By: Jen Craven
ASIN: B0DS19YVKC
Publication Date: 03/13/2025
Format: e-book
My Rating: TBR (ARC)
Another page-turner from Jen Craven!
Packed with suspense and guaranteed to keep you guessing, this book is perfect for anyone who knows the challenges of chasing greatness and the sacrifices it demands. ——Maggie Giles, Award-Winning Author of The Things We Lost and Twisted
Friends want to see you succeed, just never more than them.
Sadie and Willa have competed against each other on slalom courses in sunny Florida since they were kids. They were the two best skiers then, and they’re the two best skiers now. The only thing that’s changed is instead of playing Barbies in between runs, they now plot ways to beat the other. Turns out, there’s a fine line between friends and frenemies. Now twenty-eight, at the height of their careers and shining an international spotlight on water skiing, the media—and Sadie’s legendary family with strong ties to a sketchy mega church—have written the narrative of a rivalry more cutthroat than the sport has ever seen.
It would all be straightforward—who’s the better skier?—if only the women didn’t carry dark secrets from their pasts, both of which have the potential to thwart everything they’ve worked for. Add in the fact that Willa has long been in love with Sadie’s husband—the third member of their childhood trio—and they’re left with a combative season ahead. What no one knows, however, is that it will be far from a typical ski season, because at the end, someone will be dead and their lives will be changed forever.
THE SKIERS explores how far people are willing to go to reach the top, the complexity of female friendships, and the search for self amid incredible outside pressure.
About the Author
Jen Craven is the author of six novels, both indie and traditionally published. Her contemporary debut, Best Years of Your Life was inspired from over a decade teaching at a small liberal arts university. In 2023, she signed with Bookouture where she publishes domestic suspense: The Baby Left Behind (Sept. 2023), Her Daughter (March 2024), and The Day She Vanished (Sept. 2024).
Aside from fiction, Jen has personal essay bylines in national outlets, including The Washington Post, Huffington Post, Today’s Parent, Scary Mommy and many more.
She writes from northwestern Pennsylvania, where she lives with her husband and three children. When not working on her books, she can be found thrift shopping, taking long walks, and kicking butt in backgammon.
Learn more at www.jencraven.com or by following her on Facebook and Instagram at @jencravenauthor
Exceptional Authors.
Standout Books. Elevator Talk.
Behind the Book & the Author
INTRIGUING QUESTIONS. INQUIRING READERS WANT TO KNOW.
part of the #AuthorElevatorSeries
Behind the Book
Q. Give us your best ELEVATOR PITCH for THE SKIERS
JEN: A deadly sports rivalry and love triangle set against the world of professional water skiing.
Q. DESCRIBE your novel in three words or less.
JEN: Ambition gone wrong.
Q. TOPICS: Name 1-3 topics or themes addressed in the novel?
JEN: Rivalry and competition
Identity and legacy
Betrayal and trust
Q. DID YOU KNOW? Name 3-5 things that readers may or may not know about THE SKIERS.
JEN: I grew up on Conneaut Lake, PA, and have been water skiing since I was six years old. While I’m nowhere near a professional skier, my love of “lake life” certainly inspired the idea for this book.
While writing, I connected with real-life pro skiers, who were a critical piece of my research. One even read the full manuscript at an early stage.
I don’t like to pit women against each other in real life (although it makes for juicy fiction!), so when people ask if I’m “Team Sadie” or “Team Willa,” it’s impossible for me to choose. They both have their flaws and I hold a soft spot for each.
Q. UPCOMING: Can you share what you are currently working on or what is next in ten words or less (or more)?
JEN: I have a new novel from Bookouture coming this September about a family keeping a deep secret.
Behind the Author
Q. DID YOU KNOW? Name 3-5 things that readers may (or may not) know about YOU, the author.
JEN: I spent over a decade teaching Fashion Merchandising at Mercyhurst University before writing full time.
My favorite book is “Little Women,” and two of my children are named after March sisters.
I completed my first half-marathon and sprint triathlon last year.
Fascinating! Thank you, Jen, for spending time with us today.
Praise
Another page-turner from Jen Craven! Packed with suspense and guaranteed to keep you guessing, this book is perfect for anyone who knows the challenges of chasing greatness and the sacrifices it demands. —Maggie Giles, award-winning author of The Things We Lost and Twisted
“Chilling suspense and shocking secrets.”
—Caitlin Weaver, bestselling author of Such a Good Family
