Authors' Secrets Blog Archives - Page 34 of 220

Mar 26th A Demon’s Witch – Sunday Snippet

Good Morning and welcome to Author’s Secrets Sunday Snippet. Pull up a chair, grab a drink of your choice from the cooler, a Chocolate Chip or Peanut Butter cookie from the plate and enjoy the snippet from the best seller A Demon’s Witch. First book in the award-winning A Demon’s Witch Series.

First let’s take a peek at what A Demon’s Witch is about.

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.

Check out the series book trailers.

A snippet from 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.

Thanks for joining me for the Sunday Snippet. I hope you enjoyed a little peek into A Demon’s Witch. See you next week for another Sunday Snippet!

Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged A Demon's Witch, A Demon's Witch Series, fantasy, magic, Paranormal Romance/Mystery, romantic suspense, Tena Stetler, Vampire, Witches by Tena Stetler with comments disabled.

Mar 19th Security Force of Two -Sunday Snippet

Sunday Snippet Special-release day is tomorrow!! WooHoo!! Hold onto your hats SECURITY FORCE OF TWO bursts onto the scene on the first day of Spring! First book in my new Mountain Town Mysteries Series. A riveting #paranormal #romance, #mystery, Psst…its available for pre-order NOW, arriving, Monday, March 20, 2023! Great way to celebrate Spring. A former CIA agent and a Special Forces vet return to their small hometown for different reasons none of which includes involvement in an investigation of the new police chief’s murder.

A little about Security Force of Two:

Miacoh Zane, a Special Forces veteran, returns to Aspen Ridge, Colorado a small town nestled in the Rocky Mountains, to settle his beloved grandmother’s estate. But the town holds painful memories and family secrets he wants to leave behind for good.

Candle Bearclaw, a gifted computer analyst/programmer with talents she’s buried when recruited out of college by the CIA. After fifteen years, she abruptly resigns her position with the agency. She returns to her sleepy hometown only to discover her childhood crush has also returned and a violent crime has been committed.

Due to their covert operations experience, Candle and Miacoh are thrown together to assist Homeland Security, FBI, and her father, former chief of police, with a murder investigation. As they search for the perpetrators, will their secrets be revealed as the investigation takes an unusual twist that could blow the case wide open.

A new peek between the pages of Security Force of Two: New Hook

When she drove up the circle driveway, a chill shot up her spine, then a strange feeling came over her, almost like someone was watching. Reaching under the seat of her SUV, she pulled out her handgun, checked the weapon to make sure it was loaded, chambered a round, and tucked it in the back waistband of her jeans, covering it with her shirt and jacket. She backed out then drove the entire driveway more slowly, checking the perimeter. Nothing. The cell phone hadn’t chirped to alert her of a breach, but she checked her outside surveillance cameras, then the ones inside her home anyway. Again nothing. She shrugged off the feeling and stepped out of her SUV. Gun drawn, she flicked off the safety and turned on the laser. It didn’t hurt to be safe rather than sorry.

Peeking in the window, she saw the alarm keypad was still set and secure. Then she walked around the house, entered through the back door, closed and relocked it, deactivated the alarm. Nothing was out of place. Part of her wished she’d brought Terrabyte along. Though still young, the pups tracking ability was well-developed. Terra would know if someone were in or around the cabin since they left. Back to the wall, she moved carefully through each room, nothing. When she was sure the house was clear, she sat down at the computer, laying the gun next to it. Warning windows were popped up everywhere on the screen. Someone had tried to hack into her system but hadn’t gotten very far. Closing out the windows one at a time until she found a message planted just under the first layer of security. That is what must have set off the warnings. Her throat went dry as she read the message. “Poking around where you don’t belong is dangerous business. Carl’s death was unfortunate but an accident. Leave it be or pay the consequences.”

Fingers posed over the keyboard. She started to X out of the message but stopped. If this was a disintegrating message, she would have no proof it ever existed. Taking out her cell phone, she took a picture of the screen. The handle on the front door jiggled. She grabbed her gun and jumped up, making her way to the front bay window.

About the Author:

Tena Stetler is an internationally best-selling author of award winning paranormal tales. Some call her crazy others creative. She deals with the voices in her head by writing them down and creating a fantasy world and characters you won’t soon forget. Her books tell tales of magical kick-ass women and mystical alpha males that dare to love them. Travel, adventure, magic, 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 fifty-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.

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

Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged Adventure, Former CIA, Former Special Forces, Mountain Town Mystery Series, Paranormal Romance/Mystery, Security Force of Two, Tena Stetler by Tena Stetler with comments disabled.

