Beth Groundwater's Blog, page 49
June 9, 2011
So...What Are You Reading These Days?
Today is my day to post at Inkspot, the blog for Midnight Ink authors. I'm talking about what books I've been reading lately and asking for suggestions. Please go there and let me know in the comments what you've been reading these days. Got any great suggestions for me or our blog readers?
June 7, 2011
Many Thanks to my Goodreads Reviewers!
It's been three months since Deadly Currents, the first book in my new Rocky Mountain Outdoor Adventure mystery series, was released by Midnight Ink in trade paperback and ebook formats. The book has received excellent professional reviews from Booklist, Kirkus Reviews, Library Journal, Publisher's Weekly, the Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine, Mystery Scene magazine and more. And I'm very, very grateful for those. But the reviews that really warm my heart are the amateur reviews from plain old readers on the Goodreads social network.
As of this writing, Deadly Currents has been placed on the book lists of 250 Goodreads readers and has received 41 ratings and 25 verbal reviews. The average rating, on a scale of 1 (worst) to 5 (best) is a 4. I'm thrilled with that! And reading the insightful comments of readers about the book is pure pleasure. Here are some samples:
"I was surprised by how much I liked this one. It was given to me and I'm not into rafting at all. Well, at least I wasn't. Now I'd like to try. Along with the rafting and scenery details, the mystery was well crafted and pulled me along at a great pace. I thought the main character was very fleshed out. I'll read more of this series."
"I really enjoyed this book. It was great to read a cozy set in a different setting and Beth is obviously very knowledgeable on the subject of white water rafting!"
"This is a new series for Beth Groundwater and it is as good as her earlier one.
...
I didn't figure out "who dunnit" until Groundwater was ready to let me, which is always a good thing. Now, waiting impatiently for her next book."
"Now you can enjoy whitewater rafting to your heart's content—from the cozy comfort of home! This book had everything: a spunky protagonist, a picturesque Colorado setting, and a plot that kept me twisting in the wind (or churning in the water . . .?) until the final chapter. I predict that this will be another winning series for Beth Groundwater."
"I went to high school in Colorado... and I just loved learning about the culture of river rafting... something I am deathly afraid of since I can't swim! I thought the characters were great and loved how Groundwater pegged the stereotypical Coloradoan! The storyline was great too! It kept me guessing...I look forward to some more books by this author."
Goodreads book reviews are syndicated widely, including to Worldcat (and to libraries all over the world through that system), Google Books, Blio, Stanza, Better World Books, Alibris, and Facebook. Goodreads applications are available on the Kindle, Nook, Sony Reader, Android (f0r mobile phones), iPhone and iPad, among other devices. And when Lifehacker, a website dedicated to making life easier with technology, asked thousands of its readers where they got their book recommendations, 39% picked Goodreads. That was well over the 26% who picked Amazon, the 13% who picked Shelfari, and the 11% who picked LibraryThing.
Given this information, the most important place on the web to collect good reviews for your book is Goodreads. And Goodreads readers have come through in spades for Deadly Currents. I am so very grateful that not only did so many folks on Goodreads enjoy reading the book, they took the time to give it a high rating and explain why they enjoyed it. Many thanks to you all!
June 6, 2011
Planting Trees in Breckenridge
Saturday morning I worked my butt off planting tree seedlings in Breckenridge. All of the Lodgepole Pine trees in Summit County have been hit hard by the pine beetle plague, and in many areas the percentage of dead trees is 80 - 90 %. The town of Breckenridge opted to clear-cut the Discovery Hill open space of all the Lodgepole Pines and replant with a mix of Bristlecone Pine and Englemann Spruce seedlings, which mixed with the remaining young Lodgepole Pine seedlings would made for a healthier, diverse forest.
My husband and I volunteered Saturday morning on a work crew of about two dozen people, including four Breckenridge trails department employees who trained us and kept us in line. In two and a half hours, we managed to plant 250 seedlings and water every single one. The photos below are from that morning. The first one shows me with my work gloves and shovels, poised to dig another tree hole. The second shows the watering operation.
