Foot Loose and Fancy Free on an RV Adventure
A different Sunday Snippet. Las Vegas, Santa Fe and Zion National Park our First RV Adventure after retirement.Whew what a year 2024. First let me explain. In December of 2023, my husband finally retired. Yippee. We had planned RV travel for years that we couldn’t complete in one or two weeks in our 38 foot fifth wheel trailer. Figured we wait until retirement, then we’d be footloose and fancy free!
We began in April, 2024. We spent three weeks traveling to Las Vegas, in and around Santa Fe and Zion National Park.
Santa Fe was our first stop on our RV Adventure – There are several good restaurants in Santa Fe. In fact its one of the reasons we stopped in Santa Fe on our way to Las Vegas. We would have tried out more but the parking is difficult towards downtown, narrow streets and small parking places. 
Then it was time to gather up our stuff and point the truck and trailer towards Las Vegas.
In Las Vegas, we stopped to visit with friends for a few days. My how their Desert Tortoises had grown. Their habitat took up half okay, maybe only one-third of our friend’s back yard. WOW!
It was unbelievably hot, in the upper 90’s, according to our standards, but not theirs. We’re cold weather people.
Which is why we are having trouble planning a visit to the Arches. By April it’s in the 90s. Walking around looking at rock formations in over 90 degree weather isn’t high on my list. But traveling from Colorado to Utah in February and March, when the weather is cooler, is a recipe for snowy disaster. LOL Especially, with the wild weather swings Mother Nature is creating. But we will figure it out.
Zion National Park was interesting. The rock formations were more varied in color than in Colorado. But I guess having lived all my life in Colorado, I was a little under whelmed by Zion National Park. But I’m glad we went there and saw the area, which did have a nice KOA Campground. So for now, I’ll leave you with pictures of Zion. Enjoy. Next week our second RV Adventure into the midwest, South Dakota, and Wyoming. Please check back.
n celebration of Spring, This week’s Sunday Snippet is the award-winning Raven’s Hollow Spring Magic. Pssst… It’s on sale for .99 cents for a limited time. 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 Raven’s Hollow Spring Magic. Second book in the Raven’s Hollow Series.
Let’s take a peek at what Raven’s Hollow Spring Magic is about. Only #99cents!
Spring is in full bloom in Raven’s Hollow, a small town in the Colorado Rockies with a population of unique townspeople. Blaze, a dragon shifter, and Wynter, a witch, are neck-deep in wedding preparations, when Wynter’s mother, Jade, goes missing after opening her new antique store, and attending the Simon estate sale where she procured an ancient jelly bean machine. Frantic with worry, Blaze and Wynter track her last movements via the store’s ancient, grainy, security footage. What it reveals is nothing short of shocking. As deputy sheriff, it’s Blaze’s responsibility to find his soon-to-be mother-in-law. But at what cost?
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Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog, My Say What Blog by Tena Stetler with 1 comment.
Super Bowl Sunday Snippet Plus
As anticipation builds for #SuperBowl 59, fans are already abuzz about its anticipated matchups, halftime show, and memorable commercials. This year’s championship game promises to be an unforgettable event, showcasing not only American football at its peak, but also an array of culture, history, and entertainment. Kickoff is at 6:30 p.m. EST in New Orleans, Sunday, February 9, 2025 .Here’s a few Super Bowl Sunday Fun Snippets!The first Super Bowl was played January 15, 1967 in Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, California. The National Football League champion Green Bay Packers defeated the American Football League champion Kansas City Chiefs by the score of 35–10.
According to Restaurant Ware, next to Thanksgiving, the Super Bowl is the second most popular day to order take-out food. An estimated 48 million (1 in 7 Americans) are projected to order take-out. Pizza accounts for about 60% of take-out orders. Yep that’ s me Pizza. Only I make my own.
Another popular food is chicken wings, an estimated 1.25 billion will be eaten on Super Sunday. In addition, 19.4 million pounds of chips (potato and tortilla) are purchased. Nearly 140,000 pounds of avocados are purchased for guacamole dips. (Mexico is exporting 110,000 tons of avocados.) For Super Bowl weekend 325.5 million gallons of beer (50 million cases) will be drunk. Super Sunday is the second most popular day of the year to grill after the Fourth of July.
In last year’s Super Bowl, the American Gaming Association estimated 68 million Americans had wagered over $23 billion on the game. Wagering on Super Bowl LIX is expected to be greater.
