Kim McMahill

JULY 2026 WRITING AND WANDERING NEWSLETTER July is huge in Wyoming. In some towns it feels like the tourists outnumber the locals during this time. The Fourth of July is probably the biggest holiday of the year in the state with celebrations lasting weeks. You’ll find parades, rodeos, fireworks, community music venues, and other activities in nearly all towns. Some years I get in the spirit and some years I head for the mountains for a little calm and quiet. This year, I’m leaning toward quiet. No matter how you choose to celebrate Independence Day and our country’s 250 th birthday I hope you have a safe and enjoyable experience. WRITING I generally post on my own blog, https://kimmcmahill.blogspot.com , about twice a week, and I will be a “Fearless Friday” guest on Brenda Whiteside’s blog at the end of the month. You can find her blog at https://brendawhiteside.blogspot.com/ . I’m still waiting on news on a couple of irons I have in the fire that I mentioned last month. Hop...

In 2026, the National Park Service is waiving entrance fees eight times. All Nati onal Park Service sites that charge an entrance fee will offer free admission to everyone (other fees, including timed entry or reservation fees, may apply) . Three have already passed. The next free days will be from July 3-5, 2026 in celebration of Independence Day. The remaining dates are listed below. For more information visit https://www.nps.gov/planyourvisit/fee-free-parks.htm   August 25:  110th Birthday of the National Park Service September 17:  Constitution Day October 27 : Theodore Roosevelt's birthday November 11:  Veterans Day *Beginning in 2026, free entrance on these days will be for US citizens and residents only. Nonresidents will pay the regular entrance fee and any applicable nonresident fees.

"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

This year Father’s Day and the summer solstice fall on June 21 st . The first day of summer always makes me happy, but memories of my dad outshine the sun on this day. He was stern, but loving. He taught me to be independent and true to my principles. He also opened up a world of mountain adventures, which has given me the background to create realistic settings for many of my books. I miss him a lot, but I’m grateful for all of the great times and lessons. Wishing all fathers a great Father's Day!

I n 2026, the National Park Service is waiving entrance fees eight times. All National Park Service sites that charge an entrance fee will offer free admission to everyone (other fees, including timed entry or reservation fees, may apply). The first two have already passed. The next will be on June 14 in celebration of Flag Day. The remaining dates are listed below. For more information visit https://www.nps.gov/planyourvisit/fee-free-parks.htm   July 3–5:  Independence Day weekend August 25:  110th Birthday of the National Park Service September 17:  Constitution Day October 27 : Theodore Roosevelt's birthday November 11:  Veterans Day   *Beginning in 2026, free entrance on these days will be for US citizens and residents only. Nonresidents will pay the regular entrance fee and any applicable nonresident fees.

When June hits, it is officially summer for me even though astronomical summer doesn’t officially begin in the Northern Hemisphere until the summer solstice on June 21, 2026. I’ve already planted my garden which is a little earlier than usual. I hope I wasn’t lulled into a false sense of the season, and we get a late freeze (not unheard of almost any time of the year). So, with the garden planted and the yard in ship shape, it’s time to turn our thoughts to camping and summer fun. I hope your summer is starting out with a bang.    WRITING Marketing The Beartooth Chronicles is an ongoing activity along with looking for ways to keep my backlist out there. I have a couple of potential opportunities hanging out there, but it’s still a little early to provide many details. Stay tuned for more information to come. WANDERINGS In late April and early May my husband and I did some epic wandering. We went to Greece and Türkiye, including spending a few nights in the Cappadocia ...

Midnight in Montana, a prequel micro-read to the Risky Research Series, is available for free download through Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and other online booksellers. This free download was released prior to the fourth installment in the Risky Research Series, A Measure of Madness. For those who have been reading the Risky Research Series, it is the story of how Agent Devyn Nash and Sheriff Gage Harris first met while investigating a counterfeiting operation. If you haven’t checked out the series, it’s a fun short (30 to 45 minute) stand-alone read. If you are set up to download ebooks, I hope you’ll give it a try and if you enjoy the story, please consider leaving a short review. You can find the free download on Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08YZ53XKJ . Thank You!

