Epic Adventure for Fearless Friday by Kim McMahill

FEARLESS FRIDAY

Please join me in welcoming Kim McMahill to Discover... on a Fearless Friday. What an adventure she had! And I'd say with her life, she's well equipped to write entertaining adventure stories. Enjoy her post and then check out her books...

I love adventure, nature, wildlife, travel, and learning about new cultures. Last winter I got the opportunity to experience all of those at once in one amazing trip. My husband and I flew in a small plane from Cabo San Lucas, Mexico to San Ignacio Lagoon on the Baja Peninsula to participate in an immersive whale watching experience. The area is home to one of the few birthing and breeding lagoons in the world used by gray whales, making it an unparalleled place to view whales.

The trip started with a flight over stunning mountain and desert scenery as we headed up the Baja Peninsula. After landing on a dirt airstrip, we piled into a four-wheel drive vehicle for a short drive to whale camp. We stayed in a comfortable well-equipped tent on a shell-strewn beach, but most of our time was spent on the water.

Each day, we got up at sunrise and donned life jackets and tall rubber boots to wade into the water to board our small boat. The lagoon is a protected area, so we had to travel to a designated part of the lagoon for viewing and were limited to a set time on the water before having to go ashore. After a short time on shore, we would head back out for another round of whale watching.

The first day we saw a huge gray whale “spy-hopping,” which
is when a whale vertically lifts its head out of the water to look around. It only got better from there. Each day brought more whale sightings and on the last day, a mother brought her calf alongside the boat as we bobbed silently in the water watching.

Some days brought strong winds, forcing us off the water. The temperatures were cool most of the time, but the experience was well worth any discomfort or nail-biting boat rides.  Seeing these magnificent giants in such an amazing place was both humbling, awe-inspiring, and even a little frightening. The adult whales were much larger than our boat, so we were truly at their mercy. It was nothing less than a trip of a lifetime.

If you love adventure too, I hope you will check out, The Beartooth Chronicles. Below is a blurb about the series. The first three novels have been released. The fourth is scheduled for release in April and the fifth and final installment in September 2025. You can find all of my novels at major online book sellers including Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/Kim-McMahill/e/B007IK0EJW/

The Beartooth Chronicles

In a world unraveling from relentless natural and human disasters, a determined group of individuals form a cooperative community built on sustainability and hope. Their mountain haven, Beartooth, offers safety and solace, but as environmental catastrophes escalate and humanity's darkest instincts emerge, their fragile sanctuary is threatened.

Now, the residents must confront an unyielding wave of challenges—both from within and beyond their borders—that will push their resilience, unity, and will to survive to the brink. Will their vision of a better future endure, or will the chaos of the world consume all they’ve built?

Follow Ashley and Caleb as they embark on a remarkable journey. Together, they learn about tragedy, grief, love, joy, and hope as they fight to survive in a hostile world.

Novels in the series in order: Refuge from the World, Above the Abyss, Isolated from Anarchy, Evil Below the Mountain, and Winter Resurgence.

Find The Beartooth Chronicles here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CWZDD7W3

Bio:

Kim McMahill started out writing nonfiction, but her passion for adventure, stories of survival against the odds, and speculating about the future of humanity and our planet, soon turned her attention towards fiction. Along with numerous novels, she has published over eighty travel and human-interest articles and contributed to a travel story anthology. Growing up in a small community surrounded by mountains, traveling the world, and enjoying a rewarding career with the National Park Service, has given her the opportunity to live in amazing places, experience incredible adventures, and witness many changes in our world, all of which have helped shape her stories.

Please be sure to sign up for her newsletter with the form in the sidebar of her blog at https://KimMcMahill.blogspot.com or follow her on:

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Goodreads author page: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/849945.Kim_McMahill

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Kim-McMahill/e/B007IK0EJW/

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/kim-mcmahill

Crime, Corruption, and Health by Kim McMahill #suspense #series

MUSE MONDAY

My guest, Kim McMahill's muse is doing a good job for her. Inspiration has netted her a sure fire successful series. Enjoy her tale...

I’m often asked about where I get inspiration for my stories. Ideas for my books come from many different places including dreams, travel, personal experiences (grossly exaggerated), and current issues. Most of my novels have been stand-alone adventure and romantic suspense novels, but the idea for my most recent project, the Risky Research Series, began to emerge as I started getting to an age when keeping fit and healthy started taking a little more effort and a lot more research. Nearly every woman I know, myself included, educates herself about nutrition, exercise, fitness, diets, etc. in order to live a healthier life, manage a medical issue, or to lose weight. I’ve found there is so much information out there that it is often difficult to sort out fact from fiction. The diet and nutrition industries are worth in the range of 40 to 100 billion, which makes it even more challenging to ascertain who or what to trust. With so much on the line for something that impacts nearly everyone, there is no doubt plenty of corruption and crime infiltrating the industry, making it perfect fodder for a crime suspense series. 

