Welcome to my tour stop for Slayed on the Slopes by Kate Dyer-Seeley! This is the second book in the Pacific Northwest Mystery series. Slayed on the Slopes released March 31st by Kensington Publishing. The tour runs April 6- 17 with reviews, interviews, guest posts and excerpts. Check out the tour page for more information.
After talking her way into a job writing for Portland’s Northwest Extreme magazine, Meg Reed may now really be in over her head. Actually, about 8,000 feet over her head. . .
She’s at Mount Hood’s remote Silcox Hut, covering the seriously hardcore Ridge Rangers—Oregon’s elite high-altitude rescue team–during their four-day winter training. Sure, Meg beefed up her outdoor skills over the summer . . . but she’s still hoping to cover the event with some hot chocolate by the cheery fireplace. Then, during a sudden blizzard, she swears she hears gunshots. No one stranded in the hut believes her . . . until self-absorbed Ridge Ranger Ben Rogers is found outside in a pool of frozen blood. Meg’s now got to find this killer quickly . . . before cabin fever does them all in!
Praise For Scene Of The Climb
“A splendid overview of the greater Portland and Columbia River Gorge region, perfect for travel buffs. Her protagonist shows promise with her determined attitude and moxie.” –Library Journal
Includes Adventure Guides!
Don't miss out on the first book, Scene of the Climb, available now!
About the Author: Kate Dyer-Seeley writes the Pacific Northwest Mystery Series for Kensington Publishing. The first book in the series, Scene of the Climb, features the rugged landscapes of the Columbia River Gorge and a young journalist who bills herself as an intrepid adventurer in order to land a gig writing for Northwest Extreme.
Her work has appeared in a variety of regional and international publications including: The Columbian, The Vancouver Voice, Seattle Backpacker, Portland Family Magazine, and Climbing Magazine.
Kate lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and son, where you can find her hitting the trail, at an artisan coffee shop, or at her favorite pub. Better yet—at all three.
Website | Facebook | Twitter
Mt. Hood is an adventure lover’s paradise all year round. Since it’s a short drive from Portland, Oregon, my family and I love trekking up to the slopes for a snow day in the winter or for an alpine hike in the summer. We spend the holidays at Timberline Lodge and in Government Camp. It’s like stepping back in time and onto the set of a Bing Crosby movie. After a long day out in the snow, we’ll cozy up in front of roaring fire with steaming mugs of hot chocolate or take a dip in the heated pool as fat snowflakes fall. But the mountain is also very dangerous. Hundreds of climbers attempt to summit Mt. Hood every year, and unfortunately many have died in the process. The weather can change in an instant, trapping climber on the mountain for days. When I was in middle school there was a group of students from a local school who became trapped on the mountain, and died. It was a terrible tragedy and left a lasting impression on me.
Meg is working on expanding her outdoor skill set, but I knew she wasn’t ready to summit a mountain yet. I decided the more realistic option for her was to have her cover a training weekend with a group of high altitude guides, the Ridge Rangers. There a number of mountaineering guides in the PNW who train novice climbers and help them summit. The Ridge Rangers are on the slopes to ski, snowboard, ice climb, and brush up on skills like building a snow cave. Not only does Meg have to keep up with them, but a blizzard hits and traps them high up at the remote Silcox Hut.
2. The books in this series include adventure guides. Have you experienced this adventures yourself?
It depends on the adventure! Unlike Meg, I love to hike and be in the outdoors, but I’m a bit of a klutz. I definitely tap into that side of me when I’m writing Meg. For example, when I was in college I went water-skiing for the weekend and skied just fine, but fell climbing off the boat and broke my foot. I have not attempted to summit the mountain. I like to hike, sled, snowshoe, and cross-country ski, but that’s the extent of my adventures on the mountain. I’ve always been fascinated by adrenaline junkies, and have a serious addiction to watching the Discovery Channel and any show about climbers who summit Everest, but I much prefer the comfort of my couch!
My goal with the series is to make the outdoors accessible to everyone. I’ve intentionally written Meg as young and not very experience in outdoor pursuits so that readers can learn along with her. I received a note from a reader who finished Scene of the Climb, the first book in the series, and said it inspired her to take a hike for the first time. That’s to date the best complement I’ve ever received.
The series is also a love letter to all the beautiful places here in the Pacific Northwest. The adventure guides and scenic tours are something that a reader could bring with them and follow Meg’s exact adventure. But if you come, you have to end any outdoor activity the way Meg does—with a pint of microbrew!
