A Magic Redemption Spooktacular by Tena Stetler
A Magic Redemption a Spooktacular Halloween read!
Most Haunted Cities in America
it’s autumn the cool fall days are perfect for a walk on America’s dark side. With the approach of Halloween, it’s natural for our thoughts to conjure up ghosts, goblins, and all things that go bump in the night. Bloody battles, shady shanghaiing practices, cities built over burial grounds, and natural disasters have left behind an unsettled past in towns throughout our country. What better place to start than….
Salem, MA
Salem is best known for the witch trials of 1692 where mass hysteria led to more than 200 people being accused of practicing witchcraft, and ultimately 20 innocent people were executed. The tragedy has led to Salem becoming synonymous with witches and the city has embraced their history by preserving artifacts in museums and offering tours to educate visitors. The Witch House, The Salem Witch Museum, The Bewitched Statue and Witch Trials Memorial to name a few. Yep, it’s on my bucket list to spend Halloween in Salem MA. How about you?
Baltimore
Several nation-shaping events have played out on Baltimore’s historic streets: the American Revolution, the Civil War, and the Battle of Baltimore in the War of 1812. Hundreds of years of lost lives and the spirits that remain make the Fells Point area popular among ghost trackers. Guided tours through the maritime neighborhood take you to taverns, shops, and restaurants where things go bump in the night.
Galveston, Texas
When the Galveston Hurricane of 1900 struck, some 8,000 lives were lost—about 6,200 more fatalities than in New Orleans’ devastating Hurricane Katrina. Galveston’s was the deadliest natural disaster in U.S. history, and ghost hunters say most of the town’s spirits linger in its storied harbor and Victorian mansions. If that doesn’t give you goosebump, I don’t know what will, unless of course it’s Marie Laveau, the voodoo queen. Which brings us to…
New Orleans
Not much, it seems, separates the living from the dead in New Orleans. Because the town is below sea level, tombs sit above ground in the 42 cemeteries within city limits. Ghosts from the War of 1812 still hang around the French Quarter. And visitors to the grave of a prominent 1800s voodoo queen continue to leave offerings and ask for help.
Gettysburg, Pa.
During the most tragic battle of the Civil War, about 51,000 soldiers were killed or injured in and around Gettysburg. There was so much spilled blood on the floors of churches and schools (used as makeshift hospitals) that drainage holes had to be drilled in the floors. Baltimore Street downtown and Hospital Road in the countryside are purported hotspots for spirits with unfinished business.
Savannah, Ga.
Savannah may look like a sweet Southern belle, but she keeps a dark secret. The city was built, literally, on its dead. Homes and buildings sit atop Native American burial grounds; roads cover forgotten cemeteries of slaves and colonialists. Over the years, bloody battles, massive fires, yellow-fever epidemics, and hurricanes have taken hundreds of lives, leaving behind unsettled spirits.
Chicago
It was here, on Valentine’s Day, 1929, that seven men were lined up against the wall of a garage at 2122 North Clark Street and gunned down by Al Capone and his Prohibition-era gangsters. Strange mists, screams, and machine gun sounds have all been experienced at the site; other local gangster hideaways and crime scenes are also said to be haunted.
Portland, Ore.
Beneath the cobblestoned streets of Portland’s Old Town lies the legend of the Shanghai Tunnels, passageways that swirl with dark tales and hauntings. As the story goes, men who came to Portland to work—sailors, loggers, cowboys, and others—were “shanghaied,” or kidnapped through trapdoors in saloons, smuggled through the tunnels to the waterfront, and sold to sea captains.
Athens, Ohio
This Ohio University town is home to the Athens Lunatic Asylum, a mental institution open from 1874 until 1993 and known for its lobotomy practices. Now a university-owned property called The Ridges, the building has its share of haunted stories, say many amateur researchers: disembodied screams, apparitions that walk the halls, and a ghostly bloodstain on the floor. Throughout campus there are several haunted dorms, sororities, and fraternities.
Washington, D.C.
It’s an election year, and some in D.C. will be watching for the demon black cat that is rumored to show up in the U.S. Capitol Building as an omen of national tragedy or change of office. Ghost trackers say it appeared just before President Lincoln’s assassination at Ford’s Theatre (which has its own haunting stories). Abraham Lincoln, John and Abigail Adams, Dolley Madison, and Andrew Jackson are among the spirits that have been sighted in the White House.
