#Wednesday’s Blog Challenge-Last Place I Traveled to & Why
Welcome to #L&SR’sJuly 1, 2020 – The last place I traveled to & why! This one is a no brainer! Please have a seat, grab an iced tea or lemonade out of the cooler. Be sure and try a chocolate chip or peanut butter cookie. 
This week’s topic is easy peazy. So here we go.
Where: Over Memorial Day Weekend, we packed up the fifth wheel, Taco, our parrot, Mystic our dog, and Sammie our box turtle and headed to Cheyenne Mountain State Park. It’s not far from our home, but a first safe camping trip of the season giving Colorado’s propensity to drop between five to ten inches of snow over the holiday weekend. But this year, a beautiful weekend! Yippee!
Why: Because it’s camping season, that’s really all the reason you need. But…if you must have other reasons: Get away from the city. Rest, relax and recharge. Wildlife watching. Great hiking trails that allow dogs. No honey do list. Great excuse to lounge outside and read! Otherwise, there’s not much reading time when you are an author with deadlines.
Mystic standing guard in front of the fifth wheel trailer.
Taco decided camping is hard work, thusly requires a nap.
Sammie the explorer!
So there you have it, the last place I traveled to & why. How about you? What’s the last place you traveled to & why?
Alas, I must return to my writing cave where deadlines loom with final galley on my upcoming release HIDDEN GYPSY MAGIC, and Chocolate Raspberry Magic is in edits, and on a new WIP sixth book in A Demon’s Witch Series(very exciting and coming along very well) so let’s see what other authors list as the last place they traveled to and why. L&SR
Pssst… While you’re here, don’t forget to check out my paranormal romance/mysteries click here.
School’s out. Looking an exciting read to whisk you away from your ordinary world into a magical, fantasy adventure ? Got just the thing. A Witch’s Journey. – Former Navy Seal, Lathen Quartz helps Pepper, a powerful witch, achieve her life-long dream of a wild life rescue. But can they save the McKay magic amid a 4th of July festival they’ll never forget?
Click on cover to read more or purchase!
A bit about A Witch’s Journey on sale for 99 cents! At dusk, the mist rolled in, but it didn’t dampen the revelers’ enthusiasm. Pepper and Lathen followed the crowd over to the harbor where several boats were lined up and decorated with different kinds of patriotic colored lights. A variety of bulbs burned steady, while others flashed, chased, and twinkled. One pleasure craft had a flag draped over the bow made up of red, white, and blue lights that blinked in time to “The Star Spangled Banner” playing in the background.
After casting votes for the best display, they returned to Lathen’s pickup and drove the short distance to the Sea Crest Inn, where everyone gathered for an ice cream social to benefit local charities. Local bands presented the entertainment for the evening. Music ranged from country to rock and roll, and even a group that did a respectable job on the 1812 Overture as the spectacular fireworks display exploded in the night sky.
A cold shiver ran up her spine as goose bumps crept up her arms. Pepper reached down to untie her sweater from her waist, and someone grabbed her around the middle and covered her mouth with a hand. Excruciating pain exploded through her temples. Instinctively, she sank her front teeth into the palm of the hand covering her mouth.
Thanks for popping in. I really appreciate it. Next week, July 8, can you believe it already? Anyway the topic is A project or hobby of mine inspired by a book! Oh that should be fun.
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Posted in My Say What Blog and tagged #L&SR's #Wednesday's Blog Challenge, A Witch's Journey, Lobster Cove, Maine, Paranormal Romance/Mystery, Shapeshifters, Tena Stetler, Witches by Tena Stetler with 26 comments.
A Witch’s Journey & Holiday Wedding #MFRWhooks
This week I have two #MFRWhooks for you. A WITCH’S JOURNEY and A WITCH’S HOLIDAY WEDDING.
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 A MAGIC REDEMPTION and CHARM ME!
Shall we start with Award winning A Witch’s Journey first book in A Witch’s Journey Series! The book takes place in the small town of Lobster Cove, Maine where things are not always what the seem.
Click on the Cover to read more or purchase.
A little about A WITCH’S JOURNEY – .Former Navy Seal, Lathen Quartz helps Pepper, a powerful witch, achieve her life-long dream of a wild life rescue, but can they save the McKay magic & their love?
