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>
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.
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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.
Charm Me – On Sale #99cents – Sunday Snippet
Yippee!! #SundaySnippet presents Charm Me, an award winning #fantasy. A fun and flirty Candy Hearts Romance on sale for 99cents just in time for Valentine’s Day! Can a ski trip turn romantic in Divide, Colorado? Can Valentine Magic bring them together forever?
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 Charm Me. Go ahead you, know you want to download a copy and join the #magical #fantasy, #adventure today! You’ll be so glad you did.
What is Charm Me all about?
Summer Dawn Rylie’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?
Sneak peek between the pages 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.
Pssst… While you’re here, don’t forget to check out my paranormal romance/mysteries click here.
Thanks for stopping by, see you next week for another Sunday Snippet!
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Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged Charm Me, Colorado, fantasy, magic, Paranormal Romance/Mystery, Shapeshifters, Sunday Snippet, Tena Stetler, Witches by Tena Stetler with 2 comments.
A Demon’s Witch On sale for #99cents – 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. Psst…the book is on sale for #99cents. The 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.
Buy Links:
Amazon full addy – https://www.amazon.com/Demons-Witch-Tena-Stetler-ebook/dp/B014BVSZIC/
Amazon – A Demon’s Witch Series – https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08VWF4512
Check out the series book trailers.
A snippet from 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.
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!
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Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged A Demon's Witch, Demons, fantasy, ghosts, Paranormal Romance/Mystery, Shapeshifters, Tena Stetler, Witches by Tena Stetler with 4 comments.
Raven’s Hollow Spring Magic – 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 Raven’s Hollow Spring Magic. Second book in the Raven’s Hollow Series.
I know we are deep into winter in the Northern Hemisphere, but this book will bring a feeling of spring to your world. Take you traveling through time, and perhaps help you solve the mystery.
First, let’s take a peek at what Raven’s Hollow Spring Magic is about.
Spring is in full bloom in Raven’s Hollow, a small town in the Colorado Rockies with a population of unique townspeople. Blaze, a dragon shifter, and Wynter, a witch, are neck-deep in wedding preparations, when Wynter’s mother, Jade, goes missing after opening her new antique store, and attending the Simon estate sale where she procured an ancient jelly bean machine. Frantic with worry, Blaze and Wynter track her last movements via the store’s ancient, grainy, security footage. What it reveals is nothing short of shocking. As deputy sheriff, it’s Blaze’s responsibility to find his soon-to-be mother-in-law. But at what cost?
Check out the series book trailer.
Book Trailer – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RdUGZl7qipE
A snippet from between the pages of Raven’s Hollow Spring Magic:
“Does it work?” He dropped in a penny and twisted the handle. A couple jelly beans rolled out. “Is that all?” He jiggled the handle. It turned another quarter turn and gears whirred. The glass globe sparkled, etchings of the countries around the world appeared as it tilted and slid to the side. On the opposite side a control panel slid out revealing a panel filled with tokens in the center. The group gasped and silence ensued for several beats.
“What the heck?” flew out of Wynter’s mouth as she clutched at her chest. With her other hand, she reached out to touch the machine only to have her hand slapped away with a pair of black gloves Blaze had pulled out of his pocket.
“No one else touch this—or anything in here.” He slipped on the protective gloves and removed one of the tokens holding it up to the light. “It’s inscribed in Latin around the outside. My Latin may be rusty, but rursus in tempore means a turn in time.” He picked up another token and read the inscription. “Fatum suum aspicientis moderatur – Beholder controls its destiny.” Carefully, he returned the tokens to their slots turning his attention to the control panel. “Look here…”
Wynter pointed at the panel. “There’s a slot for one token in the control panel. You don’t suppose this is a—
Buy Links:
Universal Link : https://books2read.com/u/bOPR5E
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Ravens-Hollow-Spring-Magic-Things-ebook/dp/B0C43XYQ5P
Amazon AU https://www.amazon.com.au/Ravens-Hollow-Spring-Magic-Things-ebook/dp/B0C43XYQ5P/
Amazon UK https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ravens-Hollow-Spring-Magic-Things-ebook/dp/B0C43XYQ5P
Amazon CA https://www.amazon.ca/Ravens-Hollow-Spring-Magic-Things-ebook/dp/B0C43XYQ5P
Amazon de – Germany https://www.amazon.de/-/en/dp/B0C43XYQ5P/ref=sr_1_1?crid=15ASNK7OKYNUV
Barnes& Noble https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/ravens-hollow-spring-magic-tena-stetler/1143427010?ean=2940160979014
Ibooks – https://books.apple.com/us/book/ravens-hollow-spring-magic/id6448729654
Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/146782568-raven-s-hollow-spring-magic
KOBO – https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/raven-s-hollow-spring-magic
Google Play – https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Tena_Stetler_Raven_s_Hollow_Spring_Magic?id=dkLJEAAAQBAJ
Thanks for joining me for the Sunday Snippet. I hope you enjoyed a little peek into Raven’s Hollow Spring Magic. See you next week for another Sunday Snippet!
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Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged fantasy, jelly beans, Paranormal Romance/Mystery, Raven's Hollow Spring Magic, Tena Stetler, Time travel, Witches by Tena Stetler with comments disabled.