Interview with Anna Abner Author of The Shopgirl’s Prophecy!
What event in your past has left the most indelible impression on you? I don’t want to talk about my dad leaving, okay? But if you want something that screwed me up, when my prophecy came out, my whole life got tipped upside down. I went from a mediocre engineering student to a giant disappointment. People who’ve never met me, hate me now.
What do you most value? I don’t really have anything that belongs to me anymore. I live in a hotel. Everything I have was bought by our investors. But if you’re asking what means the most to me, then it’s the memories I have growing up with my grandpa. He was a great man who taught me about respect, hard work, and honor, and I can never repay him.
What is the type of woman you want to spend the rest of your life with? I’m a little distracted right now with the end of the human race, though I will say I’m partial to blonde cheerleader types.
What do you consider most important in life? There’s nothing more important than family, and sometimes the family you create is even more important than the family you were born into.
What is your biggest secret? Well, it wouldn’t be much of a secret if I told everyone who asked. But most people wouldn’t know by looking at me that my bank account is bulging at the seams. That’s all I’m going to say.
Ohhhh.. I like the sound of that. But…. on to the stunningly beautiful woman sitting next to you.
Alina, who are you really? Why? What have you heard? I’m just a regular person. Nothing unusual to see here, guys.
Who were the biggest role models in your life? My father taught me a lot. Everything I am came from him. I think my mom could have been a big role model for me, but I wasn’t lucky enough to have her growing up.
What kind of man do you want to spend the rest of your life with? Romance just isn’t in my future. I’m happy being single, really. It’s safer that way, for everyone.
What kind of man would you never choose? I’ve had bad experiences with popular jocks. I definitely will never waste time on one of those beefy jerks.
What is most important to you in life? I value my privacy, as well as peace and quiet.
What is your biggest fear? There are things I must keep secret, for everyone’s safety. It’s why I live such a secluded life in London.
Anna, tell us a little about writing this story. Was it fun or difficult? Do your characters always act as you expect? Are you a plotter, or fly (write) by the seat of your pants?
Shopgirl’s Prophecy is the beginning of a paranormal series I’ve been obsessed with for over ten years. I’ve always loved this story, and I’m so excited to share it with you. Writing it wasn’t difficult at all! It was a joy to create each character, each setting, and each turning point. That’s not to say the novel didn’t go through several iterations. In one, Oleksander had a mother more vicious than he is. In another, the entire novel takes place in the Ukrainian countryside. But I’m very happy with the final version, and I love the way it turned out.
When I started Shopgirl’s Prophecy, I was a pantser, writing in whichever direction the wind blew. Over time, though, I learned to embrace organization and planning. Currently, before I write a novel, I complete a pre-writing packet and use it as a blueprint for plot and characters. It helps me feel more in control of my work.
Click on the cover to read more or purchase.
Tell us a little about The Shopgirl’s Prophecy.
Powerful witches, tortured vampires, and sexy shifters fight the evil horde on the Vegas Strip.
Chapter One
hissed, yanking on Connor’s black jacket. A spotlight swept over their heads,
and he tasted dry earth as he flattened onto the sand.
close,” Roz complained.
like cockroaches across the ground, avoiding a parked Humvee, and staying out
of the guards’ eye line. The things they couldn’t avoid at the secret army
facility in The-Middle-of-Nowhere, Nevada were surveillance cameras on every
wall and post. Hence, the need for speed and an electro-magnetic pulse device
the size of a suitcase strapped to Connor’s back. If they were caught breaking
into Oleksander the Destroyer’s cell, they’d never see daylight again. Sort of
the way Oleksander had been in the dark of an army prison for the past twenty
years.
hadn’t known six months ago—a lackluster engineering student at the University
of Chicago—that the Seer Ilvane would write down his name and forever link him
with the end of the human race.
Cleveland will release the Destroyer and bring about the apocalypse.
way to fix the prophecy and save the world except to kill the vampire lord.
button,” Connor said, nodding at the EMP. Thank the fates for Anton and
Natasha, their very generous benefactors from New Zealand and their high-tech
toys.
button.” Roz activated the device, and every electric light on the base,
hopefully the cameras and security doors too, blinked off. “Now,” she ordered.
