Lauren Scott Author – King Copper: Our dog’s life in poetry Author – Cora’s Quest (a children’s book) Author – Ever So Gently: A Collection of Poetry Author – More than Coffee: Memories of Verse and Prose Author – Finding a Balance: A Collection of Poetry Author – New Day, New Dreams: A Collection of Poetry Co-Author – Tranquility: An Anthology of Haiku Co-Author – Petals of Haiku: An Anthology Co-Author – This Is How We Grow Co-Author – Poetry Treasures 2: Relationships Bi-Monthly Contributor on Gobblers by Masticadores Spillwords Author of the Month May 2023 Spillwords Publication of the Month October 2024 Spillwords Publication of the Month June 2025
We spent last weekend in Wine Country, specifically visiting our favorite boutique winery, Char Vale Vineyards. Our experiences at Char Vale have been so wonderful that we became members. So last weekend, our plan was to pick up the bottles of wine that we had ordered. But as members, we were offered complimentary wine tasting. The owner and staff always go the extra mile, and the setting is magical. On this visit, the one and only winemaker, Justin, came out to meet us, and we chatted for almost a half hour. It was interesting to learn more about the process. We also love this time of year, so watching the wardrobe of Autumn unfold was stunning, to say the least. Golden hues, oranges, reds…warm and cozy vibes. I hope you enjoy the photos…
10 acres of vineyardFrom our table Enjoying the sips and notes and scenery.View from our hotel of the quaint downtown. Early Sunday morning.
Are you surprised that I became inspired to write? 🙂 I hope you enjoy these haiku…
(1)
harvest has ended as season of fall arrives field of golden hues
(2)
blue sky stretches to infinity as we sip notes of pear and peach
(3)
autumn parades her golden gown through ten acres blue sky umbrella
(4)
process continues when leaves gently pirouette lovely vines bare all
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The weekend was beautiful beyond words, and now raindrops dance on our roof. Thanks so much for stopping by, and I wish you a wonderful day! If you found a favorite photo or haiku, let me know in the comments! 🧡❤️🍁
Lauren Scott Author – King Copper: Our dog’s life in poetry Author – Cora’s Quest (a children’s book) Author – Ever So Gently: A Collection of Poetry Author – More than Coffee: Memories of Verse and Prose Author – Finding a Balance: A Collection of Poetry Author – New Day, New Dreams: A Collection of Poetry Co-Author – Tranquility: An Anthology of Haiku Co-Author – Petals of Haiku: An Anthology Co-Author – This Is How We Grow Co-Author – Poetry Treasures 2: Relationships Bi-Monthly Contributor on Gobblers by Masticadores Spillwords Author of the Month May 2023 Spillwords Publication of the Month October 2024 Spillwords Publication of the Month June 2025
I wish the long haul would’ve been in your heart. My strings and your fingers would’ve collaborated well, I could tell. You learned the chords, major and minor, your strumming had improved, and your voice, smooth as honey. I had faith in you.
Then another passion stole your hours… writing, and I understand, I really do. And yet, it’s just me sitting in this corner of the room. Most of the time, I don’t mind. It can feel cozy and warm when the sun rises high in the sky, bringing light. But after sunset, darkness creeps in, giving me chills of loneliness.
Now and then, you dust me off and that’s when I feel joy in my body and fretboard – the soft touch of a cloth, so comforting. I feel hope in each string that you’ll gently pull me out of my black case and hold me in your arms…
to hear a verse, bridge, or melody, to immerse our souls into the notes that hold meaning…
but you simply wipe away the particles that have landed and walk out, leaving me to ponder the mysteries of humans. A painful task, I might add.
Hope never fades though because I know songs have always been a part of you, so you’ll see, someday, you and me, and music makes three.
