Meet Chelsey Ortega and Read About Her Teen & Young Adult Paranormal Romance BONDWITCH, Released Today, for a Spooky Read

I'm continuing my Spooktober blog exchange with fellow Wild Rose Press authors, and today I'm hosting Chelsey Ortega and her Teen/YA paranormal romance BONDWITCH, which comes out today.

Here's Chelsey

Thank you, Diana, for giving me this opportunity to introduce

myself and my novel with your readers.

My debut novel, Bondwitch, released today, and to say that I

am excited is an understatement. 

I have dreamed of writing stories since I was nine years old.

And like many others, I chose a different career path and didn’t

pursue my dreams until my thirties. Now I have two jobs that I

love: teaching and writing. I teach high school U.S. History and

ELD (English Language Development). My love of history

came from the enjoyment I found in reading biographies and

historical fiction. The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory set

me on the path to becoming a history teacher; and my high

school English teacher was the person who introduced me to

that book. So my life literally circles around books and

education.

I have had stories running through my mind involving magic

since I was a little girl. I was heavily influenced by the Harry

Potter and Twilight series when I was younger, and have since

added the Beautiful Creatures and Witches of East End series

to my inspiration in my adult years. I have also been a sucker

for romance ever since I watched The Princess Bride as a

child. The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks was the first novel

that pulled me into the literary genre. And so in my own

writing, I love to put magic and romance together. 

Bondwitch came about in 2020 when my husband lost his job

of eight years. I was a stay-at-home mom, and my teaching

license had expired. As we went through the stress of job

hunting and continuing to care for our family, I escaped the

awfulness of it all late at night by writing. I completed the first

draft in three months, and spent the next two years editing,

querying, and editing some more. And after three years in the

making, I am so pleased to introduce Annamaria Lyons and

her world to you:

About BONDWITCH

Eighteen-year-old Annamaria Lyons’ story begins with a desire to attend her senior prom with her high school sweetheart. After sixteen years of a strict upbringing, her aunt, Trinity, repeals Annamaria’s curfew so she can attend the dance.

Prom is a night of dancing, kissing, mystery, and drama - everything one would expect of a high school function. But Annamaria’s exciting night isn’t over when the clock strikes midnight. Her long-lost sister, Marianna arrives and brings with her their family’s true past: magic.

Annamaria begins her magical education, but the secrets she must keep about her new identity tear her human relationships apart. An attack from her family’s enemies opens her eyes to the danger of straddling both worlds, and Annamaria flees her childhood home with her sister.

She immerses herself in the magical world. New friends and a new suitor challenge her original dreams for the future, and when she finds herself caught in the middle of a centuries-old conflict, Annamaria must decide to rise above it or give in to the darkness.

An Excerpt

“Annamaria… Prom Queen… Congratulations.” 

“Uh…thanks.” Anna grunted as she tried to shove away from him. 

“My Senior Prom was pretty amazing too.” His eyes darkened. “But my senior year didn’t end so well. Hopefully, yours is better.” 

Anna stopped trying to push him away and looked up at him. He was older, which must be why Anna didn’t recognize him. Their eyes met, and Anna froze as his pupils expanded until they almost covered his brown irises. The surrounding volume lowered, and the music became fuzzy. Anna swayed, and her fear disappeared. Her surroundings were a blur save this handsome man. This man who held her desire in his hand. He was the only thing that mattered. Obeying him was the only thing she wanted.   

“Let’s leave,” he whispered. Goosebumps erupted along Anna’s cheek and neck. “Come with me.” They stopped dancing, and he gripped Anna’s hand and led her toward the exit.

Connect with Chelsey at her website

Purchase BONDWITCH

Amazon 

Barnes & Noble

 

 

Meet Bob Herold and Read About his Love Affair with Haunted Houses

 For my ongoing Spooktober blog exchange, meet Bob Herold, author of some creepy books and stories!

