Tena StetlerAuthor of Paranormal Romance/Suspense & Cozy Mysteries With Magic Spark!

Nov 28th Donna Kunkel Author of Magic in the Mountains

Happy holidays to all! Give a big welcome to Donna Kunkel, author of Magic in the Mountains. Have a seat and grab an insulated mug. I’ve got hot chocolate, hot cider and coffee. Choose your pot, they’re labeled. Pick your choice of a Snicker-doodle, Chocolate Chip or Peanut butter cookie from the plate. Yep, I baked them myself. Lets see what Magic in the Mountains is all about. Thanks for joining us!

What inspired this particular story?

After getting the lucky opportunity to live in Hawaii for three years my husband and I try to take a vacation back every other year. On one of our trips, I woke up at 3:30 after dreaming about getting trapped in Colorado’s Rocky Mountains by a heavy snowstorm. A couple of years earlier I’d learned to immediately write down these story ideas before I forgot them. So I got up and started jotting down the dream. I spent that day and several others sitting on the beach, with clipboard-paper-clothespins, writing the beginning of this story. I’d look at the sandy beach, feel the cool breeze coming in off the ocean and write about endless snow and howling winds.

Tell us something about yourself and allow us to get to know you.

I was the quiet band and math geek who avoided English classes like the plague. When I lived in California, I started reading at the beach and finally became obsessed with books.

Why should we read this book/series and what sets you apart from the rest and makes your book/series unique?

Many witches and wizards denied there magic during the Salem witch hunts and the Inquisition, so their descendants never knew they had magical abilities. My Aspen Glen Series is about these men or women finding out that they have magic. This novel is a light hearted romp about a witch trying not to use her magic, but fate has other plans. Take a trip into a world where magic exists, hidden from the normal world.

Favorite holiday memory?

The first week of our school’s Christmas break my dad would take a day off and our family of four would go to downtown Cincinnati, Ohio. The cold wind would gust and blow through the canyons created by the towering skyscrapers. When we’d round a corner the frigid wind would smack us in the face and push our kid sized bodies back. Unfortunately it rarely snowed. I only remember once having a few flakes blowing around as we scurried from building to building. We’d shop for a few items that you couldn’t find in our small town.

There was one department store famous for its window displays. These windows were filled with animated, magical, tiny elves hard at work making toys or decorating trees. We would visit every window and watch spellbound. Then we’d go to the forest wonderland to see a reindeer and visit Santa.

For lunch we’d go to the best Jewish deli in the city for corned beef sandwiches. The booths were warm and cozy. No one ever had to wait long to place an order or get your food. The waitresses bustled around the busy lunch time crowd making sure everyone was taken care of, trying to keep the waiting line from getting too long.

After lunch, we’d head back to the department stores. In our town, a store would take up a slot in the downtown building and have at most only an escalator to a basement level. In Cincinnati a store would occupy the entire city block and extend up for at least six floors. There wasn’t anything more exciting than getting to ride an elevator or stopping on the mezzanine level. We rarely got the chance to shop downtown so when we did it was a major event. I still smile as I recall these happy family outings and the time we spent all together.

Least favorite holiday memory?

The year my mom was steaming the turkey carcass and she lifted the lid severely burning her arm. It took a long time, but her arm’s scar did disappear. We never had turkey for Christmas again.

Funniest holiday memory

My mother never had room to move the turkey to the refrigerator so she would thaw the bird in a sink full of water overnight. She came out in the morning and found four punctures in the bird. Apparently during the night, our German Sheppard tried to steal the bird, but it was too frozen and heavy for our dog. Everyone laughed when we told them about the still visible tooth marks.

SPEED ROUND

Favorite Christmas movie: White Christmas then the original Grinch

Favorite Christmas book: Skipping Christmas

Favorite color: blue

Stilettos or flip flops or elf shoes: elf shoes

Coffee or tea or hot chocolate: hot chocolate

E-book or audiobook or paperback: all

Pencil or pen or candy cane: pen

Favorite Christmas Carole or song: Bing Crosby singing White Christmas

All-time favorite Christmas present: my silver flute

Favorite dessert: chocolate

Christmas Candy or Cake: cookies

Favorite thing to do to relax during the holidays: enjoying good food

Champagne or gin or eggnog: champagne

Paranormal or Historical: paranormal

Wonder Woman or Top Model or Tinkerbell: Tinkerbell

Favorite Christmas or holiday TV show: Hallmark’s Mistletoe Inn

Hot or cold: Hot

I’d die if I don’t have: diet Pepsi

Review or not: review

Tell us a little about Magic in the Mountains.

Sick and tired of magical men and mayhem, Alex a city witch, pledges to give magic a rest. Her vow is put to the test when she finds herself snowbound with a hunky mortal. She attempts life without magic even when faced with a demonic hen, a cow that acts like a dog, and a dog that acts human. But when all magic breaks loose and a unicorn shows up, it’s the last straw. How will she keep her magic a secret?

Steve, a reclusive prospector, lives alone in a remote Colorado valley because he doesn’t trust himself around humans, especially those of the female persuasion. Once he meets the feisty Alex, breaking self-imposed rules is just the beginning. But how can he keep her safe from what lives inside him?

Their connection grows, but the secrets they hide keep them from confessing their feelings. Will they be able to accept and control who and what they are in time to give their love a chance?

A sneak peek between the pages of Magic in the Mountains!

This was unbelievable. “My boss isn’t going to understand. This is just like my dog ate my homework. I’m stuck in the snow—for a month or more.” Her mind raced through the possible ways of traveling. “What about a snowmobile?”

“Unfortunately, the road you came in on is the only way in or out. I wouldn’t be surprised to find out that an avalanche blocked the valley pass last night. If so, it’ll take a while before anyone can get through.” He watched her. “Why did you drive out this way? Why didn’t you stop at the hotel next to the highway?”

“What hotel?”

“If you had just driven under the highway overpass, you’d have been there. Why didn’t you follow the detour sign?”

“Oh great. That’s—just—great! The stupid detour sign blows away so now I’m stuck in the middle of nothing. I could have been tucked away in a nice comfortable hotel—with electricity and phones. But no—I’m stuck in no-man’s land. I risked life and limb trudging through the snow for what?” She sighed. “Now what?”

Buy links:

Amazon           Barnes & Noble         The Wild Rose Press

About the author:

Donna Kunkel is a paranormal romance author. Within the pages of her tales you can visit with witches, wizards, shape-shifters, and other fantasy creatures. Figurines of the magic realm surround her computer for inspiration. She lives at the edge of the Colorado mountains with her husband of many years and her two dogs. When not writing, you can find her browsing the fabric shops for her next quilt, stitching Japanese embroidery, or curled up with a good book. She enjoys spending time in the mountains, at Lake Tahoe, or relaxing on a beach in Hawaii.

Social Media Links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DonnaKunkelAuthor/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DonnaKunkel3

Bookbub – https://www.bookbub.com/authors/donna-kunkel

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Donna-Kunkel/e/B07JR32614

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18551108.Donna_Kunkel

It was wonderful having you with us today.  Please feel free to stop by anytime. Good Luck with Magic in the Mountains!

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Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged Donna Kunkel, fantasy, Magic in the Mountains, Paranormal Romance, Shapeshifters, snow, Winter, Witches by Tena Stetler with 23 comments.