Kim McMahill

The birds are returning and their songs have begun to fill the crisp air with warm music. As snow fluttered down all weekend and temperatures dipped into single digits, I feared they had returned home too soon and would pay the ultimate price for an unpredictable winter. But, today the sky is blue and I have faith the birds were correct in their timing and spring is just around the corner. With warmer temperatures comes renewed optimism and inspiration. I think its time to tie up old adventures and dive into a new story.

I vowed to post at least two entries per month on my blog, but here it is the 29th of January and my mind is blank. I’ve never experienced writer’s block when it comes to my novels, which is a very good thing and understandable. My stories can start anywhere and I always try to follow the most unusual path possible. I can bring the Cold War back with a new twist ( The Watch ), dig deep to survive a superior enemy in the jungles of Mexico ( Deadly Ruins ) or try to outrun dirt-bike riding terrorists on horseback in remote mountain country in Wyoming (work in progress). But, my blog is a non-fiction endeavor and life is seldom as exciting as a novel. I guess that’s why I write and why we all read--to go places we can only dream of, experience the unusual and escape to wherever our individual imaginations can take us.

It seems like only yesterday when many thought Y2K would be the end of the world, but here we are a decade later. Call me an optimist, but I never bought into it. In fact I flew on January 1, 2000. The ticket was dirt cheap, the plane was nearly empty and the flight completely uneventful. Unfortunately the decade to follow the infamous Y2K cannot be categorized as uneventful. But, instead of focusing on the hardships and tragedies our country and world has faced over the past ten years, I try to look ahead. Though the challenges we encounter personally and as a society may seem insurmountable, I have faith many good times are still in our future. So, as we move forward remember those who have sacrificed so much for our freedom and those who have survived difficult times, but never lose hope, the ability to love or the desire to find the goodness still plentiful in our world if we choose to open our hearts and minds.

I would like to wish everyone a happy holiday season and extend my gratitude to all my friends, followers and fans. I’m thrilled to have so many people who like my work enough to purchase my books and check in with my blog every now and then to see what I’m up to. It’s been and exciting and busy year with two novels to promote, work, travel, family and trying to find time to write. My next story I hope to have published combines a military crisis, harrowing horseback escapes, romance and an attempt to reconcile the past in an action-packed adventure set in the rugged and stunning Big Horn Mountains of Wyoming. Please keep your fingers crossed that I’ll find the right agent or publisher for this project and I’ll keep you posted on its progress. I hope everyone has a wonderful and prosperous 2010.

When I booked a Caribbean Cruise more than six months ago I had no way to know I had chosen a great week to be gone. As most of the country was battered by brutal temperatures, wind and snow I enjoyed the balmy embrace of the Caribbean. I had looked forward to being warm for months, but wasn’t expecting much from our ports of call. After having lived in the South Pacific and Hawaii I have developed high expectations for islands and need more than just sand and water to pique my interest. The color of the water and amazing reef life in the Bahamas made me flash back to the Solomon Islands. The shallow, calm, bathtub-warm water teeming with colorful fish fit my snorkeling ability to a tee. I learned there’s more to Puerto Rico than rum and the fascinating colonial history and architecture, beautiful scenery and friendly people were a pleasant surprise. I especially enjoyed the Forts of San Juan National Historic Site. I had expected all Caribbean Islands to be small flat sandy specks in ...

Now don’t laugh. In the rural west, golf can be quite adventurous. Going after a lost ball on the way to the eighteenth hole in Carlsbad, New Mexico could encounter rattlesnakes that would make Indian Jones cringe and the concentration and size of rock chucks (marmots) on the Custer, South Dakota course (above) would put the run on Caddy Shack’s gopher population. Sand traps and water are just several of the hazards and are a small inconveniences to suffer for the privilege of being out in some very beautiful areas. Where else besides Hot Springs, South Dakota, are you more likely to have to wait for deer or wild turkeys to cross the green than another player? Every course is different and offers unique challenges and that’s part of the fun. Being the marginal player that I am doesn’t dampen my enthusiasm for the sport when the activity gives me an excuse to linger in such places as Crawford, Nebraska (population 1,107), which by the way, has a great nine-hole course. So, I play on in ...

This time last year I was busy preparing for a trip to Costa Rica. The country was magnificent and made me anxious to explore more of Central America. Other than a quick trip into Belize to visit some Mayan ruins and a day at the beach on Isla Rotan in Honduras, I’ve never spent any significant time in Central America. We flew into San Jose and stayed a couple of nights in the city before venturing out. The culture and history were fascinating, but only the beginning to what this country has to offer. We then explored the Pacific and Caribbean coasts, the Central Valley and the North. We hiked through pristine rain forests, enjoyed the Pacific coast beaches, visited coffee plantations and small villages, watched as Arenal erupted and soaked in mineral pools heated by the volcano, but the highlight had to be the time we spent at Tortuguero. Tortuguero (see picture above) is only accessible by small aircraft (though the airstrip was closed for repairs while we were there) or a lengthy bo...