A Celebration — 99¢ SALE A WITCH’S JOURNEY
Thanks for stopping by today as I continue my three year anniversary celebration, living the dream, as a published author and as a thank you for my readers. 99¢ Sale for a limited time A Witch’s Journey. Over the new several weeks other books will be on sale also. So watch for them. Many have asked why w rite Romance?I like the happily ever after aspect. I want to whisk my readers away from the everyday to a magic world. My romance books spin the adventures of magical kick-ass women and mystical alpha males that dare to love them. Well, okay there are a few companion animals to round out the tales and enough mystery and suspense to keep you turning pages.
For me crafting a romance is all about RESPECT, TRUST and LOVE with a bit of mystery and magic sprinkled in. Only most of my characters are of the paranormal persuasion. I want to create a memorable love story with spice, travel 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.
I loved writing this book. It’s part of the Lobster Cover Series and the first in my A Witch’s Journey series.
Wildlife rescue and rehab are projects close to my heart. Writing this book was fun because it was set in a small coastal town about wildlife rescue and exciting events. Though there more to both Lathen and Pepper than meets the eye. Their work hard and pay it forward attitude make them some of my favorites.
A Witch’s Journey – It’s about the magic, love and dedication of a witch – wildlife rehabilitator who meets a former Navy SEAL willing and able to make all her dreams come true. Their journey begins with building a wildlife rescue and rehab center, her life-long dream, then falling in love despite the dark secrets neither are willing to share, until someone tries to steal the McKay Magic.
Blurb: Pepper McKay comes from a long line of powerful witches. Unfortunately, magic brings her nothing but trouble. She learned the love of wildlife rescue and rehab from her Aunt Ashling. After graduating from college, Pepper works for Salem Wildlife Sanctuary and lives from paycheck to paycheck until she inherits the McKay property in Lobster Cove. With the family land and resources, she dares to dream of starting her own wildlife rescue and rehabilitation center.
Lathen Quartz, a former Navy SEAL turned handyman maintains the enchanted McKay property for the McKay estate. But someone is trying to steal the McKay magic. Lathen offers to help Pepper achieve her life-long dream of building a wildlife center. During the long hours spent together on the project, their mutual attraction can’t be denied. But each harbors a deep, dark secret. Will they overcome their demons and give love a chance?
A peek between the pages of A Witch’s Journey:
The waves on the pond slapped noisily against the rocky shore as the mist crawling along the ground and settling over the pond took shape. Out of the fog rose a woman dressed in a simple long indigo skirt and peasant blouse under a firm white bodice. Holding her arm was a man who wore knee-length black breeches with a long dark vest over his peasant shirt. They glided across the pond and stepped onto the shore. An audible gasp came from the ghosts, and they moved closer.
Lathen, Pepper, and her parents sat silent, eyes wide in disbelief.
“Good evening, McKay clan.” The man offered a pleasant smile and said in a deep voice reminiscent of Duncan’s, “Allow me to introduce my wife, Dusty McKay.” He wrapped an arm around her waist and brought her forward. “I am Aidan Duncan McKay. We have taken advantage of this night to set the record straight. ’Tis true, as a young girl Dusty ran away in early 1693, after being found not guilty of witchcraft. Because in fact she was a witch, like her mother, who wasn’t so lucky and died at the hands of the Puritans. I had arrived in America from Ireland, with no family or friends. I met her shortly thereafter, we fell in love, and I asked her to be my wife. We were wed a fortnight later and drifted from place to place in what was then Massachusetts and settled in what is now Maine on this land. It looked different in my time.”
Available at: Amazon, The Wild Rose Press, Barnes and Noble Itunes
Thanks for helping me celebrate! Don’t forget to pickup A Witch’s Journey while it’s on sale for 99¢. See you next week when Cyndie Zahner will be here talking about her latest release, Suicide Gene!
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Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged A Witch's Journey, ghosts, Halloween, magic, Paranormal Romance, Tena Stetler, Witches by Tena Stetler with comments disabled.
Interview with Kate Tyler Narrator for A Witch’s Journey!
I have something a little bit different for you today! Give a warm welcome to Kate Tyler, Narrator for A Witch’s Journey audiobook.
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 Kate Tyler and the A Witch’s Journey Audiobook. Pssst… Don’t forget to enter for your chance to win an Amazon Gift card at the end of this post.
