A Witch's Quandary Archives

Oct 5th A Witch’s Quandary – Sunday Snippet

Welcome to my Sunday Snippet. This week we take a look at A WITCH’S QUANDARY, the sixth book in A Demon’s Witch Series. – A Broken Engagement leads to the discovery of stolen magic and malice with a little blackmail mixed in. Can they weather the storm and find a future together? But you don’t have to read them all first as each book is a standalone. Of course you will enjoy them all!

A little about the inspiration for the book: I spent 18 years as paralegal for law firms. A paralegal is basically a playwright for the attorney. Most depend on the paralegal to do research, write up the pleadings and motions synopsize the case. Subsequently, when something goes wrong, guess who’s to blame? Not the person who has been working on his golf game, or schmoozing with higher ups to better his position in the law firm or political aspiration’s rather than over seeing the trial prep. You got it. This is not always the case, but…. So from that perspective I wrote a solicitor from Scotland that didn’t want to play the game, forced to make a choice that would negatively effect is personal life, but had magic on his side to boot.

Pull up a chair, grab a drink of your choice from the cauldron, a Chocolate Chip or Peanut Butter cookie from the plate, and let’s find out a little about A Witch’s Quandary.

Let’s check out what A WITCH’S QUANDARY is all about:

Gale’s engagement is off because she refuses to leave her thriving business in Ireland to follow Dillon to Scotland. Her family and friends are on the emerald isle. Yet, when Dillon returns with the whole story and asks for her help, she must follow her heart.

Becoming a Solicitor, then partner in the family law firm was never Dillon’s dream. Now it’s his nightmare. Called to Scotland, his father demands he take his rightful place in the firm or be disowned and disinherited. Something is terribly amiss in the firm and family.

During Gale and Dillon’s investigation, they discover the enforcer for the Demon Overlord is also delving into rumors the firm is acting illegally. Magic has been stolen, someone is being blackmailed, and a member of the Witch’s council is corrupt. If Gale and Dillon want a life together in Ireland, they have to unearth secrets threatening to destroy the firm and family in Scotland.

How about a peek between the pages of A WITCH’S QUANDARY:

“This is an outrage. It’s my firm.” Bram bellowed slamming his fist down on the table. Sparks flew in all directions creating a red-hot spider web of power crackling across the tabletop. Everyone at the table scrambled back or stood. Dillon caught the malevolent spark in his father’s eye a split-second after Gale. She had already brought her hands together, the room sizzled as she conjured a ball of fire and with a few words sent the witch fire and spell at him.

“What have you done?” Bram screeched as the fire and spell hit him center mass. “Witchfire too? Bitch.” He slid to the floor.

Iris ran to his side, tears spilling her cheeks, she wiped his sweat-soaked brow with a napkin. “You just couldn’t stop, could you? What did you do? Make a deal with the devil? We should have put a stop to it. To you. But…” She helped him into a chair. “I’m afraid you’ve messed with the wrong witch, this time. Brought this on yourself. You did. But I won’t let you take this family—the firm—down with you.” Giving his shoulders a little shake, she gazed into his shocked eyes. “What have you done?”

Bram slowly shook his head and murmured, “It’s my firm.” He raised his gaze and glared at Gale pointing a bony finger at her. “You’ll pay for this.” Then turned his attention to Dillon. “I told you nothing good would come from aligning yourself with this witch. Her blood is not pure. Diluted by the Fae power of her…” He broke off.

Dillon stood at Gale’s back his hands steady and supportive on her shoulders as she said nothing for several beats. Eventually, she turned her emerald green eyes to him and held his gaze. “I couldn’t let him divide the family with that dark magic. I tempered my deadly witch fire with the spell.” She tore her gaze from Dillon’s, touching her fingertips to the scorched marks radiating across the table stopping an inch from the edge all around. “If he’d succeeded, there’d been no turning back. If the tendrils of that spell had left the table and reached one of you…” She shook her head.

Appearing to gather his wits about him faster than the rest of his family, Sturgen surveyed the scene, wiped his brow with a monogrammed handkerchief, and sucked in a breath. “The firm is no longer yours.” He squeezed Olivia to him, starting for the door. “We’ve had enough for one night. Let’s adjourn until a full audit of the cases and firm can be conducted.”

****

Gale leaned against Dillon, his strength and calm flowed into her. “I felt your father’s intentions. The intentions he was able to disguise from his family. He planned to destroy all of you.”

