Betsy Cook Speer

Like my heroine, I'm an American-living-in-England, guzzle champagne like water, and love knocking down walls. Also like my heroine, I earned a BS in Chemistry from Denison University for all the wrong reasons (we’re not talking Breaking Bad here!)

The inspiration for my wacky and wonderful action/adventure/thriller came from my own unconventional life. I drew from experiences in factory piece work as a teenager, multi-million dollar Kodak sales in my 20′s, and demolishing walls throughout life. I've cocked up quotes before all-male-Kodak audiences, repaired drains while celebrity friend headed out with Hugh Grant, and almost missed interviewing Viggo Mortensen (the King in Lord of the Rings) when my phone dropped into the dog’s water dish.

After a stint in Hong Kong and then Boston in the design industry I tried my hand at full-time home renovation in North Carolina. Me and my new hubby turned five houses in three years. One day while hammering roof shingles, my son’s baby monitor fell off the roof and I remember thinking time for a more ‘grounded’ job.

Flash forward..15 years later, having had two more sons and a move to England, I began Demolition Queen – Champagne, Murder & Chaos. Not an easy feat. At school, math and sciences came easy, but English? Forget it. After I’d been working on DQ for four years, I told a friend, “If I haven’t published by this time next year, just shoot me.” I'm sincerely glad (a.) that no one shot me and (b.) that at the time I had no idea it would take 4 more years. Eight excruciatingly long years of on and off writing, Demolition Queen – Champagne, Murder & Chaos is published and receiving rave reviews.

I've lived in the UK for 18 years. My three sons are now 24,21 & 17.