Rebecca M. Douglass, Author

Today we are participating in another Great Escapes Free Book Tour, taking us to Portland, Oregon. Title: First Degree Mudder (A Pacific Northwest Mystery) 4th book in the series Author: Kate Dyer-Seeley Publisher: Kensington (November 29, 2016).  Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages Source: ARC as participant in the free blog tour. ISBN-13: 978-1496705099 E-Book ASIN: B01CMGS41G Publisher's Synopsis: When a mud marathon champion bites the dust, Meg Reed has to go the distance to make sure a killer comes clean . . . Back home in Portland, Oregon, Meg is ready to take her career as an outdoor writer for Extreme magazine to the next level. Lesser journalists sling mud—Meg plans to run through it. To train hard for Mud, Sweat & Beers, an extreme 5K mud run, she’s signed on with the Mind Over Mudder team, run by ten-time mud marathon champ—and former drill sergeant—Billy the Tank. But when Meg finds her tenacious trainer dead in the locker room, she has a sinking feeling someon...

It's here at last! Help yourself to the hors d'oeuvres, get a mug of hot cocoa (hey, this is a kids book! Stay out of the adult beverages!), and join the party. I got the box the day before Thanksgiving. The excitement of opening a whole box of my books never grows old. Stinky and Stinklet are excited there are now three books all about them. (Shh! I haven't told them that the books are mostly about the people of Skunk Corners). In honor of the great occasion, the skunks are hosting a special giveaway--the new ebook for two lucky winners! a Rafflecopter giveaway And for today only--contact us to purchase ANY of our books directly (signed!) and we'll pick up the shipping costs.    Purchase links: Kindle Paperback B&N Smashwords iTunes

The end is near! Well, the end of the official NaNo month, anyway. As we move into the final days, how are all of you NaNers doing? Still moaning with Thanksgiving excesses and too busy talking with relations to write, or picking up speed on the final sprint to 50,000 words and 3/4 of a draft? (Sorry to be a spoil sport, but unless you're writing middle grade fiction, 50K isn't a novel). As I expected, I slowed down a lot through the holidays as I was busy with cooking and talking, but I managed to write each day through our visit with relatives. I reduced my target to 1000 words, which is a little less than an hour's work if I've got a good idea where I'm going (that's getting harder--more on that in a moment). Currently my word count stands at 43,000. That's a little ahead of the amount needed to reach 50K by the 30th, at least if I bump my output back up to 2000 words daily. Two things are going to make it harder to pound out the pages the way I'd lik...

  Title: Wild Sex: The Science Behind Mating in the Animal Kingdom Author: Dr. Carin Bondar Publisher: Pegasus Books, 2016. 365 pages. Source: Library Not a children's book!  Publisher's Summary: Birds do it, bees do it — every member of the animal kingdom does it, from fruit flies to blue whales. But if you think humans have a tough time dating, try having to do it while being hunted down by predators, against a backdrop of unpredictable and life-threatening conditions. The animal kingdom is a wild place – and it’s got mating habits to match. The sex lives of our animal cousins are fiendishly difficult, infinitely varied, often incredibly violent — and absolutely fascinating. In Wild Sex , Dr. Carin Bondar takes readers on an enthralling tour of the animal kingdom as she explores the diverse world of sex in the wild. She looks at the evolution of sexual organs (and how they’ve shaped social hierarchies), tactics of seduction, and the mechanics of sex. She invest...

  Title: Crenshaw Author: Katherine Applegate Publisher: Feiwel And Friends, 2015. 245 pages. Source: Library Publisher's Summary: Jackson and his family have fallen on hard times. There's no more money for rent. And not much for food, either. His parents, his little sister, and their dog may have to live in their minivan. Again. Crenshaw is a cat. He's large, he's outspoken, and he's imaginary. He has come back into Jackson's life to help him. But is an imaginary friend enough to save this family from losing everything? Beloved author Katherine Applegate proves in unexpected ways that friends matter, whether real or imaginary.   My Review: As you might expect from the author of The One and Only Ivan , Katherine Applegate plays with the boundaries between reality and imagination, and comes up with something unexpectedly moving. The book is written in Jackson's voice, a simple and spare style that nicely conveys the struggle between his head and his h...

