Beth Groundwater's Blog, page 19

Tomorrow's Guest: Heather Graham

Tomorrow, fellow mystery author Heather Graham will guest on my blog. Also, Heather will run a contest for a free autographed copy of her latest release, Let the Dead Sleep . She will choose the winners from among those who leave a comment.

Heather Graham has written more than a hundred novels, many of which have been featured by the Doubleday Book Club and the Literary Guild. An avid scuba diver, ballroom dancer and mother of five, she still enjoys her south Florida home, but loves to travel as well, from Venice, Italy, Cairo, Egypt, New Orleans, Los Angeles and Boston to her own backyard, the Florida Keys. 

Reading, however, is the pastime Heather still loves best, and she is a member of many writing groups. She's a winner of the Romance Writers of America's Lifetime Achievement Award, and the Thriller Writers' Silver Bullet. She is an active member of International Thriller Writers and Mystery Writers of America, and also the founder of The Slush Pile Players, an author band and theatrical group.

Heather hosts the annual Writers for New Orleans conference to benefit both the city, which is near and dear to her heart, and various other causes, and she hosts a ball each year at the RT Booklovers Convention to benefit pediatric AIDS foundations. For more information, check out her website. You can also find Heather on Facebook.

In her guest post tomorrow, Heather answers my interview questions, and I'm sure you'll be intrigued by the answers. Then, please make a comment or ask a question in the comments, and good luck in the contest!

The Beach Vacation Redefined and more

I follow a number of whitewater rafting-related blogs and I just had to share a couple of my recent favorites with readers of my RM Outdoor Adventures series.

In this article, "The Beach Vacation Redefined," Cari Morgan of O.A.R.S., a well-respected adventure outfitter, talks about how the new beach vacation can best be enjoyed on a river versus near the ocean.

In the article, "Thoughts on Climate and Colorado's Water Future Workshop," Sabrina Kliman with Colorado River Watch gives a summary of this 2013 workshop.

And, last but not least, here's a video on How to Choose the Right Life Jacket (or what we river runners call a PFD (personal floatation device)).

Appearing at Left Coast Crime

I am spending this weekend at the Left Coast Crime 2013 conference in Colorado Springs, home of Pikes Peak and the Garden of the Gods as shown above. If you are attending, here's when you can see me speak at the conference:

Friday 3:00–3:45 PM - Authors With Altitude: Colorado Authors panel

Saturday 7:30–9:00 AM - Meet the Established Authors Breakfast
Saturday 2:15 - 3:00 PM: The Sporting Side of Murder panel
Saturday 3:15 - 4:00 PM: Writing the West: The Rocky Nominees panel

I'll also be volunteering at Sisters in Crime and Mystery Writers of America information tables. I hope to have a chance to talk to many mystery readers at the conference!

Today's Mystery Author Guest: Sparkle Abbey

As promised yesterday, fellow mystery author duo Sparkle Abbey is visiting my blog today. To read the duo's bio and see their photo, please page down to yesterday's post. Also, Sparkle is running a contest for a free autographed book, with THREE winners. Each one will win a copy of one of the first three mysteries in the Pampered Pets mystery series, their choice. Sparkle will choose the winners from among those who leave a comment.

The cover art above is from their latest release, Kitty Kitty Bang Bang , the third book in the series. In the book, Caro Lamont, Laguna Beach’s most sought after pet therapist, is back with more coddled cats and pampered pooches. Unfortunately, her human neighbor, Kitty Bardot, has apparently used up her nine lives and Caro’s nose for trouble lands her in the middle of a murder investigation. Will Caro claw her way out of this one? Or – well – you know what they say about curiosity and the cat…


Sounds like a very fun read! Below are Sparkle's answers to my interview questions. Please leave a comment, and if you have a question of your own for Sparkle, ask it!

1. Who or what inspired you to start writing and when did you start?

Thanks so much, Beth, for inviting us to visit your blog! We enjoy your books and hope your blog readers will enjoy hearing a little bit about us. Like many writers, we started out as mystery readers before we decided to try our hand (or is that hands) at writing mysteries. We enjoy the same types of books and had belonged to the same critique group for many years.

2. What tools and process do you use to “get to know” your characters before and while you’re writing the books?

We use character sketches, interviews, and pictures. Because we work together on the series, we talk quite a bit about the characters and their motivations before we start on a book.

3. How do you construct your plots? Do you outline or do you write “by the seat of your pants”?

We are both very definitely “plotters.” We outline using the idea of a skeleton of the story. We lay out the three-act structure and turning points of the storyline. But then when we begin to write, we’re very open to the growth of the story in an organic way.

4. In the age-old question of character versus plot, which one do you think is most important in a murder mystery and which one do you emphasize in your writing? Why?

