The Ultimate Halloween Party Planner
There is a child in every one of us who is still a trick-or-treater looking for a brightly-lit front porch.”
~ Robert Brault
Halloween has a special kind of magic no other holiday has.
It teaches us that fear can be fun. The heart-pounding, spine-tingling, thrills and chills that spook us during the Halloween season get our blood pumping and act as memento mori– a reminder that death is ever present and that we should live life to the fullest enjoying each moment while we can.
Halloween offers us just that as we trek into the darkness of night to go trick or treating as a child or visiting haunted houses as an adult. Halloween offers us a moment to indulge in the decadence of too many sweets or alcohol filled drinks. It is a time of dark enjoyment. Blood-curdling screams often dissolve into laughter as we realize the fear is just make-believe. Fear, fantasy, and revelry mingle making us feel more alive than ever.
I have always loved Halloween. I felt the magic from an early age and grew up craving that magic every day of the year. I surround myself with things that many save just for the Halloween season: pumpkins, witches, skulls, vampires, fangs…these dark beauties adorn my walls and shelves keeping the spirit of Halloween alive in my heart every day.
Throwing a Halloween party is a great way to showcase your love of the holiday and have fun with themes, decorations, and costumes. I created The Ultimate Halloween Party Planner to help people get organized and plan a spooktacular event.
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Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged Halloween, Roxanne Rhoads, The Ultimate Halloween Party Planner by Tena Stetler with 2 comments.
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!
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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!
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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.
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Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged Halloween, Hotblooded Stalk, Paranormal Romance, shifters, Victoria Danann by Tena Stetler with comments disabled.
