Day 10 for BMR has arrived, and the featured guest is D. L. Finn. Denise (as she’s known to many/most of us) has shared some fun answers that I know you’ll want to check out. Head on over! You won’t be disappointed. 😀
Bad Moon Rising Day 10 Featuring D. L. Finn
It’s time for #GuestDayTuesday again, and perfect timing for a new release from author D. L. Finn. Denise has been touring with her latest collection of short stories, and I’m very happy to help her get the word out, too. I know you’ll enjoy her post today, so let’s get started. Denise, the floor’s all yours! 😊
Thank you for having me here today, Marcia, to share my short story collection, In a Tree’s Shadow.
“Alone” was written during a massive snowstorm last year that left my husband and me isolated for several days without power. My husband ventured out once to get gas for the generator after clearing the snow at the end of our driveway. This machine powers our well, so we have water and outlets in the bedroom so my husband’s CPAP machine can run while keeping our fridge running and use the microwave if needed.
I stayed home to keep the fire going. I wrote some poetry, and then my mind turned to the pure aloneness I felt at that moment. This story came from those thoughts while I waited for my husband to return home safely. He commented that it was the worse conditions he’s driven in, which is saying a lot. Most of the town was shut down except for a few gas stations and grocery stores—if they had enough employees.
In this story, Lydia’s husband collapses while cleaning snow off their driveway. An ambulance can make it there, and they offer her to go with them, but she decides to drive there. That one decision changed how things went for this couple.
BLURB:
A collection of short stories where dreams and nightmares coexist.
Nestled inside these pages, you’ll meet a couple in their golden years who take a trip with an unexpected detour, a boy desperate to give his brother the Christmas gift he asked for, a girl with a small glass dragon who is at the mercy of her cruel uncles, and a young mother who has a recurring dream about murder. You’ll be introduced to worlds where people get second chances and monsters might be allowed their desires, while angels and dragons try to help. Happy endings occur, but perspective can blur the line between good and evil in these twenty-seven tales. Since the stories vary between 99 and 12,000 words, whether you have only five minutes or an entire evening to settle into reading, there is something that will suit your time and taste.
EXCERPT:
The drought had left them all lazy. No one was prepared for a big storm as the heavy rains turned into snow the night before. Lydia had never minded being snowed in, even without power. But this time, with no power, internet, or communication, there was no joy, only anxiety. It was the first time in her life that she was entirely alone. The emptiness echoed loudly around her, bouncing off the carefully framed photos of happier times when living in a forest had been fun. There was only fear today when she went to leave the house and spotted an intruder. She quickly stepped back inside, slammed the door shut, and locked it. Wiping the frost from the front window, she peered through. They were still there. She tried waving, hoping they needed help, but there was no response except her goosebumps and sweaty palms. Without Bill she had to survive what Mother Nature brought her and a trespasser.
She squinted, but the face was hidden in the shadows. She was convinced it was a man under forty from his brawny warrior stance. He wore faded blue jeans, a red plaid shirt, a black vest, and a black stocking cap, much like many of the men in their small community, including Bill. The snow boots were dated and reminded her of the ones they used to own. Moon boots, Bill called them. Misery coursed through her, thinking of her husband fighting for his life at the hospital while she couldn’t get to him.
This person had to know she was alone and no one could help her. He must have watched the ambulance come and was aware there would be no 9-1-1 calls coming from her house—the power and phones had gone out right after. There was only the silence of a massive storm. She had not bothered to start the generator because she was planning to leave.
**************
Author D. L. Finn
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 children’s books, adult fiction, a unique autobiography, and poetry. She continues on her adventure with an open invitation to all readers to join her.
D.L. Finn Links:
Twitter
Bookbub
Facebook
Instagram
Pinterest
D.L. Finn blog
Amazon Page
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!
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!
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
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!
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:
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~
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.
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!
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:
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!
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!
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!
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!
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