Holiday Recipe & A Magic Redemption
Happy holidays to all! I’m so excited today is the release of A MAGIC REDEMPTION, the fifth book in A Demon’s Witch Series. Yippee!! 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 A MAGIC REDEMPTION is all about! Also, check out my Holiday Recipe for Fantasy Fudge. Pssst. To celebrate my new release I’m giving away a $10.00 Amazon gift card. Read to the bottom of the post, tell me the name of Synn’s pup in the comments to be entered for a chance to win Thanks for joining us!
A Magic Redemption has been in the process for quite some time. Synn the heroine of the book has wandered in and out of most of the books in A Demon’s Witch Series. Kidnapped as a child, her captors murdered her family and forced her into training as a warrior assassin. When an assignment goes horribly wrong, she sees an escape and exchanges valuable information for protection and takes freedom in Ireland. Gavin Shaughnessy is the publican at his family’s Irish pub. He is certain Synn is meant to be his and isn’t bothered by her past. He must find a way to convince her, their future together is stronger than the dark memories that haunt her dreams.
I always knew I’d have to tell Synn’s story, but had to wait until all the pieces fell into place from the other books in the series. I’m super excited to share her incredible adventure and heart-warming story with you now. I certainly hope you enjoy reading A Magic Redemption as much as I did writing Synn’s tale.
Although A Magic Redemption is the fifth book in A Demon’s Witch Series, it can be read as a stand-alone like all the other books in the series. Before we get into A MAGIC REDEMPTION, a little holiday fun and a recipe!
Twinkle Bright – Elves Secret Santa
Direct from the North Pole, welcome to the Elves Secret Santa party! Here at the North Pole it’s extremely busy, but we still have time for a little holiday fun and shenanigans.
Let me introduce myself. I’m an elf and my name is Twinkle Bright because my elf hat has twinkle lights wound all around the scalloped edge and the pointy top.
I make yummy Hot Chocolate for Santa and the elves from a secret family recipe passed down from generation to generation. My hot chocolate keeps everyone warm and toasty inside at the North Pole. There is even an automatic dispenser in Santa’s Sleigh providing him with hot chocolate during his travels on Christmas Eve. It goes good with the cookies the children leave for him.
While I am mixing up large batches of hot chocolate, I listen to Christmas Carols from a variety of pop, country and rock artists. I always taste each batch to insure it’s up to elf standards. . You would think I’d get tired of hot chocolate, but no — never. I love the steaming chocolaty drink. I usually keep mine in an insulated mug so it stays warm while sampling the cookies in the elves’ bakery. Frosted sugar cookies and gingerbread cookies are my absolute favorites.
Now, I’m going to let you in on a little secret. But you must promise not to tell…anyone.
We do a secret Santa gift exchange around here and this year I got Bob, her job at the North Pole is name checker to make sure Santa has all the correct spellings of the girls and boys. One year she spelled Chrys’ name Chris and wow what an uproar.
Luckily Santa caught it, but we had to rush to change all the tags on her packages. Whew!
I’m getting Elf Bobi a package of 120 different color markers in a jewel encrusted case for marking off the correctly spelled names after she checks them.
Do you think she’ll like that?
Do you like fudge? Great, I’ll share with you my favorite Fantasy Fudge Recipe.
3 cups of sugar
3/4 cup butter
1 – 5 oz can of evaporated milk (do not use sweetened condensed milk)
1 – 12 oz package semi sweet chocolate chips
1 – 7 oz jar marshmallow cream
1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
You may add chopped nuts if you wish
Bring sugar, butter and evaporated milk to a full rolling boil in a large saucepan over medium heat, stir constantly
Cook for four minutes or until a candy thermometer reaches 234 degrees.
High altitude takes about 5 minutes.
Remove from heat and add chocolate chips and marshmallow cream, stir until melted.
Add vanilla and nuts. Stir until blended.
Pour into a greased 9×13 pan, spread evenly.
Cool completely and cut into squares.
A sneak peek between the pages of A MAGIC REDEMPTION!
He showered, pulled on sweats, and stretched out on his empty king-sized bed. After his long flight, a peaceful sleep came quickly until Synn’s nightmare invaded his dream world. Gut wrenching terror tore through him until he was able to disengage himself from the nightmare. There’d be no phone call this time. For a moment he considered shifting, but he might need a vehicle after arriving at her home. He yanked off his sweats and pulled on jeans, a sweater, donned a coat, and grabbed his keys.
