The arms of redwoods embrace us â our breath still, weâre awestruck, swept up by the miracle of it all.
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Thanks for stopping by, and enjoy your weekend! â¤ď¸
Š Lauren Scott, BaydreamerWrites.com
Author and poet, Lauren Scott, is a recent Pushcart Prize Nominee who enjoys small-town living in the Bay Area with her husband, Matt, of thirty-seven years. Their daughter and son live out of state, and with frequent visits and technology, this family of four remains close. Lauren has published four collections of poetry: New Day, New Dreams (2013), Finding a Balance (2015), Ever So Gently (2023), and King Copper (2025). In 2021, she released her memoir, More than Coffee. Her first childrenâs book, Coraâs Quest, was published in 2024. Lauren has been a guest on several podcasts, and her writing is featured on Spillwords Press where she was voted Author of the Month and garnered Publication of the Month awards. She is a recent recipient of the Publication of the Year (Poetic) Award. Lauren is a contributing author in several anthologies, and her work is showcased on LatinosUSA and Gobblers and Masticadores. She is currently working on her second childrenâs book and another collection of poetry. Laurenâs muse discovers inspiration from family, spending time outdoors, reveling in simple things, and marveling at the mysteries of life.
To purchase your copy, please click on the image. â¤ď¸
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. Iâm extremely grateful for your support!
In âChristmas After Loss,â 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 didnât 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 wouldnât start. She called the only person she could think of, her husbandâs 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 seasonâa reminder we arenât alone.
Miracles & Ghosts Past: A Christmas Collection brings eight stories from past holidays. Rita buys train tickets for her and Morrisâs 30th anniversary in the novelette, âThe Christmas Train Mystery.âSheâs convinced this trip will bring her and Morris closerâif he can find the time. A murder mystery excursion will change Ritaâs life in more ways than one, but will she go with her workaholic husband or by herself? In the first short story, âChristmas Rescue,â 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. âIs There a Santa?â goes back to the 1920s, where a widower is desperate to hold on to his farm and children. He doesnât want charity, just a bit of luck or a miracle. In the final stories, youâll meet an eleven-year-old whoâs 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 sheâd 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.
âI know, I know. Youâre hungry,â she said to the petite gray cat.
Cuddles looked at her empty bowl, and then those mesmerizing gray eyes took in Sheila.
âDaddy sure spoiled you,â 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 husbandâs 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 wasnât anyone to lean on other than the helpful Sam, whoâd bonded with Randy the first time they met. Although at times it seemed like Sam was a little too bonded, and sheâd pointed that out to Randy.
Randy had grinned. âI knew guys like him in high school. Just a bit on the needy side is all. I know how to handle that, donât worry.â
Still, Sam remained in the pest category until Randyâs passing. After losing her husband, she appreciated Samâs support. As a thirty-two-year-old widow who owned and ran a cafĂŠ, she didnât 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.
âSometimes I think this place is cursed, Cuddles. Maybe we should go back home, like my sister keeps saying. Be near friends and family. Theyâd spoil you too.â 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 wasnât like sheâd have to worry about a Peeping Tom in the country, right?
The phone, which Randy had finished installing right before she lost him, rang. Cuddlesâs 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 Iâm not a skilled gift wrapper. Iâm 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 childrenâs 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. Finnâs wonderful storytelling isnât 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, weâve 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 â…to find your miracle not only during the holiday season but year-round.â
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 âThe Christmas Train Mysteryâ and âSheâs Home Alone.â
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. âSheâs Home Aloneâ evoked memories of a movie I saw years ago, so the storyâs 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 ânoâ then you will discover newfound beliefs after turning the last page. Highly recommended for you who would welcome a little Christmas magic! đŤđ
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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! â¤ď¸
Š Lauren Scott, Baydreamerwrites.com
Click on my daughterâs image to order your copy! đ§Ą
Lauren Scott Author â King Copper: Our dogâs life in poetry Author â Coraâs Quest (a childrenâs book) Author â Ever So Gently: A Collection of Poetry Author â More than Coffee: Memories of Verse and Prose Author â Finding a Balance: A Collection of Poetry Author â New Day, New Dreams: A Collection of Poetry Co-Author â Tranquility: An Anthology of Haiku Co-Author â Petals of Haiku: An Anthology Co-Author â This Is How We Grow Co-Author â 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
Thank you to Manuela Timofte for publishing this post about rainbows and miracles. Some of you may remember it from a few weeks ago. This week I’m praying for a miracle, so I’m grateful for the perfect timing! I’m closing comments because I invite you to visit Gobblers to offer Manuela support at her wonderful literary site. And after viewing the photos and reading my poem, “Darker than the Deepest Sea” I hope you’ll be inclined to leave a ‘like’ and maybe even a comment…đ¤đ
Last Wednesday morning brought us a stunning sunrise and double rainbow. I wasn’t able to get photos, but a friend of mine grabbed her cell phone and captured these! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Who says miracles don’t happen?
I’m sharing a poem from my recent poetry collection that ties in with the miracles of rainbows:
Darker than the Deepest Sea
Life is like a package wrapped in festive paper. The matching ribbons fascinate in their delicate, entwined company, fingers gently unravel, heartbeats increase from excitement. We lift the lid, peek inside, letting our inner child frolic to the forefront of our minds.
But unlike recyclable paper, the gift of life cannot be tossed back into the universe. There is no spare awaiting on the sidelines, and we should be mindful that the contents require tenderness with instructions solely for each one of us individually, because as visible as a ruby rose in a garden of white daisies… we are beautifully unique.
Once we follow these with gratitude and vivacity, the purpose of our gift will reveal itself as naturally as moonlight on a night darker than the deepest sea. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ When you leave my site today, please remember how precious life is, and how beautiful you are!
And as Maya Angelou said, “Try to be a rainbow in somebody else’s cloud”. â¤ď¸â¤ď¸â¤ď¸ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lauren Scott, Baydreamerwrites Š2024 â All rights reserved.
Stones of burdens can seem like pebbles barely tripping us up in our routines, but sometimes, theyâre boulder massive, sliding us deeply into our heads when the need to escape from our own selves becomes vital for our sanity
we pause in our footsteps, holding our breath, fighting tears pushing as fiercely as a category five
but then our eyes look out the window following sunlight, focusing on the frost hanging on tips of tree branches as though adorned by sparkling jewels
they wink at us and those boulders shrink to pebbles with the sweetness of air, we inhale new life burdens we exhale, so we can breathe in miracles surrounding us – in those who hold our hearts, in every sight, every bloom, every soundâŚ
How liberating to feel such buoyancy!
Š Lauren Scott, Baydreamerwrites.com â All rights reserved.
A collection of poems about nature, love, and the mysteries of life. Click on the image to purchase your copy. Thank you! đ
Thank you for stopping by and have a wonderful weekend ahead! â¤ď¸ Photo by Ir Solyanaya on Pexels.com
I forgot how the sound of rain could be soothing like the calm of a childâs lullaby. I heard my lantana sing âHallelujah!â as the soil exhaled, the thirst for relief felt longer than eternity. Silk-thread drizzles dusted rooftops on the street along with the brown brittle hills with flowing grace. The fascination of puddles slipped my mind, the childlike sense of play from a hop and a splash. And who would think the sight of cocoa-brown mud could be so entertaining in all its messiness! Would you believe if I said the flowers smiled at me? And their leaves offered a gentle wave? Observing from my slightly opened window, I caught a grateful sigh from the soaked earth, and I enjoyed listening to the roots laugh in delight.
Baydreamer Writes ~ Lauren Scott, Author & Poet 