Hi all, I'm participating in the Weekend Warriors Snippet Sunday. This month, I'll be taking snippets from my paranormal romance, Twilight Over Moldavia. You can find the Weekend Warriors Snippet Sunday list at:
About this snippet: Stefan returns Caroline's lost item.
ENJOY THIS SNIPPET:
About this snippet: Stefan returns Caroline's lost item.
ENJOY THIS SNIPPET:
"Your Highness, Princess Caroline, I have something that might be yours," Stefan said.
She raised an eyebrow.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out her scarf. He'd had the dirt and grime removed so the golden parts of the embroidery glistened in the light from the chandelier.
She took it, and their hands touched, "Thank you."
He couldn't deny the warmth that traveled up his arm. He'd never touched anyone -- man
or woman -- who had caused such a physical reaction, but he liked it. He wanted to be near her.
"Caroline, your scarf! Where did you find it, Prince Stefan?" Caroline's mother asked.
She raised an eyebrow.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out her scarf. He'd had the dirt and grime removed so the golden parts of the embroidery glistened in the light from the chandelier.
She took it, and their hands touched, "Thank you."
He couldn't deny the warmth that traveled up his arm. He'd never touched anyone -- man
or woman -- who had caused such a physical reaction, but he liked it. He wanted to be near her.
"Caroline, your scarf! Where did you find it, Prince Stefan?" Caroline's mother asked.
TWILIGHT OVER MOLDAVIA:
BLURB:
Romanian unification is on the horizon and the spirited Crown
Princess of Carpathia, Caroline, would prefer to ride horses and archery to
embroidery and dancing. Complicating her life is her recent discovery that
she's a witch.
Prince Stefan Sigmaringen travels to Carpathia to meet
Caroline. He discovers he has much in common with her. He also learns that a
strange man, Timon, has an unnatural interest in him.
Upon Stefan's engagement, he overhears his mother confessing to
a horrible secret – she cursed him in order to conceive him and Stefan will
become a werewolf when he turns eighteen. There is a condition to overcome the
curse, but it will require Stefan to draw on all his inner strength and
Caroline, her courage. Can they break the foul enchantment and secure their
future or will Stefan give himself over to the lupine curse that haunts his
family?
BUY LINKS:
AMAZON: http://a.co/1RcHvAl
Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/twilight-over-moldavia-stephanie-burkhart/1106608043?ean=2940013822177
All Romance Ebooks:https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-twilightovermoldavia-667833-162.html
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13390845-twilight-over-moldavia
REVIEWS:
Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/twilight-over-moldavia-stephanie-burkhart/1106608043?ean=2940013822177
All Romance Ebooks:https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-twilightovermoldavia-667833-162.html
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13390845-twilight-over-moldavia
REVIEWS:
5 Stars, Clue Review:
"I enjoyed Stefan and
Caroline's story."
Crafty Cauldron:
"It was such a
fantastic book!"
5 stars, Queen Tutt
"An Excellent
Read."
4.5 Fairy Wings
"This is such an
awesome read!"
4 Stars, Mommsez
"A thrilling
read."
Tower of Babel
"Enchanting
Atmosphere."
CLUE REVIEW:
5 Stars
Twilight Over Moldavia by
Stephanie Burkhart is a 2012 Desert Breeze Publishing release. I was provided a
copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
The time has come for Queen
Theresa to pay the piper, so to speak. Her son Stephan and her nephew Michael
are grown and Stephan is about to be married to Caroline. But, Timon is aware
that Theresa is hoping the curse on Stephan will be broken and he intends to
make sure that does not happen.
Caroline never thought she
would be the one to marry Stephan. It was supposed to be her sister, but when
she tragically died the responsibility fell upon Caroline. It was her duty and
she intended to follow through. When she meets Stephan it is very obvious they
share an intense connection. Could their love break the awful curse Stephan
will have to bear?
This is the second book in
the series and while I think you could read this one as a stand alone, I
strongly recommend you read the first book before reading this one. This series
is one of epic love stories, betrayals, magic and good versus evil with a sort
of dark fairytale like quality to it. I am glad I had the chance to discover
this series. I enjoyed Stephan and Caroline's story. There were some really sad
moments, but long overdue peace will come as well. The next book in the series
will follow Michael 's story and I'm excited to see what happens next. Overall
this was another strong chapter in the series. This is a 4.5 rounded to 5.
