Beth Groundwater's Blog, page 30

Today's Mystery Author Guest: Joanna Campbell Slan

As promised yesterday, fellow mystery author Joanna Campbell Slan is visiting my blog today. To read her bio and see her photo, please page down to yesterday's post.

The photo above is the cover for her August 7th release, Death of a Schoolgirl , which begins her new series, the Jane Eyre Chronicles. The year is 1820, and Jane Eyre is married to her beloved Edward Rochester, but their domestic tranquility is threatened when a note arrives from Adele, Jane’s former pupil. She is miserable at the girls’ school in London, and worse yet, someone wants to kill her! Rushing to Adele’s aid, Jane is mistaken for an errant German teacher. Jane maintains the false identity long enough to track down a killer who preys on schoolgirls.

As a fan of Jane Eyre, this sounds like a great read to me!

Below are Joanna'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 grew up in a chaotic household because both of my parents were alcoholics. From the moment I learned to read, I thought books were my best friends. Certainly, they offered an easy escape. From there it was a short hop to wanting to write my own stories. I think I was about ten when I stapled together sheets of paper and called them, “My book.”

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

I use a version of the personal profile system developed by William Moulton Marston, the creator of Wonder Woman and the lie detector. It divides people into four broad categories, determined by how they interact with others and how they see the world. That helps me keep each character distinct.

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

A bit of both. I might start a book by the seat of my pants, and then stop to work on an outline. Or I might outline a book, and then let my intuition guide me.

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?

I think all fiction is about character. Ask anyone to relate the sequence of events in Gone with the Wind, and you’ll probably risk a confused jumble. But ask a person to tell you about Rhett or Scarlett, and they can do so in great detail. Character always drives plot. Two people in the same situation won’t respond the same way. That’s how character is revealed.

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

In the beginning, it was hard to find a big enough block of time to write fiction. Once my son got his driver’s license, I was on my way. Of course, when you start, you don’t know what you’re doing. Very few of us admit that, but it’s true. It takes a while to have a pretty good sense of how to build a book.

As for motivation, I love what I do. I can’t wait to get started writing every day! If I miss a day, I feel lost.

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

I’m up at six. I work for a couple of hours answering emails, doing social media posts, and so on. I go to Jazzercise. After I eat lunch, I sit down and start writing again, usually until six or so. If I can, after dinner I squeeze in a few hours.

I would guess I put in 60 hours a week on my writing.

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

Get a journalism degree. It will provide you with the basics of good writing. You’ll learn to appreciate an editor, and you will never worry about writer’s block because a pro writes whether he/she feels like it or not!

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.

My husband teases me because I love Anderson Cooper. I’m a junkie. In fact, I relax by watching CNN at night.

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

I’ve turned in Death of a Dowager, the second book in The Jane Eyre Chronicles. I’ve finished Book #4 in the Southern Beauty Shop series. It’ll be called Wave Goodbye and it’s written under the pseudonym “Lila Dare.” I’m halfway through Book #6 in the Kiki Lowenstein Mystery Series, and I try to produce a short story every month that features Kiki and Company. I have a lot of other ideas for books that I hope to tackle when I finish Kiki #6.

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

I love connecting with my readers on Facebook. I’m available to Skype with book clubs, and I’ll happily provide them with questions and bookmarks. Please visit my website.


Thanks, Joanna! Now, who has a comment or question for her? 

Tomorrow's Guest: Joanna Campbell Slan

Tomorrow, mystery author Joanna Campbell Slan will be a guest on my blog. Joanna’s first novel in the Kiki Lowenstein Mystery Series—Paper, Scissors, Death—was an Agatha Award finalist. She’s now writing the sixth book in that series, and her new series—The Jane Eyre Chronicles—will debut August 7, 2012, with Death of a Schoolgirl . Joanna lives on Jupiter Island, Florida.

"A delightful chance for Brontë fans to expand their acquaintance with Jane Eyre."
(Charlaine Harris, #1 New York Times Bestselling Author) 

In her guest post tomorrow, Joanna answers my interview questions, and I'm sure you'll be intrigued by what she has to say. Then, feel free to ask her some questions of your own in the comments.

Being a Friend to Your Local Library

As an adult, wherever I've lived, I have immediately joined the local library soon after moving in--and joined the Friends volunteer organization for the local library. My latest home, Summit County, is no exception. I have a Summit County Library card, and I am a member of the Friends of the Summit County Library.

