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Montrose, Colorado— What happens when the past refuses to stay buried? In her latest novel, Blue Moon Bench, author D.L. Blanchard invites readers into a world where breathtaking desert landscapes, Hopi traditions, and haunting secrets collide.

At the heart of the story is Jessica Dawson, a young illustrator who falls in love with Alex, a widowed anthropologist. What begins as a whirlwind romance quickly becomes a battle against shadows—both real and imagined. Living in the shadow of Alex’s late wife Rachel, Jessica finds herself struggling with jealousy, doubt, and fear. When whispers suggest Rachel’s death at the Grand Canyon was no accident, Jessica is forced to confront the terrifying possibility that the man she loves may not be who he seems.

Blanchard’s novel blends the timeless beauty of the Southwest with the pulse of psychological suspense. From the sacred Hopi Kachina dances to the silent depths of the Grand Canyon, every setting becomes more than scenery—it becomes part of the mystery itself. Themes of love, loss, betrayal, and resilience make Blue Moon Bench both thrilling and deeply human.

“I wanted to create a story that shows how fragile trust can be when secrets linger,” says Blanchard. “The desert holds beauty and silence, but it also holds echoes of the past. My characters are forced to decide whether they will be consumed by those echoes or find the strength to move forward.”

Blue Moon Bench will resonate with fans of suspenseful, character-driven fiction. Readers who enjoy mysteries entwined with cultural richness and emotional depth will find themselves drawn into Jessica’s journey—a story about love tested by shadows, and the courage it takes to uncover the truth.

About the Author
The author of Blue Moon Bench is a Tibetan Buddhist now living the western slope of Colorado. She is a fine artist and author who lived in Arizona for over 17 years and spent many days hiking in canyons and deserts in the southwest. She has written many articles for magazines such as Southwest Art Magazine, as well as the Article “Shaman’s and Master Artists: Understanding the Parallels in Rock Art” printed in “American Indian Rock Art – Volume 23” published by the American Rock Art Research Association. Blue Moon Bench is the first in a series of mystery novels based on the southwest. She is currently writing Volume Two; “The Magic Shaman” coming soon. She loves including the mystical part of the sacred beliefs and ceremony of the native people because they are very similar to Tibetan culture and rituals which she carries in her heart.

Her fine art has been shown in many fine art galleries in the southwest including Santa Fe, New Mexico and Tucson, Arizona. She still love traveling around the southwest with paints and sketch pad capturing the beauty she loves to paint and write about. Many of her chapters capture the spectacular landscapes of northern Arizona’s canyons and vast desert plains.  It’s quiet beauty appeals to her Buddhist sensibilities seeking peace and harmony with nature.

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For Jessica Dawson in D.L. Blanchard’s Blue Moon Bench, it also means contending with the memory of Rachel—the beautiful, accomplished first wife whose sudden death still casts a shadow over the Dawson ranch. Rachel is gone, but her presence lingers in every room, every whispered memory, and every doubt that creeps into Jessica’s heart.

For many readers, Jessica’s dilemma is strikingly relatable. Who hasn’t felt the weight of comparison, especially when stepping into the life of someone who came before? Rachel’s clothes remain neatly hung in the closet, her perfume clings to the walls of the upstairs sitting room, and her reputation—loving, intelligent, dazzling—seems to live on in the stories others tell. Jessica cannot help but feel like an intruder in her own home, constantly measuring herself against a woman who is no longer alive but is far from forgotten.

It isn’t just the physical reminders that make Rachel’s presence so powerful; it’s the emotional ties. Alex, Jessica’s new husband, carries his grief like a locked chest, reluctant to open it. When Rachel’s name comes up, his face tightens, and his silence speaks louder than words. To Jessica, that silence feels like an answer—that Rachel still occupies the deepest part of his heart. And so, she wrestles with an unspoken question: can she ever be enough when she is competing with a memory?

What adds to Jessica’s torment is the suspicion surrounding Rachel’s death. Whispers of secrets, half-truths, and unsteady alibis leave Jessica questioning not only Rachel’s life, but also the foundation of her own marriage. It is one thing to compete with a ghost of perfection; it is another to wonder if that ghost was hiding darkness that no one dared confront. Jessica finds herself caught between grief that isn’t hers to claim and fears that may threaten her own safety.