  “We travel, initially, to lose ourselves; and we travel, next to find ourselves. We travel to open our hearts and eyes and learn more about the world than our newspapers will accommodate. We travel to bring what little we can, in our ignorance and knowledge, to those parts of the globe whose riches are differently dispersed. And we travel, in essence, to become young fools again- to slow time down and get taken in, and fall in love once more.” -  Pico Iyer

Since The Beartooth Chronicles are my newest releases, I’ve spent a lot of time talking about those five novels. But let’s step back and take a look at the Risky Research Series .  Each novel in the Risky Research Series delves into some facet of the diet, nutrition, and fitness industries. From medical Research, pharmaceuticals, artificial sweeteners, lobbyists, to holistic diet and fitness programs. Nothing is safe from the deadly reach of Coterie, a group united in their mission to control the 40 to100 billion-dollar-a-year diet product industry. This secretive group of diverse talents will stop at nothing to protect their profits and hide their identity. However, FBI agent, Devyn Nash, and her partner are just as determined to bring them to justice. Devyn is a tough, yet gritty socially-challenged, FBI agent who couldn’t keep a partner until Nick Melonis drew the short straw. Despite being all business and a little rough around the edges, she has a soft spot for the geeky...

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.  

In 2026, the National Park Service is waiving entrance fees eight times. All National Park Service sites that charge an entrance fee will offer free admission to everyone (other fees, including timed entry or reservation fees, may apply). The first was February 16. The next will be on May 25 for Memorial Day. The remaining dates are listed below. For more information visit https://www.nps.gov/planyourvisit/fee-free-parks.htm June 14:  Flag Day July 3–5:  Independence Day weekend August 25:  110th Birthday of the National Park Service September 17:  Constitution Day October 27 : Theodore Roosevelt's birthday November 11:  Veterans Day Note: Beginning in 2026, free entrance on these days will be for US citizens and residents only. Nonresidents will pay the regular entrance fee and any applicable nonresident fees.

For those of you who are new to my blog, welcome. For those who have been following along, thank you! For anyone who is unfamiliar with my writing, here’s a little bit about what I do. I started out writing non-fiction, publishing over eighty travel and geographic articles, but my passion for exotic world travel, outrageous adventures, stories of survival against the odds, and happily-ever-after endings soon drew me into a world of romantic suspense and dystopian adventure fiction. My current project, The Beartooth Chronicles , is dystopian adventure. My previous series, The Risky Research Series , is crime fiction, a bit of a deviation from my adventurous norm.   All of my novels are available in print and ebook, and several are even available in audiobook. My writing goal is simple—to entertain readers with stories of survival against the odds and take them on outrageous adventures around the world. Thank you again for your interest and I hope you’ll continue to follow ...

I was very fortunate this spring to have the opportunity for some epic travel. My husband and I visited areas of Greece and Türkiye that we hadn’t been to before, including spending a few nights in the Cappadocia region in central Türkiye. I loved the history, mythology, archeology, culture, food, and people. The highlight, though, came in Cappadocia where we explored underground cities, cave homes and churches, and viewed the stunning landscape dotted with Fairy Chimneys from a hot air balloon. It was a truly amazing adventure.

My first book was published in 1999. I can’t believe I’ve been writing for over twenty-five years. The rapidly changing face of publishing and marketing has been a struggle, but I’m still trying to learn how to reach readers. After dedicating nearly every free moment of my time for over two decades it has become a part of who I am as much as what I do, and the thought of giving up is difficult to ponder. I’m proud of my body of work and I believe that each project has evolved in the right direction. I can only hope that some piece of it has touched someone or at least provided an escape from the everyday by taking the reader on an exciting adventure. Thank you for sharing in my journey and I hope you will continue along for the ride.

