Kim McMahill

Here are a few holidays as well as a few silly designated days. I hope everyone’s new year is starting out great, and thanks for sticking with me. January 1 - New Year’s Day January 4 - Trivia Day January 5 - National Bird Day January 10 - Houseplant Appreciation Day January 16 - Martin Luther King’s Birthday 

No matter how you choose to celebrate Christmas, I hope you have a wonderful holiday. For those who prefer a quiet day without any fuss or fanfare, I hope those around you will respect your wishes. Celebrations come in every shape and size. From large festive and chaotic gatherings to intimate quiet contemplation. Wherever you fall in the spectrum, enjoy the holiday your way.

Winter Solstice  marks the beginning of astronomical winter. In 2022, this occurs on December 21, which will be the shortest day of the year as the sun is at its southernmost point, and will now begin its long, six-month journey north.  On the  Winter Solstice, the sun never rises a t the North Pole. While the northern hemisphere is experiencing its shortest day, the southern hemisphere is enjoying the first day of summer. 

I’m always on the lookout for new ways to connect with readers. I recently discovered Kindle Vella which is a way to share serialized stories with readers over an extended period, one episode at a time. Anyway, I thought this sounded like a lot of fun, so I’ve serialized my story, Professor of Lies (Renegades’ Redemption Book 1) . If it goes well, I have book two ready to publish as well. Right now, I’m planning to publish new episodes at least twice a week, probably Tuesdays and Fridays, though this week it looks like Tuesday and Saturday. I may do it more frequently if it looks like this schedule will require too long to finish the story. Kindle Vella is fairly new and is intended to be a way to read short episodes on your cell phone. If you have a kindle app on your cell phone, you can read the first three episodes of any Kindle Vella story for free. After that, you have to pay to unlock subsequent episodes, but this gives you the opportunity to check out an author’s writing style

There’s a lot happening in December. Pearl Harbor Day is the 7 th , the Winter Solstice falls on December 21 this year, and of course, we have Christmas on December 25 th .   I’m always happy when the Winter Solstice is behind me. It is the shortest day of the year, so every day thereafter is getting just a little bit longer. But to most, December is all about Christmas. However you choose to celebrate, I hope your holiday brings you peace and joy. FREEBIES Midnight in Montana (Risky Research Series Micro-read prequel ebook):   https://books2read.com/u/mgjR7K A Formidable Foe (Risky Research Series novelette prequel ebook): https://books2read.com/u/b6MGE6 WRITING NOTES AND NEWS Unfortunately, I don’t have anything new to report on the writing front. I continue to write as much as possible, but I have no news on any future release dates. In the meantime, eight of my novels are available in ebook and print from all the usual online book retailers. AVAILABLE NOVELS Risky Res

Here are a just a few days in December to remember this year. December 7 - Pearl Harbor Day December 12 - Poinsettia Day December 21 - Winter Solstice (shortest day of the year) December 25 - Christmas December 27 - National Fruitcake Day December 31 - New Year’s Eve

It has become a bit of a blog tradition to share my Thanksgiving pumpkin cheesecake recipe since I’m not a huge fan of the traditional pumpkin pie. I hope you enjoy the cheesecake, if you choose to give it a try, and I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving. 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

Over the years, I’ve posted Theodore Roosevelt quotes fairly often. I find he had a great deal of wisdom on a number of topics from conservation to patriotism to doing what’s right. Here’s one of my favorites. “Here is your country. Cherish these natural wonders, cherish the natural resources, cherish the history and romance as a sacred heritage, for your children and your children's children. Do not let selfish men or greedy interests skin your country of its beauty, its riches or its romance.” Theodore Roosevelt 

In 2022, the National Park Service has five entrance fee-free days where all National Park Service sites that charge an entrance fee will offer free admission to everyone. Four have already come and gone, but the last fee-free day will be on November 11 for Veterans Day. For more information visit https://www.nps.gov/planyourvisit/fee-free-parks.htm