3. What is Meg's next assignment?
Next up, Meg’s heading to Hood River, Oregon. She’s going to be on assignment for Northwest Extreme to cover King of the Hook, the biggest windsurfing competition in the world. Fortunately Meg’s a water girl, so this might just finally be her sport. Of course she’s never been on a windsurfing board before, and she has no idea how big the wind can get when it funnels down the mighty Columbia River.
4. Do you have any rituals to writing - specific times, places, refreshment?
I write in the morning. I tend to do my best work in the early hour, and I like to get outside and walk in the afternoons. I find my best ideas and breakthroughs usually happen when I’m not sitting in front of my laptop.
I transform my office when I’m working on Meg. Right now there are tons of windsurfing and Hood River photos posted on the walls. When I was writing Slayed on the Slopes I had pictures of the mountain and lots of snow and winter scenes hanging from the walls. I also create playlists to help me get in Meg’s head. She’s in her early twenties so I listen to a lot of Taylor Swift, and then a bunch of alternative Portland bands. But she also loves all things vintage, so I also loop in big band music—Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald.
5. Which individuals in your life most motivated you to write?
My parents. My mom was a prolific reader. She read aloud to my brother, sister, and me before we could even walk. She would take us on weekly visits to our local library and I’d come home with a stack of books. She was a huge mystery fan and got me hooked on the genre with Trixie Belden and Nancy Drew. I remember reading all of Agatha Christie’s books one summer. Once I started I couldn’t stop.
My dad taught honor’s English so he read all of my papers before I turned them in when I was growing up. I used to hate his red editing pen and the way he would mark my work up. Now I love it. He reads every draft before I send it to my editor.
6. Who are your favorite authors?
I’m an eclectic reader. I’ll read pretty much anything I can get my hands on. However, when I’m working on a new manuscript I don’t read any other mysteries. Lately I’ve been reading a lot of Billy Bryson—he has such a great voice and I’m always astounded at how he manages to make complicate or mundane facts so intriguing. My favorite early childhood authors are Maud Hart Lovelace, Madeline L’Engle and Laura Ingalls Wilder. I love Katherine Mansfield’s poetry and anything by Jane Austen.
7. Anything you would like to share with aspiring authors?
Write every single day. I have a daily word count, and I do NOT leave my office until I meet my word count for the day. I think so many aspiring authors (myself included) get caught up in the myth of waiting for the muse to show up. The muse only shows up if you’re actually writing. So plant yourself in a comfy chair and start typing!
8. Anything you would like to share with readers?
Thanks so much for taking time out of you day to read about Meg. Happy reading!
Ends April 27, 2015
a Rafflecopter giveaway
This event was organized by CBB Book Promotions.
Interview with Kate Dyer-Seeley:
1. In Slayed on the Slopes Meg is covering the training of a rescue team. How did you decide on this context?Mt. Hood is an adventure lover’s paradise all year round. Since it’s a short drive from Portland, Oregon, my family and I love trekking up to the slopes for a snow day in the winter or for an alpine hike in the summer. We spend the holidays at Timberline Lodge and in Government Camp. It’s like stepping back in time and onto the set of a Bing Crosby movie. After a long day out in the snow, we’ll cozy up in front of roaring fire with steaming mugs of hot chocolate or take a dip in the heated pool as fat snowflakes fall. But the mountain is also very dangerous. Hundreds of climbers attempt to summit Mt. Hood every year, and unfortunately many have died in the process. The weather can change in an instant, trapping climber on the mountain for days. When I was in middle school there was a group of students from a local school who became trapped on the mountain, and died. It was a terrible tragedy and left a lasting impression on me.
Meg is working on expanding her outdoor skill set, but I knew she wasn’t ready to summit a mountain yet. I decided the more realistic option for her was to have her cover a training weekend with a group of high altitude guides, the Ridge Rangers. There a number of mountaineering guides in the PNW who train novice climbers and help them summit. The Ridge Rangers are on the slopes to ski, snowboard, ice climb, and brush up on skills like building a snow cave. Not only does Meg have to keep up with them, but a blizzard hits and traps them high up at the remote Silcox Hut.
2. The books in this series include adventure guides. Have you experienced this adventures yourself?
It depends on the adventure! Unlike Meg, I love to hike and be in the outdoors, but I’m a bit of a klutz. I definitely tap into that side of me when I’m writing Meg. For example, when I was in college I went water-skiing for the weekend and skied just fine, but fell climbing off the boat and broke my foot. I have not attempted to summit the mountain. I like to hike, sled, snowshoe, and cross-country ski, but that’s the extent of my adventures on the mountain. I’ve always been fascinated by adrenaline junkies, and have a serious addiction to watching the Discovery Channel and any show about climbers who summit Everest, but I much prefer the comfort of my couch!
