"Edge of the Past" by Jennifer Comeaux Book Review/Giveaway (ends 1/24) WW

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Life on the Edge

Nineteen-year-old Emily is new to pairs skating, but she and her partner Chris have a big dream–to be the first American team to win Olympic gold. Their young coach Sergei, who left Russia after a mysterious end to his skating career, believes they can break through and make history.

Emily and Chris are on track to be top contenders at the 2002 Winter Games. But when forbidden feelings spark between Emily and Sergei, broken trust and an unexpected enemy threaten to derail Emily’s dreams of gold.

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Life on the Edge by Jennifer Comeaux
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It seems that lately I have struggled with rating books, and this is another one.  This book has a lot going for it.  A nice older young adult romance, ice skating, and it's completely clean!  This is the most exciting part of the book for me.  No profanity, and no sex scenes!  Your teenager can read this, and your mother-in-law can, too.  I have to say that Sergei and Emily are great together, and you can sense the chemistry from the start.  Not only that, Sergei is a fine coach, and he is a real man.  I'll let you read the book to understand what is implied there!

This is your typical young adult romance.  Don't expect anything out of the ordinary, and you can bet there will be a lot of "sappy" romance.  Yes, if you follow my reviews at all, you know that is something I always point out.  But at least Sergei is sweet, and nothing horrible happens between them.  There is a bad guy, and I wasn't expecting it, but all's well that ends well.  I was glad that not everything ended according to everyone's dreams--no spoilers from me.

If you like sweet, clean romances and/or figure skating, this would be a perfect book for you.  Quite seriously, what you see is what you get, but it is a nice, quick read for any quiet evening.

I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.  I was not financially compensated, and all opinions are 100 percent mine.


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Excerpt

Mom’s eyebrows were still raised as she returned to her seat. I stayed standing and tapped Sergei’s arm. “Can we talk for a sec?”

I led him away from the table to a quiet spot near the entrance. A couple of Canadian ice dance coaches passed us, and we swapped brief hellos. I retreated further into the corner and looked up at Sergei.

“What was your dad angry about?”

Sergei rubbed the back of his neck and let out a frustrated sigh. “He wasn’t happy that he left work and now you’re not skating.”

I laughed dryly. “So, now he has something else to hold against me.”

“No, it’s not you.” Sergei touched my cheek. “He doesn’t even know you. It’s just him… and the way he is.”

“When you said he’s not a ray of sunshine, you weren’t joking. He didn’t even shake your hand.”

“He’s never been good at expressing emotion.”

“I’m sure glad you got your mom’s personality.” I tugged on the end of Sergei’s purple tie.

He smiled and wrapped his arms around me, but I could feel the tension in his body. What else could go wrong on this trip? With two days left in St. Petersburg and three more in Moscow, I was almost afraid to ask that question.

Edge of the Past Edge

Emily's skating career and personal life have never been more golden. She and her partner Chris have won every competition they've entered this season, and she's found the man of her dreams in her coach Sergei. But when one of the biggest competitions of the year takes Emily and Sergei to Russia, Sergei's past explodes into the present and Excmakes Emily doubt everything in their future.

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Author Jennifer Comeaux

Jennifer Comeaux earned a Master of Accounting from Tulane University and is a Certified Public Accountant in south Louisiana. While working in the corporate world, she sought a creative outlet and decided to put on paper a story that had played in her head for years. That story became Life On the Edge, her first published novel.


When not working or writing, she is an avid follower of the sport of figure skating, travelling to competitions around the country. Those experiences allow her to see a different side of the sport and serve as an inspiration for her writing. Jennifer is blessed with a wonderful family and many friends who have encouraged her to pursue her dream of being a published author.

Links: 

Website * Twitter * Facebook * Goodreads

Tour Giveaway
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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 http://iamareader.com and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

Book Tour: "Swimming Out of Water" by Catherine Garceau Book Review

Olympic Medalist Catherine Garceau Recounts True Tale of Survival & Success: An Insider’s Story of Olympic Trials and Real-Life Struggles

For an Olympic athlete, the quest for excellence can take a heavy toll. Catherine Garceau, a 2000 Bronze Medalist, has paid a heavy price since her victory, dealing with numerous physical and psychological issues experienced and 'stuffed down' during her years of constant training and single-minded focus. Training at the Olympic level can have a dark side; depression, anxiety attacks, and eating disorders are more prevalent than anyone knows. The stress of constant training so often becomes both a cause and a cover for great physical and psychological troubles.

