Kim McMahill

Fall is in full swing and winter is just around the corner, at least in Wyoming. Thanksgiving will soon be here, and I have faith that it will be better than the last. A little over a year has passed since I lost my mom. I didn’t think it would be possible to heal, but as each day passes, I have a little more hope that I can find myself again. WRITING The first couple rounds of editing are done for the final novel in The Beartooth Chronicles, Winter Resurgence . There is still another proofread to go and formatting, and the cover should be coming soon. I’ve enjoyed the editing phase since it reminded me of what an epic novel this is. Simply, it’s just more—more action, adventure, danger, drama, love, and emotion. It will keep you on the edge of your seat, and you may even shed a tear or two. Surprisingly, I did, and I wrote it. WANDERINGS We had a busy October. We went to Helena to see family, went camping for probably the last time of the season, and went to Mexico. We enjoyed...

With Halloween in the review mirror, it’s time to look forward to Thanksgiving. However you choose to celebrate, I hope you have a wonderful holiday. WRITING I just got the cover for Isolated from Anarchy ( The Beartooth Chronicles, Book 3) . I love the way the designer kept the common elements from the covers of the first two novels in the series, Refuge from the World (Book 1) and Above the Abyss (Book 2) , but used a completely different color scheme to mix things up and added a helicopter which hints at an event that will forever change Beartooth. I think it’s pretty awesome. My publisher also indicated that the prices on the first two novels may be reduced prior to release of the third novel, so watch for that. If you haven’t started the series, you’ll be able to jump in for a very low cost. I hope you will j oin Ashley and Caleb as they embrace the challenges of learning about love, dealing with tragedy and grief, protecting their community from deadly predators and ruthle...

In keeping with what has become a bit of a blog tradition, I’m sharing my pumpkin cheesecake recipe with readers since I’m not a huge fan of the traditional pumpkin pie. 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...

Fall is here. I had a good run with the garden this year despite a slow start. It was cool and rained the entire month of June. July and August saw a few 100-degree days, and hints of fall in the air were showing up in September. I already miss the long days, but I’m enjoying the mild temperatures and college (and local high school) volleyball. I hope your fall is off to a good start and you’re enjoying the changing of the seasons. WRITING NOTES AND NEWS I’m just wrapping up the first draft of the fifth novel in the Beartooth Chronicles, my new, action-adventure, dystopian series. And, just in the nick of time. It’s in a good spot to set it aside for a while and return my focus to book 1. I have a new editor, and I’m very excited to work with her on this project. I am so anxious to share this saga with everyone. The first novel is slated for an early 2024 release. I’ll keep you posted on its progress and hope to have a cover to share with you soon. Meanwhile, I continue to write ...

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

November has a lot of days of note and various happenings. Here are a few to keep i n  mind. 1 st -   All Saint's Day and Daylight Savings time ends 1 st -2 nd - Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) 2 nd -  All Soul's Day - usually on the 2nd 3 rd  - U.S. General Election Day - please exercise your right to vote 11 th - Veteran's Day 13 th - Caregiver Appreciation Day, Friday the 13 th , and Sadie Hawkins Day 19 th - Great American Smokeout 20 th - Universal Children's Day 26 th - Thanksgiving Day 27 th - Black Friday  29 th - Advent begin s

Sweetest Day was started in 1922 by Herbert Birch Kingston, a Cleveland, Ohio philanthropist and candy company employee. He gave candy and small gifts to orphans, shut-ins, and the under-privileged to bring happiness to these people and show them that they were not forgotten.   The popularity of this holiday quickly spread; however, the tradition morphed into people giving chocolates, candies, and other sweets to loved ones and friends. While this is nice, if you want to follow the original selfless intent of this special day, find ways to give candy and small gifts to those in need. In 2020, Sweetest Day is on October 17.

Here are a few special day in November to keep in mind. November 1: All Saint’s Day November 1-2: Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) November 4: Daylight Savings time ends November 6: U.S. General Election November 11: Veteran’s Day November 13: Caregiver Appreciation Day and Sadie Hawkins Day November 20: Universal Children’s Day November 22: Thanksgiving Day