Ventura County Weekend : Murder Mystery Latest Trophy on News Anchor’s Shelf

Too often we tend to dismiss all television news anchors as pretty faces who know how to read. Now Kelly Lange, the enduring journalist who co-anchors the KNBC news at 4 and 11 p.m., can list among her credits “Trophy Wife,” a glitzy murder mystery. The book, she said, was written between midnight and 3 a.m., after her nightly broadcast.

Lange, whose career began more than 20 years ago as a traffic and weather reporter at KABC radio, has received many awards for her work as a broadcaster including an Emmy, Golden Mike, a Genie from American Women in Radio & Television and Los Angeles Press Club honors for best news series and best writing.

“I write news as well as report it,” Lange says.

She will read from her novel at 5:30 p.m. Friday at Ojai Table of Contents, 208 E. Ojai Ave. And she will appear again at 7:15 p.m. Saturday in The Winners Circle at The Oaks Spa, 122 E. Ojai Ave.

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Toni Wynn will read at 8 tonight at Cafe Voltaire, 34 N. Palm St., Ventura. Sign-ups for the open readings begin at 7:30 p.m. Call 641-1743 for details.

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Veteran travel writer Jerry Camarillo Dunn will describe what it takes to become a professional travel writer at a seminar from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday at Learning Tree University’s Thousand Oaks campus. Call 497-2292.

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Local author Gary McCarthy, winner of the Western Writer of America Spur Award for his 1993 novel “Gila River,” will sign his latest Western adventure, “Yosemite,” at 1 p.m. Saturday at Barnes & Noble, 4360 E. Main St., Ventura.

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Three authors will appear this weekend at Mysteries to Die For, 2940 Thousand Oaks Blvd., Thousand Oaks. Joseph Valentinetti will sign “Glint,” and Anthony Flacco will autograph his true crime tale, “A Checklist for Murder,” at 1 p.m. Saturday. And John Lescroart will sign his latest Dismas Hardy book, “A Certain Justice,” at 2 p.m. Sunday.

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Sue Hansen, LPGA golf pro and volunteer reader, will tell stories to children at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday at Ojai Table of Contents, 208 E. Ojai Ave.