In her upcoming book, Swimming Out of Water: How an Olympian’s Struggle Inspired Breakthrough Discoveries in Health and Well-Being (Morgan James Publishers, July 2012), Catherine talks candidly about life before, during and after the Olympics. The book recounts how she became a healthier person AFTER she stopped competing. Today, with certificates in eating psychology and mind/body nutrition, she also advocates a reduction of chlorine by-products in pools. Prolonged exposure to high levels of chlorine by-products can be toxic, and has been linked to numerous health issues including asthma and other chronic respiratory ailments, skin irritations, digestive issues, and hormonal disruptions, all of which she personally struggled with. Catherine advises competitive and leisure swimmers on how to swim smart, swim safe, and also champions new pool filtration innovations that minimize chlorine by-products for healthier swimming pool environments.

Despite some of the tough topics she covers in her book, Catherine is a staunch supporter of the Olympic experience and of aquatics. While she has found other ways to keep fit and enjoy an active lifestyle, she still loves to swim and enjoys doing so in pools that utilize chlorine alternatives and more holistic processes. Her book shares great information and solutions on all these topics; delivered with the delightfully upbeat energy that make her a great storyteller and interview.

Swimming Out of Water: How an Olympians Struggle Inspired Breakthrough Discoveries in Health and Well-Being by Catherine Garceau (Olympic Bronze Medalist 2000 Sydney Games)

Morgan James Publishers, July 2012

Paperback | 210 Pages with 35 black & white photos
ISBN: 978-161448259-8
$19.99 (US)

www.swimmingoutofwater.com

Swimming Out Of Water: How An Olympian's Struggle Inspired Breakthrough Discoveries in Health and Well-Being by Catherine Garceau

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book was not at all what I expected.  I figured it would be an autobiography written by a former Olympian who shared her secrets to Olympic victory through health and wellness.  I was wrong.  This entire book takes place in a 24-hour time span in one solitary place (no spoilers).  The story is told through flashbacks and self-discovery.

This Olympian struggled most of her life with things I would not think an athlete her would.  Poor body image, negative self-talk, chlorine toxicity, and much more.  It was only after her Olympics and swimming career that she learned to "swim out of water" and fix the problems that had ruled her for most of her life.

I was intrigued by many of the stories she told, but sometimes my interest waned when she became a little technical or quoted other people.  I also could not fully appreciate her spiritual views--syncretism in religion is not something I ever support.  But it was good to see her go from great distress to perfect peace within her life.

Sometimes her style left a little to be desired.  I sometimes got confused when she jumped around in her life story.  I could not keep everything straight at times.  But I was mostly impressed with the book, and I think people would basically enjoy the story as I did--especially in light of the Olympics.

I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.  All opinions are 100 percent mine.

View all my reviews

Book Excerpt:

13

Eau de Chlorine

“Feelings are like chemicals, the more you

analyze them the worse they smell.”

—Charles Kingsley

By the time I was twenty-three, eating disorders, with which I

had struggled off and on since I was seventeen, had taken their toll on

my body and mind. To be overwhelmed with unexplainable fatigue,

terrible indigestion, waves of depression, and a lack of a zest for life

was my frustrating reality. And the more I researched health, the

more I became aware of the dangers of many hidden toxins in our

environment — certainly, in my case, overexposure to the popular

disinfectant known as chlorine. That’s when I learned about chlorine

and most importantly, the toxic byproducts (known as Disinfection

Byproducts, DBP’s) it creates when in contact with the organic

matter found in water and in our bodies.

Note: From this point on, I’m going to refer to this mixture

of chlorine and its byproducts34 as chlorine+ to remind us that it

is not simply “chlorine” but rather, its reaction byproducts that are

causing more serious health issues.

