Fourth of July – A Memorable Camping Trip
What a fantastic Forth of July we had. Went camping at Cheyenne Mountain State Park. Ok, I admit it, we camp in style. We’ve left tent camping behind years ago. My family likes the comforts of home without all the to-do lists, not to mention, hiking trails and wildlife right outside our front door. Thursday, the Fourth of July, you couldn’t have asked for better weather. It was clear with a few wispy clouds, a balmy 82 degrees, slight breeze, in short, beautiful!
Our campground overlooked the entire city. Yep we 
planned this. Wanted to see the fireworks set off over the entire city. And we did. Stayed up until midnight watching the different displays all over Colorado Springs.
The next morning was shrouded in mist, really cool, after the warm 4th. It was a welcome relief as was the evening showers Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Got a chance to relax outside with hubby, dog, parrot and turtle then enjoy reading some of the books I’ve been saving on my ipad. Since time seems to travel at the speed of light these days, our four day weekend was a welcome respite. We also hiked around the numerous trails in the park, saw deer, chipmunks (drove our dog nuts), wild turkeys ( the kind with feathers, not the human kind well, maybe there were a few of those too) LOL.
Sunday came too soon. With storm clouds on the horizon as the sunset, we had to pack up and head toward home. My hubby had to return to work, I to my writing cave and my work in progress which was awaiting my arrival to the keyboard. Sigh. Once home, I discovered that my book AN ANGEL’S UNINTENTIONAL ENTANGLEMENT is a semi-finalist in the Raven Awards. Yippee! Voting is now open, I’d love your vote. Here is the link to vote. http://uncagedbooks.com/raven-awards/semi-finals/
I hope your Fourth of July was enjoyable as well. I’d love to know what you did over the Forth, enlighten me in the comments!
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Posted in My Say What Blog and tagged An Angel's Unintentional Entanglement, camping, Cheyenne Mountain State Park, FIreworks, fourth of July, Raven Awards, Storms, Tena Stetler by Tena Stetler with comments disabled.
Not Quite the Road Trip From Hell, But…
By now you know my trips wind up being the road trip from hell. So, why would I expect anything different? In my defense, who could have known that when we scheduled a California road trip a few days before Memorial Day Weekend, we’d be leaving Colorado in ten inches of snow. Really?! Now keep in mind we’re traveling with our new larger fifth wheel 
on it’s inaugural trip. The trailer is a little over seven feet longer at thirty-seven and a half feet, verses our old one measuring thirty feet long we’d had for fifteen years. It was time for a change. You would think driving it wouldn’t be much different, but you’d be wrong, the tail swing of the longer one made for an interesting trip. But my husband took it all in stride. Bless his heart. Although our
parrot, Taco, was displeased when he fell asleep after a long day of driving when she was conversing with him. LOL Pssst…don’t forget to enter Beach Blanket Book Giveaway below.
We crossed Wyoming in a blizzard leaving several inches of snow in its wake. Spent the night in Rock Springs waking up to more of the fluffy white stuff on the ground. Okay, its Wyoming, we kinda expected that. The state is synonymous with wind and spring snow. But rain and snow showers, including hail across Nevada and Utah was not a pleasant experience. Then lo and behold the sun peeked through momentarily in Zepher Cove at Lake Tahoe. Wind whipped the white capped waves crashing onto the beach. Braving the 
cold wind off the lake, we donned our coats and walked along the beach. Then we stared slacked-jawed at the twenty something males standing on the beach shirtless, shoe-less, and in shorts attempting to impress their group of friends. I guess we should add clueless to that description! LOL We shook our heads.
Returning to the roomy new fifth wheel, we watched a movie, ate popcorn, and went to bed. The next morning, yep, you guessed it big, white, storybook snowflakes floated through the air, but didn’t stick. Still our friends from Las Vegas, Nevada, who joined us, enjoyed the snow as did their two dogs. By afternoon the sun was back and we strolled along the beach with our dog as wildlife scampered on the 
shore and ducks paddled across the water. A few gulls screamed as they dove for dinner on the lake.