The human touch of this story lies in Jessica’s vulnerability. She is not merely a woman battling jealousy—she is someone yearning for belonging, for the reassurance that love can bloom despite shadows. Many readers will empathize with the quiet ache of wondering if they are truly seen and valued, or if they exist only in comparison to someone else. It is a deeply human struggle, magnified here by the dramatic backdrop of murder, betrayal, and secrets hidden in the Arizona desert.

In Blue Moon Bench by D.L. Blanchard, Jessica’s conflict with Rachel is not simply about rivalry—it is about identity. How do you carve out a place for yourself when the past refuses to let go? How do you silence the ghost of comparison, especially when that ghost wears the flawless face of someone gone too soon? Jessica’s journey is a reminder that love and belonging must be claimed, not borrowed from the echoes of someone else’s life.

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The desert is often thought of as a place of solitude and silence, a wide-open landscape that seems too vast to hold secrets. Yet in D.L. Blanchard’s Blue Moon Bench, the Arizona desert becomes the keeper of one of the most unsettling mysteries: the death of Rachel Dawson. Officially deemed an accident, her tragic fall into the Grand Canyon leaves behind not only unanswered questions, but also a haunting presence that lingers over everyone who knew her.

Rachel’s story is not just another case of a woman gone too soon—it is the emotional heartbeat of the novel. She was beautiful, intelligent, and beloved, making her sudden end all the more difficult to reconcile. To her husband Alex, she was a radiant first love; to Jessica, the woman who becomes Alex’s second wife, she is an ever-present ghost. For the reader, Rachel becomes both a memory and a mystery—was she simply a victim of chance, or was there something darker at play?

The human element in this story is Jessica’s struggle to live in Rachel’s shadow. Every room in the Dawson ranch, every whispered comment from friends, and every lingering glance reminds her that Rachel once occupied the space she now calls home. Many readers can empathize with that unsettling feeling of comparison, of wondering if they will ever measure up to the memory of someone who is gone but not forgotten. The weight of the past doesn’t just rest on Alex’s shoulders; it presses down on Jessica, shaping her fears and her resolve.

But Rachel’s death is more than an emotional burden—it is a catalyst for suspense. The circumstances are riddled with contradictions: she was last seen leaving a party alone, her car abandoned at a desolate location, and rumors swirl that she was not by herself that night. Friends like Mac raise suspicions, suggesting that Alex’s alibi might not be as solid as it seems. The desert, with its endless silence, becomes the perfect accomplice, concealing the truth as easily as it conceals footprints in shifting sand.

What makes this mystery so compelling is that it feels deeply human. Blanchard doesn’t just present Rachel as a plot device; she gives her a presence so strong that readers feel her absence as if she were a real person lost to them. Anyone who has grieved the sudden loss of someone close knows the way unanswered questions can gnaw at the heart. Was there something we missed? Could we have prevented it? Those questions echo through Jessica’s thoughts as she tries to build a new life while grappling with the possibility that her husband may not be telling her everything.

In Blue Moon Bench by D.L. Blanchard, the desert is more than a backdrop—it is a character in itself, holding secrets in its canyons and whispers in its winds. Rachel’s death remains the story’s central riddle, a haunting reminder that love, jealousy, and betrayal can leave their mark not only on people, but also on the very landscape where tragedy unfolds.

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In D.L. Blanchard’s Blue Moon Bench, the mystery of Rachel’s death is layered not only with human motives but also with whispers of the supernatural. Spirits, shamanic presences, and shadowy figures appear throughout the novel, deepening both its suspense and its exploration of belief.

 Jessica, new to Arizona’s desert world, is already unsettled by her role as Alex’s second wife and by the unanswered questions surrounding Rachel’s fate. But what unsettles her even more is the sense that the world she has stepped into does not operate solely on reason. She feels presences—echoes of spirits that seem to haunt both her new home and her new marriage. At times, it is difficult to tell whether these apparitions are real or whether they spring from her own anxiety. Either way, the effect is chilling.

For readers, these moments resonate because they reflect a deeply human truth: when we are already afraid, the shadows seem to take on a life of their own. Anyone who has walked into a darkened room after loss or betrayal knows how the imagination fills in the silence. Jessica’s experiences make her more vulnerable, more human, and more relatable.

