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HAPPY READING!

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  WELCOME TO MY BLOG! Life is dynamic, so I’ve decided to forgo a website and focus on my blog. Along with regular blog posts, I can provide all of the information typically found on a website (see pages on the left sidebar), including book blurbs, links, a little bit about me, and ways to connect all in one stop. To sign up for occasional updates via email or monthly newsletters, use the contact form on the bottom left side of this page with “Sign me up for updates” in the message block.

#Dystopian Novel Released

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Dystopian novels are set in an imagined world or society in the future after something terrible has happened such as war or environmental collapse. A dystopian society is characterized by human suffering and misery where people live in an unfair society where they are often dehumanized and lead fearful existences. At some point the oppressed rebel and try to gain control of their lives. I’ve written in the dystopian genre before, but The Beartooth Chronicles is my first series, and I’ve approached the topic somewhat differently than my other novel where teens were trying to escape an oppressive American government (Deadly Exodus). In The Beartooth Chronicles, a group of individuals left society decades before the world’s environmental crisis reached epic proportions, and the U.S. was still moderately functional. They built a sustainable society on a remote mountaintop that became cut off from the rest of the country after earthquakes, flooding, erosion, and tectonic shifting destro

St. Patrick's Day Blessing

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  Here’s an Irish Blessing for you. Have a great St. Patrick’s Day! May the Irish hills caress you. May her lakes and rivers bless you. May the luck of the Irish enfold you. May the blessings of Saint Patrick behold you.  May there always be work for your hands to do, May your purse always hold a coin or two. May the sun always shine warm on your windowpane, May a rainbow be certain to follow each rain. May the hand of a friend always be near you, And may God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you.

Refuge from the World #NewRelease

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Refuge from the World , the first novel in The Beartooth Chronicles is available for pre-order and will be released on March 19, 2024. The Beartooth Chronicles follows the lives of the residents of a small mountaintop community as they struggle to find solutions to the problems threatening their survival. For twenty-five years, Beartooth’s isolated location has insulated it from the problems besieging the rest of the country and the world. As environmental disasters multiply, bringing out the worst in humanity, the residents of Beartooth must work together to protect the life they have built, and to hold on to their joy and hope for the future. In book one, Refuge from the World , you’ll meet many of the residents of Beartooth, including Ashley McPhee and Caleb Solomon. Even though they have known each other most of their lives, Ash and Caleb’s relationship changes dramatically in a short period of time. As they leave school behind, they realize that life is changing, and their g

#MARCH 2024 #Newsletter – Welcome Spring!

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  Even though Wyoming and Montana often get a lot of snow in March, I’m still excited when this month arrives. Daylight savings time begins on March 10, 2024, giving us instantly another hour of daylight in the evening. Spring kicks off on March 19, 2024 with the Spring Equinox. On this day, the sun’s rays shine on the equator, giving us twelve hours of sunlight. I love the light, and even if it snows in March, I know warmer temperatures are just around the corner. WRITING NOTES AND NEWS Refuge from the World (The Beartooth Chronicles, book 1) is scheduled to be released later this month, hopefully by March 19, 2024. See the publishers “coming soon” page for more on this book and updates on its release at  https://www.fireandiceya.com/authors/kimmcmahill/bear1.html The next novel in the series, Above the Abyss (The Beartooth Chronicles, book 2) will be released in June or July, with the next two novels in the series to be released every four to five months thereafter. So, if you l

For the Love of #Travel

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I love to travel, to see the world, to learn about other cultures. But there is so much more to travel than beaches, pretty scenery, or exciting activities, it’s also about changing the way we see the world and our place in it. On one of my favorite PBS travel shows, the host closes each episode with the following quote. It struck a chord with me, so I have part of the quote in my blog header. Here is the rest.    “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime.” Innocents Abroad, Mark Twain

#FEBRUARY 2024 #Newsletter – Happy Valentines Day!

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I hope everyone is finding love this month, in person or between the pages of a great book. And, speaking of love and books, the first novel in my new dystopian series is finally here. Along with action, adventure, and a look at our society in the future, the beginning of an enduring loves story unfolds (more under writing Notes and News). As I mentioned in the January Newsletter, I embarked on an amazing whale watching adventure to San Ignacio Lagoon in Mexico. The protected lagoon provides a perfect habitat for Pacific gray whales to breed and calve. The whales in this sanctuary are curious, and the numbers of tour boats are limited, which allowed us to see the whales up close. It was a humbling experience to interact with these gentle giants. It was a trip of a lifetime.   WRITING NOTES AND NEWS Refuge from the World (The Beartooth Chronicles, Book 1) is scheduled to be released later this month. The plan is for the next three novels in the series to be released every four to

For the Love of Fiction

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The Merriam Webster definition of fiction is, “something invented by the imagination or feigned; specifically: an invented story.” To me this means that fiction is limited only by the author’s imagination. As long as the story conveys its intended message and entertains the reader, almost anything goes. One of my favorite movies is, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. This story is riddled with implausible and unrealistic scenes, but to me it doesn’t matter—it makes me laugh, it makes me smile, it reminds me to live life, just don’t sit around and dream about what’s out there. So, the next time you pick up a novel go all in. Don’t worry about if something can really happen, just relax your mind and let yourself be entertained.