Hidden Gypsy Magic, New Release by Tena Stetler #MFRWHooks
For #MFRWhooks this week I’m so excited! My upcoming release, HIDDEN GYPSY MAGIC , A Witch’s Journey Series, Book 3 (can be read as a stand alone) is available for preorder! Discover the consequences of awakening hidden Gypsy magic! Share the magic, mystery, time-travel adventure Pre-Order your digital copy from Amazon at a special discounted price for only $3.99, limited time! 
So pull up a chair and get comfy, 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 Hidden Gypsy Magic! This week new hook and excerpt.
A little about Hidden Gypsy Magic:
Discover the consequences of awakening hidden Gypsy magic!
The Salem Wildlife Sanctuary is Gwen Taylor’s life work. Her Irish Gypsy heritage provides a hidden talent she uses to help the creatures under her care. But even her magical skills can’t help new rescues in dire need of veterinary care.
The opportunity of signing on as the vet for Gwen’s sanctuary dropped into Brock Scutter’s lap after he expanded his practice to include wildlife. The personal attraction he and Gwen experience is undeniable the more their professional and personal lives collide.
Touring the only “non-haunted” house in Salem they both feel a spark of magic. A trip to his family’s cabin uncovers a heritage he didn’t know existed. If they want a future together, it means facing the consequences of awakening hidden Gypsy magic and a race against the clock to correct past wrongs.
A sneak peek between the pages of Hidden Gypsy Magic: The hook.
“This house may not have a history of magic, but I’d bet it’s magical. . You’re going to put an offer in. Right?”
“As I said before, it may be completely out of my price range.”
“I have a feeling the house has been waiting for you.” Gwen flung her hand to her mouth, her face flushed, and her gaze swiveled to him. “I don’t know what made me say that.”
Looking thoughtful, he grinned. “Since the day I stumbled upon Pepper’s secret — then discovered that you and I share the gift or curse of gypsy blood, things have been different—” Pausing, he shoved his hand in his jean’s pocket and jingled the change in his pocket. “I’ve been different. It’s as if knowing magic exists awakened something in me.”
“Join the club. Years ago Pepper made a believer out of me. In fact, there were times I wished—never mind. Whether it was my outlook or as you said magic awakened. But to be fair, I’ve always had what I called a sixth sense with animals, attuned to their feelings, almost their thoughts, fears, that kind of thing. Pepper called it my talent. But as we became close friends, I noticed other abilities… you’ll think I’m crazy.”
“Try me.” He moved closer to her and the front door banged open. Quickly he rushed to the top of the stairs.
Pssst… While you’re here, don’t forget to check out my paranormal romance/mysteries click here.
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Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged ghosts, Halloween, Hidden Gyspy Magic, magic, Mystery, Paranormal Romance, Salem, Tena Stetler, Time travel, Witches by Tena Stetler with 11 comments.
Colorado Hauntings – Mines, Mountains and Mysteries!
Full of old mines from the Gold Rush Days, Mountains and Mysteries, no wonder Colorado has an abundance of paranormal sightings. From the famous Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, to the Cliff House in Manitou Springs spirits abound. As we learned in previous weeks, Cripple Creek, Colorado with its wild and turbulent past has a history of unexplained, supernatural occurrences earning it the reputation of one of the most haunted towns in America.
Let’s take a quick look at a few:
The Cliff House in Manitou Springs was built in 1873, before Colorado was even a state. Through it’s many renovations, paranormal experiences remain, including disembodied footsteps, ghostly voices when no one is there and white orbs floating through the hallways late at night. Could these be spirits of the old American West? The Cliff House was known as only The Inn was a popular stagecoach stop in route from Colorado Springs to Leadville? Hmmm….
How about Emma Crawford Coffin Races in Manitou Springs?
