Sunday, May 16, 2010

Welcome Author Stephanie Burkhart

I just want to thank Vijaya for having me here today. She's helped to invigorate my love of Sci-Fi and I'm enjoying every minute of it. I tried out Caprica because she mentioned it in a recent interview and now I'm watching the new Battlestar Galactica on Netflix.


Just a little about me: I was born and raised in Manchester, NH and at 18, I joined the military, serving in the army as an MP. I spent 7 years total overseas in Germany. While in the military I earned a BS in Political Science. After leaving the military, I settled in California and I now work as a dispatcher answering 911 for LAPD. My first book, "Destination: Berlin" was released in 2001 and is a "sweet" military romance suspense.


My latest release, "The Hungarian," Book One in the Budapest Moon Series doesn't involve any big cats *grin*, but it does involve a big dog and fur.

"The Hungarian" is a paranormal romance set in 1901 and takes place in England and Hungary. Count Matthias Duma harbors a dark secret, but when he meets a young British noblewoman, Katherine Archibald, he risks everything, including his secret, for her love.

Matthias's secret? He's a werewolf. As he was traveling back to his manor after watching a play in FonyĆ³d with his first wife, Beth, wolves attacked him. His wife was killed and Matthias was bitten, made into a mythical creature of the moon.

Werewolves have been a part of myths and cultures since the early civilizations of man. In ancient Greece, one legend tells us how King Lycan fed the gods human flesh. Enraged, the gods turned him into a werewolf since it would make it easier for Lycan to feed on the human flesh he desired.

Werewolves are generally shape shifters. Once a werewolf, most written legends talk about wolves shifting at will. In "The Hungarian," Matthias can only change during the full moon. It allows for a fuller characterization of the man, not the wolf.

Once becoming a wolf, a man had heightened senses – strength, eyesight, and smell, which Matthias does.

Interestingly, the curse of lycanthropy was thought to be divine punishment in the Catholic Church. They burned werewolves at the stake.

Burning at the stake sounds a little gruesome to me. In the "Budapest Moon Series," silver poisoning is my preferred method of doing a werewolf harm. It's less gruesome.

Matthias does his best to bear with his condition. He's not looking for love. When he meets Katherine, the forces that bring them together make it impossible for Matthias to distance himself from her. Now he's got a real challenge. How does he tell the woman he's in love with he's a mythical creature called a werewolf? That's the fun of the story!


Excerpt:


He held up the ring. "Before you say yes, I have one last thing to tell you. This is not easy for me to talk about since it is the cause of my affliction. It's a secret that my household and I have strived to hide well, but was almost compromised with your recent visit."

"Secret?" She and Liz suspected there was one.

"My wife didn't die in a carriage accident. When the wolves attacked, they overturned the carriage, and it was the easiest way to explain what happened."

"I see."

"The wolves that attacked us were no ordinary wolves," he paused. "They were werewolves."

"Werewolves?" Had she heard him right? A cool breeze tingled her spine, heightening her senses.

"Yes. Do you know what they are?"

She shivered. "Half-men, half-wolves?"

"No, they're men for the most part, but when the moon is full, they turn into wolves, roaming the night in search of prey that will satisfy them until the next full moon. These particular wolves that attacked us were in a band of gypsies passing through on their way to Ternitz. They killed my wife. Her death gave them satisfaction, and with the power of their bite, they made me a wolf. Every full moon, I transform."

Katherine slowly backed away from him. How could such creatures exist? Was he a monster? A beast? She couldn't believe that. She'd come to know him as a vital and healthy man. "No," she whispered as a slow, numbing shock washed over her. "No."

He lunged out and grabbed her wrist, holding it tightly. "That's why I have a scar on my temple -- a tell-tale mark left by my attackers. Their bite also left me with unusual translucent eyes -- wolf eyes. It's also why I hate the moon. Yes, my wife died under a full moon, but I was made into a beast that night. I'm constantly aware of what phase it's in. As the moon changes, so do I. I'm even-tempered and close to my previous disposition when there's a new moon. As the moon grows, it gets harder to check the intense emotions that grow inside me. When the moon is full, I'm a wolf during the night. During the day, I am a man, but incapacitated. After the full moon, as it wanes, I'm better able to temper my emotions."


Goodie Time: I'll be giving away two autographed postcards of the cover to two lucky posters. To be eligible to win, just post. I'll pick the winners out of a hat and announce the winners on the blog no later than the next day.

