The Pathway Series has new covers!!

 By Kristy McCaffrey

I'm so excited to share BRAND NEW covers for my Pathway series!! They better convey the tone of the books - romance and high adventure - and I couldn't be more pleased with how they turned out.

You can find more info about each story here.

My Best of 2022

 

By Kristy McCaffrey

It was a hard year. My father-in-law passed away in May. He was a man of charisma and charity, tough yet always there for his family. My beloved chocolate lab, Lily, passed in July after fifteen years. I won’t lie - this one wrecked me most of all. I’d raised her from a puppy, and she was embedded in my soul more than I’d realized until she was gone. But there were bright spots—my younger son got engaged and we’re looking forward to a 2023 wedding. And my first grandchild blessed us with an early appearance—little Scarlett was born five weeks premature, but she’s doing well, getting big and doing all the baby things, which is mostly to make you fall hopelessly in love with her.

 

Here’s my Best of 2022 list:

Best Life Hack
Live in the Moment

It sounds cliché but when my sweet Lily was in hospice the last six months of her life (she started having seizures and slowly lost her ability to walk), my husband and I cared for her around the clock. We took turns sleeping on a mattress in the living room so she was never alone. Every two to three hours we would carry her outside to do her business. She often couldn’t sleep and would pace and pant, or despite medication, she would seize for hours. It was a physically draining time. But I stayed in the moment, taking care with my thoughts (keeping a positive mindset and not wallowing in despair). I wasn’t naïve, I knew what was coming, but it allowed me to fully love her with no regrets. I changed my writing schedule so that my daily goals were very small (write 500 words or edit one page) because my brain was fuzzy from lack of sleep most days. I managed to finish a novel while not beating myself up for not being more accomplished. I learned the immense power we have in the NOW. It gave me the strength to keep going each day, to give Lily her best life until the very end.

Best drink
Hot Chai Tea Latte from Starbucks

I drink it with oat milk, no water, and three pumps of brown sugar syrup (or apple brown sugar syrup during the Christmas holiday). This sugary-caffeine drink has been my indulgence this year, a pick-me-up when I feel low.

Best challenge
My rescue dog, Jeb 

A year ago, we went to the pound and brought home the saddest dog there. We wanted a companion for Lily, and Jeb needed a chance. He’s an American Bulldog, a breed I wasn’t familiar with, so I got to work educating myself. He’s been a handful! In addition to chronic health issues (environmental allergies that require lifelong medication - it’s so bad his toes periodically swell - and a low thyroid that now treated has given him more energy), he’s the most reactive dog I’ve ever had. While he was good with Lily (she always welcomed any new dog into her home with open paws), he hasn’t been good with any other pet. He grabbed the tail of my vet’s office cat and yanked it to the ground, attacked my daughter’s puppy after we accidentally left a door open (Dipsy was ok, thankfully, with only an abscess on his cheek), fought and tried to kill a large rattlesnake (Jeb was bitten in the face), bit my mom’s purse two different times when she entered my house, and well, you get the picture. We’ve been working on training him but he’s very emotional and it’s clear he wasn’t properly socialized as a puppy. He’s always leashed and in control for his evening walks (which he loves) but having people just “stop by” doesn’t work. He’s very loving, but he needs strong boundaries. We won’t give up on him!

Best Show
1883 

Honorable mention: The English

Both shows had complex and emotional stories, and the acting was top-notch. Get your tissues handy.

Best Movie
 Top Gun: Maverick 

An entertaining big cinema experience - just the thing after a long pandemic.

Best shoes
Lined Crocs 

So comfy!

Best Music
Lost Hits of the ’80s on iHeart Radio 

My high school and college years, so … nostalgia.

Best Restaurant
Islands 

Burgers and tacos but the best part is the tv screens that showcase surfing on a loop. It makes you feel like you’re at the beach.

Best Beauty Hack
A Beauty Oil 

I learned that using essential oils on the back of my arms can get rid of those pesky dermatitis bumps. My favorite is Leahlani’s Pua Lei Oil. It smells so good.

Best Body Hack
A Theragun 

I only recently learned of this amazing device that can break up the knots in your muscles. I use it on my neck and my feet (I developed plantar fasciitis this year). They can be quite expensive, but my husband found one at Lowe’s (generic name: muscle massager) for $40 and it works great.

