Friday Feature: "Move In Day" = Empty Nest

My youngest is moving in to his dorm room today at college. Today. Probably as you read this. I wish him the best of luck and hope he enjoys all of the new college experiences awaiting him. I'm so, so very excited for him, and know he's going to excel at whatever he tries, because he's just that kind of kid. But after we drive home again, I guess I have to wonder what it all means for me.

Does that mean I'm technically an "empty nester"? Or does use of that particular term have to wait until he graduates from college?

I'm new to this. Obviously.

For the last 22+ years, most of my life has revolved around raising our three kids. I mean, yes, I've had jobs and written books and whatnot, but the kids have been at the center of everything - every thought, every decision, every... everything.

Now what?

There's my thought for the day, for the long holiday weekend, and quite possibly for the rest of the year.

What's next?

Visit with author Tena Stetler and AN ANGEL'S UNINTENTIONAL ENTANGLEMENT

My guest today is Wild Rose Press author Tena Stetler, who just released the latest book in her paranormal series (and her 7th book from The Wild Rose Press!) 

Although her books are all about the paranormal, she also makes them seem so... normal. As if these could be the people next door, except they're out battling demons when you're not looking. 

Today she's talking about why she likes to write about paranormal creatures, living amongst us as everyday folk.

Angels, Demons, Witches, and Vampires Oh My!

I’ve been asked several times why I write about engaging Demons and enticing Witches with a vampire and angel thrown in for good measure. LOL The answer is easy: an escape. An escape for me in writing the books — and escape for readers into a romantic fantasy adventure with a touch of mystery. That’s what it’s all about.

My new release, AN ANGEL’S UNINTENTIONAL ENTANGLEMENT is the fourth book in the awarding winning A Demon’s Witch Series. Where warrior angel Caden goes, trouble follows until he discovers a badly beaten woman barely clinging to life. Unprepared for the entanglement she brings to his doorstep, will he move heaven and earth to save her?

The first book in the series, A Demon’s Witch, was born in a hair salon. I was talking to my hair dresser about the interesting things she hears and sees in the salon. My imagination took off, what if the owner/hairdresser was a Demon Overlord?  What if his multi-species salon was located in Washington D.C.? Think of the possibilities—And I did. This book also has a sassy witch to stir things up. A Warlock’s Secrets and A Vampire’s Unlikely Alliance round out the series.

In A Witch’s Journey and its sequel A Witch’s Holiday Wedding, the witch in the title is a certified wildlife rehabilitator.  After being outed as a witch in Salem, Massachusetts, she is driven from the work she loves at a wildlife sanctuary. After inheriting the enchanted McKay property, she builds a wildlife rescue and rehab center with the assistance of a hunky ex-Navy SEAL.

I try to make my characters as far from the stereotypical witch, demon, vampire, angel, faerie etc., as possible.  The magic is always fun but the different careers, adventure, travel and complex personalities are what make my books intriguing—I believe.

Want to be whisked away from your ordinary world? Pick up any of my books. I guarantee a romantic fantasy adventure you’ll never forget

I’ve enjoyed my visit to your blog today, Katie. Thanks for having me and giving me a chance to showcase my tales of romance and adventure!

About the Book:

Fallen warrior angel, Caden Silverwind, lives alone in Colorado's rugged Rockies, healing from physical wounds as well as the mental anguish suffered during battles with dark demons. Then he finds a woman barely clinging to life after a horrendous beating. He is not prepared for the entanglement she brings to his life, nor the feelings she awakens in him.

Bureau of Indian Affairs Agent, Mystic Rayne’s personal dilemma and assignment nearly gets her killed. Divine intervention is a complication she never expected and her growing attraction to Caden is undeniable. Can she trust him with her secret?

Their quest to uncover her attacker takes them from the pristine mountains in Colorado to the wilds of Wyoming. Along the way, they find answers which may place them in more danger. Determined to solve the mystery, they must also navigate their feelings and fears to find love and unite heaven and earth.

Grab your own copy on AMAZON

About the Author:
Tena Stetler is a best-selling author of award winning paranormal romance novels. 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. Well, okay there are a few companion animals to round out the tales. Travel, adventure and a bit of mystery flourish in her books.

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, her time is spent kayaking, camping, hiking, biking  or just relaxing in the great Colorado outdoors. During the winter you can find her 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 visit with readers, authors and people of all kinds. Catch her at:

Website: http://www.tenastetler.com

Authors’ Secret’s Blog - http://www.tenastetler.com/category/authors-secrets-blog/

My Say What Blog - http://www.tenastetler.com/category/my-say-what-blog/

Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/tenastetler.author

Monday Book Review: An Angel's Unintended Entanglement, by Tena Steler

An Angel's Unintentional Entanglement, by Tena Stetler
Book 4 in the Demon's Witch series
Published August 2018, by The Wild Rose Press

About the Book:

Fallen warrior angel, Caden Silverwind, lives alone in Colorado's rugged Rockies, healing from physical wounds as well as the mental anguish suffered during battles with dark demons. Then he finds a woman barely clinging to life after a horrendous beating. He is not prepared for the entanglement she brings to his life, nor the feelings she awakens in him.

