Beth Groundwater's Blog, page 33
June 12, 2012
Tomorrow's Guest: Larry Seeley
Tomorrow, mystery author Larry Seeley will be a guest on my blog. Author of 17 Degrees North , the second Jack Sloan novel, Larry is the former CEO of the gaming firm that built the first Native casino in Maritime Canada, and a former professional blackjack player. He and his wife live north of Santa Fe in a high desert valley bounded on the east by the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and on the west by the Jemez range. There they care for several chickens, eight cats, and four dogs on their secluded ranch. Con artists and swindlers swarmed Native casinos in the early days, and learning to deal with them and discovering whom you could trust and who had a knife at your back gave Larry a distinct edge in deciphering people—and a decided advantage in character creation and development.
In his guest post tomorrow, Larry 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.
June 11, 2012
How a Film Festival is Like a Genre Book Convention
During the past four days (Thursday - Sunday), I attended the Breckenridge Festival of Film. My husband and I had "Peak 10" passes that got us into ALL of the screenings, filmmaker forums, and parties. This was the first time I've attended a film festival, and I was struck by the similarities between film festivals and genre book conventions, as well as by the similar effects the electronic age is having on both the film and book industries.
The filmmakers' forums at the festival were very similar to the author panels at genre book conventions, but there were only two forums. The majority of festival attendees' time was spent watching films, with brief moments between films for Q & A with someone associated with the film (could be the director, producer, screenwriter or some combination). The parties every night, where fans could hob-nob with filmmakers were very similar to those at book conventions, where readers can hob-nob with authors. And, like authors at book conventions, the filmmakers were busy making connections with each other.
Below are a couple of photos from the event. In the first, I have my back to the photographer, and I'm chatting with Doug Wolens, the director of The Singularity documentary, at the Filmmakers Welcome party at Burke & Riley's Irish Pub. In the second, my husband is mugging for the photographer at the Technopolis Now! Premiere Party at Kenosha Steakhouse.
As for similar effects the electronic age is having on both the film and book industries, independent art film theaters are succumbing to the same economic pressures as independent bookstores. Filmmakers at the festival were bemoaning the reduction in the number of screening venues, much like authors are bemoaning the lack of signing venues. Also, independent filmmakers are beginning to bypass traditional distributors and are selling their films direct to the public through on-line retailers, much like "indy" self-published authors are doing with on-line ebook retailers. My feeling is that independent films and electronic books are going to follow the path that music has taken in the last few years, with most of the sales eventually taking place on-line. We live in interesting and exciting times!
Below is a list of some of my favorite films from the festival (and the awards some of them were given). I hope you'll find a chance to see them soon.
- Raid of the Rainbow Lounge - Best GLBT Award, documentary about how Fort Worth, TX, transformed its treatment of GLBT citizens as a result of this event
- The Movement: One Man Joins an Uprising - Best Documentary, about the disabled skiing movement
- The Last Race - Best Short Drama, about organ donation
- Bobby Ellis is Gonna Kick Your Ass - Best Short Comedy
- Trade of Innocents - Best Drama, about the child sex slave trade
- Off the Rez - about a young Native American basketball star who becomes the first in her family to attend college
- Incest! The Musical - a short comedy that one attendee likened to 'a snarky episode of Glee'
- The Assignment - a short comedic coming of age film
- Chicken with Plums - a full-length French drama about a talented musician who loses the will to live after his wife breaks his beloved violin
- Money and Medicine - a documentary that examines the waste that pervades our health care system
- Tracer Gun - a short drama that I describe as a creepy romance
- Cadaver - a short animated love story with voices by Christopher Lloyd and Kathy Bates
The filmmakers' forums at the festival were very similar to the author panels at genre book conventions, but there were only two forums. The majority of festival attendees' time was spent watching films, with brief moments between films for Q & A with someone associated with the film (could be the director, producer, screenwriter or some combination). The parties every night, where fans could hob-nob with filmmakers were very similar to those at book conventions, where readers can hob-nob with authors. And, like authors at book conventions, the filmmakers were busy making connections with each other.
