Charm Me For Valentine’s Day From Author Tena Stetler!
Happy Valentine’s Day and welcome to Authors’ Secrets Valentine Special with a fun and flirty Candy Hearts Romance, Charm Me. It’s on SALE for 99 cents! Set in the Colorado Rocky 
Mountains is a story close to my heart. I penned this story while taking my dog, Mystic, to agility classes. In her class there was a rescue dog owned by a yoga instructor, and Summer Riley was born.
The other dimension of the story came about as I took a woman’s gun class to get my concealed carry permit. Thus retired Navy SEAL Devlin was thrust into the story. What better way to bring these two opposites together than Summer feeling the need to protect herself by signing up for a weapons class.
Though Summer is a talented Elemental witch, she feels it necessary to defend herself in the mortal way in the mortal world. But wait, Devlin is not exactly as he appears.
Then as things heat up, a cross-country ski trip at his cabin in Dividie, Colorado brings in Valentine’s Day magic to the story. Pick up your copy today for only 99¢ until February 16th, 2018.
Psssst…. I’ll let you in on a little secret. There is a sequel in the works, so make sure you check back often.
Click on cover to read more or buy!
A little more about Charm Me.
Summer Dawn Riley’s an extraordinary elemental witch whose troubled past haunts her. She’s created a calm life for herself teaching yoga and keeping people at a distance. Her life takes a one eighty degree turn when she enrolls in a women’s weapons class and meets ruggedly handsome Devlin Sawyer.
Devlin, a former Navy Seal, has sworn off women after two long-term failed relationships, but there is no denying his attraction to Summer. She intrigues him like no other woman ever has. Despite her attempts to ignore him, Summer is drawn to Devlin. His magic signature is strong, but he’s no warlock. Will Valentine’s Day magic find them a future together?
A peek between the page of Charm Me.
Getting to her feet, she brushed the dust from her black yoga pants, tugged at the bottom of her bright orange tunic, and flipped the light switch on. A soft glow of florescent lighting flooded the large room, soothing Summer’s nerves. Guess she would never be the same carefree individual she was before the incident. Oh, shake it off. You’re safe and it’s time to get on with life. “Come on Pip, let’s get this place open.”
A massive stone fireplace towered in the corner. She picked up an arm full of wood and flung it in the general direction. Logs landed in the fire pit and neatly arranged themselves in a tepee shape. With a magic flick of her finger toward the hearth, flames raced up the aspen logs. “That’s better.”
She raised her arms, about to send the yoga mats back to their proper place when the heavy wooden front door creaked open. Piper rushed toward the door, teeth bared and a growl rumbled in her throat. Summer whirled around and yelped as Devlin ambled into the room, black hair tousled and glistening with melting snowflakes. His nonchalance at the dog’s approach surprised her as he slowed to a stop. Piper sniffed around him, backed up a few inches, then stood at alert in front of Devlin.
“You scared the bejeebers out of me.” Summer held her hand to her chest as her heart thundered.
“What are you doing here?”
“Call your guard dog off and I’ll tell you.” The corners of Devlin’s mouth curved up into a smile, a faint light twinkled in the depths of his dark eyes.
“Piper, leave it…come.” The dog gave Devlin a last sideways glance, trotted back to Summer and sat at her side.
Buy Links:
Amazon , Amazon UK , Amazon Australia, Amazon Canada, The Wild Rose Press , Kobo, Barnes& Noble, ibook/itunes, and Audible.
About the author:
Best-selling and award-winning author, Tena Stetler pens paranormal romance and cozy mysteries. She has an over-active imagination, which led to writing her first vampire romance as a tween to the chagrin of her mother and delight of her friends. After many years as a paralegal, then an IT Manager, she decided to live out her dream of pursuing a publishing career.
With the Rocky Mountains outside her window, she sits at her computer surrounded by a wide array of witches, shapeshifters, demons, faeries, and gryphons, with a Navy SEAL or two mixed in telling her their tales. Her books tell stories of magical kick-ass women and mystical alpha males that dare to love them. Well, okay there are a few companion animals to round out the tales.
Colorado is home; shared with her husband of many moons, a brilliant Chow Chow, a spoiled parrot and a forty-five-year-old box turtle. When she’s not writing, you can find her kayaking, camping, hiking, biking or just relaxing in the great Colorado outdoors. During the winter sometimes she’s curled up in front of a crackling fire with a good book, a mug of hot chocolate and a big bowl of popcorn.
