Smorgasbord Free Book Promotions 2023- Share an Excerpt from one of your published books- #Paranormal #Mystery – This Second Chance by D.L. Finn

In this series authors were invited to share an excerpt of 500 words from any of their published books

Submissions are now closed for this series but there will be another in early 2024.. My thanks to all who have participated.

Today the excerpt is from the novel This Second Chance.. a paranormal mystery I much enjoyed by D.L. Finn

About the book

Newly married Rachael Battaglia finally had it all. The only detail that stained Rachael’s perfect wedding was a gift she received. It was the exact present that her late ex-husband had given her on their wedding day — a snow globe. That marriage was not what she had envisioned, and she endured years of his abuse and charm until one night she escaped with two kids and one on the way. Now Rachael was headed to Hawaii with an amazing man and her chance at happiness. Unbeknownst to Rachael, she had an Angel on her side, although this Angel might not be able to save Rachael and her family from the evil that surrounded them. This is a tale of love, past relationships, things unseen, and redemption. Will Rachael find her happy ending, or will this evil thing get its way?

An excerpt from This Second Chance – Chapter 1

They hovered over the familiar woman in the wedding dress. She looked terrified, and on the day that she should be at her happiest.

“You are getting a chance most do not get. You understand that, right?” Zelina asked.

He meekly nodded at her. Her brown eyes narrowed, piercing his soul. She clearly didn’t like him—not that he blamed her.

“Good. We are clear. You give Rachael her happy ending. Then you can move on and let go of some of that bad you did.” Zelina pursed her lips tightly together.

Her pale silver gown flowed around her like an ocean wave ebbing in and out. He never understood how angels’ clothes did that yet, at the same time, kept their form enough to cover them modestly.

“I understand, and I’m grateful I’ve been given this second chance. I won’t let you, or Rachael, down. I’ll do whatever it takes to make it happen,” he replied, more confidently than he felt.

Although it confused him that he was being given this chance, he’d never question this angel. He certainly didn’t deserve it and hadn’t had a moment’s peace since his death. Everything he’d done flashed before him—over and over. He was relieved to have a break from it and a chance to finally do some good, but he was merely a ghost—a soul, or a man without a body. What could he do to take away that expression on Rachael’s face?

“Yes, it is a break from your much-earned reflections.” Zelina crossed her arms, obviously irritated at him.

He felt his face redden as he nodded back at her. In this form he felt all the physical and emotional reactions he had when he was alive, but stronger. He needed to remember that angels always knew what he was thinking. He had no privacy now.

“I had to watch Rachael make some bad mistakes. I will not do this again; this is too important. You must figure out how to fix this and make your atonement. You know the rules. If I see you doing any harm, I will send you back. This is your only chance to do some good. I will be watching if you need some guidance, but I think you will figure it out,” Zelina finished, suddenly seeming taller to him.
Her black hair glowed as she put her hands on her hips with her wings fully extended. He never tired of seeing the shimmering, feathered wings that reminded him of a peacock tail. They were beautiful. Under all that splendor, he knew, there was a ferociousness akin to a bear protecting her young. Rachael was her cub.

When her wings were tucked behind her, unseen, Zelina seemed perfectly ordinary. She could walk among the humans unnoticed. She turned her gaze on him again and scowled.

She oversaw people like him—the tough cases. He sighed. Zelina responded to his sigh with a smirk. On Earth that look would have infuriated him, coming from a woman. Now it scared him.

©D.L. Finn

One of the recent  reviews for the book

Vashti Quiroz-Vega 5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating and unique read!  Reviewed in the United States

I actually read the 2nd book in the series “The Button’ before reading ‘This Second Chance. Although I enjoyed “The Button’ as a standalone, after reading Book 1 it makes much more sense to read the books in the series in chronological order.

Ed was not a good man when he was alive. He drank too much, was abusive to his wife Rachael and a horrible example to his kids. He misled his oldest son Eddie, who followed in his footsteps and influenced him to hate his mother. However, after his death, Ed had to watch his life and his bad deeds over and over, and he learned the error of his ways, understanding how much he had hurt his wife and kids. Ed knew they didn’t deserve the pain and suffering he put them through and wanted to make amends.

Several years after Ed’s death, Rachael fell in love again. Tony was a good man who loved her and her kids. On their wedding day, everything was going great until a gift she received made her blood run cold. From that moment on, things began to take a turn for the worse. But Rachael had a guardian angel, although she didn’t know it, and this angel was determined to help her.

The angel Zelina intended to save Rachael and her family. She assigned Ed’s ghost as Rachael’s protector, especially since an Evildwel, a demonic entity that used wicked people’s evil energy to do terrible things, was after her and her family bent on destroying them. This was Ed’s chance to make up for all the harm he had done while he was alive. Zelina knew he would make every effort to keep his family safe and earn his redemption. From this point on the paranormal war between good and evil commenced.

The author hooked me from the beginning and kept me captivated to the end with all the action, mystery and clever plot twists. The characters were so real and relatable. I especially loved Rachael, Tony, Ed, Kelly and Hank.

This is a story of romance, family dynamics and redemption with a paranormal element. I highly recommend it. 

Read the reviews and buy the book: Amazon US – And: Amazon UK

A selection of other books by D.L. Finn

Read the reviews and buy the books: Amazon US – And: Amazon UK – Follow D.L. Finn: Goodreads – Connect to D.L. Finn – Website: D.L. Finn Author – Facebook: D.L. Finn Author – Twitter: @dlfinnauthor

About D.L. Finn

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 relocated with her husband, kids, dogs, and cats to the Sierra foothills in Nevada City, CA. 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, being surrounded by towering pines, oaks, and cedars, her creativity was nurtured until it bloomed. Her creations vary from children’s books, young adult fantasy, and adult paranormal romance to an autobiography with poetry. She continues on her adventures with an open invitation for her readers to join her.

 

Thank you for dropping in today and I hope you will be leaving with some books.. Sally.