Below are a couple of photos from the event. In the first, I have my back to the photographer, and I'm chatting with Doug Wolens, the director of The Singularity documentary, at the Filmmakers Welcome party at Burke & Riley's Irish Pub. In the second, my husband is mugging for the photographer at the Technopolis Now! Premiere Party at Kenosha Steakhouse.
As for similar effects the electronic age is having on both the film and book industries, independent art film theaters are succumbing to the same economic pressures as independent bookstores. Filmmakers at the festival were bemoaning the reduction in the number of screening venues, much like authors are bemoaning the lack of signing venues. Also, independent filmmakers are beginning to bypass traditional distributors and are selling their films direct to the public through on-line retailers, much like "indy" self-published authors are doing with on-line ebook retailers. My feeling is that independent films and electronic books are going to follow the path that music has taken in the last few years, with most of the sales eventually taking place on-line. We live in interesting and exciting times!
Below is a list of some of my favorite films from the festival (and the awards some of them were given). I hope you'll find a chance to see them soon.
- Raid of the Rainbow Lounge - Best GLBT Award, documentary about how Fort Worth, TX, transformed its treatment of GLBT citizens as a result of this event
- The Movement: One Man Joins an Uprising - Best Documentary, about the disabled skiing movement
- The Last Race - Best Short Drama, about organ donation
- Bobby Ellis is Gonna Kick Your Ass - Best Short Comedy
- Trade of Innocents - Best Drama, about the child sex slave trade
- Off the Rez - about a young Native American basketball star who becomes the first in her family to attend college
- Incest! The Musical - a short comedy that one attendee likened to 'a snarky episode of Glee'
- The Assignment - a short comedic coming of age film
- Chicken with Plums - a full-length French drama about a talented musician who loses the will to live after his wife breaks his beloved violin
- Money and Medicine - a documentary that examines the waste that pervades our health care system
- Tracer Gun - a short drama that I describe as a creepy romance
- Cadaver - a short animated love story with voices by Christopher Lloyd and Kathy Bates
June 8, 2012
Photos from Peru - Part Two
Yesterday, I shared some photos from my May top-of-the-bucket-list trip to Peru and Ecuador with Overseas Adventure Travel. Today, I'm posting the second half of the set of photos I selected from Peru. Next week, I'll share some from Ecuador. Enjoy!
Above is one of the spectacular views we had from the train during our morning ride from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes, the town at the base of Machu Picchu. After lunch we rode a park bus up the steep 14 switchbacks to reach the site. The first photo below is the view after walking in the entrance gate and turning a corner. At least one of our group, who had anticipated this trip for years, burst into tears at the sight.
Below is a photo of the Temple of the Sun, showing how tightly the Incas fitted rocks together to build their structures. Below that is a photo of me and my husband Neil at the site, then one showing the steep terraces that the Incas built around all the open sides of Machu Picchu, mostly to provide stability and support for the settlement.
As we neared the end of our first day at Machu Picchu, we watched the llama herder drive his small herd back to their nighttime stable. I took a photo of my photographer hubby doing what he loves best (after skiing), and below the photo of him is one of his spectacular shots.
Neil was the only one of our group who opted to get up early and go to Machu Picchu for sunrise, and the photo below is one of the beautiful ones he took. After that is a a picture of the trail to the Sun Gate, where the Inca Trail comes into the Machu Picchu complex. Below that is a photo of those of us in our group who hiked up to the Sun Gate, with Machu Picchu in the background.
After the Sun Gate hike, we hiked over to see the Inca Bridge, planks of wood across a gap in a steep cliffside trail that can be pulled up in case of an enemy attack. Ingenious! Below that photo is a last one of Neil and I taken at the site before we left for lunch and the return train trip to Ollantaytambo and bus ride to Cuzco.
The next morning in Cuzco, we visited the local market, which included flower sellers, grains, fruit, breads (all shown below), produce, meats, clothes, shoes, liquor, chocolates, electronics, toys, and cooked meals (not shown).
Next stop was an alpaca clothing and weaving shop, where we got a demonstration of weaving.
Then we toured the Sacsayhuaman fortress situated on a hilltop overlooking Cuzco.
