Skeleton Squad Archives

Oct 27th Skeleton Squad tracked down the Halloween Spirit

It has been a long, exhaustive, search, winding through New Mexico, and several towns in Colorado, but the Skeleton Squad tracked down the Halloween Spirit right here in their own front yard. Can you believe it four days before Halloween? It’s a record! Yep, if you remember Octiva, the octopus was searching in this area earlier this month. The Squad is sure that the Spirit wasn’t always in their front yard, but hiding behind the tombstone on October 27th, the Halloween Spirit was found dancing and singing with another couple of spirits. The Spirit saw no reason to stay hidden so the Squad caught the Spirit on camera in its disguise.

So Happy Early Halloween to all of you who have followed the third annual adventures of the Squad’s search for the Halloween Spirit. We appreciate your interest and comments. The Skeleton Squad promises to be back next year for another fun filled Halloween Spirit Search and adventure! We hope you’ll join us!

Speaking of Halloween Party. Check out Hidden Gypsy Magic, one of the A Witch’s Journey Series. You aren’t going to believe what happens at the Halloween party.

So lets take a peek into Hidden Gypsy Magic!

Gwen a wildlife rehabilitor, and Brock a veterinarian, 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 peek between the pages of Hidden Gypsy Magic:

Seven minutes until midnight. Brock opened his mouth to speak, but Pepper beat him to it.

“Isn’t there some way to banish him forever while he walks among the mortals? I don’t have my spell book with me. Guess I should travel with it after all the recent experiences with you gypsies.” A slight giggle slipped out between her lips.

The somber tone in the room eased for a minute. “I mean, in your painting don’t you…”

“You’re on the right path. That’s why I’m here.” Beth smiled wide. “You can’t battle him outside this house. But with the protections afforded us inside the abode, with our combined magic and grandmother’s grimoire we would be able to do exactly as you suggest. Do we have your full support?”

“Of course.” The group chorused with the exception of Jeremiah, still shell shocked leaning against the wall. But Morgan was all in pumping her fist in the air.

Lance stuck his head out of the upstairs room. “Need us to help?”

“No,” Dylan called up to him. “Protect the children. We got this.”

“Good enough.” Lance slammed the door shut.

A trail of mist floated out of the picture, around the room, and settled beside Beth taking the shape of an older woman holding a thick book spread open. “Granddaughter. Are we ready then? We’ve located the…um….” The elderly ghost switched her gaze from the pages of the book to outside the window. “…proper page.” Then the ghost jerked her chin toward the painting where previously all the Colson family had been but now they gathered in the center of the room inside the painting.

“Let’s do it.” Gwen shared a glance at the clock with him. “Only—”

Beth again put her finger to her ghostly lips and shook her head.

The elderly ghost began to read from the book.

“We are witches, this is our creed. We will help where there is need. Days of old, wrongs to right. Let the truth be known this night. Forever banish from all realms Judge John Hathorne’s spirit and soul are bound. So mote it be.”

I hope you enjoyed the sneak peek into Hidden Gypsy Magic. A great Halloween read!

Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged fantasy, ghosts, Halloween, Halloween Spirit Search, Hidden Gypsy Magic, Paranormal Romance/Mystery, Salan Witch Trials, Skeleton Squad, Tena Stetler, Witches by Tena Stetler with 1 comment.

Oct 13th And Their Are Off Again – Skeleton Squad Search

Happy Friday the 13th!! Welcome back to another installment of the Skeleton Squad Search for the Halloween Spirit. The Squad has been eves dropping again. This morning we came downstairs to find the Squad set up on the kitchen island, preparing oatmeal to fuel up for our camping trip.

Finish breakfast, and the Squad has disappeared. We walked outside to finish packing. Darn if they hadn’t split up. Half were crawling over the clothes and wagon into the trailer. How they knew our plans, we’ll never know. We certainly didn’t tell the little buggers. The others, Olivia, Toil, and Trouble were searching behind the tombstone for the Halloween Spirit, but quickly diverted to the trailer. Wait until it snows on ’em as predicted tomorrow. <grin> Good thing we have a four season 5th wheel.

Ever heard of the Victor, Colorado Troll? (Pictured above) You’re in for a treat. The Skeleton Squad will have pictures and tales all about it next week so check back as the search for the Halloween Spirit contiues.

Speaking of Halloween, what is more Halloween than a vampire? Only not what you’ve come to expect of a vampire or his stories. My halloween treat, A Vampire’s Unlikely Alliance is on SALE for $1.99. What a spooktacular deal!