Best Book
I can’t pick a favorite! 

As many of you know, I’m an author so choosing a best book of the year is like favoring one of my children over the other. Impossible! So here’s a “best of” list of what I read in 2022, all excellent.

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

A Cold Montana Christmas by Mina Beckett

Hunter by Julie Lence

Twisty Tortoise Tussles by Ann Charles

The Backside of Hades by Ann Charles and Sam Lucky

Shiver by Allie Reynolds

Following Faith by Jacqui Nelson

Continuum by G.S. Jennsen

Inversion by G.S. Jennsen

Echo Rift by G.S. Jennsen

A Lady’s Formula For Love by Elizabeth Everett

Just Haven’t Met You Yet by Sophie Cousens

Book of Night by Holly Black

It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey

The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells

Book Lovers by Emily Henry

Love On The Brain by Ali Hazelwood

Ocean Wolves by Theresa Beachman

The Queen’s Huntsman by Tanya Anne Crosby

The Six Deaths of the Saint by Alix E. Harrow

 

What are your “Best Of for 2022?” Let me know in the comments!

Wishing you all a blessed holiday and a Happy 2023!!

 

Writing Cold Horizon

By Kristy McCaffrey

I’m not a climber, but I’ve always been fascinated by mountain climbing and have followed the careers of many mountaineers. I've always wanted to write a book about it. When I decided to get serious about COLD HORIZON, I read dozens of memoirs by climbers, as well as educating myself about how these types of expeditions were organized. Another great resource were blogs where climbers posted real-time as they tackled K2. While Mt. Everest is the tallest mountain in the world, I was more interested in K2, number two. It’s not located in the Himalaya but in the Karakoram. Climbers must enter through Pakistan, and the trek to base camp is a perilous ten-day hike with little infrastructure. K2 is a technically more difficult mountain than Everest, and it’s more dangerous.

I watched a lot of documentaries too, but one of my favorite films is Vertical Limit (released in 2000) starring Chris O’Donnell, Robyn Tunney, the late Bill Paxton, and Scott Glenn. It gets a lot about K2 wrong, but it’s highly entertaining and perfect popcorn fare.

My Characters

The heroine, Lindsey Coulson, grew up with a mountaineering father. Unfortunately, he dies while on an expedition when she’s young, but she and her older sister, Alison, become climbers in their teens nevertheless. Together they tackle some of the biggest mountains in the world and begin to make a name for themselves. Then Alison dies at K2—the first expedition that Lindsey had skipped—and in her grief, Lindsey stops climbing. But now she’s ready to get back at it, and she knows she must go to K2, so she approaches Tyler Galloway and asks if she can join his team.

Tyler Galloway has grown up with adventurous parents who instilled a love of the outdoors and extreme sports in all three of their children. (His siblings star in the other two Pathway books, DEEP BLUE and ANCIENT WINDS.) He has an appreciation for the natural world and supplements his income by writing about it, but he is also restless at heart and likes pushing himself. He admires Lindsey, even has a bit of a crush on her, but he’s a strong leader who considers the needs of the team over the individual.

The other members of the team are David Shaw, who was Alison’s fiancé and was with her two years ago on K2 when she died. There’s friction between David and Lindsey that plays out in the story. Ed Dittrich, known as Ditch, is older and Tyler’s mentor. He’s a very careful and methodical climber and keeps the team on course. The final member of the team is Billy Packer, an irreverent soul who says the most inappropriate things at the wrong time (he’s the comic relief). Tyler’s sister Brynn also joins them. She doesn’t climb but remains in base camp and acts as the trip manager, relaying messages on the radio and watching the weather forecasts.

What’s it like to climb K2?

K2 is located on the border between China and Pakistan in the Karakoram Mountains. The name K2 is derived from the notation used by the Great Trigonometrical Survey of British India, given because it was the second peak measured in the Karakoram Range. Locally, the mountain is called Chogori. Its icy sides are steep and exposed, and it’s prone to heavy storms and avalanches.

Most climbers approach from the Pakistan side, starting in Islamabad, then take a bus ride to the town of Skardu. From there, it’s a 10-day treacherous hike to get to base camp, situated at 18,000 feet. Climbers usually employ anywhere from 50-100 porters to haul in everything they need.

