D. A. Ratliff
Bio
A Southerner with saltwater in her veins, Deborah lives in the Florida sun and writes murder mysteries. She is published in several anthologies and her first novel, Crescent City Lies, is scheduled for release in the winter of 2025.
Achievements (1)
Stories (102)
Filter by community
A Saguaro by Any Other Name
A Saguaro by Any Other Name D. A. Ratliff The stately saguaros stood taller than I remembered when I walked this dirt road to school. The cacti were scared by the passage of time—their bases thickened, their pleated trunks dark green, and new branches for holding water a brighter green. My mother and I had named them, and I always said good morning on the way to the schoolhouse, as I did this morning as I strolled past.
By D. A. Ratliff2 years ago in Fiction
Never the Same . Content Warning.
Never the Same D. R. Ratliff Content warning: Violence, implied rape I stared at the rocking chair on the porch and wondered if things would ever be the same again. I used to love to come here on holidays when Granny and Grandpa were alive. My brothers and I played football on the lush lawn, waiting for Thanksgiving dinner or outside, showing off our new toys at Christmas. But we’d grown up and had families of our own, and our father and grandparents died years ago and our mother four months ago. No one had been here in a long time—until today.
By D. A. Ratliff2 years ago in Fiction
The Veil . Top Story - August 2023.
The Veil D. A. Ratliff The droning hum from the car’s tires rolling across the asphalt soothed her nerves rather than inflamed them. Sage Ryan had made it as far as Redding, and in one more hour, she would be in the Northern California mountains. He couldn’t find her there—she hoped.
By D. A. Ratliff2 years ago in Fiction
The Chocolate Chip Cookie Caper
The Chocolate Chip Cookie Caper D. A. Ratliff As tales go, this one will not likely remain a memory for anyone other than me and my friends, my dog Charlie and the vet, my sister, our parents, the neighbors, and the police and fire department of Timber Lane, LA. It all started innocently enough, but then it all went wrong.
By D. A. Ratliff2 years ago in Fiction
The Influencer
The Influencer D. A. Ratliff A Detective Elijah Boone Mystery The Mini-Cooper scooted to a halt in front of the two-story Victorian house in the heart of the Garden District. Vivian McCrea gripped the steering wheel and repeated her daily mantra upon arriving. “You got this. You got this. You got this.”
By D. A. Ratliff3 years ago in Fiction
The Fountain
The Fountain D. A. Ratliff I slipped into the abandoned garden, wary of every sound drifting out of the darkness. I breathed in humid air saturated with the aroma of decayed vegetation and the sickly-sweet scent of jasmine and honeysuckle. Closing the rusted wrought iron gate behind me, I walked down the stone path.
By D. A. Ratliff3 years ago in Fiction
Of Dogs and Brides and Hurricanes
Of Dogs and Brides and Hurricanes D. A. Ratliff As a child, this soggy alcove under the mangroves where the sea crept in at high tide had been my favorite hiding place. My younger brother Lucas and I spent hours playing hide and go-seek, and he never found my private hideout. I hoped he didn’t find me today.
By D. A. Ratliff3 years ago in Fiction
