Look and Listen

Biography

Beth Groundwater's first forays into fiction writing were her Freddie stories written in sixth grade. Freddie had all sorts of wild adventures, including visiting an underground mole city after burrowing down in a giant screw-mobile. Beth Groundwater's debut mystery novel, A Real Basket Case, was released in hardcover by Five Star Publishing in March, 2007 to good reviews from Booklist, Kirkus Reviews, and other national publications. It was just nominated for a Best First Novel Agatha Award. The large-print edition was released in January, 2008 and the sequel, To Hell in a Handbasket, will be published in spring, 2009. Also, she has published eight short stories, including one in Wild Blue Yonder, the Frontier Airlines in-flight magazine, one which was translated into Farsi, and one which was performed in live theater. Beth is a big believer in networking and is an active member of Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, Pikes Peak Writers, Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers, and the Short Mystery Fiction Society. Between writing spurts, she defends her meager garden from marauding mule deer and wild rabbits, and tries to avoid getting black-and-blue on the black and blue ski slopes of Colorado. Beth has loved to read since she was a child and reads at least two novels a month. She savors those monthly meetings with her Book Club, and not just for the gossip and wine! Visit her website at bethgroundwater.com and her blog at bethgroundwater.blogspot.com.

Inspiration

People-watching and the life I've lived up until now all provide rich fodder for my stories. I also research settings, police procedures, means of death, etc. extensively. Interviewing experts can be fun as well as educational.