So, about six years ago I started the series with A Dose of Danger, which deals with a potential miracle diet pill. Book 2, A Taste of Tragedy, revolves around a deadly sweetener, book 3, A Foundation of Fear, explores the role of lobbyists and politics in the industry, and the latest novel in the series, A Measure of Madness, begins to see the criminal organization crumble as the FBI closes in. Like all good things, I hope, the series must end. I’m currently working on the fifth, and likely, final installment in the series. I also should mention that there are two prequel short stories available for free download, A Formidable Foe, and Midnight in Montana. 

Blurb

FBI agent Devyn Nash's pursuit of a deadly organization heats up in this fourth installment of the Risky Research series.

The FBI locates the mastermind behind Coterie, but attempts to bring him in result in a shootout that sends Coterie’s members scrambling for cover. When Devyn’s partner is left fighting for his life in a Puerto Rican hospital, she becomes more determined than ever to bring them to justice.

Devyn’s decision to ignore her orders and pursue the head of Coterie to Brazil puts her job and her relationship with Sheriff Gage Harris in jeopardy, but she is unwilling to allow those responsible for so much death to live out their lives in paradise. 

Excerpt

Sharing her guilt with Gage drained Devyn. She returned to the shaded bench and plopped down. Wiping the sweat from her forehead, she took a deep breath and closed her eyes, trying to picture Gage’s handsome face rather than the blood oozing from Nick’s neck. “What are you wearing, cowboy.”

He laughed, and the sound made Devyn’s heart skip a beat.

“Well, I just finished with the chores, so I’m afraid I have on a dirty pair of blue jeans, an old faded t-shirt, cowboy boots, and a Utah Jazz ball cap, because that reminds me of that game we went to when I was in town for Nick and Morgan’s wedding.”

Devyn smiled. The image of their date night to a basketball game made her miss him all the more.

“I do love a man in uniform, but that outfit sounds pretty darn good to me right now, too.”   

Buy Links

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Measure-Madness-Risky-Research-ebook/dp/B08TX7C1BZ/

Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-measure-of-madness-kim-mcmahill/1138684987?ean=9781522398837

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/a-measure-of-madness 

Bio

Kim McMahill grew up in Wyoming which is where she developed her sense of adventure and love of the outdoors. She started out writing non-fiction, but her passion for exotic world travel, outrageous adventures, stories of survival, and happily-ever-after endings soon drew her into a world of romantic suspense and adventure fiction. Along with writing novels Kim has also published over eighty travel and geographic articles and contributed to a travel story anthology. 

Social links

Blog: http://www.kimmcmahill.blogspot.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/kimmcmahill

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/KimMcMahillAuthor/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kimmcmahill/

Let's Talk #Series with Kim McMahill #MuseMonday

MUSE MONDAY

Please join me in welcoming Kim McMahill and her post about series. I love reading series. Can there really ever be too much? What do you say, Kim?

I love reading books in a series. A series gives the reader the opportunity to really get to know the characters on a personal level. We get to see the recurring protagonists and antagonists progress emotionally, evolve into better or worse people, and sometimes we even see them grow old. Even if the story is far outside our real lives, we still often connect to the characters as we share some of the same experiences—a challenge at work, a bully, a crisis of faith, a health issue, or relationship woes or wows.

So, when is it time to let go? It depends on the series. I don’t think there is an easy answer, but there are a number of triggers. Has the storyline fizzled out, has the objective been achieved, or has the protagonist aged to the point that his or her heroics are no longer believable?

I started my Risky Research Series with a clear vision of how the series would develop and end, but I’m starting to realize I may not be in total control. When, and if, FBI agent Devyn Nash dismantles a deadly organization obsessed with controlling the diet-products industry worth billions and brings them to justice, she’s got more to accomplish. Will her next case be strong enough to carry the series past nabbing Coterie? Will she still have a job with the FBI after A Foundation of Fear? Honestly, I’m not sure yet, but in the mean time she has some very dangerous individuals to track down, so I hope you will begin the journey if you haven’t started and see where the drama and danger leads. 

Blurb:

FBI Special Agent Devyn Nash is obsessed with taking down Coterie, a deadly group out to control the multi-billion-dollar diet product industry. The FBI’s plan to expose Coterie places Devyn’s best friend and her partner’s fiancé in the crosshairs of this ruthless organization. Can Devyn protect her friend and bring the coldblooded killers to justice before they strike again while distracted by injury, a sexist bully, and a long-distance relationship with a handsome Wyoming sheriff?