When May arrives, my thoughts turn to gardening. I plan, diagram, buy seeds and plants, and watch the weather closely for a window of opportunity to plant with minimal risk of frost. Spring is probably my favorite season. It is full of possibilities, and the weather is generally pleasant. I hope that everyone gets out and enjoys this lovely time of year.     WRITING Marketing The Beartooth Chronicles is an ongoing activity along with looking for ways to keep my backlist out there. I’m not sure what’s next, but I hope you’ll come along for the adventure. WANDERINGS So far this spring, following high school track around the state has been the extent of our wandering, but more exciting trips and camping are on the horizon. WHAT I’M READING, NOTABLE NOVELS, and INSPIRING AUTHORS I’m currently reading, Primordia: In Search of the Lost World , by Greig Beck. I haven’t read anything by this author before. So far, I’m enjoying it. It’s kind of a mix between Amazonia ...

Book Reviews serve a variety of purposes and are very important to readers and writers. Reviews help other readers choose books. A review provides information about a book that a marketing blurb may not. Sales, ratings, and reviews factor into a bookseller’s algorithm. More book sales and reviews help a book achieve a higher ranking on a 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 For example, saying “I hated the book” isn’t helpful, but explaining that you find multiple points of view confusing, there were too many grammatical errors, there was too much detail and it slowed the story down, or there was too much profanity, gives the author feedback to consider. Conversely, pointing out what you liked about a book is also helpful ...

Earth Day is an annual event held on April 22 in the United States to demonstrate support for environmental protection. The first Earth Day was held on April 22, 1970. To learn more about Earth Day, ways to get involved, and events being held in your area visit https://www.earthday.org/earth-day-2026/   “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

  “The purpose of life is to live it, to taste it, to experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience.” -   Eleanor Roosevelt

I often download novels from writers I’m unfamiliar with when I see books that sound interesting and that are deeply discounted. Sometimes the story doesn’t pull me in enough to finish it, but most of the time I’m introduced to a new author that piques my interest. Either way, a $0.99 download is a small risk for a potentially satisfying reward. Many times, authors discount the first in a series to hopefully hook a reader into downloading the next. I recently finish a post-apocalyptic novel that was good, not fantastic, but enough was left unfinished that I was contemplating downloading the next in the series. When I located it on Amazon, I saw that I just finished the first of twenty-six novels in the series. I’m not sure if any story could be good enough to entice me to commit to that many books, so I stopped at just one. So, how many books in a series is too many? It probably depends on the series. If each novel has recurring heroes or heroines and contains a complete story, at ...

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 and 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.

The first day of spring fell on March 20, and it sure feels like it in Wyoming. Trees are budding out, birds are singing, and the temperatures have been beautiful. As much as I’ve enjoyed it, I fear we may be being lulled into a false sense of the season. Generally, snow and freezing temperatures are common through April. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that this is the real deal.    WRITING There isn’t a lot of new news on the writing front. I still continue to search for ways to get the word out on The Beartooth Chronicles . The series is complete. I’m looking for new readers and constructive reviews, which are crucial to a novel’s success. The entire series is available from your favorite online bookseller or just click here for Amazon https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CW1HL6RK/ WANDERINGS We managed a major road trip in March. The main goal was a few days of tennis at the Indian Wells Tennis Tournament in California. We made it there, enjoyed the tennis, and made a large ...

I occasionally like to share the link to the YouTube trailer for my Risky Research Series. It’s pretty cool! If you haven’t seen it, you can check it out at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=clZIRJ1s-Fo&feature=youtu.be . The series includes, A Dose of Danger (book 1), A Taste of Tragedy (book 2), A Foundation of Fear (book 3), A Measure of Madness (book 4), and two prequel micro-reads, A Formidable Foe and Midnight in Montana are always FREE to download.

