Washington DC Archives - Tena Stetler

Feb 18th A Warlock’s Secrets – Inspiration

Welcome to Sunday Snippets! Today we are talking about A WARLOCK’S SECRETS, the second book in award-winning A Demon’s Witch Series.

A Warlock’s Secrets wasn’t a planned part of A Demon’s Witch’ Series. It came to fruition after several readers and a couple of reviewers asked or assumed Tristian’s story was next in the series.

In truth, I’d never considered writing Tristian’s story. He was the Demon Overlord’s enforcer/assassin, for heaven’s sake. The hardest part of writing this book was wrapping my head around who Tristian really was and what he wanted out of life. He challenged me at every turn of the story. After delving into who he really is and what he wants, come to find out, he has a strong moral compass and A Warlock’s Secrets was born. He basically is the paranormal police for the Western Hemisphere. Enforcement is necessary to keep a balance between mortals and creatures which he learned young due to the death of his parents and having to raise his little sister.

When love comes his way he is fiercely protective and everything Hannah is looking for in a forever relationship. The one caveat is the relationship must be kept from her parents, for their protection. Join in the adventure and grab your copy today! Available worldwide at Amazon,Kobo, Barnes& Noble, itunes, and Walmart.com. If you’re in the United Kingdom, Amazon UK, or Australia, Amazon.AU. or Canada Amazon CA.

Often I’ve been asked why I write paranormal romance. Since I was old enough to read, I loved being swept away into a fantasy. Whether is was a trip to Mars, pretending I could wield magic with the characters in a book, or chasing a unicorn across the backyard only to find myself face to face with a vampire, my imagination ran wild with the written word. As I got older, if I didn’t like a part of the book or the way a story ended, I’d rewrite it. Oh what adventures Trixie Beldon and Nancy Drew had under my rewritten sections. LOL

Now I hope to encourage readers to leave your ordinary world behind for a few hours… be swept away into a magical romantic fantasy with a touch of mystery and suspense. It’s good for the soul and stress relieving to suspend reality for a while, whether you are reading or writing novels. <grin>

Click on the cover to read more or purchase!

A Little about A WARLOCK’S SECRETS – Years ago, a sacred ceremony at the Dragon’s Moon Coven turned deadly. Son of the high priestess, Tristian Shandie’s life changed forever. With a price on his head and revenge in his heart, he has no choice but to follow in his father’s footsteps to a profession shrouded in secrets. Now his skills as an enforcer for the Demon Overlord are second to none. But dangerous secrets he harbors are a liability he can no longer afford.

A chance meeting with a woman he finds irresistible flips Tristian’s world upside down. Hannah is a cyber security specialist with secrets of her own. Bad boys never appealed to her until Tristian, who changes everything. In his darkest hours, she is dragged into his magical world. If they survive, is she strong enough to heal his heart and tame the warlock? Or will their secrets destroy them?

A peek between the pages of A WARLOCK’S SECRETS:

Sitting behind the wheel, he combed his fingers through his damp dark blond hair in an attempt to look presentable. Aww to hell with it. He shoved the car door open, unfolded his six-foot-four inch frame from the vehicle, slammed the door and set the alarm.

Cheerful red checked curtains hung in the windows, funny he’d never noticed that before. Probably because it was usually dark when he stopped to grab a bite, which was either before sunrise or in the dead of the night. The late afternoon sunlight bounced off the glass door to the diner as he yanked it open. The aroma of fresh French fries, hamburgers, and homemade cherry pies wafted out into the cool spring air. He strode through the diner, slipped into a red vinyl booth in the far corner and stared out the window for several minutes. The sounds of food being prepared, dishes clinking together, and the ding of a bell when the cook called “order up” somehow took the edge off.

When the door opened again, a woman stomped inside. She had shoulder-length wavy, red hair, a sprinkling of freckles over her nose and the brightest blue eyes he’d ever seen. She was curvy in the right places, not like the skin and bones of women prevalent these days. He shook his head. How did men find those types attractive?