She loves to chat with readers and other authors, please visit her at :
Website: https://www.tenastetler.com
Authors’ Secret’s Blog – https://www.tenastetler.com/category/authors-secrets-blog/
My Say What Blog – https://www.tenastetler.com/category/my-say-what-blog/
Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/tenastetler.author
Twitter Page: www.twitter.com/TenaStetler
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14187532.Tena_Stetler
The Wild Rose Press: http://catalog.thewildrosepress.com/1264_tena-stetler
Amazon: www.amazon.com/author/tenastetler
Newsletter: https://www.tenastetler.com/newsletter-signup/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/tenastetler
Tribber – http://triberr.com/TenaStetler
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/tena-stetler
Hope your Valentine’s Day is supercalifragilisticexpialidocious! Need a last minute gift, Charm Me is a great quick read and comes in audible. What more can you ask for?
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Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged Candy Hearts Romance, Charm Me, Fun and Flirty, Paranormal Romance, Valentines Day by Tena Stetler with comments disabled.
Interview Sharon Ashwood – Enchanter Redeemed!
Give a warm welcome to Sharon Ashwood, author of Enchanter Redeemed
Pull up a chair, grab a drink of your choice from the cooler, a Chocolate Chip or Peanut Butter cookie from the plate, and let’s find out a little about Sharon Ashwood and Enchanter Redeemed!
What defines you as an author? As a person? Are they one in the same?
I don’t think it’s possible to separate the two. I believe authors look at the world with a great deal of curiosity and empathy. To them, every person and place is a story with deep history and interconnections with all these other stories going on. All things become possible by simply asking, “What if?” It’s actually kind of comical being in a car with a bunch of authors—an innocent bystander becomes the kernel of a murder mystery in the time it takes to turn the corner.
What inspired this particular story?
Enchanter Redeemed is the enchanter Merlin’s story. He is King Arthur’s magician in Camelot, and I don’t see him as an old wizard, but as a strong, passionate warrior. I was inspired to write this particular tale because I was intrigued by the traditional story of Merlin falling in love with the enchantress, Vivian. I kept wondering who Vivian was to capture his heart and went from there. In the original he gets trapped in a tree for a zillion years, but my version takes a unique turn. I wanted to write a story about compassion and forgiveness, but also with some humor. Laughter is part of the healing process, after all.
What secret do you use to blast through writer’s block?
Writer’s block usually happens if I’m tired or I don’t know where I’m going with a story. So, if I’m stuck I’ll try to get a good night’s sleep, get out of the house, get some fresh air, and then sit down and start asking hard questions about the plot. Nine times out of ten that does the trick. In an emergency, I binge watch TV. Sometimes taking in a lot of random stories shakes something loose (or at least that’s my excuse).
What do you want your readers to take away from your books?
First, I want readers to find a few hours of escape in my stories. We all need that! Second, I write characters who find love, of course—but also courage, self-acceptance, and a way to live with each other’s differences. I like to think I’m spreading a tiny bit of harmony into the world by their example.
You’ve got a time machine, a cloak of invisibility, and one hour. Where would you go, and what eavesdropping would you do?I’d love to be present on the night Lord Byron, Mary and Percy Shelley, Dr. Polidori, and their friends sat around telling ghost stories. Frankenstein came out of that session, as well as Polidori’s The Vampyre. That must have been some evening!
A Peek Between the Pages of Enchanter Redeemed Camelot Reborn, Book Four
Clary jolted awake. Power surged through her body, painful and suffocating. Her spine arched into it—or maybe away from it, she wasn’t sure. Merlin had one hand on her side and the other on her chest, using his magic like a defibrillator. The sensation hammered her from the inside while every hair on her body stood straight up. When he released her, she sagged in relief. A drifting sensation took over, as if she were a feather in an updraft.
Merlin’s fingers went to her neck, checking for a pulse. His hands were hot from working spells, the touch firm yet gentle. In her weakened state, Clary shivered slightly, wanting to bare her throat in surrender. She was a sucker for dark, broody masculinity and he projected it like a beacon. All the same, Clary sucked in a breath before he got any big ideas about mouth-to-mouth. If Merlin was going to kiss her, she wanted wine and soft music, not blood and the dirty workshop floor.
