STORY COLLECTIBLE PROFILE
Then and There: The Surreal Appointment on the Road Betwixt and Between
By DuAnne Redus
COLLECTIBLE PREVIEW
Front & Back Card Images
These preview images show the current story collectible design associated with this title.
About the Story
How often do we take risks? There are simple risks like daring to make a new friend or be a trustworthy friend. It's often risky to tell the truth without fear. Risks occur in all relationships. The big leaps are often the ones we refuse to take. I dove headfirst into the shallow end of a public swimming pool as a kid; it took years to get over the fear of 'head-first." The decision made to resign from a long and successful corporate career I made without permission from my husband, caused immediate consequences I had to face. But as I leapt, I also became free. It happened out in the desert on a long, lonely drive to my new life when I was second guessing myself like crazy. What I thought was disaster was when I learned 'then and there' that a gift had occurred.
- Author
- DuAnne Redus
- Genre
- Magical Realism / Adventure
- Publication / Creation Year
- 2026
- Publication
- This Registry
- Volume / Edition
- ?
- Story Position
- 4
- Approx. Word Count
- 1200
- Registry Number Range
- LC-SSST-001 – LC-SSST-050
AUTHOR'S PURPOSE
Why This Story Was Written
This story is about a pivotal time in my life when I decided to leave my cushy corporate job and become independent. I realized that I needed to spread my wings. I had studied with a Peruvian Shaman for seven years and my spirit wanted to soar. My heart was calling me to use the skills I had developed to use in a different context where I was the Creator. The surreal experience of meeting a 'stranger' in a time of desperation was evidence I could take full responsibility for my actions.
STORY AT A GLANCE
Premise & Themes
Central premise or conflict: Can I trust myself?
Primary themes: self-trust, intuition, spiritual awareness
Why it is memorable: My identity was shifting from roles and responsibilities as wife, mother, worker, volunteer to being the creator, producer and scriptwriter of my life.
- Emotional Tone
- Hopeful Reflective
- Setting
- 2005, Salt Lake City and Dallas
- Main Character / Central Figure
- Myself
READER INFORMATION
Reading Notes
Content notice: No.
Where readers can access the story outside the anthology: my website
COLLECTIBLE DEVELOPMENT
Visual Direction
Representative scene: Desert scene with a shack and gasoline pump
Important visual elements: Cardinal, pickup truck, man and boy, arroyo
Items to avoid: N/A
- Artwork Exists
- No
- Artist / Designer
- Chat bot?
- Preferred Style
- Illustrated