“Move.”
balls of his feet, Connor ran for building 2A, which he knew from poring over
satellite photos of the installation, was where the army kept the vampires. He
hunched over the card reader controlling the prison’s heavy-duty outer door,
sweat rolling down the back of his neck. “Please,” he breathed. A single second
delay while they stood like a couple of sore thumbs at the gateway to a
vampire’s cell on a secret military base could ruin everything.
best and yanked. The immense door swung open on soundless hinges.
fifty percent sure the EMP was going to work,” Roz admitted as she followed him
inside and sealed the door.
Blog: www.AnnaAbner.com
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Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged A Beasts of Vegas Novel, Anna Abner, Paranormal Romance, Shopgirl's Prophecy by Tena Stetler with comments disabled.
Interview Mariah Ankenman – Daemon Deception
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 Mariah and her Daemon Deception! Sounds a little dangerous to me. LOL
What secret do you use to blast through writer’s block?
Music and exercise. I pop on my headphones and take a walk around the block. The right song can really get the creative juices flowing again. For my paranormal stories, I like to listen to Nightwish and Within Temptation.
Who is your favorite character of all of the books you’ve written and Why?
Lizzy from Love on the Wild Side, the second book in my Peak Town, Colorado series. I loved writing Lizzy. She was so much fun. She had sass galore and loved with fierceness. I also love her little tic of making up words by mashing two real words together.
What do you want your readers to take away from your books?
I hope people take away enjoyment. The reason I love reading and writing Romance is because the genre revolves around hope and happiness. Something we need much more of in this world. If my stories can allow the reader to escape for just a little while and come back to life a touch happier then I feel I’ve done my job.
What do you like to do when you are not writing?
Read (of course), play musical instruments, crochet, scrapbook, hike. I love watch Horror movies, especially the really bad creature features. Anytime it’s Mega(something) versus Giant(animal) I know I’m in for a good movie night.
“What do you need?” he asked, once he reached her side, bag in hand.
“There’s a vial inside. A potion I made to lessen the effects of the blood curse. I took one before I broke the spell, but I’m not sure it did much good.”
As horrible as her wounds were, he suspected her potion did help. If Racine’s account was accurate, the blood curse could have been a lot worse. “This?” He held up a glass tube with blue liquid inside, so bright it almost glowed in the dark room.
“Yes,” she panted, clearly in pain. “Pour it directly onto my wounds.”
He hesitated. “Will it hurt?”
She managed a small shrug. “It can’t hurt any worse than it does now.”
If he ever discovered the Sorcerer who created this blood curse, he would put him or her in the ground. After he made them bleed, a lot. Removing the stopper, he tipped the vial over her wounds. The blue, shimmering potion dropped into the deep gashes and started to bubble. Celia sucked in a sharp breath.
“Does it hurt?”
She giggled. “No. It tickles.”
Odd, but better than hurting. If he had his way, Celia would never feel any pain again.
He watched in amazement as the potion bubbled and sparked. Before his eyes, her wounds started to shrink. The skin began to knit itself together. In just a few short minutes, those deep, raw cuts reduced to three long, thin scars. The skin remained red and tender, but the wounds had closed.
“Wow.”
“Did it work?”
“Baby, you are one amazing Witch.”
A smiled tipped her lips as her cheeks tinged a tempting pink. She rolled to her side, then winced and rolled back.
“Well, it’s better. That’s a start. I guess I’ll have to sleep on my stomach tonight.” She frowned and he found the expression adorable. “I hate sleeping on my stomach. I can never fall asleep that way. It’s so uncomfortable.”
He stood and started to unbutton his shirt.
“Damien?”
He didn’t answer, just continued to undress until he was down to his boxers. Then he slipped into bed with her and pulled her onto his chest.
“There. Better?”
She buried her face in his chest. “Much.”
Careful of her back, he wrapped his arms around her and immediately realized his mistake. Celia was naked. He’d removed her clothes himself, but had been too distracted by her wounds to notice or appreciate her nudity. He noticed it now. Silky, soft flesh pressed against every inch of his body. Her firm breasts smashed against his chest, and he felt her nipples begin to harden. One leg draped across his groin, moving slowly back and forth. Yeah, he noticed all right. If the rising tent in his boxers was any indication, he appreciated it, too.
