Around the Fire Book & Author Blog. Today's guest is Kim McMahill.

Welcome to Around the Fire. Even though it's March, here in the Garden State its pretending to be Spring. I'm unable to wait any longer and have set up my deck. I do have a small propane fire ring if it gets chilly. But today, its in the 60s. I mentioned to DH maybe we should light the real fire but then thought of all the rain we had so the wood is a bit soggy. Ah well. Soon. In the meantime the daffodils, crocus, and hyacinth are sprouting. Soon forsythia and tulips. The the lilies and iris. I adore spring, don't you? And now, please help me say hello to today's guest. 

Hi, Kim. Welcome to my fire. What’s your go-to beverage?
What I’m drinking depends on the time of day and season. I start my day with coffee. Winter afternoons often call for tea or cocoa. The holidays are about hot buttered rum. Summer evenings lean toward refreshing cocktails like mojitos.
 
Hmm. Well, we’re kind of in between, so I’m going to make us a cup of chai. While I do, will you tell the others around the fire who you are other than your bio?
I’m curious, and I love to learn new things. I’m also a bit of a pessimist and an easy-crier. There are several places in Refuge from the World that make me cry which is crazy since I wrote them, and I’ve read the manuscript dozens of times, but this illustrates how easily I cry.
 
Oh, my. Here are some tissues with your chai. I believe the crying shows your connection to your story. This will translate to affecting your readers. I love a book that makes me cry, laugh, or evoke some sort of emotion, even if it’s anger. What interests besides writing do you enjoy? For instance, what do you read, or what hobbies do you have?
I love to travel and explore new places. I’m interested in learning about other cultures. In doing so, I try the food, listen to the music, attempt a few words if the place I’m visiting isn’t an English-speaking country. I jump at any chance to check out ancient ruins, petroglyphs, and pictographs. My latest adventure was to a remote whale-watching camp in Mexico.
 
This is wonderful. I love learning about other cultures. Especially the food. One of my first questions is usually, “What’s the spice palate?” John Donne wrote, ‘No man is an island,
Entire of itself, Every man is a piece of the continent, A part of the main.’ With that in mind, who is your network or support system?
I have a solid network of writer friends who provide a lot of encouragement. My mom has been one of my biggest fans, but my husband is the one I lean on the most, and he’s a good proofreader and sounding board.
 
Who or what books or authors are your inspiration?
I’ve read every book in Clive Cussler’s Dirk Pitt Series and all of James Rollin’s novels under this name. I enjoy Dan Brown, Suzanne Collins, and Barbara Kingsolver, and I’ve been reading a lot more dystopian lately.
 
My husband is a fan of Clive Cussler, he’s running out of books to read by him. What is your neighborhood like? Are there any places you frequent? What makes them unique?
I live in a small community surrounded by exceptional beauty. Between being located at one of the gateways to Yellowstone National Park and within easy access to millions of acres of National Forest Service land, there is stunning scenery all around, including the area that I’ve based the fictional community of Beartooth on. There are Beartooth Mountains, the Beartooth Highway, and Beartooth Pass, but there is no community except on the pages of my novels in The Beartooth Chronicles.
 
One day, I hope to get to the western part of our country. Your views sound inspiring. Let’s talk a bit about writing. What does literary success look like to you?
I have achieved modest success as a writer, but I hope to create a story filled with characters that people talk about and have a deep emotional connection to. If readers care enough about the characters in my first novel in The Beartooth Chronicles, Refuge from the World, to anxiously await book 2, I count that as success.
 
What kind of research do you do, and how long do you spend researching before beginning a book?
Every book is different, but for my latest project, The Beartooth Chronicles, I did a lot of research on beekeeping. I’ve always found it interesting and may dabble in it one day myself. I also made many trips to the approximate location where I based my fictional community.
 
My in-laws and one of my friends keep hives. Bees are fascinating. What did you edit out of this book?
I had a lot more detail on beekeeping and honey collection, but my editor thought it slowed the story down a bit. I trimmed it down and realized she was right.
 
What is your favorite childhood book?
I grew up around animals, so I’ve always loved stories with animals. Some of my favorites were, The Jungle Book, Charlotte’s Web, and Winnie the Pooh.
 
Would you rather have unlimited international first-class tickets or never have to pay for food at restaurants?
Definitely unlimited international first-class tickets. I love to travel, but long flights in economy suck. My husband and I got upgraded on the way back from Thailand. I almost wish we hadn’t, because now I know what I’m missing.
 
Do you play board games? What games do you like?
I’ve always loved jigsaw puzzles and games, but most of the games I play as an adult are card games. My husband and I play cribbage nearly every day. We keep a running log of wins and losses, and it seems we’re pretty evenly matched.
 
Pete and I have a running game of 500 Rummy. We had to start a new scorepad because we ran out of room. Kim, you live in a place renowned for beauty. What’s the most amazing natural occurrence you’ve witnessed?
We lived in Hawaii for a few years. The volcano was erupting the entire time we lived there. It wasn’t the explosive kind of eruptions, but watching new land being formed, seeing and hearing red-hot lava flowing into the sea, and witnessing the destructive power of nature was amazing.
 
Wow! I’m closing my eyes to imagine that. Thank you for spending time with me today. Before you head off into the wilderness, will you leave us with information about your books and where to find them?

The Beartooth Chronicles Series
Heat rating: PG
Genre: Dystopian​
In a world plagued by natural and human disasters, a small group of individuals secure a struggling mountaintop resort to establish a sustainable community away from a country riddled with violence and hate. The home they’ve created has provided a safe and comfortable existence, but as environmental disasters continue to multiply, bringing out the worst of humanity, the residents of Beartooth find themselves faced with a series of challenges that will test their ability to survive.
Refuge from the World (The Beartooth Chronicles, Book 1)
Ashley McPhee arrived in Beartooth with her mom, Sara, when she was three years old. Ever since Ash can remember, life has been simple and peaceful. She enjoyed a carefree childhood, tending honey bees with her mom and spending time with her best friend, Caleb Solomon. But, life in their idyllic mountaintop community is changing.
After learning of the government’s plan to use a geoengineering process to cool the planet, Ash and Caleb realize they need to step up and take an active role in the community. Along with fear for how the process might impact their food supply, Ash learns her mom’s health is failing. 
Sara doesn’t want Ash to face an uncertain future alone and nudges her and Caleb into marriage. Even though they have known each other most of their lives, Ash and Caleb’s relationship has changed drastically in a short period of time. They embrace the challenges of learning about each other, dealing with tragedy and grief, protecting their community from deadly predators and ruthless neighbors, and experiencing epic adventures, while trying to find solutions to a rapidly changing environment and deteriorating world.

Book 2 in The Beartooth Chronicles, Above the Abyss, is coming summer 2024.

Get your copies here.
Pre-order your ebook now! Release March 19, 2024. Print books ship immediately.
https://amzn.to/3wwE9ZV
https://amzn.to/49CiTki
www.barnesandnoble.com/w/refuge-from-the-world-kim-mcmahill/1145008600
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/refuge-from-the-world 
https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Kim_McMahill_Refuge_from_the_World?id=UeT4EAAAQBAJ 
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1531094 
More about the author.
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. She has published eleven novels, over eighty travel and human-interest articles, and contributed to a travel story anthology. Growing up in a beautiful mountain west community, traveling the world, and enjoying a twenty-year 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.
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