Lauren Scott Author – King Copper: Our dog’s life in poetry Author – Cora’s Quest (a children’s book) Author – Ever So Gently: A Collection of Poetry Author – More than Coffee: Memories of Verse and Prose Author – Finding a Balance: A Collection of Poetry Author – New Day, New Dreams: A Collection of Poetry Co-Author – Tranquility: An Anthology of Haiku Co-Author – Petals of Haiku: An Anthology Co-Author – This Is How We Grow Co-Author – Poetry Treasures 2: Relationships Bi-Monthly Contributor on Gobblers by Masticadores Spillwords Author of the Month May 2023 Spillwords Publication of the Month October 2024 Spillwords Publication of the Month June 2025
I’m thrilled to announce that I’m a guest for a second time on the wonderful and warm podcast Sharing the Heart of the Matter with Wynne and Vicki, and it’s live today! These amazing women are a dynamic duo. They create a relaxing environment, and even when the topic is an emotional one, they make the chat a fun experience. Another huge thanks to Vicki and Wynne! ❤️
Thanks to you who have read King Copper, allowing our beloved Copper to touch your hearts. And I hope our conversation touches your hearts as well, if you have time to listen. 🧡🌈
Click on my daughter’s image to order your copy! 🧡
Lauren Scott Author – King Copper: Our dog’s life in poetry Author – Cora’s Quest (a children’s book) Author – Ever So Gently: A Collection of Poetry Author – More than Coffee: Memories of Verse and Prose Author – Finding a Balance: A Collection of Poetry Author – New Day, New Dreams: A Collection of Poetry Co-Author – Tranquility: An Anthology of Haiku Co-Author – Petals of Haiku: An Anthology Co-Author – This Is How We Grow Co-Author – Poetry Treasures 2: Relationships Bi-Monthly Contributor on Gobblers by Masticadores Spillwords Author of the Month May 2023 Spillwords Publication of the Month October 2024 Spillwords Publication of the Month June 2025
I’m thrilled to share about Denises’s new Christmas short story collection! I read the first and loved it! So, I turn the floor over to you, Denise!
Thank you for having me on your incredible blog today, Lauren, to share the release of Ghosts & Miracles Past: A Christmas Collection Two. I’m extremely grateful for your support!
In “Christmas After Loss,” Shelia is a widow in her early thirties. It has been a year since Randy tragically died. He had a bad heart, the doctor told her, and at the time she didn’t question it. Later, though, in the quiet hours of the night, doubts surfaced. Still, Shelia did the best of running their diner and hoping to build their dream house. Christmas was two days away, and she just wanted to get through it, but her car wouldn’t start. She called the only person she could think of, her husband’s friend, Sam. Rescued, she trudged through her day. Alone in the diner between the lunch and dinner crowd, she gets a customer. What he tells her is alarming. This is when she finds out who she can trust.
BLURB:
Miracles saturate the sweet-scented Christmas season—a reminder we aren’t alone.
Miracles & Ghosts Past: A Christmas Collection brings eight stories from past holidays. Rita buys train tickets for her and Morris’s 30th anniversary in the novelette, “The Christmas Train Mystery.”She’s convinced this trip will bring her and Morris closer—if he can find the time. A murder mystery excursion will change Rita’s life in more ways than one, but will she go with her workaholic husband or by herself? In the first short story, “Christmas Rescue,” Opal trusts the wrong man and loses her mother in the same year, leaving her feeling lost. On a mission to get candles for the dinner table, she makes an unexpected find. “Is There a Santa?” goes back to the 1920s, where a widower is desperate to hold on to his farm and children. He doesn’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 the aftermath of war, a girl who gets some shocking news, a widow with a warning from beyond, and a woman trapped on an elevator with Santa. Hope underlies these stories; it endures even in the direst of circumstances. Whether help comes from a ghost, Santa, or an angel, miracles are just within reach.
EXCERPT FROM: Christmas After Loss, 1980
When Sheila was young, she believed in miracles. Life stripped away that youthful fancy the moment her thirty-two-year-old husband died unexpectedly on Christmas Eve. She barely recognized the person she’d become. The glass had always been half full for her, and Sheila had been the optimist among her friends. It was what Randy loved best about her, and now, along with him, that optimism was gone.
Still, she managed to push the darkness back enough to get up every morning and face each day. Sheila had a business to run that allowed her to just cover the bills and hold onto the property and the trailer she and Randy had purchased, intending to build a house later. That and many other dreams were gone, but at least she still had Cuddles by her side.
“I know, I know. You’re hungry,” she said to the petite gray cat.
Cuddles looked at her empty bowl, and then those mesmerizing gray eyes took in Sheila.
“Daddy sure spoiled you,” Sheila said.
A grin almost crossed her face before the pain of the loss seeped back in and weighed down her expression.
The cat wound around her legs as if to agree as her bowl was filled.
Cuddles had won her husband’s heart when he found her on the side of a road as a kitten three years ago, and taking care of her brought Sheila some peace. She was still relatively new to the town, so there wasn’t anyone to lean on other than the helpful Sam, who’d bonded with Randy the first time they met. Although at times it seemed like Sam was a little too bonded, and she’d pointed that out to Randy.
Randy had grinned. “I knew guys like him in high school. Just a bit on the needy side is all. I know how to handle that, don’t worry.”
Still, Sam remained in the pest category until Randy’s passing. After losing her husband, she appreciated Sam’s support. As a thirty-two-year-old widow who owned and ran a café, she didn’t have much in common with the local women her age. Having Randy had always been enough, along with their dream property that included a well, pond, electrical hookup, septic, and a little stream surrounded by pines. The previous owner had planned to build before his health deteriorated.