Author: Tena Stetler
Narrators: Kate Tyler
Series: Lobster Cove, Book 1
Length: 9 hours 47 minutes
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Released: Oct. 19, 2017
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Pepper McKay comes from a long line of powerful witches. Unfortunately, magic brings her nothing but trouble. She learned the love of wildlife rescue and rehab from her Aunt Ashling. After graduating from college, Pepper works for Salem Wildlife Sanctuary and lives from paycheck to paycheck until she inherits the McKay property in Lobster Cove. With the family land and resources, she dares to dream of starting her own wildlife rescue and rehabilitation center.
Lathen Quartz, a former Navy SEAL turned handyman maintains the enchanted McKay property for the McKay estate. But someone is trying to steal the McKay magic. Lathen offers to help Pepper achieve her life-long dream of building a wildlife center. During the long hours spent together on the project, their mutual attraction can’t be denied. But each harbors a deep, dark secret. Will they overcome their demons and give love a chance?
I own a copy and have listened to the audiobook, A Witch’s Journey, a paranormal romance. I am participating in a blog tour with Audiobookworm Promotions in support of Kate Tyler the sponsor of this tour. She’s the fantastic narrator of A Witch’s Journey. I can honestly say that Kate’s narration of A Witch’s Journey brought the book’s characters to life. A story of wildlife rescue and rehab, magic, second chances, and the love of family and friends. What better way to forget your trials and tribulations than relax and listen to a feel good audiobook? A Witch’s Journey will whisk you away from your ordinary world into a romantic fantasy adventure that you’ll never want to end. Pepper and Lathen’s journey begins with building a wildlife rescue & rehab center in the small town of Lobster Cove. Along the way, they discover the healing power of love and family. I highly recommend this book!
Best-selling author, Tena Stetler, has an over-active imagination and writes award-winning paranormal romance novels. 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 of many moons, a brilliant Chow, a spoiled parrot and a forty-five-year-old box turtle.
Her books tell stories of magical kick-ass women and mystical alpha males that dare to love them. Well, okay there are a few companion animals to round out the tales. Travel and adventure flourish in her novels. Any summer evening, you can find her curled up in front of a crackling fire with a good book, a glass of raspberry iced tea and a bowl of popcorn.
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Kate Tyler is an audiobook narrator and producer with several published audiobooks available on Audible, iTunes and Amazon. A background in drama and a successful career in voiceover, Kate lives with her family in San Diego and enjoys swimming, running, cycling and stand up paddleboard.
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- How did you wind up narrating audiobooks? Was it always your goal or was it something you stumbled into by chance?
- Great question! My son, Drew, was 15 and ½ last summer. That’s a tough age for a kid entering summer because it’s a little too young for a summer job, and a little too old for a summer camp. We wanted to come up with something that we could do together during the summer to keep him busy, that would be fun and interactive, where he could earn a little side-money and something that might look good on a college resume! We searched Google for something he could do and among the suggestions we found narrating audiobooks. Since he and I both have a background in stage theater and improv, we thought it might be fun. I’m an avid audiobook listener and thought it would be fun! We ordered some equipment online and it came on a Saturday from Amazon. Drew had everything set up that night and we were off and running the next day, auditioning for books!
- A lot of narrators seem to have a background in theatre. Is that something you think is essential to a successful narration career?
- Yeah, that’s what most people think. Yes, I’m in theater and so is my son. It definitely helps, but it’s absolutely not essential. Since I’ve been in this world, I’ve gotten to know a lot of narrators and many of them would describe themselves as introverts. I’m an extrovert so I found that funny. But when you think about it, you’re all alone in a small room when you work, so it works well for people who are naturally introverted. Kind of cool, right?
- Are you an audiobook listener? What about the audiobook format appeals to you?
- Oh yes. I love audiobooks. I listen every week if not every day to something awesome on audio. I re-listen to stuff. I even follow a few narrators when I really like their voice. If I love a voice, I’ll check out everything they’ve done and if it appeals to me, I’ll grab it. I travel a lot for business and pleasure and I listen in the car, on trains, on airplanes and so on. I definitely listen when I’m working out. Nothing can make five miles go faster than a few good chapters of a zombie thriller!
- Is there a particular genre you feel unsuited for? Have you ever declined a project because you didn’t think you were right for it?
