Going To Hell in a Handbasket

By Beth Groundwater

(Keep reading to the end to find out about a contest!)

Very soon, on November 8th, my fourth mystery novel published by Midnight Ink will be released. It is the trade paperback and ebook editions of To Hell in a Handbasket, the second book in my Claire Hanover gift basket designer mystery series. The new edition includes a bold, bright purple cover that I just love!

In the book, gift basket designer Claire Hanover is reluctantly enjoying a spring ski vacation with her family in Breckenridge, Colorado, when a bloodcurdling scream cuts the frigid air. Claire is appalled to find the sister of her daughter’s boyfriend dead on the slopes. Others assume the girl’s death was an accident, but Claire notices another pair of ski tracks veering dangerously into the victim’s path. To protect her daughter as incriminating clues surface, Claire unravels a chilling conspiracy.

To Hell in a Handbasket received some good reviews when it was first released in hardcover in 2009:

"Groundwater's second leaves the bunny slope behind, offering some genuine black-diamond thrills."
        -- Kirkus Review, April 1, 2009

"How it all plays out makes for an engrossing and entertaining mystery that keeps you reading until the final page. Tightly plotted and very current, the story manages to keep you on the edge of your seat. Even though the physical violence is off screen, the tension comes from the potential danger to the characters you've met and come to be concerned about."
        -- Gayle Surrette, Gumshoe Review, May 1, 2009

"Groundwater follows her Agatha-nominated debut with a solid mystery that should broaden her fan base."
        -- Molly Weston, Meritorious Mysteries, May 5, 2009

"Don't mess with Mama Bear. Mothers will be able to identify with Claire Hanover, who goes into protective mode when her daughter is threatened in Beth Groundwater's To Hell in a Handbasket…Groundwater's book is a fast-paced family mystery, for readers who enjoy Diane Mott Davidson's books. The book has the same family feeling that Davidson's fans will appreciate."
        -- Lesa Holstine, Lesa’s Book Critiques, May 24, 2009

I'm hoping that these new, less expensive formats will gain me many more readers--and many more reviews (on Amazon, Goodreads, etc.) from those readers!

I'm doing my best to find ways to promote the release, but it is often hard to promote a re-release. Bookstores who hosted a signing for the hardcover edition are reluctant to do so again for the trade paperback, even though three and a half years have passed. And, living in ski country in Colorado, I'm reluctant to commit to driving to events more than an hour away in November and December. We DO get a lot of snow in the winter around here! ;-)

So, with this release, I'm focusing on on-line promotion, such as: interviews, blog visits, newsletters, chats, announcements on mystery-writing organization websites, etc. I also decided to have a contest HERE for Inkspot readers. You can enter the contest to get a free autographed trade paperback copy of To Hell in a Handbasket sent to you by doing two things:

1. Leave a comment or question for me on this post.
2. Sign up to follow Inkspot, if you aren't already a follower. (If you're already a follower, you're in!)

That's it! Easy peasy. Check back here tomorrow to find out who the winner is. I'll draw a random number at random.org to pick someone. Good luck. Let's have some fun!