#D.L.Finn

#TenThingsYouMayNotKnow – About #D. L. Finn

/ Marcia / 51 Comments

Today,  I’d like everyone to help me welcome another wonderful #StoryEmpire member, author D. L. Finn. Denise  is also a wonderfully supportive blogger, and I know you good folks will really enjoy her #TenThings list! Therefore, without further ado, I’ll turn the “floor” over to her! 

Ten Things You May Not Know About Me
by D. L. Finn

Thank you for having me here today, Marcia. 😊 I love Ten Things You May Not Know, and I’m thrilled to be a part of it!

  1. I write poetry in as many places as I can. Airplanes, on the beach, in the forest, and my favorite is when I am riding with my husband on the Harley. I have other places in mind that I will explore, like underwater or in a cave.
  2. Over the years, I’ve collected various things. They include books, record albums, teacups, teapots, and my first love, rocks, and crystals! I’m always looking for a heart-shaped rock to add to that collection. Now my family is trained for that and finds them for me.
  3. Although I’ve been writing since I was a teen, I finally put my work out there in 2015 when I tripped over my black kitty, Coco, on Friday the 13th and broke my foot. This amusing incident left me with enough time to pursue my passion. I consider black cats, and Friday the 13th is lucky for me.
  4. I find a lot of peace meditating in nature. I’m usually able to see nature’s energy, typically green or purple. I love to see the energy over water, like the ocean, where it glows.
  5. I’ve had an out-of-body experience as a teenager while in the hospital. I could see myself and was told I still had things to do, and I needed to go back. That voice was certainly right. I can still see that moment even today. It reminds me of how important we all are.
  6. I always thought it would be cool to be a bush pilot and live in Alaska. Although I ruled nothing out, I found my way into living in the forest but never got a pilot’s license. I got to fly in a water plane and stand on the outside while it was in the water on an Alaskan river. It electrified me to be in that moment, and also got to explore the Hawaiian skies in a helicopter. I still have more sky things to do, like a hot-air balloon or skydiving. I love that bird’s-eye view!
  7. Being born in the tiger year makes sense that I’m a cat person. Although I love all animals, I have a few other favorites, like dolphins, bears, and red-tailed hawks. They seem to find me when I need them, and I pay attention to their messages.

     

  8. I love the world within our world or what lives in the ocean. Being underwater is peaceful and beautiful to me. I have always wanted to scuba dive and almost took the class offered at our local college, but the great white shark scares me a lot. I’m less likely to swim off the Northern California coast thanks to the movie Jaws. Although that doesn’t stop me from snorkeling in Hawaii or still learning to scuba dive in the future in Lake Tahoe.
  9. Music has been a big part of my life. I’ve been to many concerts over the years and seen some amazing acts. My first experience included Heart and the Eagles at a “Day On The Green” in Oakland, CA, in the 70s. Over the years, I’ve seen Rolling Stones, Tom Petty, Fleetwood Mac, Aerosmith, AC/DC, REM, B52s, Journey, Pink Floyd, Ozzie Osborn, Blondie, The Pretenders, U2, and I could keep going. The list is long.
  10. I adore all things Disneyland and have lost track of how many times I’ve been there. It’s where I spent my 50th birthday surrounded by family and Mickey. My first ride is always Pirates of the Caribbean or the Haunted House. Yo-ho, I am a kid at heart.

Blurb:

Newly married Rachael Battaglia finally had it all. The only detail that stained Rachael’s perfect wedding was a gift she received. It was the exact present that her late ex-husband had given her on their wedding day — a snow globe. That marriage was not what she had envisioned, and she endured years of his abuse and charm until one night she escaped with two kids and one on the way. Now Rachael was headed to Hawaii with an amazing man and her chance at happiness. Unbeknownst to Rachael, she had an Angel on her side, although this Angel might not be able to save Rachael and her family from the evil that surrounded them. This is a tale of love, past relationships, things unseen, and redemption. Will Rachael find her happy ending, or will this evil thing get its way?