Kendrick Lamar will headline the halftime show at the Super Bowl. Lamar has won 22 Grammy Awards (including five this week), third most for any rapper.
Louisiana native Jon Batiste, a Golden Globe winner, Oscar winner and Grammy Award winner for album of the year in 2022, will sing the national anthem.
Trombone Shorty and Christian singer Lauren Daigle will collaborate on “America the Beautiful,”
Ledisi will perform “Lift Every Voice and Sing.”
Worldwide, the Super Bowl is expected to be available in more than 180 countries.
As reported by Nielsen, the average audience for last year’s Super Bowl was 123.7 million, setting a record. The Super Bowl aired on CBS and Univision as well as streamed on Paramount+ and other platforms.
The “Taylor Swift Effect”, last year females accounted for a record 47.5% of the total Super Bowl audience. Females age 18-24 had a year-over-year growth in viewing of +24%. Taylor Swift has been dating Kansas City’s Travis Kelce and, once again, is expected to be a spectator at Super Bowl LIX.
Last but not least, did you know that Andy Reid is the winningest head coach for both teams. Before joining the Chiefs in 2013, Reid had been the head coach at Philadelphia from 1999 to 2012.
Will you be watching?
So there you have it. Now on to the regularly scheduled Sunday Snippet the award-winning A Vampire’s Unlikely Alliance Not what you’ve come to expect from a Vampire Tale! Join Stefan and Brandy for an exciting romantic fantasy where magic may save the day. But will it be too late?
How A Vampire’s Unlikely Alliance all began. You know my family loves to camp. Right? We have visited a great number of the State and National Parks. We’ll spend time in more this year. 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 sing. 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.
A little about A VAMPIRE’S 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 of A VAMPIRE’S UNLIKELY ALLIANCE:
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.”
Pretending to pant, he shrugged, holding his palms up in surrender. “Just trying to get my run in before work. Stefan Talltree, at your service.” He stepped closer, leaned over in an exaggerated bow, and caught her hand, brushing his lips over the palm and wrist, inhaling her sweet scent. AB negative with a pulse of adrenaline. Perfect. Her pulse beat a tattoo against his lips. He backed away.
Her heart thundered as she drew her hand from his grasp. “The name’s Brandy. Pleased to meet you, Stefan.” Her smile reached up into her bright eyes as they swept over him with an appreciative glance, an experience he enjoyed.
Her voice had a hint of Irish lilt to it. He liked that too.
“Where do you work that requires you to report in at—” She glanced at her watch. “—midnight?”
Nostrils flaring, he paused. Blood? Not hers. The sound of Brandy’s voice brought his attention back to her and the situation at hand. “Oh, shit, I’ve gotta go!” He sprinted off, leaving her standing alone.
As he started down the trail, the tree branches swayed in the silvery moonlight, casting eerie shadows across the trail’s edge. The breeze brought with it the coppery scent of fresh blood mixed with sulfur. He turned for one last look at her as she wrinkled her nose before silently creeping into the wind, tracking the source of the stench.
Available at Amazon Amazon UK , Amazon AU, itunes, and Barnes & Noble.
I hope you enjoyed this weeks Snippet! Be sure and check back for another Sunday Snippet next week!
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Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog, My Say What Blog and tagged A Vampire's Unlikely Alliance, Shapeshifters, Super Bowl Sunday Snippet, Tena Stetler, Vampire, Witches by Tena Stetler with comments disabled.
Charm Me, for Valentine’s Day-Sunday Snippet
Before I share this week’s Sunday Snippet Charm Me, I’d like to share a few fun Valentine’s Day Facts:A few fun Valentine’s Day Facts.
15% of U.S. women send themselves flowers on Valentine’s Day.
73% of people who buy flowers for Valentine’s Day are men, while only 27 percent are women.
Did you know that approximately one billion Valentine’s Day cards are exchanged each year. That’s the largest seasonal card-sending occasion of the year, next to Christmas.
About 3% of pet owners will give Valentine’s Day gifts to their pets. Ok, I admit that I’m one of those people. But your pet’s unconditional love everyday of the year is worth it. Don’t you think?
Cupid, another symbol of Valentines Day, became associated with it because he was the son of Venus, the Roman god of love and beauty. Cupid often appears on Valentine cards holding a bow and arrows because he is believed to use magical arrows to inspire feelings of love.
