Why Worry?
Why worry? If you’ve done the very best you can, worrying won’t make it better. – Walt Disney
As you all know, I love and admire Walt Disney. In fact in September of 2017, I spend my wedding anniversary with my hubby in Disneyland California. Hubby and I got in on the Disney Halloween celebration. Halloween IS my favorite holiday, you know. It was fantastic. One day I’ll make it to Walt Disney World it’s on my bucket list. But I digress.
I came across this quote and it made me burst into a huge grin. As a writer, I sometimes worry. Okay, maybe I worry a lot. What if my writing isn’t reaching people? What if my books aren’t good enough? What if people don’t like my books? Writing is subjective after all. How am I going to make the next deadline? Would it have been better to land a literary agent? What if I’d taken the self-published path rather than traditional publishing? And the list goes on. Go ahead add some of yours.
My mind reels, my heart palpitates, and I have to go for a walk. Taking my dog for a walk and telling her how I feel is one of my stress relievers.
Are you facing something that seems insurmountable and worrying about it?
If so, let’s all read aloud this quote and just breathe. Worrying won’t make it better or make it go away. In fact, it just makes our head and heart hurt. Then grumpiness sets in.
Let’s stomp out worry and wear a great big grin instead! Don’t forget exercise, it gets those feel-good endorphins flowing. I feel better already. How about you?
Back to the writing cave! Have a productive day! In fact make that a productive week, month, and year! Happy Thanksgiving!
Yep, I’m going to sneak in a promotion for my upcoming release A Magic Redemption, fifth book in A Demon’s Witch Series! I know you’re going to love it! See got those endorphins flowing. LOL Psst…
Share the magic, adventure and mystery -Pre-Order your digital copy of A MAGIC REDEMPTION from Amazon at a special discounted price for only $2.99 for a limited time!
A Little about A Magic Redemption!
Synn, a demon, carries extraordinary magic and power, but there is more within her than she dreams. Kidnapped as a child, her captors murdered her family and forced her into training as a warrior assassin. When an assignment goes horribly wrong, she finds herself at the mercy of the friends and family of her intended target. Offering valuable information in exchange for protection, she gains her freedom, but it is not without its challenges.
Gavin Shaughnessy is the publican at his family’s Irish pub. He is certain Synn is meant to be his and isn’t bothered by her past. He must find a way to convince her, their future together is stronger than the dark memories that haunt her dreams.
When her past comes calling for revenge, will their love survive the raging inferno she brings down upon them? Or will the searing path of destruction destroy all they hold dear?
A sneak peek between the pages of A Magic Redemption:
Darkness engulfed her. The voices in her head returned calling her a traitor suggesting retribution would be sweet and exacted soon. She fought against the words and covered her ears. As suddenly as the booming words came, it was silent. The dream shifted to a dank room, without windows, or light, and a darkness she could almost feel. Scraping sounds against a large wooden plank door grated on her nerves.
Magic failed her leaving her drained and unresponsive. She curled up in a fetal position. Baltizar’s voice whispered again in her mind. “I still control you. They’re all going to die a horrible death at my hands. You will get to watch. Just like when you failed to save your family.”
His wicked laugh echoed though her mind and faded. A warm liquid flowed over her hands. She looked down. They were covered in blood. Bodies were strewn over what looked like the dirt floor of a cave. Screaming, she awoke soaked with sweat, head pounding and blood trickled from her palms where her finger nails had sliced through the skin.
A loud bark came from the foot of her bed. She stumbled out of bed and rushed to Storm’s crate, knelt, and yanked open the door. A warm, fur ball bounded into her lap, the dog covered her face with kisses. She sat on the floor, tears streaming down her face dripping on the soft fur she buried her face in.
Never allowed to cry, she allowed the flood gates open, and cried for her family, mistakes made, decisions forced upon her, and wished she’d died in the battle with Baltizar. She wouldn’t be responsible for the deaths of her new friends, Gavin and his family, or Storm.
Dont miss : Book Series Trailer: https://youtu.be/lELj0amtkk8
Amazon, Amazon UK, Amazon AU, Amazon CA, itunes, The Wild Rose Press, Barnes and Noble Wal-mart.com
About the author:
Tena Stetler is a best-selling author of award winning paranormal romance. 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.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.