“I know. I felt him…hmm…something evil. Only my reaction was a second too late. I’m glad yours wasn’t. How long will he be spellbound? That is what you did. Right?”

“Aye. Among other things. Indefinitely… I hope. He’s got a lot of power that isn’t his. I’ve no way to bind what I don’t know.”

Thank you for stopping by to check out my Sunday Snippet A Witch’s Quandary. Please join us next week when I’ll have another Sunday snippet for you.

Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged A Witch's Quandary, Ireland, Paranormal Romance/Mystery, Scotland, Tena Stetler, Witches by Tena Stetler with comments disabled.

Sep 29th Celebrating Eleven Years Traditionally Published

WOW!! I’m so excited! I’m celebrating my anniversary of being published with The Wild Rose Press! Nineteen books and eleven years it’s official! Squeal! I signed the contract in 2014 for my debut novel, A DEMON’S WITCH which published on September 25, 2015! The book still sells well. In fact, at a recent FB Party, I offered the winner a choice of any one of my ebooks. She chose A Demon’s Witch.

It seems forever ago, and yesterday. Ever felt like that?

I was at home working on another manuscript and an email popped up. I normally don’t pay attention to emails while working, but something told me I should check on it. It was from Lill, an editor for The Wild Rose Press indicating they wanted to publish A Demon’s Witch. I was the only one home. My husband was away on a business trip and had his phone off. Celebrating, I ran around the house happy dancing and screaming that I was going to be published. Too excited to settle down or even sit, finally, I landed enough to answer her email. A contract was drawn up, signed and I was soon to be a published author. A life long dream. Yes, I did finally get ahold of my husband and my best friend. We celebrated by phone.

Earlier that year, I’d been downsized from a job of 14 years. Devastated was one word for it. I picked myself up, dusted myself off, and took some time off to figure out my next steps. I pulled out a manuscript I’d been letting rest and polished it. A friend of mine told me to submit it. After a lot of thinking and procrastinating (that’s a scary step), I did just that. Keep in mind, I’d written stories since I was able to hold a pencil.

Well, A Demon’s Witch grew into a six book series (all can be read alone). Lets take a look at my debut novel, A Demon’s Witch.

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.

A peek between the pages of A Demon’s Witch:

Darkness enveloped the entire block as he pulled into the parking lot behind her store. He flipped the high beams on once then shut the headlights off, hoping she could see in the dark as well as he could. A little twinge of discomfort curled in his chest, a reminder of the cost of using magic for personal benefit.

Precisely at the moment Angie stepped out of the doorway, turned, and locked the door, he pulled the car beside her and reached across the seats to push open her car door, making sure the interior lights were off. She slid deftly into the seat and quickly closed the door.

“Another transformer must have blown,” she remarked absently fastening her seat belt.

He made a noncommittal sound and they disappeared into the moonlit night.

****

A feeling of dark foreboding, like storm clouds forming on the horizon before a violent storm, washed over Bruce as he maneuvered the SUV into the parking lot behind The Krystal Unicorn.

Tristian was already there and it wasn’t to give his report. Bruce could feel the fury in Tristian’s magic signature hanging in the air. A silver tipped arrow penetrated the windshield, split the arm securing the rearview mirror, and stuck in the headrest a quarter inch from Bruce’s neck. Blue liquid oozed from the tip and a stream of red mist escaped from the other end of the arrow.

A Demon’s Witch Series:

A Demon’s Witch, A Warlock’s Secrets, A Vampire’s Alliance, An Angel’s Unlikely Alliance, A Magic Redemption, and A Witch’s Quandary!

Thanks for joining me on my journey down memory lane. Living the dream still eleven years later.

Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged A Demon's Witch, A Demon's Witch Series, A Magic Redemption, A Vampire's Unlikely Alliance, A Warlock's Secrets, A Witch's Quandary, An Angel's Unintentional Entanglement, Paranormal Romance/Mystery, Tena Stetler, Witches by Tena Stetler with 6 comments.

Mar 16th Saint Patrick’s Day plus a Little Luck of the Irish!

Sunday Snippet celebrates Saint Patrick’s Day! Every year on March 17, the Irish & the Irish-at-heart worldwide celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day. The holiday started out as a religious feast day for the patron saint of Ireland but has become an international festival celebrating Irish culture. From parades and yummy Irish foods to dancing, and green everywhere you look, its a party.