You can buy This Second Chance HERE

D. L. Finn is an independent California local who encourages everyone to embrace their inner child. She was born and raised in the foggy Bay Area, but in 1990 she relocated with her husband, kids, dogs, and cats to Nevada City, in the Sierra foothills. She immersed herself in reading all types of books but especially loved romance, horror, and fantasy. She always treasured creating her own reality on paper. Finally, surrounded by towering pines, oaks, and cedars, her creativity was nurtured until it bloomed. Her creations include adult fiction, poetry, a unique autobiography, and children’s books. She continues on her adventure with an open invitation to all readers to join her.

Check out more of D. L. Finn’s Books on her Author Page HERE

Reach  D. L. Finn on Social Media here:

Twitter
Facebook
Instagram
Pinterest
D.L. Finn blog
Author Amazon Page

 

 

#ReblogAlert- #TwoFer #ThisWeekOnStoryEmpire & #SmorgasbordWeeklyRoundUp

/ Marcia / 23 Comments

It’s time for another weekly recap from two of my favorite blogs. You folks who’ve been following awhile know that I like to share the weekly goodies from both #Story Empire and Sally Cronin’s Smorgasbord blog, because … GOOD STUFF! If you’ve weren’t able to visit any of these posts this week, now’s your chance to head on over and find out exactly what you’ve missed! I highly recommend visiting both! 

MONDAY: Harmony Kent starts the week off with a post introducing her newest series. The post, How to Use Prologues, Part 1, Overview, is well worth checking out, whether you’re Pro or Con on the issue.  As a person who thoroughly enjoys prologues when they are done well, I’m very interested in this series and will be following closely. Check out Harmony’s post HERE.

WEDNESDAY: D. L. Finn pops in mid-week to talk about Writing and Book Covers. She has some very handy tips for those who’d like create their own,  and even though I have mine done by an excellent graphics designer who’s a very good friend, I found this post extremely useful, especially for those interested in using Canva. You can check out Denise’s post HERE.

FRIDAY: And on Friday, John W. Howell stops by to Wish Everyone a Peaceful Weekend. You can stop by to like John’s post HERE.

 

And you know what comes next, right? Sally Cronin’s fabulous weekly round up post! You can see everything that went on over on Smorgasbord blog this week, and you really owe it to yourself to check for goodies you may have missed.

Check out Sally’s Smorgasbord Magazine Weekly RoundUp HERE.

And there you have this week’s #Twofer recap!
Happy Reading!

#BlatantSelfPromotion – #ThatDarkestPlace – #NewReview

/ Marcia / 39 Comments

This seems to be the season for That Darkest Place to be front and center. Another new (and fantastic) review, this time from D. L. Finn, has made my day once more! Since I’ve nothing scheduled on TWS today, figured I might as well shout it from the rooftops. Or at least share it here on the blog, so you can see why I was doing the happy dance when I read this one. (Thank you, Denise. So glad you enjoyed it!)

REVIEW:

D.L. Finn
5.0 out of 5 stars A perfect ending to a wonderful series!

Reviewed in the United States on April 7, 2022
Verified Purchase

BLURB:

“There are dark places in every heart, in every head. Some you turn away from. Some you light a candle within. But there is one place so black, it consumes all light. It will pull you in and swallow you whole. You don’t leave your brother stranded in that darkest place.”
~Hunter Painter~

The new year is a chance for new beginnings—usually hopeful, positive ones. But when Jackson Painter plows his car into a tree shortly after midnight on January 1, his new beginnings are tragic. His brothers, Forrest and Hunter, take up a grim bedside vigil at the hospital, waiting for Jackson to regain consciousness and anxious over how he’ll take the news that he’s lost a leg and his fiancée is dead. After all, the accident was all his fault.


As the shocking truth emerges, one thing becomes obvious—Jackson will need unconditional love and support from both of his brothers if he is to survive.

