Rebecca M. Douglass, Author

Oops--I guess my title kind of gave away the plot! I missed my Monday post due to a) not having time to make one, and b) not having a book ready to review. The reason for that is good, though: I have had visits from my kids the last two weekends, which put me behind on all my work but is totally worth it. Revisions on the book are proceeding, just as slowly and painfully as usual. Meanwhile, in other news, as many of you will have noticed, Draft2Digital has just put a new burden on those of us with lousy sales. I am sad to find that it will now cost me $12 per year to keep my books on all those web sites. I get it--they run on royalties, same as we do, and my books aren't earning them enough royalties, but it's hard on us little people.  I'd love to fix my low earnings, but alas, I have no magic solution, and even less ability to fix last year's sales.  (I also notice they don't say that the fee will disappear if I make more than $100 in 2026).  Since the fee won...

I've been rummaging around in the blog, and find that I never finished my report on our trip to Patagonia in 2020. That's not surprising (I was actually more surprised to find that I'd done any posts at all, as that was the last trip I did with my husband, and he was killed just weeks after returning home). I'm not going to do a report, but I think I'll share some of Dave's fantastic photos from the parts of that trip I didn't report on.  On one day, we did a cruise on Lago Argentina, which included cruising by the Perito Moreno Glacier, which we'd visited the previous day from the land side. This glacier has been in the news because at that point, it was one of very few worldwide that was still advancing--and it is now in retreat. Read more about that at Karen Grove's excellent Landscapes Revealed blog.  Meanwhile, enjoy some of Dave's photos. He was a much better photographer than I am. We're way up an arm of the lake, and I think that we ...

I'm posting this morning with the Marvelous Middle Grade Mondays blog hop. The hop is sponsored by  Greg Pattridge of Always in the Middle . Check out Greg's blog for a list of additional middle grade reviews.    After reading Three Blue Hearts , by Lynne Kelly, I decided to give her other works a look. For some reason I don't find the blurbs wholly appealing, but I'm liking her stories.   Title : The Secret Language of Birds Author : Lynne Kelly Publication Info : Delacourt Press, 2024, 233 pages (Kindle edition) Source : Library Publisher's Blurb (via Goodreads) :  From the award-winning author of Song for a Whale comes a poignant and heartwarming tale about a girl who discovers a pair of endangered birds about to lay eggs in the marshes of her summer camp...and the secret plan she hatches to help them. Nina is used to feeling like the odd one out, both at school and in her large family. But while trying to fit in at summer camp, she discovers s...

I apparently originally wrote this one in 2014, and I know exactly what climb and descent were in my mind at the time! I don't bike much anymore, but can still relate to this version of hell, though I forgot to put in the saddle sores and knee pain...   Biking in Hell   "They're always there," Phil said. "If you get up enough speed to have fun, they'll nail you. And if you’re making headway on the hill, they’ll belch exhaust at you."   "How do they do it?"   Phil shrugged. "I used to call those things the spawn of Satan. Turns out I was right."   The two cyclists struggled up the hill, which grew steeper as they neared the top. A jacked-up pickup passed them, leaving a cloud of thick black diesel exhaust in its wake. By the time the summit was in sight, both stood on the pedals, straining every fiber to make any headway at all, gasping for air.   Jim sighed with relief as he topped out, but even as the riders s...

Thanks to Great Escapes Virtual Blog tours for the chance to read and review the 3rd book in Leslie Karst's Orchid Isle Mystery series! (See reviews of Molten Death and Waters of Destruction if you like to start at the beginning.) Murder, Local Style (An Orchid Isle Mystery) Cozy Mystery 3rd in Series Setting – Hawaii Publisher ‏ : ‎ Severn House Publication date ‏ : ‎ April 7, 2026 Print length ‏ : ‎ 240 pages Hardcover ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1448316588 ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1448316588 Digital ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1448316571 ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0FVLW3ZL8     Retired caterer Valerie Corbin investigates a suspicious poisoning in this Orchid Isle cozy culinary mystery, featuring a feisty queer couple who swap surfing lessons for sleuthing sessions in tropical Hilo, Hawai‘i. A dinner to die for! It’s been an eventful transition, but retired caterer Valerie Corbin and her wife Kristen are finally settling into life on the Big Island of Hawai’i. Val’s even joined the ne...

  It's the first Wednesday of the month again already, and time for my IWSG post! I'm honored to be a co-host this month and will be visiting as many of you as possible! Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds (and come on, we're all insecure in some way)! Posting: The first Wednesday of every month is officially Insecure Writer’s Support Group day. Post your thoughts on your own blog. Talk about your doubts and the fears you have conquered. Discuss your struggles and triumphs. Offer a word of encouragement for others who are struggling. Visit others in the group and connect with your fellow writers - aim for a dozen new people each time - and return comments. This group is all about connecting! Be sure to link to the IWSG page and display the badge in your ...

I'm posting this morning with the Marvelous Middle Grade Mondays blog hop. The hop is sponsored by  Greg Pattridge of Always in the Middle . Check out Greg's blog for a list of additional middle grade reviews.  This week's book I won in a give-away, thanks to author Jamie Sumner and Rosi Hollinbeck for the chance to read this story!     Title : Schooled Author : Jamie Sumner Publication Info: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2025. 218 pages Source: Won a paperback in a giveaway from a 3rd party (not the author or publisher) Publisher's Blurb (Goodreads) :  A bighearted, compulsively readable novel from acclaimed author Jamie Sumner about new schools, unexpected friendships, and overcoming loss. Eleven-year-old Lenny Syms is about to start college—sort of. As part of a brand-new experimental school, Lenny and four other students are starting sixth grade on a university campus, where they’ll be taught by the most brilliant professors and given every re...