Kim McMahill

I seldom make New Year’s resolutions, because let’s face it, if we had the discipline to follow through we would have done it by now. That’s not to say that goals are pointless, just make sure they are reasonable. For example, instead of vowing to lose 20 pounds maybe just commit to eating healthier and exercising more. That’s doable. Most of all, though, enjoy the holiday and cast off all the disappointments of 2017 and attack 2018 with a positive attitude. I hope as a country we can be more caring and empathetic to each other in the coming year and leave some of the toxic rhetoric behind and rediscover all the goodness that made this country great

Sadly, I didn’t see any monsters, but that didn’t diminish the feel of this area. The Urquhart Castle ruins, dating back to the 13 th century, stand majestically on a cliff on the banks of the famous lake offering stunning views and a trip back in time.

I hope everyone has a very special Christmas filled with friendship, love, and happiness. Christmas can be stressful, but it shouldn’t be. Throw your worries to the wind and enjoy time with family and friends, and remember the reason for the season. Best wishes for a joyful holiday season

The winter Solstice falls on December 21 this year, which marks the beginning of winter. It is the shortest day of the year, and on this date at the North Pole the sun never rises. As a sun-lover I always take note of the winter Solstice since every day thereafter, the days get imperceptibly longer until the summer Solstice. So, don’t lament the short day, celebrate the fact that it only gets better from here. Happy Solstice!

Trinidad, located in central Cuba, is the country’s best preserved colonial town. T he old part of Trinidad has been a UNESCO heritage site since 1988 . Its neo-baroque main square, Plaza Mayor, is surrounded by grand colonial buildings and rough cobblestone streets. It’s a bit out of the way from Cuba’s two major ports, Cienfuegos and Havana, but worth a visit.

Cienfuegos is located on Bahía de Cienfuegos, a bay on Cuba’s south coast. It's known for its colonial-era buildings. In this city of approximately 150,000 you’ll see quite a few of the classic American cars the country is known driving down cobblestone streets alongside horse-drawn carts. It’s an interesting city for anyone wishing to venture away from Havana.

On a recent trip to Key West I was pleased to see few signs of Hurricane Irma’s passing. The town did not take a direct hit and fared better than I had expected. There were a few uprooted trees here and there and one house we saw was pretty much totaled by a very large tree which had blown over on its roof. The most significant signs of the recent storm were the wrecked boats which had been hauled ashore and a number of boats that had been blown up onto the beaches or shallows of nearby islands. All-in-all, Key West was as beautiful and vibrant as ever.

I don’t have a date for the release of A Foundation of Fear yet, though I believe it will be late winter or early spring 2018. It’s difficult not to get excited once the cover design is complete, so I ordered bookmarks that cover the entire Risky Research Series and thought I’d share those with everyone. So, if you haven’t read A Dose of Danger (book 1) or A Taste of Tragedy (book 2), I hope you will before the third novel in the series is released. Thanks! Click on either book title to be taken directly to the books page on Amazon.

Es complicado . You hear that a lot in Cuba and it’s a pretty accurate assessment of the culture and politics of this country. The streets in the major cities are filled with brightly colored classic American cars, but under the hood many have a mismatched assortment of replacement parts, including engines, that are everything but American. From the smallest village to Havana you’ll also see an eclectic mix of horse drawn conveyances. The colonial architecture is abundant and beautiful, but most buildings are in a severe state of disrepair with no funds available for restoration. The locals I visited with touted their free health care and education. The literacy rate in Cuba far surpasses most other countries in the region. In some respects, I looked around and thought that life is much better than we’ve been led to believe. Then I remind myself of the lives lost trying to cross a hundred miles of open ocean to reach Florida, so life, at least for some, is not good. It’s clear that t...

