane Dean-Epps, Tibetan Adventure by Jack L. Parker, The Sacred Well by Antoinette May, How To Create and Maintain an Alien—An Insider’s Look at Criminals and Their Culture by Arthur L. Mattocks, Ph.D., and The Doomsday Key by James Rollins.
 

***

Great Review at MyShelf.Com

K-I-L-L  TV

by Diane Dean-Epps



      Leslie Lloyd has had a very trying day.  It's April 15th, tax day, and she is late getting her taxes filed.  Besides that she's having a marital crisis and is finding herself in sticky situations.  Leslie is KQPT-TV / Channel 8's News Director.  Her husband, Bob, left her to "find himself", claiming he needed "room to grow" and "space to breathe".  When Leslie walks into Control Room A she finds her boss, Lincoln Bradbury Delaware III, lifeless and staring at a blank monitor screen.  Suddenly Bob is the least of her worries.  Add tax evasion, insubordination and murder to the list and Leslie finds herself facing some pretty major issues.

No one at the station liked Lincoln Bradbury Delaware III. He was a pompous, arrogant, foul-tempered misogynist and that on his good days, but no one was going to admit that now.  It was Leslie who had had a huge fight with Lincoln just hours before his death in front of the entire staff of KQPT.  Little did she know her anger would set her up as the girl most likely to kill and put her at number one on the suspect list.

After another co-worker and good friend dies suddenly and suspiciously it's up to Leslie to do some investigative snooping (reporting).  Murder, mayhem, and fixing yet another mess, all in a day's work.  Dodging Copzilla, Officer Bobbie Brooks, and enlisting the help of her new love interest Police Officer Jared Stanford, Leslie turns up the heat and begins cooking with gas.

K-I-L-L  TV  is a wonderfully written and delightful mystery to read.  With charming, likable characters and a well-developed plot Diane Dean-Epps is a killer of a writer in the mystery genre.  If you enjoy a good mystery—give K-I-L-L  TV a try.  It is a fast-paced, fun mystery that at times will have you laughing out loud.

The Book

Hope Springs Eternal Press

April 14, 2008

Trade Paperback

098148290-2

Mystery

More at Amazon.com

Excerpt

NOTE:

 

The Reviewer

Connie Harris

Reviewed 2008

NOTE:

 

© 2008 MyShelf.com

 

Review Link:

http://www.myshelf.com/mystery/08/killtv.htm

***

Odyssey Reviews

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Diane Dean Epps; Kill TV

 
Leslie Loyd has had a bad day. her boss is dead, it's tax day, she's missed her hair appointment and she's the prime murder suspect. Her bad day becomes a bad week as the rest of her news crew team start to become the news. She tries to hold it all together with caffeine and a possible new love interest while trying to solve a new and very close to home string of deaths.

Kill-TV is written in the internal dialogue of Leslie, we follow her most intimate thoughts as her mind wanders while her body blunders through life. Leslie's voice is what truly carries this book, every woman is a little like her, and we all have a friend she will remind us of. Her honest voice makes reading this book similar to listening to a hilarious and yet disturbing story being related to you over coffee by one of your girlfriends. Leslie is constantly having very entertaining mental battles with herself she has to come to terms with disturbing event after disturbing event. Written much like a murder mystery, the candid mind of Leslie never lets the reader sink too deeply into the tension of the plot. We all know she's innocent, but then who among
the lively crew of news people she works with - isn't so innocent? Who is it with blood on their hands, and are they gunning for Leslie next? The assembled cast of characters is for the most part very believable and fairly well fleshed out. The dialogue is spot on, even when Leslie places her foot in her mouth time and time again, the reader cringes with her.

This is one of the most well written indy-authored books that I have read, and with it being from a small press there are only minor printing issues that may or may not annoy the reader. One is that the font is small with wide spacing between the lines, I had no problem with it, but I cannot see anyone in the 50 and up crew reading it without the aid of a pair of readers. The second is simply that the justification used makes the final sentences of some of the paragraphs space way out. Nothing major, and if these are the only complaints I
have about the book then you know the author is doing something right.

Though I wouldn't say this book is for everyone, the audience it is for has a lot to look forward to. This book is geared more toward female readers, specifically those that like a little humor and a little mystery and have had their fair share of ups and downs in life. I can honestly say that I hope a large publishing house picks this book up and gives it the physical polish that the tale contained within deserves. So if you don't mind a few typesetting issues, pick up a copy of this to read while relaxing and enjoying a cappuccino.