My Love Affair with Haunted Houses

By Robert Herold

            Haunted Houses and I go way back. I used to set up a haunted house display in my parents’ garage and enlist my brothers and friends to play the roles of various monsters as I, as a mad scientist, led other neighborhood kids through the chamber of horrors. The tour would end with me dissecting a monster in a serio-comic way, removing all manner of things from its abdomen (such as a pop bottle, an old shoe, and a dirty sock). At the conclusion, the creature’s arm would swing out at the other kids, courtesy of a little fishing line, and send the frightened kids running from the haunted garage.

            After college, I took a job in a nursing home as I dipped my claws, er, toes, into the writing life. At the nursing home I reprised my earlier passion for haunted houses and got other members of the staff and the management to buy into the idea of putting on a haunted house for the patients. People were encouraged to retrieve a treat from the bottom of a bowl of intestines (OK, it was pasta). There were opportunities for (geriatric) boys to meet ghouls, and gals to hang out with all sorts of unsavory monsters. The conclusion, once again, was me as a mad scientist werewolf (showing my true colors) who would operate on a monster and once again pull out various things from its abdomen (this time it included a bedpan – I’m such a wit). As an adult, I also jazzed it up with beakers of dry ice and colored liquid bubbling away behind me on repurposed bookshelves. The pièce de résistance was me (as the ersatz wolfman/mad scientist) throwing the breaker switch (OK, it was a sponge mop handle) and causing the creature’s eyes to light up. At this point, the creature’s arm would swing out, as before (remember the fishing line trick?) and grab one of the patients.  As I look back on my cavalier sensibilities, I realized I was damn lucky I didn’t cause a heart attack.

            When my older son was in kindergarten and first grade I resurrected the haunted house motif, this time for my son’s birthday parties. I used all the same ideas to great success, perhaps too great. After causing one little girl to pee her pants, I realized I had ridden this horror express perhaps a little too far.

The haunted house that left the biggest impression on me I encountered when I was in high school, I participated in a spooktacular haunted house that was sponsored by a local rock music station. I helped with the construction, mostly as a gofer, and got to be a werewolf (oh, the joy) once the place opened. This haunted house was not for kids and had many a frightful room that we repurposed in an old home before it was to be torn down. I, as the wolfman, was in a room with Dr. Frankenstein and the monster, and we all jumped at folks and delighted in their screams. Then, toward the end of the evening, in a moment of werewolf abandon, I decided to jump up onto the wall and grab the bars on a window to howl at the moon. Much to my chagrin, and pain, the iron bars were actually wooden dowels that broke off and I crashed down onto my werewolf tailbone. I howled in pain. People loved it! I, however, too embarrassed to admit my pain and mistake, limped the three miles home that night instead of begging a ride from someone with wheels. My lesson: One must suffer for one’s art!

Speaking of art, I have two series and a sale that might be right up your dark alley. N. N. Light Book Heaven recently declared that “The Seattle Coven Tales is the must-read paranormal series of the year.” The third in the series, “The Devil’s Dregs,” will be released today, Friday, the 13^th. To celebrate this, I have the first in the series, “Witch Ever Way You Go,” on sale until the end of October, for just $0.99. (All the Seattle Coven Tales are free with Kindle Unlimited.) 

All are available on Amazon

The Eidola Project Series follows a team of 19^th-century ghost hunters who become ensnared in deadly investigations of the supernatural. The Paranormal Romance Guild recently awarded these novels First Place as an Outstanding Horror Series. The books are available through all major online retailers, and bookstores may order them for you through Ingram Book Service.

If you would like a free short story, “Ghost Doll,” an early adventure by the Eidola Project team, contact me at

email@robertheroldauthor.com

Other social media links:

https://robertheroldauthor.com

Amazon.com: Robert Herold: books, biography, latest update

Bob Herold (@robertheroldauthor666) • Instagram photos and videos

Facebook

Robert Herold (@RobertHerold666) / X (twitter.com)

      

 

      

 

 

 

Meet Best-Selling Author Tena Stetler and Read About A VAMPIRE'S UNLIKELY ALLIANCE

 

I'm doing blog exchanges throughout Spooktober, and today's guest is another of my fellow Wild Rose Press authors Tena Stetler featuring her paranormal vampire romance A VAMPIRE'S UNLIKELY ALLIANCE (Demon's Witch Series Book 3). 