Both are important but for us the plot is driven by the characters. When you have strong developed characters, the choices they make must be true for them and, of course, that will impact all your story decisions.

5. What is the biggest challenge you’ve faced as a writer and what inspires you and keeps you motivated?

The biggest challenge is time! We have more stories in our heads than we can possibly find the time to write. What inspires us the most is hearing from readers. We’ve been so lucky to have heard from some wonderful readers.

This post came via email:
“I’ve got to say - you had me at woof!  Your book had everything I love – 1) animals, 2) comedy, 3) people and animals you care about, 4) murder and mystery!  I also love the setting - the wacky, strange, beachy, Paris Hilton kind of California!  I also LOVE that "Sparkle Abbey" is actually a friend/team!  What fun you must have!  I can't wait to read your next book - and while reading it I will be imagining the two of you sitting on a beach, drinking your margaritas, laughing.”

Wow. As a writer, this is why you write.

6. What is a typical workday for you and how many hours a day (or week) do you devote to writing?

Because we each work full-time in addition to writing, we write, out of necessity, in the evenings and on weekends. We also plan at least two writing retreats each year. Sometimes we plot new stories at these retreats and other times they are set aside for intensive writing.

7. What advice do you have to offer to an aspiring author?

It’s a very hard trail and you should know that going in. You need to frequently remind yourself that if you’re going to do this, you’re in for the long haul and so you’ve got to stay strong. That means finding encouragement in others on the same path (other writers), staying toned (keep honing your craft) and keeping yourself hydrated (refill your creative well). This is a wonderful time to be a writer and though it’s a constantly shifting topography (market) – it’s by far the most rewarding journey you’ll take. 

8. Now here’s a zinger. Tell us something about yourself that you have not revealed in another interview yet.

Okay, Beth, how’s this for obscure? LOL

Abbey (Anita) likes to quote lines from the movie, The Princess Bride. Some of her favorites:

Miracle Max: Get back, witch.
Valerie: I'm not a witch, I'm your wife.

Miracle Max: Have fun stormin' da castle.
Valerie: Think it'll work?
Miracle Max: It would take a miracle.

Sparkle (Mary Lee) is a long time Monkees fan (the musical group, not the primate group). So much so that she received a personal birthday card from Monkee Davy Jones on her 40th birthday!

9. What are you working on now and what are your future writing plans?

Yip/Tuck will be out this year and we’ve sold two more books in our pet-themed mystery series. Book 5 will be Fifty Shades of Greyhound and Book 6 will be The Girl with the Dachshund Tattoo.

10. Is there anything else you would like to tell my blog readers?

We truly love to hear from readers and we also love to see pictures of your pets. Please stop by our website or visit us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Goodreads or wherever you hang out. We’d like to get to know you all better!


 Thanks, Sparkle! Now, who has a comment or question for Sparkle Abbey? Good luck in the contest!  

Tomorrow's Guest: Sparkle Abbey

Tomorrow, fellow mystery author duo Sparkle Abbey will guest on my blog. Also, Sparkle will run a contest for a free autographed book, with THREE winners. Each one will win a copy of one of the first three mysteries in the Pampered Pets mystery series, their choice. Sparkle will choose the winners from among those who leave a comment.

Sparkle Abbey is the pseudonym of mystery authors Mary Lee Woods and Anita Carter. They co-write the popular pampered pets mystery series featuring former Texas beauty queens who’ve ditched their hairspray and tiaras for botanical flea dip, doggie couture, and over-the-top pet lovers. Cousins, Caro and Mel, solve whodunits in the wacky world of precious pedigrees, pampered pets, and secrets. The first book in the series, Desperate Housedogs (2011), an Amazon bestseller, was followed by Get Fluffy (2012) and  Kitty, Kitty, Bang, Bang (2013). Yip/Tuck will be out this summer.

Mary Lee and Anita chose to use Sparkle Abbey as the pen name on this series because they liked the idea of combining the names of their two rescue pets - Sparkle (ML's cat) and Abbey (Anita’s dog).

In her guest post tomorrow, Sparkle answers my interview questions, and I'm sure you'll be intrigued by the answers. Then, please make a comment or ask a question in the comments, and good luck in the contest!

Contest Winner!

I recently selected the name of the 30th winner in my email newsletter subscriber contest. Wow, it's hard to believe that I've given away thirty prizes in that contest!

The most winner's name is Vicki, and she hails from Fargo, North Dakota. She is receiving an autographed copy of Deadly Currents and two other mystery books written by author friends. For a full list of previous winners, check out the Contests page of my website.