Today, I am volunteering to man the Friends' used book sale booth at the Dillon Farmers' Market from 8 - 11 AM. Next month, I have volunteered to help set-up for the library's annual August book sale at the Main Branch in Frisco, Colorado. I am a firm believer in supporting and volunteering at your local library. It's often the only source of reading materials and Internet access to impoverished citizens of your local county and town.

I know as a child, the local library fed my voracious reading habit, and I gleefully participated in summer reading programs. As an adult, I check out books for my monthly book club reads, to research locations for trips, for my own reading pleasure, and to research my own mystery novels. Libraries are extraordinarily valuable community resources and deserve your support.

Are YOU a friend of your local library?

Today's Mystery Author Guest: Robert Spiller

As promised yesterday, fellow Colorado mystery author Robert Spiller is visiting my blog today. To read his bio and see his photo, please page down to yesterday's post.

The photo above is the cover for his latest March release, Radical Equations , the fourth book in his Bonnie Pinkwater math teacher series. When Bonnie Pinkwater and Wiccan friend Rhiannon Griffith find the body of Bonnie's Vice-Principal stashed in a shallow cave, they begin nosing around. What they find are homicidal motorcyclists, tyrannical dwarfs, suspicious evangelists, prostitutes, high stakes poker, and a damaged mathematician desperately needing Bonnie's help. As they draw nearer to the truth, one fact becomes glaringly apparent. Someone will do anything, even eliminate a busybody math teacher, to keep their deadly secret.

I've read this book and loved it, as I have ALL of the Bonnie Pinkwater series!

Below are Robert's answers to my interview questions. Please leave a comment for him, and if you have a question of your own for him, ask it!

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

About the time my second marriage evaporated, I took off on a mountain bike to the four corners area of Colorado – I felt a need to visit the Mesa Verde Native American ruins.  I brought along five spiral notebooks to write a story that had been percolating around in my brain. On that three week ride, I wrote the first chapters of what would become The Children Of Yei, a sci-fi novel, which would win second place in the Paul Gillette Writing Contest ($50).  That novel never was published but through it and the Pikes Peak Writers Conference, I met my critique group (which included one Beth Groundwater).  Eventually, I left sci-fi and started writing mysteries.  Thus Bonnie Pinkwater my math teacher/sleuth was born.  Four books later ( The Witch of Agnesi , A Calculated Demise , Irrational Numbers , Radical Equations ) she still delights me.

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

A mixture of both.  I outline about half of the scenes I feel need to be there to give the bare bones of the mystery: the murders, the killer, most of the clues, the finale, and the wrap up.  Then as I’m writing these, other scenes—about thirty to thirty-five to match the initial thirty—shout at me demanding to be written.  All in all, I have about seventy scenes and three hundred pages.  My current project demanded to be written before I had more than twenty scenes outlined, but I’m having fun filling in the blanks.

3. 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?

This is going to sound false because, first of all I’m a mathematician who likes structure and I write plot-heavy cozies.  However, I firmly believe that character drives plot.  My sleuth, Bonnie Pinkwater, a feisty high school math teacher, is the driving force behind all my mathematical mysteries.  Without her personality, which is at times almost maniacal, there would be no real story. It is her sense of fairness, her fierce loyalty, and her need to have everything ‘make sense’ that gives Bonnie Pinkwater mysteries their flavor.  These are also the type of mysteries I like to read.  Certainly, it is character that brings readers back to a mystery series.  The reader grows fond of the character and wants to revisit them again and again.

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

I answered this question yesterday and came back to it today only to find my answer had changed.  I suppose that means I have changed as well.  So, I think I’ll answer this bad boy in reverse.  What inspires and keeps me motivated?  I want folks to hold a novel of mine in their hands having just read the darn thing.  I want a smile on their faces.  I want a bittersweet feeling to come over them as they wish they had another chapter to read.  I want them to reach for the next Bonnie Pinkwater mystery so they can revisit East Plains, Colorado.  And in the end, I want them to write to me saying they had such a good time they can’t wait for the next Bonnie Pinkwater mystery.  In order for all of these things to happen I have to write the books; I have to put my butt to the chair and do the work.  And that, Beth, is my biggest challenge.

