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Relationship

Married. Interested in meeting people for friendship and meeting people for networking

Places I've been

I was a military brat and lived in lots of locations as a child, following my father's USAF assignments. After graduating from college, I lived in Northern Virgina for awhile, then moved to Colorado Springs with my family.

Education

• college of william and mary, Psychology and Computer Science - 1974 to 1978
• Virginia Polytechnic Institute (Virginia Tech), Software Engineering - 1979 to 1983

Work

• SAIC, Software Engineer - 1980 to 1999
• Self-Employed, Mystery Author - 1999 to 2008

More about me

Beth Groundwater writes two mystery series, the Claire Hanover gift basket designer series and the Rocky Mountain Outdoor Adventures series starring whitewater river ranger Mandy Tanner. The first book in her Claire Hanover series, A REAL BASKET CASE, was released in hardcover in 2007 and will be re-released in trade paperback and ebook in November, 2011. The book garnered good reviews from Booklist, Kirkus Reviews, and other national reviewers and was nominated for the 2007 Best First Novel Agatha Award. The second book in the series, TO HELL IN A HANDBASKET, was released in hardcover in 2009, also to good reviews, and will be re-released in trade paperback and ebook in the fall of 2012. A third book is in the pipeline.

The first book in Beth's Rocky Mountain Outdoor Adventures series starring whitewater river ranger Mandy Tanner, DEADLY CURRENTS, was released in trade paperback and ebook in March, 2011 with good reviews from Booklist, Kirkus Reviews, Library Journal, Publishers Weekly, the Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine, and Mystery Scene, among many other reviewers. The second book in the series, WICKED EDDIES, will be released in May, 2012, and Beth has begun work on the third book. Beth was an avid "river rat" in the 1980s, running whitewater rivers in the eastern US, and enjoyed reacquainting herself with that subculture while researching this series. In June, she was the parade VIP for the First in Boating on the Arkansas River (FIBArk) whitewater festival in Salida, Colorado, which is featured in DEADLY CURRENTS. Beth lives in Colorado and enjoys its many outdoor activities, including skiing and whitewater rafting.

Beth's science fiction novella, THE EPSILON ERIDANI ALTERNATIVE, was released in ebook and paperback 2009. Also, she has published nine short stories, many multiple times in various formats, including audio. She enjoys meeting with book clubs in person or via Skype or speakerphone to discuss her books.  Visit her website at http://bethgroundwater.com/ and her blog at http://bethgroundwater.blogspot.com/ for more information.

Activities

mystery writing, mystery reading, travel, wine, chocolate, skiing, whitewater rafting, hiking, biking, gardening, fitness and healthy living

Favorite Music

I like many kinds: pop, rock, alternative/world, reggae, blues, bluegrass, etc. I'm not a fan of opera or country, though.

Favorite TV Shows

The Amazing Race

Favorite Books

Some of my favorites reads from my book club are The Birth of Venus by Sarah Dunant, Vanishing Acts by Jodi Picoult, The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri, Bel Canto by Ann Patchett, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime by Mark Haddon, The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini and The Time Travelers Wife by Audrey Niffenegger. I read lots of mysteries, and some of my favorite authors are Western writers who I've gotten to know at conferences: C.J Box, Kathy Brandt, Christine Goff, Maggie Sefton, Robert Spiller, and Margaret Coel. I also enjoy light-hearted series by Alexander McCall Smith, Donna Andrews, and Tim Cockey. My all-time favorite mystery writer is Sharyn McCrumb, and I'm collecting all her books. I'm a Harry Potter fan, and sometimes read romance and sci fi.

Favorite Quotes

"Never, never, never quit." - Winston Churchill

Favorite Places

Breckenridge, CO, where I plan to retire, and the setting for one of my mystery novels, TO HELL IN A HANDBASKET.

Favorite Animals

My dog, Blackie, who passed away in 2010.

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