He found her sitting cross-legged on the bedroom floor. Storm curled in her lap. The usually active pup was lying still just peering up at her. When Gavin approached, Storm moved one ear forward and turned her head to look at him. “It’ll be okay, girl.” He knelt in front of Synn, brushed the hair away from her face. A vacant stare met his gaze into her eyes like she was in a trance. This couldn’t be good.
He’d seen her nightmare. Something was trying to control her. He wouldn’t let it happen. Releasing a breath, he took hold of her shoulders. She’d been like this once before. When she came out of it anyone within arm’s reach could be in danger. Though her magic was tempered these days, it wouldn’t be for long… Changing strategy, he repositioned himself behind her, caught her up in a bear hug, and pushed the pup out of her lap. Storm yelped and went grudgingly but refused to leave her side.
“Synn, it’s me Gavin; you’re safe.” He gave her a little shake. Arms and legs began flailing. She let out a blood curdling scream and kept screaming until he thought the neighbors a few miles away would hear and call the police. He held her tightly, sat down on the floor, and pulled her into his lap. “Synn. Synn. You’re all right. We’re at the cottage.” The screams turned to sobs. She leaned her head back and blinked.
Panic seized her. “Gavin, you’ve got to get out of here. He’s coming for me and will kill everyone associated with me, including Storm.” She reached for the pup cuddling her close to her chest. “I’m so sorry. I knew this would never work. I don’t deserve a normal life.”
“That’s enough. It was a nightmare. That’s all.”
She turned her large aqua eyes on him and raised an eyebrow. “Really?”
Available from Amazon, Amazon UK, Amazon AU, Amazon CA, Kobo , itunes, The Wild Rose Press, Barnes and Noble Wal-mart.com
About the Author:
Tena Stetler is a best-selling author of award winning paranormal romance. She has an over-active imagination, which led to writing her first vampire romance as a tween to the chagrin of her mother and delight of her friends. After many years as a paralegal, then an IT Manager, she decided to live out her dream of pursuing a publishing career.
With the Rocky Mountains outside her window, she sits at her computer surrounded by a wide array of witches, shapeshifters, demons, faeries, and gryphons, with a Navy SEAL or two mixed in telling their tales. Her books tell stories of magical kick-ass women and mystical alpha males that dare to love them. Travel, adventure and a bit of mystery flourish in her books along with a few companion animals to round out the tales.
Thank you so much for indulging my excitement at the release of my eighth book with The Wild Rose Press and reading a bit about A MAGIC REDEMPTION! I hope you enjoyed the recipe!
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Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged A Magic Redemption, Fantasy Fudge, Ireland, magic, Mystery, Paranormal Romance, Shapeshifters, Tena Stetler, Twinkle Bright the Holiday Elf, Urban Fantasy, Witches by Tena Stetler with comments disabled.
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
Click on the cover to read more or purchase!
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.
Finding Magic Annalise’s Quest by Author Blair Drake
Happy Holidays to all! Give a warm welcome to Blair Drake author of Finding Magic Annalise’s Quest.
A sneak peek between the pages of Finding Magic – Annalise’s Quest.
It seemed like the wind just wouldn’t stop. It flew and twisted around Annalise as if it could lift her off her feet. Considering she didn’t know what she was standing on, she wouldn’t put it past the strength of the darkness to have already done just that. She found nobody here, and the loneliness was getting to her. She wanted the storm to die down so she could assess where the hell she ended up, but it wasn’t showing that kind of appeasement.
Just when she figured she would never get out of this, the wind eased back, and a hand landed on her shoulder. She shrieked and spun around…and stared. A young man’s face stared back at her. But, even as she watched, it splintered and disintegrated into nothingness, the wind sweeping through it.
She outstretched both hands, waving them about as if to touch him. “Hello? Where are you? Don’t leave me. Please don’t leave me.”
But the image was gone. She touched her shoulder where the hand had been, wondering if she was going nuts in this weird isolation chamber. Had she felt a hand on her shoulder, or was it just her imagination?
“Can you come back?” she cried out. “Please don’t leave me alone here.”
“I’m here,” came the man’s whispery voice.
