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:
Stephen Geez Blog 