Kim McMahill

I’m loving the longer days and warmer temperatures. There a quite a number of notable dates in April. Here are a few.   Apr il 1 - April Fool's Day and International Tatting Day April 2 - Good Friday and National Walk to Work Day April 4 - Easter Sunday April 12 - Ramadan begins April 19 - Patriot's Day April 21 - Administrative Professionals Day April 22 - Earth Day (U.S.) and Take Your Daughter to Work Day April 30 - Arbor Day always the last Friday in April  

Palm Sunday begins the Holy week leading up to Easter and the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Palm Sunday commemorates Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem where people laid palms down in front of his path. Traditionally on Palm Sunday, palms are distributed in church and blessed during the mass. Then, people take them home and place them around religious pictures, statues or other objects, where they will remain for a year until the next Palm Sunday.

As a prelude to the release of the fourth installment in the Risky Research Series on April 9, 2021, and as a gift to friends and followers, I have released another free prequel micro-read, Midnight in Montana . In this short story, FBI agent Devyn Nash is committed to tracking down those who are producing counterfeit currency and distributing it across western states. With help from her partner, colleagues, and a handsome Wyoming sheriff she identifies suspects and a source of distribution. When she tries to execute the warrant a real western shoot out erupts, and she must resort to drastic measures to bring them to justices. This is the second free short story I’ve released to compliment the series. The first, A Formidable Foe, goes way back to Devyn’s collage years and Midnight in Montana is the story of Devyn and Gage’s first meeting. Additionally, except for the newest release, A Measure of Madness, all other books in the series are available through Kindle Unlimited, so those...

Here is an excerpt from the third novel in the Risky Research Series, A Foundation of Fear. It is available in paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats from most on-line book retailers or the paperback can be ordered from your favorite bookstore. Here’s the Amazon link https://www.amazon.com/Foundation-Fear-Risky-Research-ebook/dp/B07PVL4391 Her heart raced as panic started setting in. She couldn’t lose Morgan again, but she wasn’t sure which way they went. There was no path, and the pond made it necessary to choose a direction or start swimming, which they clearly hadn’t done. As she was ready to take a fifty-fifty gamble, Devyn spotted Morgan’s black dress shoe, indicating the direction she had been taken. She picked her way through the bushes and heard thrashing and heavy breathing. No longer worried about being detected, Devyn picked up her pace. Forcing her way through the vegetation, she nearly collided with the man’s back. The man’s hands were clasped around Morgan’s throat...

"Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great." Mark Twain

I’m pleased to welcome Brenda Whiteside to my blog. I always enjoy learning about the authors I read and what inspires the stories they write. Below, Brenda discusses Arizona and the impact it has had on her writing. Enjoy! I was born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona and lived there for the first eighteen years of my life. When I married a man in the army, we moved around, but ended up back in Phoenix when he left the military life. I didn’t like Phoenix. Apologies to any Phoenicians reading this. The terrain is flat desert. The major wild plant is creosote, a very unfriendly and not particularly attractive bush. Other plants have trouble sharing space with creosote because it exudes growth inhibiting compounds into the soil. It can also be poisonous to animals. Most of the desert around Phoenix is littered with creosote. There are mountains around the Valley of the Sun, some of which are picturesque, so all is not as bleak as I paint it. We lived a few other cities and states until ...

On Sunday, March 14, 2021, at  2:00 am  clocks are turned  forward  1 hour. Since few are up at that ungodly hour, be sure to turn your clocks forward an hour on Saturday night before you go to bed or first thing when you get up Sunday morning. For more information on Daylight Savings Time check out the Old Farmers Almanac at https://www.almanac.com/content/when-daylight-saving-time .  

The fourth installment in the Risky Research Series, A Measure of Madness, is scheduled for release through Pelican Book Group on April 9, 2021. If you haven’t read the first three novels, they are all available in paperback, audiobook, and ebook (including Kindle Unlimited). Here’s the blurb from A Measure of Madness and the ebook is already up on Amazon for pre-order at https://www.amazon.com/Measure-Madness-Risky-Research-ebook/dp/B08TX7C1BZ/ . FBI agent Devyn Nash's pursuit of a deadly organization heats up in this fourth installment of the Risky Research series. The FBI locates the mastermind behind Coterie, but attempts to bring him in result in a shootout that sends Coterie’s members scrambling for cover. When Devyn’s partner is left fighting for his life in a Puerto Rican hospital, she becomes more determined than ever to bring them to justice. Devyn’s decision to ignore her orders and pursue the head of Coterie to Brazil puts her job and her relationship with Sh...

International Women's Day is sponsored worldwide by the United Nations. However, the roots of this day harken back to the late 1800's and early 1900s, where it evolved out of the women's socialist movements and early women's trade union groups. The first International Women's Day was held on March 19, 1911. The event grew from there, and has been celebrated annually ever since, focusing on women workers, and advancing women's rights in the workforce, politics, and society. So, today is a day for women to celebrate and men to celebrate the women in their lives.

  Here is an excerpt from the second novel in the Risky Research Series, A Taste of Tragedy. It is available in paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats from most on-line book retailers or the paperback can be ordered from your favorite bookstore. Here’s the Amazon link https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07PWJ3RLD/ “Here, let me help you,” Morgan said as she draped Devyn’s arm around her shoulders. Morgan tried to relieve as much weight as she could from Devyn as she helped her hobble to the waiting vehicle. Once Devyn was seated in the cramped back seat, Morgan dug out her emergency supply bag. She handed Devyn a blanket and a bottle of water. “I have a first aid kit, but I think you need something a little more than a bandage.” “It’s just a few scratches. I’ll live.” Morgan could see why Nick trusted Devyn with his back. As she looked at the battered and bruised woman, who had taken off into the desert in the middle of the night in bare feet to prevent a criminal from getting away...

Check out a few of this month’s holidays and events.   March 8 - International Women's Day March 14 - Daylight Savings begins at 2:00 a.m. March 15 - Ides of March March 17 - St. Patrick's Day March 20 - International Earth Day and Spring (Vernal) Equinox March 27 - Passover begins at sundown, lasts 8 days. March 28 - Palm Sunday