Why Do Olympic Athletes Push the Limits?

I've been staying up far too late for the last two weeks watching the Winter Olympics in Vancouver. I love winter sports (having lived in Vermont) and am thrilled to finally have a winter in New York City which has allowed me to get in some skiing in the park, as well as sledding with my kids. Having snow on the ground cheers me up-when it's cold at least it can be bright.


You might not share my love of the white stuff and the cold. What makes people crave outdoor adventures? And what sets athletes apart from the rest of us who dabble in their sport rather than make it a lifelong obsession?


Here are a few questions bumping around in my head:


Do women approach extreme sports differently?


Are they trying to keep up with men, prove they're as good, or is the younger generation who grew up after the feminist movement gender blind and buying into extreme sports for the same reasons as their male counterparts?


And how does all this related to the heroine, Keela, in my story Hot Chocolate Kiss?


For anyone that grows up in the Northeastern United States (like me and Keela) winter sports are a way of life. Kids spend half a day a week while in school in Vermont on the slopes. Parents put them on skis when they walk-and have often carried them in backpacks before that.


Skiing began as a means to get around in the winter, nothing more. Men and women strapped boards to their feet and used one long pole for balance and to help on the uphill climb. Not until skiing (1950s) and snowboarding (late 1980s) became a sport were feet fixed to the skis in special boots.


The birth of skiing in the Northeastern United States is documented in thebtiny New England Ski Museum at the foot of Cannon Mountain in Franconia, New Hampshire (there is a rock formation at the summit which looks like a cannon).


Just down the road, in Sugar Hill, New Hampshire a plaque commemorates the site of Peckett's Inn where Nordic skiing mutated to what is now known as alpine skiing, bindings that hold the entire foot onto the ski. Norpine skiing, or telemarking is a holdover variant where the heel of the boot can be released when ascending (think cross country) and fastened when descending.


The tradition of hiking up the mountain and skiing down instead of using automated lifts still continues on the other side of the Presidential Range where a hardy and fit bunch (some call us nuts) hike from Pinkham Notch, NH, from a base camp run by the Appalachian Mountain Club, nearly to the summit of Mount Washington (which is legendary for its wild, wicked, unpredictable weather).


We wear hiking boots and carry their skis, boots, and poles, plus essential camping and survival equipment to a bowl known as Tuckerman Ravine.


The headwall of the ravine is almost a sheer drop, so this is not for the amateur skier or hiker. In addition, the severe weather which can blow in at a moments notice has claimed more than a few lives by disorienting the hikers/skiers and exposing them to extreme wind chills. There is so much snow that the risk of avalanche exists, as well as rock slides during times of thaw.


Keela and I are far from Olympians: not good or not driven or not crazy enough to push the limits.


So, now you know the background. Please ask Keela any questions you might have about why she took the risks she did--braving the extreme weather to prove herself and pull out of a particularly troubling emotional state.


She's shy, but getting used to the limelight, as well as the fact that she has been getting in touch with her new paranormal abilities and met a hot guy with whom she'll be sharing more extreme adventures.


The conversation with Keela started on Andrew Richardson's Blogand will continue March 3 with Annie Alvarez. And it will be ongoing, with Rick included in the fun, on my website forums.


There will be prizes!

Celebrate Valentine's Day and the Winter Olympics with a Hot Chocolate Kiss

Looking to banish the mid-winter blues?

Valentine's Day is next week.

How about a Hot Chocolate Kiss for your special someone?

The Winter Olympics start on February 12.

Lindsey Vonn made the cover of Sports Illustrated and will surely dominate the women's ski scene at the Games in Vancouver.

How about an intimate look at the downhill ski scene-both on and off the slopes?

My fast paced, winter love story has gotten five-star reviews on Amazon for being " a good paranormal yarn spiced with love interest" and "a great book for curling up in bed with on a chilly day."
Guys love it, too!

Hot Chocolate Kiss is available in as a PDF dowload at the Eternal Press website and in print and for Kindle at Amazon.com

It's sure to get you in the mood for some extreme sports, both indoors and out.

I'd be happy to send a personalized message to any one who purchases Hot Chocolate Kiss. Contact me at gianna@giannabruno.com

Live Chats This Week

I have two live chats this week to promote my recent Eternal Press release Hot Chocolate Kiss and tell you more about my upcoming stories.

Romance Junkies on Wednesday February 3rd at 9 pm EST

Romance Junkies Chat Room

And the Love Romances Cafe Chat Loop on Thursday February 4 from from 7-8 pm EST

There will be trivia contests and the winners will recieve a free PDF of the story.