Please join me in welcoming Christine Schimpf to my blog. I’m excited to share with everyone a little more about Christine and her upcoming Christmas novel, A Christmas Kind of Perfect . Why is A Christmas Kind of Perfect a must read this Christmas season? The story is set in the quaint village of Sister Bay in Door County, Wisconsin. The Christmas season blankets the village, bringing back to life old memories for Lila and Conrad. But the hurt between them runs deep and the hope for forgiveness feels elusive. The story brings to light how easy mistakes turn into regret and how difficult it is to make things right after they went so wrong. How much of real life is in this book? I’m sure you’ve heard the saying, “Write what you know.” For a long time, I thought that meant write what you read but for me, I read everything from mystery, to supernatural thrillers to historicals. I now understand that advice to mean write what you’ve experienced in this life and maybe that’s...

Christmas pretty much overshadows all the other mentionable days in the month of December, but there are a number of significant and silly days in the month to take note of. Here are just a few.  Advent Begins – December 3 Pearl Harbor Day – December 7 Poinsettia Day – December 12 Winter Solstice – December 21 Boxing Day – December 26 National Fruitcake Day – December 27 New Year’s Eve – December 31

If you’re looking for a great read, check out this Holiday Gift Guide for some excellent options

St. Peter Port on Guernsey Island is a small seaside village. Although its visitor center and friendly locals made this a tourist-friendly place to visit, it didn’t feel overly touristy. The majority of the businesses where what you would expect in any town, clothing shops, hair salons, restaurants, book stores, and the like. The streets were not dominated by souvenir shops, which made this village all the more interesting to visit.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving and has the opportunity to celebrate with family and friends. For a twist on the traditional Thanksgiving pumpkin pie, I often make pumpkin cheesecake. If you want to give it a whirl this year, here’s my favorite recipe. Enjoy and have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday.   PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE Crust : Crush 10 whole graham crackers and mix with 3 tablespoons of sugar and 3 tablespoons of butter. Press into a 10 inch cheesecake spring pan (bottom and 2 inches up the sides). Bake at 350 degrees for 5 minutes. Remove. Filling : Beat together until smooth, 2 (8-oz) packages of cream cheese (works best if softened), 1 cup of light cream, 1 cup of canned pumpkin, ¾ cup of sugar, 4 egg yolks (save whites in a separate bowl), 3 tablespoons of flour, 1 teaspoon of vanilla, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, ½ teaspoon each of ginger, nutmeg, and salt. Beat egg whites until stiff and gently fold into the pumpkin mixture. Pour over prepared crust a...

No trip to Edinburgh would be complete without a trip to the city’s famous castle. The imposing fortress stands guard over the rest of the city below. Leading away from the castle is the famous Royal Mile lined with shops and pubs galore. A person could spend an entire day wandering this historic street its hidden closes. 

Fishing stories, the concept has become synonymous with exaggeration. No harm is ever intended, but after countless retelling the story often morphs into something much more interesting and exciting than the original. The two-pound fish that took several minutes to reel in eventually evolves into an eight-pound monster which battled valiantly for half an hour before succumbing to your superior skill. This is how many of my real-life adventures have infiltrated my adventure and romantic suspense novels. I’ve explored numerous Mayan ruins tucked into steamy bug-infested jungles in several countries, yet I’ve always managed to avoid ruthless kidnappers; I’ve pondered the current of the Rio Grande, sticking my toe in to test the waters, but have suppressed the urge to jump into the churning mud and attempt an illegal border crossing; and I have ridden horseback down a terrifyingly steep slope while I clutched the horn with all my might and scenes from Man From Snowy River flashed thr...

Carlene Havel writes historical stories set in Biblical times.  Today she’s sharing some background on the creation of her latest release, “ Song of the Shepard Woman ”. One of the questions I’m asked most often about writing books is, “Where do you get your ideas?”  The short answer is I don’t know. Thoughts bubble and coalesce around a theme, and the plot for another story begins to form—at least that’s the process for me.  My latest release, “Song of the Shepherd Woman” began at Christmastime, although it’s not a Christmas story per se. As I read through the familiar verses from the second chapter of Luke, the shepherds abiding in the fields captured my imagination.  How amazed they were to receive Christ’s birth announcement from an angelic choir.  What joy and hope they must have felt as they ran to the stable in Bethlehem. How did others react to their story afterwards? Was it possible people thought the shepherds drank too much wine? Or simply fabr...

