Showing posts with label Twilight Over Moldavia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Twilight Over Moldavia. Show all posts

Friday, 13 January 2012

Author Spotlight - Excerpt from "Twilight Over Moldavia"



Thank you for supporting me during my spotlight week. Leave a comment on today's excerpt post today, Saturday and Sunday and on Monday I'll choose a winner to recieve a PDF copy of "Twilight Over Moldavia." Hope your new year is off to a great start.

Smiles
Moderator Steph

*********


Stefan gestured toward the door, and Caroline followed him down an empty hall. Stefan came to a secret door and opened it. It led out into the gardens near the gardenias. Gas lamps lit the walking path. He directed Caroline away from the lights of the ballroom to a small bench next to the roses and sat beside her. He took both of her hands in his and gazed into her eyes.

"I saw a man in town several days ago. He accosted me."

Concern grew on her face. "What did he want?"

"He scratched me and licked my blood."

"How awful."

"He told me I was 'pure.' The same man confronted me two years ago when we were promised to each other in Ploesti."

She crossed her arms. "What did he look like?"

"He had yellow eyes. I described his appearance to my father. He said the man is a werewolf."

"A werewolf is after you?" Her voice broke with apprehension.

"I hate to believe it, but I cannot ignore the evidence."

"What did your father say when you told him?"

"He needs more information, but he's convinced the man who attacked me is a wolf." Caroline stood and turned her face toward the sky. Stefan stepped up behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders. "I sense worry and fear in you."

"Of course I'm worried."
"For me?"

She turned to face him. "Yes. I wasn't quite expecting this upon our engagement. I thought my intended would tell me how he looked forward to seeing me in person, how absence had made his heart grow fonder, not that he might be hunted by a werewolf."

He curved his fingers around her chin and met her gaze, praying he could drive away her apprehension. "I'm sorry. I wanted to be honest with you. Absence has made my heart grow fonder."

She bit her lower lip and grew silent. Stefan sensed her conflicted emotions. She truly did care for him, but concern tumbled next to her happiness at seeing him again. And he had to talk about werewolves first and not how glad he was to see her again. How clumsy of him.

"Forgive me. I am delighted to see you in person again. You're wearing my necklace."

"I am." Her cheeks reddened. "Do you still have my scarf?"

"It's in my vest pocket. I keep it close to me at all times."

"That warms my heart."

He trailed his fingers down her neck and rested them on her shoulder. Oh, how he could get lost in her sparkling blue eyes. "I'm sorry, but we must speak of the creature."

She nodded.

"He poses a real danger to me. Do you want to postpone our engagement? I can talk to our fathers."

She drew in a deep breath, turned away, and stared at the moon.

"Caroline?" he prompted.

Thursday, 12 January 2012

Author Spotlight - Character Interview with Princess Caroline of Carpathia

Anna Hathaway inspiration for "Caroline"

GAEL: Hi, I'm Gael, the owner of "MUSEum" the bar where all muses hang out from the Desert Breeze Anthology, "Be Mused." The bar is a place to come and unwind and take a break. On occasion I get a celebrity in. How can I resist an interview?

With us today is Princess Caroline Moldoneavu from "Twilight Over Moldavia." It's great to have you here today, Your Highness. Tell us, how did you meet Prince Stefan?

CAROLINE: We met in the woods outside of Dragon's Keep, my ancestral home. I shot the prince with an arrow.

GAEL: Oh, you cupid! Or should I say Aphrodite?

CAROLINE: Aphrodite, I'm not. I'm much more skilled with a bow and arrow. It was an accident – how embarrassing! My father would be so disappointed. Thankfully, Stefan wasn't hurt.

GAEL: That's good he wasn't. How did he react to being shot with an arrow?

CAROLINE: He just stared at me. I'd never had a man look at me like he did. Then I noticed he had a flesh wound so I wrapped my scarf around his leg to stop the bleeding.

GAEL: Oh, I'm sure he appreciated the gesture.

CAROLINE: I did get a small smile out of him. I'd never touched a man before, but when I placed my hand on his thigh, I grew warm all over. I knew right then and there he was special.

GAEL: Did he know who you were when you shot him?

CAROLINE: No! Our parents had just formally arranged our marriage and I was too embarrassed to admit I was the Crown Princess of Carpathia and his betrothed so I lied and told him my name was Aurora. And it is – just my middle name.

GAEL: That's not very noble.

CAROLINE: He lied, too. He told me his name was Sebastian. I thought I'd never see him again. When he left, he took my scarf I'd wrapped around his leg. It was a family heirloom my mother knitted for me. She was disappointed that I'd lost it.

