Stephanie Burkhart's Blog, page 63

Goddess Fish Blog Tour Stop for Across the Winds of Time by Bess McBride

Across the Winds of Time
by Bess McBride

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BLURB:

While on a genealogical research journey through the Midwest, Molly Hamilton impulsively buys a 100-year-old Victorian house in the middle of a cornfield, and falls in love with the house’s owner...the original owner, that is. Can he be a ghost? The handsome, intriguing attorney certainly feels solid—and somehow her soul knows she has always loved him.

Darius Ferguson has no idea how he has come to present-day Iowa. The last thing he knew, the year was 1880, and he had just buried his fiancée, who happens to look exactly like Molly. He cannot separate the two women in his heart—to him, they are one.

In spite of being drawn to him, Molly thinks Darius is unhinged. Darius wonders if he has joined his fiancée in purgatory. If time travel is possible, will love be enough to build a future together?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

ENJOY THIS EXCERPT:
“How did you get in here?” I choked out. “Who are you?”

Darius stole a sideways glance over his shoulder to meet my eyes—or to see that indeed I did not have a gun aimed at him—before turning his face away.

“It is I, Molly. The same man you met two weeks ago. The same man you loved over a hundred years ago.”

“You’re nuts!” I spit out. “You’re not here. I’m just imagining things.” My knees were aching, and I shifted awkwardly in the tub to dive under the water again, keeping my neck twisted to watch him. I couldn’t stay in the bathtub all night. I felt so vulnerable—even if this was a hallucination...or a fantasy.

“So, since you’re not really here, you wouldn’t mind keeping your face turned away, so I can get out of the tub, would you?” My heart pounded, the rhythm matching the pounding in my head from smacking it on the edge of the tub. “Please?” I couldn’t keep the quiver from my voice.

“Certainly. It is not proper for me to be standing here at any rate. I simply came upstairs to see if you were here, and there you were—in my tub—a vision of bubbles and curly brown ringlets.”

I pressed a hand to my damp ponytail. A sudden warmth in the pit of my stomach contradicted the cold grip in my chest.

“Go away,” I pleaded. “I may want to daydream about you, but I don’t know that I want to actually see you.”

“As you wish, Molly.” He threw another quick glance over his shoulder, and his mouth curved into an embarrassed smile before he moved away.

I watched him disappear and panicked.

“Wait,” I shrieked. “Wait!”

“Yes, dear?” He backed up to the edge of the door again, still keeping his face averted.

“Wait for me downstairs. Don’t go yet. I’ll be right there.”

Darius inclined his head slightly to the side where I saw his profile, and I could have sighed when a single golden-brown curl fell forward in his face.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~


AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Bess McBride made her first serious writing attempt when she was 14. She shut herself up in her bedroom one summer while obsessively working on a time travel/pirate novel set in the beloved Caribbean of her youth, but she wasn't able to hammer it out on a manual typewriter (oh yeah, she's that old) before it was time to go back to school. The draft of that novel has long since disappeared, but the story is still simmering within, and she will finish the adventure one day soon.

Bess was born in Aruba to American parents and lived in Venezuela until her family returned to the United States when she was 12. She couldn't fight the global travel bug within and joined the U.S. Air Force at 18 to "see the world." After 21 wonderful and fulfilling years traveling the world and gaining one beautiful daughter, she pursued her dream of finally getting a college education. With a license in mental health therapy, she worked with veterans and continues to work on behalf of veterans. She writes romantic suspense, contemporary, light paranormal/fantasy and time travel romances and currently has eight novels published. She can be contacted through her web site at http://www.bessmcbride.com.

GIVEAWAY: Bess will be giving away a $25 Amazon gift card to one random commenter during the tour. Drop a line here and let her know what you think of the excerpt.

I'd love to know: if you could travel through time, what time period/nation would you go? What historical person would you like to meet?

The more you comment on the tour, the better your chances of winning. Tour dates for "Across the Winds of Time" can be found here: http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot...

Find Bess at:

Links:
www.bessmcbride.com
http://willtravelforromance.blogspot....

Writing Tips - Putting the Conflict in Romance

Let's face it – the minute readers pick up a romance they know there's going to be a happy ending. So why pick up a romance at all? Ultimately it's about going on the journey the couple takes to fall in love and how they overcame the conflicts they faced.

So what is romantic conflict? The difficulty the couple faces that threaten to keep them from getting together and making a commitment to one another.

Conflict should not be:
Fighting
A delay
Misunderstandings
A meddler
Or an unwillingness to admit the other person is attractive.

In all honesty, a reader is not attracted to a couple who constantly argues. It's all right to have an argument or two, but constant bickering does not make the reader root for the characters.

Misunderstandings make the main characters appear incapable of making themselves clear. It's hard to root for a wishy-washy hero.

