Kim McMahill

I hope everyone finished out 2021 on a positive note, and that 2022 will be even better. Best wishes for a new year. Here are a few dates of note coming up this month. January 1 - New Year's Day January 3 - Feast of the Epiphany- Three Kings Day  January 4 -Trivia Day January 5 - National Bird Day January 10 - Houseplant Appreciation Day January 18 - Martin Luther King's Birthday  January 25 - Opposite Day January 26 - Australia Day

Congratulations to Margot and Cassandra!  Thank you to everyone who participated in the "If at First" CD giveaway. I hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday season and will continue to follow me in 2022.

Here’s wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and a happy holiday. No matter how you chose to celebrate the season, I hope it is a joyous time for all.

A Measure of Madness is a N.N. Light Book Award winner for 2021. I’m very excited to receive this honor. Thank you to everyone who has read the Risky Research Series. I hope you found (or will find) this fourth installment in the series up to its award-winning designation. You can find a complete list of all winners at https://www.nnlightsbookheaven.com/post/2021-award-winners . If you wish to check out this novel or any of the other books in the series , including the two free series prequel short stories, visit your favorite online book retailer, or shop Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/s?k=kim+mcmahill&i=stripbooks&ref=nb_sb_noss

Last summer my publisher ran a series of promotions where they gave away themed CDs with an assortment of books. One of the CDs, If at First , contains the first novel of a series for thirteen different series in three formats for each story so it can be enjoyed on almost any device. The first novel in my Risky Research Series, A Dose of Danger, is included on the CD. Anyway, I have a couple I’d like to give away. Enter via the rafflecopter below (contact information will NEVER be shared). Two winners will be selected at random. The giveaway closes at midnight (MST) December 20, 2021. The two winners will be contacted via email by December 22, 2021. CDs shipped to U.S. addresses only. Good Luck! Thank you for participating. a Rafflecopter giveaway

Here are the holidays and other December days to remember. I hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday season. December 7 - Pearl Harbor Day December 12 - Poinsettia Day December 21 - Winter Solstice (shortest day of the year) December 25 - Christmas December 26 - Boxing Day and Kwanzaa December 27 - National Fruitcake Day December 31 - New Year's Eve

Book Reviews serve a variety of purposes and are very important to readers and writers. Reviews help other readers choose books. An articulate review provides information about a book that a marketing blurb may not, and a vast majority of Kindle readers rely heavily on reviews before making an online purchase.  Book sales and book reviews play into a bookseller’s algorithm. The more sales and reviews a book gets, the higher its ranking will be on the bookseller’s site, which provides more exposure for a book and its author. Additionally, more reviews may get authors noticed by book clubs, blogging communities, book review sites, and other promotional venues.  Lastly, many authors do read reviews and may find helpful feedback in articulate reviews to improve their craft. For example, saying “I hated the book” isn’t helpful, but explaining that you’re not fond of a book because it was written in first person and you prefer third, you find multiple points of view confusing, there...

I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving. I’m not a huge fan of pumpkin pies, so as I do most years, I share my version of the holiday dessert, pumpkin cheesecake. I hope you enjoy the cheesecake, if you choose to give it a try, and the 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 and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Baking times vary, so make sure the center is...

For those of you who like to add a little excitement to your day by listening to action-packed adventure and romantic suspense novels, many of my books are available in audio book through Amazon Audible including Marked in Mexico, Shrouded in Secrets , A Dose of Danger . A Dose of Danger, and A Taste of Tragedy. I hope you’ll check them out. Here are the blurbs. Click on the book title, and the link will take you to each book’s page on Amazon. Enjoy!   A Dose of Danger :   When researcher Grace Talbot and her team discover a possible solution for weight loss they are targeted by a group dedicated to controlling the multi-billion dollar a year diet-product industry. 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 soon realizes she must trust the deputy with her life, but can she trust him with her heart? (Risky Research Series Book 1).  ...

