Rebecca M. Douglass, Author

Big thanks to the author and to Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours for the chance to review this Hawaiian mystery, and extra thanks to the author for a great interview. I reviewed the first in the series a year ago.     Waters of Destruction (An Orchid Isle Mystery) Cozy Mystery 2nd in Series Setting – Hawaii Publisher ‏ : ‎ Severn House; Main edition (April 1, 2025) Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 224 pages ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1448312183 ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1448312184 Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0DKXTRTX5 Retired caterer Valerie Corbin investigates a suspicious drowning in this Orchid Isle cozy culinary mystery, featuring a feisty queer couple who swap surfing lessons for sleuthing sessions in tropical Hilo, Hawai‘i After a vacation of a lifetime in Hilo, Hawai‘i, retired caterer Valerie Corbin and her wife Kristen have decided to move permanently to the beautiful – if storm-prone – Big Island. The couple are having fun furnishing their new house, exploring their new neighborhood and playi...

This time I'm going back--way back--in the blog archives and pulling up an old photo page. I did this for Valentine's Day in 2018, highlighting desert wildflowers. I'm not sure I ever got back to show the mountain wildflowers we visited over the years. Maybe I'll have to dig into the photo files for more flowers as spring is bursting out around us! Friday, February 16, 2018 Photo Friday: Bring me (to) flowers In honor of Valentine's Day this week, I'll share some of the many flowers that my husband, rather than bringing to me, and gone with me to see. I like it better that way. (I don't promise I haven't shared any of these photos before). The desert. Most of these are from Death Valley or Anza-Borrego Desert State Park in southern California. Brittlebush, the old reliable. There's usually some in even the driest years. Brown-eyed primrose Sand verbena Phacelia Beavertail cactus. Into the ...

I've been working hard lately on my new novel. Deep in the edits, I'm thinking about scenes that matter or don't, words that serve no purpose, and how to make my story as engaging as possible. And all the while I'm aware of the massive crisis of democracy taking place around us, and it feels weird. How are we meant to act at a time like this? Between writing and calling our senators and representatives, and maybe showing up for protests and rallies, most of life seems to be going on as usual, for those of us who haven't yet been directly affected. Even those of us who have reason to be afraid for family members don't have much we can do to directly protect them (and yes, it sucks to know you might not be able to protect your kids, however adult they are). Is it wrong to keep writing what I call "brain candy" in the light of all this? What would I do if I stopped working? Can my books help someone, somewhere, to hang onto their sanity through a small es...

This story dates all the way back to 2014 (I think I can tell, stylistically), and was written for one of Chuck Wendig's random-title challenges. It's 1000 words, after I did a little touching up (as opposed to the complete rewrite that 11 more years of writing experience makes me itch to do).    The Cartographer’s Potion   The Cartographer gazed at the parchments on the worktable. A frown further creased his age-furrowed forehead. There was something missing, something that would make the maps live. He needed them to be more than just bits of parchment with lines on them.   “It wouldn’t hurt if they could be rolled and folded and stuffed into a saddlebag in the rain, and take no hurt,” Lord Alfus suggested.   “You don’t want much,” the Cartographer replied.   “You’re the mage.”   “I am a cartographer.” He rubbed a shaking hand across his aching forehead.   “A cartographer. Yes.” Lord Alfus shifted in his ...

I'm back with my mid-week writer news!  First, the Words and Wine event went great. I was afraid a rainy day would keep people from coming out, but this is Portland we're talking about! They came in droves, perhaps glad of an indoor activity for a Saturday afternoon. All set up and ready to go. Me on the left, Ellen Jacobson on the right. Those are real casks of wine next to us--Hip Chicks Do Wine is a functioning artisanal winery. Since I drove down and back from Seattle the same day, I didn't sample their wares. I did sample some of their snacks, and found them good :) I turned a profit and had a great visit with Ellen--so I'm counting this one as a win.   Other writing news: I'm about two days away from ready to send Edited Out  to my beta readers. I'm really happy with the way the story is shaping up. I picked up a couple of ideas to think about for the next book as well, but have to set them aside until I'm ready to wok on it :) I submitted one more s...

