The Procedure

Whitney Olson is a Crested Butte, Colorado native and the single mother of a disabled child with a seizure disorder. She's on the brink of wild career success as a professional extreme skier. Whitney is being sponsored by a powerful, multinational company to travel, train, and film promotional videos with an elite corps of competitive skiers as they prepare for the World Extreme Ski Championship in La Grave, France. Heli-skiing and mountain climbing in some of the most beautiful, dangerous peaks in the world, Whitney must survive avalanches, crevasses, deadly steeps, and a duplicitous team member who is out to destroy her as they vie for over a million dollars in prize money and other lucrative opportunities. The company and its ruthless, manipulative coach will stop at nothing to groom their young female proteges to win and promote products. When they send the women to Belgrade to undergo a clandestine neuro-surgical procedure that eliminates their perception of fear, the two women develop disturbing personality changes and destructive impulses that threaten the stability of the team and their lives. "The Procedure" immerses readers into the adrenaline-filled world of extreme skiing and ski mountaineering in the spectacular alpine terrain of Portillo, Chile, Valdez, Alaska, and the Haute-Alps. As Whitney navigates the risks of competitive free-skiing and the challenges of single parenthood, she confronts the type of sexism and double standards that female athletes have historically endured on their paths to success. Suspenseful, entertaining, full of sub-plots and compelling characters, "The Procedure" is pure page-turning escapism.

Elea Plotkin lives in the foothills of the Colorado Rockies. She has spent a lifetime downhill skiing and hiking in the North Cascades and Rocky Mountains, and loves to share her adventures and enthusiasm for the great outdoors with readers. Elea is an accomplished jazz singer-songwriter, recording artist, and classical pianist. "The Procedure" is her second novel.