Rebecca M. Douglass, Author

Last week I began the account of our cruise to Antarctica with the crossing of the Drake Passage and our first morning's zodiac cruise. Today, I have photos from the first afternoon, kayaking with the icebergs. Unlike kayakers on some other days, we didn't have any close encounters with whales, but we did have beautiful weather and water conditions. Our ship, the Plancius , provided all the necessary gear, including wet suits and paddling jackets. It felt like a lot of clothes as we layered them on over long underwear, but actually kayaking was a warmer activity that sitting in a zodiac (and had less wind chill).  What the fashionable Antarctic paddler wears (though the camera bag wasn't a common accessory). Since I don't much care for being cold and wet, I was glad to see the glassy calm of the Errera Channel around Danco Island, our kayaking area. The shore-landing party headed out before us. We had our own zodiac ride to bring us closer to where we wanted to paddle,

In the interests of putting things back to normal, at least as a writer/blogger, it's time for my regular "Writer's Update." As my title suggests, this might be a little embarrassing this week. Seriously, how can it already be a week since last Wednesday and the IWSG post? Based on the amount I've gotten done (of anything productive, not just writing), it's been about 36 hours, and I've been asleep most of it.... I'm not going to beat myself up over that. We've been readjusting our household, not to mention going through the mental lag I always experience after extended travel. But I am going to use this to hold myself accountable for the coming weeks. That's right: I'm setting some deadlines. By the end of the week: edit and prepare my WEP post edit an additional story I worked on aboard ship edit 3 more chapters of the new Pismawallops PTA mystery, Death By Donut For a larger deadline, I want to have DBD ready for Beta readers by mid-May.

  Title: Wish Author: Barbara O'Connor. Read by Suzy Jackson Publication Info: 2016, Recorded Books. 4:40. Hardcover 2016, Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 240 pages. Source: Library digital resources Publisher's Blurb: Eleven-year-old Charlie Reese has been making the same secret wish every day since fourth grade. She even has a list of all the ways there are to make the wish, such as cutting off the pointed end of a slice of pie and wishing on it as she takes the last bite. But when she is sent to the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina to live with family she barely knows, it seems unlikely that her wish will ever come true. That is until she meets Wishbone, a skinny stray dog who captures her heart, and Howard, a neighbor boy who proves surprising in lots of ways. Suddenly Charlie is in serious danger of discovering that what she thought she wanted may not be what she needs at all. 
 My Review:   I enjoyed this story. It's a sweet tale, with a likeable main

I promised y'all penguins, so I'm jumping over whatever land-based trips I still need to share, and going right to the world's most amazing swimming birds. Okay, and also a landscape that is a bit mind-boggling. And whales.... A bit of background: In the late afternoon of March 9, we boarded the Oceanwide Expeditions vessel Plancius in Ushuaia, Argentina. On the 12th, we woke up in Antarctica (okay, not a total surprise, and we'd seen the South Shetland Islands the day before as we steamed past). Our ship, a refitted research vessel 89 meters long, carried 114 passengers and 46 crew (including 8 guides for our adventures, and an amazing chef). That makes it a pretty small ship for a cruise, and allows for the kind of special trip this was: one where everyone could participate in all the activities and landings (all covered in the base price, BTW). Those activities included kayaking, zodiac cruises, landings, and various mountaineering activities (participation in some

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 and connect with your fellow writer - aim for a dozen new people each time - and return comments. This group is all about connecting! Be sure to link to this page and display the badge in your post. And please be sure your avatar links back to your blog! Otherwise, when you leave a comment, people can't find you to comment back. Let’s rock the neurotic writing world! Our Twitter handle is @TheIWSG and hashtag is #IWSG. Eve

Title: The Line Tender Author: Kate Allen. Read by Jenna Lamia Publication Info: Hardback by Dutton, 2019. 384 pages. Audiobook by Listening Library, 2019. Source: Library digital resources Publisher’s Blurb: The Line Tender  is the story of Lucy, the daughter of a marine biologist and a rescue diver, and the summer that changes her life. If she ever wants to lift the cloud of grief over her family and community, she must complete the research her late mother began. She must follow the sharks. Wherever the sharks led, Lucy Everhart’s marine-biologist mother was sure to follow. In fact, she was on a boat far off the coast of Massachusetts, preparing to swim with a Great White, when she died suddenly. Lucy was eight. Since then Lucy and her father have done OK—thanks in large part to her best friend, Fred, and a few close friends and neighbors. But June of her twelfth summer brings more than the end of school and a heat wave to sleepy Rockport. On one steamy day, the tide brings a Great

I’m doing a guest post this week at the IWSG Anthology blog , talking about the inspiration behind my story, “A World of Trouble,” which is appearing in Voyagers: The Third Ghost. Our collection of fantastic historical/fantasy middle grade stories with a theme of voyaging is available for pre-orders now! I do apologize that I will not be able to respond to comments until March 20, as I shall be at sea. The release date for  VOYAGERS: The Third Ghost   is May 5, 2020, but purchase links are available, and you can preorder a copy now. Print  9781939844729 $13.95 EBook  9781939844736 $4.99 Juvenile Fiction - Historical / Action & Adventure / Fantasy & Magic Dancing Lemur Press/Freedom Fox Press Amazon  - Print  https://www.amazon.com/dp/193984472X /  Kindle   https://www.amazon.com/Voyagers-Third-Ghost-Yvonne-Ventresca-ebook/dp/B083C4WPR5 / Barnes & Noble  -  https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/voyagers-yvonne-ventresca/1135912991?ean=2940163430857 ITunes  -  https://books.apple.

The Ninja Librarian is truly out of reach, having set sail for Antarctica. Assuming I don’t die of sea-sickness, I’ll be back on land and back to the internet around March 20 or 21. Feel free to leave comments, and I’ll respond when I return! I’ll leave you with an ice berg or two for your enjoyment. These were on Lago Argentina, not in Antarctica, but they are still beautiful. And deep into the heart of the blue, blue ice. All text and photos  ©️ Rebecca M. Douglass, unless otherwise indicated. Please ask for permission before using or sharing any content of this blog. Linkbacks are always appreciated!

  The Insecure Writer's Support Group is where writers can express their 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! Check it out  here  and join if you want support with your writing. We post on the first Wednesday of every month.  Let’s rock the neurotic writing world!  Our Twitter handle is @TheIWSG and hashtag is #IWSG Since I’m in Patagonia and am in fact completely out of contact just now (on a 7-day backpacking trip in Torres del Paine National Park), this isn’t really an IWSG post. Just my hearty wish that you are all having a good month and getting lots of writing done, and a couple of teaser photos of some of the beautiful mountains we’ve been hiking. (Note: hiking,  most definitely NOT “climbing”!) Mt. Fitz Roy at dawn. Fitz Roy from Laguna de los Tres, a classic spot for a photo. We were lucky to have a b it of calm for refl