Rebecca M. Douglass, Author

I used a random title generator this week to give me the title, and I knew it needed to go along with a couple of other stories I've written about the Dragon Emissary. If you wish, you can check out One Dragon at a Time and The Second Dragon before you read today's installment. It's just under 1000 words. The Silent Dragon (A Dragon Emissary story) Calla gazed at the parchment in her hand, her mind working overtime. She had fished the packet from a secret compartment in the back wall of her semi-secret workroom. Someone had wanted it to be found only by the right people. And no wonder. It contained a secret that changed a great deal, if not everything, about her job. Calla was the 23rd Dragon Emissary of the Kingdom of Battorn, and she had taken over the job rather abruptly when her father’s skills had proven unequal to the task. That was how most of the Emissaries got the job. None retired to warmer climes, and very few had lived to fully train their successors. Calla re

Title: The Last Season Author: Eric Blehm Publisher: Harper Perennial, 2006. 335 pages. Source: Borrowed from a friend. Publisher's Summary:  
 My Review:   A third of the way through the book, I was wondering why I was reading it. This was partly the inevitable result of picking away at it in tiny bits when I wasn't very engaged, but it was also a result of the way the book is written. Let me hasten to add that, not long after that, I settled down to read for real and soon found myself caught up in the story. The main issue with the book is really the question of whether, aside from the mystery of his disappearance, Randy Morgenson was really a person in need of a biography. And the point of the book is really the disappearance and the search operation, with the rest of Randy's life feeling a bit as though it's there to make this into something more than an in-depth magazine article. But at some point, too, we realize that the construction of Randy's nature, thr

  A to Z Reflections Post: Late, as usual So I guess this was supposed to happen yesterday. To be honest, the listless A to Z was, in fact, listless, and I was busy, so I pretty much just put it all behind me and carried on. But it seems only fair to offer my reflections and opinions, if anyone is listening. Does that sound cynical? There may be a reason for that. You see, because of my time zone and my personal schedule (I could, of course, have posted at 3 the afternoon before and put my links up when the Brits did. But I don't want to), I ended up posting my link in the comments pretty much dead last every day. And that attracted about...zero...readers. I'm not sure if anyone visited here who wasn't responding to my visits, and frankly, I found people to visit by following comments on my friends' blogs. As a means of publicizing and promoting my blog, it was not, in fact, worth the touted "five minutes a day" (and yes, I resented the implication in the surv

  Title: The Only Road Author: Alexandra Diaz Publisher: Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2016. 308 pages Source: Library Publisher's Summary: Jaime is sitting on his bed drawing when he hears a scream. Instantly, he knows: Miguel, his cousin and best friend, is dead. Everyone in Jaime’s small town in Guatemala knows someone who has been killed by the Alphas, a powerful gang that’s known for violence and drug trafficking. Anyone who refuses to work for them is hurt or killed—like Miguel. With Miguel gone, Jaime fears that he is next. There’s only one choice: accompanied by his cousin Ángela, Jaime must flee his home to live with his older brother in New Mexico. Inspired by true events, The Only Road is an individual story of a boy who feels that leaving his home and risking everything is his only chance for a better life.   
 My Review:  The events that inspired this book, as suggested in the blurb, aren't necessarily the travels of one specific child, but of

It's been a long time since I did a photo special, but I have some good shots to share from a late-March visit to Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, in southern California. The area got some hype this year about a super-bloom, and while it was maybe a bit exaggerated, we certainly found good flowers, and far more than we've seen in recent years. The drive down from San Francisco is a long one, but it was nice to see the hills covered in green (and a fair number of California poppies). We began our trip with something new (for us): a 60-mile bike ride that took us up into the hills to the west, to have lunch in the town of Julian before a glorious descent back to the park (and the heat). Pre-sunrise breakfast before starting to ride. We needed an early start to beat the heat and the traffic. Started right off with the looooong climb out of the valley. This was just the beginning. After the first  dozen miles, we got a respite in Ranchita. Where they seem to revere Bigfoot (more on

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! This month's question:  What is the weirdest/coolest thing you ever had to research for your story? Great question, so I think I'll talk about that! Actually, I've long had a joke about some of the things we writers of murder mysteries research, a

 Title: Wolf Hollow Author: Lauren Wolk Publisher: Dutton Children's Books, 2016. 291 pages Source: Library Publisher's Blurb: Growing up in the shadows cast by two world wars, Annabelle has lived a mostly quiet, steady life in her small Pennsylvania town. Until the day new student Betty Glengarry walks into her class. Betty quickly reveals herself to be cruel and manipulative, and while her bullying seems isolated at first, things quickly escalate, and reclusive World War I veteran Toby becomes a target of her attacks. While others have always seen Toby’s strangeness, Annabelle knows only kindness. She will soon need to find the courage to stand as a lone voice of justice as tensions mount. Brilliantly crafted, Wolf Hollow is a haunting tale of America at a crossroads and a time when one girl’s resilience, strength, and compassion help to illuminate the darkest corners of our history. My Review:  This is definitely a growing-up book.  By that I mean, it's a book

Z is for Zito, from the Viridian System In a Nutshell: He is one of very few big cheeses in the Viridian System, and part of the organising group (aka Council) on Pleasant Valley.  Basically the six most powerful/rich people get together whenever anything looks like causing trouble that would threaten their own interests. Biggest secret: where he originally came from. Nobody knows, and he claims to have forgotten: “Most people have changed their identity at least once, so if you know you don’t know, you don’t have to remember a lie.” Favourite line:  “I can get hold of anything for you except space hardware, and if you want that, I’ll introduce you to someone." The Viridian System series will be resumed next year: Book 1 - The Perihelix (an interview with the author about this is here ). Book 2 - Curved Space to Corsair Book 3 - Zanzibar’s Rings Sign up for the newsletter for the Viridian System series here . Check out the Viridian System Sampler - second edition (and update your

Y is for Yance Milgrim of Skunk Corners In a nutshell: Yance is no kind of student, but he and his twin brother Hank provide Big Al with a different kind of educational challenge. Biggest secret: He's really smart. He just isn't good at book-learning, unless he can see what it's used for. Favorite Line: "We'll have to dig like anything to make your tiger pit in one day." Yance and his twin Hank are in the Skunk Corners school from the beginning, but they move into more important positions in the stories and the town in books 2 and 3. You'll have to read all the way to The Problem With Peggy to learn why they're digging a tiger pit! The series is The Ninja Librarian, with three books, suitable for ages 8 or 9 and up (way up--adults love the books too!).   The Ninja Librarian is a humorous set of tall tales set in the highly fictional gold-country town of Skunk Corners.   It’s the story of a dusty, tough, unfriendly town that gets a new outlook