Each team is embedded with a Pakistani Liaison Officer who makes sure they abide by the rules of the permit (no climbing other mountains, no team jumping, no spying, etc.) Over the next 4-5 weeks, climbers haul gear and fix ropes to successive camps up the mountain. To acclimate their bodies to the altitude, this must be done slowly to avoid life-threatening illnesses such as pulmonary or cerebral edema. The climbing season in the Karakorams is from June to August, with most summits occurring in early August.

The difficulty in climbing K2 lies in the fact that it’s prone to frequent and severe storms that make treacherous climbing conditions even more challenging. The number of climbers who have reached the summit is only a small fraction compared to successful summits of Mt. Everest, and proportionally K2 has the second highest fatality rate of all 8000-meter peaks (Annapurna, the 10^th highest mountain, has the most.)

Wanda Rutkiewicz

Women who have climbed K2

Polish climber Wanda Rutkiewicz was the first woman to climb K2 in 1986, which she accomplished without the use of supplemental oxygen. Unfortunately, that same summer, thirteen climbers died on the mountain, including two other women who had also summited – Liliane Barrard (France) and Julie Tullis (Britain). In 1992, Wanda later disappeared and was presumed dead while climbing Kangchenjunga, the third highest mountain.

Edurne Pasabán

There are fourteen mountains that stand above 8000 meters and many climbers have sought to join the Fourteeners Club by summiting each one. Only three women have accomplished it. Edurne Pasabán from Spain was the first in 2010, but she only climbed 13 out of 14 without supplemental oxygen. (The summits of these mountains are at the same altitude at which commercial airlines fly.) Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner from Austria completed her quest of climbing all 14 peaks without supplemental oxygen in 2011 when she finally reached the top of K2 after several failed attempts. Italian Nives Meroi joined the club in 2017.

 

Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner

The first American woman to summit K2 was Vanessa O’Brien in 2017 (she holds dual American-British citizenship).

Obscure Facts I Found While Researching This Book

There’s no perfect food to eat while climbing, and climbers consume all sorts of strange things: butter in bags, lard, but also chocolate, pop tarts, hard liquor and beer.

Mostly the appetite is suppressed at high altitudes and climbers routinely shed up to 25 lbs. on these expeditions.

Climbers melt snow to drink but glacier water is devoid of any nutrients and some female climbers experience problems with menstruation and hair falling out, so it’s recommended to take supplements to avoid this.

Goraks are large birds that resemble ravens and are present at base camp. They also eat the bodies of dead climbers.

Bodies of dead climbers are rarely recovered (it’s far too dangerous) but are eventually pushed down the mountain via avalanches and ground apart from glacier movement. Body parts will frequently turn up between base camp and advanced base camp.

Climbers can die suddenly from the high altitude. Pulmonary edema will fill the lungs with fluid and cerebral edema causes the brain to swell. If symptoms appear to either of these conditions, the affected climber must descend quickly or risk death.

My entire Pathway series, which currently includes 3 novels and several short stories, combines extreme adventure, exotic locations, and steamy, slow-burn romance. I hope you’ll check out COLD HORIZON. I poured my heart and soul into Ty and Lindsey’s story.

Digital copies of COLD HORIZON are only 99 cents until January 26, 2022.

Grab a copy today!!

Amazon US
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Add COLD HORIZON to your Goodreads shelf

An Interview With Kristy

Tell us about yourself.
I’m an Arizona native, and live with my husband in the desert north of Phoenix with our two dogs and youngest child. My three older kids are grown and gone. My education is in engineering, but I’ve been a passionate writer since I was seven years old.

Where do you get your ideas from?
Book ideas come from everywhere: the news, magazines, the internet, TV, films, and my own curiosity.

Are any of your characters based (however loosely) on anyone you know?
Sometimes I use real people as inspiration, but ultimately I develop the character that I need for my story. Character and plot go hand-in-hand for me.

How do you pick your characters’ names?
I often use a baby book to get started, but sometimes I’ll change a name well into writing the story if the current one doesn’t seem to fit. I also love to watch the end credits of movies. Lots of great names to choose from.

