Kim McMahill

When I was a kid, it was a rare thing to see a turkey in the wild. The numbers have increased significantly over the years in western states, and it seems like they can be found nearly everywhere now. When we lived in South Dakota we had a lot of them on our property (photo at left). They can be difficult to hunt and are much smarter than they look, but are fun to watch. In The Beartooth Chronicles, hunting turkeys for the community's annual Thanksgiving feast is a tradition that Ash and Caleb share and the resident’s appreciate.

A trip to Ecuador (Photo taken in Quito, Ecuador) many years ago ignited my fascination with llamas. They were used for a variety of purposes including meat, milk, and to haul heavy loads. I bought a llama-wool sweater. It was hand-dyed and hand-woven, but it was nearly too itchy to wear even with a turtle-neck underneath it, but every time I took it out, it brought back a lot of found memories of the comical creatures. In Book 2 of The Beartooth Chronicles , Above the Abyss , three geologist arrive in Beartooth on horseback, leading a pack string of six llamas. Find out what they brought and how the new arrivals and llamas fit into the community. 

In Above the Abyss , book 2 in the series, the residents of Beartooth construct cold frames along the side of one of the log structures to help them continue to grow greens year-round after the first stratospheric aerosol injection lowers the temperatures at their high-elevation home. In agriculture and gardening, cold frames are transparent-roofed enclosures, generally built low to the ground . The transparent top allows sunlight in and prevents heat from escaping, particularly at night. Cold frames are a great way to extend the growing season in areas with short seasons.

The mine that I based the abandoned Avalanche Mine on in Above the Abyss , book 2 in The Beartooth Chronicles , is located in southwestern Montana. This mining site traces its origins back to 1917. The mine was an underground mining operation with veins producing gold, but mostly copper. The mine is located at about 9,600 feet in elevation. Many years ago, we often rode our ATVs up the steep, winding, dirt forest service road to the top of the high-elevation pass where the mine is located. Many relics from the active mining era were visible on the surface at that time. The climate at this elevation makes the mine accessible for only a few months in the summer. I hope you'll check out my dystopian series and discover more about the fictional mine and the crater that swallowed up the town below the mountain.

My family always had horses. I learned to ride a horse before I learned to ride a bike. We participated in rodeo, and my dad’s idea of a family vacation was a pack trip into the mountains of Wyoming. I’ve included horses in a number of my novels, including each novel in  The Beartooth Chronicles . Every horse has its own personality, and it’s hard not to form a deep connection to the right horse. I’ve seen horses that seem to have a sense of humor, are grumpy, or that love attention. Most are loyal and strong, and I’ve encountered many who have so much heart that they would never give up, a trait which can’t help but inspire awe.   Horses play a practical role in the series. Not everyone is comfortable with the powerful animals, but those who are, depend on them often for survival. I hope you will join in the adventure starting with,  Refuge from the World (The Beartooth Chronicles, Book 1).  It is available in ebook and print from most major online booksellers. Orde...

I grew up gardening. We grew, raised, or hunted nearly everything we ate. As an adult, I seldom lived where I had enough land to raise meat, but I’ve always found a way to garden. I’ve developed raised beds, used pots and small plots, and currently have a large enough garden to grow enough produce to eat fresh, freeze, can, dry, share with neighbors and friends, and make relish and sauerkraut. Not only do I prefer the flavor of home-grown produce and love the price, the act of gardening is one of my joys in life. Gardening is essential to the survival of Beartooth’s residents. I hope you will join in this epic dystopian adventure starting with, Refuge from the World (The Beartooth Chronicles, Book 1). It is available in ebook and print from most major online booksellers. Order your ebook from Amazon at https://amzn.to/3wwE9ZV or in paperback at https://amzn.to/49CiTki , or find buy links to other online booksellers in the Beartooth Chronicles’ page on this blog.     

When I first met my husband many, many, many years ago, he taught me how to shoot a recurve bow. I enjoyed the sport, but never mastered it to the degree necessary for hunting wild game, though I have witnessed this a number of times. He also makes his own arrows which is an enjoyable activity. I hope my experience with archery helps make those scenes in the novels of The Beartooth Chronicles more believable.  You can begin the adventure with Refuge from the World (The Beartooth Chronicles, Book 1). It is available in ebook and print from most major online booksellers. Order your ebook from Amazon at https://amzn.to/3wwE9ZV or in paperback at https://amzn.to/49CiTki , or find buy links to other online booksellers in the Beartooth Chronicles’ page on this blog.  

Stratospheric Aerosol Injection or SAI is a solar geo-engineering process where sulfur aerosols are introduced into the stratosphere about twenty-five miles above the earth's surface. The aerosols would then, theoretically, combine with water particles and reflect more sunlight than usual back into space cooling the planet. The effects of SAI wane over time and would have to be repeated over large areas for decade to make the results permanent. SAI is one more threat to the survival of the residents of Beartooth. Discover why in Refuge from the World (The Beartooth Chronicles, Book 1). It is available in ebook and print from most major online booksellers. Order your ebook from Amazon at https://amzn.to/3wwE9ZV or in paperback at https://amzn.to/49CiTki , or find buy links to other online booksellers in the Beartooth Chronicles’ page on this blog.     

I’ve always been fascinated with honey bees. They play a huge role in pollination and produce some truly remarkable products. Wax has been used in many products including candles, soap, beauty products, and furniture polish to name a few. Honey is not only a delicious treat, but raw honey also has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties and has been used to treat burns and improve wound healing. There are 20,000 different types of bees in the world. But only one kind makes honey. In a hive, only the queen lays eggs, and male worker-bees mate with the queen. Female worker-bees produce honey from pollen and nectar that they collect from plants while pollinating, and then store the honey in honeycombs made of wax inside their nest. It is this honey that apiculturists collect. Read how apiculture plays a vital role in the survival of Beartooth in Refuge from the World (The Beartooth Chronicles, Book 1). It is available in ebook and print from most major online booksellers. Ord...

The Beartooth Chronicles is set in the future at a time when all of the world’s ice has melted into the oceans and inland lakes, forcing populations around the world away from the coasts. If all of the ice melted, sea levels could raise over 200 feet, which would submerge the Leaning Tower of Pisa, Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro, and the White House in Washington, D.C The fictional community of Beartooth is located near the top of Beartooth Pass. The top of Beartooth pass is currently over 9,400 feet above sea level. In the series, after a rise in sea level and subsidence, the community’s elevation is about 8,900 feet above sea level. Currently, the road over the pass is open from approximately Memorial Day to mid-October, depending on the amount of snow (photo was taken opening day 2022). In the novels, snow no longer falls and the residents of Beartooth have been able to grow food year-round. The isolation, ability to grow food, and abundant wildlife has enabled them to c...