My goal with the series is to make the outdoors accessible to everyone. I’ve intentionally written Meg as young and not very experience in outdoor pursuits so that readers can learn along with her. I received a note from a reader who finished Scene of the Climb, the first book in the series, and said it inspired her to take a hike for the first time. That’s to date the best complement I’ve ever received.
The series is also a love letter to all the beautiful places here in the Pacific Northwest. The adventure guides and scenic tours are something that a reader could bring with them and follow Meg’s exact adventure. But if you come, you have to end any outdoor activity the way Meg does—with a pint of microbrew!
3. What is Meg's next assignment?
Next up, Meg’s heading to Hood River, Oregon. She’s going to be on assignment for Northwest Extreme to cover King of the Hook, the biggest windsurfing competition in the world. Fortunately Meg’s a water girl, so this might just finally be her sport. Of course she’s never been on a windsurfing board before, and she has no idea how big the wind can get when it funnels down the mighty Columbia River.
4. Do you have any rituals to writing - specific times, places, refreshment?
I write in the morning. I tend to do my best work in the early hour, and I like to get outside and walk in the afternoons. I find my best ideas and breakthroughs usually happen when I’m not sitting in front of my laptop.
I transform my office when I’m working on Meg. Right now there are tons of windsurfing and Hood River photos posted on the walls. When I was writing Slayed on the Slopes I had pictures of the mountain and lots of snow and winter scenes hanging from the walls. I also create playlists to help me get in Meg’s head. She’s in her early twenties so I listen to a lot of Taylor Swift, and then a bunch of alternative Portland bands. But she also loves all things vintage, so I also loop in big band music—Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald.
5. Which individuals in your life most motivated you to write?
My parents. My mom was a prolific reader. She read aloud to my brother, sister, and me before we could even walk. She would take us on weekly visits to our local library and I’d come home with a stack of books. She was a huge mystery fan and got me hooked on the genre with Trixie Belden and Nancy Drew. I remember reading all of Agatha Christie’s books one summer. Once I started I couldn’t stop.
My dad taught honor’s English so he read all of my papers before I turned them in when I was growing up. I used to hate his red editing pen and the way he would mark my work up. Now I love it. He reads every draft before I send it to my editor.
6. Who are your favorite authors?
I’m an eclectic reader. I’ll read pretty much anything I can get my hands on. However, when I’m working on a new manuscript I don’t read any other mysteries. Lately I’ve been reading a lot of Billy Bryson—he has such a great voice and I’m always astounded at how he manages to make complicate or mundane facts so intriguing. My favorite early childhood authors are Maud Hart Lovelace, Madeline L’Engle and Laura Ingalls Wilder. I love Katherine Mansfield’s poetry and anything by Jane Austen.
7. Anything you would like to share with aspiring authors?
Write every single day. I have a daily word count, and I do NOT leave my office until I meet my word count for the day. I think so many aspiring authors (myself included) get caught up in the myth of waiting for the muse to show up. The muse only shows up if you’re actually writing. So plant yourself in a comfy chair and start typing!
8. Anything you would like to share with readers?
Thanks so much for taking time out of you day to read about Meg. Happy reading!
Giveaway:
Winter warmer package- signed copy of Slayed on the Slopes, Signed copy of Scene of the Climb, Ghirardelli Double Chocolate Hot Chocolate Mix, Oregon Chai Tea, 1 Pound of Coffee and Collectable Mt. Hood art coaster (US)Ends April 27, 2015
a Rafflecopter giveaway
This event was organized by CBB Book Promotions.
Love Kate Dyer-Seeley!
ReplyDeleteWonderful interview! I think I connect with Meg because I love the PNW and seeing it but I'm not so good at the outdoors stuff either. So I'm huffing right along with her when she's attempting to keep up with everyone. I have to admire her though, she doesn't give up and refuses to look weak!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for hosting a tour stop!
Informative interview. Another introduction to an author I wasn't familiar with.
ReplyDeleteI am disabled and don't travel well, so I love it when an author let's the setting almost become another character in their book. That's what it sounds like Kate Dyer-Seeley does. I also love mysteries, so I'm sure I'll really like her books :)
ReplyDelete