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

My wife and I have come up with a summer schedule which although it’s not perfect, seems to work.  Colorado mornings are just too nice to remain indoors, so we get up early and hike in the mornings. Then around ten, when the temperatures rise, I go into my man-cave and write until I’ve delivered up one thousand words (roughly 4 pages).  This time goes until four o’clock.  Any time after my thousand pages is used for promotion, blogging, my Facebook math problems, answering mail, planning classes and any number of other activities that the writing life demands.  The evenings are for my wife and me.  One thing I strive to do is to check in with her daily to let her know how my spirit is doing and to see what’s going on with her.

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

Put your butt in the chair and WRITE.  In all my years of writing, I’ve heard every excuse imaginable (a lot of them by me) for not getting the work done.  If you want to be a writer, you have to write.  Whether it be 1000 words a day (a first draft in three months) or one page a day (ten months) you have to sit down with your characters and write them to get to know them.  After a time of consistently living with your villains and heroes, they talk to you, but if you stay too long away from them they begin to fade.  Also, that filter that puts a haze between you and the details of your plot, grows thinner and thinner as you write consistently.  Soon, you’ll be writing with more clarity and be more connected to the logical demands of your story.  If you want to be a writer, then by God, write.

7. 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 was once a barker in a boardwalk arcade.  I would lure people over to a booth where I convinced them (usually guys trying to impress their girlfriends) to try and put two out of three softballs in a peach basket. For the most part, the balls would hit the bottom of the basket only to come flying out again. On occasion, I had to defend myself against irate boyfriends.  I did this for two summers while going to high school.  Those New Jersey boardwalk concessions were owned by gypsies and they sort of adopted me those summers.  I loved it.

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

Several projects: 

The fifth Bonnie Pinkwater mystery, Napiers Bones, which if the gods smile upon me, will be available at the end of 2012.

I am also laboring on a horror novel that gives me nightmares: a love story between two psychopaths.

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

I’ve just recently taken over as webmaster of my website.  I’m very proud of it.  Please check it out.

Every Friday, I have a new math problem (solution on Monday) on my personal Facebook page.  Please come and stretch your synapses.

Check out my blog.  Because historical mathematicians are featured in the Bonnie Pinkwater mysteries, I have begun putting little mini-histories in my blog.  So far I have covered Hypatia, Mary Sommerville, Sonya Covelevsky, Emilie Brueil, and Marie Agnesi.  If you are at all interested in these fascinating women, give it a look see.  I also just wrote a piece on the recent Waldo Canyon wildfire. And lastly, please feel free to contact me at rspiller2004@yahoo.com

Thanks, Robert! Now, who has a comment or question for him? 

Tomorrow's Guest: Robert Spiller

Tomorrow's guest is a good friend of mine and an excellent mystery author--Robert Spiller. Robert is the author of the Bonnie Pinkwater mystery series: The Witch of Agnesi, A Calculated Demise, Irrational Numbers, and Radical Equations . His math teacher/sleuth uses Mathematics and her knowledge of historic mathematicians to solve murders in the mythical small Colorado town of East Plains.  Robert is working on the fifth Bonnie book, Napier's Bones.  He lives in Colorado Springs, Colorado, with his wonderful wife Barbara (an excellent massage therapist).  His three children and four grandchildren all live within shouting distance. After thirty five years in the classroom, Robert retired from teaching mathematics this year to write full time.


In his guest post tomorrow, Robert Spiller answers my interview questions, and I'm sure you'll be intrigued by what he has to say. Then, feel free to ask him some questions of your own in the comments.

Being in the Inside Crowd

Today I'm over at Inkspot, the blog for Midnight Ink authors, talking about being in the inside crowd. I hope you'll read my post there and leave me a comment!

July 25th is Colorado River Day

I want to let everyone know that next Wednesday, July 25th, is Colorado River Day (as in the river of that name), with events scheduled in communities that use Colorado River water. To find out more, and to see if there's an event near you, go HERE. The theme of Colorado River Day is "On the Colorado River, we're in the same boat: it's time to prioritize water conservation." There are events in Denver, Grand Junction, Las Vegas, Phoenix, San Diego, and more. At the website I gave you, you can also educate yourself about the mismatch between water demands on the Colorado River and the supply, and there's a petition to lawmakers that you can sign. Help keep this river flowing!