What's your writing process?
I mostly write in the afternoons. I tend to plot a little, then write, then get stuck so I’ll plot a little more again. Rinse and repeat.

Is there a drink or food that keeps you company while you write?
I drink water and tea. If I'm particularly stressed over my writing, I tend to turn to candy. Sweetarts, red licorice, and gummies are my favorite. I also chew a lot of gum.

Who are your top 5 favorite authors?
Jane Austen, Katherine Neville, Anne McCaffrey (no relation), Ann Charles, and Dr. Clarissa Pinkola Estes.

If you could meet any author, who would it be and what would you ask them?
Katherine Neville, author of THE EIGHT, an ambitious and complicated novel that I love so much. I’d simply want to talk craft with her.

Were you a big reader as a child?
Yes. Nancy Drew books and Charlotte’s Web were favorites.

When did you start to write?
I’ve been writing compulsively and for fun since I was a child, but I didn’t write my first novel until I was 32 years old and had four children under the age of five underfoot.

If you could re-write the ending to any book what would it be and what would you change?
If you mean one of my own books, I wouldn’t. I’m pretty happy with how each of them ended. As for other books, I’m going to extend the criteria a bit to include the season finale of ‘Game of Thrones.’ I hope I’m not spoiling it for anyone since plot points have been plastered all over the internet, but I would change Dany’s character arc. She wouldn’t die, and she’d be on the throne.

Is there a book you wish you had written?
Yes, THE EIGHT by Katherine Neville.

If you wrote an autobiography, what would your title be? 
The Art of Sleeping-In

If you could invite any fictional character for coffee who would it be and where would you take them?
This was harder than I thought it would be. I hope you don’t mind, but I’m going to choose film characters. I’m a sucker for a strong female lead in a movie. Here’s a few of my favorites: Bess Armstrong from Jaws 3-D; Kate Bosworth from Blue Crush; Sandra Bullock from Practical Magic; Reese Witherspoon from Legally Blonde; Brie Larson from Captain Marvel. Where would we go? A girl’s weekend at a nice resort—hit the spa, eat out, and have a great time chatting about life.

Do you take a notebook with you to write down ideas?
No, but I do take notes on my phone.

Have you considered writing in a different genre in the future?
No. I currently write in two genres (contemporary adventure and historical western romance) and it keeps me very busy.

Which genre do you not like at all?
I'm pretty open to reading anything that catches my eye, so I try not to limit myself.

What are you working on right now?
I’m working on Book 3 in my Pathway Series, ANCIENT WINDS. This will feature Brynn Galloway and Dr. Tristan Magee as they search for an ancient artifact. It will be a mix of ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’ and ‘The X-Files.’

Any release news?
I'm about to release my first western romance, THE WREN, in German. I'm very excited to expand into a new market.

What do you generally do to celebrate on publication day?
My husband takes me to lunch.

How can readers keep in touch with you?
Website: https://kmccaffrey.com/
Newsletter: https://kmccaffrey.com/subscribe/
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/AuthorKristyMcCaffrey
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kristymccaffreybooks/

New Deep Blue Novella Releases

By Kristy McCaffrey

When shark researcher Grace Mann accompanies her boyfriend, underwater filmmaker Alec Galloway, to Western Australia for a commercial shoot with great whites, she envisions relaxing days in the sun and smoldering nights between the sheets. But as Alec’s mood becomes increasingly distant, Grace worries the chemistry they shared—so effortless in the beginning—was starting to fizzle. Is his reticence related to her, or something else? And can she find a way to help him get the footage he needs before his behavior places his life in danger?

Download at your favorite ebook retailer. Click here for more info.

(Please note: This novella was previously accessible only to Kristy's newsletter subscribers, but is now available for purchase. If you would like a free download, sign-up here for the newsletter.)

* * * * *

“Bull shark,” Grace confirmed. “And a big one by the look of it.”

Dr. Grace Mann has joined her boyfriend, underwater filmmaker Alec Galloway, on a trip to the French island of Réunion. Alec and his team—Dan “Double D” Donovan and Stephie Kim—have come to document the capture and relocation of mature bull sharks from the western coastline.

