What's an Alaskan winter like... in A Family Like Hannah's by Carol Ross (Blog Tour Guest Post & Giveaway)


On Tour with Prism Book Tours.

Welcome to my stop for Carol Ross' newest release in her Seasons of Alaska series, A Family Like Hannah's! She's sharing about a cold Alaskan winter below, which is the setting for this story. Check that out as well as the giveaway...

A Family Like Hannah'sA Family Like Hannah's
(Seasons of Alaska #4)
by Carol Ross
Adult Contemporary Romance
Paperback & ebook, 384 pages
February 1st 2016 by Harlequin Heartwarming

Summary

Starting over is serious business

With her professional skiing career cut short by an accident, Hannah James is putting all her energy into transforming Snowy Sky Resort into something special. There's only one obstacle. Famous pro-snowboarder-turned-consultant Tate Addison has his own ideas about taking the Rankins, Alaska, lodge to the next level. But Hannah won't compromise her dreams. She gets that Tate is trying to create a stable home for his orphaned six-year-old nephew—a boy Hannah already adores. And if she isn't careful, she could also fall for the boy's too-attractive uncle. Is she risking heartbreak? Or do she and Tate really want the same things out of life?

 
  
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Baby, it's (Really, Really) Cold Outside

In A Family Like Hannah’s, winter has come to Rankins, Alaska. But what does that really mean?

I recently had a giveaway on my Facebook page asking people to describe Alaska briefly, just a word or a few, stating the first thing that comes to mind when they hear the word “Alaska.” I wasn’t all that surprised when most of the responses had something to do with winter - cold, ice, glaciers, polar bears, igloo, tundra etc. There were some really fun answers, and some pretty funny and creative ones, too.

Spending the last couple years doing research and just learning fun things in general about this state, I thought it would be fun to show how an Alaskan winter really stacks up.


Alaska’s not really as cold as people think. Okay, parts of it are, but not the parts where most of the people live. Of the top fifteen coldest “cities” in the United States, only Fairbanks makes the list with an average winter temperature of -16.9°. But Fairbanks only has a population of approximately 32,000. Anchorage, with a population of approximately 300,000, and the coastal cities where most of the population is based, didn’t even make the list. With an average temperature of 26°, Anchorage was out-colded by a whopping four different cities in both North Dakota and Minnesota. Michigan, Wisconsin, and South Dakota rounded out the list. Alaska’s total population is somewhere around 734,000.

That being stated, I feel compelled to point out that yes, an Alaskan city made the list – at number one! This, of course, gives credence to the fact that there really are some very, very cold locales in the state’s interior. Temperatures as low as -50° to -70° are regularly recorded. And the people who live there deserve their props. They are resilient, robust, resourceful, and downright tough.


Which brings me back to winter. I like to think the reason most of the respondents in my Facebook poll chimed in with a winter-related response has to do with the way Alaskans embrace their signature season. They don’t let a little cold, ice, or snow get them down. They are out there in the elements - riding snow machines, snowshoeing, skiing, skating, dog sledding, ice fishing, hiking across glaciers or snuggling around a bonfire.


In case the thought of any of these activities make you shiver, take heart. Alaskans have invented and adopted some very clever ways to tackle the cold. They have things like heated hand grips and warming suits that plug into the cigarette lighters of their snow machines. Not to mention, they know all the tricks about layering their clothes so the cold doesn’t ruin their fun.

When I first started writing about this place I thought I’d only ever want to visit in the summer. Now? Bring on the winter! I was also plenty nervous to write an entire book centered around this season. What would my characters do that would be interesting for the reader? Pfft. My only problem in writing A Family Like Hannah’s was trying to figure out how to squeeze as many activities as I could.

Are any of you intrigued by some of these quintessential wintertime activities popular in Alaska? Riding snow machines, dog mushing, ice fishing or maybe something else I haven’t mentioned?

— Carol

Other Books in the Series

Mountains ApartA Case for ForgivenessIf Not for a Bee

About the Author


Carol Ross is the author of three books for the Seasons of Alaska series for the Harlequin Heartwarming line. She lives with her husband and one loveable miscreant of a dachshund in a small town in Washington close to both the ocean and the mountains. For a complete list of her books, giveaways, and other fun stuff stop by and visit her new website: carolrossauthor.com.


Tour Schedule

February 20th: Wishful Endings
February 21st: Grand Finale

Tour-Wide Giveaway


$50 Amazon eGift Card and an ebook of A Family Like Hannah's (open internationally)
Rankins' Alaska Prize Pack: signed copy of A Family Like Hannah’s, an infinity scarf, gray fluffy mittens, a tin of Starbucks hot chocolate, a coffee mug, and a sterling silver snowflake necklace. (US only)
Copy of A Family Like Hannah's (print if in the US, ebook if outside the US)
Ends February 26th

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