Beth Groundwater's Blog, page 35

Tomorrow's Guest: Bailey Cates

Tomorrow, author Bailey Cates (AKA Cricket McRae) will be a guest on my blog. Bailey Cates believes magic is all around us if we only look for it. She studied philosophy, English and history and has held a variety of positions ranging from driver's license examiner to soap maker. She traveled the world as a localization program manager for Microsoft, but now sticks close to home where she writes two mystery series, tends to a dozen garden beds, bakes up a storm and plays the occasional round of golf.

Having apprenticed with a master herbalist for a year, Bailey's prone to concocting teas and tinctures for family and friends from the stash of herbs stored in the corner cabinet in her office. She owns a working spinning wheel and is on a first name basis with several alpacas and two sheep with questionable dispositions. The first book in her Magical Bakery Mystery series, Brownies and Broomsticks , was released on May 1st.


In her guest post tomorrow, Bailey talks about how she researched the setting for the series, Savannah, Georgia. After you read her post, feel free to ask her a question or leave a comment for her in the comments.

Rollin', rollin', rollin' ...

Today I am blogging at Inkspot, the blog for Midnight Ink authors, about the road trip I'm on this week to promote the release of Wicked Eddies , the second book in my RM Outdoor Adventures mystery series. If you live near one of the stops I'll be making, I hope you'll stop by and say hi!

Photos from the Pikes Peak Writers Conference

Last weekend, I drove down to Colorado Springs for the Pikes Peak Writers Conference. I was only able to attend on Saturday, but I arrived on Friday in time for the Staff/Faculty mixer. Many of the folks were in costume as their favorite literary character for the dinner that evening. Below are photos of myself with mystery author Robert Spiller (dressed as Brother Cadfael) and his wife Barbara (dressed as Philip Marlowe). Below that I'm with vampyress Julia Allen and MB Partlow dressed as the lost love Lenore in Edgar Allen Poe's poem, "The Raven."



The photos below are from my Saturday panel about "Fooling the Reader Fairly" with fellow mystery authors Donnell Ann Bell, Robert Spiller, and Laura DiSilverio. My topic was red herrings (false clues), and I brought a can of red herrings (kipper snacks) as a prop.




The last two photos are from the Saturday night banquet, where folks dressed to the nines. Notice the balloon centerpieces. I placed most of those on the tables when I helped decorate the banquet room. The first is of me with two of my favorite critique partners, Maria Faulconer and Barbara Nickless. The second is of me with with Robert Crais, an update of one taken of the two of us in 2001, when he handed me the certificate for my first writing contest placement. I had a great time at the conference, re-connecting with writer friends!

Who Knew Fly Fishing Could Be Lethal?!

Today, Mandy Tanner, the 27-year-old whitewater river ranger sleuth in my RM Outdoor Adventures mystery series, is a guest on the Killer Characters blog. She'll be talking about some surprises she's facing in Wicked Eddies, the second book of the series that will be released on May 8th. One of those surprises is that fly fishing can be lethal! Please read what Mandy has to say and take a stab at answering the questions she asks.

Off to the Pikes Peak Writers Conference!

I'm driving down to Colorado Springs today to attend my favorite writing conference, the Pikes Peak Writers Conference, at the Colorado Springs Marriott hotel. This is the 20th anniversary of the PPWC, so lots of special activities are planned. I'm really stoked about attending!

If you're attending the conference, I hope you'll stop in at my panel at 3:20 PM on Saturday, "Fooling the Reader Fairly" with fellow mystery authors Robert Spiller, Laura DiSilverio, and Donnell Bell. My topic is fishy smelling--red herrings! We'll all be signing our books in the bookstore after the panel. I'll also be hosting a table at the banquet and hanging around in the hallways and at the bar, hoping to chat with old writer friends and to make some new ones.

Thank you, Kirkus Reviews!!

