FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

An Insider Unveils the Agony and Ecstasy of the Olympic Dream

Bronxville, NY -- January 18, 2006 – Ideally timed with the buildup to the 2006 Winter Olympics, a second edition of seven-time Olympic participant John Morton’s A MEDAL OF HONOR is available now, offering viewers of this year’s games an intimate inside perspective of what it means to be an Olympic athlete. 

This powerful novel peers into the Olympic Games in northern Italy, telling a story of enormous courage, dedication and international intrigue. John Morton has participated in seven Winter Olympic Games as an athlete, coach, biathlon team leader and as Chief of Course.  He’s had a front row seat at some of the most unforgettable victories and agonizing defeats on the Olympic stage. “Although not autobiographical, the book was inspired by events I experienced or witnessed on the international biathlon circuit. The challenges the athletes face in A MEDAL OF HONOR are similar to those our athletes will face this February in Torino,” explains Morton. “My novel is an authentic behind the scenes look at the agony and ecstasy of competing at the Winter Olympics.”

A young biathlete, Matt Johnson, experiences the adrenaline pumping quest for gold while confronting the less glamorous challenges of corporate sponsors, the pervasive power of the media, and the insidious attraction of illegal doping.  A MEDAL OF HONOR is about people driven to excel and win.  It shows why  athletes, coaches and administrators feel compelled to push the envelope, sometimes beyond the ethical and moral limits.  From well known sports like figure skating and hockey to less known sports like biathlon, (a combination of cross country skiing and rifle marksmanship) the pressure on Olympic participants is immense and the measure of a true champion is not always the medal around their neck. 

Originally published in 1998 to strong reviews, A MEDAL OF HONOR sold out its first printing.  The second edition, published by Discover History LLC, has been released to coincide with the XX Olympic Winter Games in Torino, Italy.  The novel culminates in a fictional Olympics in Cortina, Italy, host of the VII Olympic Winter Games in 1956.   The first chapter of John Morton’s forthcoming sequel, THE HEROES OF MUJU has also been published with this edition.  A MEDAL OF HONOR is available at bookstores, through Discover History LLC, or on the web at: www.amedalofhonor.com/WhereToBuy.html

To read an excerpt from A MEDAL OF HONOR, visit: www.amedalofhonor.com/excerpts1.html

To read more about John Morton, visit: www.amedalofhonor.com/MortonBio.html

To find out more about Discover History LLC, visit: www.discoverhistory.net

Contact:  David Spaidal
Discover History LLC
Cell:     613-328-8737

Email     david@amedalofhonor.com 

Editor’s Note: 

To receive a review copy of A MEDAL OF HONOR, email us at:  info@amedalofhonor.com

To schedule an interview with author, John Morton, email us at:  info@amedalofhonor.com