Rebecca M. Douglass, Author

This isn't really a proper review post, because my mind just doesn't seem to be working that way. But I've recently finished a couple of works of non-fiction, one audio, one on the Kindle, and at least have a few thoughts.  First, the books. Both were fairly random selections from the library's Overdrive collection, nabbed in something of a hurry for my road trips. As a result, the print book was read in snatches, the audio book with whatever attention was left after driving. In general, for me the mark of a good work of history is that it makes me care about something I may not have known I was interested in. Both of these books managed that. In print we have:          Title: Spearhead: An American Tank Gunner, His Enemy, and a Collision of Lives in World War II Author: Adam Makos Publication info: Ballantine Books, 2019. 395 pages   From the author of the international bestseller A Higher Call comes the riveting World War II story of an American tank gunner’s jour

   It's the first Wednesday of the month, and that means IWSG posting!  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! The awesome co-hosts for the October 7 posting of the IWSG are   Jemima Pett,   Beth Camp,   Beverly Stowe McClure,   and   Gwen Gardner! Every month there is an OPTIONAL question. This month's question: When you think of the term working writer, what does that look like to you? What do you think it is supposed to look like? Do you see yourself as a working writer or aspiring or hobbyist, and if latter two, what does that look like?   Well, that's a fine question to ask as I struggle to keep myself convinced I'm a writer at all! Seriously, though, I think it's very relevant, and I have multiple answers. On one level, I think of a "working writer"

 The chronicles of the Realms are concluded!   Princelings Revolution is out today! The day has finally come for the last in Jemima Pett's Princelings of the East series. She started writing it in the dim dark days of 2008, thanks to inspiration from some guinea pig friends. Today's post has an extract and a Giveaway, so there's a lot of reading!  In 2008, the series was just meant to be a trilogy. But the characters wouldn't accept their fate and demanded more. And so the saga of the Realms wound its way from south to north, and even into Germany before returning to the east. The Princelings of the East The Princelings and the Pirates The Princelings and the Lost City The Traveler in Black and White The Talent Seekers Bravo Victor Willoughby the Narrator The Princelings of the North Chronicles of Marsh and... ....... Princelings Revolution Jasmine's birthday party ends in disaster. George seems to have lost a phial of highly dange

  I won't lie--this one's a bit out of my usual, but C.D. and I shared space in the 2018 IWSG Anthology, Tick Tock: A Stitch in Crime , and we writers have to stick together. Besides, this looks like a darned good read, when I'm up for horror with my humor (not quite there yet). Anyway, I invited the author over for a grilling, and had a good chat. I'll share, after some of the important stuff about the book.  Newfoundland, Canada, 1992.   Gale Harbour hasn’t seen any excitement since the military abandoned the base there thirty years ago, unless you count the Tuesday night 2-for-1 video rentals at Jerry's Video Shack. So when a dead body turns up floating in the town water supply, all evidence seems to point to a boring accident.   Niall, Pius and Harper are dealing with pre-teen awkwardness in the last days of summer before the start of high school. The same night the body is found, the three of them witness unusual lights in the sky over th

 Pop on over to IWSG Anthologies Blog and see what I have to say about writing, children's books, and a bit of this and that! Meanwhile, I'm in the wilderness once again. Heading into the Grand Canyon, having had some great fun in the slot canyons in the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. Peekaboo Canyon Approaching Harris Wash Proper National Park fashion for Ninjas! All images and text ©Rebecca M. Douglass, unless otherwise indicated. As always, please ask permission to use any photos or text. Link-backs appreciated!

 I seem to have missed by usual Wednesday update, but that's in keeping with how everything is going. After traveling to Colorado to deliver Eldest Son to start graduate school, I returned home with Second Son. Less than a week later, we left for Seattle, where he is spending his fall quarter (while attending UC San Diego... this is, indeed, a strange world we now inhabit!). Now I'm off again, for some exciting travel, including my first trip to the bottom of the Grand Canyon. I'll share photos along the way, and maybe can come up with a story or two. Amid all that, what of the writing? Well, I've been picking away at the edits on Death By Donut, and have some hopes that I will be able to make it a book. And I'm working away at planning my next novel, which will kick off an all-new mystery series. More on that as it actually happens (NANOWRIMO? Maybe). And I still owe you all photos from the Weminuche Wilderness...  For now, a few bits of travel to and from Seattle.

The long-running Princelings of the East series has reached the final book... and it's coming soon! Before we can tell you about the book, you have to see the stunning cover, by artist Danielle English (kanizo.co.uk). Today is the Cover Reveal for the final book in the Princelings of the East series: Princelings Revolution. Princelings Publications is also kicking off the Launch & Anniversary Giveaway, which will run until midnight on October 23rd, to cover Jemima's tenth blogoversary on 21st October! There may be additional options for entries added between now and then, so check whenever you see it. Jemima Pett has come by to tell us about the Princelings series covers. NL: Cover art is a challenge for author-publishers. How did you managed to get such fantastic art for yours? JP: When I decided to publish the first three books, I needed a cover illustrator. Looking at the lists of people offering their services, I gulped. Then my niece mentioned her daughter was in her f

 I've been reading and listening to books more than I'm writing, but my writer brain is clearly turned on, because I've stumbled on--or over--some writing mistakes that I certainly felt shouldn't have gotten by the editor.  The worst, a constant irritant in an otherwise pleasant (if somewhat saccharine) series, have to do with what I'd have to classify as info dumps. I'll call this one, "The dog had three legs, he remembered." The particular author I'm listening to (who I see no reason to name) has a tendency that I don't think I noticed so much when it was on paper, to use "John remembered that blah blah" in order to get info dumps out there. To make it worse, some of them don't really even matter to the story at any time.  A subset of this, equally a clunky device for sharing background the reader may need but shouldn't trip over (from a different writer, whose works I also usually really enjoy), is, "She remembered sh

 I didn't feel like putting together a proper post for this week, so I'm just going to share a few random photos from my recent trip to Colorado (I wasn't traveling frivolously, lest you wonder. I was delivering Eldest Son to Boulder to start graduate school. I admit that while I was there I took the opportunity to do some backpacking, though!). A too-friendly deer One of the millions of Colorado trees killed by bark beetles. Virga--rain shafts that never reach the ground (though some very soon after this made the ground very wet indeed). Nevada sunset More Nevada sunsets A bit of the burn area in Glenwood Canyon along I70 in Colorado. We were lucky that the freeway reopened a day before we headed back west. (Photo on my phone by Griffen Dempsey) Train crossing the Bonneville Salt Flats I promised you random! I think that delivers :) All images and text ©Rebecca M. Douglass, unless otherwise indicated. As always, please ask permission to use any photos or text. Link-backs a