https://www.dougmckim.com/404 daily 0.75 2022-07-06 https://www.dougmckim.com/about daily 0.75 2022-07-26 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6261af3d4a26e512801c89de/a10ba0ff-f0cb-4f0c-844f-e4cee330538b/portrait-doug-mckim-author-natural-habitat-2022.jpg About https://www.dougmckim.com/are-you-man-enough daily 0.75 2022-06-27 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6261af3d4a26e512801c89de/3b6f2063-b2bc-46c6-a5be-fc7abc890982/ayme2ndedfrontpreNEW.jpg Are You Man Enough? - Summary: Are You Man Enough? Written with Richard McKim. This is a large-scale, mythological fantasy, social and political satire, and a hard-edged, blistering anti-war parable. Our story takes place in Embrey, a nation on the brink of collapse due to a centuries-old war with its eastern neighbor Branell, along with internal strife leading to revolution. As expected, the plot carries a good deal of swordplay, stone castles and majestic fortresses, intrigue, derring-do, and espionage. It was also influenced by the Italian cinema of Vittorio De Sica, Roberto Rossellini, Bernardo Bertolucci, and Sergio Leone, along with the samurai epics of Akira Kurosawa and American period pieces of EL Doctorow. Are You Man Enough? details combat’s devastating effects on several well-drawn characters and intertwining narratives. Among our more noted protagonists include a band of naïve school boys, an untested naval officer, a progressive statesman and publisher, a gay teenage assassin, and a shy, socially awkward refugee seeking asylum in a new land. This graphically violent novel displays the harsh and terrifying consequences of revolution and warfare. The action is harsh, brutal, uncompromising, and extremely gruesome. It doesn’t portray war as a heroic adventure, but rather pathetic, pointless, unflinching, disgusting, and always tragic. My brother Richard and I begin writing this book in response to the death of a family member who perished while serving this country in Afghanistan. Are You Man Enough? took more than five years to complete, and to be blunt the effort kicked my ass! This book weighs in at nearly a hundred-and-seventy-thousand words, and features about two dozen major characters. What began as an easy-going writing project evolved into a backbreaking, obsessive drive to finally reach these two important words: THE END. During the time-frame in which the book was written, we mourned the loss of an older sister and both parents. The project took a tremendous toll. However, I learned so very much about the craft of writing. This being my first novel, I was never so happy to finally see it in print. The rewards for our sweat equity and efforts have been nothing short of monumental. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6261af3d4a26e512801c89de/0e92e6f3-d88d-4498-bc22-20ab8338ddf5/are-you-man-enough-first-edition-cover-2010.jpg Are You Man Enough? - About Are You Man Enough? Originally published in December of 2010. The Second Edition, featuring new cover artwork by artist Mike Winer, was released July 25, 2016. Besides the artwork, the interior was reformatted and reset for easier reading compared to the first edition. The Image shown here is the original first edition cover. Featuring art by Richard McKim. https://www.dougmckim.com/blog daily 0.75 2022-07-27 https://www.dougmckim.com/blog/the-writer monthly 0.5 2022-06-22 https://www.dougmckim.com/blog/stormy-sixteen-part-one monthly 0.5 2022-06-30 https://www.dougmckim.com/blog/tag/Short+Stories monthly 0.5 https://www.dougmckim.com/blog/tag/Fiction monthly 0.5 https://www.dougmckim.com/harvey-madden daily 0.75 2022-09-10 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6261af3d4a26e512801c89de/8aa0f301-4c2a-4d14-998d-2625e20a07e3/294160940_2688108914654418_4660135351559808925_n.jpg Harvey Madden - Published This is novel features the reunion of Doug McKim and his older brother, Richard McKim. Richard’s role this time was only in creating the cover artwork. Note: This novel was originally set for pre-release but due to unforeseen complications it is available now. Ebooks currently not available. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6261af3d4a26e512801c89de/694ff074-e64d-4dfe-9ad9-5f79e9232bd5/hervey-madden-cover-art-v01-png-02.png Harvey Madden - Harvey Madden Meet teenager Harvey Madden, who works as a cashier at a local retailer. One hot, summer day he goes on vacation with his best friend and closest companion, Billy Joe McBain. Together the two lads venture into the rugged Wallowa Mountains of Eastern Oregon. There, they encounter a number of individuals which alters Harvey’s somewhat naïve worldview; a homeless boy seeking a better life in an uncertain future, a lonely widower devastated by the death of his wife, a community staging a fundraiser for a down-and-out couple recovering from a house fire, and finally a multi-racial family who proves that love is love, despite political differences or skin color. Will Harvey come to accept his true identity and have the courage to make a life-changing revelation to his parents? https://www.dougmckim.com/home daily 1.0 2022-07-26 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6261af3d4a26e512801c89de/1cc00e46-f467-49ea-8cf9-887cdc01dee9/noir-portrait-doug-mckim-author-2022-large.jpg Home - Doug McKim is a Writer from Eastern Oregon, USA. New Novel coming soon! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6261af3d4a26e512801c89de/659ed14d-00a3-4047-ae63-16ac373dd83f/ayme2ndedfrontpreNEW.jpg Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6261af3d4a26e512801c89de/621593d2-2fb1-4825-8835-59501aaf49ac/love-death-art-front-cover-novel-by-doug-mckim.jpg Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6261af3d4a26e512801c89de/3ab8efec-1e1c-41aa-9d20-2790688c4b0b/martyCoverFront2013.jpg Home https://www.dougmckim.com/just-plain-old-jeremy daily 0.75 2022-06-27 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6261af3d4a26e512801c89de/aee23864-5ecb-421a-bc9b-97c2f763e62b/just-plain-old-jeremy-2nd-edition-full-cover-illustration.jpg Just Plain Old Jeremy - Facts and Tidbits Originally published September 5, 2012. Cover artwork for the second edition was created by digital artist Mike Winer. The following image is the full panel that was used to create both the front and back cover of the second edition. The font for the cover title, and binding, is the same for both editions of Just Plain Old Jeremy. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6261af3d4a26e512801c89de/831a9728-0cd4-4af0-ba00-be071065e27f/just-plain-old-jeremy-2nd-edition-cover-binding-lg.jpg Just Plain Old Jeremy - Summary: Just Plain Old Jeremy Just Plain Old Jeremy is a splendid coming of age tale, in the tradition of “Tarzan of the Apes”, “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn”, and “The Last of the Mohicans”. It is an enjoyable, fun-filled adventure, set in a grand, mythological setting. It features strong, memorable characters, leading to a rather tragic and bittersweet climax. It also carries a heavy, anti-war message which reveals violence’s effects on those it involves. Sixteen-year-old Jeremy Kentworth is a lively, spirited young man, and extremely reluctant to grow up. To his stepfather’s chagrin, he prefers wearing buckskin shirts and loincloths. He also takes chances which not only threaten his own life but those foolish enough to accompany him. He is eventually forced to confront the disappointments, harsh realities, and painful truths of adulthood. Jeremy must accept his role as a fully grown man, in an everchanging world. Just Plain Old Jeremy is imaginative, fun, brutally tragic yet heartfelt, sensitive, and tender…. And thoroughly exciting and entertaining! I absolutely enjoyed the hell out of writing “Just Plain Old Jeremy”! After the excruciating ass-kicking I got from Are You Man Enough? this second novel was an endless joy… and it shows! It is dedicated in part to my parents, Martin and Carol McKim. Both were avid readers of classic literature and instilled that same appreciation upon me. Dad was a huge fan of Edgar Rice Burroughs, and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t deliberately “borrow” from that particular author. I was also influenced by the films of acclaimed special effects wizards Willis O’Brien and Ray Harryhausen. For their talents I am eternally grateful. Every day spent on “Just Plain Old Jeremy” was a pleasure, and my enthusiasm for it is limitless. I rarely had a tough day while I wrote this novel, and honestly enjoyed every minute working on it. I hope you enjoy every minute reading it. https://www.dougmckim.com/love-death-and-art daily 0.75 2022-06-27 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6261af3d4a26e512801c89de/c53bcc69-5bc5-4aa0-a16a-53fe339832af/coming-soon-image-placeholder.jpg Love, Death, and Art - Facts and Tidbits About Love, Death, and Art Originally published on March 7, 2017 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6261af3d4a26e512801c89de/53ceba26-5ef4-460a-a07b-f9b29e85937a/love-death-art-front-cover-novel-by-doug-mckim.jpg Love, Death, and Art - Summary: Love, Death, and Art Gerry O’Fearna is a high school student and aspiring artist. Danny O’Roarke is a recent high school graduate and aspiring writer, just days away from attending Portland State University. Gerry and Danny are the only openly gay couple in Nez Perce, a conservative small town on the Oregon-Washington border. And this is a story of the breakup of the only openly gay couple in Nez Perce…. Gerry is fairly good at fantasy artwork. Regrettably, his self-doubts, fears and anxieties won’t let him display his efforts in public. Meanwhile, Danny is confident of his writing abilities, to the point of cockiness and arrogance. He regularly chastises Gerry for refusing to assert himself and his artwork. During their last date on a chilly, rainy Saturday, Gerry and Danny encounter a series of humorous misadventures, not to mention having sex in a beat-up Chevy van. Later that night, Gerry