For over ten years, shark attacks have terrorized the people of Réunion, essentially ruining the diving and surfing industry. Angry exchanges between locals who want the sharks culled and a government trying to preserve the ecology of the ocean environment have failed to resolve the issue.

The relocation program is a last-ditch effort to bring a peaceful coexistence between humans and sharks, but Grace’s resolve will be tested as she enters the water with these tenacious predators. Bull sharks didn’t earn their name because they were polite.

Click here to purchase at your favorite ebook vendor.

Excerpt from Deep Blue: Réunion Island

Movement caught her eye, and she barely had a chance to shine the light of her camera toward it when a blunt nose slammed into her, shoving her violently through the water. The beady eye, a black slit against white, watched her, then its gills slid past in a flurry as the fish flicked and turned away, the dislodged camera sinking to the sea floor. Stunned, Grace struggled to keep her regulator in her mouth as the dark abyss swallowed up the equipment in the last bit of light.

She should swim down and retrieve it, but every fiber in her screamed to get out of the water. The shark had every advantage in the dark. Kicking her fins, she headed to the boat. When her head broke the surface, she spit the regulator out.

“Stephie! Get out of the water!”

The men were struggling with the captured shark and their shouts drowned out her voice. Stephie swam closer, struggling to keep her head out of the water, her heavy air tank weighing her down. A fin crested the surface behind her.

Grace ducked under, her mask still on, and pushed Stephie aside, extending her arm and shoving hard when the shark came close. The bull turned and her hand scraped on its rough skin as it bolted away.

Whipping her head above water, Grace sucked in a breath.

“You go,” Grace gasped to Stephie, who was still behind her. “I’ll watch your back.”

Stephie moved quickly to the ladder hanging off the boat, and Grace followed, her gaze continuously scanning the surroundings. A pressure wave pushed into her. She put her face in the water just in time to see a large shadow pass below.

The goddamned shark was beneath her.

Without looking up, she kept moving to where she thought the ladder was. The shadow turned, moving upward, revealing the unmistakable outline of a shark. The aggressive beast was coming straight for her. She readied herself to redirect with her hand, but it would meet her feet first. Did she have enough strength to kick it? Grace really didn’t want it to snag one of her flippers.

Pumping her arms, Grace prayed the boat was behind her.

With the shark almost upon her, she was suddenly yanked from the water. She flew onto the back deck of the boat as the shark slapped the surface with its caudal fin, turned sharply, and splashed her as it spun away.

“What the hell was that?” Alec said in her ear.

With relief, she leaned back into him. “Mother Nature’s perfect creation.”

Copyright © 2019 K. McCaffrey LLC

Pathway Series Reading Order:

Deep Blue

Deep Blue: Australia (A Pathway Novella)

Deep Blue: Réunion Island (A Pathway Novella)

Cold Horizon

Cold Horizon: Telluride (A Pathway Novella)

The Belay

By Kristy McCaffrey

K2, located in the Karakoram Mountain Range, is the second highest mountain in the world at 28,251 feet, straddling the Pakistan/China border. Its icy sides are steep and exposed, and it’s prone to heavy storms and avalanches. K2 wasn’t surveyed until 1852, and the first known climbing attempt was in 1902, with one of the climbers none other than the English occultist Aleister Crowley. They never made it higher than 20,000 feet.

K2, located in the Karakoram Mountains of Pakistan.

In 1953, with the summit yet to be reached, an American expedition was launched, marking the fifth quest to conquer the mountain. The team was led by Charles Houston, who had attempted to climb K2 in 1938 but had retreated just shy of the summit due to diminishing supplies and imminent bad weather.

High-altitude mountaineering had, up to this point, been an enormous undertaking with the establishment of many camps along the route to the top, taking several weeks of ascents and descents to stock gear, food, and heavy oxygen cannisters. Instead, Houston proposed a lightweight expedition, and this would later become known as the Alpine style of climbing.

There were eight men on the team: Charles Houston, a physician; Robert Bates, a climbing friend of Houston’s from their Harvard days, who had also gone to K2 in 1938; Robert Craig, a ski instructor from Seattle; Art Gilkey, a geologist from Iowa; Dee Molenaar, a geologist and artist from Seattle; Pete Schoening, also from Seattle and the youngest member at 25; George Bell, a nuclear scientist from Los Alamos; and Tony Streather, an English army officer.