Last but not least, I would be amiss if I didn’t mention Cripple Creek, Colorado. Mining District of Colorado is extremely rich in history and it is also touted to be one of the Most Haunted Places in the United States. On Highway 67, at the base of Pike’s Peak, southwest of Colorado Springs, Cripple Creek sits at an elevation of 9,500 feet. There are mine shafts, head frames, miner’s cabins long abandoned tumbling down. A lonely stone fireplace may be all that’s left of a miners home. Standing among the rubble might cause the hair on the back of your neck to stand on end. A brief visit to one of the abandoned cabins still standing, gives you a window into what it was like back in the late 1800’s or early 1900’s. Can you imagine a more inviting place for ghost to spend Halloween?
A sneak peek between the pages of A Magic Redemption:
The road to her cottage took them by the pub. He didn’t want to spoil a great day by stopping by Shaughnessy’s. But he had a nagging feeling that was exactly what he was supposed to do. Prior experience taught him nothing but trouble would come if he ignored his gut. “Mind if we stop by the pub on the way home. Storm can stay in the truck for a few minutes. I want to make sure—”
“Everything is all right?”
“Of course it’s all right. I’ve taken time off before.” Gavin bristled. “I had a life before—” He stopped mid-sentence. No way was he going to spoil this day.
She shifted in her seat to face him. “Before what? Me? Before your sister married an assassin? Or Brandy became engaged to a vampire? Before your world came crashing down amid demons, vampires, witches, and world ending shit?” She paused, closed her eyes, and leaned her head against the seat again. “I didn’t mean that. I’ve been on edge since the dream—nightmare—premonition. Call it what you want. Today was a nice reprieve. But when we hit the edge of town—what’d you call ’em—” she tapped her temple. “My spidey senses went off.” She shivered.
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.
array of witches, shapeshifters, demons, faeries, and gryphons, with a Navy
SEAL or two mixed in telling their tales. Her books tell stories of magical
kick-ass women and mystical alpha males that dare to love them. Travel,
adventure and a bit of mystery flourish in her books along with a few companion
animals to round out the tales.
and a forty-five-year-old box turtle. When she’s not writing, her time is spent
kayaking, camping, hiking, biking or just relaxing in the great Colorado
outdoors. During the winter you can find her curled up in front of a crackling fire with a good book, a
mug of hot chocolate and a big bowl of popcorn. Visit Tena’s website at
tenastetler.com where you’ll find links to all of her books, blog and pictures
of recent travels and setting of her books.
Hope you enjoyed the Spooktacular Most Haunted Cities in America, along with a snippet of my book A Magic Redemption. Happy Halloween!
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Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged A Magic Redemption, Halloween, Most Haunted Cities in America, Paranormal Romance/mysteries, Tena Stetler by Tena Stetler with 4 comments.
Halloween Hauntings Cripple Creek- Part Two
With its wild and turbulent past, Cripple Creek has a history of unexplained, supernatural occurrences, no wonder it’s earned the reputation
of one of the most haunted towns in America. Tales of haunted Cripple Creek hotels, casinos, and homes flourish. What better way to celebrate Halloween than visit a haunted Cripple Creek?
The Imperial Hotel at Third Street and Bennett Avenue known originally as the Collins Hotel, was built after most the town burned to the ground in 1896. As a young man, George Long emigrated from Europe and eventually made his way to Denver. He married his first cousin and together they ran the hotel. The union produced two daughters and a son. The eldest daughter, Alice, was mentally disturbed and the parents were forced to keep her locked in their apartment next to the lobby for her safety and the safety of others. Soon after George fell to his death while negotiating the narrow stairs to the basement. Or some say Alice escaped, waited for him at the top of the stairs, struck him over the head and he crashed to his death from the stop of the stairs. It’s rumored his ghost haunts the hotel to this day.