In 2021, the National Park Service has six entrance fee-free days where all National Park Service sites that charge an entrance fee will offer free admission to everyone. The last fee-free day in 2021 is November 11, Veterans Day. Get out and enjoy your parks and say a special thank you to all Veterans and their families for their service and sacrifice. For more information visit https://www.nps.gov/planyourvisit/fee-free-parks.htm

Here are the days to keep in mind for November.   November 1 - All Saint's Day November 1-2 - Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) November 2 - All Soul's Day and U.S. General Election Day November 7 - Daylight Savings time ends (turn clocks back an hour) November 11 - Veteran's Day November 13 - Caregiver Appreciation Day November 18 - Great American Smokeout  November 20 - Universal Children's Day November 25 - Thanksgiving Day  November 26 - Black Friday November 28 - Advent begins

I hope everyone has a happy and safe Halloween. Here is a  cartoon to hopefully give you a chuckle.      

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 quote in my blog header. It struck a chord with me. Here is the complete quote.     “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

A Measure of Madness came out in ebook in April and is now also available in paperback. In this fourth installment of the Risky Research series, FBI agent Devyn Nash's pursuit of a deadly organization heats up in South America, leaving them nowhere to hide. Order your copy at https://www.amazon.com/Measure-Madness-Risky-Research/dp/1522399011/ .  

  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 "Newsletter Signup" form in the left sidebar (computer) or access through the "hamburger" button on your phone.

  Here are the holidays and a few other days to note in October.   October 1- International Day for the Elderly and World Smile Day October 3 - Oktoberfest ends in Germany October 11 - Columbus Day, Indigenous People Day, and Thanksgiving Day in Canada October 15 - Boss's Day  October 16 - Sweetest Day October 23 - Make a Difference Day  October 24 - United Nations Day October 31 - Halloween

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 or in the case of my romantic suspense and adventure novels, 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.

September 21 is designated as International Peace Day. It was created by a vote of the United Nations General Assembly in 1981. This day is dedicated to establishing and promoting World peace, and is celebrated by countries around the world. It often seems that international peace is an impossible goal, but I hope that on this day the world can pause for a moment and consider how wonderful the prospect could be and ponder how we can achieve such a lofty goal.

On September 17, 1787, the Constitutional Congress of the United States of America held its final meeting to sign the Constitution of the United States of America. After the meeting, individual states still had to meet and vote on it. The U.S. Constitution did not go into effect until two years later on March 4, 1789. So, September 17 of each year is recognized as Constitution Day.

“Walk with the dreamers, the believers, the courageous, the cheerful, the planners, the doers, the successful people with their heads in the clouds and their feet on the ground. Let their spirit ignite a fire within you to leave this world better than when you found it...”  Wilferd Peterson

I recently had the opportunity to visit Iceland. This stunning country is blessed with so much natural beauty. We started in Reykjavik, which is the capitol and largest city in the country, and spent several days exploring the city. Outside of Reykjavik, we visited the magnificent Gullfoss Falls, a thermal area with steaming pools and erupting geyser, and stood in the gap of two diverging tectonic plates.   From Reykjavik, circumvented this island nation. Each part of the country was beautiful and held its own special treasures, but one of our favorites was the northern coast, specifically, the town of Akureyri. This charming town provided a convenient jumping off point to visit the stunning Goðafoss Falls and the well preserved Laufas Turf Houses. The town itself was a gem. It had a pedestrian street lined with quaint shops, a stunning church, amazing botanical gardens, and great views of the fjord.   We feel very fortunate to have been able to take this trip during ...

This month recognizes some important moments in our history and important people in our lives, grandparents. Here are those special days.   September 2 - VJ Day, WWII September 6 - Labor Day September 11 - 911 Remembrance September 12 - Grandparents Day September 17 - Constitution Day September 21 - International Peace Day (UN) September 22 - Autumnal Equinox 

I didn’t think there could possibly be anything left to see in the Big Horn Basin that I hadn’t already seen, but I was wrong. A friend mentioned the Gooseberry Badlands, so we decided to check it out. The geology was definitely interesting and the short hike was a worthwhile stop. It turned out to be a fun part of a great day of exploring.

