Slayed on the Slopes - Blog Tour Review, Giveaway + Excerpt

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. 

About the Book:
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!

My Review:

I read the first book in the series (My Scene of the Climb Review) back in August so I was excited to see what trouble Meg had gotten up to in the 2nd book.  I wasn't disappointed!  Meg is a little bit older and a little wiser but she is still not an experienced outdoors man.  This time she's at a ski resort staying with a group of elite skiers who are trying to start a business to help even novice skiers reach the summit.  Of course things are not going smoothly as there's lots of inside fighting and competing agendas and everyone seems to have more than their share of secrets.  One of my complaints in the first book was that Meg didn't do any actual reporter so I was pleased to see her taking notes and talking about how she went about turning an idea into a story.  I also like that her job as a journalist allows her to poke around an investigation.  The mystery kept me reading and I was kept guessing about the motive and the killer until the end.  I also picked up a lot about skiing and snowboarding which was fun.  While I don't plan on going skiing anytime soon if I ever do I will not be going up on a mountain without an avalanche pack!  

Meg is a little more angsty than I generally prefer and there was some clutter with issues in Meg's personal life, her friend Jill's personal life, her grandmother's Reiki massages, as well as the murder and all the inside drama.  Also, while this does work as a stand alone I think it's much more enjoyable if you've read the first in the series.

Despite the few flaws I really enjoyed this book.  I won't be heading to any ski resorts soon but it was definitely fun to visit one from the hammock in my back yard!  I'm looking forward to the 3rd book and seeing what Meg's up to next.

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N

Don't miss out on the first book, Scene of the Climb, available now!

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N 

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

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.

Excerpt:

Chapter One

Silcox Hut Timberline, Oregon

Elevation 7,000 feet

You’re an idiot, Meg.

Yep, that’s pretty much the first thing that came to mind as I frantically scanned the frozen sky.

Why don’t I trust my intuition? If I ever bothered to stop and to listen to Gam’s oh-so-wise advice I’d never get myself into these situations. But what do I do? Forge ahead, ignoring that nagging voice in my head.

What I couldn’t ignore now, was the howl of the wind and the pounding in my forehead.

At 7,000 feet above sea level where the air begins to thin, I couldn’t seem to fill my chest. My breath came in shallow, wheezing spurts and felt as thick as the snow beneath my feet. My head throbbed from the lack of oxygen, and my fingers burned with cold. Seventeen inches of new snow had fallen since the blizzard hit yesterday, and it didn’t look like Mother Nature intended to let up anytime soon.

For some strange reason I thought I could hear the faint sounds of Frank Sinatra’s crooning voice. The lyrics “Kiss the good life goodbye” hummed on the wind. Message received. If I didn’t find my way back to the Silcox Hut—fast—I’d be kissing my life goodbye. I couldn’t be hearing music up at this elevation, could I? Was I losing it? How long does hypothermia take to set in?

Pausing in the knee-deep snow, I searched the sky for any clue that might lead me in the direction of the Silcox Hut and safety. Nothing but blinding white greeted me. I couldn’t tell how much snow was actually falling and how much was being hurled back up into the air by the deafening wind.

Yet there it was again. The swell of big band music teased my ears.

Guide me back, Frank, I said as I used all the energy I could muster to free my tingling feet from the snow and trudge toward the sound of the music.

Thank God I’d worn my fur-lined Keen snow boots because even with two pair of thick wool socks I was losing feeling in my toes. My fingers were another story. The super cute cashmere fingerless gloves seemed like an excellent fashion statement a couple days ago, but in terms of function, not so much.

I kicked my foot free from the powder and took a step forward. It was getting hard to stay upright. Icy flakes pelted my face. I sunk deeper in the snow.

At this rate you’re going to end up a popsicle, Meg, I said just as I heard a bang.

At first I thought it must be a drum—the bang of the big band reaching its crescendo. A moment later I realized I was horribly mistaken.

Lurching forward through the heavy snow, I heard another bang. This time there was no mistaking the sound—it had to be a gunshot.