Valentine’s Day – Hearts Abound!
This week I am joining the Awesome Bewitching Authors Valentine Hop February 6 – 14th. Lots of giveaways, and a chance to win $50.00 GC in the Rafflecopter below. Don’t forget to enter!
What do you think of when you think of Valentine’s Day? A romantic getaway? A dozen long-stemmed roses in her favorite color? Jewelry, you know diamonds are a girl’s best friend.
What about the everyday love. Day in and day out you and your significant other forge a bond together. Through hard times, no one escapes these. Great times, there are always a number of these. And regular comfortable times when it’s enough to watch a football game, enjoy a movie and popcorn with your best friend and soul mate.
Sometimes I wonder if all the hype on Valentine’s day wouldn’t best be served with a moment of reflection on that person that makes you happy and what special thing would 
return the favor. Don’t get me wrong, candy, cards and flowers are nice, but when they are all gone, that special moment you created will last forever.
Keep reading for a chance at my giveaway.
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.
This year will see my fifth book published, A Warlock’s Secrets, second in my Demon’s Witch series. My romance novels spin adventures of magical kick-ass women and mystical alpha males that dare to love them.
40% off sale. Limited time! Looking for a fun and flirty romance for this Valentine’s Day, try Charm Me, my Candy Hearts Romance. Sparks fly when a retired Navy SEAL, Devlin Sawyer who now owns a state of the art gun club meets Summer Riley, a yoga instructor. She signs up for a women’s gun class but gets more than she bargains for. Their attraction is immediate, but both have dark secrets they’d rather not share. Will love find a way on Valentine’s Day? 40% Off at The Wild Rose Press
For a chance to win an e-book of one of my books, your choice, leave a comment about your best Valentine’s Day. UPDATE, Judith Sterling is the winner of an ecopy of A Witch’s Journey!
Now hop on over to the other Awesome Bewitching Authors sites listed below. Have Fun!
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Posted in My Say What Blog and tagged Awesome Bewitching Authors, Charm Me, Giveaways, Hearts Abound, Valentine's Day Facts, Valentines Day by Tena Stetler with 13 comments.
Well… How Goes the New Year’s Resolutions or Goals?
Well, January is nearly over, so starts the new year! Resolutions or goals, how are you doing? Me, I’m doing pretty well, keeping up my word count to acceptable levels. Yeah! Moving forward on A Warlock’s Secrets, waiting on cover art and pre-galley, should have a release date this spring. You’ll be the first to know.
I’m putting the finishing touches on the third and fourth books in the Demon’s Witch series. Then on to either the sequel to Charm Me or finish up my romantic suspense, Security Force of Two. Then there are still Gwen and Brock from A Witch’s Holiday Wedding rattling around in my mind for their book. We’ll see who wins out. Any suggestions?
Exercising, well that took a nose dive. I was up to 4 days a week, feeling pretty good then way-laid by a terrible cold for the last week where just breathing was a challenge. Hope to return to exercising this week.
Super bowl 51 is set with the Patriots and Falcons. Shame on me, I can’t get excited about either, but hope for outstanding Super Bowl commercials! How about you?
Camping reservations for spring, summer and fall, I’ve done well in that department. Made three, got the spots I wanted and the desired dates, so far so good, only reservations for August left.
Revamped my office, got a second screen so I can keep an eye on email, social media connections, my blog all while working on my WIP on the main screen. Not switching from tab to tab is a major time saver for me.
Fun and games abound starting February 6th with the Valentine’s Day Blog Hop I am participating in. Be sure and check back for prizes, free books, chances to win gift cards and great Valentine tales. Looking for something for that special someone, a Candy Hearts Romance is just the thing and they’re 40% off for a limited time.My Candy Hearts Romance, Charm Me is a fun and flirty paranormal romance you’ll love. http://catalog.thewildrosepress.com/all-titles/3694-charm-me.html
If you are looking for heartwarming tales of redemption, magic, wildlife rescue, true love and paying it forward that will leave you breathless. A Witch’s Journey and the sequel A Witch’s Holiday Wedding. Available from Amazon, Kobo, B&N. 
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Posted in My Say What Blog by Tena Stetler with 10 comments.
WISHING YOU A HAPPY & PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR!
Happy New Year! After Christmas is done and all the decorations are put away, it’s time for reflection. What was accomplished in 2016? What will 2017 bring?
I learned a lot more about the promotion side of the publishing business and the importance of social media. My Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Amazon Author page and Goodreads Author accounts are brimming with activity. If you get a moment, check them out.
Author’s Secrets roared to life in 2016, it’s my second blog and welcomes a wide variety of authors, their new releases, character interviews and conversations about the craft of writing. Stop by discover some interesting tidbits and find your next great read.