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, 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.
Well, what do you think? Drop me a line in the comments with your thoughts. Thanks for allowing me to be part of your world today! Have a Happy Thanksgiving!
Views: 0
Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged A Magic Redemption, California, Disneyland, Halloween, Holiday, Tena Stetler, Thanksgiving, Walt Disney, Worry by Tena Stetler with 7 comments.
Colorado Hauntings – Happy Halloween
Celebrating a spooktacular Halloween all month on My Say What Blog, so today is the final haunting article about Halloween. What’s not to love about Halloween? One day out of the year you can dress up and pretend to be anything you want and people don’t think you’re crazy. Okay, well, not as crazy as if it wasn’t Halloween!
One of the highest haunts in Colorado is the Stanley Hotel at an altitude of over 7,500 feet. Bawawawa! You know the one that claims to be the 
inspiration for Stephen’s King’s The Shining (REDRUM – MURDER) . The Hotel was built in 1909 by Freelan and Flora Stanley of Stanley Steamer fortune. Originally, they came to Colorado in an attempt to alleviate the symptoms of Freelan’s tuberculosis. They fell in love with Colorado and purchased property and built a home. The Stanley was built as a summer resort for guests Freelan and Flora entertained during their extended vacations in Colorado.
It’s believed Flora haunts the hotel to this day, enjoying one of her favorite pastimes of playing the piano late at night when no one is around. Tales abound of visitors claiming sounds of revelry occurring in the empty ballroom. Room 217 is purported to be haunted by the ghost of a long-term housekeeper. If you gain her favor, she’ll help you unpack. If not…. Well…. It is the room allegedly occupied by Stephen King at one time. Inspiring The Shining?
I don’t know about that, but the hair on the back of my neck stood up as I took photos of The Stanley Hotel outside in broad daylight.
Want to know more about haunted places in Colorado? Click on the link.
Speaking of Hauntings!
Did you know, most present day Halloween traditions are traceable to the ancient Celtic day of the dead? Halloween consists of mysterious customs, but
each has a history, or at least a story behind it.
Take wearing costumes, and roaming from door to door demanding treats. This behavior can be traced to the Celtic period and the first few centuries of the Christian era, when it was thought that the souls of the dead were out and about, along with fairies, witches, and demons. Offerings of food and drink were left out to placate them. As the centuries wore on, people began dressing like these creatures, performing antics in exchange for food and drink. This is where the practice of trick-or-treating began. To this day, vampires, witches, ghosts, and skeletons are among the favorite costumes.
Our Halloween also retains activities from the original harvest holiday of Samhain, such as bobbing for apples and carving vegetables, (pumpkins) as well as the fruits, nuts, and spices for cider associated with the day. Although at my house, hot chocolate is pretty popular, since Halloween almost guarantees the first snow of the year.
Looking for a fun Halloween Read? A Witch’s Journey is full of meddling ghosts, shapeshifters, sexy witch, a ruggedly-handsome Navy SEAL. An exciting story of redemption, wildlife rescue and Halloween festivals. Available at Amazon.com, Kobo, and Barnes & Noble. And I let you in on a little secret. A Witch’s Journey is available in audiobook, so grab yours! After you’ve read A Witch’s Journey, you’ll want the sequel, A Witch’s Holiday Wedding, also available in audiobook Amazon.com, 
Well, if you’ll excuse me, it’s time to don my vampire costume, custom fitted fangs and pull up a stool in the shadows. With a candy bowl beside me, I sneakily turn on the fog machine. Out of the mist, I’ll greet the little trick or treaters or scare the bejeebers out of the older ones with bats hanging over head and screeching on my command. Won’t you join me? Happy Halloween!
Views: 0
Posted in For Fun, Holidays, My Say What Blog and tagged All Hallows Eve, Colorado, ghosts, Halloween, Haunting, Lobster Cove, shifters, Stanley Hotel, wildlife, Witches by Tena Stetler with 35 comments.
