Authors' Secrets Blog Archives

Apr 27th RV Adventure of a Life Time – Final Installment

After returning to Colorado to enjoy the city’s fireworks displays from a campsite in Cheyenne Mountain State Park. The third installment is about our most fantastic RV Adventure to the southeast and the entire east coast. Nope, we had never ventured to the East Coast. We planned, saved , and finally it was time!

Mid-August of 2024 hubby, I, Mystic, Taco, and Sammy, took off for a three-month RV Adventure, across the south-eastern United States, then covered the north-east all the way up to Bar Harbor, Maine. What fun experience in our 38-foot fifth-wheel pulled by our one-ton Dodge Pickup.

We traveled through Kansas and Missouri. Stopping in Branson, MO. Boy was it hot. Visited Dolly Parton’s Stampede. It’s a dinner club and show venue. Thank goodness it was cooler than the 104 degrees outside.

Spent a couple of days in Sumer, Mississippi visiting friends. What a spread they have, land, pond, and home. Their pond has fish that eat mosquito larva, so no mosquito problem. We sat on their back porch, sipped iced tea and had a nice visit.

Then on to Georgia for a couple of days to visit with Kathy and her bird, Reggie celebrating his 27th hatchday. Taco and Reggie enjoyed corn muffins. Sadly in April 2025, Reggie recently passed away from a stroke

I had two book signings during our RV Adventure. One at Mystic’s Chow Chow Breeders, D & M Farm Kennel, reunion at the Cherokee/Smoky Mountain KOA in North Carolina. It was so much fun, almost fifty people, lots of very well-behaved chows over five days.

Then it was north to Carthage, NC to see friends.

In Mystic Connecticut we had the best Pizza we’d had in our lives at Mystic Pizza. You remember Mystic Pizza from the movie with the same name.

We stopped at Virginia Beach KOA and encountered an interesting situation. When we arrived, the person who checked us in and showed us to our site, said nonchalantly, “Oh by the way, the Hell’s Angels are staying with us for a few days. But don’t worry, they brought their own security.” Not that we are phobic or anything…but that isn’t something you hear when you check in usually. Ten or twelve members return from partying one night at 1:30 a.m., was disconcerting. Other than that, it was uneventful but their presence was felt all over the campground. Our dog even wanted to check out their bikes.

Salem was a blast. Buskers (street entertainers) were on or at every corner or storefront, juggling, singing, magic, playing instruments, and the stores were full of fun. The streets were soooo narrow, so we took the trolly. Saw the Witch’s house and the house used in the movie Hocus Pocus.

Majestic Niagara Falls, there are no words. Such a feat of Mother Nature.

Having never been to Maine, we didn’t know what to expect. Cape Cod had beautiful sunsets with great seafood.

Bar Harbor was more of the same. Our trailer site was right on the shore with several fantastic sunsets! Loved the sound of the waves crashing on the shore has we slept.

The second book signing was in a small town in upstate New York with Carol Henry, another author from my publishing house. I love visiting with readers and other authors! We enjoyed dinner out with Carol and her hubby, Gary. What a blast.

Finally, sadly it was time to head towards home. Had to stop in Ohio to see more friends.

Then we hightailed it home arriving just days before a multi-day snowstorm dropped 20 inches at home in Colorado! Next Sunday we’ll have the regular Sunday Snippet! Please stop by!

Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog, My Say What Blog and tagged Bar Harbor, Book Signing, Cape Cod, Chesapeake Bay Bridge and Tunnel, Delaware, East Coast, Mystic CN, Niagara Falls, RV Adventure, Salem, Sunsets by Tena Stetler with 1 comment.

Apr 20th RV Adventure Iowa, South Dakota, Wyoming Bound

In May 2024 we packed to leave on our second RV adventure to Iowa, South Dakota, Wyoming, and back to Colorado.

We returned to Colorado for a scheduled book signing in early May then hit the road a couple of weeks later ending up in Iowa for four days. There we met with friends that had been neighbors in Colorado, a long-time friend from high school days, and my cousins. Outrun a couple of tornados in Iowa, barely. Did you know there is nowhere to seek safe shelter in a fifth wheel trailer in a campground? Call me a wimp, but while Colorado does have an occasional tornado, we don’t have them on a daily or regular basis. We packed up the fifth wheel and left shortly after sunrise.

Next we landed in South Dakota, stayed in a campground close to Mount Rushmore. Truly a man made feat. Then it was on to visit with friends that lived only a few miles from the rock monument. We relaxed at the campground then took off for the Reptile Gardens a place our friends claimed we just had to see before leaving. They were right! It was a blast. We spent almost five hours there. If you ever get a chance to visit it, by all means do so. It’s a must see. It looks like one of those cheesy off the highway tourist traps. But its not! Funny story. While we were touring the Reptile Gardens, its a building that is two stories tall with a huge antrum. I was dressed in a tie-dyed shirt and jeans. All the creatures that were loose keep eyeing me. A little parrot followed us where ever we went. As we passed the snakes in their enclosures, each one came to the front of the glass and watched me. Now mind you they didn’t behave this way with anyone else. Finally, one of the guides stopped us as we walked up one of the paths and said that the employees that feed the animals all wear tie-dyed shirts, so that was why I was drawing so much attention.

