When I was a little
girl I was convinced there was a vampire under the bed. No joke. The
darned thing used to poke me through the mattress. I was six years old and used
to pull the covers up over my neck thinking that would keep the darn little
creature away from my neck. Silly me. Mom wouldn't let me use garlic.
What convinced me I had
a vampire under the bed was watching a show called Creature Double
Feature. That show had it all – vampires, werewolves, zombies, mummies,
and even Godzilla. Creature Double Feature was all about horror. The creatures
were out to scare you. I got the chills watching those little nasties in
action. And that's what horror is all about – giving you the chills. The Spooks.
The Shivers.
You know what gives me
the spooks? Bugs. Spiders. Little Creepy things. They inspire horror. You
can find some of my horror tales at my port on Writing.com at: http://www.writing.com/main/portfolio/item_id/966516-Horror-Short-Stories
My favorite stories are
Grave of the Devil, the Secret Pyramid, and The Scorpion Temple.
Paranormal Romance?
That's a different "beast" altogether. Sure there are vampires,
werewolves, zombies, shifters, etc… but there's no intent to give you shivers –
it's all about giving you the warm and fuzzies and making you believe in the
power of love.
Our hero (or heroine)
may suffer from lycanthropy or deal with a lust for blood, but their desire to
control their condition and seek love is the crux of their journey. Romance is
about HEA. Horror has no HEA.
My paranormal romance, Danube in Candlelight, which released in NOV 2011 is now
a finalist in the 2012 Reader's Favorite Contest in the Romance, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
category. What would you do if you found out your father was a werewolf? Morgan
Duma has her world turned upside down when she discovers her father's secret.
She explores the lupine elements of heritage, growing reckless, but will her
recklessness driver her to become a wolf herself?
REVIEWS:
5 Stars, Reader's
Favorite:
This story is the
closest I have ever come to reading a book that feels like a movie!
4 Hearts, Sizzling Hot
Book Reviews:
Once again, Stephanie
Burkhart has touched my imagination and with her writing brings 1922 Hungary to
life. Danube in Candlelight is a very
romantic, yet spicy read. This is a must read if you enjoy the paranormal
werewolf stories or even if you merely enjoy a great romance.
3.5 Stars, The Hope
Chest Reviews:
Danube in
Candlelight was a pleasant, easy read. Ms.
Burkhart has created an interesting world with a mythology that is a little
different than any other werewolf stories I've read to date, and the historical
settings make them more intriguing to me than many contemporary paranormal
stories.
5 Lips, Two
Lips Reviews
I found the setting for Danube in Candlelight
intriguing. The 1920 period Ms. Burkhart chose for this story lends it a
wonderfully dynamic tempo. The discerning reader will not want
to miss reading Danube in Candlelight; I highly recommend it.
Book Trailer on You Tube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgzUIHCRN0I
Enjoy this Excerpt:
"Morgan, our fathers'
condition has a host of positive traits -- heightened senses, for example, but
the best trait is the healing factor."
"I understand, Adam. That
healing factor will help my mother recover from her awful injuries, but it comes
with a tradeoff -- she's going to become a werewolf."
"Is it better she become
addicted to morphine? That addiction is a beast in itself. Which would you
prefer she'd become? The soldiers hooked on morphine have vacant eyes, and
their hands tremble for their next fix. Do you want that for your mother?
Fighting something she can't win against, or do you want her dealing with a
manageable condition? Both our fathers are good men. They've managed it."
Morgan pursed her lips. Adam's
tone was laced in objectivity and confidence, offering her a plausible reason
for her father's actions. Morgan didn't want a shell of skin and bones that
resembled her mother -- she wanted her mother well, both emotionally and
physically. Why had she been so selfish not to see that?
"It doesn't bother you that
you have these traits?"
"I'm comfortable with who I
am."
Morgan spun around, pressing the
length of her body against Adam, curving her hand around the nape of his neck,
and bringing his lips to hers. Their mouths met in a searing kiss full of
desire. Want. Warmth. Pleasure replaced Morgan's emotional pain, and she
deepened the kiss between them by sweeping her tongue into his mouth.
Adam groaned, wrapped his hands
around her waist, and tugged her closer. Morgan continued the kiss, nipping his
lower lip with her teeth. A blast of heat from his body washed over her like an
ocean wave, sending pleasure spiraling through her. God, she had never felt so
wonderful.
He threaded his hand through her
hair and then yanked her head back. His mouth fell to her neck. Shivers of
delight followed the hard, demanding kisses he placed on her skin.