The story goes, that Crawford moved to Manitou in the 1800’s to heal her tuberculosis. She succumbed to the disease and was buried on Red Mountain. A favorite spot of hers. Construction on the mountain forced relocation of her coffin to the south slope in 1912. Unfortunately, heavy spring rains washed her coffin down the side of the mountain, where her ghost is said to still roam today. Participants of the race, held in downtown Manitou Springs, claim they feel her presence every year. See for yourself, this year the coffin races are October 26, 2019. See you there!
The ghost of Maggie, haunts the Colorado Grande Casino & Hotel and Maggie’s Restaurant in Cripple Creek, Colorado. At night, voices (Maggie’s lilting Irish soprano) and music can be heard from the ballroom, slots clinging and clanging after hours. The hotel’s security cameras have caught Maggie in her turn-of-the-century clothing, only to have the tapes mysteriously disappear. The scent of her rose perfume lingers even if she chooses not to make an appearance.
Want to know more about the Ghosts of Cripple Creek Mining District?
Speaking of Ghosts, if you are looking for a fun Halloween read. A Witch’s Journey has meddling ghosts, shifters, stolen magic and a handsome Navy SEAL who has a dark secret. Available at Amazon.com, Kobo, and Barnes & Noble.
Every Tuesday throughout the month of October I will have Colorado Hauntings we’ll take a look at The Stanley Hotel and the Halloween traditions. Mark your calendars, you don’t want to miss any of these Halloween Celebrations!
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Posted in For Fun, Holidays, My Say What Blog, The Pikes Peak Region and tagged A Witch's Journey, Colorado, Cripple Creek, ghosts, Halloween, Haunted by Tena Stetler with 9 comments.
Interview Karen Hulene Bartell Author of The Keys: Voice of the Turtle
Give a warm welcome to Karen Hulene Bartell author of The Keys: Voice of the Turtle. 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 Karen and The Keys: Voice of the Turtle!
What inspired you to write?
I always had a creative imagination. (My childhood dolls were never baby dolls—always lady dolls, who went on exciting adventures.) But what inspired me to write? In a word, reading. In second grade, my mother took me to the library and helped me choose books. By third grade, I had my own library card, walked to the library alone, and chose my own books. All during my childhood, my mother let me stay up as late as I wanted—if I read. As a result, I became a voracious reader, and in my case, writing was simply a natural progression.
Do you see yourself in your characters?
I see a little piece of me in all my protagonists, but in Christmas in Catalonia and my current release, The Keys: Voice of the Turtle, I see a lot of Karen. To be honest, I excise all but my flavor, saving the juicier details for future books 😉
Where do your story ideas come from? If they come to you in the middle of the night, do you get up and write them all down?
Where do story ideas come from? Heaven? What do you call inspiration? God? I could be arrogant and say, nope, all my ideas come from me and me alone, but I don’t think so. Many ideas come when I wake each morning. So what do you call that? Genies of the mind as Napoleon Hill and Andrew Carnegie named them—invisible elves somehow manufacturing stories and whispering in my ear? I don’t think so. I’m going to call inspiration Godsent.
But when? Ideas come to me either in the morning, when I wake, or while I’m traveling. I’ve written some of my best concepts sitting in airports or hotel bathrooms at midnight (so I don’t wake my husband with the light). Being out of my element and in new environments stimulates my imagination. Traveling inspires me.
If writing is your first passion, what is your second?
Traveling, hands down. Nothing ignites my passion for life as much as traveling to provocative places, encountering new experiences, sampling different ethnic foods, and meeting stimulating people, I’m inspired. Ideas flow. (I should’ve been a travel correspondent.) Traveling that takes me out of my rut and propels me into new realms of possibility.