Another bolt of power, more pain, another pulse check. Clary managed a moan, and she heard the sharp intake of Merlin’s breath. His hand withdrew from her pulse point as she forced her eyes open. He was staring down at her with his peculiar amber eyes, dark brows furrowed in concern. She was used to him prickly, arrogant or sarcastic, but not this. She’d never seen that oddly vulnerable expression before—but it quickly fled as their gazes met.
“You’re alive.” He said it like a fact, any softness gone.
“Yup.” Clary pushed herself up on her elbows. She hurt all over. “What was that?”
“A demon.”
“I got that much.” Clary held up her arm, peering through the rents in her jacket where the demon’s claws had slashed. Merlin’s zap of power had stopped the bleeding, but the deep scratches were red, puffy and hurt like blazes.
“Demon claws are toxic.”
“Got that, too.”
“I can put a salve on the wound, but you’d be smart to have Tamsin look at it,” Merlin said. “Your sister is a better healer than I am.”
“She’s better than anybody.” Clary said it with the automatic loyalty of a little sister, but it was true. “She’s got a better bedside manner, too.”
Merlin raised a brow, his natural arrogance back in place. “Just be glad you’re alive.”
She studied Merlin, acutely aware of how much magic he’d used to shut the demon down. He looked like a man in his early thirties, but there was no telling how old he actually was. He was lean-faced with permanent stubble and dark hair that curled at his collar. At first glance, he looked like a radical arts professor or dot-com squillionaire contemplating his next disruptive innovation. It took a second look to notice the muscular physique hidden by the comfortable clothes. Merlin had a way of sliding under most radars, but Clary never underestimated the power he could pluck out of thin air. She was witch born, a member of the Shadowring Coven, but he was light years beyond their strongest warlocks.
That strength was like catnip to her—although she’d never, ever admit that out loud. “What were you doing?” she demanded, struggling the rest of the way to a sitting position.
“I was watching the demons through a scrying portal when you interrupted me.” His tone was precise and growing colder with every syllable. Now that the crisis was over, he was getting angry.
“The she-demon tried to kill me.” Clary’s insides hollowed as the words sank home. Dear goddess, she did kill me! And Merlin had brought her back before a second had passed—but it had happened. Her witch’s senses had felt it happen. The realization left her light-headed.
“She doesn’t get to have you,” he said in a low voice.
Their gazes locked, and something twisted in Clary’s chest. She’d been hurt on Merlin’s watch, and he was furious. No, what she saw in his eyes was more than icy anger. It was a heated, primal possessiveness that came from a far different Merlin than she knew. Clary’s breath stopped. Surely she was misreading the situation. Death and zapping had scrambled her thoughts.
“I shouldn’t have walked in on you.”
“No, you shouldn’t have,” he said in a voice filled with the same mix of ice and fire. “You’d be a better student of magic if you paid attention. You asked me to teach you proper magic and not the baby food the covens use. Real magic is deadly.”
Abruptly, he stood and crossed the room to kick a shard of agate against the wall. It bounced with a savage clatter. Clary got to her feet, her knees wobbling. He spun and stormed back to her in one motion, moving so fast she barely knew what was happening.
He took her by the shoulders, the grip rough. “Don’t ever do that again!”
And then his mouth crushed hers in a hard, angry kiss. Clary gasped in surprise, but there was no air, only him, and only his need. She rose slowly onto her toes, the gesture both surrender and a desire to hold her own. She’d been kissed many times before, but never consumed this way. His lips were greedy and hot with that same confusing array of emotions she’d seen a moment ago. Anger. Fear. Possession. Protectiveness.
Volatile. That was the word she’d so often used in her own head when thinking about him. Volatile, though he kept himself on a very short chain. Right now that chain had slipped.
For the first two chapters, click here: http://www.rowanartistry.com/book/enchanter-redeemed/
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Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged Camelot, Enchanter redeemed Camelot Reborn, Merlin, Paranormal Romance, Sharon Ashwood by Tena Stetler with 2 comments.
Collaborating Writers, Anyone? Deception in Destin
Give a warm welcome to Sandra Tilley & Suzanne Purvis, authors of Deception in Destin, a romantic suspense.