My experience at the Imperial Hotel was at the performance of Dracula by the Imperial Players in early 1990’s. The performance was excellent, but the strong feeling of someone watching, icy patches and pressure on my arm and lower back, when no one was there. The hair on the back of my neck stood straight up. After meeting the cast in the lobby for an autograph session, my family and I quickly exited the hotel and raced to the safety of our vehicle, thankful that we hadn’t booked a room. Looking back on the experience, was it the performance
of Dracula in the supposedly haunted hotel that caused my imagination to run wild, or was there really something there? I admit to having an overactive imagination, but not that time. In the years since, I’ve visited Cripple Creek on numerous occasions, to explore old buildings and
mining shacks. My husband and I drive up Hwy 67 to enjoy the turning of the Aspens in autumn, used to camp at the Lost Burro Campground but I haven’t set foot in the Imperial Hotel since that night.
** Next week, more Halloween Haunting with traditions, legends and spooky fun. You don’t want to miss it.
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Posted in For Fun, My Say What Blog, The Pikes Peak Region and tagged Colorado, Cripple Creek The Imperial Hotel, Dracula, Halloween, Haunted Towns by Tena Stetler with comments disabled.
Haunted Flint by Roxanne Rhoades and Joe Schipani
Give a Spooktacular welcome to Roxanne Rhoads and Joe Schipani, authors of Haunted Flint! Pull up a chair, grab a drink of your choice from the cauldron. Take your choice of a bat wing Chocolate Chip or Pumpkin, or Peanut Butter cookie from the plate, and let’s find out a little about Roxanne and Joe and Haunted Flint!
Flint’s Five Most Haunted Locations
battle sites and burial grounds, the Sit Down Strike of 1936-37, unsolved
murders, economic depression, social injustice, and a water crisis – Flint’s
unholy brew of energy has led to macabre tales of ghostly encounters and
stories of demonic possession.
lurking in Flint’s history to blame for all the hauntings? Do the souls of
Flint’s murdered linger, craving justice by haunting the land until they get
their vengeance? Whatever the reason, Flint is filled with frightful sites and
terrifying tales.
apparitions in Glenwood and Sunset Hills to spooky specters spotted in downtown
Flint’s Capital Theatre and The Whiting, Flint is filled with ghosts.
Most Haunted Locations.
Center at Spring Grove
Baylis Whitmarsh Stockton and his family before becoming a hospital and then a
nursing home. Considered to be Flint’s most haunted location countless ghostly
encounters have occurred in this building. Some believe the Stockton Family
still reside in the home, Colonel Stockton himself watching over it for
eternity.
Masonic Temple
Masonic Temple is located in the heart of downtown. Shadowy figures, strange
noises and the distant haunting sound of organ music fill this old building.
Many who have worked in the building have experienced strange encounters and
ghostly apparitions.
House
an Italianate but Robert Whaley hired an architect to transform it into a
Victorian. In 1885 the Whaley family moved into the newly remodeled home.
Levitating tarps, moving toys, ringing bells, curtains blowing with no wind,
and shadowy figures fill this haunted mansion. In the basement, you may feel an
unearthly chill and a sense of being watched.
Capitol Theatre
E 2nd St on January 19, 1928. Rumors of hauntings have swirled about The Capitol
Theatre for decades. Strange knocking sounds, disembodied singing, shadowy
figures…The Capitol’s recent renovations returned the building to its original
glory. Did this calm the restless spirits or make them more active?
Cornwall Building
the house in the early 1870s by Royal Ripley who lived on premised from 1874 to
1881. In 1881 Er Milner purchased the home and completed construction on it in
1883. The ghost of Jennie Milner Cornwall is said to haunt the premises.
Sometimes you can see her looking out the window.
Flint
America Series
Rhoads and Joe Schipani
Secrets in Flint’s History
unsolved murders, economic depression, and a water crisis, Flint emits an
unholy energy rife with ghostly encounters.
vigilant ghost keeps a watchful eye over his family home at Spring Grove, where
guests occasionally hear the thump of his heavy boots.
from their graves lurk among the ancient stones in Avondale Cemetery.
spirit continuously wanders the halls of the Dryden Building, and something
sinister and unnamed resides in a Knob Hill mansion waiting to prey on
impressionable young men.
Joe Schipani on a chilling tour of Flint’s most haunted locations.
Rhoads
is an author, book publicist, mixed media crafter, and lover of all things
spooky.
