Thanks, Stephen, for having me here today to share my latest release, In the Tree’s Shadow.
“The Day the Ground Moved” starts with everything moving around Adam—or an earthquake. These jolts are very familiar to me, growing up in California. The Loma Prieta Quake from 1989 stands out. It might have been that final nudge in an ongoing discussion to move from the Bay Area to the Sierra foothills or coast. When it hit, my husband was under my car, looking at the brakes. At first, he thought I was playing around and shaking the car, but he got from under it in time as it jolted off the jack. The pool became an angry ocean, and things fell off the shelves, but luckily, we had no damage.
Earthquakes are deadly when buildings can’t stand up to their violent movements. Here, we wait for what they call the big one, which is out of our control when and if it happens. But what if someone could give that event a helping hand for sinister reasons? Adam is riding his bed across the room, and his only thought is to get to safety and survive.
This was originally written for the missed and loved Suzanne Burke’s ‘Fiction In A Flash Challenge.’
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:
It jolted me from a deep sleep, and my belongings were tossed around like feathers in a windstorm. My wedding picture crashed into the back of my head, but I had no time to worry about the bump as I rode my bed to the dresser lodged on its side. My black cat, Sissy, dug her claws into my leg, and my poor dog was howling from his bed.
“It’s okay, Astro!”
It was unlikely the dog heard me over the snarl of the shifting landscape and shattering glass. I pulled myself to the side of the bed as Sissy edged up to my chest.
“Hang on. It’s a big one.”
Clutching the cat, I slipped on the leather mules my wife of thirty years had given me last Christmas. Losing Nancy three months later to breast cancer crushed my soul, but a small part of me was grateful she missed the next cruel chapter in our world. I pushed down my pain, grabbed our wedding picture, and attempted to run. The floor rolled like a carnival funhouse, and I could barely keep upright. My stomach flipped as a powerful wave surged through the house. I grabbed the closet door frame.
“I should take the go-bag, Sissy.” She buried her head in my neck.
I gripped the wooden structure tightly with one hand, snatched the bag from the closet, tucked the picture in it, and slung it over my shoulder. Sissy’s claws deepened, cutting into my skin, but the pain barely registered as I navigated the dark hall to the creaking steps. The rising sun peeked through the broken front window, and a neighbor’s car alarm was screaming.
I clung to the shaking railing and crept down the wooden stairs. Halfway there, the wall cracked open with a loud pop. I raced down the rest of the stairs without looking back.
FUN FINN FACTS:
- Our neighbor’s dog, who used to protect us from an aggressive mountain lion that sided with us on our walks, finally got his way and became part of our family when the owners moved. The mountain lion disappeared.
- I took up snow skiing in my early thirties. Going down the hill was easy, but getting off the ski lift was challenging.
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.
D.L. Finn Links:
Pingback: In the Tree’s Shadow – “The Day the Ground Moved” @StephenGeez #writingcommunity #readersoftwitter #newrelease #paranormal – Author D.L. Finn
Those ski lifts used to daunt me for sure! Wonderful extract and post, Denise. Wishing you all the best with your new book, which I enjoyed immensely.
Stephen, thanks for sharing.
Hugs 🤗💕🙂
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It got embarassing gr)etting off those lifts. Once they had to stop it to get me off… lol My husband started to help me off which was also i interesting. Glad I’m not the only one. Thank you, Harmony 🙂
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💖🤗💖
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Fab story from a fab collection! Earthquakes are no fun. I love how you incorporated such a scary event into your story, Denise. Thanks for hosting, Stephen!
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Thank you, Vera 🙂 I did take a few familiar events to me and twist them a bit. Yes, earthquakes aren’t much fun.
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Nice excerpt, Denise. I also miss Soooz. It’s good to know some stories inspired by her weekly prompts have become part of books.
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Thank you, Joan:) Yes, she lives on in the stories we all shared in our collections.
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We actually had a small quake here a couple of years ago. I thought it was interesting and kind of fun. We just don’t have such things happen.
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Small quakes aren’t bad and can be interesting if you aren’t somewhere where a big one might hit. We don’t get big ones where we are now either, or that is the theory.
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How scary that your husband was under the car, Denise. I don’t blame you for moving. That’s scary. Of course, we’re waiting for the “big one” too. A wonderful read that I thoroughly enjoyed. Congrats, and thanks to Stephen for hosting!
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It was scary to think what could have happened to him if he hadn’t moved. I know the fault goes far up the coast and they are always saying big one. I think we will be surprised with another version. Our world is full of plot twists lately. So happy you enjoyed all the stories, Diana!
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Apparently the Cascadian Subduction Zone quake is about 50 years behind schedule. But we all live in an unpredictable world, so I try not to worry about it when I go to the beach. 🙂
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I try not to worry about it either.
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This is one of the stories that really stood out for me in your wonderful collection, Denise. And I love that a flashficton prompt from Soooz inspired it.
It’s so scary to think of your husband under the car when that earthquake struck. I’m so glad he got out before the jack gave way!
Wishing you all the best with In The Tree’s Shadow.
Thanks for hosting, Stephen!
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Thank you, Mae 🙂 Yes, he got lucky getting out from under the car when he did. Soooz’s prompts seemed to inspire a few of us. She lives on through that as well. So hapoy you enjoyed this story. I hope we never figure out how to trigger earthquakes.
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I agree with you about the ski lifts! And how scary about your husband under the car. So glad he got out in time.
This is such a visceral scene. Yet another powerful story in your collection. Wishing you all the best, Denise.
Thanks for hosting, Stephen.
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Thank you, Staci 🙂 Here I thought it was just clumsy me getting off the lifts, I guess I’m not the only one 😉 Yes, so scary that he was under my car during a big quake. Very lucky he got out in time.
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And I thought it was just clumsy me!
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Another terrific excerpt, Denese. Congratulations. Thanks Stephen for hosting,
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Thank you for opening up your blog to me today, Stephen! Much appreciated 🙂
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Thankfully I’ve never been in an earthquake. It would be terrifying! I enjoyed this story in the collection. Denise really put me there with the characters! Thank you, Stephen, for hosting, and a huge congratulations to Denise!
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They have a surprise factor that no has been able to predict other than a few seconds out. Can’t prepare like a storm, except to have shoes next to bed. One hit while I was watching Exorcist, boy was that werid timing…lol. Thank you, Jan!
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Wow! I can only imagine, Denise!
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Great excerpt, Denise! I can’t wait to see where the dog is. Lol! Thanks for hosting today, Stephen!
Yvette M Calleiro 🙂
http://yvettemcalleiro.blogspot.com
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Thank you, Yvette 🙂 Hope you like it when you find out!
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That was one scary excerpt!
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Yes, earthquakes can be terrifying, Liz.
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Reblogged this on North’s World and commented:
Stop by and discover D. L. Finn on Stephen Geez’s blog!
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Thank you for reblog, Mark!
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Another fantastic stop on the tour! Thanks for hosting, Geez.
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Thank you, Beem 🙂
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I love Finn Facts and loved this short.
scoxox
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Thank you, Sandra 🙂 I have fun with those facts! Xo
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