Please welcome dear friend and fellow author D.L. Finn.

Thank you, Sandra, for having me on your beautiful blogtoday to share the release of Ghosts & Miracles Past: A ChristmasCollection Two! I’m beyond grateful for your constant support andfriendship.

“Christmas Rescue” was originally in my first Christmas Collection.I pulled it because it wasn’t going anywhere. When I came back to it later, itall came together. Opal’s had a bad year. Her mother died, and her boyfriendbroke up with her, leaving her in heavy debt. The worst part was that he tooktheir dog too. All she could do was quit school and start working to pay offthe debt. Not feeling her usual Christmas spirit, she still plans to host heraunt, uncle, and cousins as her mother would have. She needs some supplies onChristmas Eve. A big storm is coming, and she finds people are already home,but in one dark parking lot, she isn’t alone.

BLURB:

Miracles saturate the sweet-scented Christmas season—areminder we aren’t alone.

Miracles & Ghosts Past: A Christmas Collectionbrings eight stories from past holidays. Rita buys train tickets for her andMorris’s 30th anniversary in the novelette, “The Christmas Train Mystery.” She’sconvinced this trip will bring her and Morris closer—if he can find the time. Amurder mystery excursion will change Rita’s life in more ways than one, butwill she go with her workaholic husband or by herself? In the first shortstory, “Christmas Rescue,” Opal trusts the wrong man and loses her mother in thesame year, leaving her feeling lost. On a mission to get candles for the dinnertable, she makes an unexpected find. “Is There a Santa?” goes back to the1920s, where a widower is desperate to hold on to his farm and children. Hedoesn’t want charity, just a bit of luck or a miracle. In the final stories,you’ll meet an eleven-year-old who’s home alone, a family living in theaftermath of war, a girl who gets some shocking news, a widow with a warningfrom beyond, and a woman trapped on an elevator with Santa. Hope underliesthese stories; it endures even in the direst of circumstances. Whether helpcomes from a ghost, Santa, or an angel, miracles are just within reach.

EXCERPT FROM: ChristmasRescue, 1975

ThisChristmas Day, she’d paste on a smile, but inside lurked the Grinch before hisheart grew three sizes. If time could pause, she would have the chance tobreathe and dream again, but time and bills continued to march forward, unfazedeven by the world’s Grinches.

“Perhapslife is meant to be endured, not enjoyed.”

Opalimmediately felt guilty, knowing her mom would disapprove of that statement.But Opal’s mom wasn’t there to hear it after her fatal heart attack. It wasgoing to be her first Christmas without her mom, who had been her best friend.

Still,she attempted to be positive in memory of her mom. “I know I have this houseand my bartending job. But if I sold the house and got an apartment, I couldfinish getting my teaching degree. Which means I’d leave my childhood home andall the memories that come with it.” Opal sighed and wiped away a single tear.“I miss you, Mom, and you were right about many things—including Sam.”

That namerepulsed her like a gory horror movie. With a shudder, she thrust away thoughtsof her ex. She picked up a silver bell that had fallen off the Christmas treeand put it on an empty branch. The silver bell swung and stilled. She turnedher back to the colorful tree to prepare the house for her guests, but thesmall silver bell started ringing like it was atop a church.

“Eitheran angel got their wings, or my walking jiggled the bell.”

Opalleaned toward the latter. She placed her mom’s porcelain nativity scene on thefireplace mantel. Her youngest niece, Lisa, was obsessed with the nativity. Lisawas convinced the angel was real and was watching over them. The sweet girl wasalways on her best behavior around it.

Evensurrounded by all this good cheer, regret wouldn’t allow her to forget. Itovershadowed everything. Three months after her mom died, her ex-boyfriendmoved across the country with her inheritance and Beauty, the sweet pup shestill missed. All Sam left behind were maxed-out credit card bills. Unfortunately,she was the primary cardholder; he had been able to charge with noresponsibility for any of the debt. This had alarmed her mom, but Opal was inlove, or thought she was, and didn’t listen. After her mom passed, Opalcontinued with her bad decisions, which included adding Sam’s name to hersavings account after he pointed out it made sense since they were gettingmarried. She thought that was his proposal, but no ring followed, just abreakup.

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FUN FINN FACTS

1.     My favorite Christmas songs are: O HolyNight, Carol of the Bells, Silent Night, Happy Christmas (War is Over), Let itSnow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow, Little Town of Bethlehem, Christmastime isHere, It’s beginning to look like Christmas, White Christmas, I’ll be Home forChristmas, The Christmas Song, Little Saint Nick, A Holly Jolly Christmas….Icould go on. I couldn’t pick just one or two!

2.     I start Christmas shopping in July or August.

D. L. Finn is anindependent California local who encourages everyone to embrace their innerchild. She was born and raised in the foggy Bay Area, but in 1990 she relocatedwith her husband, kids, dogs, and cats to Nevada City, in the Sierra foothills.She immersed herself in reading all types of books but especially lovedromance, horror, and fantasy. She always treasured creating her own reality onpaper. Finally, surrounded by towering pines, oaks, and cedars, her creativitywas nurtured until it bloomed. Her creations include children’s books, adultfiction, and poetry. She continues on her adventure with an open invitation toall readers to join her.

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To celebrate the release, I will be giving away threeAmazon Gift Cards: $5, $10, and $15. At the end of the tour, I will randomlypick the three winners from those who leave comments during the blog tour. GoodLuck!