Rebecca M. Douglass, Author

    Welcome to Ronel Janse van Vuuren and her Irascible Immortals series!  To celebrate the release of a collection gathering this series of mini-novels in one volume, I've invited the author to talk to us about the structure of this set of stories, and to answer the question, “Why a collection of short works instead of a novel?” Here's Ronel's reply: I’ll do my best to answer this question without any spoilers about the plot. Climate Change has been something that’s affected my life personally the last couple of years with more heatwaves, floods and scary lightning storms without rain. I’ve also seen people acting really weird because of social situations, alcohol or the pandemic. And I wondered: What if several someones were behind all of this and what if it could be crazier? I wanted to showcase a different character in each situation, getting to know the world and other characters from a different perspective each time. As the tension build...

Big thanks to Sally Cronin for featuring one of my older posts at her Smorgasbord Blog Magazine . Drop over and see what she selected, and stick around to see what great posts she's found from other bloggers--you might find a new favorite to follow!

 Pop on over to IWSG Anthologies Blog and see what I have to say about writing, children's books, and a bit of this and that! Meanwhile, I'm in the wilderness once again. Heading into the Grand Canyon, having had some great fun in the slot canyons in the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. Peekaboo Canyon Approaching Harris Wash Proper National Park fashion for Ninjas! All images and text ©Rebecca M. Douglass, unless otherwise indicated. As always, please ask permission to use any photos or text. Link-backs appreciated!

We are delighted to be participating today in the Great Escapes Blog Tour for Mousse and Murder, by Elizabeth Logan! Mousse and Murder (An Alaskan Diner Mystery) Cozy Mystery 1st in Series Publisher: Berkley (May 5, 2020) Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages ISBN-10: 0593100441 ISBN-13: 978-0593100448 Kindle ASIN: B07WCZPZY7 Publisher's Blurb: A young chef might bite off more than she can chew when she returns to her Alaskan hometown to take over her parents’ diner in this charming first installment in a new cozy mystery series set in an Alaskan tourist town. When Chef Charlie Cooke is offered the chance to leave San Francisco and return home to Elkview, Alaska, to take over her mother’s diner, she doesn’t even consider saying no. After all–her love life has recently become a Love Life Crumble, and a chance to reconnect with her roots may be just what she needs.  Determined to bring fresh life and flavors to the Bear Claw Diner, Charlie starts planning changes to the menu, wh...

I’m delighted today to welcome author C. Lee McKenzie to my site to talk about her latest release, NOT GUILTY , as part of her MC Book Tour Blog adventure. After you find out more about this intriguing new YA book, and read some fun tips from the author herself, be sure to enter Lee’s giveaway featured below. * Not Guilty * by C. Lee McKenzie * Publication Date: October 25, 2019 * Genre: Young Adult        A blood-smeared knife. One young man’s word against another. A lifetime dream crushed.        The evidence points to Devon Carlyle. He was there when it happened. Everyone knows he had it in for Renzo Costa. And Costa says Devon was the one. In the judge’s rap of a gavel, Devon’s found guilty of assault. The star of the Oceanside High’s basketball team loses his shot at the one thing he’s worked so hard for—the championship game where college scouts could see how good he is.        Now he makes his great shots in Juvenile Hal...

Today, while I'm busy with visiting my family, Young Adult author Ronel Janse van Vuuren has come by to offer some thoughts on the special pleasures of the novella. Ronel is the author of Once... Tales, Myths and Legends of Faerie; Dark Desires, The Fae Realm, and more, including her latest release, Magic at Midnight. Power of Novellas When you ask someone how they are, the standard answer has become: “I’ve been incredibly busy!” “Busy”. That seems to be what we all are at any given moment. Work, children, relationships, hobbies, exercise – we are kept quite busy. Unexpected things happen and we have to somehow fit it into our busy lives. There are ways to be less busy, of course. Hiring someone to do your laundry/clean your house/cook your meals/take care of your garden/chauffeur the children/pick up your dry cleaning/answer your emails: the list is endless on how you can outsource the stuff that eats up you time. Freeing you to do more work. To be more “busy”. But we need to take...

I'm happy today to be promoting Ronel Janse van Vuuren's YA novella, Dark Desires. Title: Dark Desires Author: Ronel Janse van Vuuren Publication Info: June, 2019. 5000 novella Publisher's Blurb:  Iron and fae aren’t friends. But Tasha has no choice but to be in the human realm: her very life is at stake. High School isn’t much safer than Faerie, though. Cliques, falling in love and navigating day-to-day activities are dangerous enough without the added dread of being unmasked as being otherworldly. But when something happens and everyone reveals their true selves, Tasha has a choice to make: will she save them from the curse upon them and reveal her true nature, or will she let them die and stay safe?   My Review: Ronel was kind enough to send me an electronic copy of the book to review, and at 5000 words I was able to find the time for it (longer works are causing me trouble, so this was perfect!). Dark Desires is a YA romance, which puts it rather out of my usual area, ...

  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...