SPEED ROUND FOR A LITTLE ADDED FUN:
Speed Round (one word only answer): Yep, I know torture for a writer!<evil laugh>
Favorite movie: GIANT
Favorite book: 1984
Last book read: MALINCHE
Favorite color: BLUE
Stilettos or flipflops: FLIPFLOPS
Coffee or tea: COFFEE
Ebook or audiobook or paperback: EBOOK
Pencil or pen: PEN
Favorite song: MAGIC
Streak or not: NOT
Favorite dessert: SOFTSERVE
Favorite junk food: PRETZELS
Favorite thing to do to relax: MASSAGE
Champagne or gin: CHAMPAGNE
Paranormal or Historical: PARANORMAL
Wonder Woman or Top Model: WONDER WOMAN
Favorite TV show: MASH
Hot or cold: HOT
POV: THIRD [PERSON]
I’d die if I don’t have: FREEDOM
Review or Not: REVIEW
Tell us a little about THE KEYS: VOICE OF THE TURTLE:
and not one, but two apparitions—Maita, the angry victim’s spirit, and Bart, a swashbuckling ghost. Ruth’s curious ability to connect with the ghosts may help them move on, but how?
Keya is in a probate battle over her turtle-nesting beach. Land-hungry relatives want it bulldozed and developed. Like Ruth, she has a special gift—she can talk to animals. Between Ruth’s help and Keya’s unique ability, they work to save the property, but is it too late?
Can Keya save her beloved turtles? Can Ruth find Maita’s murderer or help Bart solve his 400-year-old mystery? There’s more than meets the eye to Keya’s land. Add in a dashing sailor who believes in her, and Keya may have more than she bargained for…
Sneak peek between the pages of THE KEYS: VOICE OF THE TURTLE:
“Conveying this land to the turtles would be my way of leaving the world a better place.” She turned toward Ruth. “Does that make sense?”
Ruth nodded and gazed at Keya as if for the first time. Her cousin’s intentions were clear. “But legally, how can you will the property to the turtles?”
“Easy. I leave it to the Turtle Refuge.” Keya laughed inwardly as they meandered along the beach. “And this is where you come in. When you’re writing the brochure, add a few paragraphs about planned giving and charitable bequests…” Her words broke off as Keya stared as if in a trance.
Ruth looked at her. “What’s wrong?”
Her hand shaking, Keya pointed to a shady patch of beach half hidden by sand dunes. A lifeless hand lay tangled in seaweed, its fingernails broken and bloodied.
Racing behind the sandbanks to help, Ruth skidded to a halt, her heels digging into the sand. A woman’s bloated body lay staring at the sun, her eyes opaque and unseeing. “Do you recognize her?”
“No.” Keya shook her head as the cat gingerly approached, sniffing and meowing. “But Earnestine said she smells familiar.”
THE KEYS: VOICE OF THE TURTLE BUY LINKS:
Amazon eBook: https://amzn.to/2XV2wO1
Amazon Paperback: https://amzn.to/2yfSB7b
Barnes & Noble NOOK Book: https://bit.ly/2YFHWgQ
Barnes & Noble Paperback: https://bit.ly/2yuBEWO
About the Author:
Author of the Sacred Emblem, Sacred Journey, and Sacred Messenger series, Karen is a best-selling author, motivational keynote speaker, wife, and all-around pilgrim of life. She writes multicultural, offbeat love stories steeped in the supernatural that lift the spirit. Born to rolling-stone parents who moved annually, Bartell found her earliest playmates as fictional friends in books. Paperbacks became her portable pals. Ghost stories kept her up at night—reading feverishly. The paranormal was her passion. Wanderlust inherent, Karen enjoyed traveling, although loathed changing schools. Novels offered an imaginative escape. An only child, she began writing her first novel at the age of nine, learning the joy of creating her own happy endings. Professor emeritus of the University of Texas at Austin, Karen resides in the Hill Country with her husband Peter and her “mews”—three rescued cats and a rescued *Cat*ahoula Leopard dog.
SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KarenHuleneBartell
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KarenHuleneBart
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/karenhulenebartell/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/611950.Karen_Hulene_Bartell
Website: http://www.KarenHuleneBartell.com/
Email: info@KarenHuleneBartell.com
It was wonderful having you with us today. Please feel free to stop by anytime. Good Luck with The Keys: Voice of the Turtle.
Views: 500
Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged ghosts, Karen Hulene Bartell, Paranormal, The Keys: Voice of the Turtle, Urban Fantasy by Tena Stetler with 18 comments.