As they approached the summit, Art Gilkey became ill, most likely with thrombophlebitis (a blood clot). The team decided to descend in order to save Gilkey’s life, despite that his condition was likely fatal. Since he was unable to walk, they carried him in a makeshift stretcher made from canvas, ropes and a sleeping bag.

Somewhere around 24,600 feet, Bell slipped and fell on a patch of ice, pulling off his rope-mate, Streather. As they fell, their rope became entangled with those connecting Houston, Bates, Gilkey and Molenaar, pulling them along as well. Pete Schoening, who had been belaying Gilkey and Molenaar, was now the only climber still standing and was connected to the force of six falling men. He quickly wrapped the rope around his shoulders and ice axe, and he miraculously held all six climbers from plummeting to their deaths. This act became known as “The Belay,” considered one of the most famous events in mountaineering history.

After the climbers had recovered and made their way to a tent at the next lower camp, they unfortunately lost Gilkey. He had been anchored to the ice slope as the exhausted climbers had prepared the tent. They could hear his muffled shouts, but when they returned to retrieve him, he was gone. The most likely culprit was an avalanche. Later, members of the team concluded that Gilkey had released the anchors to unburden himself from the team, but the true cause of his death remains unknown.

In more than 150 years of mountaineering, only about 300 climbers have reached the summit of K2, known as the Savage Mountain, while nearly 80 people have died trying.

Two years ago, Lindsey Coulson lost her sister on K2, the second highest mountain on earth. Searching for answers, she sets out to climb the Savage Mountain. Mountaineer and freelance writer Ty Galloway has assembled a small team to conquer K2 and welcomes the esteemed climber. But K2 is a force unto itself, as is Lindsey. Both will test his limits. Both will test his heart.

“Full of action, suspense and adventure. Loved this book!”
~ Rebecca Lyndsey, author/illustrator of the children’s book Into the Ocean

Cold Horizon is now available in print.

Contact Kristy at kristy@kristymccaffrey.com if you would like to purchase an autographed copy.

Read an excerpt from COLD HORIZON

“All the 8000-meter peaks have been conquered with winter ascents now, except for K2,” Ty said, seeking to change the subject. “As usual, she’s holding out. Here’s another interesting fact—K2 is the site of the most famous belay in mountaineering history.”

“I’m hoping to get a photo as we pass the spot,” Packer said. “I’m gonna put it on my social media with hashtag ‘BadAssBelay.’”

“Why is it so famous?” Brynn asked.

“One man held the force of six falling men,” Ditch replied. “It was in 1953 and the summit of K2 had yet to be reached by anyone. The expedition—only the fifth one here—wouldn’t reach it either. It was an American team led by a man named Charles Houston, an excellent and well-respected climber. They had made it quite high on the mountain when one of their teammates, a man named Art Gilkey, for whom the memorial here is named, became very ill. They had to bring him down in a makeshift stretcher, which is a very dangerous thing to do. At one point, each man slipped in fast succession, becoming entangled in the ropes. A young climber named Pete Schoening was at the end, and he held them all, saving their lives. It was an incredible feat, really. Unfortunately, later, they anchored Gilkey to the mountain while they set up a tent, and he disappeared, likely swept away by an avalanche.”

Brynn took a sip of coffee from her mug. “Don’t all of you find the death in these places unsettling?”

“You can’t let it get to you,” David said. “On Everest, some of the dead are still where they died. You walk right by them.”

“One of the markers to the summit is Green Boots,” Ditch said. “I think he was an Indian climber.”

“They just freeze and are left there?” Captain Juneid asked, having remained silent during the meal.

“It’s too dangerous to move them,” Ditch replied. “It sounds unfeeling, but if they’re dead, they don’t need to get down the mountain.”

“Sometimes climbers try to bring bodies down,” Ty said quietly, glancing at Lindsey. Alison’s body was somewhere on K2. “But most of the time it’s all they can do to get themselves down safely.”

“Well, if I freeze my ass to K2, I give everyone here the green light to leave me,” Packer said. “I’d be happy to spend eternity here. Then everyone can pass me by, referring to the Packer marker.”

