A Demon’s Witch by Tena Stetler – #MFRWhooks

For #MFRWhooks this week I have one of my favorite books  and the beginning of the award winning series by the same name.  A DEMON’S WITCH, a best seller and award winner. WooHoo! 

 So pull up a chair and get comfy, 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 A DEMON’S WITCH!

Best selling A Demon’s WItch is the first book in the award winning A DEMON’S WITCH SERIES! It was also my debut novel back in November of 2015. Since then the series as grown to five books with the sixth one coming to fruition as we speak. 

A Demon’s Witch, was born in a hair salon from a song. What if the hairdresser is really a ruggedly handsome demon overlord. What if a powerful witch breezed into his salon and the attraction was undeniable? What if the salon is multi-species catering to mortals and paranormal creatures alike is located in Washington DC? Adds a new dimension to our concept of DC, doesn’t it? Join the adventure of Bruce and Angie, an entertaining escape from the ordinary world! This spicy romance has it all intrigue, humor, thrills, danger and a splash of magic to keep you on the edge of your seat. 

 

Click on the cover to read more or purchase!

A bit about 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 sneak peek between the pages of A Demon’s Witch:

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.

“Hold your breath and don’t open the door or windows. The influx of fresh air will spread the poison.” He hissed though his teeth not daring to take a breath.

Air pressure inside the vehicle changed, Angie’s head felt like it was going to explode. “Bruce.” She whispered into his mind, a benefit of being mated.

“I know, just a few seconds more, I’ve got it handled.” His deep smooth voice floated reassuringly in her mind, as he reached over caressing her shoulder.

The pressure eased and the red mist sucked in on itself disappearing along with the oozing liquid. He pulled the arrow from the headrest, fingering the hole in the upholstery.

Through gritted teeth, Bruce growled. “His first mistake was that he missed me. His second deadly mistake was he risked your life. That is unforgivable.” Those two things also told Bruce that Tristian wasn’t thinking clearly, fury was coloring his judgment. That gave Bruce an edge, though the attack caught him off guard. He hadn’t expected Tristian’s attack to put his sister at risk.

The console between them lowered to seat level. He hoped to add  fuel to the fury burning inside Tristian. Bruce put his arm around Angie’s waist and pulled her against him, his lips pressed against hers then gently covered her mouth as his tongue traced the soft fullness of her lips. He drew back, touched his lips to hers again trailing them down to the pulsing hollow of her neck and whispered, “You’re going into the shop now, Willow is waiting just on the other side of the door. Please stay there, you’ll be able to remain in my mind just don’t interfere. I need your presence there as a calming one. Willow can help you.”

“I don’t understand.”

“I know, there wasn’t time to explain how everything works and I’m not exactly sure myself. Only that I can feel you in my mind and I assume you can feel me in yours.”

“Yes, it’s a weird sensation,” Angie said a tremor in her voice.

“We’ll learn together to use it to our benefit, now is as good a time as any to practice.”

She snorted, “Sure, our lives are on the line. No big deal.” She threw up her hands.

 

Pssst… While you’re here, don’t forget to check out my paranormal romance/mysteries click  here.

This is a blog hop! Visit all the Book Hooks from #MFRWHooks – Your next GREAT read is waiting!

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A Vampire’s Unlikely Alliance – Not Your Usual Vampire Tale

Third installment of A Demon’s Witch Series nominated in the category ROMANCE/PARANORMAL/FANTASY/DEMONS & DEVILS & ANGELS – SERIES for PARANORMAL ROMANCE GUILD’S REVIEWERS BEST OF 2018!  A VAMPIRE’S UNLIKELY ALLIANCE voted best Romance Novel in Critters Preditors & Editors Readers Pole in December 2017.

How it all began. During a camping trip we stayed right smack dab in the middle of Glacier National Park. At night around the campfire under a full moon you could hear the wolves howl and the coyotes call. I imagined a vampire running through the bush over the trails, but it couldn’t be an ordinary vampire. And who would he meet on the trails?