Interview Sam Batrusis Author of Wicked Salem
Give a warm welcome to Sam Baltrusis, author of Wicked Salem: Exploring Lingering Lore and Legends, Released May 2, 2019.
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 Sam and WIcked Salem!
What defines you as an author? As a person? Are they one in the same?
I’m a journalist turned author of ten historical-based ghost books, so I would say that I have a knack for uncovering hidden gems sometimes overlooked by history. As far as the paranormal, I’ve always been sensitive to ghosts. However, I consider myself a clairvoyant at this point of my journey and that sensitivity has helped me give a voice to the victims, and the villains, of the Salem witch-trials hysteria of 1692.
What inspired this particular story?
My first book on the Witch City called Ghosts of Salem did a great job at spotlighting the haunted locations associated with the Salem Witch Trials. However, after giving tours in Salem for years, I was overwhelmed with the misinformation that has been perpetuated by pop culture and even Arthur Miller’s The Crucible. My goal with Wicked Salem was to untangle the misinformation and focus on the individuals that shaped the city’s history over the past four-hundred years.
What secret do you use to blast through writer’s block?
I have good days where I get into the zone and I can’t stop writing. And then I have other days where I have to power through chapters. When I am have a good writing day, I just keep at it and try to accomplish as much as possible. When I’m dealing with writer’s block, I usually go out in the field and visit the location that I’m writing about. For Wicked Salem, I had so much fun visiting locations that were major players during the witch trials, like the Parson Barnard House in North Andover and the Rebecca Nurse Homestead in Danvers. When I take these road trips, I’m usually able to rekindle that excitement I need to finish the book.
Who is your favorite character of all of the books you’ve written and Why?
I definitely feel a connection with the innocent victims of the Salem Witch Trials. I’ve always felt close to Bridget Bishop, the first person to be executed and the only victim to be hanged by herself. While writing Wicked Salem, I interviewed some amazing living people who helped shape the city. I interviewed Laurie Cabot, the “official witch of Salem,” in the book and that discussion was amazing. Interviewing Laurie Cabot was a dream come true. I would say that profile in the book is my favorite chapter by far.
What inspired you to write?
I’ve been writing most of my life. When I was a teen, I was creative and knew that I was great at weaving together a narrative. I was inspired by my high school journalism teacher, Mrs. Reinschmidt, to keep writing. I needed that encouragement and haven’t stopped. My writing has shifted from journalism to writing books, but I find that books are just really long articles and I approach each chapter or section as if I’m piecing together several long-format magazine articles.
How long have you been writing?
I’ve been writing for thirty years and writing books for ten years.
Did you tell friends and family that you were writing a book? Or did it take a while to come out and tell friends and family you were a writer?
I actually interviewed several of my friends from the paranormal and Salem communities. So, I was fairly transparent that I was working on a new book on Salem. My family has always been supportive. In fact, my step-father who passed on December 26, 2018, was so proud that my books are historical. He was a history major and really rubbed off on me growing up.
Do you see yourself in your characters?
Yes, I definitely identify with the innocent men and women executed for witchcraft in 1692. I have a history of challenging the status quo and so did many of those featured in my book, Wicked Salem.
What do you want your readers to take away from your books?
I genuinely care about Salem’s people … the living and the dead. Wicked Salem is for them. I hope I do them justice.
Where do your story ideas come from? If they come to you in the middle of the night, do you get up and write them all down?
I give tours in Salem and Boston. I also lecture at local libraries and paranormal conferences. So, I love engaging with my readers. The ideas for my books usually come from those discussions.
Do you find it easier to write from a male or female point of view? Why?
I write historical, non-fiction books, so the goal is to be as accurate as possible telling the stories of people who have been dead for more than three-hundred years. Oddly, I tend to connect more with the women in Wicked Salem. There was an obvious patriarchy in 1692, but the women accused of witchcraft all fought and pleaded that they were innocent. I admire the strong women featured in my book.