As I would discover, when chlorine combines with organic

matter, a seriously toxic family of chemicals, commonly referred to as

Thihalomethanes (THM’s) and Haloacetic Acids (HAA’s), are formed.

Chlorine+’s most severe effects from extensive exposure have included

lung aggravation (such as asthma and chronic bronchitis) infertility, and

bladder cancer35. More common side effects of chlorine+ are accepted as

‘normal’ for swimmers; yet dehydration, digestive issues, ear infections

and skin irritations could all be avoided.

My depressive tendencies, hormonal imbalances, digestive problems,

and chronic respiratory infections were all very probable side effects

of toxic overdose, which chlorine+ was possibly a factor in. I had also

been asthmatic as a child, but no one had ever made the connection

between the constant aggravation of my lungs, chlorine+, and my

overall poor health. Why were we not being informed of the risks of

these environmental chemicals?

I started wondering about some of the conditions I had

experienced that may have been misdiagnosed. I could be counted on

to get bronchitis at least four times a year36. The “infection” kept me

up coughing for hours at night until I finally fell asleep in a sitting

position with several pillows stacked up against the wall at the top

of my bed.

Studies now show that chlorine+ affects our respiratory system by

lingering in the air right above the surface of the pool.37 I was taking one

antibiotic prescription after another to treat the symptoms — asthma

and bronchitis — rather than the cause.

Chlorine+, as I would continue to discover, was only one portion

of the toxic soup I (and many others) had been exposed to from a very

young age. Processed foods and food sensitivities were also a big part of

the problem. And living in a household of smoking parents was no doubt

a big factor as well. To think that so many have grown up in even more

toxic environments, featuring emotional/physical abuse, starvation,

contaminated water, and a lack of resources, I consider myself relatively

fortunate.

Also around the age of twenty-three, my menstruation had slowly

become less frequent and finally stopped altogether. Most doctors told

me it was due to lowered body fat. If their explanation was correct,

then why didn’t my menstrual cycle return when I retired from intensive

training, gained weight, and returned to more normal female body fat?

Once again, the answers pointed at toxicity.

Besides what I was learning about chlorine+’ dangers, the more

I read, the more I discovered the harmful effects of many other

substances I had blindly accepted as ‘medicine’. Penicillin to counter

countless cases of bronchitis, Advil for shoulder inflammation,

cortisone shots when the pain got intolerable, numerous vaccines38

to travel to foreign countries and cosmetics39 (lotions I lathered on

my skin to mask my ‘Eau De Chlorine’ perfume) were all doing more

harm than good. Mix all of that in with a highly processed diet that

seesawed between a strict high protein/low carbohydrate regimen

and binges on sweets and pastries and it’s no wonder I experienced

bad digestion!

Author Bio:

Catherine Garceau is the CEO of Wellness Olympiad, Inc., a leadership coaching, training and lifestyle consulting firm dedicated to promoting holistic health and well-being and raising awareness of the toxic effects of chlorine byproducts. For more information please visit CatherineGarceau.com. Follow her on Twitter: @catgarceau.

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This Day in History July 31, 1984

I can still remember this date.  In fact, they were just talking about this last night on the Olympics coverage.  The last time the USA men's gymnastics team won gold was on this date in 1984.  It was the Olympics that was held in Los Angeles (I remember thinking it was strange that the Olympics were held in the U.S.--I thought they only held the Olympics in other countries!).  I thought it was the normal thing for the men's gymnastic team to win gold!  I actually thought we were the best in the gymnastics--period.  After all, I had watched and fallen in love with Mary Lou Renton.

Until I was reading about this, I had forgotten that the Soviet Union boycotted this Olympics (since the U.S. had boycotted the 1980 Moscow Games).  This was the first time in history that the U.S. men's gymnastics team had won gold.  The team was comprised of Tim Daggett, Bart Connor, Mitch Gaylord, James Hartung, Scott Johnson and Peter Vidmar.

For more information, please check out:

http://voices.yahoo.com/usa-gymnastics-wins-gold-medals-1984-olympics-11623210.html

http://famousdaily.com/history/us-gymnastics-gold-summer-olympics-la.html

This Day in History July 18, 1976

I am not old enough to remember this date--I was only two at the time.  But I heard about her, of course.  I was old enough to see Mary Lou Renton--I will never forget her routine.  But Nadia Comaneci was the one who on this date in 1976 scored the first perfect 10 ever on a gymnast routine--it was on the uneven bars.