Ditch smirked. “You mean they’d be saying ‘The summit is just beyond the asshole blocking the route.’”

Packer let out a whoop. “I’ve been called worse.”

Brynn’s face took on an expression of concern. “I know climbing is addictive—I surfed for years, so I get the mentality—but really, why do you all do it?”

“It beats working,” Packer said.

Ditch finished off his coffee. “Which I don’t think you’ve ever done.”

“If you’re nice to me, I’ll let you rope up with me.”

“I think I’ll rope with Lindsey.”

Packer released an exaggerated sigh. “God, I hate it when there’s a better climber on the team than me. I have to work so much harder. Wait a minute, why do you get to rope up with the lady?”

Lindsey looked at Brynn. “Are you sure you don’t want to take up climbing?”

“Maybe I will. But I can see why you always climbed with your sister.”

“You girls are too picky,” Packer said.

“Just watch yourself,” Ty cut in. “There’ll be no messing around with my sister.”

Glee filled Packer’s face. “But Lindsey’s fair game?”

“No.” Lindsey answered at the same time as Ty.

He immediately regretted the force of his opposition, the hair rising on the back of his neck. The protectiveness for his sister didn’t surprise him, but hell if he wanted anyone laying claim to Lindsey.

Shit. So much for keeping his feelings under the radar.

Copyright © 2019 K. McCaffrey LLC

COLD HORIZON

Kindle | Nook | Apple | Kobo | Google Play | Print


COLD HORIZON: TELLURIDE

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Stay in touch with Kristy

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New Release - COLD HORIZON

By Kristy McCaffrey

I've got a double-release today!!

COLD HORIZON

The Pathway Series Book 2

Ambition and courage at the top of the world …

Lindsey Coulson likes to scale mountains. With her sister, Alison, she has made a name for herself climbing the tallest and most treacherous peaks in the world. But when Alison dies on a K2 expedition—the second highest mountain on earth—Lindsey stops climbing. Unable to shed her grief, it becomes clear she must return to the wilderness and only one place will do—K2, the Savage Mountain.

Tyler Galloway has finally secured a permit from the Pakistani government to bring an American team to K2. When Lindsey Coulson inquires about joining the expedition, he gladly brings the famed mountaineer on board. Her strong climbing resume precedes her, and she’ll be a welcome addition to the small crew he has assembled. But K2 is a force unto itself, as is Lindsey. Both will test his limits. And both will test his heart.

Each Pathway novel can be savored as a standalone story, but for maximum enjoyment the recommended reading order is:

Deep Blue

Deep Blue: Australia (A Pathway Novella available exclusively to Kristy’s newsletter subscribers)

Cold Horizon

Cold Horizon: Telluride (A Pathway Novella)

Now Available in Digital (print is coming)

Kindle | Nook | Apple | Kobo | Google Play

Read an excerpt

The wind blasted Lindsey, threatening to rip her off the mountain and throw her into the abyss far below.

It was blisteringly obvious that K2 wasn’t going to give up her summit without a fight. Descending the Bottleneck in this shitstorm of low visibility was bad enough but having to guide an impaired Elena down was enough to give Lindsey sharp pangs of panic.

Had Alison been in this same spot, gripped with the same bone-deep fear?

Her sister had died on this mountain two years ago, likely not far from where Lindsey currently stood.

This won’t be my fate.

Two climbers materialized behind them in the darkness. For a moment, Lindsey thought it was Tyler, but that elation was dashed when the first one spoke with a German accent. Frieder.

They came to Ditch first, but to her surprise didn’t stop and instead climbed around him and Elena.

When they tried to do the same to Lindsey, she blocked them.

“Can you help us get Elena through the Bottleneck?” she asked.

Frieder stopped and said nothing, then finally shook his head and uttered one word, “Nein.”

To Lindsey’s shock, he said nothing more and climbed past her, hooking himself to the fixed rope.

What the hell?

When the second German, Volker, moved to do the same, she planted her axe in front of his face. “We need help with Elena.”

Volker shook his head. “We are spent.”

“So are we. If we leave her here, she’ll die.”

“Then she should not be here. Not our responsibility.”

“Bullshit,” Lindsey said. “It’ll go faster with four of us.”

