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Podium Finish

With six months until the Olympic Games, seventeen-year-old Harper’s life is pretty much perfect. She’s fighting for the starting spot on Team USA Women’s Hockey, and for the first time ever, she has a crush on a guy who likes her back. She feels like the luckiest girl in the world, until she runs a risky play at practice and breaks her knee, thereby sentencing herself to six weeks in a cast and possibly ending her Olympic dream before it even starts.

For seventeen-year-old Alex, being anything less than the best is unacceptable. That’s why, after a miserable debut season at the senior level, the former junior national singles champion switches to ice dance. Her skating partner, Ace, is an “all skating all the time” type of guy, which would be fine, if he’d stop keeping secrets about the real reason he and his former partner broke up. Now is not the time for second thoughts, but how can Alex skate her best if she can’t trust her partner…or herself?

As the pressure to make the Olympic team builds, the girls must rely on each other, because if there’s one thing they both know, it’s that the only thing harder than skating to the top is staying there.

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Excerpt: Harper

We finish a slow lap around the rink then I tell Rye I want to see him speed skate.

“It’s more impressive when I’m actually racing people.”

“That’s okay,” I say.

“You just want an excuse to look at my butt.”

“No. I’ll just race you then if you’re going to be like that.”

“You’ll still have a nice view of my butt.”

If I were in 100 percent health, I would have punched him in the arm and bolted off, not caring that his skates are better designed for racing, not to mention the years of experience he has, and I would have raced my heart out, but I’m not in 100 percent health. A dull ache crept its way into my knee on the second turn of our slow lap together. It’s not painful. It’s the weakness Tyler was talking about, but nevertheless, that ache is a reminder that comebacks are a multistep process.

Rye takes off, crossing his right leg over his left leg to turn the corner of the rink, picking up speed on the straights. When he passes me, a rush of wind follows him. He rounds the first turn again, fingertips brushing the surface of the ice, body at a 45-degree angle, so low to the ice that if it weren’t for his speed, he’d fall over, too much speed and he’d fall as well. I stand by the rink wall, and Rye whips by again, purposely getting close to me even though speed skaters normally try to stay as close to the inside of the track as possible.

“Show off!” I call, but he’s already coming out of the turn and probably can’t hear me.

Author Beth Pond

Beth Pond graduated summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa from Hendrix College in 2012. In 2013, she taught in South Africa for 9 months as part of a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship Grant. Pond is currently completing her coursework at the University of British Columbia’s Creative Writing MFA program. Her debut novel, Podium Finish, was released from Astraea Press in November 2013. When she’s not writing, Pond enjoys martial arts (she’s a black belt) and serving as a volunteer coach for her brother’s special needs baseball team.

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This or That (from the author)

TV or Movies?

TV, it’s one of my guilty pleasures.

Hot or Cold?

Hot. I’d take the 100+ degree heat of an Arkansan summer over the freezing winters any day, no questions asked.

Night owl, or early bird?

I’m definitely a night owl or should I say insomniac.

Print or Ebook?

E-books. I love that e-readers make books more accessible.

Chocolate or Vanilla?

Chocolate, another guilty pleasure of mine.

Regular or Diet?

If it’s Mountain Dew, definitely regular. If it’s Coke, definitely diet or better yet Coke Zero.

Skittles or M&Ms?

M&M’s.

Sweet or Salty?

Sweet.

Summer or Winter?

Summer!

Harry Potter or Twilight?

Harry Potter.

Gum or Breath Mints?

Gum.

Spontaneity or Planning Ahead?
I’m definitely a planner.

Beach or Pool?

Beach.

Shoes or Sandals?

Sandals—I live in them about 10 months a year.

Cats or Dog?

As 8-year-old Beth would have said: Dogs Rule and Cats Drool. (I’m highly allergic to cats, so being around them has never been fun for me. No offense cat lovers.)

Apples or Oranges?

Apples, especially when they are in a pie J

Cause or Effect?

Hmm…cause.

Facebook or Twitter?

Facebook for keeping in touch with family. Twitter for everything else.

Introvert or Extrovert?

I’ve always been an introvert at heart, but as a teacher and martial arts instructor, I fake being an extrovert pretty well. At least I hope I do.

Praise for Podium Finish

Podium Finish is unlike any other book I have read, period. It is amazing that Ms. Pond could take two very different characters who are pursuing two completely different sports and tie them together as roommates at the Olympic Training Center. ~Crystal, Books are Sanity

This is a great, fun book! This story is really 2 stories in one – bonus! ~Shelley Walker, Goodreads

This book was truly enjoyable to read. ~Michele, Amazon Review

Podium Finish is one of the best books I have read in a very long time. I couldn’t put it down once I started reading it. ~Ana, Amazon Reviewer

Tour Giveaway

$25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash

Ends 2/9/14

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

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