It is worth watching that routine--it was unbelievable!  The scoreboard was not equipped to show 10.0, so it showed a 1.00 which at first confused the crowd.  She was only 14 when she won this perfect 10 in addition to six others.  She was the first Romanian gymnast to win the all-around title in gymnastics.  She earned a total of three gold medals, a team silver, and a bronze medal.  She won two gold medals in 1980, retired from gymnastics in 1984, and then defected to the U.S. in 1989.

I know there is a lot that can be said about gymnastics, Nadia, Romania, and more, but all I will say is that she was one of the most amazing athletes to ever compete in the modern Olympics.  I am grateful about the changes that have been made in gymnastics since her time, but her performance from 1976 is still just as amazing today as it was then.

For more information, please check out:
http://people.famouswhy.com/nadia_comaneci/
http://www.biography.com/people/nadia-comaneci-9254240
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nadia_Comaneci
http://famousdaily.com/history/nadia-comaneci-scores-perfect-10.html

This Day in History July 15, 1912

It was on this date in 1912 that Jim Thorpe won eight gold medals in the Olympics.  He is considered the greatest athlete of the twentieth century according to an ABC sports poll.  He is pictured above as wearing two different shoes, and there is an interesting story concerning this.  Right before competing, he discovered that someone had stolen his shoes, and he found some in a garbage bin.  He has two different shoes because one shoe was too big.

He won his Olympics events very easily in the pentathalon and decathalon.  He was greeted with great fanfare when he got home from Stockholm, Sweden, and he went on to continue his athletic career that he had begun before the Olympics.

That was what caused him problems.  In that time, professional athletes could not compete in the Olympics.  It was discovered in early 1913 that he had played baseball semi-professionally.  He was stripped of his medals, but he still went on to have a pretty good athletic career.  Interestingly enough, his gold medals were returned in 1983 (he died in 1953).

For more information, please check out:
http://www.biography.com/people/jim-thorpe-9507017
http://www.cmgww.com/sports/thorpe/bio/bio.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Thorpe
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athletics_at_the_1912_Summer_Olympics
http://famousdaily.com/history/jim-thorpe-worlds-greatest-athlete-olympics.html

This Day in History June 30, 1985

I tell you, this had to be orchestrated by God because I could not have timed this any better.  Guess who was born on this date?  Michael Phelps!  Yes, just in time for the Summer Olympics!  He was born on this date in 1985.

I remember Michael Phelps from the last summer Olympics.  In total, he was won 16 medals, and he has broken all sorts of records.  I remember his mother, and I remember how awestruck I was with him.  He is not perfect by any means.  There were allegations concerning performance-enhancing drugs and marijuana use.  I was pleased to discover that he admitted to making bad choices at times but glad that all tests proved negative for steroids or anything like that.

He will competing again this year.  He is older than he once was so he may not be top any more, but he is still one amazing athlete.  I look forward to seeing him compete again this year!



For a lot more information, please check out:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Phelps
http://www.webcitation.org/5sG7LpKho

This Day in History June 18, 1966

I am the first to admit I don't like sports. But as I was growing up, there were two sports I always enjoyed--gymnastics and figure skating. And on this date in 1966, Kurt Browning was born.  I remember him quite well.  I always preferred Brian Boitano (his rival), but I can remember that as Boitano got older, Browning did better.  And after all, Browning was a Canadian--how could an American vote for a Canadian?  (Actually, I could care less.  I always root for whomever strikes my fancy.)

He has quite a list of accomplishments.

Event	1985–86	1986–87	1987–88	1988–89	1989–90	1990–91	1991–92	1992–93	1993–94
Winter Olympics			8th				6th		5th
World Championships		15th	6th	1st	1st	1st	2nd	1st
Canadian Championships		2nd	2nd	1st	1st	1st		1st	2nd
Skate America	8th				3rd
Skate Canada International			4th	1st		1st			1st
Trophée Lalique							1st
NHK Trophy		7th		3rd	3rd
Nations Cup						1st
Nebelhorn Trophy	3rd

Hopefully that table doesn't go away any time soon because it is the easiest way to display his awards.