After that, we saw a demonstration of how potatoes were cooked in a stone oven over a wood fire (and actually ate them!), saw some alpaca up close, and went through a traditional healing ceremony conducted by an Andean medicine man.
After lunch, we explored the Plaza de Armas in the center of Cuzco.
We finished up our stay in Peru by watching a very colorful and energetic performance of native dances. The next morning, we took off for Ecuador.
Above is one of the spectacular views we had from the train during our morning ride from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes, the town at the base of Machu Picchu. After lunch we rode a park bus up the steep 14 switchbacks to reach the site. The first photo below is the view after walking in the entrance gate and turning a corner. At least one of our group, who had anticipated this trip for years, burst into tears at the sight.
Below is a photo of the Temple of the Sun, showing how tightly the Incas fitted rocks together to build their structures. Below that is a photo of me and my husband Neil at the site, then one showing the steep terraces that the Incas built around all the open sides of Machu Picchu, mostly to provide stability and support for the settlement.
As we neared the end of our first day at Machu Picchu, we watched the llama herder drive his small herd back to their nighttime stable. I took a photo of my photographer hubby doing what he loves best (after skiing), and below the photo of him is one of his spectacular shots.
Neil was the only one of our group who opted to get up early and go to Machu Picchu for sunrise, and the photo below is one of the beautiful ones he took. After that is a a picture of the trail to the Sun Gate, where the Inca Trail comes into the Machu Picchu complex. Below that is a photo of those of us in our group who hiked up to the Sun Gate, with Machu Picchu in the background.
After the Sun Gate hike, we hiked over to see the Inca Bridge, planks of wood across a gap in a steep cliffside trail that can be pulled up in case of an enemy attack. Ingenious! Below that photo is a last one of Neil and I taken at the site before we left for lunch and the return train trip to Ollantaytambo and bus ride to Cuzco.
The next morning in Cuzco, we visited the local market, which included flower sellers, grains, fruit, breads (all shown below), produce, meats, clothes, shoes, liquor, chocolates, electronics, toys, and cooked meals (not shown).
Next stop was an alpaca clothing and weaving shop, where we got a demonstration of weaving.
Then we toured the Sacsayhuaman fortress situated on a hilltop overlooking Cuzco.
After that, we saw a demonstration of how potatoes were cooked in a stone oven over a wood fire (and actually ate them!), saw some alpaca up close, and went through a traditional healing ceremony conducted by an Andean medicine man.
After lunch, we explored the Plaza de Armas in the center of Cuzco.
We finished up our stay in Peru by watching a very colorful and energetic performance of native dances. The next morning, we took off for Ecuador.
June 7, 2012
Photos from Peru - Part One
In May, my husband and I went on my top-of-the-bucket-list trip, a two-week trip to Peru and Ecuador with Overseas Adventure Travel. We had a wonderful time, and the guides and logistics were excellent. I highly recommend the travel company, and if you would like a referral that would give you $100 off on any trip you book, let me know.
It took awhile to go through our thousands of photos to pick just a few to share on my blog. I'll share some from the week in Peru today and tomorrow, and next week, I'll share some from Ecuador. Enjoy!
The two photos of ancient pottery and gold work above are from the National Museum of Archaeology, Anthropology, and History of Peru in Lima, Peru. The two photos below are from our walking tour of Lima, a cathedral and the central square.
The evening of our first day, we went to the El Circuito Mágico del Agua, the largest fountain complex in the world, in a public park. The three photos below are from that magical display, the last one being from the laser show projected on the largest fountain.
The next day, most of the group went on the optional tour of the pre-Inca archaeological site of Pachacamac, pictured below, and my husband Neil lent a hand with the restoration work. ;-)
After that, we visited a typical squatter camp outside of Lima and toured their community kitchen, shown below. Then, in a huge contrast, we returned to the high income area of Larcomar near our hotel with it's ocean cliff-side shopping mall and high-rise apartments and the El Parque del Amor with the "El Beso" sculpture of a couple engaged in a passionate kiss.
The next day we flew to Cuzco, then took a bus ride into the Sacred Valley. The first picture below shows me with a native woman and her llama mama and baby (notice the height difference!), and the second shows a view of the Sacred Valley.