Once again I challenged myself in National Novel Writing Month which happens in November (NaNoWriMo) I succeeded in completing 56,700 words in thirty days. I love the camaraderie with hundreds of other writers all over the world and it usually results in a good start on my next novel. This year was no exception. Woohoo!
In 2016, I finally got a handle on the process of creating fun, informative, and well formatted newsletters. It’s not as easy as it looks. My author newsletter goes out quarterly, with updates, contests and recipes. Feel free to sign up.
What’s up for 2017? I’m glad you asked. My fifth book, A Warlock’s Secrets will release early in the year. Hopefully, the third and fourth books in the series will follow in 2017. I hope we have no more softball size hail storms. That was an adventure I’d rather not repeat. A trip to Disneyland and Universal Studios is planned for our milestone wedding anniversary. Yep, Star Wars and Harry Potter fan here.
Believe it or not I’ve already made a few camping reservations for the spring and summer. In Colorado, if you don’t get reservations early (six months from arrival date) you’re out of luck in a lot of the state and national parks.
I continue to strive to reach my goal of 5000 – 7,000 words a week, which I did manage to meet (barely) in 2016. Spend quality time with my family and friends, take long walks with my dog and more play-time with my parrot. I am determined to find a way to reduce stress and take control of my life. (Yeah, right. Sounds good though.) And lastly, work at being more patient, that has never been my strong suit.
How was your 2016? Did it meet your expectations? What about 2017? Any resolutions, changes you want to make, plans or vacations you want to take or do? Please leave comments as to what you are looking forward to in 2017!
Wishing you a safe, heath, prosperous and Happy New Year!
Next we tackle Valentine’s Day, camping plans and Spring. See you then.
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Posted in Food for Thought, Holidays, My Say What Blog by Tena Stetler with 2 comments.
Christmas & Holiday Traditions
Fun things about Christmas is traditions. Take for instance, the Land Down Under, because, well, someday I want to visit there, just
probably not at Christmas. The English and Irish predominately settled Australia so it stands to reason their traditions reflect those countries. Aussie’s decorate their homes with ferns, palm leaves and evergreens along with blooming flowers of Christmas Bush and Christmas Bell Flower. It’s summer time in December down under, when most of the United States is looking forward to big flakes and blankets of snow for a white Christmas. Carols by Candlelight is one of the popular events in Australia. People come together under the stars at night to light candles and sing Christmas carols. Seems to me, it’s not far from our own tradition of Christmas carolers. I just can’t imagine Christmas without snow, that’s why I live in Colorado.
Because I am of Swedish descent, let’s take a peek at Christmas traditions in Sweden where in December the days are quite short, the nights 
long and the ground is usually snow-covered. The Christmas season begins at church on the first Sunday of Advent, which is the fourth Sunday before Christmas. Children use an Advent calendar to keep track of the first day of December until Christmas, just like some of ours do. Each morning, they open a flap in the calendar’s Christmas scene to see the charming picture behind it. This year, I have a modern Advent calendar on my computer and enjoy a surprise behind each door daily.
My husband is part Native American. The European settlers had a large influence on Native American culture. The Winter Solstice has always been a reverent time for Native people all over the world during the Christmas season. It’s a time to offer gratitude, honor family and ancestors, and follow a ritual observance of beliefs. A few days before Solstice, members of various tribes create prayer sticks to honor an ancestor or native deity. They plant the sticks during a ceremony on the Solstice.
For many Native Americans, continuing cultural and historical integrity is extremely importance. Without this focus, the “old ways” would become only a memory. Therefore, many tribal members choose to combine European Christmas traditions like holiday trees and mangers with native customs including dances to honor Indian heritage as well as Christian beliefs.
As for my family’s traditions: The weekend after Thanksgiving, we put up the Christmas tree and decorations inside and out. Weather permitting. Trust me, climbing around on a wet, icy roof is not a smart idea. Our tree is not real but it looks great complete with pine cones and needles. We have artificial because I’m allergic. <sigh>
We pack everyone, pets included, in the SUV and drive around enjoying the Christmas light displays with mugs of hot cocoa in hand. Watching Christmas 
movies throughout 
December is tradition but so is making candy such as Divinity, Fantasy Fudge and Beaver Dams. What are Beaver Dams, you ask. Well, take a package of butterscotch chips, melt them in a double boiler, stir in half-package of crispy Chow Mein Noodles and one-half can of cocktail peanuts. Spoon the concoction by tablespoon full onto foil and let set. They look like beaver dams hence the name. YUMMY.
What traditions does your family observe on Christmas Eve and Day? Or during the month of December? I look forward to hearing from you.
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Posted in Holidays, My Say What Blog and tagged Christmas, Christmas Lights, Holidays, homemade candy, Traditions by Tena Stetler with 4 comments.
