The Untold Story of the Mount Hood Tragedy A Journey of Adventure, Love, and Loss

(Nashville, TN) In December 2006, millions of people across the world waited in anguish to learn the fate of three climbers trapped on Mt. Hood. The massive search through the harshest storm on the mountain in more than a decade dominated news coverage.

Climber Kelly James was trapped in a snow cave and made a final call to his wife, Karen, which left the world hoping for a Christmas miracle. The climbers’ family members huddled below the mountain praying for the safe return of their loved ones. While the climbers faced a tragic fate, their families did not lose faith.

Now, Karen James, who spent the year after her husband’s death gathering facts and information, is telling her story about what really happened on the mountain in her new book, Holding Fast: The Untold Story of the Mount Hood Tragedy (Thomas Nelson, November 2008, ISBN: 1595551751).

In this captivating read, James reveals never-released information about the fateful climb and behind-the-scenes details of how the families coped with the shocking loss of their husbands, fathers, sons, and brothers.

The book reveals what Kelly’s last messages to his family were on the cell phone that was found with him in the snow cave and includes never-before-published photos from his camera retrieved off the mountain.

James shares how through the tragedy her faith led her to a new understanding of love, peace and purpose and tells of a husband’s love for his family and God. James started journaling the ordeal and her experiences as a way to help cope with the death of her husband. In “Holding Fast” she shares her raw emotions, fears, and beliefs about what happened on the mountain.

About the Author
Karen James is a former award-winning journalist who has reported at ABC, NBC and CBS TV news affiliates across the country. In addition to working in communications at AARP for a number of years, she is an accomplished painter and is co-owner of the public relations consulting firm James Nuñez Group. Karen was married to Kelly James, one of the climbers who tragically died atop Mt. Hood in 2006. Today she shares her life with her four stepchildren and greatly enjoys spending time with her family and friends.

Contact:
Curt Harding
Senior Publicist
Phone: 615.902.2246
Email: charding@thomasnelson.com

This entry was posted on Wednesday, June 25th, 2008 at 2:39 pm and is filed under Business and Culture, Press Release. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.