Rebecca M. Douglass, Author

  The first Wednesday of every month is the Insecure Writer's Support Group posting day, 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.  Let’s rock the neurotic writing world! Our Twitter handle is @TheIWSG and hashtag is #IWSG. Every month, we announce a question that members can answer in their IWSG post. These questions may prompt you to share advice, insight, a personal experience or story. Include your answer to the question in your IWSG post or let it inspire your post if you are struggling with something to say.  Remember, the question is optional!  July 1 question - There have been many industry changes in the last decade, so what are some changes you would like to see happen in the next decade?     The awesome co-host

Title: Ghost (Track #1) Author: Jason Reynolds. Read by Guy Locknard Publication Info: Simon & Schuster audio, 2016. Hardback by Atheneum, 2016. 192 pages Source: Library digital resources Publisher's Blurb (from Goodreads): Ghost. Lu. Patina. Sunny. Four kids from wildly different backgrounds with personalities that are explosive when they clash. But they are also four kids chosen for an elite middle school track team—a team that could qualify them for the Junior Olympics if they can get their acts together. They all have a lot to lose, but they also have a lot to prove, not only to each other, but to themselves. Ghost has a crazy natural talent, but no formal training. If he can stay on track, literally and figuratively, he could be the best sprinter in the city. But Ghost has been running for the wrong reasons—it all starting with running away from his father, who, when Ghost was a very little boy, chased him and his mother through their apartment, then down the s

I am writing. At this point about 200 words at a sitting, once or twice in a day, and my story is growing. It's not a very good story; continuity is about what you'd expect. But that's not the point. I'm writing, and for 5 or 10 minutes at a time I am losing myself in the story, struggling to visualize a truly alien alien. I have also made notes on two more chapters of Death By Donut, which brings me close to the end. I'm making notes on a part of the book I think will need a complete rewrite, but at least I'm getting clear on what I have and what will need to be kept, moved elsewhere, or otherwise modified. I have also done routine maintenance on the blog, adding links to my posts from 2020 on the appropriate pages in the header. I'm still eying the mess those long lists are and thinking about organizing them--you know, reviews alphabetical by author, that sort of thing. The truth is, that's about a likely to happen as me color-coordinating my sock dra

I'm not doing too well at reading real books right now. Mostly if it's words on paper (or e-ink), I'm re-reading comfortable old books. But I'm listening to a wider range of books. The Great Middle Grade Reads group on Goodreads was nominating books by Black authors for our July read, and I ended up adding most of the nominees to my TBR list. I've been listening to the ones that I can find at the library. The first was The Other Half of My Heart, by Sundee T. Frazier.   Title: The Other Half of My Heart Author: Sundee T. Frazier Publication Info: Listening Library, 2011. Hardback published 2010 by Delacourt Books for Young Readers, 304 pages Source: Library digital resources   Publisher's Blurb: When Minerva and Keira King were born, they made headlines: Keira is black like Mama, but Minni is white like Daddy. Together the family might look like part of a chessboard row, but they are first and foremost the close-knit Kings. Then Grandmother Johnson calls, t

I am fortunate to live in a town with one of the best "city parks" anywhere. Bidwell Park offers tranquil walks along the creek in town, and "real" hikes in the upper park, up Chico Creek's scenic volcanic canyon. I've been spending a lot of time through the COVID lockdown hiking and biking the park, and occasionally stop for a photo or two. Here's a sampling of photos from both the lower and upper parks. In April, it was still green and lush, especially in the lower park. Water and reflections are a great source of tranquility. I'm particularly fond of the abstractions formed as water moves smoothly over and past obstructions. The upper park is better for wildflowers, especially in April.   I sometimes take my cheap, heavy mountain bike (bought for hauling groceries, not biking trails!) into the upper park. It's a great workout, riding a heavy bike up very rough trails and roads. The best is when thunderstorms come down from the mountains. Storm

Today is the Write, Edit, Publish flash fiction challenge. The June theme is... I'm not participating this month, but I'll encourage my readers to head on over to the sign-up list and check out the stories. The WEP authors always have some inventive takes on the prompts!

I have begun reading Voyagers: The Third Ghost , and I'm excited about the stories--the ones I've read so far are great! Voyagers  is the 2019 IWSG short-story anthology, and of course I'm extra excited because my story, "A World of Trouble," is in there. This isn't a review, but there have been some reviews, and posts about and by the authors, that I want to share now that I'm reading the book and thinking about it! From the authors: https://iwsganthologies.blogspot.com/2020/05/insider-writing-tips-for-iwsg-2020_27.html https://iwsganthologies.blogspot.com/2020/06/insider-writing-tips-for-iwsg-2020.html https://iwsganthologies.blogspot.com/2020/05/the-2020-iwsg-anthology-contest-and_20.html https://iwsganthologies.blogspot.com/2020/05/the-2020-iwsg-anthology-contest-and.html https://iwsganthologies.blogspot.com/2020/06/strategies-for-promoting-book-part-1.html https://iwsganthologies.blogspot.com/2020/06/strategies-for-promoting-book-part-2.html Reviews o