Rebecca M. Douglass, Author

Hello, my much-neglected bloggy friends! I've been so busy the last couple of weeks that I haven't had time or energy to do anything about writing, let alone blogging. That means I don't have a lot to report here, either! I took a little excursion back into something like full-time work, spending full days doing all the handywoman stuff I could on my daughter's new house, for about 10 days straight. Turns out I'm no longer in my 20s, and that was harder than anticipated. "Beat to the socks" is an expression that seems to capture it pretty well. I'm back home at last, and (having spent a day cleaning up the mess we left here) diving deep into the revisions on Edited Out , Seffi Wardwell's third book. I think this one came together pretty well, and don't foresee any huge revision issues--keep your fingers crossed that this proves true, and I can bring it out by summer. Now that I'm back with my desktop computer, I can also finish editing phot...

  I'm posting today with t he fantastic Marvelous Middle Grade Mondays blog hop hosted by Greg Pattrige of Always in the Middle . Check out Greg's blog for a list of additional middle grade reviews. A few weeks ago I read and reviewed t he charming Cartwheeling in Thunderstorms , an amazing debut novel from 2011. Since I liked it a lot, I went ahead and checked out Katherine Rundell's second book, Rooftoppers, to listen to as I drove to California. I ended up getting distracted by a great podcast about D-Day, so didn't finish the audiobook until a couple of days ago.     Title : Rooftoppers Author : Katherine Rundell. Read by Nicola Barber Publication Info: Simon and Schuster Audio, 2013. 6 hours. Originally published by Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2013, 289 pages. Source : Library Publisher's Blurb: “The beauty of sky, music, and the belief in ‘extraordinary things’ triumph in this whimsical and magical tale” (Publishers Weekly) about a girl in ...

It's not exactly the full-length flash-fiction I had hoped to bring you this weekend, but considering I've been putting in full days as the family handyman, it's more than I might have done. A 100-word drabble about someone with a penchant for saying the wrong thing. Open Mouth, Insert Foot  I just wanted to let Karl know that he might be making a fashion faux pas—that rip in the back of his jeans didn’t look intentional. It looked like he’d gotten too close to a barbed wire fence. Someone had to let him know.   Still, maybe I didn’t say it right. Because when I announced that I had a needle and thread and we could fix the tear, everyone stopped talking and stared. At me. Turns out it was a fashion statement after all.   That’s the 212th time this year. Maybe I could earn a living as a contortionist.     ###   Crossing my fingers that by this time next week I'll at least be on my way home, DIY and the weather permitting! ...

Thanks to Great Escapes Virtual Book tours for the chance to read and review this fun mystery. Soft Serve Sleighing (Coffee & Cream Café Mysteries) by Lena Gregory About Soft Serve Sleighing   Soft Serve Sleighing (Coffee & Cream Café Mysteries)   Cozy Mystery 5th in Series Setting – Long Island, NY Publisher ‏ : ‎ Gemma Halliday Publishing (January 28, 2025) Number of Pages - 226 Kindle ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0DLHPWDNT From author Lena Gregory comes a delightfully delicious cozy mystery... With most of Eastern Long Island closed down for a blizzard, Danika Delaney and her friends are holed up in her old fashioned malt shop, the Coffee & Cream Café, with ice cream and hot chocolate. However, their plans to wait out the storm in cozy company are interrupted when a popular YouTuber and her two companions show up at the door—they've been trapped by the storm, and Dani generously offers to serve them breakfast. But her generosity isn't rewarded in kind, as the re...

I'm running late with my IWSG post, which probably tells you all you need to know about how things are going!   Purpose:   To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds! Posting:   The first Wednesday of every month is officially   Insecure Writer’s Support Group   day. Post your thoughts on your own blog. Talk about your doubts and the fears you have conquered. Discuss your struggles and triumphs. Offer a word of encouragement for others who are struggling. Visit others in the group and connect with your fellow writer - aim for a dozen new people each time - and return comments. This group is all about connecting!   Don't forget you can post your link on the IWSG Facebook page !   Let’s rock the neurotic writing world! Our Twitter handle is @TheIWSG and ha...

Ugh. My hopes of having an original post for this weekend flew away as I spent the first half of the week down with fever and cough (flu, I think, breaking through the vaccine), and am now in the middle of helping my daughter move. But have no fear! I found you another old story I think you'll enjoy. It's just a sweet tale of false assumptions, and maybe just a little snarky feminism :D Georgie and the Dragon Lady   The residents of Oakblossom Lane all knew her, and she kept them in line. There were two or three cranky old guys who sat on their front porches and hollered, “get off my lawn!’ but they inspired none of the awe the Dragon Lady commanded. The children mocked the old guys. They didn’t mock Mrs. DuMont.   “Mom says she’s ruled this street since Adam was a pup.”   “I don’t know any dogs named Adam.”   Georgie fixed Alec with a disdainful sneer. “Don’t you know anything ? Adam was the first man.”   “First man on Oak...

This was one of my audio "reads" via the library's "similar books" feature. Not quite sure what it was similar to, except that I was probably looking at books about historical events. This is a look at the Dust Bowl that's a bit different from the usual, since this is about the people who *didn't* leave. Title: The Worst Hard Time: The Untold Story of those Who Survived the Great American Dust Bowl Author: Timothy Egan. Read by Jacob York Publication Info: Audio book by Audible Audio, 2022. 13 hours. Originally published by Houghton Mifflin, 2005, 340 pages. Source: Library Publisher's Blurb: The dust storms that terrorized the High Plains in the darkest years of the Depression were like nothing ever seen before or since. Timothy Egan’s critically acclaimed account rescues this iconic chapter of American history from the shadows in a tour de force of historical reportage. Following a dozen families and their communities through the rise and ...