CRAFTY CAULDRON
I wasn’t sure if I
would get into this book as much as I got into the first book The Wolf’s
Torment (my review) because I was really attached to Theresa and Mihai.
I was wrong. I completely fell in love with Caroline and Stefan. They
were such a perfect match from the get go. You could read this book as a stand
alone because the author did a good job at catching you up, but I suggest you
read the first one just to get the full grasp of the back story.
The story leaves off
17-18 years later after the first book ends. Romania is on the verge of
being unified and it all rests on Caroline and Stefan’s head. If they don’t
successfully marry and combine the two families, everything will fall apart.
With his “cousin” Michael at his side he travels to meet his new fiancée. How
they meet is hysterical and sets the tone for their entire relationship. With
tons of secrets hiding under the surface and a horrid Werewolf and witch trying
to kill/kidnap them at every turn their engagement trip becomes more exciting
than they bargained more.
It was such a fantastic book that I
bought the next one because I really wanted to know what comes next!
Queen Tutt: 5 Stars
Awesome Read!
Wow what an awesome Read, I truly could not put this
book down. This 2nd book was the perfect follow-up to the 1st book in the
series. The book does refresh the reader of what happened in the 1st
installment so it could be read as a standalone.
I truly enjoyed this read. Prince Stefan and
Princess Caroline story swept me away into their world right from the very
beginning. I loved the way the author started their tale of them meeting at the
age of 16 since this was an arranged marriage before they were even born. With
the arranged marriage it would unite Romanian and they would become the first
King and Queen.
Stefan and Caroline’s adventure captivated me at
their very first meeting when she shoots him with an arrow by accident. Right
then I knew I was going to like Caroline. The character’s chemistry is
electrifying and humorous. I think Stefan and Caroline had more fun on their
adventure than their parents expected which made the story even more enjoyable
for me with them always out-smarting their parents and the other witches and
wolves. Their entrapment’s, use of potions and spells made the story a
visionary wonder and I just wanted to stay immersed into their
world forever.
Stephan is such a down to earth witch, he is
handsome and his sexuality bleeds off him like a breath of fresh air. He cares
for those around him and shows everyone the respect they earn. Caroline is
feisty and daring. I loved her; she is a beautiful talented witch and has a
heart of gold. They all had such caring attitudes and a willingness to build a
better life for their country.
The plot thickens with lots of action while Stefan
and Caroline become engaged and tour their Romanian cities and really get to
know each other. Traveling through each city they meet higher political figures
and learn of each city’s value, for instance, electricity was just being
brought into the towns.
They are chased by a mad werewolf, they learn more
about their witch powers, and they learn of the curse that was set in motion 18
years prior to their existence and how to overcome it.
They fall in love and the romance increases
throughout the book. Their erotic love scenes intensify with a witch’s white
magic that glows into a beautiful climax making them both angelic and more
powerful due to their true love.
Their story was very heartwarming with how they
relied on their families and how the witches stuck together and did everything
in their power to protect each other. I loved Stephan’s brother Michael. If you
read the first book you will learn what happens to him in the very beginning.
However with this installment the secret behind him is finally revealed by the
witch Alina in the end which turns the tables for everyone involved regarding
the Romanian unification.
The ending kept me on the edge of my seat as it
neared its climax, there were sad parts of death and then there were happy and
exciting parts for the future life of Michael, Rosa, Stephan, and Caroline.
Also, the author even gave us a little hinted teaser with what we could expect
for the 3rd book with the next wolf and witch that aim to change the wolfish
ways in society.
Overall, I can say this has become an addicting
series for me. I am going to be totally jonesing for the 3rd installment. I
highly recommend this book (whole series) to all paranormal romance lovers. The
author’s writing has me absolutely memorized with her brilliant imagination.
Excellent
Read!