Let me explain how A Vampire’s Unlikely Alliance came to fruition. You know my family loves to camp. Right? During a camping trip we stayed right smack dab in the middle of Glacier National Park. At night around the campfire under a full moon you could hear the wolves howl and the coyotes call. I imagined a vampire running through the bush over the trails, but it couldn’t be an ordinary vampire. And who would he meet on the trails?

Stefan, a Native American vampire, was a character from my first book in A Demon’s Witch Series, A Demon’s Witch. It became a best seller five months after its release. For A Vampire’s Unlikely Alliance, I wanted to write a different vampire tale, so rather than leave him as the Vampire Council’s assassin, I released him from service and he moved to Montana, took a job as the midnight DJ for a small radio station on the outskirts of Glacier National Park. Different huh? Research for this book was a trip to Glacier National Park and I drew upon my time as a DJ at a local classic rock station KKFM in Colorado Springs. Not to mention several virtual trips to the enchanting land down under, Australia.

Won’t you join Stefan and Brandy on an exciting romantic fantasy where vampires and gryphons, warlocks and demons, witches and faeries walk among us? Some creatures are willing to put aside their differences to work together for the good of man and magic kind, other’s will stand in the way. Makes a GREAT Halloween Treat!

A little about A VAMPIRE’S UNLIKELY ALLIANCE:

Stefan is a Native American vampire, former assassin for the Vampire Council. In a twist of fate, he now DJ’s the midnight shift for a small radio station in Whitefish, Montana, on the edge of Glacier National Park where his secret is safe until…

Born in Ireland, Brandy now works as a park ranger and trail guide in the park. During a full moon, Stefan and Brandy’s paths cross in a near physical collision on a trail. Their attraction is immediate and undeniable, almost as if fate demanded it.

Their union was foretold long ago in Irish folk tales where vampires and gryphons, warlocks and demons, witches and faeries must work together for the good of man and magic kind. Is a trip to Ireland the key to unravelling secrets and returning the magic? And even more importantly, will their love survive the trip?

Available at Amazon Amazon UK , Amazon AU, itunes, and Barnes & Noble.

About the Author:

Tena Stetler is an international best-selling author of award winning paranormal tales. Some call her crazy others creative. She deals with the voices in her head by writing them down and creating a fantasy world and characters you won’t soon forget. Her books tell tales of magical kick-ass women and mystical alpha males that dare to love them. Travel, adventure, magic, and a bit of mystery flourish in her books along with 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 fifty-year-old box turtle. When she’s not writing, her time is spent kayaking, camping, hiking, biking or just relaxing in the great Colorado outdoors.

See you next week for another Skeleton Squad adventure! Happy Halloween!

Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged A Vampire's Unlikely Alliance, Paranormal Romance/Mystery, Skeleton Squad, Tena Stetler, Vampire by Tena Stetler with 2 comments.

Oct 6th Skeleton Squad Returns Home

Welcome back to another installment of the Skeleton Squad Search for the Halloween Spirit.

After returning home from the spooky trip to Roswell, NM, yes, indeed, the Skeleton Squad believes in extraterrestrials. Toil and Trouble and the rest of the Skeleton Squad were off searching for the Halloween Spirit under the flower pot, Octavia, was caught smelling the flowers and enjoying the cool fall weather. She’d discovered that the month of October and Halloween 2023 will be the spookiest on record. Because there is a Friday the 13th, a Solar Eclipse on October 14th, and a full blood moon Lunar Eclipse on Halloween weekend. To her thinking, they’re sure to find the Halloween Spirit without a problem.

Maybe even some of her werewolf friends will show up to help or more likely celebrate.

After calling in sick to the search a couple of weeks ago, Dave from Ohio, came riding by on his spider to help locate the Halloween Spirit. While the Skeleton Squad was thankful for his help, no Halloween spirit was found. Darnit!

Searching for a fun, spooky Halloween read? Look no further than the award-winning Hidden Gypsy Magic. You won’t believe what happened at the Halloween Party hosted in the centuries old house Brock bought and Gwen decorated. Members of the Historical Society and The Witch’s Museum gathered around the front door eager to leave when strange things began to happen.

Discover the consequences of awakening hidden Gypsy magic! Want to know more about 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 bewteen the pages of Hidden Gypsy Magic.

“It feels like all the air is being sucked out of this room.” His brother’s face turned ashen white as Beth’s ghostly form took shape in the center of the room.