Family commitments required we leave Lake Tahoe after only a few days and head to northern California where we encountered a bit of rain but otherwise pleasant temperatures. Met up with a friend and fellow author in Elk Grove, CA for lunch and had a wonderful chat. On the trip back to Colorado we encountered windy conditions in Utah and Wyoming, Gee imagine that! LOL But other than that the trip was pleasant. The vibrant colors of the Wind River Valley in 
Wyoming are amazing. We stopped in Riverton, Wyoming to visit with friends. My award winning book AN ANGELS UNINTENTIONAL ENTANGLEMENT was set in Riverton. Where Warrior Angel, Caden goes, 
trouble follows until he discovers a badly beaten woman barely clinging to life. Unprepared for the entanglement she brings to his doorstep, will he move heaven and earth to save her?Yep, that was a blatant plug for my book. LOL I couldn’t help it. You owe it to yourself to take a peek. https://www.amazon.com/Angels-Unintentional-Entanglement-Demons-Witch-ebook/dp/B07DYWKLYK
The moral of this story is don’t plan a road trip before Memorial Day, with a new fifth wheel and a strict schedule. Mother Nature will mess with you every time.
FYI, now that warmer weather has arrived. I am participating in Beach Blanket Book Giveaway! Summertime is here and before you head out to the pool or beach to catch some sunshine, check out this a-m-a-z-i-n-g giveaway hosted by N. N. Light’s Book Heaven. Win bestselling and award-winning books both in digital and print. The list is long If there’s a particular book or prize you’d like to win, be sure to say which prize you want when you enter via Rafflecopter. Enter below and good luck! Beach Blanket Book Giveaway: https://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/92db775030
Literary Giveaway Portal: https://www.nnlightsbookheaven.com/literary-giveaway-portal
Have a wonderful weekend!
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Posted in My Say What Blog and tagged An Angel's Unintentional Entanglement, Beach Blanket Book Giveaway, Colorado, Fifth wheel, hail, Lake Tahoe, Rain, Reno, Riverton Wyoming, Road Trip, snow, Utah, WInd by Tena Stetler with 3 comments.
HEARTS & CHOCOLATE ROMANCE GIVEAWAY!
Happy Valentine’s Month! Who doesn’t love Chocolate? HEARTS & CHOCOLATE ROMANCE GIVEAWAY!
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Speaking of Romance….A perfect Valentine’s Day gift – AND its on sale for 99 Cents AN ANGELS UNINTENTIONAL ENTANGLEMENT, a finalist in PARANORMAL ROMANCE GUILD’S REVIEWERS BEST OF 2018! WooHoo! Grab your copy today!
A LITTLE ABOUT AN ANGEL’S UNINTENTIONAL ENTANGLEMENT:
Fallen warrior angel, Caden Silverwind, lives alone in Colorado’s rugged Rockies, healing from physical wounds as well as the mental anguish suffered during battles with dark demons. Then he finds a woman barely clinging to life after a horrendous beating. He is not prepared for the entanglement she brings to his life, nor the feelings she awakens in him.
Bureau of Indian Affairs Agent, Mystic Rayne’s personal dilemma and assignment nearly gets her killed. Divine intervention is a complication she never expected and her growing attraction to Caden is undeniable. Can she trust him with her secret?
Their quest to uncover her attacker takes them from the pristine mountains in Colorado to the wilds of Wyoming. Along the way, they find answers which may place them in more danger. Determined to solve the mystery, they must also navigate their feelings and fears to find love and unite heaven and earth.
A SNEAK PEEK BETWEEN THE PAGES OF AN ANGEL’S UNINTENTIONAL ENTANGLEMENT!
Dislodged rocks and sticks bounced down the path ahead of him as he stopped to admire the view and noticed something in the brush.