My hometown usually welcomes Spring with its annual St Patrick’s Day Parade. The celebration started 33 years ago, and this year the Irish downtown celebration is bigger and better than ever! I’ll be wearing my green! How about you?

I’ve got ten Saint Patrick’s Day fun facts to make you smile!

#1 Did you know that we celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day on the day of the saint’s death, March 17th. He spent most his life converting pagans of Ireland to Christianity. His entrance to heaven was March 17, 461AD.

#2. How about this, Saint. Patrick wasn’t even Irish, nor was he born in Ireland. His parents were Roman citizens living in either England, Scotland or Wales, the scholars can’t agree which country, there’s something unusual, NOT.

#3. Here’s a shocker, Saint Patrick was a slave. He had the misfortune of being kidnapped at sixteen years old by Irish raiders. They sold him as a slave. For several years he herded sheep and learned about the Irish people. By age twenty-two, he’d escaped and made his way to a monastery in England.

#4. Ever wonder why the shamrock became part of St. Patrick’s Day celebrations? Because, Saint Patrick used the shamrock to preach about trinity. Now whether it was supposed to represent faith, hope and love or the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, remains a mystery. However, St Patrick must have been quite the inspirational speaker because Ireland’s pagan rulers at the time quickly converted to Christianity.

#5. Supposedly, St. Patrick drove all the snakes from Ireland. But I have to ask, if it was the reptiles “snakes” referred to or… a more figurative reference meaning pagan practices and their religious beliefs. I find it interesting to note that there isn’t any evidence that snakes, the reptile, ever existed in Ireland. Seems the weather is too cool for snakes to survive. This is all conjecture on my part, having never been to Ireland, but it’s on my bucket list!

#6. Everyone knows the color associated with St. Patrick’s Day is Green. Right? Not so fast. Originally the color blue represented St. Patrick. He was depicted in artwork wearing blue vestments. Also King Henry VII used the Irish harp in gold on a blue flag to represent the country. However, now days green is associated with Ireland, maybe due to the plentiful rainfall, creating the green countryside. Today, many refer to Ireland as the “Emerald Isle”.

#7. Nope, the Shamrock is not the symbol of Ireland. Surprised you didn’t I? Actually, since the medieval period, the harp has represented the nation. King Henry VII as early as 1534 used the harp on coins. Later the harp appeared on Irish flags, and Irish coats of arms. During Ireland’s struggle for freedom, the Irish people used harps on flags during rebellions against England. In 1921, Ireland became an independent country and adopted the harp as the national symbol.

#8. Did you know there are more Irish in the United States than in Ireland? ‘Tis true. No blarney. They may not all be pure-blood Irish, but of Irish ancestry just the same. Mixed ancestry could be due to the troubled history of Ireland and millions of Irish left the country for the US during the potato famine in Ireland. This exodus continued through most of the 19th century until the economic boom of the 1990’s, when more Irish stayed in their native country rather than searching for better opportunities abroad.

#9. What is your drink of choice on St. Patrick’s Day? A Shamrock milkshake? Green Beer? Bet you didn’t know that from 1903 to 1970, Irish law declared St. Patrick’s Day a religious holiday. That meant that all the pubs were shuttered for the day. In 1970 the law was overturned and St. Patrick’s became a national holiday, allowing the beer to flow once again.

#10. Bet you don’t know what the odds of finding a four-leaf clover are. I do, approximately 1 in 10,000. That’s way better than the lottery, may the luck of the four-leaf clover flow your way on this Saint Patrick’s Day!

How about a little luck of the Irish adventure? A Witch’s Quandary

Gale’s engagement is off because she refuses to leave her thriving business in Ireland to follow Dillon to Scotland. Her family and friends are on the emerald isle. Yet, when Dillon returns with the whole story and asks for her help, she must follow her heart.

Becoming a Solicitor, then partner in the family law firm was never Dillon’s dream. Now it’s his nightmare. Called to Scotland, his father demands he take his rightful place in the firm or be disowned and disinherited. Something is terribly amiss in the firm and family.

Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged A Demon's Witch Series, A Witch's Quandary, Ireland, Paranormal Romance/Mystery, Scotland, Tena Stetler, Witches by Tena Stetler with comments disabled.

Oct 13th A Witch’s Quandary – Sunday Snippet

Welcome to my Sunday Snippet. This week we take a look at A WITCH’S QUANDARY, the sixth book in A Demon’s Witch Series. – A Broken Engagement leads to the discovery of stolen magic and malice with a little blackmail mixed in. Can they weather the storm and find a future together?

