A Day in the Life of Mandy Tanner and An Enthusiastic Review and Giveaway

Today, Mandy Tanner, the whitewater river ranger/rafting guide protagonist of my RM Outdoor Adventures series (and recent release book 3 in that series, Fatal Descent), is visiting Dru's Book Musings to talk about a day in the life of a whitewater rafting guide. I hope you'll stop by the blog HERE and ask Mandy (or me) a question. Whitewater rafting guides work VERY hard for very little money, especially on multiday river trips. I hope reading about Mandy's typical day will give you a little more respect for what your whitewater rafting guide does for you. After taking that roller coaster ride through the rapids, be sure to give your guide a big tip!

Also, the book review blog, Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book has given Fatal Descent a very enthusiastic 5-star review HERE. She's also giving away her review copy to one commenter, so leave a comment to enter the contest!

Release Day for FATAL DESCENT!!

Today is the official release day for FATAL DESCENT, the third book in my RM Outdoor Adventures series starring whitewater river ranger/rafting guide Mandy Tanner. Follow the link for the book blurb, reviews, an excerpt, discussion questions, and "buy me" links. I hope you'll celebrate the release with me by lifting a glass of your favorite beverage and wishing me luck. Buying a copy for yourself wouldn't hurt either! ;-)

One Month to Launch for FATAL DESCENT!

In one short month, Fatal Descent, the third book in my RM Outdoor Adventures series starring whitewater river ranger and rafting guide Mandy Tanner will be released by Midnight Ink. Here's the blurb:

"A fast-paced locked-room mystery in Utah’s awe-inspiring canyon lands

River guide Mandy Tanner and her fiancé Rob Juarez, owners of RM Outdoor Adventures, are leading an off-season rafting and climbing trip on the Colorado River. The unfamiliar topography and a lecherous local climbing guide have Mandy on edge — but that’s nothing compared to the trouble the clients bring. When a young man is found dead, everyone on the trip is a suspect. Since there’s no way out of the Colorado River’s steep canyons, it’s up to Mandy and Rob to solve the mystery before the murderer strikes again."

The book has already received some great reviews (see below), and both Amazon and Barnes and Noble have a special preorder price for the trade paperback of only $8.51 (save 43% off list)!

"The tension runs high in Groundwater’s absorbing third RM Outdoor Adventures mystery … Scenic descriptions and folklore add atmosphere to a suspenseful tale." -- Publishers Weekly (for full review, go HERE)

"Groundwater’s books keep getting better. The mystery is well written, but the scenery takes pride of place in this exciting story." -- Cayocosa72 - Book Reviews (for full review, go HERE)


I'm busy making plans to promote the launch, writing articles for mystery magazines and blogs, setting up signing events, organizing contests, etc. I hope some of my blog readers will be able to join in the fun! Stay tuned here and to my website and sign up for my email newsletter, if you aren't already, to be privvy to the plans!

Naming Characters After Real People

I'm blogging at Inkspot, the blog for Midnight Ink authors, today about the only times I name characters after real people. It's when they make the winning bid on a character name in an upcoming novel of mine in a silent or live auction for a literacy-related charity that most mystery fan conferences conduct.

Please read my post to learn about the fun I had with the latest two character names. Also, if you've ever had a character named after you in a mystery novel, please tell all! What did you think of the experience?

Today is the Official Release Date for Wicked Eddies!

Today is the official release date for Wicked Eddies, the second book in my RM Outdoor Adventures mystery series. Yee-haw!

Whitewater river ranger Mandy Tanner rides the waves again, this time while patrolling the upper Arkansas River in Colorado during a fly-fishing tournament. And wherever there's competition, there's the chance for tempers to flare, for cheating to occur, and even for murder! But there was also something darker going on in the life of Howie Abbott, the fisherman whose body Mandy discovered in a riverside campground with an ax in his neck!

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

I hope you'll join in the excitement by purchasing your own copy of the trade paperback or ebook from your local bookseller or favorite on-line retailer!

A Double-Nickel Birthday Gift!

I'm celebrating my 55th birthday this week at Inkspot today, the blog for Midnight Ink authors. I'm sharing some great news--the best present an author can receive--and sharing my good fortune with a contest. Check it out!