The Beartooth Chronicles was published by Fire & Ice Young Adult Books, which is in an imprint of Melange Books, LLC, that focuses on young adult/new adult books. The series was primarily marketed under young adult since there don’t seem to be many new adult (between 18 and 25-30 years old) specific marketing option, though I sometimes wonder if that was the correct approach. Similar to The Hunger Games which garnered the interest of teens and adults alike, the primary characters, Ashley (Ash) and Caleb are eighteen and twenty respectively in book one. The supporting cast fall in a wide range of ages. The series takes place in a small isolated community, so the founders of Beartooth are adults who established the community only decades ago to give their families a better life. Ash and Caleb’s age group came to Beartooth at a young age so have varying recollections of life before Beartooth. Those born in Beartooth know no other way of life. My original vision for the series was ...

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 skill.  This is how many of my real-life adventures have infiltrated my 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 aimed at me or...

In nearly all novels, especially mine, there are multiple themes that determine the genre. All of the books I have written contain an element of romance or a love story, an epic adventure, and a third element which is the commonly expected elements of the genre the book is categorized under. I love the romantic element. It makes the characters more relatable and provides a strong motivation to do things that may be risky, extraordinary, poorly thought out, or outside the hero’s comfort zone. Watching a relationship progress provides pacing, a logical thread to tie the story together, and something to cheer for. Adventure just comes naturally. I grew up in an area where outdoor activities ruled. My family hunted, fished, hiked, camped, rode horses into the wilderness, and grew our own food, just to name a few. Not only are many of my stories set in my “backyard,” I’ve had the opportunity to travel and work across the U.S. and around the world. All of which have provided inspiration ...

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.

I hope you have been enjoying these posts on my backlist. The next one, A Measure Of Madness (RISKY RESEARCH, BOOK 4) , is the last in the Risky Research series. I had a lot of fun writing this one because it takes the reader to Puerto Rico and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. This installment of the Risky Research series delivers danger, betrayal, and a heroine who refuses to quit. It is available at all the major online book sellers including here on Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/Measure-Madness-Risky-Research-ebook/dp/B08TX7C1BZ/ . FBI Special Agent Devyn Nash has spent years chasing Coterie, a shadowy organization profiting from death and deception in the multi-billion-dollar diet and nutrition industries. When a high-profile fundraiser in Washington, D.C. exposes key members, Devyn seizes her chance to strike. But bringing down Coterie won’t be easy. In Puerto Rico, a joint FBI operation to capture the group’s elusive mastermind erupts in a violent shootout—leaving Devyn’s partner...

When March hits, I always feel like we are on the downhill side of winter. Unfortunately, Wyoming weather doesn’t necessarily agree. Often it is the month with the highest snowfall and most unpredictable and harsh conditions. Nonetheless, the days are getting longer which gives me hope that spring is on the way.    WRITING My main focus continues to be promoting The Beartooth Chronicles . The fifth and final novel in the series, Winter Resurgence , was released late in 2025, so I’m trying to spread the word. Any help with that would be much appreciated. Here’s a bit about the series. In a world unraveling from relentless natural and human disasters, a determined group form 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...

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, checking off iconic sites, or participating in exciting activities. It’s also about changing how we see the world and our place in it. In one of my favorite PBS travel shows, the host closes each episode with the following quote. It struck a chord with me. I saw a lot of truth and wisdom in these words.     “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

Continuing with my backlist is A Foundation of Fear (Risky Research, Book 3) . In this novel, FBI Special Agent Devyn Nash follows Coterie’s trail to Washington, DC where the dirty political side of the health and nutrition industries is exposed. High-stakes suspense, relentless action, and tangled loyalties drive this gripping installment of the Risky Research series. Keep reading for more. A series trailer was made for the first three novels and can be viewed on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=clZIRJ1s-Fo&feature=youtu.be. This novel is available at all the major online book sellers including here on Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07PVL4391 ) FBI Special Agent Devyn Nash has one mission—take down Coterie, a ruthless organization determined to dominate the multi-billion-dollar diet product industry. But when the Bureau’s plan to expose the shadowy network puts Devyn’s best friend—and her partner’s fiancé—directly in the crosshairs, the case turns personal. Inj...