If you've read Hot Chocolate Kiss, or if you're curious about the story, please check in to the character blogs with Rick and Keela on my Website Forums

Here are the clues you'll need to answer the trivia questions:

needle
Lord of the Rings
Bewitched

Hope to see you there!

Hot Chocolate Kisses,

Gianna

A Whirlwind of Interviews

I feel like a superstar. In addition to  having a packed chat room and lively discussion at the Launch Party on January 7, I've been the guest on several blogs over the last few weeks.

Kayden McLeod led off, followed by Andrew Richardson who also interviewed Keela.

Ginger Simpson hosted me "the day after" while I was cleaning up the confetti.

And today, I'm a guest at Love Romances and More

So, for more about me than you probably want to know, check out any or all of these and say "Hi!"

And once you've finished reading Hot Chocolate Kiss, be sure to stop by my website forums to ask Rick and Keela anything you'd like to know about them.

Join me for a post release day chat

I'll be at Ginger Simpson's blog today for some post-release day conversation.

Suffice it to say the party was rocking and I had a full chat room, as well as lots of discussion on the Eternal Press Readers Group.

Pick up  the threads there while I clean up the empty cups and confetti

Release Day Tomorrow! Here's the Schedule

I'm busy with all the last minute details for the launch party and the live chat tomorrow, January 7 from 8-9pm on the Eternal Press website.

Just to to the Eternal Press Website and log into the Meebo chat room. No need to pre-register.

I hope to see some friends during the day tomorrow on the Eternal Press Reader's Group (free subscription to Yahoo Groups is required).

Or, if you prefer read the story and jump into my website forum where Rick and Keela have agreed to answer your questions.

Today, Andrew Richardson posted an interview he did with me to celebrate the release. Thanks, Andrew.

And Friday, January 8, I'll be a guest on  Ginger Simpson's Dishin' It Out.

Please stop by and say hello.

Don't forget to scroll down to the bottom of this page and sign my guest book.

Watch the video trailer for Hot Chocolate Kiss and order a copy here.

Whew! I think that's it for now!

You're Invited to The Lauch Party and Live Chat

Two days to go until release day

January 7, 2010

Well, the weather around here has been cooperating. Yesterday it felt like I was at the summit in a snow squall. Better to get you all in the mood for a little Hot Chocolate Kiss.

Please join me on the Eternal Press Readers Group. I'll be lurking there all week to answer questions and maybe even give some clues for the New England Ski Trivia Contest.


January 7, at 8-9pm EST, I'll be at a live chat on the Eternal Press Website. It's easy to log on (if you're over 18) and no need to pre-register. I'll be giving away some free copies of "Hot Chocolate Kiss" so please stop by and say hi.


In case you didn't see it, Andrew Richardson wrote a  preview of Hot Chocolate Kiss


And now, without further ado, an excerpt:




The blonde perched on a stool wore boots that looked like she’d strapped a husky dog to each leg. Keela doubted she had ever skied in her life. That sleek blonde ponytail wouldn't fit under a helmet, and she'd freeze her perky tits and tight ass off wearing that pink fleece jacket and black spandex pants.

She prattled out the usual disclaimers while processing the credit card transaction. "No refunds for conditions. The gondolas are closed due to high winds. Only the open chairs are going to the summit, and we might have to close them as well. The ski patrol has put up an extreme weather alert: no exposed skin, take frequent re-warming breaks."


Keela tried not to sound bitchy. This wasn't one of Ken's girlfriends. The kid was just doing her job. "Thanks for the tips."

After securing the $75.00 ticket on her parka and putting on every piece of protective equipment in her pack., she waddled out the door like a stuffed pig, sweating like one, too.


She knocked the ice off the bottom of her boots with her poles and clicked into the bindings. No matter who I’m with, it’s always me against the mountain—alone. Keela skated over to the lift where the same guy she’d met outside the can was working. "It’s the Tuckerman lady." He winked and guided the chair under her butt.


She couldn't see the rest of his face but imagined him licking his lips.


The lift swept her up, and he called out, "Seriously, be careful. I’ll buy you a Hot Chocolate Kiss when you come down from the summit, sister."


I don't think so, dude. No more being treated like a buddy who happened to have a receptacle instead of a plug. No more schlepping boots and ski equipment, plus a backpack full of camping gear to the summit of Mount Washington , dodging rockslides and avalanches, to ski Tuckerman Ravine. No more romantic nights crammed into a lean-to, surrounded by a unisex cadre of other idiots, with a sleeping bag, thermals, and Gore-Tex to light her fire.


For Immediate Dowload