Stalk- Author Victoria Danann – Halloween Spooktacular
I must not pass
me,
low
know!”
care!
whisper low
Every breath you take.
thousand years ago, members of a more advanced race crossed into our dimension
when the barriers temporarily collapsed.
who were also shifters, built structures that eventually caused the great flood
and the sinking of Atlantis.
progeny that carried an untraceable shifter gene, dormant until awakened by
mating with a full blooded werewolf.
Views: 0
Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged Halloween, Hotblooded Stalk, Paranormal Romance, shifters, Victoria Danann by Tena Stetler with comments disabled.
Glimpse, Memoir of a Serial Killer by Stephen B. King an Interview
Give a Spooktacular welcome to Stephen B. King author of Glimpse, Memoir of a Serial Killer. Yeah, that’s pretty scary in my book. Perfect for Halloween.
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 Stephen and his obsession with Glimpse, Memoir of a Serial Killer. I have to admit after close to twenty years as a paralegal for a criminal law firm, I’d never wanted a Glimpse into what made a serial killer tick. But I digress.
Let’s start with what makes you angry Stephen.
Negative people. Most of us authors have been criticized dreadfully by people who could never write a book, let alone get one published. It’s hard (though very enjoyable). I’m going through a very tough time now with a woman who has made the most spiteful, untrue accusations about one of my books, as yet unpublished, and at times I think about giving it all away. I am furious with her, but what can I do other than defend my reputation, hope she desists, and refuse to let her define who and what I am?
That’s all you can do. There will always be nay sayers, authors must have an unbelievably thick skin. You’re right it’s a tough industry. Glad you didn’t give up!
Now lets move on to what is your favorite Halloween experience of all time?
I saw Alice Cooper perform live one Halloween, which was spectacular. Being an ex guitarist myself I really loved his live show. Here in Australia, Halloween is not the big event that it is in the states; but fun none the less. I love watching a bunch of kids, parent(s) in tow, knocking of doors for treats (we Aussies never give tricks – well, rarely)
What would you do if a Vampire showed up at your door?
OK, here’s a little known fact (I read Bram Stoker): A vampire can’t cross the threshold of a home unless he or she has been invited. The problem is that they own hypnotic powers so will probably weasel an invite out of you. So one thing I wouldn’t do, was ask them in for a drink.
Who is your favorite character of all of the books you’ve written and Why?
Can I pick two? In Thirty-Three Days, Jenny, a lonely introverted woman who devoted her life to her students, gets a chance to go back in time and save the world, in doing so she finds love. She is the bravest person imaginable. In Glimpse, Memoir of a Serial Killer, Patricia Holmes is brought into the investigation in an era when psychologists were viewed by police as not welcome. She is a clever, insightful woman who through her and her alones actions saves lives and brings a maniacal murderer to justice. I guess this shows I have the utmost respect for strong willed women.
Where do your story ideas come from? If they come to you in the middle of the night, do you get up and write them all down?
Thirty-Three Days did come to me in the middle of the night, and I had to get up and write it down because it sent shivers up and down my spine. Glimpse was completely different. The spark of inspiration came when I was driving along and a random thought snuck into my head: I was five years old when I first saw someone bleed out. Now, I’ve never seen anyone bleed out at any age, and that isn’t even an expression I’d use myself. The killer, in one of his rantings in his diary, asks the question: who knows where random thoughts of inspiration comes from? I don’t, but that odd thought while I was driving was a seed, and it grew into a plant, then a tree. The line is the opening for the first of his ramblings as he writes his memoir, and charts his life to explain why, and how, he became a mass murderer.
SPEED ROUND FOR A LITTLE ADDED FUN:
Speed Round (one word only answer): Yep, I know torture for a writer!<evil laugh>
Favorite scary movie: The Exorcist
Favorite scary book: Pet Sematary by my namesake
Last scary book read: Duma Key (same author)
Favorite color: yellow
Stilettos or flipflops or boots: On my wife stilettoes, on me flip flops (I’m Australian)
Coffee or tea or flaming drink: Coffee, black
Ebook or audiobook or paperback: Nothing like the smell of a new book
Pencil or pen or quill with blood ink jar: The quill would be fun
Favorite scary song: Spiders and Snakes
Favorite costume: Hard to go past Dracula
Favorite dessert: Blood Orange Cheesecake
Favorite junk food: KFC (don’t tell my wife she wants me to lose weight)
Favorite thing to do to relax: Chase bats? Movies
Champagne or gin or magic potion: All alcohol can be magic
Paranormal or Historical: Paranormal
Wonder Woman or Top Model or Witch’s Ball: WW I’m a sucker for a good looking woman
Favorite scary TV show: X Files
Hot or cold: Hot
POV: The killers
I’d die if I don’t have: Time left
Review or Not: I do
Tell us a bit about Glimpse, Memoir of a Serial Killer.