For more, check out:
http://figureskating.about.com/od/famousskaters/ig/Famous-Figure-Skaters/Kurt-Browning.htm
http://www.fanunity.com/kurt-browning/
http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/articles/kurt-browning
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kurt_Browning

This Day in History February 21, 1945

Anyone ever see Chariots of Fire?  I will admit that I have, and the movie bored me to tears.  But the story is phenomenal.  And on this date in 1945, the central character, Eric Liddell, died in a Japanese internment camp.  But his legacy has continued far beyond his life.

He was born in China to Scottish missionaries in 1902.  It was summer of 1924 at the Paris Olympics when he attained worldwide attention.  He refused to run the heat for his best event--the 100-meter--because it was held on Sunday.  He cited Christian reasons, and he was forced to withdraw.  He received a bronze medal for the 400-meter race, and that European record stood for 12 years.

From 1925-1943, he served as a missionary in China.  The British government recommended that British nationals leave as things became more dangerous in 1941.  He refused to leave and died of an illness in a Japanese camp.  In 2008, it came out that he had the chance to leave that camp but allowed a pregnant woman to leave in his place.  This information was a surprise even to his family members.

For a lot more information, check out:
http://www.heartoscotland.com/Categories/eric-liddell.htm
http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Eric_Liddell
http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/Eric_Liddell
http://www.hyperhistory.net/apwh/bios/b3liddell10lu.htm
http://www.electricscotland.com/history/men/eric_liddell.htm

And if you have never seen Chariots of Fire, it is definitely worth watching even if the plot sometimes lags.  I haven't seen it in years, and I think I would like to again!

This Day in History February 6, 1948

This is especially for my Canadian followers (but I find it very interesting as well!).  It was on this date in 1948 that Barbara Ann Scott, a Canadian, won the gold medal in the winter Olympics for figure skating.  She was the first Canadian in history to win gold in this sport.

She was born in Ottowa May 9, 1928, and at the age of 9, she began a grueling 7-hour per day practice regimen.  She went on to win several titles, including the youngest Canadian ever to win gold for figures (all before the Olympics).  She skated that day very carefully due to minor dents and cracks from the previous night's men's ice hockey championships.

Upon winning, she was hailed as a celebrity.  In addition to receiving a car, she also was named Canada's athlete of the year in 1945, 1947, and 1948.  She went on to be a professional ice skater in the Hollywood Ice Revues from 1949-1954.  Upon retirement, she became and equestrian, and in her mid-40's, she became one of the tops in the U.S.  In 1995, she was inducted into the Canada Sports Hall of Fame, and in 1991, she was made an officer in the Order of Canada.

For more information, please check out:
http://www.heroines.ca/history/scott.html
http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/articles/barbara-ann-scott
http://www.thestar.com/sports/article/298314
http://canadachannel.ca/HCO/index.php/Barbara_Anne_Scott_Wins_Olympic_Gold_Medal_at_St._Moritz

This Day in History January 31, 1957

I was pleased to find this since my daughter is quite a swimmer (although I do not expect her to go the Olympics!)  On this date in 1957, Shirley Babashoff was born.  Don't know who she was?  Nor did I until this evening.  Read on, and you will be enlightened!

First of all, she was the only woman to compete as a member of the Golden West College Men's Swim Team, and she was faster than all of them!  I like her already.

She didn't stop there, however.  She went on to the Olympics, and it was in 1976 in Montreal that she won three silver medals and one gold medal in swimming.  She also won two silvers and one gold in the 1972 Olympics, but it was the 1976 one where she overcame the odds, namely the East German swimmers.

I find it interesting that from what I can see, she never received an individual gold medal--it was always a team event.  And yet she is still regarded as one of the greatest swimmers.

Here are the links to more information about her:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shirley_Babashoff
http://www.answers.com/topic/babashoff-shirley
http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/Shirley_Babashoff
http://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ba/shirley-babashoff-1.html
http://www.goldenwestcollege.edu/alumni/pillar_babashoff.html