Bewitching Book Tours, a virtual book tour and social media marketing company,
she operates Fang-tastic Books, a book blog dedicated to paranormal and urban
fantasy books, and she runs the blog, A Bewitching Guide to All Things
Halloween, which is dedicated to everything Halloween related. Roxanne’s sells
handcrafted jewelry, art, and home decor through The Bewitching Cauldron.
Roxanne loves to craft, plan Halloween adventures, and search for unique
vintage finds.
Schipani
is an integral part of Flint’s Art Community with ties to local artists,
galleries, book stores, and the Flint Cultural Center. He is the Executive
Director of the Flint Public Art Project and the FFAR Project Assistant at the
Community Foundation of Greater Flint.
Things Halloween titled Freaky Flint History showcasing true crime and weird
but true tales of Flint deaths.
It was Spooktacular having you with us today. Please feel free to stop by anytime. Good Luck with Haunted Flint!
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Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged Halloween, Haunted Flint, Roxanne Rhoads and Joe Schipani by Tena Stetler with comments disabled.
Halloween Safety Pet Tips & Spooktacular 99¢ Sale
Welcome Readers! I have Halloweem Safety Pet Tips & a spooktacular 99¢ sale for you today. What better way to celebrate Halloween month than with vampire tale that isn’t your ordinary story. The e-book of A Vampire’s Unlikely Alliance is on sale for only 99¢ for a limited time!
Since I’m a big animal person, I’ve also added a bit about keeping your pets safe on Halloween! A win, win right? Let start with Keeping your Pets Safe on Halloween.
It’s almost time for another spooktacular sequel in the annual Halloween tradition. A holiday beloved in countries around the world, appealing to people looking for fun and thrills– But for their pets…not so much! Halloween festivities can be stressful to say the least and down right hazardous at times. A few tips to keep everyone safe and enjoying the holiday!
- Treats – Chocolate is poisonous to both cats, dogs and parrots. The darker it is the more toxic is its. One ounce of dark chocolate can poison a 50-pound dog. Keep these treats out of your pets’ reach. Make sure everyone in your household understands, especially children, how crucial it is that human treats not be given to pets.
- Alarming sounds and sights – The constant doorbell, ringing, unfamiliar guest and little monsters running around is a recipe for disaster for your pets. They could try to escape or display unexpected aggression. Keep your pet sequestered in a section of the home where they can avoid this anxiety-causing activities. Provide food, favorite toys and check on them often.
- Don’t leave pets outside! Pets have been know to be abused or killed on Halloween night by cruel people. I owned a black cat for twenty-two years, he was the best cat ever. But we made sure to keep him inside several days before Halloween and several days after.
- Never take your dog trick or treating for all of the above reasons. Dogs can easily be spooked by all the Halloween hubbub. If they run away or bite someone it will end your evening of fun.
- Dangerous Decorations – Electrical cords and batteries used to operate the exciting Halloween decorations can be hazardous to your pets. Chewing on cords can cause electrocution, chewing on batteries can cause chemical burns, if swallowed can cause intestinal blockage. Artificial cobwebs look cool as heck, but they can also present a choking or entanglement hazard to curious pets.
Nightmarish Pet Costumes – Most pets are happiest in the skin they were born in. LOL Yet 
pet owners will dress their fur, scaled, or feathered babies up for Halloween. Don’t put your pet in a costume unless they are completely comfortable with it. I admit I dress up my dog and parrot for Halloween. I choose costumes they’re comfortable in, do not hinder movement, sight, hearing or ability to breathe, bark, scream, or meow.- Eerie Glow Items – Glow necklaces and Glow sticks can help keep people safe on Halloween, but pets not so much. They can cause gastrointestinal distress and chewed fragments can pose a choking hazard.
- One last thought – Opening the door repeatedly for trick-or-treaters creates the possibility of pets to slip outside. Collars and tags work if someone locates and collects your wayward pet. Make sure the information on the tags is up-to-date. Microchips offer permanent identification. Just make sure your information is correct with the company who supports your pet microchips.
Click on cover to read more or purchase!
Now a little about A Vampire’s Unlikely Alliance.