The last chance in 2017 to enter your National Parks for free is Veteran's Day Weekend, November 11-12 . Hopefully the roads in your favorite park are still open for the season. F or more information about fee-free days visit https://www.nps.gov/planyourvisit/fee-free-parks.htm

This small village is located on the south bank of the Clyde River where it expands into the Firth of Clyde. Greenock is small, but its people are friendly and it’s a great place to start discovering the nuances of Scotch.  

There’s a lot going on in November. To make sure you don’t miss any of the fun, make sure you change your clocks for Daylight Savings time on November 5. Here are a few more dates to keep in mind. U.S. General Election Day – November 5 Veteran’s Day – November 11 Caregiver Appreciation Day – November 13 Great American Smoteout – November 16 Universal Children’s Day – November 21 Thanksgiving Day – November 23

I hope everyone has a fun and safe Halloween! Enjoy the holiday and my favorite Farside cartoon.

For those who are already following my author Facebook page or who have “liked” it, thank you. It you haven’t checked it out, please do. The content is more current, concise, personal, and as with all Facebook content, as interactive as you like.   https://www.facebook.com/KimMcMahillAuthor/

Dublin is an amazing city. Aside from a visit to the Guinness Storehouse for a pint of their famous “black stuff,” there is so much to do and see that I’m not sure how much time a person would have to spend to take it all in. From wandering the lively streets to absorbing the ambiance of Trinity College, Dublin has something for everyone.

I always like to pass on information about contests and other freebies, especially when one of the ebooks to be given away is my very own novel, A Taste of Tragedy. Each month Constance Bretes puts out a newsletter and hosts an ebook giveaway on her blog. Go to  http://www.constancebretes.com/news--things.html for more information and to enter. The giveaway runs October 4 – 31. Good Luck!

Kinsale is a picturesque seaside village with a lot of history. Ruins of forts guard the entrance to the bay. On a non-rainy, there are few places more idyllic for a stroll.

The third novel in my Risky  Research  series, A Foundation of Fear , is in the editing phase and I don't have a release date yet. In this novel we'll learn that even the most deadly assassin has plenty to fear. If you haven’t read the first two books in the series I hope you will do so before the third is released. The Risky Research series explores how far a deadly group will go to control a diet product industry worth billions, and the lengths two dedicated FBI agents will go to stop them. The first in the series, A Dose of Danger , is set mostly where I grew up in Wyoming. The story begins when a researcher and her team discover a possible solution for weight loss. Her unsanctioned testing methods bring tragedy to the family ranch and the attention of the local sheriff’s deputy. With her colleagues either dead, missing, or on the run she must trust the deputy with her life, but can she trust him with her heart. In the second book, A Taste of Tragedy , a corporate e...

Blarney Castle is one of those must-see sites if visiting Cork, Ireland. The castle ruins aren’t much, but the tradition of kissing the Blarney Stone has made the castle a pilgrimage site to many. Most Irish we talked to knew where the Blarney Stone came from, but weren’t as confident on where the practice of kissing the stone came from. Aside from the castle and the stone, however, the grounds are amazing and worth a visit.

I’m pleased to welcome Kimberly Miller to my blog. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, their two children, and a cat who barely tolerates them. By day, Kimberly teaches film and writing courses, but at night she enjoys reading, watching movies, making jewelry, and baking and eating desserts that mainly consist of chocolate. Kimberly has recently released her debut novel, Picking Daisy . I’ve included a blurb and excerpt below for her highly rated clean romance novel. I hope you will check out her new release. You can learn more about Kimberly on her website at http://millerkm.weebly.com/  or at her blog https://kimberlymmiller.wordpress.com/ . Click here   or on the book title above to be taken directly to her novel on Amazon. Blurb: Daisy Parker isn’t the woman that rock star Robby Grant would have imagined himself falling for. She’s soft-spoken, sweet, and lives by a strange code the struggling musician is recognizing as Biblical. And he’s helpless again...

