Rebecca M. Douglass, Author

After a long absence (on my part), I'm posting this morning with the Marvelous Middle Grade Mondays blog hop, and a review of an enjoyable book I won in a giveaway. The hop is sponsored by  Greg Pattridge of Always in the Middle . Check out Greg's blog for a list of additional middle grade reviews.   The beautiful cover of Three Blue Hearts Title: 
 Three Blue Hearts Author: Lynne Kelly 
Publication Info: Delacorte Press 2025. 279 pages 
Source: 

Won in a giveaway Publisher’s Blurb (from Goodreads): 
 Max can’t seem to escape the big, looming shadow of his politician dad. But for the next few months, Max and his mom are going away to a quiet Texas beach town where Max can be someone else. Someone who doesn’t make dumb mistakes that embarrass his father—someone who knows how to be strong. He stumbles on his fresh start right away, when he finds an injured octopus washed up onshore after a storm. With the help of a local wildlife center and a couple of new friend...

Way back last August, I joined a couple of friends (Craig and Alex) to do a 7-day backpack trip through the Absaroka-Beartooth wilderness on the Montana-Wyoming border (just north of Yellowstone). The landscape exceeded expectations by a wide margin, and I'll be going back. Way back last fall I shared photos of the dayhikes I did while acclimatizing. The night before the backpack was to start, we three met up at a campground in the area, to finish packing and planning, and hit the road early. We had to set up our car shuttle (for a one-way hike) before we could start walking. Since our exit trailhead was kind of 4WD, I wouldn't be going there, and so took my time on the drive to the put-in and enjoyed the amazing Beartooth Pass highway. Some of the twisty bits climbing the east side of the pass. The pass is more like a summit, and when you get there, you are definitely in the alpine, at 11,000'. One of many scenic lakes along the west side of the pass.   What with all the ...

I thought I'd start this post with a gratuitous sunrise photo, to sort of suggest a new year and new beginnings and all that. Maybe something that might let you believe I'm going to get myself sorted out and start blogging on something like a schedule again. That's my hope, atually. I am writing, though I've already distracted myself for a week with a trip south to remind myself what daylight is, followed by a week of being sick. Now I'm working hard on a short story that's kind of grown into almost a novella, so it might need to either get longer or shorter, but I'm not sure which. And I've started, in a tentative and timid way, the revision process for Seffi Wardwell #4,  Logged Off.  I need to get serious about that. As for the blog, which is where I was really heading, I'm going to continue with my Friday/Saturday posts of either photos or flash fiction, and will do my best to resume Monday book reviews, with at least some of them being middle gr...

I've been pretty absent from this blog space through the holidays, and it's hard getting back into the routine, but I'm making an effort! Next week I'll start with some more photos--my August backpacking trip in Montana/Wyoming, but today we have a bit of all-new flash fiction! Just one of my typically goofy little stories. I hope you enjoy it!   Dance Class  Urgle the Andromedan studied themself in the mirror and cringed. “You need to get in shape,” they said. It was a common refrain in all corners of the great space station, since anyone arriving there had been in space a long time. It’s hard to stay fit in space. Urgle considered the equipment in the ship’s exercise room. They’d long since tired of it all, and settled for minimum fitness. Their dominant arms and legs were strong enough to serve, but the lesser limbs were flabby, and their core—no good thinking about the core, which was too complex to understand anyway. While cleaning their ...

Non-fiction biography cover reveal, courtesy of Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours! Marie Conner, A Leading Lady: Her Life and Civic Leadership in a Bygone Era by Elle Mott About Marie Conner, A Leading Lady Marie was born a girl. That was only her first mistake, according to her father.       In an era when daughters and wives are not supposed to be concerned with matters outside the home, Marie is determined to prove him wrong. To do this, she must break down barriers placed on women in society, overcome difficulties that befall her, surpass hardships from the Great Depression, and then face an inevitable relocation.       Marie steps into her community and into the hearts of many people to give her time and help with their needs. She wants nothing in return other than her father’s acceptance as a worthy woman and yet, she gains much in return, even if it is not her father’s praise. This is Marie’s story—of a rise from her girlhood angst...

Welcome to 2026, and the first IWSG post of the year! What's in your plans? 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 (and come on, we're all insecure in some way)! 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 writers - aim for a dozen new people each time - and return comments. This group is all about connecting! Be sure to link to the IWSG page and display the badge in your post. And please be sure your avatar links back to your blog! Otherwise, when you leave a commen...

My poet friend Deborah Bacharach ( check out her work ) suggested yesterday that writing something, anything, was the way to start the new year. I then bethought me of Crimson's Creative Challenge , which I know about because of another writer friend, Jemima Pett , who regularly posts drabbles inspired by the challenge. Time for me to join and get back to writing flash fiction. For the challenge, Crispina Kemp posts 4 photos each week and you can pick one (or more, presumably) as inspiration for a creative response. This week is challenge #67. Word count is supposed to be capped at 150.  My choice of image: A humpback stone bridge with a kiosk and a lot of mist.   I liked the image, and it resonated with the way my neighborhood was blanketed in thick fog on NYE when I got home from my hike (which had been out of the fog and in the sun, when not under the trees).  This was my neighborhood on New Year's Eve. Visibility half a block. Here's my story, for your amusement this ...