makes a shocking discovery which forever ends his relationship with Danny. Social satire, black comedy, and graphic sexuality highlights this tale of a doomed romance. Love, Death, and Art is extremely honest in its handling of racism, bigotry, and homophobia. This is a portrait of a gay teen’s attempts to find love and acceptance in a community which refuses to recognize his self-worth. Gerry O’Fearna is certainly a likable kid, and readers will appreciate his tumultuous journey to find peace, success, and security in the arms of a new love and companion. I began writing Love, Death, and Art in middle Tennessee, not far from Nashville. I completed this novella once I returned to Oregon, and returned to a career in caring for the elderly and the disabled. I was going through a series of transitions and changes in my own life, and I believe this is reflected in Love, Death, and Art. This is a rather short book, and readers can easily get through it in a few hours. I have tremendous sympathy for Gerry O’Fearna, and I feel he is perhaps one of my more accessible characters. Please give this kid a chance, and I’m sure you will agree with me. https://www.dougmckim.com/novels daily 0.75 2022-09-10 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6261af3d4a26e512801c89de/1654287262774-VAKY8T3MPWDIFR3HXXR4/martyCoverFront2013.jpg Published Novels https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6261af3d4a26e512801c89de/1654287458881-HBL4OVGX168U4NSGBA3R/just-plain-old-jeremy-2nd-edition-cover-binding-lg.jpg Published Novels https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6261af3d4a26e512801c89de/1654287601101-U387W8MODJS8G4CPKTJ0/are-you-man-enough-2-edition-front-reduced.jpg Published Novels https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6261af3d4a26e512801c89de/1655929919644-GZEF6CXCP51N41ZQYY2K/love-death-art-front-cover-novel-by-doug-mckim.jpg Published Novels https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6261af3d4a26e512801c89de/1661544107353-A56TKMGZRYPIPQ443BWI/hervey-madden-cover-art-v01-png-02.png Published Novels https://www.dougmckim.com/one-day-in-the-life-of-marty-mckenna daily 0.75 2022-06-27 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6261af3d4a26e512801c89de/cfb5a926-10f4-445f-bb9b-ee88353f1628/martyCoverFront2013.jpg One Day in the Life of Marty McKenna - Summary: One Day in the Life of Marty McKenna This novella chronicles twelve-hours in the life of an angry, rebellious gay kid. Marty McKenna is sixteen, and a huge fan of classic cinema. He habitually breaks into Scots, Welsh, and Irish folk songs, while constantly harassing his overweight brother Patrick (whom he refers to as “Fatrick”). Marty’s love interest is Kris English, a sensitive youth who fears that his homosexuality conflicts with a strict Christian upbringing. Marty’s overbearing personality, ill-humor, vulgar tongue and willingness to fight threatens his relationship with Kris. It’s also a source of concern for his eldest brother Mark, who has surrendered his own happiness and future to look after Marty and Patrick. Under Marty’s caustic façade is a frightened, self-loathing teen, coping with a booze-addled mother, absent father, uncertainty, and poverty. One Day in the Life of Marty McKenna is a tough, unflinching character study of a young man struggling to survive in an unkind and unfair world. Marty is colorful, controversial, profane, and prone to sudden anger and fisticuffs. Imagine James Cagney or Joe Pesci as a gay Irish-American kid and… well…. You’ve got Marty McKenna! This book is a must for those who value complex protagonists and an accurate portrayal of teen angst and sexual awakening. Marty isn’t always likable. In the end, he may be very lovable, and one the reader can never forget! I was feeling rather daring as an independent writer/publisher, and chose to flex such freedoms when I penned this third story. I intentionally threw in plotlines and language which could potentially shock certain readers, and did so unapologetically. Still, I didn’t want Marty McKenna to be a totally unredeemable figure which everyone might loath and despise. There is a sad, sympathetic side to Marty, one begging for love, compassion and affection while playing the fearless tough guy. While I resided in Tennessee, I had a number of college-age and high school students wishing to make a movie based upon this tale, and begged me to offer them the film rights. Although the book takes place in Eastern Oregon, the message remains universal and appreciated by those of varying geographies and backgrounds. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6261af3d4a26e512801c89de/e2677ce0-48c8-4756-8cf2-297298f0128e/marty-sketch-comparison-finish-artwork-only.jpg One Day in the Life of Marty McKenna - Facts and Tidbits About One Day in the Life of Marty McKenna Originally published July 28, 2013. The images featured here show the original final sketch that eventually led to the finished cover artwork for this novel.