Shrouded In Secrets is an archeological thriller that takes the reader on a wild ride around the globe, from Egypt, Mexico, Argentina, Peru, and more. The premise of this story revolves around thirteen mythical crystal skulls. The skulls in actual existence have always been surrounded with speculation, uncertainty, and legend, though most recently experts are leaning toward the relics not being truly ancient. No matter what the truth is concerning the skulls the myths surrounding them have made great fodder for fiction and an extreme adventure. Click on the book title to be taken directly to Amazon.

BigHorn Storm is a contemporary western romantic thriller set in Wyoming. I’ve always kind of thought of it as a modern-day Red Dawn on horseback with adults. I grew up on horseback and one of the most dramatic horseback escapes in the book is an embellishment on a teenage memory while helping out on a cattle drive. Storm is based on a horse from my childhood and the Bighorn National Forest is truly as beautiful and extreme as the story depicts. Click on the book title to be taken directly to Amazon. #Wyoming

There’s a lot happening in October, including one of those infamous “Friday the Thirteenth” days (if you are superstitious). Here’s a few other special days to keep in mind. International Day for the Elderly, October 1 World Smile Day, October 6 (first Friday of the Month) Columbus Day, October 9 (second Monday of the Month) Thanksgiving Day in Canada, October 9 Boss’s Day, October 16 Sweetest Day, October 21 (third Saturday of the Month) United Nations Day, October 24 Make a Difference Day, October 28 (fourth Saturday of the Month) Halloween, October 31

During 2017 ten days were set aside as free admission days into all National Park Service sites that charge an entrance fee. We’re down to the last two for 2017, so don’t miss out on this opportunity. The final free days will be on September 30,   National Public Lands Day, and N ovember 11-12,   Veterans Day   Weekend. For more information visit https://www.nps.gov/planyourvisit/fee-free-parks.htm

“We travel, initially, to lose ourselves; and we travel, next to find ourselves. We travel to open our hearts and eyes and learn more about the world than our newspapers will accommodate. We travel to bring what little we can, in our ignorance and knowledge, to those parts of the globe whose riches are differently dispersed. And we travel, in essence, to become young fools again- to slow time down and get taken in, and fall in love once more.”  Pico Iyer

Deadly Exodus takes place in New Mexico and Texas, culminating in a harrowing attempt to cross the border into Mexico. Yes, you read correctly, the characters are trying to escape into Mexico. Deadly Exodus is a gritty dystopian thriller, but don’t panic if you’re not into sci-fi. The technology in the book is currently available, though not in mainstream use. As with most of my books, it is an adventure with plenty of suspense, but also has a forbidden romance. Is the government becoming too powerful to challenge? Click on the book title to be taken directly to Amazon.

“To move, to breathe, to fly, to float, To gain all while you give, To roam the roads of lands remote, To travel is to live.”  Hans Christian Andersen ,  The Fairy Tale of My Life: An Autobiography

Marked In Mexico , my fourth novel and first published by Prism Book Group, continues to hold a special place in my heart and it continues to be one of my best sellers. Marked in Mexico is pure adventure with a healthy dose of romantic suspense. In the story the characters are inadvertently thrust into a deadly situation where they are forced to fight for survival in the remote jungles of Mexico. Throughout their shared struggles they forge a bond that will last a life time. The action takes off in earnest at the magnificent Mayan ruins of Chichén Itzá on Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula, a place I’ve visited often. Click on the book title to be directed to Amazon.

“But that's the glory of foreign travel, as far as I am concerned. I don't want to know what people are talking about. I can't think of anything that excites a greater sense of childlike wonder than to be in a country where you are ignorant of almost everything. Suddenly you are five years old again. You can't read anything, you have only the most rudimentary sense of how things work, you can't even reliably cross a street without endangering your life. Your whole existence becomes a series of interesting guesses.”  Bill Bryson ,  Neither Here nor There: Travels in Europe