Rebecca M. Douglass, Author

In honor of Veteran's Day and in hopes of helping us heal from a pretty divisive election, today instead of flash fiction, I'm having Photo Friday, and sharing pictures of calm waters, reflections, and the beautiful things light can do. Enjoy. Flagstaff Lake, Maine, at sunrise. Moon and grass reflected in Flagstaff Lake, ME Sunset serenity. Flagstaff Lake, ME  Big Five Lakes, Sequoia National Park Vanishing Storm Clouds, Big Five Lakes, Sequoia National Park Misty Evening. Columbine Lake, Sequoia National Park Tarn reflections, Kings Canyon National Park Lupine after the storm. Kings Canyon NP After the storm. Kings Canyon NP Sunset. Columbine Lake, Sequoia NP And finally, take a good look at the sunset and sleep well. Sequoia NP

Title: Petey Author: Ben Mikaelsen Publisher: Disney-Hyperion, 1998. 280 pages Source: School district book giveaway. (Book was leftover and is en route to other young readers, lest anyone think I was snatching books meant for our children). Publisher's Summary: In 1922, at the age of two, Petey's distraught parents commit him to the state's insane asylum, unaware that their son is actually suffering from severe cerebral palsy. Bound by his wheelchair and struggling to communicate with the people around him, Petey finds a way to remain kind and generous despite the horrific conditions in his new "home." Through the decades, he befriends several caretakers but is heartbroken when each eventually leaves him. Determined not to be hurt again, he vows to no longer let hope of lifelong friends and family torment him. That changes after he is moved into a nursing home and meets a young teen named Trevor Ladd; he sees something in the boy and decides to risk fri

Today we are participating in another Great Escapes Free Book Tour, and we have the honor of having author Cathy Ace here with a guest post. But first, let's get the business out of the way: Title: The Case of the Missing Morris Dancer Author: Cathy Ace Publisher: Severn House (November 1, 2016) Paperback: 224 pages Source: digital ARC provided by the publisher for the purposes of this free tour. ISBN-13: 978-1847516633 E-Book ASIN: B01AADQSF2 Publisher's Summary: The Women of the WISE Enquiries Agency are back in a witty and intriguing new mystery . The Anwen Morris Dancers are to play a pivotal role in the imminent nuptials of Henry, eighteenth Duke of Chellingworth. But it looks as though the wedding plans might go awry unless Mavis, Annie, Carol and Christine can help Althea, the Dowager Duchess, by finding a missing Morris man and a set of ancient and valuable artefacts in time for her son’s wedding. Anwen-by-Wye might look like an idyllic Welsh village where family

It's November, and that mean National Novel Writing Month--a.k.a. NaNoWriMo, or just NaNo. It's a national challenge to all the writers and would-be writers to put the backside in the chair and write 50,000 words in a month (that's a decent juvvy novel, but well short of an actual adult novel, even a trade-paperback mystery. It's still a good start and a great accomplishment). I've done it, twice. The first time, the result was Death By Trombone . The second time, I produced a mess of words that's supposed to be the 3rd Pismawallops PTA mystery (and it will be. I'll start revisions on rewriting that in December. But it went so far awry that I can't even use the working title). This time, I'm probably cheating a bit, but I'm working on converting a collection of flash fiction about Gorg the Troll into a novel. So, like Halitor the Hero , it's back to the world of fantasy that can't quite keep a straight face. I thought I'd throw in a

For this month, while I'm very busy trying to juggle a NaNo project and the release of The Problem With Peggy (Book 3 of the Ninja Librarian series), my Friday posts may be either short, photographic, or re-runs. Just a warning :) Today, however, I got inspired and we have a full length (990 words) flash--another voyage with Xavier Xanthum, Space Explorer. Xavier Xanthum and the Alien “Comet, we need some excitement.” Xavier Xanthum addressed the comment to the large black-and-white cat that lay, weightless, on his lap. “I do not think it is wise to wish for excitement.” The answer didn’t come from the cat; to the best of Xavier’s knowledge, the animal couldn’t speak. The only other voice in his one-man spacecraft was that of Larry, the AI. Xavier looked around for the floating eyeballs that Larry liked to use as his physical manifestation. “Why not? We’ve been in transit for a month, and I’m bored out of my mind. We need to do something to break up the trip!” He and Larry had bee

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! (Click on the badge above to see the whole story). Our question for the month is "What is your favorite aspect of being a writer?" I'll get to that in a minute. First, I have to unload my neurotic insecurities, as well as a few that are all-too-reasonable. I have a book coming out at t

One more Halloween story from the archives, to celebrate the holiday. This one's from 2013, in 970 words. Be Careful What you Read on Halloween Don’t read fairy tales on Halloween.  Just don’t.  Trust me on this; I know what I’m talking about. My name is Cara, I’m ten years old, and I like fairy tales. Correction: I used to like fairy tales. Mom is always saying fairy tales are good clean, safe reading for a kid like me, and things half the books out there are too violent, and half are too mushy. I kind of agree about the mushy part. Yuck. But none of the books she rants about is half so violent as Grimm’s fairy tales, and Mom ought to try reading them sometime.  But not on Halloween. Let me tell you. It was while I was reading Cinderella that things began getting weird. I took a break to light my jack-o-lantern, and when I opened the lid a bunch of mice jumped out and took off, then sort of vanished. That was bad enough. I mean, mice are kind of cute, but not in my room, and not i

I missed it last month, but here it is, Flashback Friday AND time for my Halloween story. Which is cool, because I have some favorites that fit, and I'm happy to give one another airing! In fact, I found more than one, so I'll be  posting another Halloween re-run on Monday, since that's the actual day. For today, in just over 900 words, from Halloween 2012: Furballs It should have been just another day. Get up, get dressed, have breakfast and go to school. Malkina ran into the first snag as soon as she tried to pull on her underwear. Reaching behind herself, she felt the furry protuberance. Mystified, she moved to the mirror--a full-length mirror her mother insisted she have in her room, but which Malkina mostly ignored. Why should she even look, when she was so hopelessly ordinary? The most ordinary girl in the fifth grade. Kicking aside a modest pile of books and dirty laundry so she could stand in front of the mirror, Malkina twisted and turned until she saw herself. Saw

  Title: Girl at War Author: Sara Novi ć Publisher: Random House, 2015. 316 pages Source: Library Publisher's Summary:  Zagreb, summer of 1991. Ten-year-old Ana Jurić is a carefree tomboy who runs the streets of Croatia's capital with her best friend, Luka, takes care of her baby sister, Rahela, and idolizes her father. But as civil war breaks out across Yugoslavia, soccer games and school lessons are supplanted by sniper fire and air raid drills. When tragedy suddenly strikes, Ana is lost to a world of guerilla warfare and child soldiers; a daring escape plan to America becomes her only chance for survival. Ten years later Ana is a college student in New York. She's been hiding her past from her boyfriend, her friends, and most especially herself. Haunted by the events that forever changed her family, she returns alone to Croatia, where she must rediscover the place that was once her home and search for the ghosts of those she's los