I’m writing this a few days before November, and many trees still have brilliant yellow leaves. It’s only a matter of days before it all goes away, and we are left with empty branches until next spring. I’ve enjoyed the extended fall festival of color this year, and I hope you have too, wherever you may be. Later this month, Americans will be celebrating Thanksgiving. In 1621 the first Thanksgiving was celebrated between the Pilgrims and the Indians to give thanks for the bounty of the fall harvest. They prepared a huge feast including a wide variety of animals and fowl, as well as fruits and vegetables they had grown. This early celebration was the forerunner of today's holiday tradition. However, after that first Thanksgiving the observance was sporadic and almost forgotten until the early 1800's. In 1941, Congress made it a national holiday and set the date as the fourth Thursday in November. Thanksgiving is a time to recognize what we have to be thankful for and to spen

Here are a few of the holidays and days to keep in mind for November. November 1-2 - Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) November 6 - Daylight Savings time ends (gain 1 hour of sleep) November 8 - U.S. General Election Day November 11 - Veteran’s Day November 13 - Caregiver Appreciation Day November 17 - Great American Smokeout  November 20 - Universal Children’s Day November 24 - Thanksgiving Day November 25 - Black Friday  November 26 - Small Business Saturday November 28 - Cyber Monday

I hope everyone has a fun, memorable, and safe Halloween full of many treats.

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.  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 were too man

Fishing stories have become synonymous with exaggeration. No harm is ever intended, but after countless retelling of the story, it often morphs into something much more interesting and exciting than the original. The two-pound fish that took several minutes to reel in evolves into an eight-pound monster which battled valiantly for hours before succumbing to your superior skill. This is how many of my real-life adventures have infiltrated my action-adventure novels. I’ve explored numerous Mayan ruins tucked into steamy bug-infested jungles in several countries, yet I’ve always managed to avoid running into looters or ruthless kidnappers; I’ve pondered the current of the Rio Grande, 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 in which stopping was not an option as scenes from Man From Snowy River flashed through my mind, all without a single gunshot from a foreign enemy aim

Normally, fall just reminds me that winter is fast approaching, and I’m not a huge winter fan. This year, I’m perfectly happy to put summer behind me and embrace the changing seasons. Despite having my first cold in about five years, I’m still optimistic that things are looking up and for once, I’m fine with fall. I’m trying harder to enjoy the festivities, the vibrant fall colors, and the slower pace by getting out and exploring places I haven’t been to in years. Whether you’ve had a wonderful, fun summer or a not-so-great summer, I’m hoping you’ll have a fabulous fall and embrace the season with gusto. FREEBIES Midnight in Montana (Risky Research Series Micro-read prequel ebook):   https://books2read.com/u/mgjR7K A Formidable Foe (Risky Research Series novelette prequel ebook): https://books2read.com/u/b6MGE6 WRITING NOTES AND NEWS I don’t have any new news to report concerning my dystopian adventure series that’s in progress, but keep your fingers crossed that I find the per

I hope everyone’s fall season is going well. Here are a few of the holidays and special days coming up in October. October 1 - International Day for the Elderly October 7 - World Smile Day  October 10 - Columbus Day, Indigenous People Day, and Thanksgiving Day in Canada October 15 - Sweetest Day 3rd Saturday October 17 - Boss’s Day  October 24 - United Nations Day October 22 - Make a Difference Day  October 31 - Halloween

There are so many social media options available and blogs to follow, that if you’re reading this post on my blog, I can’t tell you how much I appreciate you spending a little time with me. If other social media formats are more your thing, you can also find me at the following sites. Thanks again for stopping by.   Twitter: https://twitter.com/kimmcmahill Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KimMcMahillAuthor/ Book Bub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/kim-mcmahill Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kimmcmahill/   Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/849945.Kim_McMahill Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Kim-McMahill/e/B007IK0EJW/

In 2022, the National Park Service has five entrance fee-free days where all National Park Service sites that charge an entrance fee will offer free admission to everyone. Three have already come and gone, but the next fee-free day is coming up on September 24 in celebration of National Public Lands Day. The last fee-free day of the year will be on November 11 for Veterans Day. For more information visit https://www.nps.gov/planyourvisit/fee-free-parks.htm

