Rebecca M. Douglass, Author

Title: Murder Wears Mittens (Seaside Knitters Society #1)  Author: Sally Goldenbaum Publisher: Kensington, 2017. 272 pages. Source: electronic ARC through Great Escapes free blog tours Publisher's Blurb: As autumn washes over coastal Sea Harbor, Massachusetts, the Seaside Knitters anticipate a relaxing off-season. But when murder shatters the peace, the craftiest bunch in town must unravel a killer’s deadly scheme . . . After retrieving fresh lobster nets from a local Laundromat, Cass Halloran rushes to attend a last-minute gathering with her knitting circle. But Cass can’t stop worrying about the lonely boy seen hanging around the dryers, and the school uniform he left behind in a hurry. When the ladies return the lost clothing the next day, they find the child and his younger sister alone, seemingly abandoned by their mother . . . The knitters intend to facilitate a family reunion, not investigate a crime. But the death of Dolores Cardozo, a recluse from the edge of t

Last Monday of the month, and that means it's time for Fiction in 50. Blessing in Disguise is this month’s prompt from Bruce Gargoyle in his Fiction in Fifty (Fi50) meme.  You can join in this fun communal story-telling any time you like, and post any time during the month. Because Bruce is taking a haitus from blogging, I am working on taking over managing this blog hop. For now, drop in here and link to your own story, and see the remaining prompts below. I've up a page for the party . Blessing in Disguise “I can’t come. Too much work, and my car’s in the shop.” “Bummer! Growing up sucks, doesn’t it?” Kara hung up, agreeing with Marla. She wanted to join the others at the beach house for the weekend. When the first one died of the unknown disease, Kara thanked her car.  *** ©Rebecca M. Douglass, 2017 As always, please ask permission to use any photos or text. Link-backs appreciated! Welcome to Fiction in 50! The rules for participation are simple! 1. Create a piece of

First the eclipse. As regular readers of this blog will recall, I drove to Oregon last weekend with my oldest son in order to witness the total solar eclipse. I have to say that it was a fantastic experience, and worth the cost of a rental car (because ours chose just that moment to develop a perplexing electrical problem) and 3 days of driving. At least we avoided the massive traffic jams that made some people's trips home 2 or 3 times longer than they should have been. Okay, I'm lying. That's not an eclipse. That's sunset in California, thanks to the fires everywhere. And the reality was even redder than the photo shows. We targeted the National Forest lands east of John Day, Oregon, in hopes of avoiding the worst crowds. Our plan worked pretty well. That is to say, the small towns along the path of totality were absolute zoos, but we needed nothing there--we'd filled the gas tank farther out, and had all our own food and water with us. The National Forest was al

  Title: Time to Be in Earnest: A Fragment of Autobiography Author: P. D. James Publisher: Faber & Faber, 1999. Paperback by Ballantine, 2001. 269 pages. Source: Library book sale Publisher's Summary: On the day she turned seventy-seven, internationally acclaimed mystery writer P. D. James embarked on an endeavor unlike any other in her distinguished career: she decided to write a personal memoir in the form of a diary. Over the course of a year she set down not only the events and impressions of her extraordinarily active life, but also the memories, joys, discoveries, and crises of a lifetime. This enchantingly original volume is the result. Time to Be in Earnest offers an intimate portrait of one of most accomplished women of our time. Here are vivid, revealing accounts of her school days in Cambridge in the 1920s and '30s, her happy marriage and the tragedy of her husband's mental illness, and the thrill of publishing her first novel, Cover Her Face , i

The Ninja Librarian is in Oregon, watching the eclipse. As a treat while you wait for our return, a few photos of the Eastern Oregon landscape, from earlier trips. I tend to think of eastern Oregon as fairly flat--a rolling lava field much like eastern Washington (which is also not really that way--that's just what you see from I90). And it can be. Oregon looking prairie-like aside from the volcanic artifact that is Fort Rock. But an awful lot of it is more like this. Still volcanic, but not so flat. US 395 near John Day, Oregon.  Oregon can also look like this: John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, Painted Hills Interesting contrasts between the eroding hills, the volcanic butte behind, and the irrigated valley between! We'll be looking for places more like what's behind the Painted Hills, for the best view of the eclipse! And finally, Eastern Oregon can also look like this. See you in a few days! ©Rebecca M. Douglass, 2017 As always, please ask permission to use any pho