Author: Diane Dean Epps
Perfect Paperback: 224 pages
Publisher: Hope Springs Eternal Press; 1st edition (April 14, 2008)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0981482902

***

Successful Library Benefit Event

Nevada County residents with a craving for tasty stories and delectable desserts will be treated to both at a fund raising event for the Nevada County Library entitled A Moveable Feast.

Hosted by the Friends of the Library, the benefit will feature six local authors who will circulate among book lovers, sharing their creative inspiration and tales found in the tomes they’ve penned. While visiting with the writers, guests can sample a variety of specialty desserts from the chefs at Paulette’s Country Kitchen, Cane’s Restaurant, Dorado Chocolates and the Happy Apple Restaurant.

A few of the authors speaking at A Moveable Feast are David Comstock (Brides of the Gold Rush, Gold Diggers & Camp Followers), Diana Dean Epps (Maternal Meanderings, Last Call), Chris Enss (Gilded Girls: Women Entertainers of the Old West & Frontier Teachers), and Peter Collier (The Kennedys: An American Drama, The Roosevelts: An American Saga).

The Friends of the Library’s A Moveable Feast will be held at the Madelyn Helling Library in Nevada City on Friday, October 24 at 7 p.m. Tickets are $25 per person and seating is limited. For more information contact Debie Ogden at the Nevada County Library at 530/265-1407.
 

http://www.theunion.com/article/20080908/ENTERTAINMENT/809089961/1055/NEWS&parentprofile=-1

A MOVEABLE FEAST Library Event

You are invited to a Benefit for the Nevada County Library~
A MOVEABLE FEAST

Enjoy decadent desserts with renowned and local authors:

CHRIS ENSS
DIANE DEAN-EPPS
LOUIS B. JONES
CAROLE CARSON
DAVID COMSTOCK
KIM CULBERTSON

Friday, October 24 at 7:00 PM
Madelyn Helling Library Reading Room
$25 per person donation to the Libraries

DESSERTS KINDLY DONATED BY:

Dorado Chocolates
Ridge Stop Cafe
The Happy Apple Kitchen
Raley’s Bakery
Safeway Bakery

Sponsored by the Friends of Nevada County Libraries

LIMITED SEATING!  To Reserve:
Make check payable to FOL and drop off at your library, or mail to:
Friends of the Library
980 Helling Way
Nevada City, CA  95959

FOR INFORMATION CALL: 265-1407

***

Check-out all reviews posted on Amazon

http://www.amazon.com/Kill-TV-Diane-Dean-Epps/dp/0981482902/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1223253285&sr=1-

On-line Reviews:

Bookreporter.com
Click Here For Librarians Submitting a Book Become a Reviewer FAQ Contact Us About Us
 

 

Pamela from Cedar, MN

What suspense/thriller authors do you usually Read?
I like Mary Higgins Clark, Patricia Cornwell, Mary Jane Clark, Janet Evanovich, and Diane Dean-Epps, just to name a few.

 

New KVMR Radio Interview:

http://www.booktown.blogspot.com/

 

Press

Armchair InterviewsKILL TV by Diane Dean-Epps

Published by Hope Springs Eternal Press

Reviewed by Barbara L. Fielder

From the first page, the author draws you into a murder mystery that takes place in the most unlikely place, control room A at KQPT-TV/channel 8. The key character in this upbeat mystery is news director Leslie Lloyd. She is assertive, can be bitchy and has definitely perfected foot-in-the-mouth disease. She is also the key suspect in the murder of the station manager, Lincoln Delaware Bradbury III.

Woven nicely into the mystery is a budding romantic relationship with none other than a police officer she meets during the murder investigation. Needless to say, this complicates her life and makes for interesting, fun, and compelling reading.  Leslie is surrounded by a talented team of behind-the-scenes off- camera talent. During the investigation, disaster looms as Leslie’s close friend, Rob, a member of the KQPT-TV crew dies. Is his death of natural causes? It appears that way. However, Rob’s father seeks out Leslie to investigate Rob’s death as a murder. While Leslie is willing to help Rob’s father, she wonders privately if this is a grieving father’s folly.

Does the romance between Leslie and her new squeeze escalate or fizzle? You’ll wonder as she gives more attention to keeping herself free from arrest as a suspect in Lincoln’s death and pursuing Rob’s fathers’ plea to discover the cause of his son’s death. For the romantics in the crowd, you’ll find the relationship gathers momentum as the two lovers find their way.

In the midst of Leslie’s quest to establish her own alibi, and conduct the investigation of Rob’s death, yet another high-level station employee is murdered. The suspects are narrowed down and Leslie is doggedly engaged in her investigation to ultimately solve the murder mysteries.

