Kim McMahill

Dystopian novels are set in an imagined world or society in the future after something terrible has happened such as war or environmental collapse. A dystopian society is characterized by human suffering and misery where people live in an unfair society where they are often dehumanized and lead fearful existences. At some point the oppressed rebel and try to gain control of their lives. I’ve written in the dystopian genre before, but The Beartooth Chronicles is my first series, and I’ve approached the topic somewhat differently than my other novel where teens were trying to escape an oppressive American government (Deadly Exodus). In The Beartooth Chronicles, a group of individuals left society decades before the world’s environmental crisis reached a tipping point, and the U.S. was still moderately functional. They built a sustainable society on a remote mountaintop that became cut off from the rest of the country after earthquakes, flooding, erosion, and tectonic shifting destroy...

Refuge from the World , the first novel in The Beartooth Chronicles is available for pre-order and will be released on March 19, 2024. The Beartooth Chronicles follows the lives of the residents of a small mountaintop community as they struggle to find solutions to the problems threatening their survival. For twenty-five years, Beartooth’s isolated location has insulated it from the problems besieging the rest of the country and the world. As environmental disasters multiply, bringing out the worst in humanity, the residents of Beartooth must work together to protect the life they have built, and to hold on to their joy and hope for the future. In book one, Refuge from the World , you’ll meet many of the residents of Beartooth, including Ashley McPhee and Caleb Solomon. Even though they have known each other most of their lives, Ash and Caleb’s relationship changes dramatically in a short period of time. As they leave school behind, they realize that life is changing, and their g...

  Even though Wyoming and Montana often get a lot of snow in March, I’m still excited when this month arrives. Daylight savings time begins on March 10, 2024, giving us instantly another hour of daylight in the evening. Spring kicks off on March 19, 2024 with the Spring Equinox. On this day, the sun’s rays shine on the equator, giving us twelve hours of sunlight. I love the light, and even if it snows in March, I know warmer temperatures are just around the corner. WRITING NOTES AND NEWS Refuge from the World (The Beartooth Chronicles, book 1) is scheduled to be released later this month, hopefully by March 19, 2024. See the publishers “coming soon” page for more on this book and updates on its release at  https://www.fireandiceya.com/authors/kimmcmahill/bear1.html The next novel in the series, Above the Abyss (The Beartooth Chronicles, book 2) will be released in June or July, with the next two novels in the series to be released every four to five months thereafter. So,...

I hope everyone is finding love this month, in person or between the pages of a great book. And, speaking of love and books, the first novel in my new dystopian series is finally here. Along with action, adventure, and a look at our society in the future, the beginning of an enduring loves story unfolds (more under writing Notes and News). As I mentioned in the January Newsletter, I embarked on an amazing whale watching adventure to San Ignacio Lagoon in Mexico. The protected lagoon provides a perfect habitat for Pacific gray whales to breed and calve. The whales in this sanctuary are curious, and the numbers of tour boats are limited, which allowed us to see the whales up close. It was a humbling experience to interact with these gentle giants. It was a trip of a lifetime.   WRITING NOTES AND NEWS Refuge from the World (The Beartooth Chronicles, Book 1) is scheduled to be released later this month. The plan is for the next three novels in the series to be released every fou...

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.

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 your superior skill. This is how many of my real-life adventures have infiltrated my action-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 enem...

I hope everyone’s year has started out with a bang. Mine has been a mixed bag, but I have faith it will get better. I have an epic adventure planned for later this month. More on that in my February newsletter. WRITING NOTES AND NEWS Refuge from the World (The Beartooth Chronicles, Book 1) is progressing nicely and is on scheduled to be released in mid-February 2024. The plan is for the next three novels in the series to be released every four to five months thereafter. So, if you love the first book, you won’t have to wait long for the second. While working on edits for the first four novels in my new dystopian-adventure series, I’ve finished the fifth novel in the Beartooth Chronicles. I continue to write and release Kindle Vella episodes (Links shown below under “Kindle Vella”), including a new cozy mystery, Alder Island. I’m also trying to grow my readers. If you aren’t already, I would appreciate any new followers to any of my social media platforms below. Thanks in advance....