About Tena

Tena is an international best-selling author of award-winning paranormal romance and cozy mysteries with an over-active imagination.  She wrote her first vampire romance as a tween, to her mother's chagrin and her friends' delight. Colorado is home; shared with her husband, a brilliant Chow Chow, a spoiled parrot, and a fifty-two-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.  Her books tell tales of magical kick-ass women and mystical alpha males who dare to love them. Travel, adventure, and a bit of mystery flourish in her books, along with a few companion animals to round out the tales.

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?

 Excerpt

It was nearly midnight when he cut across the Sun Road to another trailhead, so intent on his goal that he nearly collided with an attractive young woman. He skidded to a stop, spraying gravel, rocks, and small twigs down the road in front of him. A pinecone dislodged and bounced along the road past her. Tall and slender, she had miles of fiery-red hair that hung down her back in a cascade of curls. Intense emerald eyes stared back at him as he attempted to regain his composure, not to mention balance. What the hell was she doing here at this time of night?

“Whoa.” She stepped lightly to the side to avoid the flying debris. “You really should watch where you’re going, especially at that speed.” Her voice scolded, but the smile on her lips teased. “Someone could get hurt.”

Pretending to pant, he shrugged, holding his palms up in surrender. “Just trying to get my run in before work. Stefan Talltree, at your service.” He stepped closer, leaned over in an exaggerated bow, and caught her hand, brushing his lips over the palm and wrist, inhaling her sweet scent. AB negative with a pulse of adrenaline. Perfect. Her pulse beat a tattoo against his lips. He backed away.

Her heart thundered as she drew her hand from his grasp. “The name’s Brandy. Pleased to meet you, Stefan.” Her smile reached up into her bright eyes as they swept over him with an appreciative glance, an experience he enjoyed.

Her voice had a hint of Irish lilt to it. He liked that too.

“Where do you work that requires you to report in at—” She glanced at her watch. “—midnight?”

Nostrils flaring, he paused. Blood? Not hers. The sound of Brandy’s voice brought his attention back to her and the situation at hand. “Oh, shit, I’ve gotta go!” He sprinted off, leaving her standing alone.

As he started down the trail, the tree branches swayed in the silvery moonlight, casting eerie shadows across the trail’s edge. The breeze brought with it the coppery scent of fresh blood mixed with sulfur. He turned for one last look at her as she wrinkled her nose before silently creeping into the wind, tracking the source of the stench.

Purchase A VAMPIRE'S UNLIKELY ALLIANCE

Universal Buy Link

Amazon 

Amazon UK 

Amazon AU 

Kobo

B&N

Wal Mart

Connect With Tena

Website 

Author's Website

My Say What Blog

Facebook

Twitter

Goodreads

Amazon

Newsletter

Pinterest

Triberr

Bookbub

Insta

Tumblr

LinkedIn

Youtube - @tenastetler283

 

Happy Spooktober! Meet My Fellow Wild Rose Press Author Helen Johannes and Read About Her Fantasy Romance BLOODSTONE

For my continuing Spooktober blog exchange with my fellow authors, here's Helen Johannes, featuring her fantasy romance BLOODSTONE.

About Helen 

Helen C. Johannes writes award-winning fantasy romance inspired by the fairy tales she grew up reading and the amazing historical places she’s visited in England, Ireland, Scotland and Germany. She writes tales of adventure and romance in fully realized worlds sprung from pure imagination and a lifelong interest in history, culture, and literature. Warriors on horseback, women who refuse to sit idly at home, and passion that cannot be denied or outrun—that’s what readers will find in her books.

About BLOODSTONE

Petrified dragon's blood. A beastly Shadow Man. A beauty, lost in the dreaded Wehrland, where magic is more than legend and dragons might not all be dead.

What if looking at the face of the man you loved meant death?