Bureau of Indian Affairs Agent, Mystic Rayne’s personal dilemma and assignment nearly gets her killed. Divine intervention is a complication she never expected and her growing attraction to Caden is undeniable. Can she trust him with her secret?

Their quest to uncover her attacker takes them from the pristine mountains in Colorado to the wilds of Wyoming. Along the way, they find answers which may place them in more danger. Determined to solve the mystery, they must also navigate their feelings and fears to find love and unite heaven and earth.

My Take:

Fans of Ms. Stetler will be thrilled with this latest addition to her Demon's Witch series, which blends new characters in with old to expand the author's well-established paranormal world.

This is the first of the books to feature warrior angels as the main characters and heroes (although they've appeared in previous battles) as well as adding Native American shape shifters to the ever-growing paranormal menagerie. In Stetler's world, most of the "good guy" paranormal beings live normal, everyday lives -- even the Demon Overlord, who is a good guy, no surprise to fans of the series -- except when they need to amp up their powers to save the world or the humans they care about.

Caden Silverwind is a Warrior Angel who is on a much needed leave of absence to heal his body and his soul, after far too many years of battling the forces of darkness. The natural beauty of the Colorado Rockies and the fresh clean air are soothing to his mind and body - - until the morning he finds a young woman left for dead along the trail, her naked body severely beaten and covered with bites and scrapes. He takes her back to his campsite and brings her back from the brink of death, but her wounds can't be healed overnight and whatever happened to her has left her scared.

Mystic Rayne grew up on a Native American reservation in Wyoming, her father one of the tribal leaders. She left for Harvard Law School, and then on to work for the government with the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Her father's recent death left his position vacant, and she returned home to decide whether to move home and take his position as leader and Shaman. The tribe owns the parcel of land where Caden is camping, using it for ceremonial retreats, the reason Mystic came to Colorado.Her big secret? Her tribe are shape shifters with the ability to turn into wolves. She's a bit shocked when the information doesn't shock Caden, but then again, she has no idea...

The action shifts back and forth between Colorado and the Wyoming reservation and the casino it runs. Mystic knows something strange is going on there, and when Caden finds there are demons involved, it becomes a matter for his former team to handle. The larger question looms in the background of the consequences of Caden falling in love with a human, even if she is a shape shifter. As he warns her, an angel mates for life. Is that what she wants?

The action and story move along at a brisk pace, the relationship between the characters developing slowly and naturally. Having read the first few books in the series, it was fun to have some of those characters reappear as part of this story, but in very organic ways. All in all, a nice addition to this series.

Grab your copy on AMAZON

Friday Feature: Mermaids, Sharks and Sea Creatures - Oh My!

In my Son of a Mermaid series, I write about the mermaids who inhabit our oceans, and the particular mermaids who spends their summers in and around Nantucket Sound.

This summer, some other scary sea creatures have decided to summer in the waters around Cape Cod, and they're causing quite the stir. You may have seen the videos on the news or on the internet - yup, I'm talking about the dozens of Great White Sharks that decided to vacation at Nauset Beach, and more recently finding their way into Cape Cod Bay.

Locals are taking it in stride, and even trying to capitalize on the visitors - this summer, almost every shop is carrying shark-themed products along with the usual lobster-themed kitsch. We haven't gone as far as shark tours just yet (although I hear some of the seal tours get that added bonus excitement going...) but plenty of beach goers are on the lookout and HOPING to get a glimpse of one of these monsters from the deep.

I'd much rather be on the lookout for whales. Or mermaids.

Last week, a 61-year-old man was bitten off the shores of the National Seashore in Truro. Last I heard, he was still in the hospital in Boston, in serious condition.

"Encounters with white sharks in which people suffer injuries are as terrifying as they are rare,” Cynthia Wigren said in an official statement about the bite issued last Wednesday night after the attack. She's the CEO of the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy group, who study the sharks. “While we still don’t know all of the details of this particular bite, sharks are not known to target people specifically, and when they do bite people, it’s usually a case of mistaken identity.”

Mistaken identity. As in the sharks think people are seals? Or are they confusing the humans with the merfolk who hunt them? I mean, hey, why not mix a little fantasy in with our reality, especially as it helps keep things from getting too real.

Let's think about that as summer winds down to a close... and meanwhile, have a good weekend!

And if you're at the beach...stay safe...

BREWSTER BOOK STORE EVENT - TODAY FROM 10-12

They've got mermaids in the windows this summer! ! !

How could I resist???

(answer: I couldn't!)

Join me and K.R. Conway at Brewster Book Store on scenic Route 6A (a.k.a. Main Street), from 10 a.m. until noon on Wednesday August 22nd as we sign our books and talk about all things mermaid and fantasy.

Check out the Brewster Bookstore's website for details and directions... and anything else you might want to know about this quirky independent Cape Cod book shop, brimming with books, ideas, and helpful advice from people who just love books.

See you there!