A meddler – if another person interferes in the budding relationship of the hero and heroine, then they look too passive. Again, it's hard for a reader to root for them.

If the hero/heroine can't admit the other is attractive then why root for them to be a couple to begin with?

So what is good solid romantic conflict?

Short and long term problems.
Short term problem: This is the problem which brings the couple together. This problem lets the couple get to know one another. Perhaps its to solve a crime or overcome a bad situation.

Long term problem: This is the deep problem, the internal conflict which makes it seem impossible for the couple to get together. It may be a fear of rejection or of being hurt again.

Recall some of your favorite romances. Was there a meddler? A delay? A misunderstanding? Probably not. That type of conflict in a romance may be an incident, but ultimately, they don't give the story the realistic conflict needed for the characters' journey.

Reference: On Writing Romance, by Leigh Michaels, 2007, F&W Publications.

Travel to Victorian England this Sunday

on my 6 sentence Sunday featuring an excerpt from my steampunk romance, Victorian Scoundrel, BRONZE winner in the 2012 Reader's Favorite Contest in Romance: Historical.

******

The men looked at each other, at her, then back at themselves. She wasn't sure if they were befuddled, confused, or wanted to laugh. Finally, the older gentleman spoke. "Princess Alice is seven years old."

Alice bit the inside of her lip, realizing she had totally forgotten where she was due to the younger gentleman's attention. She slid her glasses back on. "Simply call me Alice -- Alice Windsor."

"And you may call me Prime Minister."

****
BLURB: When Alice follows her cousin, Edmund, back through time she has no idea the mischief she's in for.

PUBLISHER'S BUY LINK:
http://stores.desertbreezepublishing....

KOBO:
http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/The-Wi...

FIND ME ON THE WEB AT:
WEBSITE:
http://www.stephanieburkhart.com

TWITTER:
http://twitter.com/StephBurkhart

FACEBOOK:
https://www.facebook.com/StephanieBur...

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

YOU TUBE CHANNEL:
http://www.youtube.com/user/botrina?f...

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Review for Philippa Gregory's: The Lady of the Rivers

Book Review for: "The Lady of the Rivers"
Written by: Philippa Gregory
Simon & Schuster Publishing
ISBN: 978-1-4165-6370-9
Avail: print, ebook
4 Stars

Gregory spins a story full of greed, betrayal, danger, love and loss with "The Lady of the Rivers," book three in her "Cousins' War" Series. The novel tells the tale of Jacquetta Woodville, the mother of Elizabeth Woodville, who was the wife and Queen of Edward IV.

The novel opens with a young Jacquetta exploring her gift of sight under her grandmother's tutelage. family is responsible for the custody of Joan of Arc. Jacquetta soon learns it isn't wise to openly display her gift of sight after watching Joan of Arc burned at the stake.

John, Duke of Bedford and Regent of France, marries Jacquetta, hoping to put her talents to good use. Jacquetta meets a young squire, Richard Woodville. A fondness grows between her and Richard. John takes Jacquetta to England where she meets his nephew, the King of England, Henry VI. John dies and Jacquetta marries Richard. She becomes a member of the Queen's court. As Henry VI descends into madness, dare Jacquetta call upon her gifts to foretell what will happen to England?

Gregory brings history alive in a rich, vibrant, emotional, and personal way that engages the reader and keeps them turning the pages. She's done her research and it shows, but she's also taken fictional liberties with some of the events. What I like is that she blends fact and fictional effortlessly and she paints the situations in such a way to allow the reader to draw their own conclusions. For me, the best part of her writing is how she lets the characters' humanity shine, good or bad.

The book is written in the present tense from Jacquetta's perspective, which I found a bit disconcerting, as I prefer the past tense, but it not take away from storytelling.

"The Lady of the Rivers" is a fascinating story about a complex woman that had the ear of the men and women who defined an age.

Orlando Bloom

is a great way to start off Good Looking Man Moday here on the blog!


Orlando Bloom is the inspiration for my character "Grayson" in my steampunk novel, "Victorian Scoundrel." He's a British actor whose breakout role was "Legolas" in the 2001 Lord of the Ring Series. He also stared in the 2003 "Pirates of the Caribbean" movie as "Will Turner."

Interesting little know fact: He's dsylexic. "Alice," in Victorian Scoundrel is also dsylexic.

He's a Manchester United fan (soccer for us Americans) and he's a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassdor.

Question: What's your favorite Orlando Blood movie? Share!

Smiles
Steph

Travel to Sonoma CA this Sunday

for my 6 Sentence Sunday. I'm sharing 6 sentences from my "sweet" vintage romance, "Journey of the Heart."

Blurb: Set in Sonoma, CA in 1946, can James help Rachel save her winery or will he drift out of her life the same way he drifted in?