The shaman figure, too, adds a layer of both mystery and wisdom. Representing knowledge outside the realm of science or anthropology, the shaman becomes a bridge between the seen and the unseen, reminding characters that not all truths can be measured or proved. This presence highlights one of the book’s central themes: spirituality is not bound by labels. Just as the Hopi Kachina dances carry meaning beyond performance, the shaman represents the possibility that truth lives in places science alone cannot reach.

Then there are the shadowy figures—ambiguous, threatening, and never fully revealed. They stalk Jessica in alleys, appear at the edge of crowds, and seem to vanish as quickly as they arrive. These figures serve as metaphors for her inner fears but also as tangible threats that move the plot forward. Are they flesh-and-blood pursuers with sinister motives, or are they manifestations of her doubts and suspicions? Blanchard deliberately blurs the line, leaving the reader to sit in the same uneasy uncertainty as Jessica herself.

What makes this blend of the spiritual and the mysterious so compelling is how it mirrors real life. We may not all encounter shadowy figures on desert trails, but we all know what it feels like to be haunted—by grief, by memory, or by choices left unresolved. The idea that unseen forces, whether spiritual or psychological, shape our lives is one that resonates across cultures and beliefs.

In Blue Moon Bench by D.L. Blanchard, spirits, shaman, and shadowy figures are not decorations on the story—they are essential to its power. They remind us that truth is rarely simple, and that sometimes the most profound answers lie in the spaces where faith, fear, and mystery intersect.

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In D.L. Blanchard’s Blue Moon Bench, the triangle between Jessica, her husband Alex, and his longtime friend Mac shows how quickly trust can twist into betrayal, turning companionship into a dangerous game.

Alex and Mac share more than just professional ties as anthropologists. They share years of history, travel, and discovery. Their friendship is built on common passions, yet it is complicated by something far more personal: Rachel, Alex’s late wife. Her mysterious death haunts both men, but in very different ways. For Alex, Rachel is a memory he cannot fully release. For Mac, she is a wound that festers—part loss, part jealousy, part unresolved desire. Into this tangled web steps Jessica, who becomes both participant and witness to a friendship straining under the weight of secrets.

At first, Mac presents himself as a protector. He warns Jessica of dangers she cannot yet see, hints that Rachel’s death was no accident, and suggests that Alex’s alibi may not be as solid as it seems. His words shake her, but they also leave her uncertain. Is Mac truly looking out for her, or is he using her vulnerability to drive a wedge between husband and wife? The ambiguity is unsettling—much like real life, where not every friend who claims to protect us is free of hidden motives.

Jessica’s struggle is deeply human. Many readers will recognize the unsettling moment when a friend or confidant plants doubt, forcing them to question who they can trust. She wants to believe in her husband’s integrity, yet Mac’s sincerity feels convincing. The very foundation of friendship—trust—becomes the weapon used against her.

The tragedy of this triangle lies in how loyalty collides with resentment. Alex, wrapped in silence about his past, sees Mac as a companion, even if sometimes a difficult one. Mac, however, sees Alex as a rival who has always had the advantage: wealth, love, and recognition. The simmering jealousy underneath their friendship eventually leaks into every word, every sideways glance, every carefully timed comment.

Blanchard captures how fragile friendships can be when tested by grief, love, and ambition. The bond between Alex and Mac might once have been genuine, but the intrusion of Rachel’s death and Jessica’s arrival tips the balance. What was once companionship becomes rivalry, and what was once trust becomes suspicion.

In Blue Moon Bench by D.L. Blanchard, the friendship between Alex, Mac, and Jessica serves as a warning that not all bonds can survive betrayal. It reminds us that friendship, like love, demands honesty—and when honesty is replaced with secrecy, even the strongest ties can snap. For Jessica, the realization that a trusted friend might be an enemy is more than unsettling. It is life-threatening.

Friendship can be a lifeline. But as this story shows, when jealousy, grief, and desire creep in, it can also become the deadliest trap of all.

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Rachel Dawson’s mysterious death, officially dismissed as an accident, casts its longest shadow here. Found at the bottom of the Canyon, Rachel becomes forever tied to this landscape of beauty and danger. For those left behind—her husband Alex, his new wife Jessica, and their friend Mac—the Canyon is no longer just a national treasure. It is the silent witness to a crime that may never be fully understood.

