Showing posts with label A Polish Heart. Show all posts
Showing posts with label A Polish Heart. Show all posts

Thursday, January 26, 2017

99 cents contemporary romance: A Polish Heart #kindledeals #99cents #kindle



A Polish Heart
99 cent contemporary romance

BLURB:
Darrin Riverton, an architect from the United States is assigned to a challenging project which requires a trip to Poland. Sofia Buraczynski is assigned as his translator and his first sight of her heats his blood. 

With Sofia as his guide, Darrin discovers Poland and many new things about himself, as well. When a chance is presented for him to remain in Poland, will he leave behind family and all that is familiar to follow his heart?


ENJOY THIS EXCERPT:


A tall, handsome man with broad shoulders, wearing a long-sleeved polo shirt, walked toward her holding a bouquet of poppies and orchids.

Her teeth nipped at her lower lip as she ran her eyes over this beautifully proportioned man, her body warming at the sight of him. He looked tough and lean, and his handsome face kindled with a sort of classical beauty she hadn't seen on a man before. His leonine stride radiated self-confidence. His hair was sandy blond in a short, neat cut and his cobalt blue eyes pierced her professional armor.

He stopped in front of her and held out his flowers. "Dzien dobry."

A wide grin crossed her lips and she dropped the sign she was holding. "Hello, Mr. Riverton."

A look of relief passed over his face. "You know, I practiced that phrase all morning on the plane."

"I admire the effort. Are the flowers for me?"

"Yes." His smile was full of pride.


Sofia took the flowers and held them up to her nose. "Freshly picked.


Thank you."

"You're welcome."


He paused and it grew awkwardly silent between them. Sofia realized for the first time in meeting a client, she had forgotten her professionalism. "Forgive my manners. My name is Sofia Buraczynski and I'll be your interpreter while you are here." She put the sign in her left hand and held 
out her right hand for a handshake. 

Book Trailer on You Tube:  
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lC6_397PerU


REVIEWS:

5 Stars, Reader Lady, Amazon Reviewer:  "This is an excellent read."

5 Stars, Muddy Rose Reviews, Amazon Reviewer:  "It was refreshing to read a sweet romance. I particularly enjoyed the international setting."

5 Stars, Tara Mandarino, Amazon Reviewer:  "Totally enjoyable read."

BUY LINKS:

Amazon: http://a.co/97jRxyd

Barnes & Noble:  http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-polish-heart-stephanie-burkhart/1111503774?ean=2940033247875

Smashwords:  https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/164429

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/a-polish-heart

iBooks:   https://itunes.apple.com/gb/book/a-polish-heart/id534184110?mt=11

Thursday, January 12, 2017

Health Topic: Magnesium, an awesome little pill #health



Magnesium:  A lot of Awesome in a little pill
 
I discovered magnesium while I was researching ADHD. Not quite where you would expect a big, old, light mineral, huh? Turns out magnesium has a ton of health benefits. And not just for humans!
 
Magnesium makes up 2 percent of the Earth’s crust so it helps keep the Earth healthy, too. It’s a silvery, light metal which is often mixed with aluminum to make a very strong alloy. Ever had your car break down? Magnesium can be found in flares and fireworks. Hard to believe something that burns so easily could be so good for you, right?
 
But it is.
 
So what does magnesium do for you and me? 
 
Research tells us magnesium helps keep blood pressure normal, makes our bones strong, and keeps our heart rhythms steady. This handy, little fiery mineral helps to reduce chronic pain and inflammation, too.  Rumor has it that magnesium promotes a healthy heart, improves asthma, and helps fights osteoporosis.  (That’s what you’ll find on the label) I bet Magnesium has a ‘thing’ for Calcium, too. (wink!)
 
Shockingly, just about everyone doesn’t get enough magnesium. Signs of a magnesium deficiency include: impaired memory, confusion, and cognitive function, irritability, irregular heartbeat, cramps, and vertigo.  When it comes to lacking in good ol’ Mg (the chemical abbreviation for magnesium) these symptoms alone wouldn’t make me think I was lacking. Best way to determine if you’ve got a Mg deficiency is to get a blood test.
 
Where do you find Magnesium? Leave it in the Earth’s crust. The Earth needs all it can get. Here’s a list of healthy magnesium rich foods:

Bananas and Broccoli
Leafy green veggies like Spinach and avocados
Quinoa, seeds, and nuts
Dairy & meat
 
Or you can take a pill.  I take a pill.
 
Female and over 31? You need 320 of Mg. 
Male and over 31? You need 420 of Mg.
ADHD Children? The Progressive Health Website recommends 200 mg per day, however, other websites recommend 3 to 6 mg per pound. So, if you have an ADHD boy that weighs 70 pounds you need 560 mg at 6 mg per pound. At 3 mg per pound that would be 210 mg. 
 
How does magnesium help ADHD kids?
 
Remember those symptoms of magnesium deficiency? Irritability? Confusion? Cognitive function? ADHD kids share these symptoms. 
 