If you aren't already a subscriber to my email newsletter, please sign up on the Newsletter page of my website. For every 100 new subscribers, I draw a name from the list of all of my subscribers to win an autographed copy of one of my books and 1-2 other mystery books. You can't beat those odds! Good luck!

Today's Mystery Author Guest: Shannon Baker

As promised yesterday, fellow Midnight Ink mystery author Shannon Baker is visiting my blog today. To read her bio and see her photo, please page down to yesterday's post.

Shannon's latest release, her first with Midnight Ink, is Tainted Mountain . In the book, Nora Abbott, a young ski area owner, is determined to use man-made snow, an energy tycoon has his own reasons for promoting it, enviros and tribes may use any means to stop it. But the spirits of the mountain just might have the last say.

"Baker’s series debut brings Native American culture and big business together into a clash that can be heard across the mountains. Fans of J.A. Jance’s Joanna Brady will see similarities in Nora Abbott."  -- Library Journal

Sounds like my kind of mystery novel! Below are Shannon's answers to my interview questions. Please leave a comment for her, and if you have a question of your own for her, ask it!


1. Who or what inspired you to start writing and when did you start?

I was a little late to the party as far as writing goes. My older sister was the sensitive one. She was deep and wrote poetry. I knew I could never be that wise so I wanted to be an actress. But I ended up on an isolated ranch in the Nebraska Sandhills, the middle of nowhere. I was immersed in a patriarchal society and a little natural rebellion made me want to do something that wasn’t for my husband, his family, our business or my children. I’d always been a reader so it seemed natural to write.

I escaped the Sandhills and have lived in some really beautiful places. The writing came with me and, much as I curse it, seems likely to remain a part of me. 

2. Your books seem to emphasize landscapes and place. Why is that?

In a forward to Cheyenne Autumn, Mari Sandoz (who grew up in the Nebraska Sandhills) tries to explain Native American ideas to us white guys. She says that to Native Americans, place is more real than time. While I’m way too steeped in my middle-class white person ways to truly understand this, the statement rolls in my head. Learning to love the Nebraska Sandhills took conscious effort. It is stark and brutal. But I did find incredible beauty there and developed deep appreciation for it, like you would a difficult child.

My first book, out of print now (probably a good thing) was set in the Nebraska Sandhills.

Moving to the Boulder, CO area felt like homecoming. This is the place that resonates with my heart.  I was lucky enough to live in Flagstaff, on the Colorado Plateau and even luckier to work with an environmental trust. The Grand Canyon, the red rocks of Sedona, the San Francisco Peaks of Flagstaff are inspiring—and have, in fact, inspired Tainted Mountain.

Now I’m back up in Boulder. Surprisingly, Nora followed me here. Book two of the series, Broken Trust, is set here. 

3. How do you construct your plots? Do you outline or do you write “by the seat of your pants”?

I’m an accountant by day. I like numbers. If something doesn’t balance, there are logical steps to follow to find the discrepancy. You know when you’re done and you can go have a beer. Writing is nothing like that. Except, you can have beer even if you aren’t sure you’re done. So… I got distracted by the thought of beer, what was the question?

Oh yeah. Plotting. Like any good accountant, I do it on an Excel spreadsheet. Don’t judge me. 

4.  You write characters from different cultures than your own. Is that difficult?

The Nora Abbott series features the Hopi culture. As a writer, that was a really stupid choice for me to make. The Hopi are extremely secretive and with good reason.  This tiny tribe believes it is responsible to maintain the balance of the world. The Whole World. They do this by performing complicated ceremonies and rituals in a precise way at the exact right time. When white people started coming up to their mesas, they messed in the Hopi traditions and even stole some of their sacred items. That is some seriously bad stuff. So now, everything is highly protected.

Good idea to write about them, huh? I can read a bunch and I can talk to Hopi, but they aren’t going to tell me too many secrets. Still, I am fascinated by this tribe and really wanted to write about it. So I don’t write from a Hopi point of view. I can know Nora’s experiences and her culture so I write from her head, looking in on the Hopi culture. 

5. What is the biggest challenge you’ve faced as a writer and what inspires you and keeps you motivated?

My biggest challenge is my own Mount McKinley-sized insecurities. I mean, what makes me think I can write a novel? I read amazing books with intricate plots. My friends are so smart and funny and such brilliant writers. I can’t possibly measure up. Why would I even try?

I always answer myself with, “Why not?” I don’t knit, I hate crafts, cleaning house is boring, and I can’t play outside all the time. I really love hanging out with writers, so I might as well write. Sometimes, inspiration is me singing Dory’s song from Finding Nemo. “Just keep swimming, just keep swimming.” 

