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This year is going well so far. BUSY, but well. Are you in the same boat? It seems a lot of people I talk to are feeling the pressure with how much they have going on. So, I thought I would give you a little something fun to read from my work in progress if you're feeling stressed. I'll just paste it at the end of this email, so scroll down if you want to start reading NOW. 😉

My writing life in going wild in just these first few weeks of the year. For starters, I secretly released book #6 in the Seaside Inn Mystery series. A Poppyridge Cove Tragedy (click to read now!) ❤️ I'm really not going to promote this one until book 7 releases in March. THAT'S when I'll have a Facebook bash and release day party. So sorry to make you wait for this! It's a lot of work and expense and I just wasn't quite ready. Book 7 is finished and undergoing edits soon!

<<< Anyhoo! I've been adjusting prices all over the place, so if you need to catch up on the series before getting to book 6 above, book 2 is at a super low price (free in some stores and only .99cents on amazon!) Find it HERE. And if you want to read all the first four in this series, the box set is discounted as well! Get those HERE.>>>

As for my work in progress? It's book 3 in the Megan Henny series and it's been so much fun! I've loved exploring Crystal's childhood upbringing and background. Glamour, danger, deceit, and maybe even murder. Anything's possible with a father in politics! 👀 😱 Also, for you Santiago fans out there... trust me, you'll want to read this one. LOL. ❤️ Sneak peek below!

That's all for now. It's great to check in with my awesome readers for the very first time this year! Also, I've missed bringing books from other authors to your inbox, so I'll be trying to get those to you regularly this year. Keep me accountable on that! LOL. 😉 We can trade. What do I need to keep you accountable on?

Cheers and well-wishes,

Rim

www.rimmylondon.com

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Excerpt of Chapter one in "A Tail for Trouble", a Megan Henny mystery:

Chapter One

Megan set her hand atop the mossy boulder they’d come to the week before. It was their turnaround point, but she wasn’t ready to head back just yet. Fred sniffed at the ground where she remembered dropping a handful of trail mix for some squirrels. His big tail whipped side to side and his legs still had plenty of spring. He might enjoy his frequent afternoon naps by the fireplace, but he could cover plenty of ground on their hikes. 

“Hey boy,” she said, sitting on a rock. He trotted up to her and she rubbed under his ears where he loved it best. “Wanna go a bit farther today?” Her ginger hair was tucked behind her ears, but it had grown longer in the past few months and swung forward, hanging aside his nose. He opened his mouth and let his big, pink tongue lol out as he panted. 

Definitely a yes. 

“Okay, let’s go,” she said, standing and swinging her arm down the trail. He loped ahead, taking advantage of his long Great Dane legs. “Stay close,” she called, having wrapped his leash around a strap of her backpack. The summer tourism season was behind them, meaning the trails were mostly empty. Any hikers she might run into usually knew her and Fred, so she didn’t worry about the leash. However, the trails had never looked worse. A wind storm had knocked a few trees down at the end of summer and had littered the pathways with branches and debris. Megan had assumed it would have been cleaned up in a few weeks, but here it was well into fall and the unkept trails remained. 

But the trees made up for it with their flashy colors. This was Megan’s first time experiencing fall in the coastal Washington state town, and she was in awe. In nearly every direction there was a patchwork of orange, red, and yellow leaves in fluttering in the breeze. The next hour passed quickly as she scanned the surrounding wilderness and basked in its beauty while Fred zigzagged across the trail in front of her.

The incline increased until their trail skirted across a steep mountainside. The ground had become rocky and littered with broken granite like shale. With one stacked atop another, it was a slippery mess.

Megan sighed and glanced around, ready to turn back. The rocky trail was more than she wanted to conquer that day. Plus, she didn't want to return to her home too late. There was still dinner to make and cleaning to get done before the weekend was through. But after she glanced around, she realized Fred was not anywhere in sight. She called for him, waiting through the silence that followed.

Finally she heard him whine. Turning around, she looked back across the steep mountainside to see him standing on the other end of the trail. He’d crossed the rocky patch and now watched her from the other side. She called him again, patting her leg. He took one step forward gingerly and the rocks slipped out from under his foot, almost bringing him to the ground. He slipped and fumbled until he backed up and then whined a second time. 

A bit of nerves worked their way into her chest. She tried not to look down the mountainside but couldn't help noticing how far it was to the bottom. Just steep rocky terrain the whole way down. She looked back at Fred to see him take a few shaky steps forward. Then he froze, looking back at her with worry in his big, dark eyes. His thin tail was tucked between his legs and she could see him shaking as he took another step.

The rocks slipped from under his feet again, and he scrambled to stay on the trail. His back legs slid down and he dug with his front feet, finally making it back up. "Stay, Fred,” Megan urged, holding her hands out as she made her way onto the trail. "Stay, I'm coming to you.” 

She placed her hiking boots cautiously, one after the other. Each step had her fighting to keep her balance. The rocks were like dominoes piled into layers of instability. She slowly made her way across, talking to Fred while keeping her eyes on her feet. Crouched and holding her hands down by her knees, she was ready to catch herself if she should fall. 