Mar 17th Saint Patrick’s Celebrations and Irish Fun Facts

Every year on March 17, the Irish & the Irish-at-heart across around the world celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day. The holiday started out as a religious feast day for the patron saint of Ireland but has become an international festival celebrating Irish culture. From parades and yummy Irish foods

to dancing, and green everywhere you look, its a party. Not this year. Life has become just a little, okay a lot, unpredictable. Better safe than sorry is the mantra this year.

My hometown welcomes Spring with its annual St Patrick’s Day Parade. The celebration started 39 years ago, and this year the Irish downtown celebration and parade is as big as ever! I’m wearing my green! So I am invisiable to the leprechauns. No pinches here. How about you?

I’ve got ten Saint Patrick’s Day fun facts to make you smile!

#1 Did you know that we celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day on the day of the saint’s death, March 17th. He spent most his life converting pagans of Ireland to Christianity. His entrance to heaven was March 17, 461AD.

#2. How about this, Saint. Patrick wasn’t even Irish, nor was he born in Ireland. His parents were Roman citizens living in either England, Scotland or Wales, the scholars can’t agree which country, there’s something unusual, NOT.

#3. Here’s a shocker, Saint Patrick was a slave. He had the misfortune of being kidnapped at sixteen years old by Irish raiders. They sold him as a slave. For several years he herded sheep and learned about the Irish people. By age twenty-two, he’d escaped and made his way to a monastery in England.

#4. Ever wonder why the shamrock became part of St. Patrick’s Day celebrations? Because, Saint Patrick used the shamrock to preach about trinity. Now whether it was supposed to represent faith, hope and love or the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, remains a mystery. However, St Patrick must have been quite the inspirational speaker because Ireland’s pagan rulers at the time quickly converted to Christianity.

#5. Supposedly, St. Patrick drove all the snakes from Ireland. But I have to ask, if it was the reptiles “snakes” referred to or… a more figurative reference meaning pagan practices and their religious beliefs. I find it interesting to note that there isn’t any evidence that snakes, the reptile, ever existed in Ireland. Seems the weather is too cool for snakes to survive. This is all conjecture on my part, having never been to Ireland, but it’s on my bucket list!

#6. Everyone knows the color associated with St. Patrick’s Day is Green. Right? Not so fast. Originally the color blue represented St. Patrick. He was depicted in artwork wearing blue vestments. Also King Henry VII used the Irish harp in gold on a blue flag to represent the country. However, now days green is associated with Ireland, maybe due to the plentiful rainfall, creating the green countryside. Today, many refer to Ireland as the “Emerald Isle”.

#7. Nope, the Shamrock is not the symbol of Ireland. Surprised you didn’t I? Actually, since the medieval period, the harp has represented the nation. King Henry VII as early as 1534 used the harp on coins. Later the harp appeared on Irish flags, and Irish coats of arms. During Ireland’s struggle for freedom, the Irish people used harps on flags during rebellions against England. In 1921, Ireland became an independent country and adopted the harp as the national symbol.

#8. Did you know there are more Irish in the United States than in Ireland? ‘Tis true. No blarney. They may not all be pure-blood Irish, but of Irish ancestry just the same. Mixed ancestry could be due to the troubled history of Ireland and millions of Irish left the country for the US during the potato famine in Ireland. This exodus continued through most of the 19th century until the economic boom of the 1990’s, when more Irish stayed in their native country rather than searching for better opportunities abroad.

#9. What is your drink of choice on St. Patrick’s Day? A Shamrock milkshake? Green Beer? Bet you didn’t know that from 1903 to 1970, Irish law declared St. Patrick’s Day a religious holiday. That meant that all the pubs were shuttered for the day. In 1970 the law was overturned and St. Patrick’s became a national holiday, allowing the beer to flow once again.

#10. Bet you don’t know what the odds of finding a four-leaf clover are. I do, approximately 1 in 10,000. That’s way better than the lottery, may the luck of the four-leaf clover flow your way on this Saint Patrick’s Day!

How about a little luck of the Irish adventure? A MAGIC REDEMPTION – Synn has extraordinary magic and power. Could she really be descended from the elite Guardians Guild made up of magical creatures formed over a millennium ago in Ireland? Leave your ordinary world behind. Be swept into a magical fantasy adventure you won’t want to leave. Download your copy today! http://a.co/d/hQ2qTXa

Click on the cover to read more or purchase!

Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog, Holidays by Tena Stetler with 2 comments.

Mar 16th Sea Hunter by D.V. Stone

Give a warm welcome to D.V. Stone, author of Sea Hunter- A Mortar & Pestle Story, pre-order is available now on the entire series. Release date is March 16, 2023

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 D.V., and her Sea Hunter.

A wisp of smoke, a swirl of promise, a breath of destiny…a message within the Mortar & Pestle for those who want to believe. Throughout time people have sought their heart’s desire. But true love is often elusive. Carved with ancient Norse runes, the Mortar & Pestle shows paths to happily-ever-afters. Once you capture the Mortar & Pestle’s scent of magic, you’ll want to read all seven individual romances.