We explored the Inca ruins above the town of Pisac in the Sacred Valley, shown in the next two photos. then our guide Rene showed us how local babies were swaddled (third photo below), and a couple of the women who were selling their wares at the site hitched a ride on our bus back into town (as shown in the fourth photo). The last photo shows me shopping in the market at Pisac.
The next day was our chance to explore a "Day in the Life Of" the local community. We started at the local farmer's market, where folks sold all kinds of foods, including guinea pig (cuy), coca leaves, a variety of potatoes and other produce, and other livestock such as chicken and pigs (isn't the little girl cute?).
After the market, we visited a local school and interacted with the children, who showed us their workbooks and tried to teach us a few words of Spanish. Below is a photo of my tutor with me. Below that are two photos of the Ollantaytambo fortress built by the Inca, one of the few places where the Spanish lost a battle during their conquest of Peru.
Our next stop was at the home of a local woman who gave us a corn fritter cooking lesson (see below), then served us a delicious lunch, including the local delicacy of cuy (guinea pig).
Then we moved on to drinking! W stopped off at a watering hole that serves the local beverage chicha made from fermented maize, which has a low alcohol content. When a batch of chicha is ready, the bar owner puts out a red plastic bag on a stick to let the locals know. Rene, our guide, poured us small samples, but he drank a full glass! Back at the hotel, we got a lesson in how to make Pisco Sours, with Neil volunteering to be the bartender-in-training.
That's all the photos for today. Next up--Machu Picchu!
It took awhile to go through our thousands of photos to pick just a few to share on my blog. I'll share some from the week in Peru today and tomorrow, and next week, I'll share some from Ecuador. Enjoy!
The two photos of ancient pottery and gold work above are from the National Museum of Archaeology, Anthropology, and History of Peru in Lima, Peru. The two photos below are from our walking tour of Lima, a cathedral and the central square.
The evening of our first day, we went to the El Circuito Mágico del Agua, the largest fountain complex in the world, in a public park. The three photos below are from that magical display, the last one being from the laser show projected on the largest fountain.
The next day, most of the group went on the optional tour of the pre-Inca archaeological site of Pachacamac, pictured below, and my husband Neil lent a hand with the restoration work. ;-)
After that, we visited a typical squatter camp outside of Lima and toured their community kitchen, shown below. Then, in a huge contrast, we returned to the high income area of Larcomar near our hotel with it's ocean cliff-side shopping mall and high-rise apartments and the El Parque del Amor with the "El Beso" sculpture of a couple engaged in a passionate kiss.
The next day we flew to Cuzco, then took a bus ride into the Sacred Valley. The first picture below shows me with a native woman and her llama mama and baby (notice the height difference!), and the second shows a view of the Sacred Valley.
We explored the Inca ruins above the town of Pisac in the Sacred Valley, shown in the next two photos. then our guide Rene showed us how local babies were swaddled (third photo below), and a couple of the women who were selling their wares at the site hitched a ride on our bus back into town (as shown in the fourth photo). The last photo shows me shopping in the market at Pisac.
The next day was our chance to explore a "Day in the Life Of" the local community. We started at the local farmer's market, where folks sold all kinds of foods, including guinea pig (cuy), coca leaves, a variety of potatoes and other produce, and other livestock such as chicken and pigs (isn't the little girl cute?).
After the market, we visited a local school and interacted with the children, who showed us their workbooks and tried to teach us a few words of Spanish. Below is a photo of my tutor with me. Below that are two photos of the Ollantaytambo fortress built by the Inca, one of the few places where the Spanish lost a battle during their conquest of Peru.
Our next stop was at the home of a local woman who gave us a corn fritter cooking lesson (see below), then served us a delicious lunch, including the local delicacy of cuy (guinea pig).
Then we moved on to drinking! W stopped off at a watering hole that serves the local beverage chicha made from fermented maize, which has a low alcohol content. When a batch of chicha is ready, the bar owner puts out a red plastic bag on a stick to let the locals know. Rene, our guide, poured us small samples, but he drank a full glass! Back at the hotel, we got a lesson in how to make Pisco Sours, with Neil volunteering to be the bartender-in-training.
That's all the photos for today. Next up--Machu Picchu!