In 2021 the National Park Service has six entrance fee-free days where all National Park Service sites that charge an entrance fee will offer free admission to everyone. The next  fee-free day is  August 25, in celebration of the National Park Service’s birthday. Be sure to get out and enjoy your favorite National Park or discover something new for free. The remaining fee-free days in 2021 are September 25 (National Public Lands Day) and November 11 (Veterans Day). For more information visit https://www.nps.gov/planyourvisit/fee-free-parks.htm

I’ve never been to Bhutan, but I’ve always dreamed of visiting this landlocked country nestled in the Himalayas. One of the most intriguing aspects of this country is the idea of Gross National Happiness. The core philosophy behind the concept of Gross National Happiness is to enable development while promoting the attainment of happiness. The four main pillars of Gross National Happiness are equitable and equal socio-economic development; preservation and promotion of cultural and spiritual heritage; conservation of environment; and good governance which are interwoven, complementary, and consistent.   Most people have probably heard about Bhutan’s development philosophy of Gross National Happiness. The concept that the pursuit of prosperity doesn’t necessarily equate to happiness or the protection of the environment may seem crazy to some, but to me it sounds like a noble goal to strive towards. If you’re curious, check out http://www.tourism.gov.bt/about-bhutan/Gross-Nation...

“Adventure begins with you, personally. It is in the way you look at things. It is the mental stance you take as you face your day. It is finding magic in things. It is talking with people and discovering their inner goodness. It is the thrill of feeling a part of the life around you. The attitude of adventure will open things up for you. The world will become alive with new zest and meaning. You'll become more aware of the beauty everywhere. Nothing will seem unimportant. Everything will be revealed as having pattern and purpose.”  Wilferd Peterson

  A Measure of Madness, the fourth installment in the Risky Research Series, can be downloaded from Amazon at  https://www.amazon.com/Measure-Madness-Risky-Research-ebook/dp/B08TX7C1BZ/ .   Not sure about trying a new series? Download a free copy of Midnight in Montana, a prequel micro-read for the series at  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08YZ53XKJ .

I’ve recently had an amazing opportunity to visit Iceland. It is a stunning country with so much natural beauty that photos cannot do it justice. It was also greener and warmer than I expected. While there, we had about twenty hours of daylight to allow for long days of exploration. Iceland is a fascinating land of unparalleled beauty, created and shaped by volcanoes, glaciers, and the countless waterfalls that occur as a result of winter snow and glacial melt. I’ve always dreamed of visiting the land of fire and ice and it exceeded my expectations.     

In 2021 the National Park Service has six entrance fee-free days where all National Park Service sites that charge an entrance fee will offer free admission to everyone. August 4 is one such day in celebration of the one-year anniversary of the Great American Outdoors Act. Be sure to get out and enjoy your favorite National Park for free. The remaining free days are listed below. For more information visit https://www.nps.gov/planyourvisit/fee-free-parks.htm   August 25: National Park Service Birthday September 25: National Public Lands Day November 11: Veterans Day 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

There aren’t any major holidays in August this year, but here are the fun designated days for August. I guess nothing says summer like a toasted marshmallow since it has two designated days. I hope everyone is toasting marshmallows and enjoying summer since it is quickly slipping away. Get out and take advantage of it while you can!   August 1- National Mountain Climbing Day August 3 - National Watermelon Day August 10 - National S'mores Day August 12 & 13 - Perseid Meteor Shower - peak dates vary August 13 - Left Hander's Day August 14 - V-J Day August 28 - Stuffed Green Bell Peppers Day August 30 - National Marshmallow Toasting Day

“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

  I hope you will try A Measure of Madness, the fourth installment in the Risky Research Series. Download your copy today at https://www.amazon.com/Measure-Madness-Risky-Research-ebook/dp/B08TX7C1BZ/ . Not sure about trying a new series? Download a free copy of Midnight in Montana, a prequel micro-read for the series at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08YZ53XKJ .