Lobbyist and Coterie assassin Sofia Wilks wants nothing more than to regain control of her life. Sofia knows Agent Nash is nipping at her heels, but the FBI agent isn’t the worst of her fears. She is drawn to a man who has the power to destroy her. 

Exceprt:

Devyn Nash’s ribs still ached and pain shot up from the soles of her feet with every step she took. Only a little over a week had passed since she had chased a killer through cactus-covered desert at night in her bare feet. If that wasn’t enough, she had leapt off a rock ledge and tackled the fugitive, which in hindsight probably wasn’t a smart move. She had desperately wanted answers, not another corpse.

Bio:

Kim McMahill grew up in Wyoming which is where she developed her sense of adventure and love of the outdoors. She started out writing non-fiction, but her passion for exotic world travel, outrageous adventures, stories of survival, and happily-ever-after endings soon drew her into a world of romantic suspense and adventure fiction. Along with writing novels Kim has also published over eighty travel and geographic articles, and contributed to a travel story anthology. Kim currently resides in Colorado, and when not writing, she enjoys gardening, traveling, hiking, and spending time with family. 

Social Links:

Blog: http://www.kimmcmahill.blogspot.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/kimmcmahill

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/KimMcMahillAuthor/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kimmcmahill/ 

Buy Links for A Foundation of Fear:

Amazon:  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07PVL4391

Barnes and Noble Buy Link: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1131000069?ean=9781522398547

Apple Books: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/a-foundation-of-fear/id1457767041

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/a-foundation-of-fear 

Free Download: A Formidable Foe Download (prequel novelette to the Risky Research Series)

Amazon:   https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07Q9YFTLH

Barnes and Noble Buy Link (ebook): https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-formidable-foe-kim-mcmahill/1131107562?ean=9781522398561

Apple Books: https://books.apple.com/us/book/a-formidable-foe/id1458647503

Kobo:  https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/a-formidable-foe

WYOMING ADVENTURES by Kim McMahill

FEARLESS FRIDAY

Please welcome my guest for Fearless Friday and Discover Yourself. Kim is a true western gal!

Growing up in rural Wyoming, I’ve done some pretty crazy things. I’ve been on family pack trips in grizzly country, driven over unplowed mountain roads in a blizzard at 5:00 a.m. on Christmas morning to join family at our cabin for the holidays, ridden motorbikes all over the hills behind our house with my older sister, and spent most of my youth proving to my dad that I was a cowgirl he could be proud of.

Despite being a tomboy, more comfortable with a skill saw than an eyelash curler, I wouldn’t necessarily say that I was always fearless. Occasionally, some of my exploits were down right terrifying.

One of my most frightening adventures occurred on a cattle drive I was on as a teenager with my dad. We were helping friends move their cows to a high grazing lease for the summer. By the time we reached the steepest, last big push, the cows were getting tired and a few decided it would be easier to slide back down the mountain than to keep climbing. My dad was on a green-broke colt which wasn’t as surefooted as my palomino gelding, and getting a little tired herself with her heavier load. To make a long story short, my dad told me to go after the errant stock. I looked at him like he was mad, but nudged my horse, assuming he wouldn’t go if he thought it was too steep. He was a good cow horse, so he didn’t hesitate to plunge over the edge after the cattle. The slope was too steep and the dirt too loose to stop and I ended up beating the cows to the bottom. As calmly as possible with one’s life flashing before her eyes, I gathered the cattle up and herded them back to the dirt road where my dad was waiting to help me guide the cows up the hill to the rest of the herd. I still occasionally have those, “Man From Snowy River,” flashbacks, but the experience did help me write a couple adrenaline-induced scenes in Big Horn Storm.

My Wyoming adventures have slipped into more than one of my novels. In the first book in my Risky Research Series, A Dose of Danger, you can experience a little more of how it felt that snowy Christmas morning. The second novel in the series, A Taste of Tragedy, was just released, and it takes the reader on a much warmer adventure, but hopefully one just as exciting.

Blurb:

Morgan Hunter sacrificed everything for her career. She had yet to encounter anything she wasn’t willing to do to succeed...until now. When she uncovers evidence that the healthy foods she’s been hired to promote may be dangerous, she must reevaluate her priorities. As questions mount and the body count rises, she finds herself caught in the crosshairs of an organization that will stop at nothing to hide its secrets and protect its profits. With no one else to trust, Morgan is forced to seek help from the man she drove away, but whom she never stopped loving.

Amazon Buy Link:   http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01DTE29U2/