Some of the trees were able to be watered from a long hose that snaked up the hill from a water truck. On the higher sections of the hillside, though, buckets of water had to be lugged up (by the young male volunteers) to the planted trees. The third photo shows me standing on the trail, with two teens approaching, the last one lugging water.
For every seedling we had to dig a hole 2.5 times the diameter of the root and dirt core and a little longer, then repack the dirt around the seedling. Then we had to create a berm downhill of the seedling to retain rain water and mark it with a colored flag (shown in the second photo), so another set of volunteers could come back on Tuesday to water them again.
Hopefully these young trees will thrive and in ten years or so as people walk along the trail, they will have shade. The stacks of cut lodgepole pine trees will be burned later in controlled burns, so we didn't plant any new seedlings near them. It was a good feeling to contribute to a job well done, and we were given tickets to that evening's Bluegrass Jam concert to boot!
My husband and I volunteered Saturday morning on a work crew of about two dozen people, including four Breckenridge trails department employees who trained us and kept us in line. In two and a half hours, we managed to plant 250 seedlings and water every single one. The photos below are from that morning. The first one shows me with my work gloves and shovels, poised to dig another tree hole. The second shows the watering operation.
Some of the trees were able to be watered from a long hose that snaked up the hill from a water truck. On the higher sections of the hillside, though, buckets of water had to be lugged up (by the young male volunteers) to the planted trees. The third photo shows me standing on the trail, with two teens approaching, the last one lugging water.
For every seedling we had to dig a hole 2.5 times the diameter of the root and dirt core and a little longer, then repack the dirt around the seedling. Then we had to create a berm downhill of the seedling to retain rain water and mark it with a colored flag (shown in the second photo), so another set of volunteers could come back on Tuesday to water them again.
Hopefully these young trees will thrive and in ten years or so as people walk along the trail, they will have shade. The stacks of cut lodgepole pine trees will be burned later in controlled burns, so we didn't plant any new seedlings near them. It was a good feeling to contribute to a job well done, and we were given tickets to that evening's Bluegrass Jam concert to boot!
June 2, 2011
Working on a Climax
I've been editing the climax of my WiP (work-in-progress), which is the third book in my Claire Hanover gift basket designer mystery series, tentatively titled Basketful of Troubles. I handed it out to my critique group and received their feedback at our last meeting.
I was concerned prior to the meeting because the scene included a lot of people, a lot of action, gunshots, a bucking horse, terrible danger, high emotions, people afraid to act or acting inappropriately, and more. And I'd already rewritten the climax a couple of times, to raise the stakes and the accompanying emotion.
I had a right to be concerned.
My critique partners liked the basic elements of my climax scene, but they pointed out many areas that needed to be fixed. These included:
1) A man was sucker punched by someone, but once he got the other party under control, he was content to hold him pinned down and not get a revenge lick in.
2) A woman ran inside a building to call the cops early in the scene, but readers forgot about her by the time the fighting began and kept asking, "Why isn't anyone calling the cops?"
3) Someone was hurt, badly hurt, and I didn't show his pain on screen.
4) I didn't keep the focus of the scene on the bad guy at all times so the reader knew what he was doing.
5) I made the characters' dialogue too long. They would speak more in fragments.
6) I got so wrapped up in describing the action that I called a character the wrong name--more than once.
And 7) There was a logic hole so big you could drive a truck through it. Aaargh! It took me quite a while to come up with a solution for that.
By now, I bet you're wondering how I could possibly be a published author.
I've been busy making fixes the last few days. I'm happy to report that the scene reads better, much better, thanks to the astute eyes of my critique group. What would I do without them?
May 30, 2011
Two Fun Weekend Signings
Over the Memorial Day Weekend, I had two fun signing events for Deadly Currents, the first book in my new Rocky Mountain Outdoor Adventure mystery series. The first, on Saturday afternoon, was at Black Cat Books in Manitou Springs, Colorado.