Devil’s Tower, WY

Reptile Gardens, SD

Off to Wyoming to see Devils Tower. Spent a couple of days in Thermopolis, WY. The town in rich in history, rock formations, and interesting street signs. Stopped off on the way home in Riverton,WY, to see friends and Bugg, a bird friend of Taco’s.

Then it was back home to Colorado to prepare for our grand adventure from the deep south and all the way up the east coast. A lot to see and we had such fun. Watch for my third and final installment, Southeast, and all the way up the East Coast. What fun!

In celebration of Spring, This week’s Sunday Snippet is the award-winning Raven’s Hollow Spring Magic. Pssst… It’s on sale for .99 cents for a limited time. Pull up a chair, grab a drink of your choice from the cooler, a Chocolate Chip or Peanut Butter cookie from the plate and enjoy the snippet from Raven’s Hollow Spring Magic. Second book in the Raven’s Hollow Series.

Let’s take a peek at what Raven’s Hollow Spring Magic is about. Only #99cents!

Spring is in full bloom in Raven’s Hollow, a small town in the Colorado Rockies with a population of unique townspeople. Blaze, a dragon shifter, and Wynter, a witch, are neck-deep in wedding preparations, when Wynter’s mother, Jade, goes missing after opening her new antique store, and attending the Simon estate sale where she procured an ancient jelly bean machine. Frantic with worry, Blaze and Wynter track her last movements via the store’s ancient, grainy, security footage. What it reveals is nothing short of shocking. As deputy sheriff, it’s Blaze’s responsibility to find his soon-to-be mother-in-law. But at what cost?

Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog, My Say What Blog by Tena Stetler with 4 comments.

Apr 13th Foot Loose and Fancy Free on an RV Adventure

A different Sunday Snippet. Las Vegas, Santa Fe and Zion National Park our First RV Adventure after retirement.

Whew what a year 2024. First let me explain. In December of 2023, my husband finally retired. Yippee. We had planned RV travel for years that we couldn’t complete in one or two weeks in our 38 foot fifth wheel trailer. Figured we wait until retirement, then we’d be footloose and fancy free!

We began in April, 2024. We spent three weeks traveling to Las Vegas, in and around Santa Fe and Zion National Park.

Santa Fe was our first stop on our RV Adventure – There are several good restaurants in Santa Fe. In fact its one of the reasons we stopped in Santa Fe on our way to Las Vegas. We would have tried out more but the parking is difficult towards downtown, narrow streets and small parking places.

We did spend a lot of time driving around and enjoying the scenery.

Harry’s Roadhouse – Great Mexican food. For breakfast you can’t beat their Lemon Ricotta Pancakes with strawberry’s, the best I’ve ever had! FYI -They are closed on Tuesday.

Kinda in the town square is the artisans area. We walked and drove (the streets are not meant for a one-ton long bed pickup) up and down several streets in the area, we did a lot of window shopping. Pssst.. we did buy a few southwestern things. The church in the center of the area was breathtaking. Loved the architectural of the building. The mother of pearl and stained glass above the door was wonderful. Higher on the building was Turquois inlayed. I have to admit, We loved a lot of the architectural building in the area. The houses also were build or remodeled to fit in to the southwestern style, blending with the city. Next time we’ll spend more time in Santa Fe exploring.

Then it was time to gather up our stuff and point the truck and trailer towards Las Vegas.

In Las Vegas, we stopped to visit with friends for a few days. My how their Desert Tortoises had grown. Their habitat took up half okay, maybe only one-third of our friend’s back yard. WOW!

It was unbelievably hot, in the upper 90’s, according to our standards, but not theirs. We’re cold weather people.

Which is why we are having trouble planning a visit to the Arches. By April it’s in the 90s. Walking around looking at rock formations in over 90 degree weather isn’t high on my list. But traveling from Colorado to Utah in February and March, when the weather is cooler, is a recipe for snowy disaster. LOL Especially, with the wild weather swings Mother Nature is creating. But we will figure it out.

Zion National Park was interesting. The rock formations were more varied in color than in Colorado. But I guess having lived all my life in Colorado, I was a little under whelmed by Zion National Park. But I’m glad we went there and saw the area, which did have a nice KOA Campground. So for now, I’ll leave you with pictures of Zion. Enjoy. Next week our second RV Adventure into the midwest, South Dakota, and Wyoming. Please check back.

n celebration of Spring, This week’s Sunday Snippet is the award-winning Raven’s Hollow Spring Magic. Pssst… It’s on sale for .99 cents for a limited time. Pull up a chair, grab a drink of your choice from the cooler, a Chocolate Chip or Peanut Butter cookie from the plate and enjoy the snippet from Raven’s Hollow Spring Magic. Second book in the Raven’s Hollow Series.

Let’s take a peek at what Raven’s Hollow Spring Magic is about. Only #99cents!

