Kim McMahill

In 2025, the National Park Service will waive entrance fees on six days. The next entrance fee-free day will be June 19, 2025. All National Park Service sites that charge an entrance fee will offer free admission to everyone. For more information visit https://www.nps.gov/planyourvisit/fee-free-parks.htm (photo: Yellowstone National Park) The remaining entrance fee-free days for 2025 are: August 4 – Great American Outdoors Act Signing Day September 27 – National Public Lands Day November 11: Veterans Day

If you haven’t checked out my latest release in The Beartooth Chronicles , here’s an from Evil Under the Mountain (The Beartooth Chronicles, Book 4). I hope you’ll check out this epic dystopian adventure series. Enjoy! “It definitely can’t…” Ash stopped in mid-sentence and flung out her arm to stop Miranda from going any further. She was momentarily frozen in place, her brain frantically trying to process the sight in front of her as hives one and two came into view. The two honey Supers on each hive were toppled over. The boxes were broken up and the frames were scattered. The two brood boxes on each hive were tipped over but appeared to still be intact. She usually checked the hives multiple times a day ever since she could remember but hadn’t checked last night. She’d never seen anything like this. “What could do this?” Miranda whispered. Hearing Miranda’s voice brought Ash out of her shock. “Here, take Sara and get behind me.” They quickly transferred the baby sling fro...

Welcome to my first newsletter of summer! This is the busiest time of year for me. I’m working on the yard and enjoying being able to finally get outside to recreate. We’ve planted the garden which is something I love tending to and harvesting throughout the summer. On top of the usual spring activities, I’ve released the fourth novel in The Beartooth Chronicles (more on that below). Mostly though, I’m just loving the warm temperatures and watching the landscape transition from winter brown to brilliant shades of green dotted with colorful flowers. I hope everyone has weathered the winter and has fun and exciting plans for the summer. WRITING The fourth novel in The Beartooth Chronicles , Evil Under the Mountain, was released on May 19. I am so excited for this one. It’s my favorite in the series so far, and I think it could be read as a stand-alone without much confusion if you don’t want to start with book 1, Refuge from the World . You can download all of the books in the ser...

I’ll be sharing reviews occasionally for each book in  The Beartooth Chronicles . Here’s one for book 3, Isolated from Anarchy , from an Amazon reviewer,  Above the Abyss . 5.0 out of 5 stars  Reader of Post-Apocalypse Books Reviewed in the United States on March 5, 2025 Ash and Caleb seem to have a lovely, peaceful life in their isolated, mountain community. But nothing ever stays the same as you discover in Ms. McMahill’s third book of the Beartooth Chronicles, Isolated from Anarchy. It’s a recommended read that will carry you through their journey which requires strength and courage for them to face the unknown.

With each new release in The Beartooth Chronicles , I post a few excerpts, and when reviews come in, I try to post a few of those as well. So, here’s my first excerpt from Evil Under the Mountain (The Beartooth Chronicles, Book 4). I hope you’ll check out this epic dystopian adventure series. Enjoy! After she finished her tea, she stepped out onto the porch. Before long the sound of approaching horses cut through the silent early morning air. Bob and Maggie Thorn’s ranch was the next place over from Ash and Caleb’s cabin, so it didn’t take them long to arrive. As she watched Caleb ride up astride the big black stud, she had to smile. He was so strong, handsome, kind, and caring that she couldn’t believe how lucky she was to have him in her life. She prayed that situation would never change. He got off his horse, and Ash quickly stepped into his arms. She wrapped her arms around his neck and returned his passionate kiss. When he finally let her go, she was breathless. “Thank you...

Memorial Day in the United States honors all of the men and women who gave their lives while serving in the United States Armed Forces. It is formally known as Decoration Day, the day that commemorated the Union and Confederate soldiers who died during the American Civil War, and was later extended to honor all American soldiers who died while in military service. On the last Monday in May every year, please take a moment to remember and honor all those who died in service to their country. 

I’ll be sharing reviews occasionally for each book in  The Beartooth Chronicles . Here’s one from an Amazon reviewer of Book 2,  Above the Abyss . 5.0 out of 5 stars  Can't wait for book 3! Reviewed in the United States on August 5, 2024 OH My Gosh! When I read the last page, I’m thinking Ms. McMahill had better hurry and write the next book. I can’t wait for Book 3, Isolated from Anarchy. The journey of Ash and Caleb has been a page turner as unexpected situations arise keeping this couple on their toes. At one point they feel safe in their secluded mountain community, but there’s always the fear of invasion from the outside world…including rabid animals. Keep the stories coming Ms. McMahil. 