- So, yes. I’ve declined projects. Most people think it’s all acting, but there are some things I just don’t want to narrate because I just don’t believe in them. If there is a self-help book that gives advice I just disagree with, I’d turn it down. Narrating self-help is different from acting in that it’s your voice trying to convince someone of something. If you don’t believe it yourself, you’ve got two problems. One, you won’t like saying it. Two, it will come through as fake to the listener. All bad outcomes. So it’s best they find someone else. That could be true for other narrators with other touchy subjects like politics or religion too.
- How closely do you prefer to work with authors?
- I like to get to know the authors and what they are looking for. It’s the dream in their head we’re trying to make happen, so I want to try to get as close to that as possible. And, selfishly, I’m a sucker for applause and encouragement. So if my author loves my voice and they are telling me how much they enjoy how I’m doing a certain character, that’s a huge bonus for me. I love working with an author who is not shy in telling me when they are loving what I bring to the book!
- Has anyone ever recognized you from your voice?
- Um. No. A big no on that one. I guess it could happen, but I’ve actually gifted some of my audiobooks to friends and family and they’re like: “Are you sure that’s really you?” I think they mean it as a compliment, but with family you never can tell!
- Have there been any characters that you really connected with?
- Oh sure! You spend a lot of time with a book and voicing the characters. So a lot of what you bring to it is your own personality. It happens more often than not that you are feeling the emotions right along with the character. In Witchs’ Journey there were some exciting parts and some scary parts and some dreamy parts. You end up feeling all of those as you bring voices alive.
- Do you read reviews for your audiobooks?
- Absolutely! Reviews can be very important for the success of an audiobook. I encourage listeners to leave reviews. Whenever I see a book with one or two reviews I check out the reviewers page. Does it have one review or many? If there’s only one review, I tend to wonder if it was just the author’s mom who wrote something nice. Reviews from reviewers who read 30+ books a year are key. They really know what they like and the reviews are more deep than “I liked it a lot.” It’s been fun to get reviews that say things like: “I will definitely listen to Kate Tyler again!” That way I know I’ve done my job right.
- What type of the review comments do you find most constructive?
- I like reading reviews that give a taste of the story. Some sort of recap of what they thought the book was about. Once they’ve done that, then I want to see their impressions about how well the story was put together, and how well the narrator did the voices or characterizations.
- Who is your “dream author” that you would like to record for?
- Well, gee, I’d say Brene Brown, because I love her, but she usually does her own stuff which makes a lot of sense. If you know her, you know you want to hear her voice reading her material. And she’s very captivating to listen to. Not all authors can read their own material, but she is very talented and makes the book come alive.
- What do you say to those who view listening to audiobooks as “cheating” or as inferior to “real reading”?
- Oh, no. I think listening is equally as valuable as page turning. In fact, there are statistics that show that people who buy a book has about a 10% chance of reading it cover to cover. Audiobook listeners generally listen end to end about 80% of the time. If your goal is to get your story or message into a person, audiobook wins hands down. Not only that, page-turners are usually different people than listeners. If you want to reach a larger audience, you have to consider that. Making it available in different formats makes it accessible to a larger group of people. And after all, isn’t that the point?
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A Witch’s Journey Giveaway: $15 Amazon Gift Card
It was wonderful having you with us today Kate. I loved your narration of A Witch’s Journey. It was spot on with the dream I had in my head. Please feel free to stop by anytime. Good Luck with A Witch’s Journey Audiobook!
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Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged A Witch's Journey, ghosts, Kate Tyler, Navy SEAL, Paranormal Romance, Shapeshifters, Tena Stetler, wildlife rescue, Witches by Tena Stetler with 21 comments.
10th Anniversary – Mountain of Authors
Saturday, April 23, 2016, I had the pleasure of being part of the Pikes Peak Library
District Mountain of Authors. It was a blast. Thirty-four local Colorado authors were on hand to showcase their work. A panel of three mystery authors and a panel of two authors and an agent each presented stories and their experiences in the publishing industry.
The keynote speaker was Anne Hillerman, daughter of award winning author, Tony Hillerman
who penned eighteen Navajo mysteries. I loved his books and was deeply saddened at his passing in October of 2008. I own every one of his books and have enjoyed the adventures of characters, Joe Leaphorn, Jim Chee and Bernadette Manuelito.