The wooden chair scraped across the tile floor as the woman jerked it out from under the table not far from Tristian’s booth. She plopped down on the red padded vinyl seat and shoved her wet hair out of her eyes, blew out a breath and leaned back in the chair. The woman stared into space for a beat then closed her eyes, shook her head slightly.

A waitress with a name tag that said Nan stopped by his table. “What’ll you have?”

“A cup of coffee.”

“Got fresh baked cherry pie that goes really good with a scoop of ice cream.” She tapped a pencil on the order pad she held in her hand.

“A cup of coffee.”

“Okaaay, but you don’t know what you’re missing.” She turned and flounced over to the table a red-haired woman occupied and laid her hand on the woman’s arm. “Didn’t go as well as you’d hoped?”

“You could say that. The big announcement was that the company is relocating to Colorado to be part of a National Cyber Intelligence Center being established in Colorado Springs. Shadow Hawk Cyber was one of the first companies tapped to be a part of it.” She slapped the menu down on the table.

Nan tilted her head slightly and peered at the woman questioningly. “You don’t want to move? I’ve heard Colorado is beautiful. Great skiing, hiking, biking, you name it Colorado’s got it.” She paused for a couple beats, tapping her pencil to her lips. “Except the ocean. It’s land locked. Suppose it has mountain lakes.”

The red-headed woman huffed out a breath. “Relocation isn’t the problem. I’m an Irish citizen and getting a top-secret security clearance is impossible. Without it, I can’t work for the company. Well, that’s not exactly true. The owner of the company said I needed to apply for a Limited Access Authorization. Supposedly, I would have no trouble getting that since my expertise is needed.”

“So… why not apply?”

“I looked into it. Seems it’s harder to get than my boss thinks. LAAs are granted in rare circumstances where the non-US citizen possesses a unique or unusual skill or expertise that is urgently needed. Can’t get higher than Secret clearance. I’m the only one in the company that has a — certain skill set. But since other companies are also clamoring to be part of the NCIC, you can bet they’ll have people with my skill set and are US citizens.”

“Gee… that’s too bad. But you’re not just going to give up, are you?”

“Tonight — I don’t know. On a positive note, the move won’t be complete for eighteen to twenty-four months. Boss says I can fly under the radar until that time.”

“What about becoming a citizen? You plan to stay in the states. Right?”

“I hope so. But I don’t want to give up my Irish citizenship, either.” She sighed.

Tristian clinked the empty coffee cup against the saucer and stared at the waitress.

Nan patted the woman’s arm and frowned, then jerked her head in Tristian’s direction. “I’ll be right back.” She rushed behind the lunch counter, whisked the coffee pot from the warmer so quickly the scalding coffee nearly sloshed over the rim. Nan paused, let the liquid settle and walked to Tristian’s table, filled his cup. “Sorry about that.”

He nodded and gave her an obligatory smile.

Several customers entered the diner talking loudly and laughing. They settled into seats on the opposite side of the room. Tristian was glad they didn’t invade his area, as he contemplated doing something he’d never done before. He slid out of the booth and ambled over to the red-headed woman’s table. “Rough day, huh?”

She glanced up at him warily. “You could say that.”

“I understand. Had one of those myself.” He pulled out a chair and glanced over at her. “Mind if I join you?”

She shrugged, “Suit yourself.” and motioned absently to the chair he leaned on.

He offered his hand. “I’m Tristian.”

She hesitated for a beat, then clasped his hand lightly. “Hannah.”

“Nice to meet you, Hannah.” He eased into the chair. “Overheard you’re from Ireland. Been here long?”

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Thank you for joining me for a little peek into A WARLOCK’S SECRETS and my inspiration to write it. Next week another adventure awaits, don’t miss it.

Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged A Demo's Witch Series, A Warlock's Secrets, Paranormal Romance/Mystery, Shapeshifters, Tena Stetler, Washington DC, Witches by Tena Stetler with comments disabled.

Jan 7th A Demon’s Witch – Sunday Snippet

Good Morning and welcome to Author’s Secrets Sunday Snippet. Pull up a chair, grab a drink of your choice from the cooler, a Chocolate Chip or Peanut Butter cookie from the plate and enjoy the snippet from the best seller A Demon’s Witch. First book in the award-winning A Demon’s Witch Series.

The award winning A Demon’s Witch, was born in a hair salon from an old rock and roll song. What if the hairdresser is really a ruggedly handsome demon overlord. What if a powerful witch breezed into his salon and the attraction was undeniable? What if the salon is multi-species catering to mortals and paranormal creatures alike is located in Washington DC? Adds a new dimension to our concept of DC, doesn’t it? The setting and storyline are unique. Kick back in enjoy the adventures of Bruce and Angie as an entertaining escape from the not so ordinary world these days. This spicy romance has it all intrigue, humor, thrills, danger and a splash of magic to keep you on the edge of your seat.

First let’s take a peek at what A Demon’s Witch is about.

Keeping a lid on all the paranormal beings inhabiting Washington D.C., is a daunting job. Bruce, a six hundred year old demon and the Territory Overlord of the Western Hemisphere, keeps his finger on the pulse of DC’s power players through the activities at his highly successful Wycked Hair Salon. His movie star good looks and body builder physique keeps his dance card full and the rumor mills running. Within these walls, his anonymity is safe, mostly.

Bruce’s world spins out of control when Angelique, a pint size, gorgeous witch, with an attitude breezes through the doors of his salon. She is the younger sister of Tristian, Bruce’s long time trusted enforcer, whose professional skills are second to none. Tristian is furious at the relationship between Bruce and Angelique, a dangerous situation, but something darker awaits them all. Yet undeniable attraction between demon and witch promises to tear apart both their professional and personal worlds.

Check out the series book trailers.

A snippet from between the pages of A Demon’s Witch:

Angie grinned outrageously as she sashayed down the sidewalk, glad to see the storm had passed. That was one handsome creature, and one she intended to get to know better, much better. She pulled on the curved copper handle and the glass door, with a white unicorn etched in the center, swung open. Sun streamed through the glass, rainbows bounced across the white walls and light oak floor as the door closed. Melodic chimes sounded in the back of the shop. A young woman with short spiked jet-black hair, dyed bright blue at the tips, slid her slender body between the crystal-beads hanging in the doorway, adjusting her narrow shoulders.

Angie laughed down at her business partner, and lifelong best friend.

“They were tucked by the time I came through the beads,” Willow protested narrowing her ice blue eyes and giving Angie a thorough appraisal. “What have you been up to?”

“Enjoying the scenery down the street,” Angie said with a smirk. “I asked the manager of the Wycked Hair to put some of our flyers in their store. He’s checking with the owner, but didn’t see a problem. I’ll go back with some this afternoon.”

“So he caught your eye.” Willow shook her head and waggled her index finger at Angie. “Owen is married and much too old for you. He is handsome with all that silver hair and rugged features. I bet he works out to keep those broad shoulders and narrow hips at his age. And those biceps.” She pretended to fan herself with a receipt book, then burst into giggles.

Angie chortled. “Not him silly girl.” She raised an eyebrow and grinned at Willow. “The owner, Bruce is his name, I believe. Now he’s hot.”

Willow scowled and her eyes widened. “Oh, Angie, that’s not smart. I’ve heard about him. Tall, dark, handsome, and mysterious, just your type, but he’s not human. The faery realm’s heard tell of him, he’s dangerous and vicious. He rules the Western Hemisphere with an iron fist, keeping magic folk honest and in their place. One misstep and you’re history.” She drew an index finger across her throat, flopped her head to one side. “It’s also rumored that he controls those escaping the underworld as well. You know what that means.”