"Adam, God, don't
stop..."
He did just that. He withdrew his
hand from her hair, sliding it down the side of her body to rest at her waist.
She looked into his golden eyes blazing with the flames of desire. Adam drew in
a deep breath.
"Damn, Morgan, I am a man,
and I have more control than that."
She placed her hand over his
heart. "You enjoyed it. Don't deny it."
PUBLISHER'S BUY LINK
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BARNES & NOBLE NOOK BUY LINK
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FIND ME ON THE WEB AT:
WEBSITE:
TWITTER:
FACEBOOK:
https://www.facebook.com/StephanieBurkhartAuthor
GOOD READS:
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4031660.Stephanie_Burkhart
YOU TUBE CHANNEL:
http://www.youtube.com/user/botrina?feature=mhee
Posts
14 comments:
Great post! Where's the Like button? Blogs need like-buttons, lol.
I had a monster living under the bed when I was a little girl. No one believed it, but I knew he was there. Every time I put my feet on the floor, I expected hairy hands with claws to grab my ankles and pull me in. The monster didn't go away until I had a dog sleep under the bed instead. They make monsters go away :-)
The vampire under your bed... LOL! My bed had a monster spider under it. Small girls' beds seem to be the favorite hiding places of all sorts of nasty things!
Maria--that's a great idea to have replaced it with a dog. I still sleep with a light on. ;)
Maria, lol!! Those Monster - they get around, don't they? Never thought to use a dog to scare them away. Hey, I was seven! :)
Patty,
Spiders are so icky. ((hugs)) I think I'd rather have a vampire!
Smiles
Steph
My closet had a very scary something in it, and I never took a shower when home alone. I guess it was a good thing I had six sisters and a brother. Never had to worry about being by myself. Just the boogieman in the closet that was going to eat me after they all fell asleep.
Good post,
Neecy
I thought every bed came with a monster under it. As a kid I would make Flying Wallenda leaps into bed from just about the doorway to my room, just so there was no chance of the monster getting me. I was always safe in the bed. Funny how I rationalized all that out.
Neecy, yikes! A boogeyman in the closet? That sounds scary to me. Thankfully, my closet was HUGE and stuffed with old clothes. I knew all the hiding places and I think I scared the boogeyman away! LOL.
Maggie, my gosh, flying wallenda leaps? I was never that talented. I agree - amazing how we were all safe in the bed, despite the creature under it.
Smiles
Steph
I wrote a story for my son about the monster beneath the bed called Milton's Monster, because I freaked him out so badly one day acting like there was a monster there.
I used think the clothes in the closet were assassins, standing there, their guns pointed on me. I'd pull up my blanket shield and pray for them to go away.
I wrote a story about that for my middle son, Nathan's Adventures in the Land of Night, who has graduated from potty training and is trying to get past the shadows and to the bathroom so he won't get his big boy underwear wet.
well ihavent really thought about which i like more the paranormal reads or horror they both seem to go hand in hand with me so i guess i guess i could read both signed micheleann oboyle angelwolfmystic@yahoo.com
I had a nun with a ruler living under my bed. I think she's still there to tell the truth. Anybody want to check for me?
I love my paranormal, no matter what. Have a soft place for vampires. Just love them. I don't think I was ever scared of them as a kid either..
A very ckever blog, Steph. I used to be afraid of foxes as a kid. I thought they were as big as houses and wanted to eat kids. When my dad took me to the zoo and showed me this tiny fox only slightly larger than a house cat, I felt positively silly.
Love paranormal stories. I really enjoyed your book Danube by Candlelight.
I wish you all the best, Steph.
Oh, Great post, Steph! I was shivering with fear the whole time I read it. :-)
Tina, how creative you are! Thankfully none of my boys have suffered from the "creature" under the bed, but Joe, my 5 year old likes to sleep with a stuffed animal.
Thanks for popping in Angel's Cove. I enjoy writing both genres simply because I enjoy the world building.
Bill, Ack! I hate to say it, but I'd rather take the Nun under the Bed than the vampire. ;)
Savannah, you are one brave girl!
Sarah, what a delight to see you here. Foxes? Thankfully you didn't have any under the bed, huh?
Tami! Scaredy Kat!
Smiles
Steph
This article is really worth reading, it has too much details in it and yet it is so simple to understand, Thanks for sharing the picture it has great detail in it and i really appreciate your true artistic work! & yea this color really suits you
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