A little about the inspiration for the book: I spent 18 years as paralegal for law firms. A paralegal is basically a playwright for the attorney. Most depend on the paralegal to do research, write up the pleadings and motions synopsize the case. Subsequently, when something goes wrong, guess who’s to blame? Not the person who has been working on his golf game, or schmoozing with higher ups to better his position in the law firm or political aspiration’s rather than over seeing the trial prep. You got it. This is not always the case, but…. So from that perspective I wrote a solicitor from Scotland that didn’t want to play the game, forced to make a choice that would negatively effect is personal life, but had magic on his side to boot.

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

Let’s check out what A WITCH’S QUANDARY is all about:

Gale’s engagement is off because she refuses to leave her thriving business in Ireland to follow Dillon to Scotland. Her family and friends are on the emerald isle. Yet, when Dillon returns with the whole story and asks for her help, she must follow her heart.

Becoming a Solicitor, then partner in the family law firm was never Dillon’s dream. Now it’s his nightmare. Called to Scotland, his father demands he take his rightful place in the firm or be disowned and disinherited. Something is terribly amiss in the firm and family.

During Gale and Dillon’s investigation, they discover the enforcer for the Demon Overlord is also delving into rumors the firm is acting illegally. Magic has been stolen, someone is being blackmailed, and a member of the Witch’s council is corrupt. If Gale and Dillon want a life together in Ireland, they have to unearth secrets threatening to destroy the firm and family in Scotland.

How about a peek between the pages of A WITCH’S QUANDARY:

“This is an outrage. It’s my firm.” Bram bellowed slamming his fist down on the table. Sparks flew in all directions creating a red-hot spider web of power crackling across the tabletop. Everyone at the table scrambled back or stood. Dillon caught the malevolent spark in his father’s eye a split-second after Gale. She had already brought her hands together, the room sizzled as she conjured a ball of fire and with a few words sent the witch fire and spell at him.

“What have you done?” Bram screeched as the fire and spell hit him center mass. “Witchfire too? Bitch.” He slid to the floor.

Iris ran to his side, tears spilling her cheeks, she wiped his sweat-soaked brow with a napkin. “You just couldn’t stop, could you? What did you do? Make a deal with the devil? We should have put a stop to it. To you. But…” She helped him into a chair. “I’m afraid you’ve messed with the wrong witch, this time. Brought this on yourself. You did. But I won’t let you take this family—the firm—down with you.” Giving his shoulders a little shake, she gazed into his shocked eyes. “What have you done?”

Bram slowly shook his head and murmured, “It’s my firm.” He raised his gaze and glared at Gale pointing a bony finger at her. “You’ll pay for this.” Then turned his attention to Dillon. “I told you nothing good would come from aligning yourself with this witch. Her blood is not pure. Diluted by the Fae power of her…” He broke off.

Dillon stood at Gale’s back his hands steady and supportive on her shoulders as she said nothing for several beats. Eventually, she turned her emerald green eyes to him and held his gaze. “I couldn’t let him divide the family with that dark magic. I tempered my deadly witch fire with the spell.” She tore her gaze from Dillon’s, touching her fingertips to the scorched marks radiating across the table stopping an inch from the edge all around. “If he’d succeeded, there’d been no turning back. If the tendrils of that spell had left the table and reached one of you…” She shook her head.

Appearing to gather his wits about him faster than the rest of his family, Sturgen surveyed the scene, wiped his brow with a monogrammed handkerchief, and sucked in a breath. “The firm is no longer yours.” He squeezed Olivia to him, starting for the door. “We’ve had enough for one night. Let’s adjourn until a full audit of the cases and firm can be conducted.”

****

Gale leaned against Dillon, his strength and calm flowed into her. “I felt your father’s intentions. The intentions he was able to disguise from his family. He planned to destroy all of you.”

“I know. I felt him…hmm…something evil. Only my reaction was a second too late. I’m glad yours wasn’t. How long will he be spellbound? That is what you did. Right?”

“Aye. Among other things. Indefinitely… I hope. He’s got a lot of power that isn’t his. I’ve no way to bind what I don’t know.”

Thank you for stopping by to check out my Sunday Snippet A Witch’s Quandary. Please join us next week when I’ll have another Sunday snippet for you.

Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged A Demon's Witch Series, A Witch's Quandary, fantasy, Law Firm, magic, Sunday Snippet, Tena Stetler, Witches by Tena Stetler with comments disabled.