June 6, 2012
Today's Mystery Author Guest: Kathleen Kaska
As promised yesterday, fellow mystery author Kathleen Kaska is visiting my blog today. To read her bio and see her photo, please page down to yesterday's post.
Above is the cover photo for one of her three mystery trivia books, The Agatha Christie Triviography and Quiz Book , and cover photos for her others on Sherlock Holmes and Alfred Hitchcock are below. Here's what Kate Stine, editor of Mystery Scene magazine, had to say about Kathleen's book on Agatha Christie:
"Kathleen Kaska covers every aspect of the Queen of Crime's life and career in The Agatha Christie Triviography and Quiz Book. She has packed an astonishing number of quotes, characters, plots, settings, biographical details, and pure fun into these quizzes. As Poirot might say, your 'little grey cells will get the exercise!' This book, fiendishly clever and remarkably researched, is pure gold for fans of Agatha Christie."
Below is Kathleen's article on how to write trivia. Please feel free to ask her a question or let her know what you think of the article or her books in the comments. Enjoy!
Not Just Trivia
by Kathleen Kaska
Midge loved Edward, who loved Henrietta, who loved John, who loved Veronica, who was not his wife. Jealousy and rejection led to a tangled murder sorted out by none other than our favorite Belgian, Hercule Poirot.
While writing What's Your Agatha Christie I. Q.? (2nd edition renamed The Agatha Christie Triviography and Quiz Book), I wrote a variety of questions: multiple choice, matching, true/false, short answer, as well as crossword puzzles. I felt it wasn't enough to offer readers mere facts about Christie’s writing and her life. Reading the straightforward questions in other trivia books peaked my curiosity—I wanted to know more—but there was no more in the offering in these books.
So, when I began writing my first trivia book, I dug deeper to discover the who, what, where, when, why, and even how, of Christie’s writing. I wanted to disseminate the information in a creative and entertaining manner without spoiling the endings. For example, my first quiz summaries thirty Agatha Christie plots, giving teasers of the mysteries like the one above which describes the chain of unfortunate lovers. I used this method for the quizzes, “Murders, Motives, and Victims,” “Aliases,” and “Murder Settings.” In featuring Christie’s ten most popular mysteries, I categorized the information into characters, clues, and circumstances.
With The Alfred Hitchcock Triviography and Quiz Book, I began most quizzes with behind-the-scenes anecdotes describing Hitchcock’s practical jokes, bizarre antics, and innovated filming techniques. For example, while filming Psycho, Hitchcock closed his eyes and ordered his prop man to stab several different types of melons so Hitch could capture the right sound for the frightening shower scene. He decided on the casaba melon. This book also includes a chronology of Hitch’s life and career and a detailed filmography of all fifty-three feature films.
The Sherlock Holmes Triviography and Quiz Book gives the reader a plethora of information on where Arthur Conan Doyle got his ideas for many of his Holmes stories. The crime in “The Red-Headed League” was based on a well-known bank robbery staged by Adam Worth, who ran an intricate crime network in the United States between the 1860s and 1870s. Conan Doyle kept a collection of articles on file, a practice he later gave to his Great Detective. In this book, I added a grading scale at the end of each chapter, a chronology of Holmes’ life, and a list of Sherlock Holmes societies located around the world.
I also sprinkled “Did You Know” facts throughout all three books. These facts give the reader an even deeper insight into the lives of these three creative geniuses.
Did you know that Arthur Conan Doyle was a sports enthusiast? He was one of the first to introduce snow skiing to Switzerland.
Did you know that due to the constant wet conditions on the set for the filming of Lifeboat, Tallulah Bankhead complained bitterly of her discomfort. To appease his actress, Hitchcock allowed her to be filmed sans underwear? Bankhead’s immodesty almost cost the studio major publicity with the Ladies’ Home Journal, whose reporters were invited on the set.
Now, try your hand at these three quiz questions.
1. What is the title of the Agatha Christie mystery where ten strangers are invited to an isolated island off England’s Devon coast? It wasn’t quite the vacation they’d hoped for.
2. What Hitchcock movie’s climax scene takes place on a studio replica of a national monument in South Dakota? Hitch was not allowed to film on site since the U. S. government prohibits the defacing of a national monument.