Stefan, a Native American vampire, was a character from my first book in A Demon’s Witch Series, A Demon’s Witch. It became a best seller five months after its release.  For A Vampire’s Unlikely Alliance, I wanted to write a different vampire tale, so rather than leave him as the Vampire Council’s assassin, I released him from service and he moved to Montana, took a job as the midnight DJ for a small radio station on the outskirts of Glacier National Park.  Different huh? Research for this book was a trip to Glacier National Park and I drew upon my time as a DJ at a local classic rock station KKFM in Colorado Springs. Not to mention several virtual trips to the enchanting land down under, Australia.

Won’t you join Stefan and Brandy on an exciting romantic fantasy where vampires and gryphons, warlocks and demons, witches and faeries walk among us. Some creatures are willing to put aside their differences to work together for the good of man and magic kind, other’s will stand in the way. Makes a GREAT Valentine Gift!

Click on the cover to read more or purchase.

A little about A VAMPIRES UNLIKELY ALLIANCE:

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 unravelling secrets and returning the magic? And even more importantly, will their love survive the trip?

A peek between the pages:

Jumping down from the boulder, he landed silently on the balls of his feet and took off at a dead run, too fast for the human eye to detect. Tonight, his run covered several trails as the full moon rose over the mountain tops. Croaking frogs settled at the edge of a pristine mountain lake while an owl screeched overhead, winging its way through the night sky. This tranquil existence was very different from his previous life. Nevertheless, the premonitions that kept him alive as an assassin made him feel that things were about to change.

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.”

Available at Amazon   Amazon UK , Amazon AU, itunes,  Walmart.com and Barnes & Noble.

About the Author:

Many times I’ve been asked why write romance, I like the happily ever after aspect. I want to whisk a person away from the everyday to a magic world they won’t want to leave.

For me crafting a romance is all about RESPECT, TRUST and LOVE. Only most of my characters are of the paranormal persuasion. I want to create a memorable love story with spice and adventure.  Characters that will grab hold of your heart and hang on long after you’ve read the last word and closed the book with a satisfied sigh.

See you next week!

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Interview Kathryn Troy Author of Dreams of Ice and Shadow

Give a warm welcome to Kathryn Troy, Author of Dreams of Ice and Shadow, release date May 18, 2018!

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 Kathryn and her Dreams of Ice and Shadow, book 2 of the Frostbite series!

How about a fun word association speed round so people can get to know you a little better?

“I’m always game, let’s do it.

Speed Round (one word only answer): Yep, I know torture for a writer!<evil laugh>

Favorite movie:  The Omen
Favorite book: Dracula
Last book read: Twin Peaks: The Final Dossier
Favorite color: Black
Stilettos or flipflops: Stilettos
Coffee or tea: Tea
Ebook or audiobook or paperback: Paperback
Pencil or pen: Pencil

Favorite song: “Devour” – Disturbed

Streak or not: Hmmm…

Favorite dessert: Chocolate

Favorite junk food: French Fries

Favorite thing to do to relax: Play video games

Champagne or gin: Champagne

Paranormal or Historical: I couldn’t possibly

Wonder Woman or Top Model: Wonder Woman

Favorite TV show: Xena: Warrior Princess

Hot or cold: Hot

POV: Third

I’d die if I don’t have: my passport

Review or Not: Review

Tell us a little about Dreams of Ice and Shadow;

Luca has discovered his father’s hideout. He hunts the legendary vampire alone, pushing Katelyn away to safety. But Dracula is not so easily bested. He evades Luca so he can tap into Katelyn’s power—the magic that lies at the heart of Icarya. Luca’s heart sinks as his father draws him further and further from his eternal love.

Across the Great Sea, Katelyn is summoned to the slave city Likhan. After the death of Seht Reza, Likhan teeters toward revolution as her nephew Darien seeks the throne. To help him, Kate must work alongside Alaric, the assassin who will stop at nothing to win her back in Luca’s absence. The dark forces mounting against Darien leave Kate vulnerable to the destructive pull of her elemental nature.