Brock moved to the little group gathered and glanced at the grandfather clock standing in the hallway. Fifteen minutes until midnight. The witching hour on All Hallows Eve. A nervous chuckle rose up in his throat. How cliche. His brother would be a believer after this night.

He cleared his throat and wrapped an arm around Gwen’s waist. “Can we help you, Beth?” Misfit’s howling could be heard clearly from the upstairs bedroom.

“No, but I hope we can help you.” Ghost Beth glanced back at the painting and sadly shook her head. “The ghost of Judge John Hathorne stands outside ready to curse or worse all those involved in sullying his reputation. The house stands between all of you…protecting—” The ghost’s hand and arm made a sweeping motion toward their group, “— against his magic ability.”

A soft almost hysterical giggle burst from Gwen. “Doesn’t he know that by his actions this night, he has not only outed himself but proved the rumors and article are true?”

“I don’t believe he’s considered that point.” Beth’s ghostly grim face twitched into a half-smile. “He’s bent on revenge, but apparently had trouble passing through the veil this evening.” She pointed to the clock and then laid a finger on her lips.

Hope you’ve enjoyed the snippet of Hidden Gypsy Magic, and the Skelton Squad Adventures this week. Hope you’ll return to see what michief they get into next week. Happy Halloween!

Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged Halloween, Hidden Gypsy Magic, Skeleton Squad, Spider, Spirit, Tena Stetler by Tena Stetler with 2 comments.

Sep 29th Skeleton Squad Meet Aliens

Squad Meets Aliens. Welcome back to another installment of the Skeleton’s Squad Search for the Halloween Spirit.

As we overheard, the Skeleton Squad planned to hitch a ride with us to Roswell, New Mexico. How they knew our destination, we’ll never know. We certainly didn’t tell the little buggers. But here we are and so are they:

We rolled into Roswell with reservations at the Red Barn RV Park. What a welcoming place. Octavia found the RV Park with out a problem. The Skeleton Squad made friends with the first Alien they met.

The squad enlisted the rest of the family to search downtown Roswell, New Mexico.. We didn’t have any luck finding the Halloween Spirit, though we looked high and low. but we did find friendly aliens.

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They gave us a ride in their spaceship. Meanwhile Toil and Trouble of the Skeleton Squad called Dave, their friends who now moved to Ohio to come help. Unfortunately, Dave and his friend were under the weather unable to help at this time.

The next day we all packed up and headed to Santa Fe, New Mexico where we found some excellent places to eat but the Skellon Squad weren’t allowed inside. The Rancheros De Santa Fe RV park (under new ownership) were welcoming!

Speaking of a little dose of the paranormal, let’s take a peek at my A Magic Redemption!

Click on the cover to read more or purchase

What’s A Magic Redemption about? Well….. Even with magic, finding your place in the world proves more difficult than imagined especially when someone is out for revenge.

Synn, a demon, carries extraordinary magic and power, but there is more within her than she dreams. 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 finds herself at the mercy of the friends and family of her intended target. Offering valuable information in exchange for protection, she gains her freedom, but it is not without its challenges.

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.

When her past comes calling for revenge, will their love survive the raging inferno she brings down upon them? Or will the searing path of destruction destroy all they hold dear?

A sneak peek between the pages of A Magic Redemption: Snuggled deep under the covers, she drifted off to sleep. She tossed and turned through several nightmarish scenarios, waking often, until… surrounded by evil she couldn’t identify, she screamed herself awake to find a gleaming silver sword floating over her. Storm howled in her crate, and Gavin burst through the door to the room.

“What in the hell?” He skidded to a halt at the foot of her bed.

In all the chaos, she was calm. Her sheets damp from sweat that beaded on her forehead. The sword glinted in the ray of sunlight streaming through the curtains. The jewels encrusted on the handle sparkled as the weapon slowly lowered toward her, handle first. When she reached out, Gavin made a strange sound in his throat. She touched it and wrapped her fingers around it. It was warm. A sudden sense of well-being flooded through her, then the sword disappeared.

“Well, that’s quite a rush first thing in the morning. What the hell was that?”

“I’ve no idea.” She sat up in bed and rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand. “Came with some of the ancient magic I inherited? Didn’t feel like demon magic. Maybe we should contact Tristian.” “No. No way. Today we’re going to have fun and forget all about magic, power, and dire consequences. Besides, Ma’s waiting for Storm.”

Happy Halloween Season. See you next week for more adventures of the Skeleton Squad’s Halloween Spirit Search!

Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged A Magic Redemption, Aliens, ghosts, Halloween Spirit Search, Skeleton Squad, Witches by Tena Stetler with 1 comment.