A Hike Above Hoosier Pass

Two weeks ago, I went on a hike above Hoosier Pass in Colorado with the Women with Altitude group. I took a few photos with my cell phone, and I thought I'd share them with my blog readers. The views were spectacular from the top, of small mountain lakes, mining ruins, Montgomery Reservoir, and the peaks surrounding us. Enjoy!

Today's Mystery Author Guest: Terri L. Austin

As promised yesterday, fellow mystery author Terri L. Austin is visiting my blog today. To read her bio and see her photo, please page down to yesterday's post.

The photo above is the cover for Terri's first published mystery novel, Diners Dives and Dead Ends , which is being released today. Yes, today! As a struggling waitress and part-time college student, Rose Strickland’s life is stalled in the slow lane. But when her close friend, Axton, disappears, Rose suddenly finds herself serving up more than hot coffee and flapjacks. Now she’s hashing it out with sexy bad guys and scrambling to find clues in a race to save Axton before his time runs out.

With her anime-loving bestie, her septuagenarian boss, and pair of IT wise men along for the ride, Rose discovers political corruption, illegal gambling, and shady corporations. She’s gone from zero to sixty and quickly learns when you’re speeding down the fast lane, it’s easy to crash and burn.

Sounds like a lot of fun to me!

Below are Terri'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?

 First of all, thanks for having me, Beth.  And hello to all your readers.

I always wanted to write.  I would jot down little stories or ideas and even attempted a couple of manuscripts.  Then someone told me about NaNoWriMo and it clicked.  I was determined to write and edit a mystery novel.  And Diners, Dives and Dead Ends is the result!

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

I figure it out as I go along.  Usually by the end of the first draft, I have a handle on the characters and what they’re about.  I don’t outline beforehand.  That takes the fun out of it for me.  I’m more a by the seat of my pants type of gal.

3. 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?

Definitely character.  Since I’m writing about an amateur sleuth, Rose Strickland, it’s all about how Rose finds clues and navigates through her world.  If I were writing procedural, then plot would probably come out on top.

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

When you’re trying to get your work out there, you face rejection.  It’s hard, but it’s not personal.  You have to pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and keep on working.  I have daily and weekly goals that help keep me focused.  My advice—just keep writing.

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

Well, my kiddos just moved out of the house, so I’m not on mom duty anymore.  And yes, I celebrated with margaritas.  I usually work 8-10 hour days.  My husband works from home as well, so we meet up for breakfast and coffee breaks.

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

Write.  Every day.  Even if it’s only a few hundred words, get in the habit of doing it every day.  And don’t think you’re going to be perfect, because you aren’t.  Don’t go back and rewrite the first chapter a million times, just keep moving forward.  Like a shark.  A big writing shark.

7. 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.

My favorite TV show of all time is La Femme Nikita.  The original one, with Peta Wilson and Roy Dupuis.  Can’t get enough of it.

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

I’m working on the next Rose Strickland mystery.  There’s much ado in Huntingford and more mysteries for Rose to solve.

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

Warning:  Diners, Dives and Dead Ends is a traditional mystery that contains quirky humor, off-the-wall characters, and a dash of spicy language.  Be prepared for fun read.

If your book club is interested in Diners, Dives and Dead Ends, I’m available to talk with you and there are questions in the back of the book.  Contact me at my website. Also, I’m having a drawing at the end of my blog tour.  Leave a comment with your email address along the way, and I’ll enter you to win one of three copies of my book.  Continental US only.  You can also find me on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads. Thank you, Beth!


Thanks, Terri! Now, who has a comment or question for her? 

Tomorrow's Guest: Terri L. Austin

Tomorrow, mystery author Terri L. Austin will be a guest on my blog. Terri lives in Missouri with her funny, handsome husband and a high maintenance peekapoo. She’s the author of Diners, Dives & Dead Ends —a Rose Strickland Mystery that will be released tomorrow, July 17th. When she isn't writing, she enjoys eating breakfast at her local diner, watching really bad movies, and hanging out with her kids when they're home from college. Diners, Dives, & Dead Ends is her debut novel, and it was a 2011 Get Your Stiletto in the Door finalist.

"Austin’s debut kicks off her planned series by introducing a quirky, feisty heroine and a great supporting cast of characters and putting them through quite a number of interesting twists."
-- Kirkus Reviews

In her guest post tomorrow, Terri answers my interview questions, and I'm sure you'll be intrigued by what she has to say. Then, feel free to ask her some questions of your own in the comments.