“Willow, he isn’t the devil himself. Although, demon he may be. Hmmm…” She pursed her full lips thoughtfully. “You know…” Her forehead creased in concentration as she said slowly. “I could see if my brother knows him.”

“What? Ask Tristian, a dem…I mean warlock… your brother…” she stammered. “…about a demon you find attractive. Have you lost your mind?” She squeaked and drew in a deep breath, blew it out.

A trailer of A WItch’s Quandary, another book in A Demon’s Witch Series I know you’ll love.

Thanks for joining me for the Sunday Snippet. I hope you enjoyed a little peek into A Demon’s Witch. See you next week for another Sunday Snippet!

Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged A Demon's Witch, fantasy, magic, Mystery, Paranormal Romance/Mystery, Tena Stetler, Washington DC, Witches by Tena Stetler with comments disabled.

Jan 27th A Book/Movie/TV Show That Influenced My Life

Welcome to #L&SR’s Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge for January 26, 2021. Today’s topic is a book/movie/TV show that influenced my life. Several books, movies and/or TV shows have given me pause for various reasons. But one series, actually the first book in the series, Twilight, gave me a kick in the pants resulting in my journey down the road to a new career. Yep, it Influenced my life. Pull up a chair, grab a drink. Take your choice of a Chocolate Chip, Snickerdoodle, or Peanut Butter cookie from the plate and let me tell you how Twilight changed my life. No it wasn’t the sparkly vampires. LOL

First let me say, that it was a difficult time in my life. I’d just been downsized from my job of fourteen years. Seems I was at a crossroads and didn’t have any idea which way to go. I’d just finished reading the first book in the Twilight series and recommended it to my best friend, while telling her what had happened in my life. A few days later, she called and wasn’t pleased with my book suggestion. In fact her exact words were, “You write better than the author of that book.” Hence the book/movie/TV show that influenced my life. She along with my husband had been sounding boards for the novels that I wrote and left on the computer with a promise of someday.

Apparently, someday had come to call. I polished up one of my more promising manuscripts, A Demon’s Witch and sent it to several publishing houses, this was September of 2014. By November of 2014, I had a signed contract for publication with The Wild Rose Press and I never looked back. Fifteen books published and five years later, I’m still living my dream. Granted that dream of becoming a New York Times Best Selling Author hasn’t materialized yet, but…. in February of 2014, being a published author wasn’t on my radar either. LOL Strange how things happen. I guess reading that book was the catalyst of a major upheaval in my life. Any one that knows me, will tell you change is not something I embrace. In fact, most will say I was dragged from my warm fuzzy rut February of 2014, kicking and screaming and dropped into a new adventure that eventually resulted in living my dream as a full time published author.

Alas, I must return to my writing cave. Stay tuned! Chocolate Raspberry Magic release date been extended until April 2021. As I indicated, I’ve turned in the sixth book in A Demon’s Witch Series to my editor at The Wild Rose Press and I have a Contract!! Now the edits to begin. Yippee! AND A new project is well underway Wylder West Assignment. Keep an eye out for more information. Now let’s see what book/movie/TV show influenced the other authors in their life. LOL L&SR

Pssst… While you’re here, don’t forget to check out my paranormal romance/mysteries click here.

Click on the cover to read more or purchase.

A quick gander at my featured read this week, A Demon’s Witch. Betcha didn’t see that coming. LOL

Keeping a lid on all the paranormal beings inhabiting Washington D.C., is a daunting job. Bruce, a six hundred year old demon and the Territory Overlord of the Western Hemisphere, keeps his finger on the pulse of DC’s power players through the activities at his highly successful Wycked Hair Salon. His movie star good looks and body builder physique keeps his dance card full and the rumor mills running. Within these walls, his anonymity is safe, mostly.
Bruce’s world spins out of control when Angelique, a pint size, gorgeous witch, with an attitude breezes through the doors of his salon. She is the younger sister of Tristian, Bruce’s long time trusted enforcer, whose professional skills are second to none. Tristian is furious at the relationship between Bruce and Angelique, a dangerous situation, but something darker awaits them all. Yet undeniable attraction between demon and witch promises to tear apart both their professional and personal worlds.