Link to the Book Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZwaF8hAdow

Links for the Books:

Desert Breeze Website:
http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-87/%3Ci%3EBudapest-Moon-Book-One%3C-fdsh-i%3E-cln-/Detail.bok

All Romance Books
http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-budapestmoonbookonethehungarian-427260-139.html

Amazon for Kindle
http://www.amazon.com/Budapest-Moon-Book-One-ebook/dp/B003K15NG2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digital-text&qid=1273427954&sr=1-1
Visit Stephanie at:
Website:
http://sgcardin.tripod.com/
Romance Under the Moonlight Blog
http://sgcardin.blogspot.com/
Twitter:
http://twitter.com/StephBurkhart
Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/profile.php?id=1357922219&ref=profile

Friday, May 14, 2010

New contests at Books We Love


Books We Love gives you the opportunity to win all kinds of paperbacks and ebooks, including mine, in their Sizzling Summer Sweepstakes.

Win a Borders Kobo eReader - Entry instructions on the Books We Love website: To enter the contest simply visit five of the author pages displayed on the web page index and sign the guest book of the author you choose to visit. Then fill out the entry form on the website and click submit.


PRIZES: (1) Every week until July 31 we will draw one winner to receive their choice of an ebook from any one of our Books We love authors. (2) On May 31, June 30 and July 31st we will draw three winners who will each receive an autographed copy of one of the print books displayed on the page. (4) GRAND PRIZE: Borders KOBO EREADERS on July 31st one lucky winner will receive a Kobo and their choice of any five Books We Love ebooks.
Enter Now: http://www.bookswelove.net/
 
Good Luck!
 
Vijaya Schartz
Romance with a Kick
http://www.vijayaschartz.com/

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Meet Romantic Suspense author Anne Patrick

Anne Patrick is the author of ‘Sweet’ Edge of Your Seat Romantic Suspense. She has penned more than a dozen novels. She’s a confessed suspense junkie with a bad habit of mixing chocolate and diet colas when writing, which can, and often does, lead to mayhem. Her heroines are usually strong willed, witty, and often very opinionated…combinations that usually land them in situations where death seems imminent. Anne has an alter ego by the name of Kinzie Monroe, who writes Inspirational Romance. Anne, you might say, is the dark side of Kinzie. Anne’s books may be darker in subject matter, but they all carry messages of hope and faith.


First of all I’d like to thank Vijaya for having me on her blog today, and for giving me the opportunity to talk about my new book that releases this month.

In Out of the Darkness, ex-FBI Profiler Alex Michaels is forced into hiding by the serial killer who murdered her twin sister and left her with a career ending injury. Meeting up with an ex-pro football player who is also facing an uncertain future, Alex makes Royce McIntire an offer he can’t refuse. Settling into her new life, Alex has no idea the killer is hot on her tracks along with the team of FBI agents who failed to protect her before. When they all catch up to her, not only is her peaceful life shattered, but once again her life is in jeopardy.

Here’s an excerpt from it:

The house was dark as Alex Michaels drove onto the lawn. She slammed the gearshift into park, pulled her gun from its holster, and jumped from the car. She swiped frantically at the tears as she stepped cautiously to the front door and grasped the knob. Please God…Please don’t let me be too late. Her grip tightened on the 9mm as beads of perspiration formed on her forehead. Inside the entryway, she reached out with her left hand to flick the light switch.

The knife came out of nowhere.

A sharp pain, followed by a burning sensation, seared up her right forearm. Her fingers went numb and the gun clattered to the floor. She jabbed with her left arm, her clenched fist coming in contact with the jaw hidden behind a black ski mask.

The intruder retaliated with a punch to her right cheek that slammed her body back against the door. The room swirled, her knees grew weak. She struggled to stand on solid ground. With a fistful of hair, her head was jerked back as the attacker’s knee rammed her rib cage, forcing a gush of air from her lungs.

She cried out as her knees buckled and she dropped to the floor. Another blow to her rib cage knocked her back onto the floor. Her left arm pinned beneath her, she raised a bloody right arm toward the intruder and stared in horror at her hand dangling lifelessly.

With the full weight of his body pinning her, she writhed beneath him trying to free her left arm.

“Fight me, Alex. Show me you’re not as weak as the rest.”

“I swear I’m going to kill you.” Using her feet as leverage, she rolled against him but she was no match for his strength.

He laughed. “Come on, Alex. Your sister put up a better fight than this.”

A sob escaped her lips. She could still hear Cassie’s cries for help and her bloodcurdling screams of terror.

“Sorry you didn’t make it in time to say goodbye. But you’ll be with her soon enough.”


Out of the Darkness releases this month from Champagne Books. To learn more about me and my other releases, please visit my blog: http://www.suspensebyanne.blogspot.com/ or my website: http://www.annepatrick.weebly.com/

Thanks again, Vijaya, for having me on your blog!

Saturday, May 1, 2010

The cover of White Tiger won the QUASAR award

After winning the Ariana Award in Sci-Fi Romance category for the cover, White Tiger went on to win the QUASAR AWARD, for best ebook cover of 2009.  I am immensely proud of Jenifer Ranieri, who designed the cover for Desert Breeze.  She also designed the second cover in the series and it's just as fabulous.

Vijaya Schartz
Romance with a kick
http://www.vijayaschartz.com/