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

  FALL FAVORITES I enjoy fall except for the fact that it foreshadows the coming of winter, which is my least favorite season. I love the mild fall temperatures, the slower pace in my tourist town, and the return of college sports. We’ve been using fresh produce since July, but now I’m jumping into harvesting and preserving the remaining produce in my garden. It’s been a little slow this year, but I’ve finally gotten to the point of freezing peas, beans, cabbage, and green chili. I even made my first batch of refrigerator pickles, but I’m still keeping my fingers crossed that I’ll get enough zucchini to make and can relish. We haven’t been able to get out of town much this summer, but I am holding out hope that this winter will take me to warmer places and great adventures. FREEBIES Midnight in Montana (Risky Research Series Micro-read prequel ebook):   https://books2read.com/u/mgjR7K A Formidable Foe (Risky Research Series novelette prequel ebook): https://books2read.com/u/b6M

Most months are filled with a number of silly dates like “National Marshmallow Roasting Day,” but September is pretty serious. Here are the dates of note for this month.   September 2 - VJ Day, WWII September 5 - Labor Day September 11 - 911 Remembrance and Grandparents Day September 17 - Constitution Day and Oktoberfest begins in Germany September 21 - International Peace Day (UN) September 22 - Autumnal Equinox  September 23 - Native American Day 

For those of you who follow me on twitter, https://twitter.com/KimMcMahill , you’ve probably noticed that most of my re-tweets fall into three categories— archaeology, climate change, and bees. I find archaeology and paleontology fascinating. Artifacts and fossils are tangible objects that can help piece together the past. When a shard of pottery, temple ruins, or a fossilized imprint of an animal are found, it’s difficult to argue the existence of the people who made the pottery or the temple, or the animal immortalized in stone, though some people will still try. In a day when so many accept the sentence or two making its rounds on social media to be the gospel, it’s always exciting to see something real. Weather and Climate have always been a passion for me. I watch the weather daily to help determine how I should dress, if it’s a better indoor or outdoor day, and if there is anything of concern to look out for like hail, icy roads, blizzards, or torrential rains. I’m also inter

Although we saw a grizzly sow and her cub shortly after entering the park, our most recent trip into Yellowstone National Park was defined by bison. Most were grazing near the road, walking down the road, or congregated in the distance. But we spotted a few fording the river, which was interesting to watch through the binoculars. The photo isn’t great, but you get the gist. There is always something special to see in Yellowstone. No matter how many times I’ve gone there, I always come away learning or seeing something new.

Is Summer Passing you by? In northern Wyoming, it always feels like we have just three months of summer, June, July, and August. Well, it’s August. As far as outdoor activities and gardening are concerned, two-thirds of the season is over, and I don’t know where it went. Due to a cold spring, I planted the garden two weeks later this year than previous years, and all I’ve harvested so far is lettuce. I should be getting some sweat peas later this week, but they are generally on the way out by August. So, if you’re like me and it feels like summer is passing you by, get out and enjoy it while you can. FREEBIES Midnight in Montana (Risky Research Series Micro-read prequel ebook):   https://books2read.com/u/mgjR7K A Formidable Foe (Risky Research Series novelette prequel ebook): https://books2read.com/u/b6MGE6 WRITING NOTES AND NEWS I’ve now completed the first two novels in my new dystopian adventure series, and I’m two-thirds of the way done with the third. I know I need to

The Perseid Meteor Shower is visible August 12 – 13. And, other than V-J Day on August 14, this month is filled with some pretty silly days. Happy National Marshmallow Toasting Day! August 1- National Mountain Climbing Day August 3 - National Watermelon Day August 10 - National S'mores Day August 12-13 - Perseid Meteor Shower  August 13 - Left Hander's Day August 14 - V-J Day August 28 - Stuffed Green Bell Peppers Day August 30 - National Marshmallow Toasting Day