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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

Author Beth Groundwater has published eight short stories, and her amateur sleuth mystery, A REAL BASKET CASE, was published by Five Star in March, 2007. It received good reviews from Booklist, Kirkus Reviews and other national reviewers and was 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, was released in May, 2009. Also to be released in 2009 will be her science fiction novella, THE EPSILON ERIDANI ALTERNATIVE, in eBook, eSerial, and paperback form.

 Between writing spurts, Beth 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. Visit her website at www.bethgroundwater.com and her blog at bethgroundwater.blogspot.com .

Activities

mystery writing, mystery reading, travel, wine, chocolate, skiing, 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, Lost

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 my newest mystery, TO HELL IN A HANDBASKET, released in May 2009.

Favorite Animals

My dog, Blackie.

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