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:
“What the hell are you doing here, and what have you done to my dog?” Pepper shouted flinging the log to the ground and yanking her cell phone out of her pocket. She tapped in 9-1-1, the operator answered on the first ring. “This is Pepper McKay.” That was all she had time to say, so she left the line open. When she circled her arm above her head, the wind picked up. As she spread her fingers wide, the rain came down in sheets, lightning streaked through the night sky, and thunder shook the ground. The dog glanced up at Pepper, blood clouding its eye, barked once, and barreled into the woods. Mr. Green started to get up off the ground, and Pepper shoved her foot on top his chest. “Don’t move. Or I’ll…”
“You’ll what?” Mr. Green rolled to the side and grabbed Pepper’s leg. Slick due to the rain, he couldn’t hold on and Pepper kicked his side and jumped out of reach.
She sliced her arm through the air. Unseen forces slammed Mr. Green to the ground. His eyes glowed an eerie green. Pain erupted in Pepper’s head. He was drawing on her magic. Suddenly, a rainbow shower of knife-sharp feathers zoomed out of the cabin door, across the air, and sliced through the man’s clothes, pinning him to the ground. Red and blue flashing lights reflected against the cabin’s wet exterior. The sirens’ wail echoed all around her, and Kaylee’s scream broke through the chaos, then everything went black.
Lathen slammed on the brakes as he turned into the driveway behind the police vehicle. A rainbow of slivers rose from the ground and streaked into the cabin. He rubbed his eyes, shook his head, and jumped to the ground searching for Pepper. The 9-1-1 call came in at the police station as he’d finished the wiring and was testing the computers. When he arrived, she was lying on the ground, and Kaylee circled above her screeching. As he knelt over her, she bolted upright.
A little about the second book in A Witch’s Journey Series, A WITCH’S HOLIDAY WEDDING –Torn in too many directions will Pepper and Lathen make it to the alter?
Elemental witch, Pepper McKay and former Navy SEAL, Lathen Quartz have built Lobster Cove Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Center on enchanted McKay land. During a romantic interlude on Halloween night, Pepper happily agrees to become Lathen’s wife. What better day than Winter Solstice for their wedding in a town that loves celebrations and Christmas. However, planning a wedding and operating their wildlife center takes a toll on both Pepper and Lathen.
When the couple takes a much-needed break for Thanksgiving with family in Colorado, a Maine snowstorm fills the center with injured wildlife. Lathen finds himself drawn into a covert military mission, while trying to deal with issues concerning friends and family. Pepper wants to cancel the wedding. Is she having second thoughts? Will the nosy McKay ghosts, Lathen’s werewolf pack, Pepper’s parents, and her best friend help or hinder the wedding and holiday plans?
A sneak peek between the pages of A WITCH’S HOLIDAY WEDDING!
After she set her glass down, Lathen brushed a couple strands of hair out of her eyes and searched her face. “Are you all right?”
“I’m tired, my wedding is in a couple weeks, I have ghosts fighting over who is going to do what. Guests that have no idea the place is haunted and… Your family and pack, my parents, Gwen… To top it all off, the head of my clan, who is a ghost, is sitting in front of me wanting to know who is coming to the wedding and whether the ghosts will be outed. How could I possibly be all right?”
“When you put it that way.” Lathen chuckled. “It sounds just a bit… I don’t know…crazy?” His right eyebrow winged up. She saw mischief sparkle in his eyes. “We could still elope,” he offered.
There’ll be two more books out in this series by summer’s end. Hidden Gypsy Magic and Chocolate Raspberry Magic. More about them in the coming weeks. Watch for theml
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 A Witch's Holiday Wedding, A Witch's Jounrey, Lobster Cove, magic, small town, Tena Stetler, Witches by Tena Stetler with 10 comments.
A Witch’s Journey the Beginning
In the continuing Sunday series of the behind the scenes look at my books, A Witch’s Journey, available in e-book, print and audio book has center stage today. I had the wonderful opportunity to interview Kate Tyler the gal that narrated A Witch’s Journey. She is a hoot and a talented artist!
Take a moment to sit back and relax, 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 A Witch’s Journey, Kate Tyler and what it take to turn a book into an audio book.
A Witch’s Journey is not only about magic and love between two people, but the dedication of a witch – wildlife rehabilitator and a compassionate former Navy SEAL with physical and psychological scars of his own. Their journey begins with building a wildlife rescue and rehab center, her life-long dream. Along the way, they discover the healing power of love and family.
Wildlife rescue and rehab are causes close to my heart. Incorporating them into this book was my way of bringing attention to the needs of those people dedicated to preservation of wildlife for future generations. Weaving magic into the story added and fun and intrigue to the plot. Remember the magic to happily ever after.