The wind was so loud in her ears, it was hard to hear the voice. She tilted her head sideways, seeing if she could glimpse the man again, but there was no face in the darkness. She spun to look all the way around but still found nothing. She crouched again, realizing the noise was slightly less down below. Squatting like she was, she called out again, “Can you hear me?”
“Yes. I can hear you.” came the same voice, only stronger.
“Who are you? Where are we?”
“I’m Trace,” he whispered. “I was lost here a long time ago.”
And Annalise’s heart skipped a beat. “What you mean by lost?”
“I was caught up in the darkness—just me here all this time. I couldn’t get out. I was on some quest, but I couldn’t reach the end in time,” he said in frustration. “And, when I was about to succeed and cross back to the school, I dropped my talisman, and my time ran out. The darkness snagged me up, and here I’ve been ever since.”
And Annalise’s jaw dropped. “Quest? Time running out? What are you talking about?”
She could almost hear the puzzled silence around her. But of course there was no silence with the winds raging on. Yet it’s almost like she had a weird 3-D perception of this person’s voice, as if it were inside her mind and not outside.
“That’s because you’re new here. You will figure it out.” That odd silence came again as Trace said, “But why are you here? If you don’t know about the quests, that means you didn’t fail yours. So how did you come to be here?”
Annalise held her hands out, palm up. “I have no idea. A group of students were on the roof, and this strange wind came around, like a storm. I ran over to Melissa. And it’s like I was caught up in the energy and sucked in. I heard Headmistress Hettie calling for me. I saw her hand reaching, but I just couldn’t grab it. It was already too late. Next thing I knew, I was here in this darkness.”
“Oh, no,” the man said slowly. “Maybe you weren’t supposed to come.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Every person in that group was headed for a challenge—a quest. They don’t know ahead of time. They don’t know what the challenges are until they arrive at their unique experience, and none of us really understand what we’re supposed to do except to somehow get home.” He coughed slightly. “At least that’s what happened to me. I almost made it back to the school but was dumped here.”
“Like a test? Like a worst-nightmare exam run by the school?” She didn’t get it how they could do that. “They shouldn’t be allowed to do shit like this. Surely there was a law against it?”
“The thing about Gray Cliffs Academy is, a lot of the students have special abilities. They don’t know about them before the quest. They are forced to dredge up these abilities from their own heritage to overcome their challenges.” The voice rolled through the fog in a weird echo.
“So, you’re saying you came back with a special ability but didn’t make it home in time? And because you failed, you ended up here?” Annalise asked, in shock. “I wasn’t even sent on a quest. I’m just here—wait. Do you mean we’re not on the roof of the school anymore? This isn’t just a weird fog or storm happening?” Her voice rose. “If we’re not at the school, then where are we? Dumped here?” she asked, her voice darkening. “What the hell does that mean? Where is here?”
“I don’t know where here is,” he said, his voice heavy. “This gray world is all I’ve seen since I arrived. There have been tiny slices of the normal world on the odd occasions when I managed to make contact. But other than that…this is my life. That you’re here now could mean you weren’t supposed to be part of the group that left.”
Annalise cried out in surprise, overlaid with horror.
The voice paused a bit. “I don’t know for sure. But I must admit I’m absolutely delighted to have you with me. I’ve been so lonely.”
“How long have you been here?” Annalise asked slowly. “I don’t remember ever hearing about you.”
Trace gave a half sob. “Since the last quest cycle I think. So maybe a full year. In a way that seems like yesterday, and yet, in another way, it seems like forever.”
Annalise shook her head in horror. “A whole year caught in this darkness? What did you eat? What did you drink?”
Trace said, “I didn’t do either. It’s like I’m caught in between dimensions. There’s no food, but I’m not hungry. There’s nothing to drink, but I’m not thirsty. Thankfully, sleeping works here as I spend the majority of my time doing that. It’s almost like I’m in a comatose state most of the time, only waking up because of some disturbance. And there have been a lot of disturbances lately. So I knew something was happening. Then I caught sight of Melissa…at least I think it was her. It was hard to see. I do know what she looks like though,” he said, his voice changing, softening. “She was a year younger than me, a year behind. That’s when I considered a whole year might have passed, and a new quest cycle started—her quest cycle. If only I returned in time,” he said. “But my talisman slipped out of my hand as I approached the roof. I was that close. I could see Hettie and the headmaster standing there, waiting for me, expecting me to make it, smiles on their faces …”
He gulped, his voice shaking as he continued. “I also saw their faces as the horror filled their gazes when they realized I wouldn’t make it.” Trace shuddered, the movement obvious in his voice as he said, “And I knew something really bad would happen.”