Dreams of Ice and Shadow is the heart-stopping second volume of the Frostbite series, where gothic terrors invade epic fantasy. Sinister, unnatural horrors are unleashed, and Katelyn and Luca’s passions burn brighter than ever as the dangers facing Icarya threaten to separate them forever.

How about a sneak peek between the pages of Dreams of Ice and Shadow?

The Indigo Forest was steeped in shadow as the sun sank, staining the waters beyond the cragged slope leading to Cathair. The canopy of the trees pulled closed, a tightly woven net drawing the darkness into its dense center. There, a shape blacker than the forest’s deepest shadows lurked. Two bright lights ringed with a searing, luminescent red darted between thick trunks. Elongated paws crept through underbrush without the resounding crunch of dried leaves and dead grass. The beast stopped in a small clearing and rested on its powerful haunches. Baring its extended canines, the wolf reached its front paw up to its face. The paw separated into pale, prehensile fingers midair and reached into the mouth of a human face. The menacing canines remained. The lycanthrope’s clear eyes, straight nose, and thick dark brows made him the mirror-image of Luca. Or rather, this visage had been Luca’s inheritance. The sole difference was the cold, calculating countenance that was permanent on the shadow’s face.

He retrieved the crystal orb he had carried in his lupine mouth, examining it carefully. He had taken the orb from an abandoned campfire, trying to uncover its secrets, and the path to wielding the untold power he sensed with every fiber of his undead existence.

Dracula had studied for days and nights without end, searching for the clue that would unlock the magic trapped inside the crystalline sphere. Just as he felt he was nearing a breakthrough, his hideaway had been discovered by his son, born of a human mother, and razed to the ground. Luca had also succeeded in destroying Rene, the only consort Dracula had taken since unwittingly tracking his son across the universe and into the magical realm of Icarya. His seething anger was mitigated by his pride.

Despite the setback, the vampire lord seemed to have stumbled upon the very answer he sought. Before Rene’s house had collapsed, the orb had soaked in blood and grown before his eyes. His piercing gaze dissected the orb now, sifting through its murky contents for an explanation. His pupils caught the impression of a quick, slight movement. He rotated it in his palm, but the center of the orb remained stubbornly obfuscated by a pale cloud of plasma.

Tempting fate, the dark prince brought his index finger to his mouth, puncturing the tip and dropping a small quantity of blood onto the orb. The crimson droplet ran down the curve of the orb, filling in a crease in his palm. A moment’s disappointment was stymied as the line written in blood shrank, pulled into the orb by an unseen force. It took a breath, emitting a sound like ice expanding. Dracula peered again into the milky obscurity. This time, he spied an impossibly small, humanoid form.

Elated, Dracula laid the orb at his feet and pulled a small, sharp dagger out of his singed coat. He dug the point into his hand, feeding the orb a continual stream, eyes gleaming as he watched it grow. Sensing his son’s nearness, he withdrew his blade suddenly. Their fated reunion, the meeting that Dracula had planned with such diligence for millennia, was rapidly approaching. Father would soon be ready to face his formidable son. But not yet. He grabbed the sphere, grown too large for him to close his fist around, and evaporated. The cells of his body transformed into waterlogged air, spreading a thick blanket of fog throughout the forest, looking for refuge.

Buy Link: Amazon 

More about the Author:

Kathryn Tory is an historian by day, a novelist and baker by night. Her nonfiction book, The Specter of the Indian: Race, Gender, and Ghosts in American Séances, 1848-1890 was released by SUNY Press in September 2017. So was A Vision in Crimson, the first book in the Frostbite series. Kathryn’s academic expertise in the supernatural and the Gothic inform her fiction at every turn. She lives in New York with hyer husband and two chilluns.

Where to Find Kathryn:

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Kathryn-Troy/e/B06XNJNH7Z

Blog: https://ladybathoryscloset.blogspot.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kathryn.troy

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16571460.Kathryn_Troy

It was wonderful having you with us today.  Please feel free to stop by anytime. Good Luck with Dreams of Ice and Shadow and your Frostbite Series!