The author’s ten-year career in television broadcasting adds authenticity to her story, while she creates a fun, funny and fictional storyline.

Don’t get left behind as Leslie finds who killed whom and why, and discovers romance in the process.

Armchair Interviews says: Enjoy.

Link:  http://reviews.armchairinterviews.com/reviews/kill-tv

***************************************************

BOOK REVIEW BY MIDWEST BOOK REVIEW

The "Mystery/Suspense" Shelf

Return to home
page

Book Reviews, Book Lover Resources, Advice for Writers and Publishers

Home / Small Press Bookwatch

Small Press Bookwatch

Volume 7, Number 6

June 2008

Home | SPBW Index


KILL-TV
Diane Dean-Epps
Hope Springs Eternal Press
mswrite10@yahoo.com
0981482902, $10.00, www.dianedeanepps.com

When you have a major axe to grind with someone, it's never a good sign when they mysteriously turn up dead – because suddenly you're the top suspect. "Kill TV" follows Leslie Lloyd as she finds out her most hated co-worker is dead and dealing with the police overflow from it. Her life begins to fall apart all around her – all while the media frenzy wants to follow a murder suspect around for ratings. A charming satire on modern society and life itself, "Kill TV is highly recommended for community library fiction collections and those who serve as its patrons.”

http://www.midwestbookreview.com/sbw/jun_08.htm#Mystery/Suspense

***

 
Monday, April 28, 2008
Local teacher publishes third novel

 
Diane Dean-Epps, English instructor at Nevada Union High School, shows her new novel, "K-I-L-L TV," which draws upon her experiences as a former broadcast journalist.
 
Diane Dean-Epps, English instructor at Nevada Union High School, shows her new novel, "K-I-L-L TV," which draws upon her experiences as a former broadcast journalist.
Writing is how Diane Dean-Epps makes sense of the world: She writes all the time - in her head, on scraps of paper, when she's at home, even while she's driving.
"My family comes from a tradition of hilarious story tellers," she said. "We never inherited money, but we inherited a lot of stories."
Dean-Epps, an English instructor at Nevada Union High School, recently published her third novel titled "K-I-L-L TV," which draws upon her experiences as a former broadcast journalist.
The protagonist of the novel is a news director who's a recovering alcoholic and whose husband is leaving her. To add to her misery, her boss - with whom she disagreed in public - is found murdered on April 15, which hindered her from filing her taxes on time.
The 224-page "humorous mystery" took Dean-Epps about a year to write. It's now available at The Book Seller in Grass Valley and online at www.dianedeanepps.com.
Dean-Epps' earlier novels, "Maternal Meanderings" and "Last Call," are sold on amazon.com and at Barnes & Noble Books.
"What feeds my creativity is nature and my family," Dean-Epps said. "My core values and my unconditional love for my family sustain me because it allows a process that can flow freely. I'm able to grow as a writer because I'm right in the moment where I need to be. I'm not concentrating on the unimportant."
Dean-Epps is inspired by Tibetan Buddhism. Her favorite poets include Sylvia Plath, Elizabeth Bishop and Mary Oliver. She's captivated by the works of William Faulkner and Langston Hughes, she said.
"I really started taking writing seriously when my oldest daughter was born in 1988," Dean-Epps said. "That's when I realized I had this little girl, and I didn't want to tell her I wanted to pursue this dream but never followed it."
Dean-Epps lives in Alta Sierra with her husband, Gary Epps. They have two children - 14-year-old Kelsi and 19-year-old Nicole.
 

http://www.theunion.com/article/20080428/NEWS/886731563

***

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

·                      the magazine

·                      eat / drink

·                      events & snapshots

·                      homes

·                      best of sacramento

·                      golf guide

·                      our wedding

·                      search

 

 

Sacramento Magazine »  November 2007 » 

By the Book

By Dayna Dunteman | From November 2007

 

For Mamas (of kids and canines)

Diane Dean-Epps
If Grass Valley author/mom/high school English teacher/speaker Diane Dean-Epps can “make you forget that your shoes and your budget are too tight but your face isn’t tight enough,” she figures she’s done her job.

From the funny bone of this Sacramento State graduate come Last Call, a humorous mystery, and Maternal Meanderings, an Erma Bombeck-esque romp through the family life of a baby boomer that’s earned the endorsement of Dr. Laura. Next up: KILL-TV, a humorous mystery based on the author’s former career in broadcast television, and I’ll Always Be There . . . Unless I’m Somewhere Else?!, a rib-tickling riff on parenting adolescents.

Contact Information

 Click here for top of the page