A
Fire Fair Review (Musings of the Book-a-holic Fairies)
Twilight Over Moldavia is the second book of the
Moldavian Moon series, and is the story of Prince Stefan (the son of the hero
and heroine of the first book) and Princess Caroline.
I haven't read the first book yet but I still enjoyed
this book a lot. The important parts of the first book were mentioned so I have
some ideas regarding the first book.
This is such an awesome read. I love the setting of
the story. I've always been fascinated with european history that's why I
enjoyed Twilight Over Moldavia a lot.
Story-wise, I loved the main plot. This is not your
typical werewolf/witch story and I like the variation that the author did with
the genre. Character-wise, I like the depthness shown by the older characters
and the friendship and interaction shown by the younger characters. I
especially liked Stefan, Caroline, and Michael's characters. Their
personalities are very admirable and I really enjoyed their teamwork in times
of need. Romance-wise, Stefan and Caroline are one hot couple. The author did a
pretty excellent job on the steamy and tender scenes. The connection between
the main couple is very apparent, which I think is just right because their
love for each other plays an important role in the story.
I'm giving Twilight Over Moldavia 4.5 FAIRY WINGS. I can't fault
the author's style. And I admire the extensive research done for this book. I
recommend this to readers who like fantasy romance. I also recommend reading
Book 1. I'm sure it's also a fantastic book and I can't wait to read it soon.
4 Stars, Mommsez
Twilight Over Moldavia was a
thrilling read and a sweet historical new adult romance. As a huge fan of the
paranormal, I was enthralled with the myth of Piotr Corvinus, ‘the father of us
all’, and the creation of werewolves, witches, and vampires. Author Stephanie
Burkhart definitely has an inventive and imaginative mind! Combine this myth
with curses, black magic, a young couple in love, mystery and court intrigue,
and a tour of Romania and its castles, and the reader will find herself on the
edge of her seat, as I was.
The sweet romance starts as two
16-year-old royals, Stefan and Caroline, meet and are pledged to each other.
Coming together again two years later, they become affianced and are then
confronted with Stefan’s curse brought on him by his own mother. These two
teenagers, along with Michael, Stefan’s cousin, must defeat the curse in six
weeks or lose Stefan to probable death. Twilight Over Moldavia is one of the
shorter stories I’ve read this week but it was packed with so much excitement,
constant surprises, adventure, and love that I felt as if I’d just read a
full-length novel.
The last part of this book that I thoroughly
enjoyed was the history of Romanic–Drakul’s castle, the unusual names of
cities, the history of the times. Burkhart does state that she changed several
items–names and dates–while writing the book but the history remains. The
clothes, food, customs, etc. add to the authenticity of a wonderful story. I
have to give this book Four Big Gold Stars!
Tower of Babel
This
magical adventure is full of spells, rich 18th century Romanian culture, a
steamy love story, and original depictions of supernatural creatures.
I was pleasantly
surprised by the use of traditional magic. Witchcraft runs in the bloodline of
the royal families in a quirky way, so while it's not publicly displayed it is
still accepted and even trained for wise use. I thought it was a cool idea to
mix potions and spells with the presence of a certain element in the blood that
makes people aware of things like emotions, odors or even danger.
Top
assets: enchanting atmosphere,
representation of magic in the blood, dynamics between werewolves and witches,
romance.
Meh: at a couple of times, writing style seemed a
bit stiff, names kept being repeated too often.
3 Stars, Yeah Books!
Witches and werewolves and
vampires, oh my! Twilight over Moldavia is the second book in a series of
paranormal romance. I have to say I was very entertained. The story starts a
little slow, but once it gets rolling, it's an entertaining read. The main character,
Stefan, is a well groomed leader for his country: remarkably calm and reserved.
He is betrothed to Caroline who steps in to fill her sister's shoes after her
untimely death. The unification of Romania is a large piece of the story and
the marriage of the pair will create the unity they search for. The story
weaves in Romanian history and touches of the rich culture and is reminiscent
in feel to Malificent. The author spends time fleshing out the scenery as they
pair tour over the country.
As much as I liked this
book, the “tour the country with my bride to be and we fall in love” trope was
easy to call despite their falling in love being a gradual progression
throughout the book. Stefan and Caroline suit one another well and seem to
shore one another's weaknesses. It's a good match.