Just as he begins the long road to recovery, danger, in the form of a sinister, unsigned note, plunges him back into bleak despair. Scrawled in blood red letters, the accusation—and the threat—is clear. “MURDERER!”

Will the long, harrowing ordeal that lies ahead draw the Painter brothers closer together, or drive them apart forever?

Suspenseful and often heartbreaking, this small-town tale is a testimonial to the redemptive power of love and paints a story filled with humor, romance, and fierce family loyalty.

Buy That Darkest Place HERE
And there you have today’s #BlatantSelfPromotion.
Hope some of you will give this series a try. 
(The books can be read alone, but will be a lot
more meaningful in order, as a series).
Happy Reading!

#ReblogAlert- #TwoFer #ThisWeekOnStoryEmpire & #SmorgasbordWeeklyRoundUp

/ Marcia / 24 Comments

Once again, it’s time for a look at what’s been going on over at Story Empire and at Sally Cronin’s Smorgasbord blog.  As always, great stuff at both places. Read on to learn more!

Another busy week on Story Empire. Don’t believe me? Just check these out and you’ll see what I mean!

MONDAY: For those of you who aren’t already familiar with those little surprise nuggets called Easter Eggs, Craig Boyack starts out the week with a fun and very enlightening post on how writers can use them to amuse their readers. Even if you already understand the concept, you really should check out Easter Eggs HERE.

WEDNESDAY: Harmony Kent’s mid-week offering is a recap and wrap-up of her wonderful series on Points of View. You really want to take a look at this one, trust me. Check out How to Write Point of View, Part 11, Summary and Wrap-up HERE.

FRIDAY: D. L. Finn brings the week to a close with a fantastic post offering inspirational quotes that every writer should read. You’ll love them as much as I did, I’m sure. Check out Writing Quotes to Inspire HERE.

 

And just when you think it couldn’t get any better over on Sally’s Smorgasbord Blog, along comes another weekly roundup post to prove you wrong!

Check out Sally’s Smorgasbord Magazine Weekly RoundUp HERE.

Happy Reading Everyone!

#InternationalDayOf Awesomeness – #SallyCronin – #SmorgasbordBlog – #Celebration – #StoryEmpire

/ Marcia / 52 Comments

A most remarkable thing happened on Thursday.
For those who weren’t aware (like me), Thursday was the official
International Day of Awesomeness. 

While I may have been oblivious about this day,
the good folks over at Story Empire were not!

Nope. These wonderfully talented and sharing authors decided to celebrate the day in grand style by letting the world know exactly who they thought deserved to be honored in all her awesomeness: 

Sally Cronin

Now, I can’t speak for everyone, but I suspect that most of us who spend a lot of time blogging and/or writing are very familiar with Sally and her fabulous Smorgasbord blog, and have probably been the beneficiaries of her support and encouragement many times. I know I certainly have! And if you missed out on all of these great tributes to this lovely lady, I do hope you’ll stop by her blog to read her post about how she spent her Thursday, and what it meant to her. 

You can read Sally’s post (and find links to each Story Empire post) HERE.

Sally, I hope you continue to feel the love for a long, long time. You deserve it my friend! And as always, never forget YOU ROCK!

#ReblogAlert – #TwoFer #ThisWeekOnStoryEmpire & #SmorgasbordWeeklyRoundUp

/ Marcia / 19 Comments

Today is Sun’s Day, and another chance to share some wonderful posts from this past week from two of my favorite blogs. If you missed any of these, now’s your second chance at them.  Enjoy!

MONDAY: D. L. Finn starts the week off with a very  helpful post entitled Writing Book Blurbs, something most of us do not look forward to. Check out her tips on what to do, and what to avoid HERE.

WEDNESDAY:  Mae Clair’s mid-week post entitled Writing Inquiry Letters is one you won’t want to miss if you’re considering giving trad publishing a try. I would have NO idea where to start, and I suspect I’m not alone in that, but Mae’s post will put you on the path to doing so in a way that won’t scare potential agents off. Check it out HERE.