Pull up a chair, grab a drink of your choice from the cooler, a Chocolate Chip or Peanut Butter cookie from the plate, and let’s find out a little about collaborating writers, Sandra and Suzanne, authors of Deception in Destin!
COLLABORATING WRITERS, ANYONE?
Have you considered collaborating on a book? Ever wondered if there was a key ingredient to working with a partner or multiple partners?
Aretha Franklin knows the secret to successful collaboration: R-E-S-P-E-C-T.
Now that I have that song playing in your head, I can explain how RESPECT is vital to all relationships–but extra especially when it comes to writing. We writers can be a sensitive lot. The letters we arrange into words and sentences and paragraphs and chapters become part of us, an entity that grows and matures with each inspiration–like our offspring. And criticism-even constructive criticism- can sometimes expose those nerve-endings of self-doubt.
However, constructive criticism is a crucial part of the collaboration process. That’s where mutual respect comes in. A sincere partner’s motivation bears no malice or subtext. A sincere partner is all in. A sincere partner’s core motivation is to strengthen your alliance and your manuscript.
Maybe you wonder if finding a collaborating partner is worth the effort. Think critique partner with super powers. Like the Mind Meld where bouncing ideas blasts creativity from hidden crevices in your brain and stimulates concepts to fresh and lofty heights. Or senses your struggle and gives you a gentle push to reach your goal.
Our idea to collaborate came after the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The media capitalized on the disaster in story after story. At one of our meetings, an idea hit Suzanne and me. Since we live on the Gulf of Mexico, why not write a book about corruption of BP funds in the tourist town of Destin, Florida? We packed our swimsuits and plenty of wine and went on a week-end writing retreat to Destin. We each chose a POV and plotted and brainstormed until we knew where our story was going. We’d set a timer and pound those computer keys relentlessly until the timer sounded or we’d done a chapter. Then we’d take a break to read our pages and make notes. (And maybe have a small, really tiny glass of wine.). Over a period of two LONG days of writing (and who knows how many bottles of wine), we finished our rough draft.
Then the hard work began. REVISING. REVISING. REVISING.
For months we made the ether net dizzy passing our pages back and forth. We tweaked and edited and revised our manuscript until we loved it.
Although we took our story from the headlines, we added our own brand of romance and intrigue; and our novella was born. After a few years, the small publishing house who published our book was sold; and we requested the control of our rights. We re-revised our book, tweaked the name, designed a new cover, and self-published Deception in Destin. Our baby was re-born–and better than ever.
One important thing I learned is that collaborating makes you want to be a better writer. And I thank Suzanne Purvis for making me a better writer.
Suzanne Purvis is a Canadian transplant. She traded her snow boots for flip flops and can say y’all with the best of us. About seven years ago we met in Pensacola via a bunch of writers we called the Crazy Women’s Writers Group. Living two hours apart, emails were our form of communication. We supported each other’s efforts and began critiquing each other’s pieces and became best friends.
Now that Suzanne has added free-lance editing and teaching at Lawson’s Writers’ Academy to her award-winning writing career, we can only squeeze in meetings about once a month. However, we still manage to email and/or text every day. A day without an email from Suzanne in my inbox, is a day when the earth is askew. And although the key ingredient to collaborating is respect, being BFF’s doesn’t hurt either.
Click on cover to read more or buy!
Tell us a little about DECEPTION i
IN DESTIN.
Forensic accountant Drew Arnoud could be on vacation. Instead, he’s investigating misappropriation of BP’s oil spill settlement funds in the beachside town of Destin, Florida. Having his kayak tipped by head hunting specialist Bree Finley could be a coincidence, or could she be involved? Either way he’s keeping her close, maybe too close. In his search to reveal the truth, he finds his life and his heart in jeopardy.
Bree Finley has been betrayed before by her ex-husband, but is it possible he’s involved her and their company in fraud? Who can she trust? She must decide, but the wrong decision may prove deadly.
You can visit Sandra at SandraTilley.com and Suzanne at SuzannePurvis.com
You can find Deception in Destin on Amazon.
It was wonderful having you with us today. Please feel free to stop by anytime. Good Luck with Deception in Destin!
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Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged Deception In Destin, romantic suspense, Sandra TIlley, Suzanne Purvis by Tena Stetler with 23 comments.