GAEL: When did you see Stefan next?

CAROLINE: I was waiting in the great hall with my family to be introduced to the Sigmaringens from Moldavia and meet my betrothed. Sebastian walked in wearing the uniform of Moldavian's Crown Prince. I almost fainted.

GAEL: I'm sure he was surprised as well.

CAROLINE: Both of us were stunned. My mother had to nudge me to curtsey with one of her scowls.

GAEL: I'm sure your mother was polite. She's a queen, after all.

CAROLINE: My mother is always disappointed with me and if it isn't one thing, it's another. Thankfully, Stefan saved the moment by producing my scarf, she thought I'd lost.

GAEL: I heard the prince was a real gentleman. How did the rest of your night go?

CAROLINE: Not like I expected, I assure you. If you don’t mind, I'm late meeting my grandmother. She's giving me a lesson in witchcraft.

GAEL: You're a witch, too?

CAROLINE: It's a long story.

GAEL: Congratulations on your engagement.

CAROLINE: Thank you. (dashes off)

GAEL: Sounds like their romance is off to an interesting start. I just might have to have the prince over to MUSEum some time soon. –wink--


BLURB: Would you marry a man cursed to become a werewolf?

4 Stars, Vijaya Schartz, author
In this novel full of danger and intrigue, sexy scenes, and unspeakable secrets, the werewolves are the villains, and oh how dangerous they are, and unwashed, and uncivilized. The kind of villains you love to hate.

5 Stars, Mona Risk, Author "No More Lies"
Burkhart's writing style grabs the reader from the first page. She keeps you breathless with her suspense as she transports you to exotic areas you will enjoy discovering.

Barbara Hodges, Author, "The Blue Flame"
Twilight Over Moldavia whisked me into a part of the world I knew nothing about, and gave me a wonderful love story filled with suspense too. What more could a reader desire? I will be reading the first book in this series and will be looking for the third, I can’t hardly wait.





BUY LINKS:

ALL ROMANCE EBOOKS:
http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-moldavianmoonbooktwotwilightovermoldavia-667833-139.html

AMAZON KINDLE:
http://www.amazon.com/Moldavian-Moon-Book-Two-ebook/dp/B006RQ7LU8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1325479348&sr=8-1

PUBLISHER'S BUY LINK:
http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-247/Moldavian-Moon-Book-Two/Detail.bok

WEBSITE:
http://www.stephanieburkhart.com

TWITTER:
http://twitter.com/StephBurkhart

FACEBOOK:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Stephanie-Burkhart-Author/149938795021166

GOOD READS:
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4031660.Stephanie_Burkhart

Wednesday, 11 January 2012

Author Spotlight - The Inspiration behind "Twilight Over Moldavia"


When I was a young girl, I used to watch "Creature Double Feature" on Saturdays and became convinced that there were beings who went bump in the night like vampires, werewolves, witches, and zombies. Silly me – I thought if I covered my neck with my sheets the vampires couldn't get me. Oh, and I never did figure out what happened to all the lint under the bed so I think there was merit to my theory.

All those creatures of the night resonated with that young girl so when I grew up, I wanted to write about them. Being the optimist I am, I gravitated toward romance writing. When I discovered paranormal writing, I'd knew I'd found my niche.

In 2005, I wanted to write a paranormal romance about a werewolf. Vampires were pretty popular back then and I wanted to explore the wolf. My idea? I wanted to write a fairytale in reverse where the princess had to save the prince. Inspiration had taken root.

I threw a dash of gothic and a pinch of moonlight into the plot and wrote "Twilight Over Moldavia." Prince Stefan had been cursed to become a werewolf on his 18th birthday. Can Caroline's love save him? I wrote the first draft then tackled "The Wolf's Torment," explaining how Stefan came to be cursed. I went through several drafts of each and my self-published "The Wolf's Torment" in 2007 had more horror elements than romantic ones. In 2009, I signed contracts with Desert Breeze for the Moldavian Moon Series. The published version of "Twilight Over Moldavia" is draft #4. It's a story close to my heart because I love how Caroline and Stefan come together to face adversity. I usually don't draw inspiration from music, but for their story, I drew a lot from "Astronomy" by Blue Oyster Cult. Inspiration comes from the willingness to explore - and Blue Oyster Cult.



BLURB: Would you marry a man cursed to become a werewolf?

4 Stars, Vijaya Schartz, author
In this novel full of danger and intrigue, sexy scenes, and unspeakable secrets, the werewolves are the villains, and oh how dangerous they are, and unwashed, and uncivilized. The kind of villains you love to hate.

