Owl Manor by Zita Harris:The Owl Manor is haunted, yet 3 best friends buy it and try to convert it into a stage theater, restaurant, and art gallery. Each of them uses their talents and desire to be successful as individuals and as a group. The book travels back in time to the 1800s and back to the present. It is well-written, and I would highly recommend it.
“Once Upon a Time in the Swamp” is my favorite book by C.S. Boyack. The main character, Mari, is on a quest to find the men who killed her husband and family. The sheriff is not offering any help, so she loads her wagon, hitches her ox, “Dirt,” and follows the trail of the killers. Along the long, arduous, and sometimes dangerous trip, she learns about how to live alone in the swamp. She learns how to track the killers and how to shoot a rifle. A great read.
My apologies to my fellow authors whose books I have read and yet not written a review or promoted. It takes me longer than usual to read a book and to write anything on the computer. As most of you know, my eyesight is a challenge though I am grateful to say it has not deteriorated any further in the last 6 months.
To all my followers, I say thank you for your support and understanding.
I am pleased to introduce you to a new book by a very talented author, D. L. Finn, The book is a series of short stories, each one having a message about life, its challenges, mysteries, and rewards. I first “met” Denise many years ago through an author’s book club. We have never met in person, but I consider her a friend, colleague, and mentor. We both love nature, books are a joy to read, and writing is a passion. Her philosophy or motto is to embrace the inner childby reading a good book.
Thank you for having me visit, Karen, to share the release of my short story collection,In the Tree’s Shadow.
“The Bonsai” is part of my personal short story challenge. I had a family member pick a word. Then I used that word to search images on Canva. Once I found a picture that inspired me, I would start the story.
My youngest daughter, Danielle, the other writer in the family, picked the word bonsai. I was immediately drawn to an image of a bonsai overlooking the ocean. I thought of a woman standing next to a bonsai on the cliff’s edge after losing the love of her life.
What if there was more to that bonsai than Darcie realized? Could she get a second chance in life? This is about not only second chances but the power of love.
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 fog slowly crept in, covering the landscape in a soft, gray blanket. The distant lighthouse’s mournful cry warned the ships of land. The gentle ocean sway had always been my meditation, but the sound grated on my nerves today.
I turned my attention to the bonsai that Henry had named Blossom. It had been a wedding gift from Henry’s parents. Blossom had lived at the edge of the cliff for over forty years. Here is where I scattered Henry’s ashes last week. Sitting on the bench made of driftwood that Henry made right after retiring three years ago didn’t bring me the closure I desired.
Our golden years were cut short by aggressive cancer. I was left with an empty ocean-view house and Blossom. She was the closest we came to kids since I could only miscarry babies, not have them. After losing three, we couldn’t bear any more losses. We let our dream go. We became each other’s everything, and now I was lost without his serene smile and quick wit.
Dr. Denny’s declaration rang hollow this morning. “You’re in perfect health, Mrs. Duffy. You’ll live to be a hundred years old.”
I had smiled, but inside I wished it had been bad news. How could I live for thirty more years without the one person who made life worth living?
I love to star and moon gaze in the summer. It inspires poetry.
Not only do I love the mountains, but I am also called to the ocean. I grew up near the coast and redwoods.
BIO:
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.
My grandmother introduced me to books when I was a little girl. Her small apartment was filled with books which she called her friends. She always asked me what I learned from the story. Reading stories with the mindset of “what am I learning?” was very helpful in making decisions throughout my life.
D.L. Finn’s poetry in Just Her Poetry Seasons of a Soul is a book I read in 2019. However, because it was so beautiful and powerful even now I often open the pages randomly and gain some peace and joy.
In this short story, Mountain Laurel Christmas,the lesson that fame and fortune do not bring happiness is taught. The author, Jan Sikes, brings the important message that only family can fill a heart with love.
Is money the answer to happiness? When it comes to love, do age differences matter? These are questions central to the short story I’ll Be Right Back,by Maura Beth Brennan.
No Such Luck, by Staci Troilo, is a story of a young woman who returns to her hometown after a significant absence. A short story with a powerful message of the importance of choices, people, and events from which we can learn.
KAREN INGALLS, AUTHOR, BLOGGER & SURVIVOR 