Rebecca M. Douglass, Author

Title: Burglars and Blintzes (Moorehaven Mysteries Book 2) Author: Morgan Talbot Publisher: Red Adept Publishing, 2018 Source: Publisher's ARC Publisher's Blurb: Moorehaven is swarming with guests during summer’s last hurrah, and Pippa has her hands full at the mystery-author B&B. When her gossip-group connections inform her that a local construction project has unearthed a skeleton with a pocketful of Spanish gold, the news spreads, and treasure hunters flood the beaches. But the skeleton has a more recent connection to the area than anyone suspected, unearthing a shameful secret that hits far too close to home. A marine salvage team rolls into town, seeking the rest of the treasure. When they hire Pippa’s boyfriend, Lake, to be their pilot, the team’s pretty spelunker quickly stakes a claim, rousing Pippa’s jealousy. But Pippa’s been playing tug-of-war over Lake ever since his ex-wife, Mallory Tavish, became the new acting chief of police. When a killer’s strike brings t...

Fiction in 50 is a regular feature in the last week of every month and I invite any interested composers of mini-narrative to join in!      What is #Fi50? In the words of founder Bruce Gargoyle, "Fiction in 50: think of it as the anti-NaNoWriMo experience!" Pack a beginning, middle and end of story into 50 words or less (bonus points for hitting exactly 50 words). The rules for participation are simple : 1. Create a piece of fictional writing in 50 words or less, ideally using the prompt as title or theme or inspiration. That’s it!  But for those who wish to challenge themselves further, here’s an additional rule: 2. Post your piece of flash fiction on your blog or (for those poor blog-less souls) add it as a comment on the Ninja Librarian’s post for everyone to enjoy.  And for those thrill-seekers who really like to go the extra mile (ie: perfectionists): 3. Add the nifty little picture above to your post (credit for which goes entirely to idef...

To no one's surprise, I don't have a story ready to go for my Friday Flash Fiction. Nor are my photos edited, since I just got home today. But I've picked a few to edit quickly and allow me to share a little teaser. Here's the big story: on July 11, we packed up half our belongings (roughly) to move into storage, part of our plan to be out of our house by sometime in August. We paid our boys to take a couple of days off from work, and drove to my brother-in-law's house about 3 hours away, where we left the stuff. The next morning we sent our boys back home with our car and the U-Haul (because right now a round-trip rental from SF is cheaper by a wide margin than a one-way rental), and my husband and  I borrowed the parental camper van and headed for the hills: the really big hills known as the Sierra Nevada. We spent 4 days dayhiking, to get used to the altitude, then did an 8-night, 9-day backpacking trip (was supposed to be one night longer; that's another sto...

I'll be back soon, and hope to return some of your visits, as well as maybe have a bit of flash fiction to share on Friday. At the least, some current photos :) Kootenai National Park, Alberta Wind River Mountains, Wyoming Floe Lake, Kootenai National Park, Alberta

The Ninja Librarian is still hiking. Sequoia National Park Spider Glacier Hope I'm doing as much writing and drawing as he does on all our trips! ©Rebecca M. Douglass, 2018 As always, please ask permission to use any photos or text. Link-backs appreciated!

The Ninja Librarian is taking a couple of weeks off to go hiking. To entertain you while I'm gone, I'll share a few photos on random days :) Spider Meadow Glacier Peak Wilderness ©Rebecca M. Douglass, 2018 As always, please ask permission to use any photos or text. Link-backs appreciated!

  Title: Quicksand Pond Author: Janet Taylor Lisle Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2017. 240 pages (Hardback) Source: Library Publisher's Blurb: Newbery Honor winner Janet Taylor Lisle’s gorgeous and profound new novel about a pivotal summer in two girls’ lives explores the convictions we form, the judgments we make, and the values we hold. The pond is called Quicksand Pond. It’s a shadowy, hidden place, full of chirping, shrieking, croaking life. It’s where, legend has it, people disappear. It’s where scrappy Terri Carr lives with her no-good family. And it’s where twelve-year-old Jessie Kettel is reluctantly spending her summer vacation. Jessie meets Terri right away, on a raft out in the water, and the two become fast friends. On Quicksand Pond, Jessie and Terri can be lost to the outside world—lost until they want to be found. But a tragedy that occurred many decades ago has had lingering effects on this sleepy, small-minded town, and especially on Terr...

  Shelved Under Murder: A Blue Ridge Library Mystery Cozy Mystery 2nd in Series Crooked Lane Books (July 10, 2018) Hardcover: 300 pages ISBN-13: 978-1683315957 Digital: ASIN: B075QJHPR9   Blurb: Autumn leaves aren’t the only things falling in the historic Virginia village of Taylorsford—so are some cherished memories, and a few bodies. October in Taylorsford, Virginia means it’s leaf peeping season, with bright colorful foliage and a delightful fresh crew of tourists attending the annual Heritage Festival which celebrates local history and arts and crafts. Library director Amy Webber, though, is slightly dreading having to spend two days running a yard sale fundraiser for her library. But during these preparations, when she and her assistant Sunny stumble across a dead body, Amy finds a real reason to be worried. The body belonged to a renowned artist who was murdered with her own pallet knife. A search of the artist’s studio uncovers a cache of forged painting...

Okay, first off, I know it's not Friday anymore. The Ninja Librarian is leading a rather chaotic life just now, and that's just the way it is. So, sort of a story, sort of a photo thing, mostly just me rambling about what we did for the 4th of July. We'd been working on the house like crazy all day because we had the cleaners coming Friday and needed to clear the way for them to clean. At dinner time I realized we didn't really have anything for dinner, so I ran down to the store on my bike (as usual). I was starting up the hill toward home when I overtook a couple of heavily loaded bike tourists. It was pretty late and a long way to camping, so I asked where they were heading. The answer: "I'm not sure. I guess Half Moon Bay." Quick calculation on my part, and I pointed out it was 30 miles (and now about 6:45 p.m.). So I did what I've long said I'd do someday: I invited the cyclists home. They turned out to be a couple of young Germans doing the c...

It's a 4th of July IWSG! Posting a day early so we can all enjoy the holiday. If you don't live in the US, you can enjoy it anyway--just eat some hot dogs or burgers, and make a bunch of noise. 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! Be sure to link to the IWSG page and display the badge in your post. And please be sure your av...

  Title: East to the Dawn: The Life of Amelia Earhart Author: Susan Butler; read by Anna Fields Publisher: Blackstone Audio, 2009. Originally 1997 by Da Capo Press, 512 pages. Source: Library digital resources Publisher's Blurb: Amelia Earhart captured the hearts of the nation after becoming the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic in 1928--and her disappearance on an around-the-world flight in 1937 is an enduring mystery. The image we have of Amelia Earhart today--a tousle-haired, androgynous flier clad in shirt, silk scarf, leather jacket, and goggles--is only one of her many personas, most of which have been lost to us over time. Through years of research and interviews with many of the surviving people who knew Amelia, Susan Butler has recreated a remarkably vivid and multifaceted portrait of this enigmatic figure. Listeners will experience Amelia in all her permutations: not just as a pilot but also as an educator, a social worker, a lecturer, a businesswoman...