Kim McMahill

“There is nothing so American as our national parks. The scenery and the wildlife are native. The fundamental idea behind the parks is native. It is, in brief, that the country belongs to the people, that it is in process of making for the enrichment of the lives of all of us. The parks stand as the outward symbol of the great human principle.” Franklin D. Roosevelt (Photo: Grand Teton National Park)

In 2025, the National Park Service will waive entrance fees on six days. The next entrance fee-free day will be September 27, 2025, National Public Lands Day. The last free day in 2025 will be on Veteran’s Day, November 11. All National Park Service sites that charge an entrance fee will offer free admission to everyone. For more information visit https://www.nps.gov/planyourvisit/fee-free-parks.htm  (Photo: Theodore Roosevelt National Park)

Marked in Mexico is still one of my favorite novels and continues to be my best-seller. It has 97 ratings/reviews on Amazon with an average of 4.5. This romantic thriller is fast-paced, gripping, and steeped in danger, and will hopefully keep you turning pages long into the night. Here’s a short blurb. It’s available through most of the major online booksellers, including Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07PXLNWC9/ What begins as a dream vacation in the Caribbean turns into a nightmare when armed kidnappers seize tourists at one of Mexico’s most famous Mayan ruins. Their plan is simple—trade the hostages for the release of a jailed comrade in Texas. But when they discover their captives include the daughter of a powerful U.S. senator and a battle-hardened ex-Army Ranger, their scheme spirals out of control. Jessica never imagined her escape from paradise would leave her running for her life through the dense, unforgiving jungle. Jack has survived warzones before, and he refuse...

When something excites me, I tend to fixate on it. Since the first novel in The Beartooth Chronicles, Refuge from the World , came out, I’ve been so thrilled about the series and focused on getting it out there that I have neglected my backlist. I’ve had fifteen novels published (twelve of which are still in print) and the final novel in The Beartooth Chronicles, Winter Resurgence , is coming late fall 2025. So, starting with my next blog post I’ll randomly post a bit about my other novels until I’ve mentioned them all. I hope everyone will enjoy learning a bit about my other work. Thanks so much for your continued interest and support. It's been an exciting journey.

I hope everyone is enjoying the last remnants of summer. It went too fast, and my garden was a huge disappointment. On the upside, we did have some epic adventures. WRITING I’m waiting for the edits from my editor on the final novel in The Beartooth Chronicles, Winter Resurgence . I’m very excited about this story, but sad that the series will end. I will miss Ash, Caleb, and the rest of the resilient residents of Beartooth. I hope if you aren’t caught up on the series you will do so soon. WANDERINGS My husband and I spent most of July in Alaska. It was an incredible adventure involving trains, boats, float planes, and buses. We saw gorgeous scenery and lots of amazing wildlife. Here are a few of my favorite photos, and others have been included in the August 16 and 30 blog posts. WHAT I’M READING AND NOTABLE NOVELS I finished Burning Sky by John Darnton. It was a good dystopian novel, but it didn’t really have me on the edge of my seat. Next, I read The Darkest Winter: A ...

The vast and stunning landscapes are truly amazing. Here are a couple of my favorite photos from a recent trip.  

“Through travel I first became aware of the outside world; it was through travel that I found my own introspective way into becoming a part of it.”   Eudora Welty, One Writer's Beginnings