She lay naked, battered, and beaten several yards off the trail. Her long, straight black hair fanned around her head, tangled with twigs and bits of grass. Caden moved silently toward her, stopped, and picked up a Bureau of Indian Affairs ID a few feet from where she lay. He stuffed it in his pocket while watching the surrounding area for signs of her attackers. Kneeling down at her side, he saw scratches and bruises on her high-sculpted cheekbones and her full lips had a shading of blue around them. He placed his hand lightly on her chest, felt a weak heartbeat and sensed a brave soul unwilling to give up. God, this is the last thing I need.
Summoning medical help here was futile. The altitude at 12,092 feet, combined with rocky terrain, made it difficult for most rescue vehicles. They’d be too late to save her. He slid his hands under her body. At his touch, a scene unfolded in his mind of snarling wolves, the valiant fight she waged against a male until she was too weak to defend herself any longer, then blackness. Anger surged through him as he carried her along the rocky path to the fifth wheel trailer he called home.
Happy up coming VALENTINE’S DAY! AN ANGEL’S UNINTENTIONAL ENTANGLEMENT makes a great Valentine’s Day gift!
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Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged An Angel's Unintentional Entanglement, Angels, Chocolate, Demons, Hearts, magic, Shapeshifters, Tena Stetler, Valentines Day, Witches by Tena Stetler with comments disabled.
The Good, Bad and Ugly – Reflections of 2018
This time of year, I always look back to see what my successes were and what I could have done better. 2018 was my least favorite year of all time. Beaten only by the year my mother passed away twenty years ago. Now there were some shining moments too; which I clung to tight just to get me through this year.
Let’s start with the good:
I met all my goals for 2018. Yeah! <Fist pump>
Book four, AN ANGEL’S UNINTENTIONAL ENTANGLEMENT, and five, A MAGIC REDEMPTION, in A DEMON’S WITCH SERIES were published in August and December. Exciting times but promo was crazy.
My third book, A Witch’s Journey became Amazon’s #2 best seller in the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia. Yep I was stoked. What happened to the United States ranking, I’ve no idea.
I was featured twice August and December in HEA column of USA Today the latest being an exclusive excerpt from A MAGIC REDEMPTION in December. As a writer, that is a dream come true.
Hubby and I enjoyed a few fantastic camping trips over the summer and early fall. During the next to last camping trip we learned the company my husband worked for had been sold and he would have to find another job. Yeah it kinda ruined the trip to our favorite spot Rocky Mountain National Park. But there’s always next year. However, same day he was offered a job with another company but dealing with the six month non-compete sucks. Which leads me to…
The bad:
My father-in-law passed away in January 2018 after a long battle with cancer. Settling the estate long distance was difficult to begin with, not to mention the interference from relatives.
Due to Alzheimer’s, my mother-in-law is in a nice memory care facility but it’s located 2500 miles from our home. Because of her deteriorating condition, she can’t be moved.
A favorite aunt passed away mid-December.
Though my books usually get stellar reviews, there were a couple reviews that were not and those bother me even though I read them only once. Yes I know publishing is a tough industry and writing is subjective… but still…
The Ugly:
Right now the world around us is scary and very dark. Kindness is in short supply, negativity is everywhere, and it’s always someone else’s fault. I can remember when you owned your mistakes and stepped up to correct them. I’m hopeful 2019 will bring about changes that will put our country and world on a better path.
So I’m going to put aside the bad and ugly and start 2019 with a renewed enthusiasm for accomplishing my New Year’s goals.
- Hopefully receive a couple new book contracts.
- Meet my writing goal of 5,000 words written each week.
- Set aside more quality time with friends, family, and my dog, parrot and turtle.
- Relax and enjoy many camping trips.
- Exercise regularly. This is always a tough one for me. I tend to let deadlines and obligations control my schedule.
- Take control of my schedule and stick to it, barring emergencies.
How about sharing some of your New Year’s goals? Did you make your 2018 goals? Wishing you and yours Love, Laughter and Happy New Year! See you next year. I love saying that. LOL
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Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged 2018, 2019, A Magic Redemption, An Angel's Unintentional Entanglement, New Year, Paranormal Romance, Reflections of 2018, Rocky Mountain National Park, Tena Stetler, USA Today, writing by Tena Stetler with comments disabled.