Whoo hoo! I'm excited. Kirkus Reviews came through for me again with another good review for one of my books. They gave away quite a bit of the plot of Wicked Eddies (release date May 8) in the body of the review, so I'm not going to quote it all here, but here's the last line:

"Once again, Groundwater, mixing mystery with outdoor adventure, comes up with an excursion that will please most comers."
-- Kirkus Reviews, May 1, 2012

Today's Mystery Author Guest: S. R. Claridge

As promised yesterday, fellow Colorado mystery author S. R. Claridge 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 her upcoming May release, Death Trap, the fourth book in her Just Call Me Angel mystery suspense series. When Giovanni’s private jet explodes with Angel presumably on board, the family is thrust into a state of crisis and mourning. Learning that the explosion was not due to a malfunction but a well-planned attack, Angel’s men set out on a course for revenge while Giovanni must face the hard reality of assigning a new Boss to the family. Unknown to anyone, Angel is alive but is forced into hiding from the terrorist group enacting revenge on her grandfather, Salvatore. She watches in horror as her men are lured one-by-one into a trap of death, with their only chance for survival falling on the shoulders of a stranger with an unstable past. Tempers flare and bullets fly as the lines of family loyalty blur into a melting pot of Mafia destruction.

Below are S.R.'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 started writing poetry when I was 11 years old, right after my grandmother died. Writing became my emotional outlet and I never stopped. I’ve written poetry, greeting cards, song lyrics, scripts and finally found my niche about five years ago in the fiction world of romantic suspense.

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

They come to life on their own as the story develops.

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

I’m a pantser. I write whatever feels right in the moment.

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; however, a weak plot can be carried by a strong character, but weak characters can’t be saved even by a good plot.

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

The marketing and publicity side of being an author is the most challenging part for me. It’s difficult to find balance between the writing and the marketing, not to mention all the other hats I wear, i.e. mom, wife, daughter, chauffeur to my kids, etc. ;-)

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

During the school year, I take my kids to school at 8:00 am and come home and write from 8:30 to around 2:30 when I have to pick them up. One day a week I focus that time on marketing. In the summer I write a lot at night, as I am busy playing with the kids during the day.

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

Don’t quit.

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 love Grey Goose martinis with bleu cheese olives. I crave Mexican food every Friday night. I loved the TV series 24. I’m a Seinfeld fan and believe great wisdom can be found in simple wit.

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

I am currently working on the fourth book in the Just Call Me Angel series, called Death Trap, and due to be released in May 2012. I am also working on an independent suspense thriller about a cult-like organization with political under ties.

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

Thank you for allowing me to visit today, Beth! I hope your readers will visit my website and check out my blog.

Thanks, S.R.! Now, who has a comment or question for her?

Tomorrow's Guest: S. R. Claridge

Tomorrow, author S. R. Claridge will be a guest on my blog. Susan Renee' Woods Claridge (writing under the penname S.R. Claridge) grew up in St. Louis, Missouri, graduating from Lindbergh High School and furthering her education with a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology from the University of Missouri, Columbia. Susan has lived in Los Angeles, CA, Boulder, CO, and Kansas City, KS, and now resides in Broomfield, Colorado, with her husband and two children.

She began her writing career being published for her poetry, lyrics and greeting cards, but has found her niche in the fiction world of mystery and romantic suspense. She says it is her background in theater and psychology that help her fill the pages with enough dramatic suspense to keep her readers guessing until the very end. Her latest, Death Trap, will be released in May.

In her guest post tomorrow, Susan 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.

An Inspirational Interview

Fiona Mcvie interviewed me for the Inspiration Forum recently and posted it today. To read it, go HERE.

Wicked Eddies available for Kindle preorder!

I'm pleased to say that Wicked Eddies, the second book in my RM Outdoor Adventures series starring whitewater river ranger Mandy Tanner, is available for preorder on the Kindle now. You can preorder it at Amazon HERE. As soon as I see the listing for the Nook version on the Barnes & Noble website, I'll post the link here, too.