Years ago, warrior Durren Drakkonwehr was cursed by a mage. Now feared and reviled as the Shadow Man, he keeps to himself, only going to town to trade rare bloodstones—petrified dragon's blood—for supplies. Though he hides his face, he can't hide his heart from the woman who haunts his dreams...

Needing bloodstones for a jewelry commission, Mirianna and her father journey across the dreaded Wehrland where the beast-men roam. When their party is attacked, only the Shadow Man can save them. Strangely drawn to him, Mirianna offers herself in return for her father's rescue.

Living in the ruined fortress with the Shadow Man, Mirianna slowly realizes that a flesh-and-blood man—not a fiend—hides there in hoods and darkness. But are love and courage enough to lift the curse and restore the man?

An Excerpt

“Perhaps we can share your fire.”

            In the joy of finding her father, Mirianna had forgotten Rees and Pumble, the two men the Master of Nolar had given her father as escort. And even that dark being which stood somewhere behind her and drew Rees’s stony glare. The Master of Nolar’s man still sat his horse, and his hand hovered near his bow. Beside Rees, Pumble stood, sweating, his fingers twitching over the hilt of his sword. She turned slowly in her father’s arms.

            “I said,” Rees repeated, “perhaps we can share your fire, this time...Shadow.”

            The Shadow Man stood at the rock ledge, his body as motionless as a bat captured by the sun. His hand rested on the hilt of the sword in his belt, and between his gloved fingers something glinted red. His hood revealed only a drape of cloth where his face should be, yet she knew underneath every inch of that which passed for face was turned on Rees, and the air between them stretched to a brittle thinness.

            “Do with it as you please,” he said at last. “The boy and I were just about to leave.”

            “Wait!” Tolbert put Mirianna aside. “I need—”

            “Bloodstone?” The black hood swiveled. Her father stiffened under the weight of the invisible regard. “There is no more bloodstone, old man. Go home, while you still can.”

            Tolbert shook his head violently. “But Ulerroth—”

            “Ulerroth is a fool,” said the voice that vibrated along Mirianna’s nerves. “And so are you, if you stay another day in the Wehrland.”

            A stallion’s shrill scream punctuated his words.

            The Shadow Man spun. Below the rock ledge, the tethered horses milled, huffing. The blind boy clung to the pack mare’s halter, his face a pasty white. “Sir, I think I smell—”

            “Krad!” Rees coughed, recoiling from a wave of stench that stole Mirianna’s breath.

            “They must have followed us!” Pumble wheezed.

            “Fools!” The Shadow Man’s faceless gaze raked from Rees to Mirianna. “I should damn you all to Beggeth, but the Krad will see to that soon enough.” He turned. “Gareth, free the horses!”

            “Wait!” Tolbert said as an unearthly, high-pitched clamor erupted from the woods below. “What about us? What do we do?”

            Only the hood rotated, cocking with exaggerated deliberation. “Why, you die, old man.”

            Her father blanched. His grip on Mirianna’s arms faltered.

            She saw the Shadow Man turn, saw the muscles of his thighs bunch as he prepared to leap down the hillside, saw, in the corner of her eye, shapes gathering along the tree line below, horrible shapes she’d seen only hours before rushing at her from a darkened clearing. With a shudder, she broke from her father’s grasp.

            “Please!” She reached out to the black sleeve. “Help us!”

            He recoiled at her touch like one snake-bitten. The sudden, sharp focus of his regard staggered her, but she backed no more than a step. No matter how he terrified her, he’d helped her once. She’d been led to him again, and not, her instincts told her, without reason.

            “Please,” she repeated. “Help us. I—we’ll do anything.”

            “Anything?”

            His voice was a whisper that caressed flesh. Mirianna’s stomach quivered. Her breasts tingled. Her mouth grew even drier. Without thinking, she slid her tongue along her lips. Vaguely, she wondered what she’d done. And why time seemed suspended, as if everyone but she and the Shadow Man had been cast in stone and all sound arrested. All sound except the taut, guttural repeat of his question.

            “Anything?”