"We stand now where two roads diverge. But unlike the roads in Robert Frost's familiar poem, they are not equally fair. The road we have long been traveling is deceptively easy, a smooth superhighway on which we progress with great speed, but at its end lies disaster. The other fork of the road / the one less traveled by / offers our last, our only chance to reach a destination that assures the preservation of the earth."  -  Rachel Carson  

In my continuing effort to give readers a look into A Measure of Madness, I thought I'd post another excerpt. Here’s a glimpse of some of the action unfolding in Brazil. Devyn did as ordered as tears streamed down her checks. She felt like a coward running, but knew it was retreat or die. Bullets rained around her as she ran in a zig-zag pattern, trying to avoid being hit. She had almost reached the truck when a bullet grazed her ankle, sending her tumbling to the ground. She scrambled to her feet. Fueled with adrenaline, she ignored the pain as she hobbled the last twenty feet to the truck. As Sofia’s arm lowered, J.R. walked toward her. He knelt on the ground and placed his lips to hers for a long and tender moment. He then slowly rose to his feet and pointed the gun at Sofia. Devyn couldn’t watch. She threw the truck into reverse and hit the gas. The truck’s tire’s spun and skidded on the dirt and gravel as she raced backwards until she reached a spot wide enough to turn...

“Wilderness is not a luxury but a necessity of the human spirit, and as vital to our lives as water and good bread. A civilization which destroys what little remains of the wild, the spare, the original, is cutting itself off from its origins and betraying the principle of civilization itself.” Edward Abbey

“A man practices the art of adventure when he heroically faces up to life. When he has the daring to open doors to new experiences. When he is unafraid of new ideas, new theories and new philosophies. When he has the curiosity to experiment. When he breaks the chain of routine.”  Wilferd Peterson

Thomas Jefferson led a committee that crafted the Declaration of Independence. On July 4, 1776 Jefferson and representatives from the thirteen colonies voted and approved it.   The Declaration of Independence declared our independence from British rule, but it took winning the Revolutionary War to assure the existence and freedom of our fledgling country. So each year on July 4, we celebrate the birth of our nation.   Every day we enjoy the benefits of the freedom which the framers signed and ultimately fought for, and on Independence Day we celebrate with parades, family gatherings, baseball, hot dogs, apple pie, and fireworks, to name a few. Enjoy the day, but also remember that as responsible citizens of the greatest democracy on earth we need to be cognizant that exercising our individual freedoms do not give anyone the right to endanger others or trample on someone else’s freedom, and democracy is not a government representing a few, it is a system of g...

  Here is a sampling of what’s on tap for July. Happy summer!   July 1 - Canada Day  July 4 - Independence Day July 5 - National Bikini Day July 21 - National Hot Dog Day  July 22 - Hammock Day July 23 - Summer Olympics begins

  "A journey into the wilderness is the freest, cheapest, most nonprivileged of pleasures. Anyone with two legs and the price of a pair of army surplus combat boots may enter." Edward Abbey

  If you are interested in trying A Measure of Madness, the fourth installment in the Risky Research Series, you can download your copy at   https://www.amazon.com/Measure-Madness-Risky-Research-ebook/dp/B08TX7C1BZ/ .   Not sure about trying a new series? Download a free copy of Midnight in Montana, a prequel micro-read for the series at  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08YZ53XKJ .

Sinks Canyon State Park outside Lander, Wyoming is home to an interesting geological feature. The Popo Agie River disappears into a limestone cavern and reemerges a quarter mile down the canyon in a pool filled with trout. Sinks Canyon is also a great place for hiking, biking, camping, mountain climb, fishing, and taking in some spectacular scenery. For more information about this and other Wyoming state parks and sites visit https://wyoparks.wyo.gov/ .