In my on-going quest to learn more about Iceland before I travel there in the fall, I picked out Hjorleifur Helgi Stafansson's collection of Icelandic Folk Tales as a follow-on to the biography of Thurídur Einarsdóttir . It made a nice complement, as some of the tales and their settings resonated nicely with the history I learned from the first book.   Title: Icelandic Folk Tales Author: Hjorleifur Helgi Stefansson Publication Info: History Press, 2020. 192 pages. Source: Library (Libby)  Publisher's Blurb: Iceland is a land where stories are as important as history. When Vikings settled the island they brought their tales with them. Every rock, hot spring and waterfall seems to have its own tale: cruel man-eating trolls rub shoulders with beautiful elves whose homes are hidden from mortal view, whilst vengeful ghosts envy the living, seeking to drag lost loves into their graves. Many of the stories in this collection are classic Icelandic tales, while others are comp...

 Since I haven't done anything recently to generate new photos, I took a random spin back through the albums and picked a few of my husband's shots from 2012. They lean towards our trip to Hawaii, with a few other random outings. Dave was a very talented photographer and it would be a shame not to share his photos. Pa hoi hoi lava. Sure it's always sunny in Hawaii. Oceanside campsite. You think you're having a bad hair day? Tress in windy places can get a wee bit lopsided. From Sequoia/Kings Canyon: All photos were shot by Dave Dempsey. Rebecca M. Douglass, 2025 As always, please ask permission to use any photos or text. Link-backs appreciated. 
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If you're in the Portland area, here's your big chance to meet the author (me!) and pose those awkward questions you've been dying to ask. You know, like how much chocolate does it take to write a mystery novel, and why do characters in books so seldom need a lady's room? (Actually, that's one I'd like to know. Sometimes they just seem to hold it for days!) Come to the Words and Wine event at Hip Chicks Do Wine in Portland!   I'll be sharing a table with Ellen Jacobson, author of the hilarious Molly McGhie cozy sailing mysteries, the "Smitten by Travel" rom-com novels, and the new North Dakota library mysteries, so you'll get a two-fer! Other local authors will also be present, so there's sure to be something for everyone. Can't make this one? Look for me on June 29 at the NIWA (Northwest Independent Writers' Association) booth at Pride in the Park ( 4 975 SW Hall Blvd, Beaverton, OR , or on July 19 at the NW Book Fair ( 600 Hathewa...

I'm posting today with t he fantastic Marvelous Middle Grade Mondays blog hop hosted by Greg Pattridge of Always in the Middle . Check out Greg's blog for a list of additional middle grade reviews.  As often happens, I'm not sure how I chose this one. It might have been reviewed earlier by one of my fellow MMGM posters, or I might have just found it while browsing the library. It sat on my Kindle for quite a while before I got down to it. Title: Carry Me Home Author: Janet Fox Publication Info: 2021, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. 220 pages (Kindle Edition). Source: Library Publisher's Blurb : Twelve-year-old Lulu and her younger sister, Serena, have a secret. As Daddy always says, “it’s best if we keep it to ourselves,” and so they have. But hiding your past is one thing. Hiding where you live—and that your Daddy has gone missing—is harder. At first Lulu isn’t worried. Daddy has gone away once before and he came back. But as the days add up, ...

My brother set this challenge, based on something he saw in the grocery store... it's a very short flash, just over 250 words.  Harvest Time It wasn’t the farmer’s favorite job. At the end of the growing season, the crop had to be brought in, and it was… disconcerting. Right up to harvest time, the crop was a pleasure to tend. He liked it all, carefully managing the fields, not thinking about the end.   He looked out over the fields now, aware that harvest time was coming fast. There were certain unmistakable signs, a stillness that began to settle over the fields. One more day. Not for the first time, he wished he could pick the time. It was going to be unseasonably warm.   The next morning, the farmer check the crop and called out the harvest crew. Distributing the special rakes, he made the usual speech, with extra urgency.   “We have to work hard to get the harvest in before it spoils in this heat. You know the drill. Into the bin...