A couple of weeks ago, I did a 6-day backpack trip with my husband and eldest son (ES) on the east side of Glacier Peak (in Washington State; not to be confused with Glacier National Park). After a good snow year, there was lots of water, a fair collection of mosquitoes, and an overwhelming abundance of wildflowers. Here's a quick trip report with a lot of pretty pictures. For those who like more detail on routes: We hiked the Phelps Creek Trail to Spider Meadows, climbed the Spider Glacier through Spider Gap and down to Lyman Lake. Crossed Cloudy and Suiattle Passes to pick up the PCT for a few miles, then the trail through Buck Creek Pass and back down to the Chiwawa River to complete the near-loop. Day One:  We arrived at the trailhead, after a long and slow dirt road (the last 2.5 miles were not at all appropriate for a small sedan, but we did it anyway), in time for lunch. There were a startling number of cars in the parking area, but it was Sunday and we had faith, well-place

The Ninja Librarian seems to be suffering a bit from summer distraction, and somehow Monday came and went without a post. This one will have to do for Monday and Wednesday, because we also have been falling behind in our reading. Not that the book needs a review, particularly, but it was kind of fun. Title: Cheaper By the Dozen Author: Frank Gilbreth, Jr., and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey; read by Dana Ivey Publisher: Random House Listening Library, 1994; originally by Thomas Y. Crowell, 1948 (237 pages).  I liked the 1948 cover, so here it is:  Source: Library digital resources Publisher's Summary (this is the blurb in the library catalog for the audio edition): No growing pains have ever been more hilarious than those suffered loudly by the riotous Gilbreth clan. First, there are a dozen red-haired, freckle-faced kids to contend with. Then there's Dad, a famous efficiency expert who believes a family can be run just like a factory. And there's Mother, his partner in ever

Title: Trials of the Earth: The True Story of a Pioneer Woman Author: Mary Mann Hamilton; narrated by Barbara Benjamin Creel Publisher: Hachette Audio, 2016. Originally published 1992 by University Press of Mississippi, 259 pages. Source: Library digital resources Publisher's Summary: This wrenching memoir of love, courage, and survival was waiting to he told. Withheld for almost a lifetime, it is a tragic story of a woman's trial of surviving against brutal odds. Near the end of her life Mary Hamilton (1866-c.1936) was urged to record this astonishing narrative. It is the only known first-hand account by an ordinary woman depicting the extraordinary routines demanded in this time and this place. She reveals the unbelievably arduous role a woman played in the taming of the Delta wilderness, a position marked by unspeakably harsh, bone-breaking toil. On a raw November day in 1932 Helen Dick Davis entered a backwoods cabin in the Delta and encountered Mary Hamilton, a t

I just finished two middle grade books that deal with kids losing family members. Since the themes are so similar (though the stories and characters are not),  I thought I'd review them together. Both are good, but they feel like they fill different roles. Umbrella Summer is suitable for younger children, and gives us the emotion at a barely-safe distance. Counting By 7s immerses the reader in loss and reconstruction, and is probably better suited for slightly older children.    Title: Umbrella Summer Author: Lisa Graff Publisher: HarperCollins, 240 pages. Source: Library digital resources Publisher's Summary: Annie Richards knows there are a million things to look out for -- bicycle accidents, food poisoning, chicken pox, smallpox, typhoid fever, runaway zoo animals, and poison oak. That's why being careful is so important, even if it does mean giving up some of her favorite things, like bike races with her best friend, Rebecca, and hot dogs on the Fourth of July. Ev

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! 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 (click on the badge above for the list) 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 stop by and visit other IWSG members and our wonderful hosts for the month, Christine Rains, Dolarah @ Book Lover, Ellen @ The Cynical Sailor, Yvonne Ventresca, and LG Keltner! The question this month is about your pet peeves when reading,

Today's Photo Friday post is photos taken on a recent visit to Ashland, Oregon (mostly on a dayhike at Grizzly Peak). Mostly, though, they were me learning to use a new camera, the Lumix DMC-ZS100. The change of camera cost me a bit with regard to the macro, but the test was to see if the additional clarity (it has a much larger sensor than my previous Lumix) would compensate. It looks like it does, though it requires a little more work in post-processing. Note: this isn't a camera review. For that, check out the assessment by a pro at Photoseek.com . We were visiting a friend, and in training for a pack trip, so instead of spending a lot of time in town, we went for a hike (we did go wander around downtown afterwards, but I didn't take photos). We drove about 20 minutes out of town and did a very popular 5.5-mile loop on Grizzly Peak. Wildflowers were still blooming with enthusiasm. The meadow made this feel a lot higher than it is. Mt. Ashland is just visible behind the t