4, 5 Star Reviews on Amazon
The story was compelling and not boring, which is often a stereotype of sweet romances. I would recommend this short sweetie of a story. Good job, author. - Angel E

Excerpt: 

"James, I'm glad you're here." Rachel set her cup down and looked at him.

"Why?"

She paused, a tremor touching her smooth red lips. "I need someone to help me."

His pulse quickened at her heartfelt admission.

BUY LINK: http://amzn.com/B008G1JI6C

Book Review for: The Battle of the Labyrinth

Book Review for: The Battle of the Labyrinth
Written by: Rick Riordan
Disney/Hyperion
ISBN: 978-142-310149-9
Avail: print and ebook
4 Stars

Riordan's imagination soars as high as Icarus with this installment of the Percy Jackson Series – The Battle of the Labyrinth. Percy's a freshman in high school now, but his summer at Camp Half-Blood promises to keep him on his toes. There's new friends, new foes, a new quest, and as the danger grows closer, Percy discovers trust can be complicated.

The story opens with Percy attending high school orientation at his new school. Immediately, he meets up with his mortal friend, Rachel Elizabeth Dare and is attacked by demon cheerleaders, the empousa. Percy wins the day and finds his way to Camp Half Blood where he learns about Daedalus' Labyrinth. It still exists and there's a secret entrance to Camp Half Blood. If Luke finds it, then Kronos and his minions are sure to attack. Percy's friend, Annabeth, gets to lead a quest into the Labyrinth, but everyone on the journey has an agenda. Will Grover find Pan? Can Percy and Annabeth find Daedalus? Will Nico, the son of Hades, prove himself friend or foe? Has Kronos gained enough strength to take human form? Percy and his friends can only hope for the best.

Riordan opens the novel with Percy and Rachel battling the demon cheerleaders. The action grabs the reader and the mystery of the Labyrinth keeps them turning the page. The plot moves at a good clip. Riodan's writing is sharp, witty, and easy to read.

As with Riordan's other books in the series, he continues to bring the ancient Greek heroes and their stories to life in a way modern readers can related to. Riordan's creativity shines.

The characters are very likable. Percy is easy to relate to. He's a great friend, heroic, and always does the right thing despite his challenges. Annabeth, Grover, and Rachel each have very human elements that allow them to connect with readers.

The Battle of the Labyrinth is fast paced and breathtaking. Readers 9 years-old and up will enjoy this book. It can be read as a stand alone, but it fits into the series nicely. I highly recommend this story to all who enjoy young adult and middle school novels.

****

I am really enjoying reading the Percy Jackson series with my son Andrew. Anyone else enjoyed/enjoying the series? Sign in if your a Percy Jackson fan!

Smiles
Steph

It's time for some SEP Coffee & Chocolate !

I'm hosting my bi-monthly Coffee & Chocolate CONTEST this week at my Facebook Fan Page.

Here's a link to the contest: http://www.facebook.com/StephanieBurk...

The contest runs from 20 - 25 SEP and a grand prize winner will be announced on 26 SEP on my FB Fan Page and on my Website.

How you can participate:

There are going to multiple "Coffee & Chocolate" posts between 20-25 SEP.  Leave a comment on any of the posts and your name will be entered "in the hat" for the grand prize drawing.  ALSO: I'll be giving out PDF copies of my novels and stories EVERY DAY so make sure you leave a comment on that post as well.  PLUS: Leave a comment on my YOU TUBE Video for the featured Coffee & Chocolate Book and you'll also be entered for the grand prize.

The book featured for this month's Coffee & Chocolate Contest is "Victorian Scoundrel," my steampunk romance.

Here's a link to the YOU TUBE BOOK VIDEO:BOOK TRAILER: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7IUYj2...


The Grand Prize:
Coffee Mug & magnets with a cover of Victorian Soundrel
Lori Powell original book bag
GC to Starbucks
Andes Chocolates

Victorian Scoundrel won the BRONZE in the 2012 Reader's Favorite Contest in the Romance: Historical category.

It was also named the BEST 2011 Sci-Fi/Romance by Hope Chest Reviews.

BLURB: When Alice follows her cousin, Edmund, back through time she has no idea the mischief she's in for.

Review:
5 Stars, Reader's Favorite, Molly E."I highly recommend this with highest of 5 stars, and I can't wait until the second Windsor Diaries installment releases!"Right now it's on sale on Amazon (ebook) at: http://amzn.com/B0058UG9Q6
Publisher's Link:http://stores.desertbreezepublishing....

The Next Big Thing - A Gentleman and a Rogue, steampunk romance

10 Interview Questions for: The Next Big Thing

Maria Hammarblad tagged me for "The Next Big Thing Hop" ☺ You can find Maria's Blog at: http://www.scifiromance.info

The Rules:
I'll answer 10 questions about my work in progress. Then I'll tag 5 authors to participate. Should they chose to, you'll find their blogs up on 26 SEP.