The weather was beautiful, and the streets were full of strolling families and couples enjoying the eclectic mix of artsy shops and touristy restaurants. Black Cat Books has a wine bar, so I brought some cheese and crackers and we billed it as a wine & cheese signing. I enjoyed chatting with friends and fellow writers who stopped by and making new friends with tourists in town who opted to buy the book. The photos below are from that event.
The second event, on Sunday afternoon, was in Buena Vista, Colorado, during their annual Paddlefest whitewater festival. After driving out there, my husband and I took a break at a coffee bar in town and stretched our legs by walking to the riverfront park to watch some kayakers playing in the waves. Then I set up my table outside Colorado Kayak Supply to sell books through them. Again, the weather was gorgeous.
Many local whitewater enthusiasts were enthralled that a mystery had been set on the upper Arkansas River and featured local attractions and the local "river rat" community. I sold quite a few copies there, and others took my bookmark to look up the book on their e-readers. One rafting guide told me that she'd taken a road trip recently with some other guides and they'd read my book aloud to each other to pass the time. I was thrilled when she said they'd all really enjoyed it. The photos below are from that event.
The weather was beautiful, and the streets were full of strolling families and couples enjoying the eclectic mix of artsy shops and touristy restaurants. Black Cat Books has a wine bar, so I brought some cheese and crackers and we billed it as a wine & cheese signing. I enjoyed chatting with friends and fellow writers who stopped by and making new friends with tourists in town who opted to buy the book. The photos below are from that event.
The second event, on Sunday afternoon, was in Buena Vista, Colorado, during their annual Paddlefest whitewater festival. After driving out there, my husband and I took a break at a coffee bar in town and stretched our legs by walking to the riverfront park to watch some kayakers playing in the waves. Then I set up my table outside Colorado Kayak Supply to sell books through them. Again, the weather was gorgeous.
Many local whitewater enthusiasts were enthralled that a mystery had been set on the upper Arkansas River and featured local attractions and the local "river rat" community. I sold quite a few copies there, and others took my bookmark to look up the book on their e-readers. One rafting guide told me that she'd taken a road trip recently with some other guides and they'd read my book aloud to each other to pass the time. I was thrilled when she said they'd all really enjoyed it. The photos below are from that event.
May 27, 2011
Headshot Poll
Last year on the Inkspot blog, where I post about once a month, I conducted a poll on variations of author headshots, both indoor and outdoor. The most popular outdoor headshot became the one that appears in Deadly Currents and is now my default promotion headshot. No one liked any of the indoor headshots, though.
For the re-release of A Real Basket Case, the first book in my Claire Hanover gift basket designer mystery series, I need a new indoor headshot. The outdoor one of me wearing a PFD (personal floatation device) and holding a kayak paddle just doesn't fit this series! So, my husband and I went to work this week on creating a new indoor headshot, using the suggestions we received from the last round. Those included to wear one solid color and to turn to the side more.
Below are the three we liked best. Which one do YOU like best and why? I'd really appreciate some outside feedback. Thanks!
For the re-release of A Real Basket Case, the first book in my Claire Hanover gift basket designer mystery series, I need a new indoor headshot. The outdoor one of me wearing a PFD (personal floatation device) and holding a kayak paddle just doesn't fit this series! So, my husband and I went to work this week on creating a new indoor headshot, using the suggestions we received from the last round. Those included to wear one solid color and to turn to the side more.
Below are the three we liked best. Which one do YOU like best and why? I'd really appreciate some outside feedback. Thanks!
May 26, 2011
Multitasking on Books
With my current production schedule, I no longer have the luxury of focusing on one book at a time. I still only write the rough draft manuscript of one book at a time, but I'm having to overlap most of the other phases of book production. Thank goodness I've always been a multitasker and I used to be a project manager! As an example, here's what's going on this week with my various books:
Deadly Currents, the first book in the Rocky Mountain Outdoor Adventures mystery series, released March 8th:
I'm in the promotion phase for this book. This week I finalized a future signing, sent out event notices & invitations for two signings I'll conduct this weekend, arranged a future book club visit, and tomorrow I'll mail a copy to a conference committee to use as a prize.