6. What is a typical workday for you and how many hours a day (or week) do you devote to writing?

When I’m working on a draft I write from page one to the end without going back and editing. When big changes need to be made or something set up in an earlier chapter, I make notes and keep going. During this phase, I try to do 7000 words a week. It’s not burning up the pavement, but I have a full time job. So I get up at 4:30 or 5:00 most mornings and write before work because I’m toast after work. I try not to have to write a lot on weekends. It’s not very glamorous but few things about writing are. 

7. What advice do you have to offer to an aspiring author?

This is a tough question because everyone says the same things. Writers need to read. They need to write and write and write. I’d recommend reading Dwight Swain’s Techniques of the Selling Writer, Donald Maass’s Writing the Breakout Novel, Larry Brooks’s Story Engineering, Jennifer Morrell’s Between the Lines. And I can’t recommend highly enough attending the Colorado Gold writers’ conference that takes place in Denver in September every year. I guarantee you’ll learn more about fiction writing, publishing and marketing and make a ton of contacts.

8. Now here’s a zinger. Tell us something about yourself that you have not revealed in another interview yet. Something as simple as your favorite TV show or food will do.

I’m a terrible driver. This isn’t a revelation to anyone who’s ever ridden with me. If you’re given a choice, I wouldn’t recommend getting into a car with me behind the wheel. I don’t even want to ride with me. 

9. What are you working on now and what are your future writing plans?

I’ve got a couple of short stories out on submission right now. That’s been kind of fun for me. I’ve only ever written one before and it was published in last year’s anthology of the Desert Sleuth’s chapter of Sisters in Crime, SoWest: Desert Justice .

I just turned in book 2 of the Nora Abbott series, Broken Trust. It takes place in Boulder and involves Tesla towers, weather manipulation, a corrupt non-profit, and murder. Book 3 is under construction but it’s set in Canyonlands in Utah and I’ve got some strange twists planned.

10. Is there anything else you would like to tell my blog readers?

Please visit me at my website. I’d love to talk to book clubs and am not afraid of Skype. I blog about once a month on Inkspot, the blog for Midnight Ink writers.

Thank you, Beth-The Hardest Working Mystery Writer—for hosting me. I hope you’re getting lots of great skiing in!


I'm trying, Shannon. Thanks for visiting! Now, who has a comment or question for her?

Tomorrow's Guest: Shannon Baker

Tomorrow, fellow Midnight Ink mystery author Shannon Baker will be a guest on my blog. Shannon is lover of mountains, plains, oceans and rivers and can often be found traipsing around the great outdoors.  Tainted Mountain , the first in her Nora Abbott Mystery Series, is set in Flagstaff, AZ, where she lived for several years and worked for The Grand Canyon Trust, a hotbed of environmentalists who, usually, don’t resort to murder. It involves man-made snow on sacred peaks, uranium mining in the Grand Canyon, kachinas, murder, and a woman determined to make some sense of it all. Shannon now makes her home in Boulder, CO. Surprisingly, Nora followed her and the next book in the series is set in this beautiful location.

In her guest post tomorrow, Shannon answers my interview questions, and I'm sure you'll be intrigued by what she has to say. Then, please let her know what you think or ask her a question in the comments!

How a Rural Colorado Sheriff’s Office Works

I'm blogging over at Inkspot, the blog for Midnight Ink authors, today about how a rural Colorado Sheriff's Office works. Please read the post and leave a comment there for me about your own experiences with and impressions of your local Sheriff's Office or Police Department.

Three Months to Launch for FATAL DESCENT!

In three short months, Fatal Descent, the third book in my RM Outdoor Adventures series starring whitewater river ranger and rafting guide Mandy Tanner will be released by Midnight Ink. Here's the blurb:

"A fast-paced locked-room mystery in Utah’s awe-inspiring canyon lands

River guide Mandy Tanner and her fiancé Rob Juarez, owners of RM Outdoor Adventures, are leading an off-season rafting and climbing trip on the Colorado River. The unfamiliar topography and a lecherous local climbing guide have Mandy on edge — but that’s nothing compared to the trouble the clients bring. When a young man is found dead, everyone on the trip is a suspect. Since there’s no way out of the Colorado River’s steep canyons, it’s up to Mandy and Rob to solve the mystery before the murderer strikes again."

I've already heard from one reviewer who received access to a NetGalley copy of the Advanced Reader Copy, and he's giving Fatal Descent 4 stars! And, both Amazon and Barnes and Noble have a special preorder price for the trade paperback of only $8.51 (save 43% off list)!

I'm busy making plans to promote the launch, writing articles for mystery magazines and blogs, setting up signing events, organizing contests, etc. I hope some of my blog readers will be able to join in the fun! Stay tuned here and to my website and sign up for my email newsletter, if you aren't already, to be privvy to the plans!