Spring is in full bloom in Raven’s Hollow, a small town in the Colorado Rockies with a population of unique townspeople. Blaze, a dragon shifter, and Wynter, a witch, are neck-deep in wedding preparations, when Wynter’s mother, Jade, goes missing after opening her new antique store, and attending the Simon estate sale where she procured an ancient jelly bean machine. Frantic with worry, Blaze and Wynter track her last movements via the store’s ancient, grainy, security footage. What it reveals is nothing short of shocking. As deputy sheriff, it’s Blaze’s responsibility to find his soon-to-be mother-in-law. But at what cost?

Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog, My Say What Blog by Tena Stetler with 1 comment.

Mar 30th A Demon’s Witch – Sunday Snippet

Good Morning and welcome to Author’s Secrets Sunday Snippet. Pull up a chair, grab a drink of your choice from the cooler, a Chocolate Chip or Peanut Butter cookie from the plate and enjoy the snippet from the best seller A Demon’s Witch. First book in the award-winning A Demon’s Witch Series.

The award winning A Demon’s Witch, was born in a hair salon from an old rock and roll song. What if the hairdresser is really a ruggedly handsome demon overlord. What if a powerful witch breezed into his salon and the attraction was undeniable? What if the salon is multi-species catering to mortals and paranormal creatures alike is located in Washington DC? Adds a new dimension to our concept of DC today, doesn’t it? The setting and storyline are unique. Kick back in enjoy the adventures of Bruce and Angie as an entertaining escape from the not so ordinary world these days. This spicy romance has it all intrigue, humor, thrills, danger and a splash of magic to keep you on the edge of your seat.

First let’s take a peek at what A Demon’s Witch is about.

Keeping a lid on all the paranormal beings inhabiting Washington D.C., is a daunting job. Bruce, a six hundred year old demon and the Territory Overlord of the Western Hemisphere, keeps his finger on the pulse of DC’s power players through the activities at his highly successful Wycked Hair Salon. His movie star good looks and body builder physique keeps his dance card full and the rumor mills running. Within these walls, his anonymity is safe, mostly.

Bruce’s world spins out of control when Angelique, a pint size, gorgeous witch, with an attitude breezes through the doors of his salon. She is the younger sister of Tristian, Bruce’s long time trusted enforcer, whose professional skills are second to none. Tristian is furious at the relationship between Bruce and Angelique, a dangerous situation, but something darker awaits them all. Yet undeniable attraction between demon and witch promises to tear apart both their professional and personal worlds.

Check out the series book trailers.

A snippet from between the pages of A Demon’s Witch:

Angie grinned outrageously as she sashayed down the sidewalk, glad to see the storm had passed. That was one handsome creature, and one she intended to get to know better, much better. She pulled on the curved copper handle and the glass door, with a white unicorn etched in the center, swung open. Sun streamed through the glass, rainbows bounced across the white walls and light oak floor as the door closed. Melodic chimes sounded in the back of the shop. A young woman with short spiked jet-black hair, dyed bright blue at the tips, slid her slender body between the crystal-beads hanging in the doorway, adjusting her narrow shoulders.

Angie laughed down at her business partner, and lifelong best friend.

“They were tucked by the time I came through the beads,” Willow protested narrowing her ice blue eyes and giving Angie a thorough appraisal. “What have you been up to?”

“Enjoying the scenery down the street,” Angie said with a smirk. “I asked the manager of the Wycked Hair to put some of our flyers in their store. He’s checking with the owner, but didn’t see a problem. I’ll go back with some this afternoon.”

“So he caught your eye.” Willow shook her head and waggled her index finger at Angie. “Owen is married and much too old for you. He is handsome with all that silver hair and rugged features. I bet he works out to keep those broad shoulders and narrow hips at his age. And those biceps.” She pretended to fan herself with a receipt book, then burst into giggles.

Angie chortled. “Not him silly girl.” She raised an eyebrow and grinned at Willow. “The owner, Bruce is his name, I believe. Now he’s hot.”

Willow scowled and her eyes widened. “Oh, Angie, that’s not smart. I’ve heard about him. Tall, dark, handsome, and mysterious, just your type, but he’s not human. The faery realm’s heard tell of him, he’s dangerous and vicious. He rules the Western Hemisphere with an iron fist, keeping magic folk honest and in their place. One misstep and you’re history.” She drew an index finger across her throat, flopped her head to one side. “It’s also rumored that he controls those escaping the underworld as well. You know what that means.”

“Willow, he isn’t the devil himself. Although, demon he may be. Hmmm…” She pursed her full lips thoughtfully. “You know…” Her forehead creased in concentration as she said slowly. “I could see if my brother knows him.”

“What? Ask Tristian, a dem…I mean warlock… your brother…” she stammered. “…about a demon you find attractive. Have you lost your mind?” She squeaked and drew in a deep breath, blew it out.

A trailer of A WItch’s Quandary, another book in A Demon’s Witch Series I know you’ll love.

Thanks for joining me for the Sunday Snippet. I hope you enjoyed a little peek into A Demon’s Witch. See you next week for another Sunday Snippet!

Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged A Demon's Witch, A Demon's Witch Series, fantasy, Paranormal Romance/Mystery, Sunday Snippet, Tena Stetler, Witches by Tena Stetler with 2 comments.