Interview Brantwijn Serra, Author of Into Nostra
Give a warm welcome to Brantwijn Serrah , author of Into Nostra. Recently released on January 18, 2018!
Author, tell us a little about writing this story. Was it fun or difficult? Do your characters always act as you expect? Are you a plotter, or fly (write) by the seat of your pants?
The stories of The Pact and Into Nostra started—as most of my stories do—with music. I was walking my sweet dog Tasha (who, sadly, has since gone over the rainbow bridge), and listening to my iPod on random, when I first met Serenity Walker. She was a teenage girl, living and working in a mountain tavern, and on that night she was studying the homework her mentor Jack had assigned her. Her song was Moonlight Shadow, by Mike Oldfield. “Caught in a riddle that Saturday night / far away on the other side / he was caught in the middle of a desperate fight / and she couldn’t find how to push through…”
The music told me her story: a budding student who watched helplessly as her best friend and teacher was murdered in a midnight shootout. She couldn’t save him. And that’s how Serenity Walker started walking with me.
This series takes inspiration from many other places as well, naturally. Serenity’s ill-fated mentor Jack Chamberlain is something of a blending of two of my own literary heroes, gunslingers Jake Chalmers and Eddie Dean, from Stephen King’s Dark Tower. The myth and magic Serenity studies derive from Norse rune study, a little bit of tarot, and even some good old Dungeons and Dragons-style role-playing. Even the world in which the story takes place—a fantasy realm somewhere in a semi-steampunk cowboy west—falls into a geography I drew up using a campus map from my college years as a basis for lines, distance, and relation (the most important thing to note, however, is that the world of Geiral is not drawn to scale).
But the most fun thing about this series, for me, is that the characters almost all represent some of the most meaningful people in my life. It’s interesting to note that of all my characters, Serenity Walker feels the least like a version of me. But her grizzled trail partner Jonah is most definitely a reflection of my husband. Her band of rescuers in the desert are analogues of my close college friends. The bandit Bowen, introduced in Book Two, is my fun-loving, smart-ass brother. Not everyone in the world of The Pact is a direct shout-out to a real-world person of importance to me, but those who are have become a way for me to share the wonderful people who color my little corner of the world, in what I hope is an epic story of adventure worthy of their spirits.
As for the difficulty of writing it, it surprises me to admit The Pact and Into Nostra both flowed very easily for me, once pen was put to page. The early books in this series have, in their initial stages, come to me with a comfortable, natural feeling of progression. Each was written as a project for National Novel Writing Month, which I expected to be much more difficult than other works I’ve undertaken. I expected the pressure of a deadline and a word quota to kill the fun of writing for me, to suck the life out of the storytelling. Serenity and her people never let that happen, though. Sometimes the plot would be planned in advance, usually with the help of more music to set a mental stage for me, where scenes would unfold and take shape. Sometimes the characters would take hold of the reins and charge straight ahead for the gorge—only to find a smooth trail across at the last minute. No, the only hard part, plot-wise, has been figuring out how to finish it all. Eventually Serenity’s journey must come to it’s conclusion. She just… hasn’t gotten around to telling me how that will pan out.
without warning and made straight for Serenity in quick, purposeful strides.
The wide, swooping brim of a black cowboy hat hid her eyes; long silver hair
streamed out behind her like a pale, gossamer banner. The lithe curves of a
predator couldn’t be hidden underneath her black corset and boiled leather
leggings—sleek animal fur lined the tops of her boots, tribal moccasins dyed
with deep ink and painted with runic markings along the seams.
to identify the symbols as the marks of a killer, but she had no time to move.
All along this fighter’s arms danced a swirling dark energy, a kind of magic
Serenity had never seen before: the shadowy swarm of a hundred darkling faces,
crackling and howling like flames. Her mind flashed in panic back to the fehu
tapestry in Eclipse, guarding the weaver’s blackest arts, and just as the woman
raised both fists over her head to bring them crashing down on Serenity, D’aej
seized control and ducked the body out of the way.
her like a cow on the train tracks, he shouted across their bond, his anger
echoing off the walls of her skull. Get moving!
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Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged Brantwijn Serrah, Into Nostra, Supernatural Adventure, The Pact Book 2 by Tena Stetler with comments disabled.