The Beartooth Chronicles follows the story of Ashley McPhee, who arrived in Beartooth with her mom, Sara, when she was three years old, and Caleb Solomon, who arrived about the same time. They have been best friend ever since, but as the story begins, their relationship enters a new phase as they navigate the challenges of adulthood. Series Blurb: In a world unraveling from relentless natural and human disasters, a determined group of individuals forms a cooperative community built on sustainability and hope. Their mountain haven, Beartooth, offers safety and solace, but as environmental catastrophes escalate and humanity's darkest instincts emerge, their fragile sanctuary is threatened. Now, the residents must confront an unyielding wave of challenges—both from within and beyond their borders—that will push their resilience, unity, and will to survive to the brink. Will their vision of a better future endure, or will the chaos of the world consume all they’ve built? Ref...

I’ve shared a couple of reviews for Book 1 in The Beartooth Chronicles . Here’s one from an Amazon reviewer of Book 2, Above the Abyss . 5.0 out of 5 stars  Cliffhanger Reviewed in the United States on July 19, 2024 The story of the idyllic town of Beartooth continues as the residents fear both human and animal predators are invading their paradise. Striving to develop ways to feed their community, the town welcomes the innovations of newlyweds, Ash and Caleb. While they’ve lived in Beartooth most of their lives, they step into their newly found roles as leaders. While the world outside is tormented by hate and destruction, and the weather is every changing with severe thunderstorms and earthquakes, they feel safe in their mountain seclusion, or are they? Ms McMahill delivers once again! Powerful scenes and unexpected circumstances will entertain the reader to the last page, then leave you hoping the next book will release soon.

Happy Mother’s Day to all mom’s out there. And, for those like me who are spending their first Mother’s Day without their mom, I hope you can focus on the happy memories and find a little joy in the day.

True to the old saying, April’s showers have brought May flowers to Wyoming. This is my favorite time here, the temperatures are mild, the days are long, the migrating birds have returned, and the landscape is being reborn with vivid colors. I hope everyone is enjoying the change in seasons. WRITING The fourth novel in The Beartooth Chronicles, Evil Under the Mountain, will soon be available for preorder through all the major online book sellers . Download the first three novels in the series at discounted prices from $0.99-$2.99, and A Dose of Danger , the first novel in the Risky Research series, may also still be $0.99, but not for long. The Amazon link to all of my books is provided below. WANDERINGS We went to Charlston, South Carolina in April. It was my first trip to South Carolina, and I absolutely loved it. The initial reason for going was to see a WTA tennis tournament, which was awesome, but the history, culture, nature, and food took the trip over the top. Now tha...

Adventure means something different to everyone, and each person’s definition of adventure will inevitably evolve over time. Many of the adventures earlier in my life now sound like good opportunities to break a bone, but I am not ready to slow down too much or to quit learning and exploring. This quote by Wilferd Peterson pretty much sums up how I see adventure at this point in my life, and it serves as my New Year’s Resolution for 2024.  “Practice the art of adventure by breaking the chain of routine, renewing your life through reading new books, traveling to new places, making new friends, taking up new hobbies and adopting new viewpoints.”

Here is a nice review for Refuge from the World (The Beartooth Chronicles, Book 1) from Kathryn M. (Net Galley reviewer). This was a strong start to the Beartooth Chronicles series, it had everything that I was looking for and enjoyed the world and story. The characters were everything that I was looking for and enjoyed the concept of what was going on. I enjoyed the dystopian elements and left me wanting to read more in this series and from Kim McMahill

In 2025, the National Park Service will waive entrance fees on six days. One free day has already passed. The next entrance fee-free day will be April 19, 2025, the first day of National Park Week. All National Park Service sites that charge an entrance fee will offer free admission to everyone. For more information visit https://www.nps.gov/planyourvisit/fee-free-parks.htm The remaining entrance fee-free days for 2025 are: June 19 – Juneteenth National Independence Day August 4 – Great American Outdoors Act Signing Day September 27 – National Public Lands Day November 11: Veterans Day (Photo: Kim McMahill - Yellowstone National Park)

“Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out that going to the mountains is going home; that wildness is a necessity; and that mountain parks and reservations are useful not only as fountains of timber and irrigating rivers, but as fountains of life.” -John Muir-

During April in Wyoming, we generally get showers that bring May flowers, but whether it comes in the form or rain or snow is anyone’s guess. April can be beautiful or brutal. I’m hoping for signs of spring, but we’ll just have to wait and see. WRITING The fourth novel in The Beartooth Chronicles, Evil Under the Mountain, is still on tap for an April release. I don’t have the exact date yet, so hopefully you’re following me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/KimMcMahillAuthor/ . In the meantime, if you aren’t caught up on the series, now is the perfect time . Refuge from the World (book 1) is only $0.99 and Above the Abyss (book 2) is still $2.99 to download. If you are caught up, I have a couple of free Risky Research prequel micro-reads for download, Midnight in Montana and A Formidable Foe . WANDERINGS Wandering was kept in-state in March. Mostly going to high school basketball tournaments and using those opportunities to check out things I may have missed ove...

Reviews are important to writers and readers, so I plan to share them here occasionally. This one was done by N.N. Light’s Book Heaven and appeared on Amazon and a number of other sites. 5 stars for Refuge from the World (The Beartooth Chronicles, Book 1) My Review:  A chilling scenario depicting the future consequences of global warming sets the stage for this YA dystopian tale. In Beartooth, Ashley McPhee lives a quiet life with her mother, Sara, her best friend Caleb, and a small group of families in a self-sustaining small community. With water levels rising and shifting tectonic plates, the United States is shrinking, and the residents of Beartooth fear the chaos and violence in nearby settlements will find them. Especially, after they learn the government plans to use an untested, geoengineering process to cool the planet, threatening their fragile ecosystem and potentially destroying their crops. To complicate matters even further for Ashley, her mother’s health is...

"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

N. N. Light’s Book Heaven is celebrating their 10 th anniversary with a huge party, and I am one of the sixty authors featured. I talk about what I was doing ten years ago, what I’m doing now, how many books I’ve published, and I’m offering a very cool prize. Join in the fun and good luck! The giveaway is open internationally and runs March 1 – 31, 2025. Drawing will be held on April 1, 2025. Enter for the giveaway below and check back every day for new author posts: https://www.nnlightsbookheaven.com/n-n-lights-book-heaven-party a Rafflecopter giveaway

  Here’s an Irish Blessing for you. Have a great St. Patrick’s Day! May the Irish hills caress you. May her lakes and rivers bless you. May the luck of the Irish enfold you. May the blessings of Saint Patrick behold you.  May there always be work for your hands to do, May your purse always hold a coin or two. May the sun always shine warm on your windowpane, May a rainbow be certain to follow each rain. May the hand of a friend always be near you, And may God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you.

February was a brutal month in Wyoming. We always have a lot of wind, so when nearly twenty inches of snow dropped early in the month along with extended periods of single-digit day-time highs, it made for a rough start. Here’s hoping you had milder weather and March brings more sunshine. WRITING I’ve been in kind of a hold pattern on the next book in The Beartooth Chronicles, Evil Under the Mountain . My editor is working through the last round of edits, and we’re probably looking at a couple more reads after that. The cover is still in the design phase, but it still looks like we’re on target for an April 2025 release. The fifth novel in the series, Winter Resurgence, should come out in September 2025. If you still haven’t jumped into this series, the first two novels are available to download at reduced prices from major online book retailers or from Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DMV1QS9Q/   Since I don’t have a lot of writing news to report this month, it’s a ...

I often mention how important reviews are to me, so I thought it would be nice to copy and paste reviews every now and then. This one for Refuge from the World (The Beartooth Chronicles, Book 1) was copied from Amazon. 5.0 out of 5 stars   Chilling YA Dystopian Reviewed in the United States on April 29, 2024 This is a wonderful, YA dystopian book for fans of Hunger Games. It depicts a future society dealing with the chilling consequences of global warming. The main character, Ashley, lives in Beartooth, a small mountaintop community, with her mother, Sara. Their town is separate and independent from the rest of the USA, including the government. But as the state of the world worsens, governments contemplate using a potentially devastating scientific experiment to cool the planet. The residents of Beartooth worry about the survival of their crops and beehives, and they also fear their small community will be discovered and attacked by outside groups looking to control their s...

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