AN INTERVIEW WITH DL FINN AND HER LATEST BOOK: Miracles & Ghosts Past: A Christmas Collection

Today I am interviewing D.L. Finn, whose book, Miracles & Ghosts Past: A Christmas Collection, has recently been released and is perfect for this season.

I decided we could discuss her new book and all sorts of other things over brunch at Guglehupf (pronounced Googlehoff), a German restaurant and bakery that is a huge favorite in this area. Claudia Kemet- Cooper founded this restaurant in 1998, and in September of 2004 opened to the long anticipated Guglehupf Café in its architecturally unique building adjacent to the bakery. That’s where we’re meeting today, sitting outside in the fall sun, with the trellis filtering gold from the leaves.

Noelle: Good morning, Denise! Is there anything on the brunch menu that peaks your interest? I can highly recommend Smashed Avocado Benedict. For those of you listening in it, consists of two poached eggs, smashed avocado, local tomato confit, smoked paprika hollandaise, brioche toast, and a side of fruit.)

Denise: That looks yummy. Minus the tomatoes!

We order two of those dishes, with no tomatoes, plus two cups of coffee.

Noelle: Do you mind if I start peppering you with questions?

Denise: Pepper away!

What is your favorite Christmas memory?

Although I may have had a rough childhood, the holidays were always nice. The one I remember most was the year when there was a layoff and times were challenging. Instead of the usual evergreen tree, we had a tiny white artificial tree on a table. Still, I asked Santa for a Barbie house and van and hoped. When I woke up Christmas morning, there was no Barbie house or van, but I wasn’t disappointed. Wrapped neatly with lots of Scotch tape were the sheets and towel I needed, with my favorite Snoopy on them. The absolute best gift that year was a huge fortune cookie stuffed with regular fortune cookies. That fortune cookie is still my favorite present from childhood. These surprise gifts were not what I thought I wanted but what I needed. What is your favorite holiday movie?

Do you have a favorite Christmas movie?

I can’t narrow it down to one, but some of my favorites White Christmas, Miracle on 34th Street, Polar Express, Rudolph, It’s a Wonderful Life, A Nightmare Before Christmas, and A Christmas Carol.

Tell me a little about this book?

Well, it’s eight stories from past holidays. In one, Rita buys train tickets for her and Morris’s 30th anniversary. She’s convinced this trip will bring her and Morris closer—if he can find the time – but a murder mystery excursion will change Rita’s life in more ways than one.  In another, 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. One story is set in 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.

My goal is for the reader is discover hope in these stories, even in the direst of circumstances. I believe miracles are just within reach.

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Our food arrives, and for a while we munch contentedly. Then I start another round of questions.

I know you’ve already published a first Christmas Collection. Why another?

 I found the ideas kept coming after I published the first collection. By the time I wrote them all down, I realized I had book two. My focus was on Christmas and poetry this year.

What do you enjoy most about writing and why?

I love how writing lets me escape into another world. It’s like getting to know new people (my characters) and watching their stories unfold. Sometimes they even surprise me, and that’s the best part. Plus, knowing readers might connect with them the same way I do makes it even more special.

What are three interesting facts about yourself that we might not know?

• My favorite food is pasta.
• I’ve done my ancestry and found that I’m related to William the Conqueror!
• My favorite movie when I was a child was The Lion King!

What is your least favorite part of the publishing/writing process, and how do you manage this?

I would say it’s the publishing part itself. Because it is hard to find the right publisher. It’s not easy as some independent publishers operate more to take your money than to genuinely support your work, so you have to be careful and do your research.

What’s your next project?

I’m working on writing the third book in the A Tale of Two Forces series. The next book is complete and is now being edited.

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We finish our brunch with another cup of coffee, and I set out to write my review.

Miracles & Ghosts Past: A Christmas Collection is a delightful and charming read. I finished it over the course of a few hours and felt a sense of contentment when I finished. The author captured the best of humanity, the Christmas spirit and the promise of new love in each story.

The strand running through the stories, set in different times in our country’s history, is a loving ghost for each main character and a green-winged angel in some. What’s not to like?

It’s hard to choose a favorite, but I especially liked “Is There a Santa?” about a widowed farmer  down on his luck, trying his best to provide his two sons with a good Christmas when he has to choose between presents for the boys or food on the table. I loved the strength of the father and his determination to do the best for his sons, even if it meant losing them.

All of the stories are told with empathy and warmth, a hallmark of the author.

I highly recommend this book not only for a seasonal read but one for the whole year.

About the author:

D. L. Finn is Californian 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.

You can find her:

 At her author site:   https://dlfinnauthor.com/

On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/d.l.finn.writer/

And on Instagram: @dlfinnauthor