Instagram: www.instagram.com/mariah_ankenman/
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Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged Daemon, Daemon Deception, Mariah Ankenman, Paranormal Romance by Tena Stetler with 10 comments.
Charm Me For Valentine’s Day From Author Tena Stetler!
Happy Valentine’s Day and welcome to Authors’ Secrets Valentine Special with a fun and flirty Candy Hearts Romance, Charm Me. It’s on SALE for 99 cents! Set in the Colorado Rocky 
Mountains is a story close to my heart. I penned this story while taking my dog, Mystic, to agility classes. In her class there was a rescue dog owned by a yoga instructor, and Summer Riley was born.
The other dimension of the story came about as I took a woman’s gun class to get my concealed carry permit. Thus retired Navy SEAL Devlin was thrust into the story. What better way to bring these two opposites together than Summer feeling the need to protect herself by signing up for a weapons class.
Though Summer is a talented Elemental witch, she feels it necessary to defend herself in the mortal way in the mortal world. But wait, Devlin is not exactly as he appears.
Then as things heat up, a cross-country ski trip at his cabin in Dividie, Colorado brings in Valentine’s Day magic to the story. Pick up your copy today for only 99¢ until February 16th, 2018.
Psssst…. I’ll let you in on a little secret. There is a sequel in the works, so make sure you check back often.
Click on cover to read more or buy!
A little more about Charm Me.
Summer Dawn Riley’s an extraordinary elemental witch whose troubled past haunts her. She’s created a calm life for herself teaching yoga and keeping people at a distance. Her life takes a one eighty degree turn when she enrolls in a women’s weapons class and meets ruggedly handsome Devlin Sawyer.
Devlin, a former Navy Seal, has sworn off women after two long-term failed relationships, but there is no denying his attraction to Summer. She intrigues him like no other woman ever has. Despite her attempts to ignore him, Summer is drawn to Devlin. His magic signature is strong, but he’s no warlock. Will Valentine’s Day magic find them a future together?
A peek between the page of Charm Me.
Getting to her feet, she brushed the dust from her black yoga pants, tugged at the bottom of her bright orange tunic, and flipped the light switch on. A soft glow of florescent lighting flooded the large room, soothing Summer’s nerves. Guess she would never be the same carefree individual she was before the incident. Oh, shake it off. You’re safe and it’s time to get on with life. “Come on Pip, let’s get this place open.”
A massive stone fireplace towered in the corner. She picked up an arm full of wood and flung it in the general direction. Logs landed in the fire pit and neatly arranged themselves in a tepee shape. With a magic flick of her finger toward the hearth, flames raced up the aspen logs. “That’s better.”
She raised her arms, about to send the yoga mats back to their proper place when the heavy wooden front door creaked open. Piper rushed toward the door, teeth bared and a growl rumbled in her throat. Summer whirled around and yelped as Devlin ambled into the room, black hair tousled and glistening with melting snowflakes. His nonchalance at the dog’s approach surprised her as he slowed to a stop. Piper sniffed around him, backed up a few inches, then stood at alert in front of Devlin.
“You scared the bejeebers out of me.” Summer held her hand to her chest as her heart thundered.
“What are you doing here?”
“Call your guard dog off and I’ll tell you.” The corners of Devlin’s mouth curved up into a smile, a faint light twinkled in the depths of his dark eyes.
“Piper, leave it…come.” The dog gave Devlin a last sideways glance, trotted back to Summer and sat at her side.
Buy Links:
Amazon , Amazon UK , Amazon Australia, Amazon Canada, The Wild Rose Press , Kobo, Barnes& Noble, ibook/itunes, and Audible.
About the author:
Best-selling and award-winning author, Tena Stetler pens paranormal romance and cozy mysteries. 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 her their tales. 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.