When she was halfway, a rock slipped out from under her foot and her knee hit the ground hard. She braced herself before she could slide down. But when she looked up, it was to see Fred walking toward her again. "No, Fred. Stay." She said, still balanced on her hands and knees. But he kept walking. She could see him coming to a difficult spot layered in the thinnest rocks and she hurried to get back on her feet.

Easing forward again, she watched as the rocks began to tumble away from where Fred walked. He was hurrying back to her, but a small landslide of rocks was suddenly rushing under his feet. The chaos carried him right off the trail. Down the mountain he slid and she ran for it. Her feet began to slide and she leaned back, letting the rocks take her down the mountain. But at least it was toward Fred. Hitting her backside, she slid on her heels and rear, angling herself toward the frightened canine. He struggled and dug at the rocks and she could see blood on his feet.

Finally she was close enough. She grabbed his collar and held him to her chest. Digging her heels in hard, her boots found dirt. It brought them to a stop while rocks still tumbled around them. Shaking and gasping, she held Fred firmly. “I got you," she said. Her voice was raspy and her breath rushed through her lungs as she tried to calm down. Leaning back, she looked up the mountainside to the trail was above them. Climbing up seemed impossible, But she wasn't prepared to slide down the rest of the way either. They’d barely gone a quarter of the distance to the bottom and both of them had enough cuts and scrapes as it was. Up was their best choice.

Careful to keep herself firmly planted, she untangled the leash from her backpack and clipped it onto Fred, tying it onto the belt loop of her shorts. It was an unusually warm day for fall and she chose to wear her shorts just once more before winter set in. Looking down at the cuts along her knees and shins, she wished she would have stuck with pants. 

But there was no changing that now. She rubbed Fred's back and took a deep breath, pivoting so that her toes faced the mountain. She lifted one foot and dug her hiking boot through the rock to wedge it down deep. With her weight on that foot she lifted up the other and did the same, anchoring it into the dirt. Each step took far too long. The sun began to hang low in the sky, but at least they were moving in the right direction. If it took three hours, she didn’t care.

She held onto Fred's color as they went, and was able to keep him from sliding back down. But his steps were scrambled and his feet continued to bleed. Her heart ached at the sight of his bloody paw prints on the rocks. It left a gruesome trail behind them but she made a point of not looking back. They were almost halfway up when she felt a spark of encouragement that they would make it safely.

Suddenly, both feet slid out from under her. She landed flat on her stomach and began to slide. The rocks scraped her legs and arms but she managed to dig her hands in and remarkably, Fred stayed where he was. The leash was taut between them, and his head was turned to her. If she slid another inch, she would take him down the mountain. She pressed her hands in as hard as she could and tried to get her feet under her again. But the rocks seemed piled beneath her and she couldn't find the bottom. She continued working, digging in with her knees and her feet, trying everything she could think of. But her grip was already failing and she needed to climb up soon or she would fall.

"Megan!"

She heard her name but didn't dare move.

"Hold on, I'm coming,"

This time she recognized her friend Santiago's voice and relief washed over her. As a forest guide volunteer, she knew Santiago would have supplies and rescue equipment. The sounds above her were encouraging. She could make out the whiz of rope as it rubbed together and the clinking sound of what she imagined were carabiners. Still, she didn't risk moving and only hoped desperately that she would feel his hands on her wrists at any second.

She managed to wedge one boot into the dirt and hung there from her hands, her weight mostly on one toe. 

"Look out!" Santiago shouted. Rocks began to tumble around her and Megan tucked her head just as a few whizzed past. She glanced up to see Santiago had anchored a rope to a tree and with a harness around his waist, he repelled down toward them. He made his way quickly, reaching her in only minutes.

"I've got you," he said, just as his hands came around her waist. He lifted her up and held one arm around her as he wrapped the rope around her waist and tied them together. "Hold onto me," he said, grabbing Fred's collar. Megan wrapped both arms around his middle and they made their way up together. He fed the rope through his harness and continued up without a single slip. Such a difference from the struggle it had been on her own. With just a simple piece of equipment, the mountain became perfectly safe, instead of the treacherous beast it had been before.

When they were back on the trail, they stayed tied together until they made it to the safety of the trees and a nice flat trail. Santiago went back to retrieve his climbing rope from the pine tree.  

Megan's legs were shaking and she felt completely drained of strength. She sank to her knees. Fred laid down beside her, licking his feet. "Oh, Fred," she ran one hand down his silky coat, "I'm so sorry." The pads of his feet were cut, but they didn't look too bad. Only the deepest one was still bleeding. She held his paw in her hand, considering if he might need stitches.

Santiago returned and the moment he reached them, he tossed his rope and harness on the ground with his backpack. He lowered down and wrapped his arms around Megan."I can't believe you came out here alone," he said, resting his hand tenderly at the back of her head, "I'm so glad you're okay.” He was breathing hard as if the moment had shaken him as well. 

Megan wasn't sure what to say, but she had to admit it felt incredible to be in his arms. Safe and protected. As much as she’d always thought of him as a college kid, he’d been every bit the man just now. His long, sandy brown hair was held back in a ponytail and never ceased to smell good. With a smile, she wondered if he took better care of his hair than she did. It was a distracting thought that made her want to laugh. If only she wasn’t so tired.