Kim McMahill

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 ...