A Real Basket Case, the first book in the Claire Hanover gift basket designer mystery series, to be re-released in trade paperback and ebook November 8th:
My husband and I worked today on producing a new headshot for this book, and I sent an updated biography to the copy editor.
Wicked Eddies, the second book in the Rocky Mountain Outdoor Adventures mystery series, to be released next May:
Anytime now, I'm expecting to receive the copy-edited manuscript for this book to review and revise. Also, I'm expecting to see a mockup of the cover art soon.
Basketful of Troubles (tentative title), the third book in the Claire Hanover gift basket designer mystery series:
I'm editing chapters 17 and 18 based on critique group feedback, and they have the last two chapters, 19 and 20, to review for our next meeting. Also, I sent some scenes involving immigration issues to an immigration lawyer to get his expert opinion on them.
Cataract Canyon (tentative title), third book in the Rocky Mountain Outdoor Adventures mystery series:
I'm developing the initial concept, throwing ideas for characters, setting, scenes, etc. into a file, so I can construct a detailed outline in June and begin writing the rough draft of that book this summer.
All this, and I signed a short story publication contract, went to my son's college graduation, and hosted my daughter and her boyfriend for a visit! And, of course, there's the on-going social networking.
May 24, 2011
A New Short Story Contract
I'm very happy to announce that I recently signed a contract with Sniplits for them to produce an audio version of my comedic mystery short story, "Flamingo Fatality," that first appeared in the Manhattan Mysteries anthology in 2005.
"Flamingo Fatality" should appear on the Sniplits website sometime in June. In the meantime, if you'd like to hear another audio short story of mine, go HERE. Sniplits has already produced two of my mainstream fiction short stories, "Biscuit Connection" and "Covered Dish Casseroles." I've been very pleased with the quality of the voice talent for both of those stories and am looking forward to listening to their production of "Flamingo Fatality."
In "Flamingo Fatality," Diane, a vegetarian farm market worker in beef-eating Manhattan, Kansas, discovers the body of a dead flamingo, a former resident of nearby Sunset Zoo, while taking a hike. She uses the phone of a nosy retired police dispatcher to call the police, then becomes embroiled in solving the crime and dealing with a growing attraction for the handsome cop assigned to the case.
"Flamingo Fatality" should appear on the Sniplits website sometime in June. In the meantime, if you'd like to hear another audio short story of mine, go HERE. Sniplits has already produced two of my mainstream fiction short stories, "Biscuit Connection" and "Covered Dish Casseroles." I've been very pleased with the quality of the voice talent for both of those stories and am looking forward to listening to their production of "Flamingo Fatality."
May 19, 2011
Book Promotion in a Parade
I have thrilling news! I've been asked to be the VIP in the parade for a well-known Colorado whitewater festival. For the full details, go to Inkspot, the blog for Midnight Ink authors, where I tell all in my scheduled post.
May 18, 2011
An Interview with the Dames of Dialogue
Today I am a guest on the Dames of Dialogue blog. They presented me with their "Dames Dozen" interview questions, and I had a fun time answering them. They had some atypical questions such as how my husband and I met and about my pets. I hope you'll take a look at my answers there. I'll be responding to comments there today, so feel free to ask me some questions of your own in the comments!
Also, a librarian from the High Plains Library District interviewed me for their website. You can read it HERE. Page down to "Meet Colorado Author Beth Groundwater" and click on the "Meet the Author" link. Being a Colorado library, they were interested in how/why I became a resident of the state, of course.
Also, a librarian from the High Plains Library District interviewed me for their website. You can read it HERE. Page down to "Meet Colorado Author Beth Groundwater" and click on the "Meet the Author" link. Being a Colorado library, they were interested in how/why I became a resident of the state, of course.