Why do you write what you write? Ie. Contemporary, paranormal, suspense, etc.
I write paranormal-themed history books. Wicked Salem is about correcting the misinformation associated with the witch-trials hysteria of 1692. Over the past decade, I have noticed a shift toward untangling these historical inaccuracies, but we still have a long way to go. Will we ever be completely accurate? No, because we weren’t there. However, my goal is to take all of the pieces that we do know and weave together a cohesive narrative that not only educates and entertains my readers but makes the city’s “ghosts” proud.
A sneak peek between the pages of Wicked Salem.
What is it about the sleepy New England city that engenders itself to history’s witches, rakes and rogues?
Salem, Massachusetts suffers a bit of an identity disorder. There are two versions of the so-called “Witch City” that have symbiotically etched itself into the collective unconscious. There’s the iconic, blood-stained Salem that boasted a sadistic sorority of witch-hanging zealots in the late 1600s. And then there is the modern, witch-friendly spectacle that welcomes thousands of supporters into its coven of commercialism every October.
It’s a tale of two Salems.
As far as the paranormal is concerned, the city is considered to be hallowed ground. However, based on my personal experience as a local historian and tour guide, Salem has a love-hate relationship with its ghosts. Why?
“The city has a long history of not wanting to get wrapped up in commercializing its witch history,” explained Tim Weisberg, host of the radio show Spooky Southcoast and researcher with Destination America’s Haunted Towns. “It’s something they’ve only really embraced over the past couple of decades. There’s still a bit of an ‘old guard’ in the city that doesn’t want to see anyone capitalizing on witches, ghosts or things of that nature.”
As Salem’s on-air expert for the national Haunted Towns TV show, I helped Weisberg hunt for locations with ties to the witch trials of 1692. It was tough. “As they’ve let some of that guard down and television shows have come in, it’s been my experience that the ‘powers that be’ who control many of the allegedly haunted and historic locations have been disillusioned with the way productions have come in and treated its history,” Weisberg told me. “At least, that’s what I heard in the rejections I received from certain locations when attempting to get permission to film Haunted Towns.”
Known for its annual Halloween “Haunted Happenings” gathering, it’s no surprise that the historic Massachusetts seaport is considered to be one of New England’s most haunted destinations. With city officials emphasizing its not-so-dark past, tourists from all over the world seem to focus on the wicked intrigue surrounding the 1692 witch trials.
Originally called Naumkeag, Salem means “peace.” However, as its historical legacy dictates, the city was anything but peaceful during the late seventeenth century. In fact, when accused witch and landowner Giles Corey was pressed to death over a two-day period, he allegedly cursed the sheriff and the city. Over the years, his specter has allegedly been spotted preceding disasters in Salem, including the fire that destroyed most of the downtown area in June 1914. Based on my research, a majority of the hauntings conjured up in Salem over the city’s tumultuous four-hundred-year-old history have ties to disaster, specifically the one-hundred-year-old fire that virtually annihilated the once prosperous North Shore seaport.
Cursed? Salem is full of secrets.
My thoughts on the book – Review:
Sam Baltrusis explores the ghost lore and the people behind the tragic events that turned the “Witch City” into a hot spot that has become synonymous with witches, rakes, and rogues.
The author takes us back to the Haunts of Salem, MA as an exploratory follow up to his 2014 “Ghost of Salem.
The last portion of the books addresses the most colorful creatures that called Salem home. Like Harry Houdini, Nathaniel Hawthorne and the terrible Sheriff George Corwin. Yeah, kinda had to leave the light on due to tales of George.
Okay I’ll admit it, Salem, MA is still on my bucket list to visit over Halloween someday. Armed with this information, I’m excited!
If the history of Salem, MA, intrigues you, or if your interest is piqued by the Salem Witch Trials, this is the book for you! Happy Reading!
Views: 387
Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged ghosts, Haunted History, Haunting, Local History Salem, Sam Baltrusis, Wicked Salem by Tena Stetler with comments disabled.