Colorado is home; shared with her husband of many moons, a brilliant Chow Chow, a spoiled parrot and a forty-five-year-old box turtle. When she’s not writing, you can find her kayaking, camping, hiking, biking or just relaxing in the great Colorado outdoors. During the winter sometimes she’s curled up in front of a crackling fire with a good book, a mug of hot chocolate and a big bowl of popcorn.
She loves to chat with readers and other authors, please visit her at :
Website: https://www.tenastetler.com
Authors’ Secret’s Blog – https://www.tenastetler.com/category/authors-secrets-blog/
My Say What Blog – https://www.tenastetler.com/category/my-say-what-blog/
Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/tenastetler.author
Twitter Page: www.twitter.com/TenaStetler
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14187532.Tena_Stetler
The Wild Rose Press: http://catalog.thewildrosepress.com/1264_tena-stetler
Amazon: www.amazon.com/author/tenastetler
Newsletter: https://www.tenastetler.com/newsletter-signup/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/tenastetler
Tribber – http://triberr.com/TenaStetler
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/tena-stetler
Hope your Valentine’s Day is supercalifragilisticexpialidocious! Need a last minute gift, Charm Me is a great quick read and comes in audible. What more can you ask for?
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Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged Candy Hearts Romance, Charm Me, Fun and Flirty, Paranormal Romance, Valentines Day by Tena Stetler with comments disabled.
Interview Sharon Ashwood – Enchanter Redeemed!
Give a warm welcome to Sharon Ashwood, author of Enchanter Redeemed
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 Sharon Ashwood and Enchanter Redeemed!
What defines you as an author? As a person? Are they one in the same?
I don’t think it’s possible to separate the two. I believe authors look at the world with a great deal of curiosity and empathy. To them, every person and place is a story with deep history and interconnections with all these other stories going on. All things become possible by simply asking, “What if?” It’s actually kind of comical being in a car with a bunch of authors—an innocent bystander becomes the kernel of a murder mystery in the time it takes to turn the corner.
What inspired this particular story?
Enchanter Redeemed is the enchanter Merlin’s story. He is King Arthur’s magician in Camelot, and I don’t see him as an old wizard, but as a strong, passionate warrior. I was inspired to write this particular tale because I was intrigued by the traditional story of Merlin falling in love with the enchantress, Vivian. I kept wondering who Vivian was to capture his heart and went from there. In the original he gets trapped in a tree for a zillion years, but my version takes a unique turn. I wanted to write a story about compassion and forgiveness, but also with some humor. Laughter is part of the healing process, after all.
What secret do you use to blast through writer’s block?
Writer’s block usually happens if I’m tired or I don’t know where I’m going with a story. So, if I’m stuck I’ll try to get a good night’s sleep, get out of the house, get some fresh air, and then sit down and start asking hard questions about the plot. Nine times out of ten that does the trick. In an emergency, I binge watch TV. Sometimes taking in a lot of random stories shakes something loose (or at least that’s my excuse).
What do you want your readers to take away from your books?
First, I want readers to find a few hours of escape in my stories. We all need that! Second, I write characters who find love, of course—but also courage, self-acceptance, and a way to live with each other’s differences. I like to think I’m spreading a tiny bit of harmony into the world by their example.
You’ve got a time machine, a cloak of invisibility, and one hour. Where would you go, and what eavesdropping would you do?I’d love to be present on the night Lord Byron, Mary and Percy Shelley, Dr. Polidori, and their friends sat around telling ghost stories. Frankenstein came out of that session, as well as Polidori’s The Vampyre. That must have been some evening!
A Peek Between the Pages of Enchanter Redeemed Camelot Reborn, Book Four
Clary jolted awake. Power surged through her body, painful and suffocating. Her spine arched into it—or maybe away from it, she wasn’t sure. Merlin had one hand on her side and the other on her chest, using his magic like a defibrillator. The sensation hammered her from the inside while every hair on her body stood straight up. When he released her, she sagged in relief. A drifting sensation took over, as if she were a feather in an updraft.
Merlin’s fingers went to her neck, checking for a pulse. His hands were hot from working spells, the touch firm yet gentle. In her weakened state, Clary shivered slightly, wanting to bare her throat in surrender. She was a sucker for dark, broody masculinity and he projected it like a beacon. All the same, Clary sucked in a breath before he got any big ideas about mouth-to-mouth. If Merlin was going to kiss her, she wanted wine and soft music, not blood and the dirty workshop floor.