Interestingly, magnesium helps transmit messages along the nervous system. Increase the magnesium and increase the quality of the transmissions. Mg12 (magnesium is the 12th element on the table) is calming to the body. Try an Epsom salt bath. Also, this fiery element helps the body make serotonin, a neurotransmitter that promotes balance.  Low serotonin equals irritability and moodiness. 
 
Mg12 improves attention since it helps the neurotransmitters fire on all cylinders. ;)
 
What if I take too much? Well, if you do, you might be nauseous, have diarrhea or muscle fatigue. 
 
BIG TIP: Don’t take carbonated drinks when taking Mg12. It leaches the magnesium right out of you.  Don’t take sugar either. Sugar does not help the body absorb Mg12. Antibotics are a no-no, too.  Wait a couple of hours between taking antibiotics and Mg12 so they don’t interfere with each other.
 
I’ve started taking Mg12 and I’ve got no complaints. If anything, I’ve noticed I’m generally healthy and a lot less irritable.  
 
Anyone else take Mg12?  I’d love to hear how it’s helped you.
 
Smiles
Steph
 
Enjoy this 99 cent short story:  A Polish Heart 
 
 Blurb: Will Sofia's faith give Darrin his heart back? 

Opening Line: This was going to be the most challenging thing he'd ever done in his life. 

 

Sunday, March 27, 2016

Snippet Sunday: 99 cent contemporary romance: A Polish Heart #snippetsunday #wewriwa

Hi all, I'm participating in the Weekend Warriors Snippet Sunday. This month, I'll be taking snippets from my sweet contemporary romance, A Polish Heart . You can find the Weekend Warriors Snippet Sunday list at:


About this snippet: Darrin needs to find Sofia. Will he get to her in time? 

ENJOY THIS SNIPPET:

He needed to go to Sofia. He took a quick shower, dressed, and poured his coffee into a travel mug before getting on the metro.

The train trip felt like it took forever, but he arrived at his stop at ten. Sofia would be at St. Kaszimir's Church, having her Easter basket blessed.

It was a fifteen-minute walk. He ran.

When he got to the church, he heard the blessing ceremony taking place inside. He opened the door and walked into the vestibule, approaching from the rear of the church.
A POLISH HEART: 

BLURB:  

Darrin Riverton, an architect from the United States is assigned to a challenging project which requires a trip to Poland. Sofia Buraczynski is assigned as his translator and his first sight of her heats his blood. 

With Sofia as his guide, Darrin discovers Poland and many new things about himself, as well. When a chance is presented for him to remain in Poland, will he leave behind family and all that is familiar to follow his heart?


Reviews:
5 Stars, Tara Manderino, Amazon Reader, “A totally enjoyable read.”
 5 Stars, Nancy Levine, Amazon Reader, “My grandfather was from Poland, but I have never been there, so I enjoyed reading about it as well as the customs about the Easter basket, etc.”
5 Stars, Billie Houston, Amazon Reader, “I love the warm-hearted tale.” 
BOOK TRAILER:
BUY LINKS:
Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/a-polish-heart

Sunday, March 20, 2016

Snippet Sunday: 99 cent romance: A Polish Heart #snippetsunday #wewriwa

Hi all, I'm participating in the Weekend Warriors Snippet Sunday. This month, I'll be taking snippets from my sweet contemporary romance, A Polish Heart . You can find the Weekend Warriors Snippet Sunday list at:


About this snippet: Darrin and Sofia continue to work on the Easter Basket.

ENJOY THIS SNIPPET:


His blue eyes swept over her face approvingly as the other shoppers in the market walked around them. Was he going to kiss her?  It warmed her insides just being so close to him – feeling safe and protected and wanted.

"Well, now my father's  contribution to the basket is a potato."

"Really?"

She drew in a breath for strength, "Tadeusz makes hash browns out of 
it on Easter morning."

Darrin chuckled,"How ingenious."

"What would you contribute to the Easter basket?" She realized it was 
a loaded question, implying something more between them – something deeper – and something she wanted.


A POLISH HEART: 


BLURB:  

Darrin Riverton, an architect from the United States is assigned to a challenging project which requires a trip to Poland. Sofia Buraczynski is assigned as his translator and his first sight of her heats his blood. 

With Sofia as his guide, Darrin discovers Poland and many new things about himself, as well. When a chance is presented for him to remain in Poland, will he leave behind family and all that is familiar to follow his heart?


Reviews:
5 Stars, Tara Manderino, Amazon Reader, “A totally enjoyable read.”
 5 Stars, Nancy Levine, Amazon Reader, “My grandfather was from Poland, but I have never been there, so I enjoyed reading about it as well as the customs about the Easter basket, etc.”
5 Stars, Billie Houston, Amazon Reader, “I love the warm-hearted tale.” 
BOOK TRAILER:
BUY LINKS:
Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/a-polish-heart

Sunday, March 6, 2016

Snippet Sunday: 99 cent contemporary romance: A Polish Heart #snippetsunday #wewriwa

Hi all, I'm participating in the Weekend Warriors Snippet Sunday. This month, I'll be taking snippets from my sweet contemporary romance, A Polish Heart . You can find the Weekend Warriors Snippet Sunday list at:


About this snippet: Darrin and Sofia continue shopping for Easter. 