5 Stars, Mona Risk, Author "No More Lies"
Burkhart's writing style grabs the reader from the first page. She keeps you breathless with her suspense as she transports you to exotic areas you will enjoy discovering.

Barbara Hodges, Author, "The Blue Flame"
Twilight Over Moldavia whisked me into a part of the world I knew nothing about, and gave me a wonderful love story filled with suspense too. What more could a reader desire? I will be reading the first book in this series and will be looking for the third, I can’t hardly wait.


BOOK TRAILER: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSAhxv0lTIM

BUY LINKS:

ALL ROMANCE EBOOKS:
http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-moldavianmoonbooktwotwilightovermoldavia-667833-139.html

AMAZON KINDLE:
http://www.amazon.com/Moldavian-Moon-Book-Two-ebook/dp/B006RQ7LU8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1325479348&sr=8-1

PUBLISHER'S BUY LINK:
http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-247/Moldavian-Moon-Book-Two/Detail.bok

WEBSITE:
http://www.stephanieburkhart.com

TWITTER:
http://twitter.com/StephBurkhart

FACEBOOK:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Stephanie-Burkhart-Author/149938795021166

GOOD READS:
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4031660.Stephanie_Burkhart

Tuesday, 10 January 2012

Author Spotlight - Meet the Cast of "Twilight Over Moldavia"

Agim Kaba circa 2005

I enjoy casting my characters. For me, it helps to give my character bios added depth. I hope you enjoy my choices:

Prince Stefan Sigmaringen: Agim Kaba

I saw Agim on "As The World Turns" and I enjoyed his acting. I thought he'd be perfect for the young cursed prince.





Princess Caroline Moldoveanu: Anne Hathaway



When I started writing this story back in 2005, I think Anne's biggest role at the time was "The Princess Diaries" and I loved her as the long lost princess. She captures nobility well.











Prince Michael Bacau: Dax Griffin


Michael has gone through various casting changes, but when I saw Dax, I knew I had my Michael. He's got that fierce, intense look to him combined with rugged handsomeness.













Lady Rosa Getzi: Jessica Alba


Jessica has a very exotic look which is perfect for Rosa.













Queen Theresa Sigmaringen: Julianne Moore


Young Theresa in The Wolf's Torment was Jennifer Ferrin and I think Julianne Moore is perfect to play the older, tortured Moldavian Queen as her dynamic acting can take Theresa from pride to despair in seconds.








Countess Alina Getzi: Selma Hayek



Selma has the exotic look at Alina requires and also captures that air of mysticism that the character embodies as well.













King Mihai Sigmaringen: Jon Hensley


Hensley's aged well and so has King Mihai.














Lady Elyse Corvinus: Julie Andrews


I didn't realize it at the time of my casting selection, but Andrews played Hathaway's grandmother in "The Princess Dairies." These two are perfect to play a granddaughter/grandmother relationship.










Timon:



I'm embarrased, I can't remember his name. Help me out. Richard, I believe? He's British and a well known character actor. He's got the look for Timon, the bad wolf in the series.








BLURB: Would you marry a man cursed to become a werewolf?

4 Stars, Vijaya Schartz, author
In this novel full of danger and intrigue, sexy scenes, and unspeakable secrets, the werewolves are the villains, and oh how dangerous they are, and unwashed, and uncivilized. The kind of villains you love to hate.

5 Stars, Mona Risk, Author "No More Lies"
Burkhart's writing style grabs the reader from the first page. She keeps you breathless with her suspense as she transports you to exotic areas you will enjoy discovering.

Barbara Hodges, Author, "The Blue Flame"
Twilight Over Moldavia whisked me into a part of the world I knew nothing about, and gave me a wonderful love story filled with suspense too. What more could a reader desire? I will be reading the first book in this series and will be looking for the third, I can’t hardly wait.


BOOK TRAILER: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSAhxv0lTIM

BUY LINKS:

ALL ROMANCE EBOOKS:
http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-moldavianmoonbooktwotwilightovermoldavia-667833-139.html

AMAZON KINDLE:
http://www.amazon.com/Moldavian-Moon-Book-Two-ebook/dp/B006RQ7LU8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1325479348&sr=8-1

PUBLISHER'S BUY LINK:
http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-247/Moldavian-Moon-Book-Two/Detail.bok

WEBSITE:
http://www.stephanieburkhart.com

TWITTER:
http://twitter.com/StephBurkhart

FACEBOOK:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Stephanie-Burkhart-Author/149938795021166

GOOD READS:
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4031660.Stephanie_Burkhart

Monday, 9 January 2012

Author Spotlight - Q&A with Stephanie Burkhart


Question: I don't know much about "Twilight Over Moldavia." What's it about?