“All that said, no way am I staying here for a whole year,” Annalise said. “I don’t even belong here at all. I wasn’t part of the group. I wasn’t supposed to be on the roof. I used to go up there when I needed some space. So that’s why I was up there at that time. When I saw the darkness, I lunged for the headmistress but was caught up in this mess. Hettie must have recognized I shouldn’t be there because she tried to pull me out of it.”
“That’s possible. You probably weren’t scheduled to do your quest for another year.”
“Or it’s possible I don’t have any abilities, like you all have, and wasn’t meant to come at all,” she said in disgust. “Wouldn’t it be so typical of my world I get involved in a group of the chosen, and yet I’m not one of them?” But instead of stressed or teary-eyed, she just got angry. “Why the hell is this happening to me? I didn’t even want to go to the damn school in the first place.”
Trace gave a shocked gasp. “What do you mean? Why didn’t you want to come to the school? It’s the best school ever.”
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Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged Analise's Quest Finding Magic, Blair Drake, Paranormal Romance by Tena Stetler with 2 comments.
NaNoWriMo – A Tale of 50,000 Words in Thirty Days – WOW!
Along with millions of writers around the world, (okay maybe not millions, but close) I’m participating in National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWrimo).
A challenge to
write fifty-thousand words in thirty days. For weeks, our minds have worked out the logistics of the story, our fingers are twitching to tap that keyboard and kick off the race to our latest novel. The National Novel Writing Month challenge is a great confidence builder and something we writers look forward to November 1st every year.
NaNoWriMo as it’s fondly referred to has become somewhat of a tradition for me starting in 2010. I’ve made my goal of at least 50,000 words every year since with the exception of 2013. That year I failed miserably at only 17000 words. My day job was a monster, the hours were long,and by the time I arrived home, I was the monster. Anyone know what I mean? But I digress, at 17,000 I still had a working story, plot and characters. Yeah! Finished it up in the months that followed, polished the manuscript and submitted it. Since that time, I left the monster of a day job and writing is now my full-time job, and I love it. CHARM ME AGAIN is my 10th novel since 2015.
Click on the cover to read more or purchase.
Ten novels that NaNoWriMo helped me to create have been published by The Wild Rose Press. Last year’s NaNo project, CHARM ME AGAIN is available for pre-order right now at Amazon, Barnes & Noble. and itunes Yippee! CHARM ME AGAIN releases December 9, 2019, just in time for Holiday shopping! Psssst…. to help you with your holiday shopping, my e-book of A WITCH’S HOLIDAY WEDDING is on sale beginning November 15th for 99 cents for a limited time at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and itunes. Download a copy today and join the magical, romantic fantasy adventure, you’ll never want to leave!
This year for NaNoWriMo I’ll be working on GYPSY MAGIC the third book in A Witch’s Journey Series. I’m so excited to share Brock and Gwen’s story and return to the world of Pepper and Lathen and wildlife rescue!
Along with the Romance Writers of America and Pikes Peak Writers group, who gave me the tools, NaNoWriMo gave me the confidence needed to stick my toe in the murky waters of the publishing industry. The 50,000 words, approximately 1,667 per day, usually is three-quarters of a pretty darn good novel. Each year I build on what I’ve learned throughout the year and use it to complete the NaNoWriMo challenge. The camaraderie among participants is phenomenal making the challenge a fun way to kick off the holidays!
Wish me luck! Keep checking back for updates on my progress this year. Will I make the 50,000 words? Only time will tell, but you can bet I’ll do my best! I know you’ll be cheering me on! If you have a chance, I’d love you to leave me comments of encouragement.
Have a fun and safe Thanksgiving! Eat lots of turkey and enjoy family and friends. After all that’s what its all about!
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Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged 000 words, 30 days, 50, A Witch's Holiday Wedding, Charm Me Again, NaNoWriMo, Novel Contest, November, Paranormal Romance, Tena Stetler, World wide, Writers by Tena Stetler with comments disabled.
