Kim McMahill

There are a number of significant dates in September and if you’re superstitious, watch out, there is a Friday the 13th this year. Here’s what’s on tap. September 2 – Labor Day and VJ Day, World War II September 8 – Grandparents Day September 11 – 911 Remembrance September 17 – Constitution Day September 21 – International Peace Day (UN) and Oktoberfest begins in Germany September 23 – Autumnal Equinox September 27 – Native American Day

The ninth short story in my Super Summer Shorts series is, A Recipe for Love: A Short Interracial Romance by Rose Fresquez. Recipe For Love is a romantic short story about an introverted computer programmer who finds love when he least expects it. Matt has always lived in the shadow of his popular, outgoing brother, Tim. For a guy who didn't enjoy social events, relationships—specifically romantic ones—didn't come easy for him. He’s content to spend his evenings alone at home, experimenting in his kitchen. Until a beautiful woman shows up at their door looking for Tim. Claire White is everything Matt’s ever wanted, and spending time with her seems like the perfect recipe to spice up Matt's life. But how can he make a play for her when his brother is dating her? And what chance would he have to win her if he’s competing against Tim's good looks and charm? Download your copy now for just $0.99 on Amazon here .

Sunday, August 25, 2019 is an entrance-fee-free-day in our National Parks. The National Park Service was created on August 25, 1916, when President Woodrow Wilson signed the National Park Service Act. Be sure to take advantage of this entrance-fee-free-day and c elebrate the National Park Service's 103rd birthday. The remaining entrance-fee-free days to keep in mind are as follows: Saturday, September 28 – National Public Lands Day Monday, November 11 – Veterans Day For more information visit https://www.nps.gov/planyourvisit/fee-free-parks.htm

The eighth short story in my Super Summer Shorts series is the second of three original fairy tale novelettes, The Tomato Quest, by D.G. Driver. Dash and Lillian are in love, but her wealthy father won’t permit them to be married because Dash is not a suitable match. He is nothing but the son of the family’s gardener. To be rid of the young man, Lillian’s father claims that the only way Dash could ever earn Lillian’s hand in marriage is to find his fortune in the time it takes a basket of fresh tomatoes to rot. Naturally, Sir Barrymore isn’t serious about this challenge, but Dash sees it as his only chance to win the hand of the woman he loves. He leaves immediately on a quest to find a way to complete this impossible task. Meanwhile, Lillian is doing her best to make her parents postpone her engagement to someone else in order to give Dash time to return. It is a whirlwind fairy tale adventure full of danger, cunning, magic, true love, and tomatoes. Learn more about this serie...

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”   - Mark Twain-

The seventh short story in my Super Summer Shorts series is, The Songs We Sing, by Kylie Key. He's older He's taken He's off limits He's my best friend's brother Download this Young Adult novella now for just $0.99 on Amazon here .

I love reading books in a series. A series gives the reader the opportunity to really get to know the characters on a personal level. We get to see the recurring protagonists and antagonists progress emotionally, evolve into better or worse people, and sometimes we even see them grow old. Even if the story is far outside our real lives, we still often connect to the characters as we share some of the same experiences—a challenge at work, a bully, a crisis of faith, a health issue, or relationship woes or wows. So, when is it time to let go? It depends on the series. I don’t think there is an easy answer, but there are a number of triggers. Has the storyline fizzled out, has the objective been achieved, or has the protagonist aged to the point that his or her heroics are no longer believable? I started my Risky Research Series with a clear vision of how the series would develop and end, but I’m starting to realize I may not be in total control. When, and if, FBI agent Devyn Nas...

The sixth short story in my Super Summer Shorts series is one of three original fairy tale novelettes titled, The Royal Deal, by D.G. Driver. A pampered princess is told she must marry a prince she doesn't like, let alone love, on her nineteenth birthday. Desperate to find a way to stop this arranged marriage, she makes a bargain with her father. If she can survive for three months in the forest with no help of any kind and return healthy and unharmed, then she can choose the man she will marry. The King accepts the wager, knowing he can't possibly lose. Princess Faith knows she must win this deal, but once she ventures into the forest, she has no idea how she can possibly succeed. You can learn more about this series at   www.dgdriver.com/chasing-the-romantics.html , or download for $0.99 (Free with Kindle Unlimited) now on Amazon here .

Rocky Mountain National Park is an amazing place. Just a short drive from Denver, Colorado, this Park is a wonderland of beautiful scenery, majestic wildlife, pleasant temperatures, and year-round snow. Some years the snow is limited to the highest peaks, but this year there was still plenty in mid-July within reach of some of the parking lots along Trail Ridge Road. Trail Ridge Road runs through the Park connecting Estes Park and Grand Lake, and is the highest continuous paved road in the United States reaching an elevation of 12,183 feet. If you want to traverse this stunning road and aren’t afraid of narrow, winding roads with minimal shoulders and dramatic plunges into green valleys, don’t delay. Due to the elevation this road is generally only open from around the first of June (though they aim for Memorial Day weekend) and closes around the end of September or first of October.

The fifth story in my Super Summer Shorts series is an inspirational historical WWII romance titled, Handmade Hearts .   Times were tough when Allen and Irene met by chance in New Orleans in late 1944. Allen was seriously wounded in the South Pacific as a young Marine and was using crutches to get around as best he could. He also had many inner wounds which needed time to heal. He had no way of knowing when they first met that Irene had suffered her own wartime tragedy. Irene bravely tried to keep her grief locked away deep inside because thinking about her loss caused her even more sorrow. Read how these kindred spirits made it through each day with inner fortitude, determination, and the sincere hope of something greater just over the horizon. Inspired by a true story . . . Download for just $0.99 (Free with Kindle Unlimited) on Amazon here . June McCrary Jacobs was the winner of Cedar Fort Publishing's 2013 Holiday Tale Contest for her debut novella, 'A Ho...

I am so pleased to welcome back to my blog, Gay N. Lewis. I was introduced to her work a number of years ago when I began reading her heart-warming Sarah Series, more about this below. If you enjoy Christian Romance and haven’t checked out her Sarah Series, please do. In the meantime, Gay has recently released a new novel, Family Secrets , a historical Christian romance. Here’s more about Gay and her latest novel. Dallas, Texas, 1975. A dark time in history but also a time of change. President Kennedy had been assassinated twelve years earlier. Although civil rights were revolutionizing, Dallas schools weren’t integrated until 1971. Rebecca Davis, a nurse, has suffered racial bigotry, and due to it, she hasn’t seen family in fifteen years. They hid secrets from her, and she won’t forgive them. Ever. A drunk man killed Marshall Donavan’s wife and baby. Marshall, a minister, can’t forgive the drunk and feels like a hypocrite to his church for preaching forgiveness. Sam Bra...