FRIDAY:  To wrap up the week Joan Hall shares some great reminders (and some things you may never even have thought of) in her post entitled Blogging Etiquette. I really love this post, as it is so important if you want to be part of the blogging community. (And she also reminded me of something I do quite unintentionally that I need to watch out for.) You can check out Joan’s post HERE.

PLEASE NOTE: I had some kind of brain malfunction earlier and credited Harmony Kent with this lovely post from Joan Hall. Blame it on creeping senility, long-COVID, or general stupidity, but I swear to you, I read the post and knew it was Joan’s, and I apologize to both of these lovely ladies for such a dumb mistake!!  *goes off hanging head in shame*

Once again, Sally’s fabulous blog has presented us with posts on all kinds of subjects, some wonderful videos, and plenty of great stuff supporting her fellow writers and bloggers. In case you didn’t know this, Sally ROCKS! 😊

Check Sally’s Smorgasbord Blog Magazine RoundUp Post HERE

And there you have it for this week, Folks !
Happy Reading!

#ReblogAlert – This Week on #StoryEmpire & Sally Cronin’s Smorgasbord Weekly RoundUp

/ Marcia / 21 Comments

It’s Sunday again, and time to share what’s been going on over at Story Empire and Sally Cronin’s Smorgasbord blogs! 

MONDAY: Craig Boyack starts of this week with his post entitled The Three Acts: Act 2, Part 2. You won’t want to miss this one! Check it out HERE.

WEDNESDAY: Harmony Kent takes the midweek spot with her post entitled How to Write Point of View, Part 7, Switching Point of View. Good stuff, as always! Check it out HERE.

FRIDAY: And Denise Finn wraps up the week with her excellent post entitled Writing and Ideas. Be sure to check it out by clicking HERE.

And as usual, Sally’s Smorgasbord RoundUp post is crammed so full of goodies, it’s a wonder it doesn’t burst at its digital seams! Be sure to stop by so you can see for yourself. (Note: Some especially fun videos this week!) Check it all out HERE.

And there you have it, folks!
Told you it was great stuff!

#ReblogAlert – This Week on #StoryEmpire

/ Marcia / 21 Comments

Time to share this week’s always-fantastic posts from Story Empire. If you haven’t checked these out, be sure you do. It’s always worth a trip to see what they’re sharing this time around.

MONDAY:  Just published a new book and want to know more abourt blog tours and the like? Check out D. L. Finn’s post entitled New Releases and Blog Tours HERE.

WEDNESDAY: Craig Boyack shares a super post on story structure, entitled The Three Acts: Act 2, Part 1. Check it out HERE.

FRIDAY: And Harmony Kent wraps up the week with a great post entitled How to Write Point of View, Part 6, Common Pitfalls.  Check it out HERE.

And there you have it! Some great reading here!
Enjoy!

#ReblogAlert – This Week on #StoryEmpire

/ Marcia / 18 Comments

I’m still in the process of getting back to all my regularly featured series, and today, I’m happy to say I’m picking up with sharing the week’s posts from one of my favorite blogs, Story Empire. And it’s been a good week, believe me. So for those of you who’ve never checked out this blog, or those of you who might have missed one of the posts this week, here are the links. 

MONDAY: How to Write Point of View, Part 5, Third Person Distant by Harmony Kent. Check out this very informative post HERE.

WEDNESDAY: Writing and  Fun! by D. L. Finn. This post is a great reminder that we really should enjoy the entire process of writing. You’ll definitely want to check it out HERE.

FRIDAY:  Three Act Structure: Act 1 by C. S. Boyack. As someone who’s never taken a writing class, I especially enjoyed Craig’s very informative and entertaining post on this topic.  Be sure to check it out HERE.

And there you have it! Another week of wonderful posts on Story Empire. I highly recommend stopping by to see for yourself just how informative and helpful these posts are. You’ll be glad you did!