“Sometimes I think this place is cursed, Cuddles. Maybe we should go back home, like my sister keeps saying. Be near friends and family. They’d spoil you too.” Sheila petted the purring cat, who was now gobbling the wet food.
The hair rose on her arms as she sensed she was being watched. Was Randy there with her? It wasn’t like she’d have to worry about a Peeping Tom in the country, right?
The phone, which Randy had finished installing right before she lost him, rang. Cuddles’s usual reaction was to puff up her fur and growl, and she did exactly that and stopped eating until Sheila answered it. She tried to keep her voice cheerful, but she knew what a call before the sun had risen meant.
I love gift giving, but I’m not a skilled gift wrapper. I’m thankful for gift bags.
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, and poetry. She continues on her adventure with an open invitation to all readers to join her.
To celebrate the release, I will be giving away three Amazon Gift Cards: $5, $10, and $15. At the end of the tour, I will randomly pick the three winners from those who leave comments during the blog tour. Good Luck!
My 5-star review:
D.L. Finn’s wonderful storytelling isn’t new to me. Miracles & Ghosts Past is the second collection of Christmas stories with an ethereal flair. Eight stories of real-life dire circumstances grabbed my attention, and I had hoped for eight happy endings. Speaking of hope, this desire for a positive outcome, coupled with a strong belief in miracles is beautifully woven through each tale. But I also wondered if help would arrive. And in what form? After all, we’ve heard of angels, and the jolly old man with a white beard wearing a red suit, not to mention, friendly ghosts. By gifting us with this beautiful collection, D.L. Finn invites the reader “…to find your miracle not only during the holiday season but year-round.”
I immediately became immersed in each story – the characters, their perseverance, and the authentic settings. My heart ached through the challenging times and beat faster through the trepidation of not knowing what I would read at the end. Each story stirred emotions, but two favorites were “The Christmas Train Mystery” and “She’s Home Alone.”
Finn inserted the perfect quantity of suspense to keep me on the edge of my seat. In the first story about the Christmas train, Rita buys train tickets to surprise her husband for their 30th wedding anniversary. Only she is the one who will be surprised by the events to come. “She’s Home Alone” evoked memories of a movie I saw years ago, so the story’s suspense affected me in the same way. Brilliant writing! An eleven-year-old girl is home alone with her imagination that goes wild. Her fright will reach the hearts of all parents.
Do you acknowledge the presence of ghosts, angels, and Santa? If your answer is ‘no’ then you will discover newfound beliefs after turning the last page. Highly recommended for you who would welcome a little Christmas magic! 💫🎄
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Thank you for stopping by to support Denise! I hope you’re enticed enough to add her book to your home library! ❤️
Click on my daughter’s image to order your copy! 🧡
Lauren Scott Author – King Copper: Our dog’s life in poetry Author – Cora’s Quest (a children’s book) Author – Ever So Gently: A Collection of Poetry Author – More than Coffee: Memories of Verse and Prose Author – Finding a Balance: A Collection of Poetry Author – New Day, New Dreams: A Collection of Poetry Co-Author – Tranquility: An Anthology of Haiku Co-Author – Petals of Haiku: An Anthology Co-Author – This Is How We Grow Co-Author – Poetry Treasures 2: Relationships Bi-Monthly Contributor on Gobblers by Masticadores Spillwords Author of the Month May 2023 Spillwords Publication of the Month October 2024 Spillwords Publication of the Month June 2025
An eerie high-pitched note whirls around in young Becky’s mind as she sleeps. The howling is earsplitting, wailing just outside her window, imitating a music score in a horror film. Not that she would know because she isn’t old enough to watch scary movies, but her six-year-old imagination tells her so. The trees fall into a trance like a spell has been cast upon them. Rocking back and forth, their branches bend in unnatural ways, the tips like long, pointed fingernails scratching on the double-paned window. The howling grates on her brain like a fork scraping a plate. Raindrops pound with anger. Becky tosses and turns. She fights to stay asleep. Subconsciously, she remembers Beauty and the Beast on the wall above her headboard, the best musical ever, and how she adores Belle. She’s carried to a happy place, slowing falling back into a deep slumber, but only temporarily…
The scratching escalates, faster and wilder! The wailing blares louder than fire sirens! With eyes scrunched closed, Becky covers her ears with both hands, hoping to mute the terror. She no longer tosses and turns because her body is paralyzed by fear. She can’t even move an inch, but she has to get out of bed! It’s coming for her! It will shatter her window and climb inside! Her legs may as well be blocks of cement, but with all her might, she swings her left leg over the side of her twin-sized bed, then her right leg. She is sitting up now but has to run! No time to waste! No time for shoes! Her bare feet must carry her down the hallway to save her parents! Suddenly, Becky hears glass shatter, shards scatter on her bubblegum pink comforter! She flies off her mattress, her legs sprinting out of the room!