Author Claire Marti on Meditation and Tuning out Distractions

Instead of my usual Monday Book Review, I have a guest post from author Claire Marti, who writes contemporary romance for The Wild Rose Press. The third book in her series set in Laguna Beach, California releases AUGUST 29 but you can pre-order it now for only $2.99...

I've read all three in the series and enjoyed them all, so when I asked Claire to write about some of her inspirations for this latest book, she sent me the following blog post on meditation.

* ~ * ~ * ~ *

In Sunset in Laguna, Christian Wolfe is a veteran suffering from PTSD. Frustrated because nothing seems to help his chronic nightmares, headaches, and anxiety, he resorts to trying meditation. How hard can it be? When Christian attempts to sit still and focus in a group session at Peaceful Warrior, he learns how he actually has the attention span of a hummingbird, not a retired Special Forces major. Between his feet taking turns falling asleep, the man on the cushion next to him passing gas, and gorgeous Kelly Prescott across the room in stretchy red yoga pants, focusing on a mantra proves impossible.

Kelly has been meditating to manage stress for years, but Christian’s masculine presence across the room tests her powers of concentration. Instead of embracing the present moment, she can’t stop daydreaming about Christian’s powerful muscular arms around her and how his kiss would taste. After class, they connect and laugh about their shared inability to focus, which is their first step toward a potential relationship.

As a longtime yoga and meditation teacher, I enjoyed writing about meditation in the context of fiction. Students confess to me how they find meditation to be the ultimate challenge. When we finally sit still, we realize how we tend to have fleeting, often repetitive thoughts, sailing through our mind. Our brains can feel like we have a pack of wild monkeys bouncing off windowless walls.  It’s a hilarious and often humbling experience to truly turn your focus inward and listen. Distraction is easy. Focus is a challenge, but it is worth the effort.

One of the primary intentions in yoga and meditation is to center your mind and become grounded in the present moment. In our daily lives, it’s easy to become mired in the past and controlled by memories, patterns, and fears. Also, in our Western culture, the focus on the future, on doing, on achieving, on getting somewhere or buying something, pulls us out of the now. Both Christian and Kelly are haunted by demons from their past and benefit from learning to quiet those fears and find freedom.

Don’t we all want to feel more centered and clear? In our busy world, tuning out distractions and focusing on one single thing can feel unattainable. When you can sink into sustained attention, you are fully present and truly at the height of your personal power and light. Presence can equal freedom because you’ve released any attachment to future results and accepted what IS right now.

Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras are considered the seminal text in yoga. Yoga is defined in Yoga Sutra 1.2: Chitta vritti nirodaha: Yoga is the ability to direct the mind without distraction or interruption. Or, put another way, quiet that pack of wild monkeys. It sounds simple, right? Simple yes, but not easy. Discipline, commitment, and patience are essential tools in developing a meditation habit.

With dedicated practice, you learn to tune out disruptions and simply focus on what’s happening minute-by-minute and breath-by-breath. True awareness and clarity arise when you are absorbed in the moment. Although Christian and Kelly spectacularly fail during their first session, over time meditation plays a part in Christian healing his wounds and Kelly letting go of the past.

* ~ * ~ * ~ *

Thanks for sharing your knowledge and insight, Claire! I've tried meditation while I edited a book on Zen Buddhism titled Meet the Buddha, Kill the Buddha (which I totally recommend), but it's so much harder to actually accomplish than it sounds when you're reading about it. In Sunset in Laguna, I totally sympathized with Christian as he tries to wrap his head around the practice. 

About the Book:

Returning to Laguna Beach after four tours in the Middle East, Christian Wolfe leaves the military behind and buys a wine bar, vowing to keep his life simple. He fights to keep his devastating PTSD a secret and refuses to burden anyone else with his baggage. When stunning Kelly Prescott and her red stilettos saunter into town, she drives him past the bonds of his self-control.

Successful in her father’s stuffy law firm, Kelly’s too compassionate to survive in the cutthroat world of corporate litigation. Leaving behind both family and courtroom drama, she moves to Laguna to become general counsel for a nonprofit veterans’ organization.

She didn’t bargain on a gorgeous modern-day Heathcliff, and in Christian, she sees another kind of challenge—one she can’t resist.

LINKS TO PREORDER YOUR COPY:

AMAZON: https://amzn.to/2uaYvEm

B&N https://bit.ly/2NAsbmu:

iBooks: https://apple.co/2O5XDtL

TWRP: https://bit.ly/2KENE0i

About the Author:

Claire Marti started writing stories as soon as she was old enough to pick up pencil and paper. After graduating from the University of Virginia with a BA in English Literature, Claire was sidetracked by other careers, including practicing law, selling software for legal publishers, and managing a non-profit animal rescue for a Hollywood actress.Finally, Claire followed her heart and now focuses on two of her true passions: writing romance and teaching yoga. 

Website:  www.clairemarti.com

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/ClaireMartiAuthor/

Twitter:  @clairepmarti

Instagram: @clairepmarti

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8203678.Claire_Marti