Search for Halloween Spirit Archives

Oct 31st Halloween Spirit Search – Success!

It’s Halloween! Can you believe it? Toil and Trouble and the Skeleton Squad set up their 24/7 surveillance and caught the Halloween Spirit on video. Success!

Well, October’s cooler days and chilly nights have arrived with a skiff of snow. Yippee!

This week, Toil, Trouble, Bubble bat, Moby Fish, Aragon Spider, Octavia and the newest member of the Skeleton Squad, Chloe Cobra set up twenty-four-hour surveillance with each skeleton taking a shift. Toil and Trouble were sure they’d catch the spirit of Halloween before the strike of midnight on Halloween. Octavia spied the Spirit first, then the Skeleton Squad led by Toil and Trouble surrounded it and demanded surrender. The Halloween Spirit was happy to sing and dance for the Squad! They called Broomhilda to report their success.

Broomhilda’s (skeleton), from Texas (thank you Jessica) search relayed she was glad the Halloween Spirit had been located and that she and her cohorts would be preparing for their own Halloween Celebration!!

The final post of October beside the search for the Halloween Spirit, the Skeleton Squad accompanied me to The Stanley Hotel to help me with the haunted tales of Cripple Creek, Colorado on my Say What Blog. Have you ever seen a ghost? A visit to haunted places in Colorado, my own stomping ground,

Halloween has arrived!! Bwwwaaaaaaaaaa!!!! I hope you enjoyed the Skeleton’s Squad search for the Halloween Spirit. Not to mention the haunted places – last haunted post today, The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, CO and newest haunted mountain hotel, The Black Monarch Hotel in Victor, CO on My Say What Blog. Next year we’ll do it all again!

My last featured Halloween themed book from my collection is Hidden Gypsy Magic. You do know I write paranormal romance/mystery. Right? This week, we are talking about demons and witches! What’s Halloween without witches, spells, demons, curses and things that go bump in the night? You won’t believe what happened at their Halloween Celebration. So hurry grab your copy and join the #fantasy #adventure! You won’t believe the battle between good and evil.

A little about Hidden Gypsy Magic

The Salem Wildlife Sanctuary is Gwen Taylor’s life work. Her Irish Gypsy heritage provides a hidden talent she uses to help the creatures under her care. But even her magical skills can’t help new rescues in dire need of veterinary care.

The opportunity of signing on as the vet for Gwen’s sanctuary dropped into Brock Scutter’s lap after he expanded his practice to include wildlife. The personal attraction he and Gwen experience is undeniable the more their professional and personal lives collide.

Touring the only “non-haunted” house in Salem they both feel a spark of magic. A trip to his family’s cabin uncovers a heritage he didn’t know existed. If they want a future together, it means facing the consequences of awakening hidden Gypsy magic and a race against the clock to correct past wrongs.

A sneak peek between the pages of Hidden Gypsy Magic!

He glanced at his watch. Eleven thirty. A half-hour before midnight and Halloween would be over. Someone clapped him on the shoulder and he whirled around, fist clenched, and arm drawn back.

“Whoa, there Brock.” His friend Butch grinned. “A little jumpy on this Halloween night?”

“No, no not at all.” He lied. “Just deep in thought.”

Members of the Historical Society and The Witch’s Museum gathered around the front door. He hurried over. “Ready to leave so soon?”

“Yes, we’ve had a wonderful time, but it’s late…”A member of The Witch’s Museum said on a yawn.

“Past our bedtime” Another person added jokingly. “Great house you have here.”

“Thank you and thanks for coming.” He escorted his guests to their cars while Gwen took a defiant Misfit upstairs to their room. A thin cloud floated across the full moon in the star-strewn night sky. A twinge of anxiety niggled at his gut as he breathed in the crisp autumn air. Maybe Gwen’s right. He hurried inside. The door slammed behind him and locked.

Gwen raced down the stairs.

His gaze was drawn to the wall where the painting hung. Earlier in the evening, he’d noticed that no one was in the painting…now the chairs contained members of Beth’s family and she stood next to the fireplace inside the painting. Didn’t they all cross over? Could spirits come back after crossing over? Shit! Gwen was right, something is brewing.

Pepper and Lathen stood grim-faced next to Gwen. His mother and father crossed the room to join the little group. Butch helped Martha on with her coat then paused as the back door slammed and locked. The shutters banged against the house. Butch reached for the door handle, an eyebrow raised as the deadbolt slid into place.

“Son, I think your house is trying to tell you something.” His mother peered at the stairway where Dylan, Riva, and Molly stood.

Jeremiah and Morgan stepped out from behind the staircase. “What’s going on?” Jeremiah wanted to know, wrapping a protective arm around Morgan pulling her close.

“It feels like all the air is being sucked out of this room.” His brother’s face turned ashen white as Beth’s ghostly form took shape in the center of the room.

Brock moved to the little group gathered and glanced at the grandfather clock standing in the hallway. Fifteen minutes until midnight. The witching hour on All Hallows Eve. A nervous chuckle rose up in his throat. How cliche. His brother would be a believer after this night.