 Purchase BLOODSTONE

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Audible

Kobo

Apple

Connect With Helen

Goodreads

Blog

Amazon Author Central

BookBub

Email Helen at helen.c.johannes@gmail.com

 

Meet My Fellow Wild Rose Press Author Alana Lorens and Read About VOODOO DREAMS, Book 3 of the Pittsburgh Lady Lawyer Series

As spooky season continues to creep up on us, I'm continuing my blog exchange with my fellow authors of The Wild Rose Press sharing our paranormal, horror, or all around creepy books and stories. I present Alana Lorens, a woman of many talents. Check out Book 3 of her Pittsburgh Lady Lawyer series:

About Alana

Alana Lorens has been a published writer for more than forty years, after working as a pizza maker, a floral designer, a journalist and a family law attorney. Currently a resident of Asheville, North Carolina, the aging hippie loves her time in the smoky blue mountains. She writes romance and suspense as Alana Lorens, and sci-fi, fantasy and paranormal mystery as Lyndi Alexander. . She is the author of the Pittsburgh Lady Lawyers series, which draws on her years as a family law attorney in the state of Pennsylvania. One of the causes close to her heart came from those years as well–the fight against domestic violence. She volunteered for many years at women’s shelters and provided free legal services to women and children in need. She lives with her daughter on the autism spectrum, who is the youngest of her seven children, and she is ruled by three crotchety old cats, and six kittens of various ages.

About VOODOO DREAMS

When her big trial goes bad, corporate attorney Brianna Ward can’t wait to get out of Pittsburgh. The Big Easy seems like the perfect place to rest, relax, and forget about the legal business. Too bad an obnoxious—but handsome—lawyer from a rival firm is checking into the same bed and breakfast. 

 Attorney Evan Farrell has Mardi Gras vacation plans too. When he encounters fiery and attractive Brianna, however, he puts the Bourbon Street party on hold. He’d much rather devote himself to her—especially when a mysterious riddle appears in her bag, seeming to threaten danger. 

Strangely compelled to follow the riddle’s clues, Brianna is pulled deeper into the twisted schemes of a voodoo priest bent on revenge. To escape his poisonous web, she must work with Evan to solve the curse. But is the growing love they feel for each other real? Or just a voodoo dream?

See the trailer!

 

EXCERPT

             “Give me your hand, Bri. I’ll get you out of there.”

            She sat frozen, arms crossed tight.

             “For crying out loud.” He surveyed the immediate vicinity in the growing light, seeing not even a trace of the water rippling. “I think it’s gone,” he said, relieved. “Come on, let me help you over here.”

             “Are you sure?”

            Hell, no, I’m not sure. Wait, who was going to wear the pants in this relationship? When the trusty knight gave orders, the princess jumped. No time for this nonsense.

            “Of course I am. Hurry now.”

            She shivered and took a deep breath, still studying the water. When nothing happened, she stood up, a little shaky, and held out her hand. He seized it and dragged her ashore just as he caught movement in his peripheral vision. Across the inlet, the alligator’s huge tail smacked the water in challenge, and it charged straight for the boat.

             “Look out!” Brianna yelled. She snatched up the wooden oar Evan had dropped on the ground and headed for the water before Evan could stop her. The alligator launched itself into the now-abandoned boat, its mouth open, hissing horribly, and inches-long teeth snapped at her. Brianna swung the oar toward the open mouth of the creature. The impact of its jaws clamping down on the paddle nearly wrenched it loose from her hands.

            She wrestled for control of the oar, then the alligator jerked on it, pulling her into the shallow water.

            Lunatic woman. What’s she thinking? I’ve got to do something before she gets eaten. A distraction, that’s what was needed. Here goes…

            He launched himself into the swamp downstream from the monster. “Hey!” he shouted. “Hey, over here!” He smacked the water, trying to get the alligator’s attention.       “Evan, what are you doing?” Brianna gasped, yanking the oar back as the beast released it.

             I’m being a friggin idiot, apparently. “Come on, you big jerk, come and get me!”