Volker ignored her and climbed up a few feet to get past her. Then he went to the fixed rope, clipped on, and the swirling snow swallowed him up.

Stunned, Lindsey remained where she was, trying to quell her anger.

A loud snap filled the air, and then a rumble.

Shit!

“Hold on!” she yelled, facing the mountain and tucking her head, praying her helmet would fend off any blocks of ice.

 She closed her eyes and held her breath, waiting as the roar grew. A cloud of snow and ice slammed into her, and she held tight to her ice axes to keep from being blown off the mountain.

But the avalanche hadn’t hit them.

Trembling, she didn’t move.

“Lindsey,” Ditch said. “Where are the Germans?”

Her headlamp revealed the fixed rope to be still intact. Maybe the two shithead Germans were okay. She almost didn’t care.

She swung her light back toward Ditch and Elena, trying to answer, but the words wouldn’t come. Ditch had retrieved his radio. “David, come in.”

In addition to Ty, Lindsey, and Ditch, their team had consisted of David Shaw and Billy Packer. Since Shaw had summited the day before with the Poles, a move that had irritated Lindsey, he had nonetheless stepped up to care for Packer at Camp Four until the rest of them could return to help.

“I’m here,” Shaw replied.

“We think part of the serac broke off. Frieder and Volker might have gotten hit. Over.”

“Copy that. I’ll go out and look for them, but it’s a white-out. Be careful. Over.”

Ditch stowed the radio. “Is the fixed rope still there?” he asked Lindsey.

“It looks like it,” she answered, her teeth chattering.

“You stay here with Elena,” he said. “I’ll go check.”

Unable to move, all Lindsey could do was watch as he moved above her and soon disappeared into the snowstorm, just as the Germans had.

Ditch had hooked Elena to an ice screw before he had left them, so she was secure for the moment, allowing Lindsey to remain where she was and regroup.

She was shakier than she wanted to be.

The snow conditions were becoming untenable. It was too dark. A piece of the serac had just broken off, possibly killing Frieder and Volker. And if the two German men weren’t dead, how would anyone find them? Was there anyone left at Camp Four besides David and Packer?

And now, as the she waited for Ditch to return, she faced the fact that she might have to bivouac with Elena right here. Spending the night hanging off the side of K2 was a terrible idea, and one she wanted to avoid. Climbers joked that bivouac was French for “mistake.” And Elena had certainly made a mistake as she’d tried to reach the summit earlier today, instead of turning around. Now, Lindsey was paying the price for the woman’s piss-poor decision-making.

Knowing she needed to stop complaining, Lindsey switched to problem-solving mode, trying to corral her errant thoughts into something useful. Hours—no, it had been days—of oxygen deprivation was fast destroying her cognitive skills.

She had a bivy sac, but it was only meant for one person. There was no way she could secure it on this near vertical face, so they would need to ascend. But what if they got lost?

What about Ty? Was he still behind her? And wasn’t the other American team also downclimbing from the summit? If she waited long enough, surely they would meet up with her and could help get Elena down. But it was already so late. They could be hunkered down, bivouacking despite the lunacy of sitting still and waiting out the storm. Waiting for sunrise.

Or they could be lost themselves.

Copyright © 2019 K. McCaffrey LLC

COLD HORIZON: Telluride

The Pathway Series Book 2.1

Lindsey Coulson has lost her edge. After surviving a harrowing descent of K2, the second highest mountain in the world, life back home has left her with serious doubts about continuing the dangerous life of a high-altitude mountain climber. When she accompanies her boyfriend, Ty Galloway, to a trade show in Telluride, Colorado, a chance encounter with a climber who knew her deceased dad—famed mountaineer Robbie Coulson—sets her on a different course.

Ty Galloway has settled into a nine-to-five routine with his new job as editor-in-chief of Mountaineer Magazine, but the monotony is already beginning to chafe. A weekend away with Lindsey at his parents’ place seems like the perfect antidote, but when his mom and dad unexpectedly arrive, their presence puts a damper on his romantic plans. And they’ve got a few surprises in store for Ty.

This short novella follows the full-length novel, COLD HORIZON, and includes appearances from Italian climber Elena Rossi and the irreverent mountaineer Dan Beck.

Learn more and read Chapter One at Kristy's website.