Rebecca M. Douglass, Author

How could I not be drawn to a title like that?! Another report from my on-going perusal of semi-randomly selected non-fiction audio books, especially about women doing cool stuff.   Title: Portrait of the Scientist as a Young Woman Author: Lindy Elkins-Tanton Publication Info: Harper Audio, 2022. 8hrs 40 min. Hardcover 2022 by William Morrow, 272 pages. Source: Publisher's Blurb: Deep in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, three times farther from the sun than the Earth is, orbits a massive asteroid called (16) Psyche. It is one of the largest objects in the belt, potentially containing the equivalent of the world's total economy in metals, though they cannot be brought back to Earth. But (16) Psyche has the potential to unlock something even more valuable: the story of how planets form, and how our planet formed. Soon we will find out, thanks to the extraordinary work of Lindy Elkins-Tanton, the Principal Investigator of NASA's $800 million Psyche mission,...

A couple of weeks ago I started with t he first two days of this 8-day, 65-mile excursion. Last week we covered three more days , into the heart of the wilderness--and the thick of the smoke.  Today we pick up with Day 6 .  Naturally, I had hoped to wake up to clear skies. Alas, that was not to be my fate. I began my 3400' descent in smoke as thick or thicker than ever.   As with rainy weather, the smoke forced me to shift my attention to the closer details. I spent some time studying and photographing the texture of this long-dead snag. I was more excited about what I heard and saw a moment later. Ptarmigan. There were several trotting around (don't break your brain hunting; there's only one in the photo). The day's hike spent a lot of time in old burn areas. They can be a little bleak, but were also the only places that there were wildflowers. Fireweed and (I think) yarrow. Eventually I dropped down out of the burn and into Lemah Meadow, or as close as the trail c...

Before I start, a tip of my hat to this day 26 years ago, when I became a parent for the first time. What a long, strange trip it's been!   On to writing--or research.  In the run-up to NaNoWriMo I've been posting about the process of preparing to draft my next novel, #3 in the Seffi Wardwell series (I'll be editing #2 once this is drafted, and hope to publish it by June if all goes well). I've talked a lot, now and in the past, about outlines, plotting vs. pantsing (or plantsing, as I mostly do these days). Today, let's talk about research. What kind of research? I'm too lazy to write historical fiction (I'm very hard on writers of same so would really have to educate myself about a period in hopes of avoiding the kind of mistake I hate to see). I set my cozies in fictional contemporary places. And yet... research is still necessary. For the Seffi Wardwell mysteries I'm finding I need two kinds of research. First is the kind you can do in books and on t...

The life story of the author of the "Little House" books. Title: The World of Laura Ingalls Wilder: The Frontier Landscapes That Inspired The Little House Books Author: Marta McDowell, read by Donna Postel Publication Info: Tantor Audio 2018. 6 1/4 hours. Original hardback 2017 by Timber Press, 390 pages Source: Library Publisher's Blurb: The universal appeal of Laura Ingalls Wilder springs from a life lived in partnership with the land, on farms she and her family settled across the Northeast and Midwest. In this revealing exploration of Wilder's deep connection with the natural world, Marta McDowell follows the wagon trail of the beloved Little House series. You'll learn details about Wilder's life and inspirations, pinpoint the Ingalls and Wilder homestead claims on authentic archival maps, and learn to grow the plants and vegetables featured in the series. Excerpts from Wilder's books, letters, and diaries bring to light her profound appreciat...

Last week I shared photos from the first two days of this 8-day, 65-mile excursion. Today we're going to enjoy one last clear day, then head into the smoke that wreathed the middle three days of the trip. Day 3: Dayhike After my killer long second day, I was happy to be in place for a layover day, with plans to either hike up Mt. Daniel (pretty ambitious) or visit Circle Lake. But first I had to enjoy the fantastic morning light. Light filters between cloud layers to illuminate The Citadel. The waters of Peggys Pond were calm, a condition that didn't last. Despite taking my time over photos and breakfast, I was headed out shortly after 8. By then even in our sheltered nook the breeze had picked up considerably. Clouds blowing over the top of Cathedral Peak Out of curiosity, I began by following the signs that pointed to a backcountry toilet. It took me a ways off my route, and I calculated later that the loo was more than 1/3 mile from the pond. Well clear of any risk of conta...

This is book #7 in the "Murder Most Unladylike" mystery series, and while the series at least began as children's books, they are murder mysteries, and our main characters are growing up. I'm happy to see that they seem to have stopped renaming--and maybe "translating"?--the books for US audiences. Title: Death in the Spotlight Author: Robin Stevens Publication Info: 2018, Puffin Books. 400 pages Source: Library Publisher's Blurb: 'The whole theatre seemed on edge. There was a feverish atmosphere seeping into every corner of the Rue, as though the whole cast was sickening. Daisy and I both knew that something was brewing.' Daisy Wells and Hazel Wong are off to the beautiful Rue Theatre in London, where they will face an entirely new challenge: acting. But behind the theatre's glittering facade, the girls soon realise that there is trouble at the Rue. Jealousy, threats and horrible pranks quickly spiral out of control - and then one of...

Way back in August (remember August, month of heat and smoke?), I spent 8 days hiking the Pacific Crest Trail through Washington's Alpine Lakes Wilderness. Last weekend, I finally finished editing the photos. Here's Part 1 of the report, the first 2 days (and 20 miles), from my trailhead at Surprise Creek to Peggy's Pond up on the shoulder of Mt. Daniel.  I was basically picking up the PCT where I left off... in 1990. I did shorten it a bit, starting at Surprise Creek instead of climbing up the ski slopes at Stevens Pass (I hiked most if not all of that trail at one point or another back in the late '80s). This bought me a day to use later in the trip for more fun stuff. Day 1: Surprise Creek TH to Glacier Lake Loaded up and ready to go! Photo by Tom Dempsey, www.photoseek.com My brother- and sister-in-law drove me to the trailhead and hiked the first couple of miles with me. Corn lilies along the trail. About 5 miles in the Surprise Creek trail intersects the PCT. The ...