#1 What is the working title of your book?

A: A Gentleman and A Rogue, Book 2, The Windsor Diaries

#2 Where did the idea come from for the book?

A: It was inspired by the steampunk genre, time traveling machines, HG Wells, Jules Verne, Sherlock Holmes with Robert Downey Jr., and Jude Law. Think Victorian England meets a brass and iron future.

#3: What genre does your book fall under?

A: Steampunk Romance

#4 What actors would you chose to play your character in a movie rendition:

Keira Russell: Keira Knightly
Edmund Windsor: Robert Pattinson
Alice Windsor: Mena Suvari
Grayson Kentfield: Orlando Bloom
Richard Windsor: Christian Cooke
Jocelyn Dunkirk: Nina Dobrev
Douglas Dunkirk: Alan Rickman
Jonas Byron: James McAvoy

#5 – What is a one sentence synopsis of your book?

A: When Edmund Windsor travels back in time to set the time line straight, will Keira let her heart fall in love with him again?

#6 – Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?

A: I'm with a small press so it's not self published, but I'm not with an agency.

#7 – How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?

A: 3 Months.

#8 – What other books would you compare this story to within this genre?

A: I know there are a bunch of steampunk romances out there. I even have one on my kindle to read, but I really can't say. I've read Steampunk'd, which is an anthology of "mainstream/literary" stories (without a romantic focus) which I would recommend to give you the flavor of steampunk. I know Pauline Baird writers steampunk as does Gloria Harchar and Karen Michelle Nutt. I might also recommend watching the Sherlock Holmes movies with Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law to give you a taste of steampunk.

#9 – Who or what inspired you to write this book?

A: Desert Breeze EIC, Gail Delaney, put out a call for a steampunk romance. I thought of setting it in England and loosely basing it on the Royals. Mena Suvari inspired "Alice" and Orlando Bloom inspired "Grayson" from book 1. Keira Knightly inspired "Keira" and Robert Pattinson inspired "Edmund" in book 2. The concept for the Windsor Diaries I worked out on my own after reading "Steampunk'd." Basically, I had a bunch of idea I meshed together.

#10 – What else about your book might pique the readers' interest?

A: There's time travel, two romances, Queen Victoria, lots of steam, brass, iron, titanium rivets and a transmogrifier.

I'd like to "tag" the following authors:


Vijaya Schartz http://www.romancingscifi.blogspot.com
Celia Yeary http://celiayeary.blogspot.com
Mona Risk http://monarisk.blogspot.com
And Jennifer Wilck. http://jenniferwilck.com/blog/


Again, there's no pressure for these authors to pick up the call, but I'd love to discover what they've got cooking up their sleeves.

Smiles
Steph

New Kobo & Kindle Ereaders in a Nutshell SEP 2012

Kobo Mini
Both Kobo and Amazon are releasing new ereaders this fall and I've got the skinny. If you're thinking about purchasing an ereader or turning in your old one for a new one, this post is for you.

Both Kobo and Amazon have made improvements to their ereaders across the board, which I like.

For me, I think Kobo's big plus it's versatility in the worldwide market. Now I know Amazon is opening markets up all over the world, but Kobo is a device that truly has an international market. It claims to have a network of over 11,000 booksellers worldwide.


Kobo's new devices include:

Kobo Arc – a 7 in. multimedia tabled ($200.00)
Kobo Glo – eink w/built in lighting ($130.00)
Kobo Mini – 5 in eink reader ($80.00)
Kobo Touch – upgraded touchscreen eink ($100.00)

Highlights: The Arc offers access to Google Play, plus Google's app store (about 600,000 apps)

(plus 3 million books in over 60 languages – for all readers)

Amazon's new devices include:


Kindle Fire HD – comes in 2 sizes: 7 in and 8.9 inches. They promise less glare and dualband wifi along w/2 antennas to improve reception. ($199/#299 for the 8.9 in)

The 7 in Fire HD starts shipping 14 SEP. The 8.9 inches starts shipping 20 NOV 2012.

Kindle Paperwhite. Has a front lit fiber optic display
8 week battery
$119 for wifi
$179 for 3G

(Steph's Note: I hate wifi and I highly recommend the 3G version of anything. Yes, it may cost more, but you get what you pay for and I often find I can access 3G where I can't access wifi)

The Original Fire: upgraded with a faster chip
More memory
Better battery
Price cut: $159.00
Ships 14 September 2012


I'd love to hear your thoughts on the new ereaders. Do you have a preference? Why? What are your pros and cons and deal breakers when it comes to buying devices? Wifi? 3G? Price? Eink? Share!

Smiles
Steph