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Interview with Susannah Sandlin Author of Illumination

Give a warm welcome to, author of  Illumination, fifth in the Penton Legacy releasing tomorrow, July 11th, 2017! Reserve your copy today!

Pull up a chair, grab a drink of your choice from the cooler, there’s fresh lemonade in the pitcher on the counter.  Choose a Chocolate Chip or Peanut Butter cookie from the plate, and let’s find out a little about Susannah and Illumination!

Susannah, who is your favorite character of all of the books you’ve written and why?

What a hard question! I’m having a mental battle between Mirren Kincaid from the Penton Legacy series (he’s the hero of book two, ABSOLUTION, but appears in all books in the series)—he’s a huge vampire who was a Scottish gallowglass mercenary in his human life in the early 17th century and likes to pretend he’s a huge badass, but he has a wicked sense of humor and a few secrets few people other than his heroine (and the readers) know. I love him for his complexity. His rival for my favorite is the undead French pirate Jean Lafitte, from my Sentinels of New Orleans urban fantasy series (written as Suzanne Johnson). Lafitte was a real historical figure, of course, and was a pirate in New Orleans in the early 1800s. He was a larger-than-life character in reality (think sober Jack Sparrow, only way more deadly); in fiction, bringing him into modern-day New Orleans, he is SO much fun to write. And yeah, what’s not sexy about a dark-haired, blue-eyed French pirate?

Did you tell friends and family that you were writing a book? Or did it take a while to come out and tell friends and family you were a writer?

When I began writing my first novel, I didn’t tell many people—only a couple of close friends, because I wanted their input. I’d never written fiction before and was really having to feel my way through it. It wasn’t until I got an agent and she sold that book to a publisher (the first in the Sentinels of New Orleans urban fantasy series, written as Suzanne Johnson) that I started telling more people. Now, I’m on book number 20 or so, most under my Susannah Sandlin pen name, and I think it’s all just ho-hum for them. A new book is always exciting to me, though!

Why do you write what you write?  Ie. Contemporary, paranormal,  suspense, etc.

I write paranormal romance, urban fantasy, and romantic suspense—all of them are similar, with a lot of action and big emotional transformations for the characters (who might be human…or might not). I think I gravitate toward “high concept” stories with big emotional character arcs because I’m fascinated with human nature and how people who are forced to face their biggest fears respond to those challenges. I like to see what happens when people from different backgrounds and cultural mindsets are forced to rethink their belief systems and see them from someone else’s point of view. I think paranormal fantasy and romantic suspense both really play to those ideas. I like to see how people respond when their backs are to the wall and they can either give up, change, or fight. (Yes, I do torture my characters!)

What do you like to do when you are not writing?

I enjoy doing mixed-media art. Give me some graphite, charcoal, acrylic, watercolor, and gesso, and I can keep myself happy for hours. I work primarily in journals and have become addicted to all the wonderful online mixed-media classes out there! It’s a good thing I’m not that talented or I’d never stop painting long enough to write!

Illumination is the fifth book in Penton Legacy, tell is little about Nic and Illumination.

Nik wants to escape his family curse. Shay wants to change the world. Together, they are the only hope to save the vampires of Penton.
What’s the story about?
He came to Penton seeking peace. Nik Dimitrou joined the Army to escape his family legacy, only to have his psychic abilities exploited as a weapon. Now, as a civilian, he turns to the bottle to veil the images that haunt his mind whenever he touches anyone—except vampires. With them, he has finally found a home. But as Penton, Alabama, moves into open warfare with the Vampire Tribunal, Nik finds himself a linchpin in the deepening conflict, not to mention facing a transformation in his own body more frightening than anything he’s encountered before.
She wanted to change the world. Shay Underwood watched her Peace Corps parents move from one third world country to another—until both died following an outbreak of fever. Driven to her own career in tropical medicine, Shay works in New Orleans to cure the disease that killed her parents—until a careless weekend outing draws her into a world far more dangerous than the diseases she studies: a vampire society engaged in human trafficking and on the verge of all-out war.
Two cities, two strangers, one world. With Penton rebellion leader Aidan Murphy making risky choices and chief vampire lieutenant Mirren Kincaid forced to take a leadership role in Penton, it will fall to two outsiders, Nik and Shay, to find a way for the town—and themselves—to survive in this much-anticipated conclusion to the multiple award-winning Penton Legacy series.
                                                                   