Another bolt of power, more pain, another pulse check. Clary managed a moan, and she heard the sharp intake of Merlin’s breath. His hand withdrew from her pulse point as she forced her eyes open. He was staring down at her with his peculiar amber eyes, dark brows furrowed in concern. She was used to him prickly, arrogant or sarcastic, but not this. She’d never seen that oddly vulnerable expression before—but it quickly fled as their gazes met.
“You’re alive.” He said it like a fact, any softness gone.
“Yup.” Clary pushed herself up on her elbows. She hurt all over. “What was that?”
“A demon.”
“I got that much.” Clary held up her arm, peering through the rents in her jacket where the demon’s claws had slashed. Merlin’s zap of power had stopped the bleeding, but the deep scratches were red, puffy and hurt like blazes.
“Demon claws are toxic.”
“Got that, too.”
“I can put a salve on the wound, but you’d be smart to have Tamsin look at it,” Merlin said. “Your sister is a better healer than I am.”
“She’s better than anybody.” Clary said it with the automatic loyalty of a little sister, but it was true. “She’s got a better bedside manner, too.”
Merlin raised a brow, his natural arrogance back in place. “Just be glad you’re alive.”
She studied Merlin, acutely aware of how much magic he’d used to shut the demon down. He looked like a man in his early thirties, but there was no telling how old he actually was. He was lean-faced with permanent stubble and dark hair that curled at his collar. At first glance, he looked like a radical arts professor or dot-com squillionaire contemplating his next disruptive innovation. It took a second look to notice the muscular physique hidden by the comfortable clothes. Merlin had a way of sliding under most radars, but Clary never underestimated the power he could pluck out of thin air. She was witch born, a member of the Shadowring Coven, but he was light years beyond their strongest warlocks.
That strength was like catnip to her—although she’d never, ever admit that out loud. “What were you doing?” she demanded, struggling the rest of the way to a sitting position.
“I was watching the demons through a scrying portal when you interrupted me.” His tone was precise and growing colder with every syllable. Now that the crisis was over, he was getting angry.
“The she-demon tried to kill me.” Clary’s insides hollowed as the words sank home. Dear goddess, she did kill me! And Merlin had brought her back before a second had passed—but it had happened. Her witch’s senses had felt it happen. The realization left her light-headed.
“She doesn’t get to have you,” he said in a low voice.
Their gazes locked, and something twisted in Clary’s chest. She’d been hurt on Merlin’s watch, and he was furious. No, what she saw in his eyes was more than icy anger. It was a heated, primal possessiveness that came from a far different Merlin than she knew. Clary’s breath stopped. Surely she was misreading the situation. Death and zapping had scrambled her thoughts.
“I shouldn’t have walked in on you.”
“No, you shouldn’t have,” he said in a voice filled with the same mix of ice and fire. “You’d be a better student of magic if you paid attention. You asked me to teach you proper magic and not the baby food the covens use. Real magic is deadly.”
Abruptly, he stood and crossed the room to kick a shard of agate against the wall. It bounced with a savage clatter. Clary got to her feet, her knees wobbling. He spun and stormed back to her in one motion, moving so fast she barely knew what was happening.
He took her by the shoulders, the grip rough. “Don’t ever do that again!”
And then his mouth crushed hers in a hard, angry kiss. Clary gasped in surprise, but there was no air, only him, and only his need. She rose slowly onto her toes, the gesture both surrender and a desire to hold her own. She’d been kissed many times before, but never consumed this way. His lips were greedy and hot with that same confusing array of emotions she’d seen a moment ago. Anger. Fear. Possession. Protectiveness.
Volatile. That was the word she’d so often used in her own head when thinking about him. Volatile, though he kept himself on a very short chain. Right now that chain had slipped.
For the first two chapters, click here: http://www.rowanartistry.com/book/enchanter-redeemed/
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Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged Camelot, Enchanter redeemed Camelot Reborn, Merlin, Paranormal Romance, Sharon Ashwood by Tena Stetler with 2 comments.