A peek between the pages of A DEMON’S WTICH– (the hook)

A feeling of dark foreboding, like storm clouds forming on the horizon before a violent storm, washed over Bruce as he maneuvered the SUV into the parking lot behind The Krystal Unicorn.

Tristian was already there and it wasn’t to give his report. Bruce could feel the fury in Tristian’s magic signature hanging in the air. A silver tipped arrow penetrated the windshield, split the arm securing the rearview mirror, and stuck in the headrest a quarter inch from Bruce’s neck. Blue liquid oozed from the tip and a stream of red mist escaped from the other end of the arrow.

“Hold your breath and don’t open the door or windows. The influx of fresh air will spread the poison.” He hissed though his teeth not daring to take a breath.

Air pressure inside the vehicle changed, Angie’s head felt like it was going to explode. “Bruce.” She whispered into his mind, a benefit of being mated.

“I know, just a few seconds more, I’ve got it handled.” His deep smooth voice floated reassuringly in her mind, as he reached over caressing her shoulder.

The pressure eased and the red mist sucked in on itself disappearing along with the oozing liquid. He pulled the arrow from the headrest, fingering the hole in the upholstery.

Through gritted teeth, Bruce growled. “His first mistake was that he missed me. His second deadly mistake was he risked your life. That is unforgivable.” Those two things also told Bruce that Tristian wasn’t thinking clearly, fury was coloring his judgment. That gave Bruce an edge, though the attack caught him off guard. He hadn’t expected Tristian’s attack to put his sister at risk.

Hope to see you next week when we’ll explore aa few of my favorite things. How about you? What are a few of your favorite things?

Posted in My Say What Blog and tagged #L&SR's #Wednesday's Blog Challenge, A Demon's Witch, Beauty Salon, Demons, Paranormal Romance/Mystery, Tena Stetler, Washington DC, Witches by Tena Stetler with 19 comments.

Jan 11th A DEMON’S WITCH, The Book that Started It All!

Good morning! Beginning today, Friday, and thereafter for the next few Sundays, I will be showcasing my published books beginning with my debut novel published in 2015, A DEMON’S WITCH, (e-book is on sale for 99 cents – limited time) through the last one, A MAGIC REDEMPTION, released Dec. 2019. Then maybe a sneak peek into the first book to be published in 2019! What inspired A DEMON’S WITCH you ask and what made it different from most paranormal romance you read?

A Demon’s Witch, was born in a hair salon from a song. I was talking with my hairdresser, Jen, one Saturday about the things she sees and hears in her line of work and my imagination took off. She laughed as I bounced ideas off her. I remembered a 1960’s era song about a hairdresser named Bruce. A little more brainstorming with Jen and my hubby then A Demon’s Witch was born. After that the what if’s began.

What if the hairdresser is really a ruggedly handsome demon overlord. Now tell me if that isn’t different. LOL

What if a powerful witch breezed into his salon and the attraction was undeniable?

What if the witch’s brother just happens to be the demons overlord’s hired enforcer? Will they survive discovery and make a life together?

What if the salon is multi-species catering to mortals and paranormal creatures alike is located in Washington DC? Flaming manicure bowls, Fried hairdryers, a magic portal in the basement make it a bit different.

Adds a new dimension to our concept of DC, doesn’t it? Or maybe you just thought DC was full of demon’s and creatures that go bump in the night to begin with. LOL

Click on the cover to read more or purchase.

What’s A Demon’s Witch about: Well…I’ll tell you.