Purchase VOODOO DREAMS   

Amazon

B&N

Connect with Alana

Website

Facebook

Goodreads

Amazon Author Page

BookBub

Twitter:  @AlexanderLyndi

Insta

Meet Sadira Stone and Read About her Halloween Romance Sweet Slow Sizzle: Bangers Tavern Romance 4.

Happy Spooktober, readers and fellow authors! All through October I'm doing blog exchanges with authors featuring their horror tales, spooky stories, and anything that qualifies as creepy!

My guest Sadira Stone's new Halloween romance, SWEET SLOW SIZZLE: BANGERS TAVERN ROMANCE 4 can be read as a standalone.

About Sadira

Award-winning contemporary romance author Sadira Stone spins steamy, smoochy tales set in small businesses—a quirky bookstore, a neighborhood bar, a vintage boutique. Set in the U.S. Pacific Northwest, her stories highlight found family, friendship, and the sizzling chemistry that pulls unlikely partners together. When she emerges from her writing cave in Las Vegas, Nevada (which she seldom does), she can be found in dance class, strumming her ukulele, exploring the Western U.S. with her charming husband, cooking up a storm, and gobbling all the romance books. For a guaranteed HEA (and no cliffhangers!)

About SWEET SLOW SIZZLE

Loving him means risking the only family she has left.

 

Bangers Tavern’s hunky bouncer Jojo Williams has been flirting with server Lana Lopez for three years, but she dismisses him as a trifling joker. Determined to penetrate her prickly defenses, he plunges into the hot mess that keeps her from dating. If he screws this up, his heart and hers won’t be the only ones broken.

 

Orphaned by a car wreck at twenty-two, Lana must keep her teen brothers on track and together in the home they grew up in. One more slip-up, and her interfering tías will separate the boys. The last thing Lana needs is a big goof like Jojo meddling with her fragile family.  

 

But when the teens’ shenanigans land them in trouble, Jojo may be the only person who can save them from the wrath of the tías. Lana’s growing attraction to the gentle giant makes it harder and harder to shut him out, but loving him is a gamble that could cost her everything.   

 

Come back to Bangers Tavern for a slow burn, sizzling hot, friends to lovers workplace romance full of laughs, steam, and the glorious chaos of 21 ^st century family—the ones we’re born into, and the ones we gather to our hearts.  

Excerpt, Rated PG

Lana blinked up at him, then spluttered with laughter. Gorgeous Jojo, the guy who melted panties with one flirty glance, jealous of silver-haired Kenny? Breathless, she rested her forehead on his chest. His solid warmth felt way too good. She should step out of the danger zone. Any minute now.

His hands slid around her to cradle her lower back.

She tilted her head up and planted her chin on his breastbone. “I don’t have a boyfriend, Jojo, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

The corners of his mouth crept up. “You in the market for one?”

The million-dollar question. Part of her, the part she kept a tight lid on, jumped up and down shouting, Yes, yes, yes!

“The thing is, I have to put my family first right now.”

He sighed and rubbed slow circles on her back. “I understand.”

“My brothers have been through so much loss—”

He pressed his soft lips to her forehead. “So have you, sweet cheeks.”

“Ugh.” She wrinkled her nose.

“Don’t like that one either, huh?”

“I’m too snarky to be a sweet cheeks.”

His grin sparkled like starlight. “Give me time. I’ll find a nickname you like.” He toyed with the fine hairs at her nape. “Though your name is beautiful, Lana Pilar Lopez.”

How does he know my middle name? And why is that such a turn-on?

With great reluctance, she planted her palms on his chest and pushed away. “Jojo, I’m sure you could find all kinds of things I like. But right now, keeping an eye on those two inside takes all my focus. I can’t give you what you want.”

His wide, rough palm cupped her jaw, his expression so tender she almost took it all back. “I understand. When you’re ready, I’ll be waiting.”

Purchase SWEET SLOW SIZZLE

It's on sale for $1.99 (ebook) on all vendors ('Zon, B & N, Apple, Kobo, etc) during October. 

Connect with Sadira on all the socials!