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! š
Thank you for having me here today, Marcia, to share my short story collection, In a Treeās Shadow.
āAloneā 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 husbandās 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 heās driven in, which is saying a lot. Most of the town was shut down except for a few gas stations and grocery storesāif they had enough employees.
In this story, Lydiaās 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, youāll 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. Youāll 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 couldnāt 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 houseāthe 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.
FUN FINN FACTS:
- I saw a pod of humpback whales from a plane as it was circling to land on Kauai.
- Sometimes, I wonāt walk in the forest when I feel a bad vibe.
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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 childrenās books, adult fiction, a unique autobiography, and poetry. She continues on her adventure with an open invitation to all readers to join her.
Ā D.L. Finn Links:
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