I was excited to learn that Anne has followed in her father’s footsteps breathing life into his beloved characters once again. Giving Bernadette a fresh, strong woman view point in Spider Woman’s Daughter and Rock With Wings. She also researched and wrote Tony Hillerman’s Landscape: On the Road with Chee and Leaphorn. A stunning collection of original documentary photographs of the New Mexico and Arizona landscapes that were integral to Tony’s detective novels. Pictures by photographer, Don Strel, Anne’s husband. This is a timely showcase of a hauntingly beautiful region that captured one man’s imagination for a lifetime, and is a daughter’s loving tribute to her father. Yep, you guessed it, the book enjoys a place in the center of my coffee table.
Okay one more fangirl observation. Nancy Atherton, author of over twenty Aunt Dimity mysteries, including many bestsellers. These cozy mysteries whisk you away to a small village in England filled with quirky characters. Again, I have all of her books. Nancy’s participation in the Mountain of Authors – It’s A Mystery Panel was very 
entertaining along side her cohorts in crime, Robert Greer and Manuel Ramos.
It was thrilling to visit with the above authors as well as many other talented local authors. I look forward to next year’s Mountain of Authors. I’d love to see you there.
Thanks for putting up with my fangirl musing. Oh did I mention I sold a few of my books too. Exciting adventure for a new author. Warning shameless promotion! June 15th my third book, A Witch’s Journey will be released. You’ll love it!
I enjoy hearing from readers and other authors. So please feel free to leave a comment. Until next time, take time out of your hectic schedule to read a good book. Its a great stress reducer, if only for a few hours.
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Posted in My Say What Blog, The Pikes Peak Region and tagged A Witch's Journey, Anne Hillerman, Authors, books, Mountain of Authors, Mystery, Nancy Atherton, PPLD, Tony Hillerman, Writers by Tena Stetler with comments disabled.
Spring and Family Collide
March is here! Yea! The wearing of the green, always brings me into a Spring 
mood. This year Easter is right on it’s heels, which makes decorating my house for Easter a short-lived experience. I love all those pastel eggs, bunnies, butterflies and happy things. No I don’t forget the reason for the season either.
It’s time to encourage the brown grass to bring up new green shoots. Daffodils, 
tulips, crocus all have their little green sprouts above ground checking for acceptable weather. Inevitably, they get snowed on at least once here in the Rocky Mountains, but they persevere anyway and put on a colorful show. I love Spring.
I’ve been planning our 2016 camping excursions since December, making those all important reservations at Steamboat Lake, Rocky 
Mountain National Park, Twin Lakes and many more. A trip to Lake Vallecito this year is exciting, especially to meet up with friends. However, last night I discovered that maybe, we’ll have to rearrange a few details this year.
A death in the family, and failure to keep in touch with cousins I was close with growing up gave me pause for thought. I received a letter and an obituary in the mail of a favorite uncle a few weeks after the fact. Why… because my cousin didn’t know how to contact me. She located my webpage, facebook page, but a death is something you don’t want to post on social media.
When I received the letter, I immediately looked her up online and located a phone number, made the call. After forty-five minutes of catching up, I was sad how much we’d missed after we grew up and life intervened. The reason for lack of communication is not always what you think. What a shame.
So… plans to return to my childhood stomping grounds may lessen the amount of time we spend in state and federal parks this year. Connecting with family and friends I haven’t seen in years, seems more important. To my credit, I always send a newsy Christmas Letter with pictures of where we’ve been and what we’ve been doing. That’s how my cousin knew my address. Life is unpredictable, what you assume will always be there when you are ready… can disappear in an instant.
I’m not one for genealogy, but connecting with family that helped make childhood memories so precious is something I wish I’d done sooner. But better late than never. I hope this acts as a reminder to pick up the phone, call someone you’ve put off too long connecting with, because… you never know. Sorry for the less than inspiring post this week.
Some good news. Copy edits are done on my next novel, A Witch’s Journey. A story about how meeting the right person can make all the difference in the world. No matter who or what your are. I await excitedly for a peek at the book’s cover, soon to come. I’ll share it of course.
Do you have people you wish you’d stayed in contact with? Look ‘em up, give ‘em a call. If only to say hi, how are you doing?
I love to hear from readers. Take a minute, write a comment. You’ll be glad you did, and so will I.
Next week I promise a happier topic as I discuss favorite camping haunts. Places to enjoy in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. Also the challenge of gardening in a short growing season. Until then, make each day count!
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Posted in Food for Thought, My Say What Blog and tagged A Witch's Journey, camping, Colorado Rockies, family, flowers, remember, Spring, writing by Tena Stetler with comments disabled.