 A peek between the pages of Illumination:

“Right then. We have an obscenely large vehicle on the other side of that brick wall,” Cage said. “Archer or Nik should be able to help you over. Once I’m sure you’re in the car and locked up tight, I’ll collect Robin and Glory from the cemetery entrance and we’ll all be on our way back to Penton.”

Shay bit her lip. She had absolutely no reason to go to Penton, wherever the hell it was. Her home and life and work were here in New Orleans. She knew she’d have to be careful, but now that the breeding house was broken up and Jonathan was dead, the vampires and their minions had no reason to come after her. Whatever feelings Shay had nursed for Nik Dimitrou in high school, they were long dead. Gorgeous only took a person so far. Besides, he was a vampire.

She’d wait until they got her out of this cemetery, though, to decline her visit to Vampire Central. Maybe the handsome cat boy would drop her off somewhere. But where? She had no money or identification with her. She didn’t even have the keys to her own apartment or lab.

Maybe a police station. They could come up with a plausible story for her disappearance. Maybe even name Simon as her kidnapper, and the warehouse location. Let the authorities make of it what they would.

Shay was distracted by the sight of Archer leaping to the top of the brick wall behind the Le Boeuf crypt, followed closely by Nik. Her old classmate might be injured and hungry, but that wall had given him no challenge. Shay wasn’t sure she could climb over it without a sturdy ladder on a good day. Today had not been a good day except that she hadn’t died.

Nik reached down and motioned to Shay. “C’mon, let’s get out of here.”

Shay looked at the wall, at Nik, and back at the wall. “I don’t think you can lift me. You’re hurt.”

“Trust me.” Nik grinned, giving Shay a glimpse of an older, even more handsome version of the boy she’d known so many years ago. She’d thought she loved that boy; this man, though….was a vampire. Don’t forget that, idiot.

She nodded, dried her hands on her jeans as much as she could, and reached up toward Nik. He leaned over, wrapped strong fingers around both of her wrists, and lifted her to the top of the wall with what seemed like little effort, setting her down beside him.

“Swing your legs over, and I’ll lower you down the other side. Or I can leap down with you in my arms.” His grin widened, and her heart beat double-time when their gazes locked. Vampire. He’s a freaking vampire. He’s a freaking vampire involved in a war with other freaking vampires. You cannot trust him. Lust, yes. Trust, no.

“Whatever you do, would you please move your arses?” Cage stood beneath them. “I’m getting soaked and—”

A loud pop sounded from the Washington Avenue end of the cemetery, followed by a splintering noise and another pop pop. Shay had lived in New Orleans long enough to recognize the sound of gunfire.

You can find Illumination at:  Amazon    Goodreads  

 
About the Author:
Susannah Sandlin writes award-winning paranormal romance, including the popular Penton Legacy series for Montlake Romance, and romantic suspense and thrillers, including two series, The Collectors and Wilds of the Bayou, also for Montlake. Writing as Suzanne Johnson, she writes the Sentinels of New Orleans urban fantasy series for Tor Books. Suzanne grew up in Alabama halfway between the Bear Bryant Museum and Elvis’s birthplace and lived in New Orleans for fifteen years, so she has a refined sense of the absurd and an ingrained love of college football and fried gator on a stick. She currently lives in Auburn, Alabama, where she is a full-time author who does copy editing on the side through Reedsy.com.
Twitter: @SusannahSandlin, @Suzanne_Johnson

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It was wonderful having you with us today, Susannah!  Please feel free to stop by anytime. Good Luck with Illumination.

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