Steph: "Twilight Over Moldavia" is a paranormal romance set in the 1880's in Romania. Prince Stefan is cursed to become a werewolf on his 18th birthday. He learns this just as he's getting engaged to Caroline. She must make a choice to go ahead with the engagement or not. Timon, the werewolf who cursed him, hunts Stefan throughout the Romanian principalities, determined to claim Stefan for his pack.

Question: How long did it take you to write?

Steph: I wrote the first draft in 2005 and it was very different from this version. I put the draft aside and focused on other projects. From 2006-2009, I started a 2nd and 3rd draft, but didn't settle upon this draft until last summer. It took about eight weeks to write this version.

Question: Where did the inspiration for the story come from?

Steph: I love supernatural creatures, but decided I'd focus on werewolves instead of vampires because the basic premise of the wolf has a living, breathing man behind the beast. I wanted to focus on how the wolf struggles to retain his humanity. For me, witches are a natural fit for the wolf, an organic companion. Witches also have struggles, like learning to fit into the human world.

For "Twilight Over Moldavia" the premise was simple. I wanted to write a fairytale in reverse where the princess had to save the prince. The plot and characters grew from that.

Question: How did you come up with the title, "Twilight Over Moldavia?"

Steph: For Stefan's principality, Moldavia, it's truly twilight when the promise of the nation, the crown prince, is cursed to become a werewolf. By using "twilight" in the title, I hope to provide a small amount of hope that Stefan can be saved and find "happily ever after."

Question: How much research did you do?


Steph: Tons! I researched werewolf myths, witches, Romania, Romanian customs, Orthodoxy, Romanian names, Transylvania, Wallachia, Dracula, the Black Sea, and Bran Castle just to name a few.

Question: Tell us a little about the heroine, Caroline. What are her strengths?

Steph: When the story opens, Caroline has just been name the Crown Princess of Carpathia. She did not expect to have the title since she was her parents' second daughter, but her older sister, Edwina, died in a riding accident.

Caroline knows her own mind. She's the best horsewoman in Carpathia and she's skilled in archery, very non-princess traits her dancing is passable and her embroidery is abysmal. She knows she disappoints her mother, yet it's her understanding of duty that her father teaches her which drives her choices. Caroline hopes that ultimately she can make her mother proud of her.

Question: How did Stefan come to be cursed?

Steph: For that, you'll have to read "The Wolf's Torment," book 1 in the series.

Question: Do you have to read "The Wolf's Torment" before reading "Twilight Over Moldavia?"

Steph: No. I believe "Twilight Over Moldavia" can stand alone, but "The Wolf's Torment" will help the reader better understand how Stefan came to be cursed.

Question: Do you have an ebook reader?

Steph: I have a Kindle 2nd generation and a Kindle Fire. I love them both.

Question: Did you make any new year's resolutions?

Steph: To lose weight. I'm back at Weight Watchers and joined the weight loss challenge at work. If you want to follow my journey, I'm blogging about my experiences every Saturday on my blog, "Romance Under The Moonlight."

BLURB: Would you marry a man cursed to become a werewolf?

4 Stars, Vijaya Schartz, author
In this novel full of danger and intrigue, sexy scenes, and unspeakable secrets, the werewolves are the villains, and oh how dangerous they are, and unwashed, and uncivilized. The kind of villains you love to hate.

5 Stars, Mona Risk, Author "No More Lies"
Burkhart's writing style grabs the reader from the first page. She keeps you breathless with her suspense as she transports you to exotic areas you will enjoy discovering.

Barbara Hodges, Author, "The Blue Flame"
Twilight Over Moldavia whisked me into a part of the world I knew nothing about, and gave me a wonderful love story filled with suspense too. What more could a reader desire? I will be reading the first book in this series and will be looking for the third, I can’t hardly wait.


BOOK TRAILER: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSAhxv0lTIM

BUY LINKS:

ALL ROMANCE EBOOKS:
http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-moldavianmoonbooktwotwilightovermoldavia-667833-139.html

AMAZON KINDLE:
http://www.amazon.com/Moldavian-Moon-Book-Two-ebook/dp/B006RQ7LU8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1325479348&sr=8-1

PUBLISHER'S BUY LINK:
http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-247/Moldavian-Moon-Book-Two/Detail.bok

WEBSITE:
http://www.stephanieburkhart.com

TWITTER:
http://twitter.com/StephBurkhart

FACEBOOK:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Stephanie-Burkhart-Author/149938795021166

GOOD READS:
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4031660.Stephanie_Burkhart