Anyone who has visited the Grand Canyon knows the way light and shadow play across its walls. Morning sun paints the cliffs gold, while evening casts them in violet gloom. In the novel, those shifting shadows mirror the uncertainty surrounding Rachel’s death. What appears clear and brilliant one moment fades into obscurity the next. Was Rachel’s fall simply an accident? Or does the Canyon hold proof of something darker, something carefully hidden?

Jessica, an outsider to this desert world, feels the Canyon’s weight acutely. As she learns more about Rachel’s final night, the Canyon becomes more than a place on the map—it becomes a symbol of her doubts. Its sheer cliffs remind her of the precariousness of trust. Its silent depths echo her unanswered questions. For readers, this connection is strikingly human: how often do we link places to memories, both beautiful and painful? A favorite park, a childhood home, or even a quiet street can become forever tied to what we experienced there. For Jessica, the Canyon is inseparable from fear, suspicion, and loss.

Mac, too, sees the Canyon in symbolic terms. As an anthropologist, he marvels at its hidden caves and ancient dwellings. But his jealousy of Alex and his fixation on Rachel taint even the Canyon’s grandeur. He speaks of it with reverence one moment and bitterness the next, as if the very rocks hold proof of betrayal. In this way, the Canyon reflects not only the external mystery, but also the internal conflicts that drive the characters.

Blanchard’s choice to anchor the story in this iconic landscape is powerful. The Grand Canyon is timeless, but it is also perilous. Its beauty draws people in, even as its depths remind them how fragile life is. In Blue Moon Bench by D.L. Blanchard, the Canyon is not simply scenery—it is a keeper of secrets, a reminder that shadows can hide both danger and truth.

For those who have ever stood at its rim, the Canyon can feel humbling, even unsettling. In the novel, that same humbling force becomes a crucible for mystery, love, and betrayal. The shadows in the Grand Canyon are not just geological—they are human, cast by the lives and choices of those who dare to stand at its edge.

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In D.L. Blanchard’s Blue Moon Bench, the image of the coyote threads through the narrative, embodying the danger and duplicity lurking just beneath the surface of seemingly ordinary lives.

The coyote is cunning, adaptable, and unpredictable. It slips between worlds—wild and domestic, sacred and profane—without belonging fully to either. This dual nature mirrors the human characters who carry secrets, shift allegiances, and wear masks of their own. When Jessica finds herself entangled in the mysteries surrounding Rachel’s death, she is not just confronting grief or jealousy—she is navigating a landscape where truth itself is elusive. Like the coyote’s howl echoing through the desert, deception calls out in the shadows, never revealing its true source.

Mac, Alex’s old friend and fellow anthropologist, is one of the clearest embodiments of the coyote spirit in the story. At first, he appears as a trusted companion, offering Jessica comfort, knowledge, and even warnings about the dangers around her. But his words are riddled with ambiguity. Is he protecting her, or manipulating her fears for his own ends? Like the trickster, he thrives in the in-between, never fully trustworthy, yet impossible to dismiss.

Jessica herself begins to sense the coyote’s presence in her own heart. She wrestles with jealousy toward Rachel, doubts about Alex’s past, and her own ability to see clearly through the haze of uncertainty. In moments of fear or suspicion, she realizes that trickery does not always come from others—sometimes, it comes from the stories we tell ourselves to make sense of what we cannot understand.

On a human level, the coyote represents the struggle we all face with truth and illusion. How often do we deceive ourselves about the people we love, or fail to see what is right in front of us because it is easier to believe in the mask? In the novel, Jessica’s battle with trust mirrors this universal challenge. To survive, she must learn to see past appearances and recognize the trickster at work—not only in others, but in her own doubts.

Blanchard’s use of the coyote is more than cultural symbolism—it is a reminder that deception, whether playful or deadly, is part of human life. Tricksters exist in every culture because they reflect the complexities of our own hearts. They remind us that not everything is what it seems, and that wisdom often comes only after we’ve been fooled.

In Blue Moon Bench by D.L. Blanchard, the clever coyote is not just an animal on the mesa. It is the shadow in the story, the whisper of doubt, and the symbol of every half-truth that threatens to unravel Jessica’s fragile world. Through it, readers are reminded that deception may be dangerous—but it is also the path to discovering truth.

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