I'm tempted to pick up the
first book in the series so I can learn a little more history behind a few of
the elements touched on in remembrance. I think it would bring the story alive
a bit more for me.
3 Stars, Archaeolibririan
This is book two in series, and I
have not read book one. What happened in that book must be recapped enough, as
I did not feel I was missing anything, and I could follow the plot nicely.
Stefan and Caroline are now
officially engaged, and are touring the country before their arranged wedding.
Following them is Timon, the werewolf to whom Stefan was promised in exchange
for his conception. He cursed Stefan, with dark magic. The only way to overcome
the curse is with pure white magic, the kind that comes with true love. With
Stefan and Caroline not having seen each other for two years, can they fall in
love in time, before they wed?
Sometimes, I come across a book
that taxes my ability to find the right words to tell you how I feel.
Sometimes, it's because the book touched me deeply or made me cry or it
was just plain awesome. Sometimes, it's just cos it was a nice book, and I'm
not entirely sure how I feel about it.
I didn't hate it, not by a long
chalk, but I didn't love it either. It sits firmly and squarely in the nice
bookshelf.
The curse is the main plot line,
with other lines twisting within the main line along the way, and it made for a
good read, in that respect. I did not see the twist with coming with a certain
character (I'm not naming said character for spoilers!), although looking back,
the hints were there all along! I loved that everyone had their say, even
Timon. Sometimes its really good to hear from the bad guy!
The ending was a little weird too.
Just when you think they ALL get their happy every after, and people are
behaving themselves, THAT happens. So maybe weird isn't the right word, it just
wasn't expected.
Caroline and Stefan DO get their
HEA here though.
All in all, a good nice book, with
a different twist to the origins of werewolves, vampires and witches.
4 Stars, Unabridged Audralyan
An arranged marriage is at the
heart of this sophomore edition of the Moldavian Moon series. Prince Stefan
travels to Carpathia with the full intentions of locating his betrothed,
Princess Caroline. Unfortunately their meeting is cut short by the arrow that
Caroline accidentally shoots at him, but that's beside the point. As
witches, they both have immense powers, though Caroline's are only newly
discovered. Shortly after their meeting, it is revealed to both of them the
dark history of Stefan's mother's secret and repercussions of dealing with
werewolves.
Following up from Stephanie's
previous work...Stefan and Caroline are pretty fabulous. Caroline is the
perfect combination of sass, accidents, and wit, while Stefan is broody and a
total alpha male, but you can really get a chance to see what makes him tick.
Additionally we get more info about Michael, Rosa, and Alina than ever before.
Yay backstory!
Heat-wise, I thought that Twilight
over Moldavia was even better than it's predecessor. Maybe because I already
know these characters somewhat and I already know the world..so I'm more easily
able to fall into their story and meet them at their romance. I love the blend
of history with fantasy. Very few authors make the attempt to do both genres
justice when they blend fact with fiction, but this series is full of
historical clarity and supernatural color, making for a great and fun read with
lots of depth and "cool factor".
Hopefully the next book will
continue on making these characters some of my favorites to keep
visiting!
Interesting snippet, liked your use of the scarf.
ReplyDeleteHmmm! Methinks there's some significance here. Nice snippet, Stephanie.
ReplyDeleteI think he's won her heart by finding her scarf. I could feel that warmth traveling up my own arm :-) Enjoyable snippet, Stephanie!
ReplyDeleteSo, the million dollar question is: does she feel the same electricity?
ReplyDeleteSplendid excerpt, Stephanie.
Sweet, Stephanie/ SO charming!!
ReplyDeleteI like how you managed to show vastly different reactions -- one sort of humdrum (oh that's nice, where did you find it?) and the other life-changing.
ReplyDeleteNice snippet! Did she feel the same?
ReplyDeleteWonderful covers! I liked his reaction to her. I am anxious to see where this is going and how he responds to her mother's question.
ReplyDeleteAmazing what just a simple touch can do. Great snippet! :D
ReplyDeleteEnjoyed this snippet. Nice touch with the scarf.
ReplyDelete