The title was meant to convey Pepper’s journey of redemption from being outed as a witch in Salem, where she’d worked at a wildlife sanctuary, and had to leave town. To creating her own wildlife rescue and rehab in a Lobster Cove, Maine, where the town embraced her.
Breaking news! A Witch’s Journey saga continues! I am hard at work on the third book in the series. This one will encompass the journey of Gwen (Pepper’s best friend) and Brock (who we met in A Witch’s Holiday Wedding) and their adventure in Salem, MA. Stay tuned!
Buy Links:
Amazon, The Wild Rose Press, Barnes and Noble Itunes Kobo
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 winter evening, you can find her curled up in front of a crackling fire with a good book, a mug of hot Chocolate 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?
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. A Witch’s Journey Audio book a must listen in your audio library!
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Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged A Witch's Journey, Audiobook, ghosts, Kate Tyler, Lobster Cove, magic, Paranormal Romance, Shapeshifters, Tena Stetler, wildlife rescue, Witch's by Tena Stetler with comments disabled.
Colorado Hauntings – Happy Halloween
Celebrating a spooktacular Halloween all month on My Say What Blog, so today is the final haunting article about Halloween. What’s not to love about Halloween? One day out of the year you can dress up and pretend to be anything you want and people don’t think you’re crazy. Okay, well, not as crazy as if it wasn’t Halloween!
One of the highest haunts in Colorado is the Stanley Hotel at an altitude of over 7,500 feet. Bawawawa! You know the one that claims to be the 
inspiration for Stephen’s King’s The Shining (REDRUM – MURDER) . The Hotel was built in 1909 by Freelan and Flora Stanley of Stanley Steamer fortune. Originally, they came to Colorado in an attempt to alleviate the symptoms of Freelan’s tuberculosis. They fell in love with Colorado and purchased property and built a home. The Stanley was built as a summer resort for guests Freelan and Flora entertained during their extended vacations in Colorado.
It’s believed Flora haunts the hotel to this day, enjoying one of her favorite pastimes of playing the piano late at night when no one is around. Tales abound of visitors claiming sounds of revelry occurring in the empty ballroom. Room 217 is purported to be haunted by the ghost of a long-term housekeeper. If you gain her favor, she’ll help you unpack. If not…. Well…. It is the room allegedly occupied by Stephen King at one time. Inspiring The Shining?
I don’t know about that, but the hair on the back of my neck stood up as I took photos of The Stanley Hotel outside in broad daylight.
Want to know more about haunted places in Colorado? Click on the link.
Speaking of Hauntings!
Did you know, most present day Halloween traditions are traceable to the ancient Celtic day of the dead? Halloween consists of mysterious customs, but
each has a history, or at least a story behind it.
Take wearing costumes, and roaming from door to door demanding treats. This behavior can be traced to the Celtic period and the first few centuries of the Christian era, when it was thought that the souls of the dead were out and about, along with fairies, witches, and demons. Offerings of food and drink were left out to placate them. As the centuries wore on, people began dressing like these creatures, performing antics in exchange for food and drink. This is where the practice of trick-or-treating began. To this day, vampires, witches, ghosts, and skeletons are among the favorite costumes.
Our Halloween also retains activities from the original harvest holiday of Samhain, such as bobbing for apples and carving vegetables, (pumpkins) as well as the fruits, nuts, and spices for cider associated with the day. Although at my house, hot chocolate is pretty popular, since Halloween almost guarantees the first snow of the year.
Looking for a fun Halloween Read? A Witch’s Journey is full of meddling ghosts, shapeshifters, sexy witch, a ruggedly-handsome Navy SEAL. An exciting story of redemption, wildlife rescue and Halloween festivals. Available at Amazon.com, Kobo, and Barnes & Noble. And I let you in on a little secret. A Witch’s Journey is available in audiobook, so grab yours! After you’ve read A Witch’s Journey, you’ll want the sequel, A Witch’s Holiday Wedding, also available in audiobook Amazon.com, 
Well, if you’ll excuse me, it’s time to don my vampire costume, custom fitted fangs and pull up a stool in the shadows. With a candy bowl beside me, I sneakily turn on the fog machine. Out of the mist, I’ll greet the little trick or treaters or scare the bejeebers out of the older ones with bats hanging over head and screeching on my command. Won’t you join me? Happy Halloween!
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Posted in For Fun, Holidays, My Say What Blog and tagged All Hallows Eve, Colorado, ghosts, Halloween, Haunting, Lobster Cove, shifters, Stanley Hotel, wildlife, Witches by Tena Stetler with 35 comments.