In Wales, wooden love spoons were carved and given as gifts on February 14th. Hearts, keys and keyholes are favorite decorations on the spoons. The decoration meant, “You unlock my heart!”
Only the U.S., Canada, Mexico, France, Australia and the U.K. celebrate Valentine’s Day.
As you know, I am a paranormal romance and cozy mystery writer For me crafting a romance is all about RESPECT, TRUST and LOVE, always with a touch of magic. 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, sorry to see the story end.
Looking for a fun and flirty Valentines Day gift in ebook or audobook? CHARM ME is the perfect answer! To sweeten the pot, e-book on SALE for 99 Cents for a limited time.
CHARM ME is a Candy Hearts Romance. My publishing house, THE WILD ROSE PRESS did a call for stories surrounding the sayings on little candy hearts available around Valentine’s Day. I love those things, especially the SweetTart version. You remember those, right? Sounded like fun. I chose Charm Me obviously. LOL
At the time, I was taking a concealed carry permit class as well as taking my dog, Mystic, to agility classes. These two activities actually formed the story.
In Mystic’s class there was a yoga instructor with her dog. She had just purchased a yoga studio. An idea popped into to head the next night on the way to CCP class, what if a yoga instructor met a gun club owner and hit it off? Talk about an unlikely pair. Huh?
Since I write paranormal romance I stirred in a little magic creating the yoga instructor, Summer, as an elemental witch. And well, gun club owner, Devlin has secrets of his own. Set in Colorado Springs and Divide, Colorado, Charm Me was born. This fun and flirty Candy Hearts Romance makes the perfect Valentine’s Day gift. Available in e-book and audio book.
What’s Charm Me about?
Summer Dawn Riley’s an extraordinary elemental witch whose troubled past haunts her. She’s created a calm life for herself teaching yoga and keeping people at a distance. Her life takes a one eighty degree turn when she enrolls in a women’s weapons class and meets ruggedly handsome Devlin Sawyer.
Devlin, a former Navy Seal, has sworn off women after two long-term failed relationships, but there is no denying his attraction to Summer. She intrigues him like no other woman ever has. Despite her attempts to ignore him, Summer is drawn to Devlin. His magic signature is strong, but he’s no warlock. Will Valentine’s Day magic find them a future together?
A peek between the pages of Charm Me:
The corner of her mouth turned up in a half smile. “Witches talents are varied, spell casters, potions experts, seers, you get the picture.”
Bits and pieces of the dream fluttered through is mind. “What about dream weaving?” He asked, voice calm as he stole another sideways glance and shot her an encouraging smile.
She narrowed her eyes. “Why do you ask?”
“Just curious.” He shrugged and turned his attention to the road. Clouds obscured the sun and large fluffy snowflakes fell on the windshield and melted.
“Its a ability I’ve only heard about,” she replied, eyes narrowed.
One brow raised, he asked, “You don’t happen to have a fairy tat on your lower back?”
“How do you know that?” she demanded.
“I believe we shared a dream early this morning.” I would have loved to spent more time in that dream.
“That’s impossible.”
He glanced over at her again and her entire face and neck were red. “Really? The dream was sensual, but the fleeting scenes–I didn’t understand at the time but tried to comfort you. They make sense now. The ash was the vampire. You lit her up?”
Summer opened and shut her mouth several times then stammered, “How is that possible. How can you be so… about her demise?”
“Nothing wrong with protecting your own in my book. Magic creatures live and die by a different set of rules than regular people.
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Amazon, Amazon UK, Amazon AU, Amazon CA, Barnes&Noble, itunes, Audible, and Kobo
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Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog, My Say What Blog and tagged Charm Me, fantasy, Paranormal Romance/Mystery, Shapeshifters, Tena Stetler, Valentines Day, Valentines Day Fun Facts, Witches by Tena Stetler with comments disabled.
Happy New Year, Welcome 2025!
From our house to yours, wishing and hoping that 2025 is a prosperous, healthy & Happy New Year year. One filled with love, laughter, and light!
Be sure and check out my Paranormal Mystery/Romances before moving on! Also check out whether or not New Year’s Resolutions are in my future.
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Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog, My Say What Blog and tagged 2025, Happy New Year, Paranormal Romance Tena Stetler, Tena Stetler by Tena Stetler with 1 comment.