In 1999 Australia, Sergeant Rick McCoy investigates the murder of a woman found packed inside a suitcase.
The Killer abducts another victim and threatens to dismember her slowly. His life is further complicated by a marriage in tatters. Frustrated at every turn, he is paired with glamorous Criminal Psychologist and profiler, Patricia Holmes.
While trying to rebuild his marriage, he finds himself in a desperate race against time to free the victim and fight his desire for his new partner.
Available at: Amazon The Wild Rose Press
A sneak peek between the pages of Glimpse, Memoir of a Serial Killer.
“Pat, I know you went to uni with the boss, because he told me. I am an old-fashioned cop who believes in what I do. This is a hideous case, with clearly a deranged murderer who takes delight in abducting, raping and torturing women. If we don’t stop him, he will keep going because he likes it. Believe me, I’m willing to take any help from you that will get me closer to this guy.”
“He’s not deranged. He just sees things differently than you or I do. To him his behavior is normal, and you cops are the abnormal ones. That’s probably because of his upbringing. Tell me everything you know, let me try to get a feel for this guy, Daryl has already told me quite a lot, but I want your take on the facts. I will tell you one thing I think already, he lost his mother at a very early age. I think she went out to the shops and never came back. She abandoned him, that’s why he selects his victims from shopping areas.”
“Oh come on, how can you know that?”
She uncurled her legs and leant forward on her desk. “My role, if I am to be any help at all, is to theorize. To observe the facts and make deductions from them. It would be fair and reasonable if I were wrong twenty percent of the time. I could live with that; eighty percent is good for this kind of work. Our man abducts women, from supermarkets, therefore he does it for a reason and not by random chance. By him replicating that, it would make sense if he is hurting his mother for leaving him. Rick, people who commit these sorts of crimes don’t do it just for fun, although often they enjoy the act. They can feel driven to do it; it satisfies an urge or need that they have. Psychopaths hear voices, which tell them what to do and how to do it. But Sociopaths have no conscience, they don’t feel guilt, and you can’t argue with them logically. They often will feel incredibly superior, and they will lord that over you; tease and taunt, just to show how clever they are. They will shift the blame so if you don’t stop them it’s your fault, not theirs. Rick, this is my field, I’m not going to be able to tell you where he lives, because I don’t use a crystal ball. But, I might be able to tell you the kind of place he might live in, the sort of up upbringing he may have had, and most importantly, the kind of things to look out for if you interview him. I’m only offering to help you, so, please, tell me everything, don’t hold back; what do you have to lose?”
He nodded slowly, and took a long draft of his beer. She’s right, what do I have to lose?
About the author Stephen B. King:
I left Perth, Australia many years ago to go East and find fame and fortune in the music business as a long-haired rock guitarist. I wrote poems and music in my wild days. I gave it all up for love and got married (as you do when the right one comes along). Then, real life took over, children came along and I threatened to write a book for so many years my long-suffering wife eventually pushed me into it by buying me a laptop and said: “No more excuses, do it.” And so, began this amazing journey. Glimpse, Memoir of a Serial Killer is number seven, with books 2 and 3 of the trilogy also contracted, so I think, now and again, she regrets buying that laptop.
Web: www.stephen-b-king.com
twitter: @stephenBKing1
Facebook: @stephenbkingauthor
It was wonderful having you with us today. Please feel free to stop by anytime. Good Luck with Glimpse, Memoir of a Serial Killer.
Views: 0
Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged Halloween, Serial Killer, Spooktacular, Stephen P. King, Thriller by Tena Stetler with 15 comments.