Meet the Group of Talented Authors of Mortar & Pestle

D.V. Stone, Sydney Winward, Jean M. Grant, Marilyn Barr, Shirley Goldberg, Darlene Fredette & Ginny Frost

Sea Hunter:

On the turbulent high seas, an archeologist must protect a historic shipwreck from treasure hunters—not fall for one.

Zahra Corbyn.

I’m a Sea Hunter. As an underwater archeologist and professor of antiquities, it is my duty to stop treasure hunters and looters from raiding Sea Wraith. But fate is a funny thing. Now I find myself working with Jack Alexander, a treasure hunter, to protect history from a known looter. Did my heart’s desire change?

Captain Jack Alexander.

I’ve been told women on a ship are unlucky, but this one has the two pieces of the map I need to finally claim Sea Wraith. Now I find myself in a deal that makes me one-third partner with her and a known scoundrel.

Can the two unlikely allies work together while safeguarding their hearts against the power of the Mortar and Pestle?

If you like Lara Croft and Indiana Jones, you’ll love Zahra Corbyn and Jack Alexander.

Purchase link Sea Hunter https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BRYJLLW1

Link to series https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BS42PKHZ

Link to Free Sample of series https://dl.bookfunnel.com/b1ytv2r7nq

Sea Hunter by DV Stone was an entertaining read with quirky characters, sizzling chemistry, and archeological mystery. Reminds me a little bit of the Indiana Jones Movies with an element of mystical magic. I love magic. I also love an author that immerses you in the story and scenes, so you feel like you are there with the characters experiencing their adventures as they happen.

I enjoyed the banter between the sharp-tongued hero, Jack, and heroine, Zahra, who is always ready to go toe to toe with him. Zahra wants to locate the sunken Sea Wraith for its educational artifacts while Jack is a treasure hunter, purely in it for the money. Who will win or will they share? Purchase a copy of Sea Hunter and find out. No spoilers here.

I highly recommend Sea Hunter to those who enjoy face-paced treasure hunter themed books with snarky and witty repartee between the characters.

Tena Stetler-5-stars

About the Author:

D.V. Stone is an award-winning, multi-genre, traditionally and independently published author. She writes books people want to read. Whether romance or fantasy, contemporary or mid-grade, her stories are about the importance of friends and family. About overcoming obstacles while often with humor.

Around the Fire is a popular weekly blog where she introduces both established and new authors giving an insider’s look into their lives and books as well as tidbits about her own life.

Now retired, she is a full-time author and incorporates her life experiences into her books.

A former Emergency Medical Technician, she volunteered in both New Jersey and Pennsylvania. At the same time, she worked as a professional EMT in a women’s state prison. She was the proprietor of a coffee shop, and a small restaurant/ice cream stand in the years that followed. The years following were as a manager in an animal emergency hospital, while her last position was in a human medical office.

When not behind the wheel of 2Hoots—a 41-foot long 13.2 feet high 5^th Wheel camper, she rambles around town in Northern New Jersey in a white Camaro. She also loves travel and history.

D.V. is a wife to an amazing husband, mother to one son, and not your average grandma to three beautiful grands. A woman of faith, she believes and trusts in God.

“My greatest pleasures are spending time outside with friends and family, cooking over the open fire, sipping a glass of wine, and reading.”

Hali, her rescue dog, always reminds her to let readers know, “Woof, woof.” Which is loosely translated as support your local animal rescue.”

You can learn more about D. V. by following her on social media.

Link Tree For one-stop connections

Website / Amazon Author Page / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram /Pinterest / Bookbub / Goodreads / Newsletter / YouTube / Around the Fire blog

Books by D.V. Stone

Independent Releases

Shield-Mates of Dar Series

Felice

Book one of the Shield-Mates fantasy romance with magic, mayhem, and family devotion.

https://www.amazon.com/Felice-Shield-Mates-Dar-D-V-Stone-ebook/dp/B06XRJGCDF

Kisa

Book two of the Shield-Mates A Fantasy Romance Series where a war between humans and shifters. Sparks and fur fly…Until scales appear. https://www.amazon.com/Kisa-Shield-Mates-Dar-D-V-Stone-ebook/dp/B0BHFBLYLJ

Mid-Grade

Agent Sam Carter Series

The Mystery at Branch Lake https://a.co/bb0HlkS

The Mystery at High Pointe Tower https://a.co/bb0HlkS

By The Wild Rose Press

Impact Series

Rock House Grill

One man’s choices. One woman’s Impact

https://books2read.com/u/49No0k

Jazz House

One woman’s choices. One man’s Impact

https://books2read.com/JazzHouse