A bit of background on writing A Vampire’s Unlikely Alliance, finally in 2016, I thought Stefan’s time had come. But readers and even a reviewer or two assumed or asked whether Tristian’s Story would be next. I was dumbfounded. He was an assassin, for heaven’s sake. So I closed Vampire, Stefan’s file and wrote A Warlock’s Secrets. When I opened A Vampire’s Unlikely Alliance file again and said, “Stefan it’s your turn.” He scoffed at me. But I charged forward. He’d grown and evolved from the Vampire Council’s Assassin in the two previous books in A Demon’s Witch Series, to a midnight DJ for a small radio station in Whitefish, Montana. Glacier National Park is where he met Brandy, a park ranger and a creature he never knew existed. The rest is history and A Vampire’s Unlikely Alliance was born. A long time coming but I think Stefan and Brandy would agree, well worth the wait. I’m so proud that A VAMPIRE’S UNLIKELY ALLIANCE won Critters/Predators&Editors Readers Poll for Best Romance 2017 among other recent awards!
Stefan is a Native American vampire, former assassin for the Vampire Council. In a twist of fate, he now DJ’s the midnight shift for a small radio station in Whitefish, Montana, on the edge of Glacier National Park where his secret is safe until…
Born in Ireland, Brandy now works as a park ranger and trail guide in the park. During a full moon, Stefan and Brandy’s paths cross in a near physical collision on a trail. Their attraction is immediate and undeniable, almost as if fate demanded it.
Their union was foretold long ago in Irish folk tales where vampires and gryphons, warlocks and demons, witches and faeries must work together for the good of man and magic kind. Is a trip to Ireland the key to unraveling secrets and returning the magic? And even more importantly, will their love survive the trip?
Download a copy today. Leave your ordinary world behind and be swept into a magical, fantasy adventure that you won’t want to leave.
Available at: Amazon Amazon UK , Amazon AU, itunes, and Barnes & Noble
A sneak peek between the pages of A Vampire’s Unlikely Alliance –
It was nearly midnight when he cut across the Sun Road to another trailhead, so intent on his goal that he nearly collided with an attractive young woman. He skidded to a stop, spraying gravel, rocks, and small twigs down the road in front of him. A pinecone dislodged and bounced along the road past her. Tall and slender, she had miles of fiery-red hair that hung down her back in a cascade of curls. Intense emerald eyes stared back at him as he attempted to regain his composure, not to mention balance. What the hell was she doing here at this time of night?
“Whoa.” She stepped lightly to the side to avoid the flying debris. “You really should watch where you’re going, especially at that speed.” Her voice scolded, but the smile on her lips teased. “Someone could get hurt.”
Pretending to pant, he shrugged, holding his palms up in surrender. “Just trying to get my run in before work. Stefan Talltree, at your service.” He stepped closer, leaned over in an exaggerated bow, and caught her hand, brushing his lips over the palm and wrist, inhaling her sweet scent. AB negative with a pulse of adrenaline. Perfect. Her pulse beat a tattoo against his lips. He backed away.
Her heart thundered as she drew her hand from his grasp. “The name’s Brandy. Pleased to meet you, Stefan.” Her smile reached up into her bright eyes as they swept over him with an appreciative glance, an experience he enjoyed.
Her voice had a hint of Irish lilt to it. He liked that too.
“Where do you work that requires you to report in at—” She glanced at her watch. “—midnight?”
Nostrils flaring, he paused. Blood? Not hers. The sound of Brandy’s voice brought his attention back to her and the situation at hand. “Oh, shit, I’ve gotta go!” He sprinted off, leaving her standing alone.
As he started down the trail, the tree branches swayed in the silvery moonlight, casting eerie shadows across the trail’s edge. The breeze brought with it the coppery scent of fresh blood mixed with sulfur. He turned for one last look at her as she wrinkled her nose before silently creeping into the wind, tracking the source of the stench.
Thanks for stopping by! Tell me what you think or if you have other pet tips in the comments. Pssst… I’m participating in a Halloween Facebook Party tomorrow. Fun, games, giveaways, and prizes all up for grabs. Please stop by for Spooktacular entertainment.
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Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged 99cent sale, A Vampire's Unlikely Alliance, Halloween, Pets safety, Tena Stetler, Vampire by Tena Stetler with comments disabled.