  If you like series fiction, I hope you will try A Measure of Madness, the fourth installment in the Risky Research Series. Download your copy today at  https://www.amazon.com/Measure-Madness-Risky-Research-ebook/dp/B08TX7C1BZ/ .   Not sure about trying a new series? Download a free copy of Midnight in Montana, a prequel micro-read for the series at  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08YZ53XKJ .

  My publisher, Pelican Book Group, LLC, is doing a series of awesome giveaways. G rand prize winners will receive a physical CD that contains all the ebooks featured on the giveaway page as well as a bundle of paperbacks and a gift card to the etailer of choice. The first place winner will receive the physical CD that contains all the ebooks featured on the giveaway page as well as a bundle of paperbacks. THREE runners up will receive a copy of the physical CD that contains all the ebooks featured on the giveaway page. That’s five winners per giveaway! Enter today. No purchase necessary.   June giveaways feature first books in a series and editors picks. For more information or to enter visit https://pbgbooklovers.com/app/?utm_source=fb_grp... . Good luck!

  I hope you will try A Measure of Madness, the fourth installment in the Risky Research Series. Download your copy today at  https://www.amazon.com/Measure-Madness-Risky-Research-ebook/dp/B08TX7C1BZ/ .   Not sure about trying a new series? Download a free copy of Midnight in Montana, a prequel micro-read for the series at  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08YZ53XKJ .

To find adventure close to home, be sure to check out your state-managed parks and sites. Wyoming is blessed with many such places which include a number of reservoirs that are great for recreation, some which showcase spectacular natural resources and geology, and several that preserve fascinating cultural treasures. Legends Rock State Petroglyph site and Medicine Lodge Archeological site both contain amazingly well-preserved rock art. At Legends Rock more than 92 prehistoric petroglyph panels and over 300 petroglyphs cover a 1,000-foot-long near vertical cliff. Medicine Lodge Archeological Site is a prehistoric Native American archeological site where the petroglyphs and pictographs cover the face of a 750-foot-long sandstone bluff. For more information about these and other Wyoming state parks and sites visit https://wyoparks.wyo.gov/ .

When I looked for major holidays in June, I didn’t find many, so I dug a little deeper for the more obscure. What I found was a very large number of fun, silly, and senseless designated dates. Here’s a sample of what I came across. Please share your favorite or add to the list if I missed any.   So, no matter what day it is, have a “happy….Day.”   June 1 - Dare Day and Flip a Coin Day   June 2 - National Bubba Day and National Rocky Road Day June 3 - World Bicycle Day and Repeat Day June 4 - Applesauce Cake Day, Hug Your Cat Day, National Cheese Day, National Doughnut Day, and Old Maid's Day June 5 - Hot Air Balloon Day, National Trails Day, and World Environment Day June 6 - D-Day, WWII, National Gardening Exercise Day, National Frozen Yogurt Day, and National Yo-Yo Day June 7 - National Chocolate Ice Cream Day and VCR Day June 8 - Best Friends Day, Name Your Poison Day, World Ocean Day June 9 - Donald Duck Day and National Strawberry Rhubar...

This past weekend, even though the weather predictions weren’t great, we ventured into Yellowstone National Park and it was a stellar day with warm temperatures and beautiful blue skies. The wildlife must have also enjoyed the lovely day as we saw a grizzly bear, three black bears (one alone and one with a cub), bison (many new calves), elk (one new calf), deer, pronghorn, and three moose outside the northeast gate. On top of the wonderful wildlife viewing, the temperatures were perfect for some hikes. We always try to get into the park before Memorial Day to avoid the bigger crowds. It is starting to fill up, but at least we could find parking spots and a few moments of solace. If you get an opportunity to visit, I hope you can find you moment of peace and calm as well.