3. What was the name of the street urchin Sherlock Holmes used to assist in him gathering evidence?
You probably nailed these three questions. How about three more from the Holmes’ trivia quiz “A Study in Statistics?” I classified these as difficult.
1. At which bank does Holmes have an account?
2. How many windows are in Holmes’ setting room?
3. What after-dinner drink does Holmes enjoy on occasion?
If you answered these correctly, you are a true Sherlockian!
Thanks, Kathleen! Now, who has a comment or question for her? Or an answer for one or more of her quiz questions?
June 5, 2012
Tomorrow's Guest: Kathleen Kaska
Tomorrow, I am hosting an interesting author guest who writes mysteries, but she'll be talking about her nonfiction mystery trivia books. Kathleen Kaska is the author the Classic Triviography Mystery Series, which includes The Sherlock Holmes Triviography and Quiz Book , The Alfred Hitchcock Triviography and Quiz Book , and The Agatha Christie Triviography and Quiz Book . All three books have just been reissued by LL-Publications. Kathleen also writes the award-winning Sydney Lockhart mystery series set in the 1950s. Her first two mysteries, Murder at the Arlington and Murder at the Luther, were selected as bonus-books for the Pulpwood Queen Book Group, the largest book group in the country.
In her guest post tomorrow, Kathleen talks about how to write trivia. After you read her post, feel free to ask her a question or leave a comment for her in the comments.
June 2, 2012
I'm in the News!
I've got two bits of good news to share today:
A 4-star review in The Mystery Reader for Wicked Eddies:
http://www.themysteryreader.com/cozy.html (shows the date & # of stars)
http://www.themysteryreader.com/groundwater-wicked.html (the review itself)
Also, I have a fundraiser signing today at the Next Page Bookstore in Frisco, Colorado. Ten percent of the store's proceeds will support the Gore Range Chapter of Colorado Trout Unlimited. Please take a look at an article about the event, me and Wicked Eddies in the Summit Daily News .
A 4-star review in The Mystery Reader for Wicked Eddies:
http://www.themysteryreader.com/cozy.html (shows the date & # of stars)
http://www.themysteryreader.com/groundwater-wicked.html (the review itself)
Also, I have a fundraiser signing today at the Next Page Bookstore in Frisco, Colorado. Ten percent of the store's proceeds will support the Gore Range Chapter of Colorado Trout Unlimited. Please take a look at an article about the event, me and Wicked Eddies in the Summit Daily News .
May 30, 2012
Guesting on Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book
Today I am guest blogging on Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book. I hope you'll read my post about "The Most Dangerous Sport" (probably not the one you think it is!) and leave a comment for me there.
May 29, 2012
Blogging for Fun
I have a number of writing- and mystery-reading related blogs on my reading list, but there are some that I go to just for fun. I read them for a daily laugh or to learn something new and to be pulled out of my little constricted world of mystery writing. Here are a couple of my favorites:
Cake Wrecks - My son is a baker, and that's why I first started reading this blog that features photos of cakes gone wrong, but now I just find it a hoot. It's amazing how BAD some of these cakes can be!
Bill Crider's Pop Culture Magazine - for all kinds of wacky and wild trivia. I usually find something worth gawking at every few days, like the recent "Most Electrifying Lightning Photography" and "12 Coolest Roadside Statues."
What are your go-to blogs for sheer fun? Please share them with me!
Cake Wrecks - My son is a baker, and that's why I first started reading this blog that features photos of cakes gone wrong, but now I just find it a hoot. It's amazing how BAD some of these cakes can be!
Bill Crider's Pop Culture Magazine - for all kinds of wacky and wild trivia. I usually find something worth gawking at every few days, like the recent "Most Electrifying Lightning Photography" and "12 Coolest Roadside Statues."
What are your go-to blogs for sheer fun? Please share them with me!
May 28, 2012
Remembering Those Who Gave Their Lives Serving Our Nation
Today at Inkspot, the blog for Midnight Ink authors, I talk about Memorial Day and what it means to me. I hope you'll read it and join me in the National Moment of Remembrance today.
