Is three too many?

Websites, that is. Because yes, I have another one.

But before you call me narcissistic, hear me out. I can explain!

First I started this blog so I could spout off about all sorts of things. Well, mostly about skiing. Then I started TheSkiDiva.com, so women who love to ski could talk to one another about anything ski-related.

But then I wrote a mystery: DOUBLE BLACK: A SKI DIVA MYSTERY. It's coming out from Minotaur Books on January 5, and yes, I needed a website for that, too.

The site is WendyClinch.com, and if you visit, you'll find all sorts of stuff about the book. Which -- surprise of surprises -- has to do with skiing, too.

But DOUBLE BLACK isn't just for skiers. I wrote it so anyone could enjoy it. There's financial intrigue, dirty dealings, a little bit of romance, and of course, murder. There's also plenty of New England atmosphere. And a lot of local color.

It's fun. I think you'll enjoy it. And you'll enjoy the website, too.

Be sure to visit TheSkiDiva.com, an internet forum especially for women skiers, where women skiers can connect with one another to talk about everything and anything ski-related.

Thanks, Ted.

I'm talking about Ted Kennedy, who died last night from brain cancer at the age of 77.

I'm sure you'll hear everything you need to know about this distinguished senator from the news media. But I wanted to pay special tribute to Kennedy here for two important reasons:

First, Kennedy was instrumental in the passage of Title IX of the Education Enactments of 1972. Even though Title IX was not initially about athletics, it did a huge amount in establishing gender equality in sports budgets and competitions. Before the law passed in 1972, girls made up only 7 percent of high school sports participants. Now, more than 40 percent of high school athletes are female, according to data from the National Federation of State High School Associations.

And second, Kennedy also sponsored the Family and Medical Leave Act in 1993, which guaranteed 12 weeks of unpaid leave a year following the birth or adoption of a child, or as result of a serious illness in the immediate family. This made it possible for many women (and men, too!) to address serious family concerns without fear of losing their jobs.

Today, many of us take these pieces of legislation for granted. But these were truly groundbreaking when they were enacted, and have done much to change the way we live our lives.

Kennedy wasn't perfect, and in the coming days I'm sure we'll all be subjected to the same sort of canonization we witnessed with the death of Michael Jackson. But he did do an incredible amount of good, and for that, we owe him a huge debt of gratitude.

So I'll say it again, for millions of American women: Thanks, Ted. May you rest in peace.

Be sure to visit TheSkiDiva.com, an internet forum especially for women skiers, where women skiers can connect with one another to talk about everything and anything ski-related.

Kayaking the Connecticut

Even though we're in the final throes of August, it seems like summer's just getting started, here in Vermont. June and July were nearly total washouts: cool and rainy, without much opportunity for outdoor activities. As a result, we've had to cram a lot of our summer fun into recent weeks.

For me, this included kayaking the Connecticut River. For those of you who don't know, the Connecticut is the river that separates Vermont from New Hampshire. And the part that we kayaked -- from Hartland, VT, to below Cornish, NH -- is a beautiful stretch. No houses or buildings lining the shoreline. Just trees, a view of the mountains, and now and then an eagle soaring into view.

This was not a rapids running, heart thumping sort of a trip. After being transported 12 miles upriver, we launched our rented kayaks into water that was as smooth as glass.

Here's the view, heading down the river:


















Here we're approaching the Cornish-Windsor Bridge, the longest double-span covered bridge in North America:


















And here I go, under the bridge:


















No, it wasn't skiing. But all the same, a great way to spend a summer day.


Be sure to visit TheSkiDiva.com, an internet forum especially for women skiers, where women skiers can connect with one another to talk about everything and anything ski-related.

We have a cover....

....for DOUBLE BLACK: A SKI DIVA MYSTERY, my debut novel, coming to your favorite bookstore on Jauary 5, 2010.

DOUBLE BLACK is a ski-related mystery about a young woman who heads for a Vermont ski town to pursue the ski-bum lifestyle, only to stumble upon financial intrigue, bitter family warfare, and murder. It has lots of quirky characters, loads of New England atmosphere, and stars a young woman with nerve, spunk, and a sense of humor about it all.

Here's the first line:

“When Stacey Curtis found the dead man in the bed, she knew it was time to get her own apartment.”

Intriguing, huh?

It's a lot of fun, if I do say so myself, for skiers and non-skiers alike.

You can even pre-order it now at Amazon.com. Hey, why wait?

Be sure to visit TheSkiDiva.com, an internet forum especially for women skiers, where women skiers can connect with one another to talk about everything and anything ski-related.

Learn from the Best, and Ski with the Divas!

Here's your chance to ramp your skiing up to the next level and have a blast doing it!

TheSkiDiva.com is partnering with the North American Ski Training Center to offer our first ever women's ski clinic, March 1-3 in Tahoe, CA.

This is going to be fanastic. NASTC is a top drawer organization. Headed by Chris and Jenny Fellows and headquartered in Tahoe, their instructors are members of the PSIA Demo Team and/or the LUNA Ladies Team, an elite group of women instructors sponsored by LUNA Whole Nutrition for Women and NASTC. The clinics will take place during the mornings of March 1st, 2nd, and 3rd — you'll have the afternoons to practice and explore. We'll spend one day at Squaw, one day at Alpine Meadows, and one day at Sugar Bowl. Group sizes will be kept small and the instruction will be top notch.

Truly, this is something not to be missed!

The cost: $790. This includes three half days of instruction, three days of lift passes, and one group dinner. Lodging packages are available at the Cedar House Sport Hotel.

And get this: if you register by November 1, you'll get 5% off!

To sign up or for more information, go to the NASTC web site or email NASTC at ski@skiNASTC.com.

Be sure to visit TheSkiDiva.com, an internet forum especially for women skiers, where women skiers can connect with one another to talk about everything and anything ski-related.

Mark Your Calendars!

Because five months from today, January 5, is the publication date for my debut novel, DOUBLE BLACK: A SKI DIVA MYSTERY.

Published by Thomas Dunne, an imprint of St. Martin's Press, DOUBLE BLACK follows the adventures of Stacey Curtis, a young woman who ditches her cheating fiance and heads for a Vermont ski town to pursue the ski-bum lifestyle. Instead, she stumbles into financial intrigue, bitter family warfare, and yes, murder. It was a lot of fun to write, and I think it's a great read not only for people who love to ski, but for anyone who loves a good story.

Right now I'm hard at work on Book #2 -- DOUBLE BLACK is the first of a series -- so be sure to mark your calendars so you can get in on where it all begins.

Be sure to visit TheSkiDiva.com, an internet forum especially for women skiers, where women skiers can connect with one another to talk about everything and anything ski-related.