It’s about family, blood or otherwise. Its about doing the right thing for maybe the wrong reasons. Keeping secrets is not always the best action, especially when preternatural powers are involved. A Demon’s Witch takes you into the realm of magic & paranormal, with surprising & suspenseful twists & turns.

What did the 5-star reviews have to say about A Demon’s Witch?

“I thoroughly enjoyed this sexy paranormal story with excellent world building and well developed characters. The author has created a clever setting by making the headquarters of the demon a trendy hair salon in Washington DC. It makes for some entertaining situations. Enter a feisty witch who knocks the demon off his feet and turns his carefully ordered world upside down.” L. Williams – 5 Stars

“This debut novel by Tena Stetler is phenomenal! She created a unique paranormal world filled with witches, wizards, demons, fairies, and a few other surprises. Absolutely loved the chemistry between Bruce and Angelique! I was swooning the moment Bruce entered the scene. ”

‘A Demon’s Witch spicy romance has it all intrigue, humor, thrills, danger and a splash of magic to keep you on the edge of your seat.”

A peek between the pages of A Demon’s Witch!

A feeling of dark foreboding, like storm clouds forming on the horizon before a violent storm, washed over Bruce as he maneuvered the SUV into the parking lot behind The Krystal Unicorn.

Tristian was already there and it wasn’t to give his report. Bruce could feel the fury in Tristian’s magic signature hanging in the air. A silver tipped arrow penetrated the windshield, split the arm securing the rearview mirror, and stuck in the headrest a quarter inch from Bruce’s neck. Blue liquid oozed from the tip and a stream of red mist escaped from the other end of the arrow.

“Hold your breath and don’t open the door or windows. The influx of fresh air will spread the poison.” He hissed though his teeth not daring to take a breath.

Air pressure inside the vehicle changed, Angie’s head felt like it was going to explode. Bruce. She whispered into his mind, a benefit of being mated.

I know, just a few seconds more, I’ve got it handled. His deep smooth voice floated reassuringly in her mind, as he reached over caressing her shoulder.

The pressure eased and the red mist sucked in on itself disappearing along with the oozing liquid. He pulled the arrow from the headrest, fingering the hole in the upholstery.

Through gritted teeth, Bruce growled. “His first mistake was that he missed me. His second deadly mistake was he risked your life. That is unforgivable.” Those two things also told Bruce that Tristian wasn’t thinking clearly, fury was coloring his judgment. That gave Bruce an edge, though the attack caught him off guard. He hadn’t expected Tristian’s attack to put his sister at risk.

The console between them lowered to seat level. He hoped to add fuel to the fury burning inside Tristian. Bruce put his arm around Angie’s waist and pulled her against him, his lips pressed against hers then gently covered her mouth as his tongue traced the soft fullness of her lips. He drew back, touched his lips to hers again trailing them down to the pulsing hollow of her neck and whispered, “You’re going into the shop now, Willow is waiting just on the other side of the door. Please stay there, you’ll be able to remain in my mind just don’t interfere. I need your presence there as a calming one. Willow can help you.”

“I don’t understand.”

“I know. There wasn’t time to explain how everything works and I’m not exactly sure myself. Only that I can feel you in my mind and I assume you can feel me in yours.”

“Yes, it’s a weird sensation,” Angie said a tremor in her voice.

“We’ll learn together to use it to our benefit, now is as good a time as any to practice.”

She snorted, “Sure, our lives are on the line. No big deal.” She threw up her hands.

“That’s the spirit.” He grinned raising his head and cupping her trembling chin in his steady hand, not taking his eyes off hers. “Believe me when I tell you, I won’t kill your brother. Although he is making it damn difficult. Nor do I believe he will kill me. Though that is his intention, right now. So put those thoughts out of your mind, they won’t help either of us.”

Available at:

Amazon.com, Amazon UK Amazon AU Amazon CA Kobo, The Wild Rose Press. Walmart.com and Barnes & Noble.