He cleared his throat and wrapped an arm around Gwen’s waist. “Can we help you, Beth?” Misfit’s howling could be heard clearly from the upstairs bedroom.

“No, but I hope we can help you.” Ghost Beth glanced back at the painting and sadly shook her head. “The ghost of Judge John Hathorne stands outside ready to curse or worse all those involved in sullying his reputation. The house stands between all of you…protecting—” The ghost’s hand and arm made a sweeping motion toward their group, “— against his magic ability.”

A soft almost hysterical giggle burst from Gwen. “Doesn’t he know that by his actions this night, he has not only outed himself but proved the rumors and article are true?”

“I don’t believe he’s considered that point.” Beth’s ghostly grim face twitched into a half-smile. “He’s bent on revenge, but apparently had trouble passing through the veil this evening.” She pointed to the clock and then laid a finger on her lips.

Happy Halloween! The Skeleton Crew captured Halloween Spirit and called Broomhilda with their find and agreed they’d reconvene next year. While you’re here, check out my other paranormal romance mysteries.

Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged Hidden Gypsy Magic, magic, Mystery, Paranormal Romance/Mystery, Salem, Search for Halloween Spirit, Skeleton Squad, Tena Stetler, Time travel, Witches by Tena Stetler with 2 comments.

Oct 29th Halloween Spirit Search & All Hallows Eve Trivia

All Hallows Eve (Halloween) only two days left! Can you believe it? Toil and Trouble continued search for the Halloween Spirit is rewarded this week. You won’t believe what they found. LOL! Next to the pumpkin, sitting on the witch’s hat the Halloween Spirit giggling and shouting Happy Halloween. Click on the link to see the live version. IMG_2851

I love 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!

With the usual snow predicted on Halloween, the first annual search for the Halloween Spirit countdown ends today Toil (Unicorn) and Trouble (dragon) have exciting news about All Hallows Eve Spirit. and called Dave to tell him.

Their friend, Dave (Skeleton), from Texas (thank you Jessica) after a weeks of searching for the Halloween Spirit delighted at Toil and Trouble’s news., Dave, Mort, Buster and little one celebrated by carving their Halloween Pumpkins.

With only two more days before Halloween, how about a little Halloween Trivia? Bwwwaaaaaaaaaa!!!!

Celebrating a spooktacular Halloween. Toil and Trouble have found the Halloween Spirit.

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. This year is no different.

Let’s switch gears for a moment and take a peek at Cripple Creek, Mining District of Colorado. With its history of unexplained, supernatural occurrences, tales of haunted hotels, casinos, and homes no wonder Cripple Creek is touted to be one of the most haunted placed in the United States! What better way to celebrate Halloween than visit a haunted Cripple Creek?

Many prospectors lost everything they had, some even their lives in the pursuit of gold. With the tales of fires, (Cripple Creek burned to the ground in 1896) floods, mining accidents, general lawlessness in the beginning then bloody battles between mine owners and labor unions, it’s no wonder stories abound of ghosts haunting this historic town that once boasted one murder a day.

Hotel St. Nicolas

Hotel St. Nicolas

So let’s take a closer look at those ghosts. First up, The Hotel St. Nicholas boasts a colorful history. Today its spectacular view of Cripple Creek, 15 guest rooms, furnished with elegance of a bygone era and one restored historic miner’s cottage still includes tales of the supernatural and unexplained. Originally built as a hospital that served the flood victims in the region in the late nineteenth century, it also served as a home for the Sisters of Mercy. As time went on, the hospital served prospectors and their families and then expanded adding a ward for the mentally ill. The hospital closed in the 1970’s. St. Nicholas is rumored to be haunted by several spirits including children, former patients of the mental ward, nuns and an old cantankerous miner. For more information see Hotel St. Nicholas.

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, but I haven’t set foot in the Imperial Hotel since that night.

Looking for fun Halloween Reads? A Witch’s Journey Series are full of meddling ghosts, shapeshifters, sexy witch, a ruggedly-handsome Navy SEAL. Exciting stories of paranormal romance, redemption, wildlife rescue, time travel, and Halloween festivals. Available at Amazon.com, Kobo, and Barnes & Noble. And I let you in on a little secret., the entire series are available in audiobooks. You may want to grab them all.

If vampires, werewolves, faeries, shapeshifters are you thing. You are going to want to check out A Demon’s WItch Series! Great Halloween Reads or for every other day of the year!

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 cauldron 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? Social DIstancing of course with mask. Happy Halloween! Happy Haunting! Bawahahaha

Hope you’ve enjoyed Toil and Trouble’s search for the Halloween Spirit and a bit of Halloween trivia, along with a snippet of my Spooktacular books. Happy Halloween!

Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged A Witch's Holiday Wedding, A Witch's Journey, Chocolate Raspberry Magic, Halloween, Hidden Gypsy Magic, Paranormal Romance/Mystery, Search for Halloween Spirit, Tena Stetler, Time travel, Witches by Tena Stetler with 8 comments.