For a second, Becky closes her eyes while her legs move at marathon speed, the hallway never seemed so long. And just when she reaches her parent’s doorway, arms bind around her tightly in boa fashion, squeezing the air from her lungs.
“Let me go! Let me go!” She screams loud enough to shake the roof! Her arms and legs fling sporadically, fighting off the huge monster with pointy fingernails!
“Becky, it’s Mom, wake up!” Linda gently shakes her daughter, sitting on the edge of her bed. Belle and the Beast watch from the lilac wall.
“Mom! It’s coming for us! We have to get Dad! We have to leave, now!”
“Oh, sweetheart, you had a nightmare. It’s storming outside, but the three of us are safe in the house. There’s nothing to be afraid of.”
“Oh, Mom, I was so scared! I hate the wind!” Becky manages through erratic sobs, hugging her mother, never wanting to let go.
“I don’t like it either,” Linda hugs her daughter back, loving the feel of her little girl safe in her arms. “But just close your eyes and know that Dad and I will protect you.”
And just like that, consoled by her mom, Becky lets go and rolls over onto her right side – exhaustion from the excitement finally kicking in. Her eyelids slowly close. Linda sits for a few minutes, watching her beautiful daughter fall into a peaceful sleep. Her blonde hair cascading across the fluffy pillow. Then Linda gently kisses her daughter on the forehead and quietly steps out of the room, but the earsplitting howling perpetuates. The storm isn’t due to pass for another ten hours.
Click on my daughter’s image to order your copy! 🧡
Lauren Scott Author – King Copper: Our dog’s life in poetry Author – Cora’s Quest (a children’s book) Author – Ever So Gently: A Collection of Poetry Author – More than Coffee: Memories of Verse and Prose Author – Finding a Balance: A Collection of Poetry Author – New Day, New Dreams: A Collection of Poetry Co-Author – Tranquility: An Anthology of Haiku Co-Author – Petals of Haiku: An Anthology Co-Author – This Is How We Grow Co-Author – Poetry Treasures 2: Relationships Bi-Monthly Contributor on Gobblers by Masticadores Spillwords Author of the Month May 2023 Spillwords Publication of the Month October 2024 Spillwords Publication of the Month June 2025
I hope you all had a great weekend! Hello Monday!What a surprise for this morning to find my poem on Gobblers by Masticadores! Thank you so much to Manuela Timofte for sharing my writing. It’s an honor to be featured on her beautiful site among many talented writers. I hope you pay her a visit…
Lost Their Way
If hope was a color, mine would be blue, struggling like a bird with a broken wing tears fill weary eyes that blur they fall with an unforgiving sting My heart imitates emotional skies unseen roadblocks disguise a silver lining Wishing is what I do well, miles between, my hell, mindset craves refining…
You can read the full poem by clicking on the link below…
Click on my daughter’s image to order your copy! 🧡
Lauren Scott Author – King Copper: Our dog’s life in poetry Author – Cora’s Quest (a children’s book) Author – Ever So Gently: A Collection of Poetry Author – More than Coffee: Memories of Verse and Prose Author – Finding a Balance: A Collection of Poetry Author – New Day, New Dreams: A Collection of Poetry Co-Author – Tranquility: An Anthology of Haiku Co-Author – Petals of Haiku: An Anthology Co-Author – This Is How We Grow Co-Author – Poetry Treasures 2: Relationships Bi-Monthly Contributor on Gobblers by Masticadores Spillwords Author of the Month May 2023 Spillwords Publication of the Month October 2024 Spillwords Publication of the Month June 2025
Click on my daughter’s image to order your copy! 🧡
Lauren Scott Author – King Copper: Our dog’s life in poetry Author – Cora’s Quest (a children’s book) Author – Ever So Gently: A Collection of Poetry Author – More than Coffee: Memories of Verse and Prose Author – Finding a Balance: A Collection of Poetry Author – New Day, New Dreams: A Collection of Poetry Co-Author – Tranquility: An Anthology of Haiku Co-Author – Petals of Haiku: An Anthology Co-Author – This Is How We Grow Co-Author – Poetry Treasures 2: Relationships Bi-Monthly Contributor on Gobblers by Masticadores Spillwords Author of the Month May 2023 Spillwords Publication of the Month October 2024 Spillwords Publication of the Month June 2025
Baydreamer Writes ~ Lauren Scott, Author & Poet 