Something happened to my good intentions about weekly updates, and since my first update on Nov. 5, somehow an extra week slipped past. I'm happy to report, though, that it didn't slip past my writing, and I can report progress good enough to probably carry me through the Thanksgiving weekend with its more limited writing opportunities. I caught up to par on the 14th (so it did take me almost half the month), and have been sailing on ahead since, continuing with 1800-2200 words most days. I will confess that because I am turning a collection of flash fiction into a novel, I am able at times to lift a paragraph or two from the short stories (far less than I expected, though, and each of them needs careful consideration and reworking to fit the novel). I guess that means I can't claim a "legit" victory. News Flash: I'm not interested in playing by a set of arbitrary rules. I'm interested in writing a novel. I think that's the text for the pep talk part o...

What with pounding away on my NaNo novel and finalizing the formatting and all for The Problem With Peggy (see below), there really was no time this week for a new story. So I dug into the archives, and as a way to get warmed up for Thanksgiving feasting (for my US readers!), I bring you again, The Tomb of the Strange Feast Mom never was a good cook, but that night she really outdid herself.  Her smile when she brought in dinner didn't convince even Lily, and she's only five. "Brussels sprout-tofu casserole, with non-fat cheese," Mom announced, all bright and enthusiastic, the way grown-ups sound when they are trying to convince kids of the wonderfulness of something they really don't like it.  Totally fake.  Mom could pretend, but we all knew she didn't like the food she made any more than we did.  She didn't even put crumbled potato chips on top of the stuff, the way Nana does, which at least means there's some part of her “hot dishes” a kid can eat...

Title: A Duty to the Dead (Bess Crawford Mysteries #1) Author: Charles Todd. Read by Rosalyn Landor Publisher: BBC Audiobooks America, 2009. Original publisher, William Morrow, 2009. 336 pages. Source: Library digital collection. Publisher's Summary: Charles Todd, author of the resoundingly acclaimed Ian Rutledge crime novels (“One of the best historical series being written today” — Washington Post Book World ) debuts an exceptional new protagonist, World War I nurse Bess Crawford, in A Duty to the Dead. A gripping tale of perilous obligations and dark family secrets in the shadows of a nightmarish time of global conflict, A Duty to the Dead is rich in suspense, surprise, and the impeccable period atmosphere that has become a Charles Todd trademark.   My Review: Note: I recently reviewed The Shattered Tree , the 8th book in the series. In that case, I was given an ARC in order to write my review. I enjoyed it enough to go back and start the series at the beginning, and found ...

  Title: Connect the Stars Author: Marisa de los Santos & David Teague Publisher: Harper Collins, 2015. 192 pages (Nook version) Source: Library digital resources Publisher's Summary: When thirteen-year-olds Aaron and Audrey meet at a wilderness camp in the desert, they think their quirks are enough to prevent them from ever having friends. But as they trek through the challenging and unforgiving landscape, they learn that they each have what it takes to make the other whole. Luminous and clever, Connect the Stars has Marisa de los Santos and David Teague’s trademark beautiful prose, delicate humor, swooping emotions, and keen middle grade friendships. This novel takes on the hefty topics of the day—bullying, understanding where you fit in, and learning to live with physical and mental challenges—all in a joyous adventure kids will love! My Review:   First, that's a lovely cover. Just wanted to say that, because once again that's what caught my eye while ran...