Oct 15th Halloween Spirit Hunt Unearths Haunted Cities in America

Halloween only Fifteen days left! Can you believe it? Toil and Trouble continue their search for the Halloween Spirit. This week, you won’t believe what they found. LOL! But Toil and Trouble’s quest for the Halloween Spirit continues.

No, it’s never to early for All Hallows Eve! Halloween is my favorite time of year. Cooler weather, sight and sound of colorful leaves swirling toward the ground or crunching under foot. The smell of fall in the air, pumpkins and pumpkin flavored everything!! Love it! Also Halloween is the only day you can be anyone or anything you want and no one will say a word. Don’t forget it’s the day the veil between the living and the dead is the thinnest! What will you be this Halloween? Mystic our dog can’t decide which costume we wants to wear. What do you think? Check back next week and see what else Toil and Trouble have discovered!

Well, October is finally here with cooler days and chilly nights. Yippee! As we continue the annual Halloween countdown, the aspens are beginning to turn gold and the Colorado high county received its first dusting of snow. Toil (Unicorn) and Trouble (dragon) are hard at work in search of the Halloween Spirit. This week they discovered a whole Halloween Village.. They searched through the carved jack-o-lanterns, the haunted house, and haystacks. No Halloween Spirit. Toil and Trouble were totally disgusted and called Dave told him about the village So the search continues.

Their friend, Dave (Skeleton), from Texas (thank you Jessica) after a days search for the Halloween Spirit, took time out to watch scary movies with friends. Though the wrong dates continue on his pictures. Fifteen days Dave and Jessica!

Each week, on Friday, there will be new pictures of where Toil and Trouble are searching and how Dave is helping. In the month of October beside their search for the Halloween Spirit, Toil, Trouble and Dave will help me list the most haunted cities in America. Have you ever seen a ghost? A visit to haunted places in Colorado, my own stomping ground, Spooktacular tips to keep your pet safe this Halloween season. Do you suffer from Samhainopobia? I’ll tell you later. These are just to name a few. Please check back each week!

Only fifteen days days until Halloween! Where is the Halloween Spirit? Bwwwaaaaaaaaaa!!!!

Plus a Halloween themed book from my collection will be featured each week: You do know I write paranormal romance/mystery. Right? This week, we are talking about Witches! What’s Halloween without witches, spells and curses and things that go bump in the night? Hidden Gypsy Magic. So hurry grab your copy and join the #fantasy #adventure! You won’t believe what happens at their Halloween bash.

Most Haunted Cities in America, plus Hidden Gypsy Magic, set in Salem, MA, a Spooktacular Halloween read! Pssst… I’m participating in a Spooktacular FB Halloween Party October 20, 2021, My time is from 6-7 EDT that’s 4-5 p.m. MDT, but the party goes from 10:00 a.m. – to 10:00 p.m. EDT. (8:00 a.m.to 8:00 p.m. MDT) Click here to join the party on October 20th:

Most Haunted Cities in America – Could the Halloween Spirit be hiding in one of these?

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.

Milwaukee, WI

The Pfister Hotel ranked the haunted place in Wisconsin. But yet any given night, an unclaimed shot of Powers Irish whiskey sits on the bar at Sabbatic in Walker’s Point accompanied by a simple note: “For the ghost.” It’s something of a peace offering to a ghost who has caused quite a stir at Sabbatic. Several other hotels, diners and even the Pabst Mansion are listed as haunted in this city.

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 goosebumps, 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 on my most haunted cities list I’d 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?

Click on the cover to read more or purchase!

A little about Hidden Gypsy Magic Third book in A Witch’s Journey Series.

Discover the consequences of awakening hidden Gypsy magic!

A sneak peek between the pages of Hidden Gypsy Magic.

“It feels like all the air is being sucked out of this room.” His brother’s face turned ashen white as Beth’s ghostly form took shape in the center of the room.

He cleared his throat and wrapped an arm around Gwen’s waist. “Can we help you, Beth?” Misfit’s howling could be heard clearly from the upstairs bedroom.

A soft almost hysterical giggle burst from Gwen. “Doesn’t he know that by his actions this night, he has not only outed himself but proved the rumors and article are true?”

About the Author:

Tena Stetler is a best-selling author of award winning paranormal romance with an over-active imagination. She wrote her first vampire romance as a tween, to the chagrin of her mother and the delight of her friends. Colorado is home; shared with her husband, 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.

Her books tell tales 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.

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

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 you enjoy Toil and Trouble’s search and Spooktacular Most Haunted Cities in America, along with a snippet of my book Hidden Gypsy Magic. Happy Halloween. Check back next week and see what Toil and Trouble have discovered as well as Halloween pet safety tips!

Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged Halloween Spirit, Haunted villages, Hidden Gypsy Magic, Most Haunted Cities in America, Search for Halloween Spirit, Tena Stetler, Time travel by Tena Stetler with 4 comments.