In honor of Veteran's Day and in hopes of helping us heal from a pretty divisive election, today instead of flash fiction, I'm having Photo Friday, and sharing pictures of calm waters, reflections, and the beautiful things light can do. Enjoy. Flagstaff Lake, Maine, at sunrise. Moon and grass reflected in Flagstaff Lake, ME Sunset serenity. Flagstaff Lake, ME  Big Five Lakes, Sequoia National Park Vanishing Storm Clouds, Big Five Lakes, Sequoia National Park Misty Evening. Columbine Lake, Sequoia National Park Tarn reflections, Kings Canyon National Park Lupine after the storm. Kings Canyon NP After the storm. Kings Canyon NP Sunset. Columbine Lake, Sequoia NP And finally, take a good look at the sunset and sleep well. Sequoia NP

Title: Petey Author: Ben Mikaelsen Publisher: Disney-Hyperion, 1998. 280 pages Source: School district book giveaway. (Book was leftover and is en route to other young readers, lest anyone think I was snatching books meant for our children). Publisher's Summary: In 1922, at the age of two, Petey's distraught parents commit him to the state's insane asylum, unaware that their son is actually suffering from severe cerebral palsy. Bound by his wheelchair and struggling to communicate with the people around him, Petey finds a way to remain kind and generous despite the horrific conditions in his new "home." Through the decades, he befriends several caretakers but is heartbroken when each eventually leaves him. Determined not to be hurt again, he vows to no longer let hope of lifelong friends and family torment him. That changes after he is moved into a nursing home and meets a young teen named Trevor Ladd; he sees something in the boy and decides to risk fri...

Today we are participating in another Great Escapes Free Book Tour, and we have the honor of having author Cathy Ace here with a guest post. But first, let's get the business out of the way: Title: The Case of the Missing Morris Dancer Author: Cathy Ace Publisher: Severn House (November 1, 2016) Paperback: 224 pages Source: digital ARC provided by the publisher for the purposes of this free tour. ISBN-13: 978-1847516633 E-Book ASIN: B01AADQSF2 Publisher's Summary: The Women of the WISE Enquiries Agency are back in a witty and intriguing new mystery . The Anwen Morris Dancers are to play a pivotal role in the imminent nuptials of Henry, eighteenth Duke of Chellingworth. But it looks as though the wedding plans might go awry unless Mavis, Annie, Carol and Christine can help Althea, the Dowager Duchess, by finding a missing Morris man and a set of ancient and valuable artefacts in time for her son’s wedding. Anwen-by-Wye might look like an idyllic Welsh village where family ...

It's November, and that mean National Novel Writing Month--a.k.a. NaNoWriMo, or just NaNo. It's a national challenge to all the writers and would-be writers to put the backside in the chair and write 50,000 words in a month (that's a decent juvvy novel, but well short of an actual adult novel, even a trade-paperback mystery. It's still a good start and a great accomplishment). I've done it, twice. The first time, the result was Death By Trombone . The second time, I produced a mess of words that's supposed to be the 3rd Pismawallops PTA mystery (and it will be. I'll start revisions on rewriting that in December. But it went so far awry that I can't even use the working title). This time, I'm probably cheating a bit, but I'm working on converting a collection of flash fiction about Gorg the Troll into a novel. So, like Halitor the Hero , it's back to the world of fantasy that can't quite keep a straight face. I thought I'd throw in a...

For this month, while I'm very busy trying to juggle a NaNo project and the release of The Problem With Peggy (Book 3 of the Ninja Librarian series), my Friday posts may be either short, photographic, or re-runs. Just a warning :) Today, however, I got inspired and we have a full length (990 words) flash--another voyage with Xavier Xanthum, Space Explorer. Xavier Xanthum and the Alien “Comet, we need some excitement.” Xavier Xanthum addressed the comment to the large black-and-white cat that lay, weightless, on his lap. “I do not think it is wise to wish for excitement.” The answer didn’t come from the cat; to the best of Xavier’s knowledge, the animal couldn’t speak. The only other voice in his one-man spacecraft was that of Larry, the AI. Xavier looked around for the floating eyeballs that Larry liked to use as his physical manifestation. “Why not? We’ve been in transit for a month, and I’m bored out of my mind. We need to do something to break up the trip!” He and Larry had bee...