ENJOY THIS SNIPPET:




"What are you planning for Easter dinner?"

"Mama prepares a roasted lamb, but in the morning we'll share a 
breakfast from the items in the basket."

"Let me guess – eggs, bread, and perhaps some fruit?"

"Yes, and Basia will bake a pound cake out of the ingredients in the basket 
for breakfast."

"Does your father slip in a bottle of his vodka?" Darrin 's voice was light and teasing.

Sofia turned toward him and playfully struck him on the arm. "No! But he did try one year!"

Darrin put his hands on her waist and drew her against the length of him. 

A POLISH HEART: 


BLURB:  

Darrin Riverton, an architect from the United States is assigned to a challenging project which requires a trip to Poland. Sofia Buraczynski is assigned as his translator and his first sight of her heats his blood. 

With Sofia as his guide, Darrin discovers Poland and many new things about himself, as well. When a chance is presented for him to remain in Poland, will he leave behind family and all that is familiar to follow his heart?


Reviews:
5 Stars, Tara Manderino, Amazon Reader, “A totally enjoyable read.”
 5 Stars, Nancy Levine, Amazon Reader, “My grandfather was from Poland, but I have never been there, so I enjoyed reading about it as well as the customs about the Easter basket, etc.”
5 Stars, Billie Houston, Amazon Reader, “I love the warm-hearted tale.” 
BOOK TRAILER:
BUY LINKS:
Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/a-polish-heart

Sunday, February 28, 2016

Snippet Sunday and Weekend Writing Warriors: A Polish Heart, Contemporary Romance #wewrwa #snippetsunday

Hi all, I'm participating in the Weekend Warriors Snippet Sunday. This month, I'll be taking snippets from my sweet contemporary romance, A Polish Heart . You can find the Weekend Warriors Snippet Sunday list at:


About this snippet: Darrin and Sofia go shopping for the Easter Basket. 

ENJOY THIS SNIPPET:




Sofia had taken Darrin to the market close to her house because it would have the rest of the items they would need for the family's Easter basket. It was a nice day and the sun was out. 

"Ah, there," she pointed at a flower vendor.
"What do you see?" he asked.
"Pussy willow."
"I haven't seen pussy willow since I was a boy. Why do you get it for your basket?"


"It's for good luck. I'm going to buy a branch for everyone in the family. Once the priest blesses the basket, we make a wish on our branch." 

A POLISH HEART: 


BLURB:  

Darrin Riverton, an architect from the United States is assigned to a challenging project which requires a trip to Poland. Sofia Buraczynski is assigned as his translator and his first sight of her heats his blood. 

With Sofia as his guide, Darrin discovers Poland and many new things about himself, as well. When a chance is presented for him to remain in Poland, will he leave behind family and all that is familiar to follow his heart?


Reviews:
5 Stars, Tara Manderino, Amazon Reader, “A totally enjoyable read.”
 5 Stars, Nancy Levine, Amazon Reader, “My grandfather was from Poland, but I have never been there, so I enjoyed reading about it as well as the customs about the Easter basket, etc.”
5 Stars, Billie Houston, Amazon Reader, “I love the warm-hearted tale.” 
BOOK TRAILER:
BUY LINKS:
Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/a-polish-heart

Thursday, February 25, 2016

Lifestyle: Benefits of Walking #lifestyle

Castaic Lake in the Fall 


I love walking. When I was stationed in Germany during the late 1980’s, early 1990’s, I had an opportunity to participate in the many volksmarches across the nation.  A volksmarch (German for “people’s march) is a non-competitive fitness walk. I remember you could do 10K (kilometers) (6.2 miles), 20K or a marathon.  It would take me about 2 hours to walk a 10K. There were stops for brotchen and beer and I got to see the “heart” of Germany – quaint, little towns with rich history and architecture. I also had a chance to meet everyday Germans.  Most appreciated our presence. I’ll never forget the time my friend, Jerri, and I met 2 men volksmarching. They dared us to guess their age. We said: “50ish.” They were in their 70’s! There was no way they looked a day over 55! They told us they’d been volksmarching all their lives and that’s why they were so young looking.

And that brings me right to my lifestyle topic: the benefits of walking.

Walking invigorates the body, mind, and spirit. A mere 30 minutes a day will work wonders. Walking helps:  us to relax, manage stress, improves cardiovascular/heart health, lowers blood pressure, improves mood, improves cholesterol levels.

Now I know why those guys were so young!

WALKING TIPS:

A good, beginning walking pace is between 3.1 – 4 mph. Power walking is more recreational. Race walking is for serious athletic walkers/runners. Both require a heel-to-toe technique.

When starting, be mindful of “over striding.” That’s a lengthening of your stride. It’s not as efficient as you think it would be. Instead, use a powerful pushoff.  I can honestly say, I’ve started using this technique, going heel-to-toe, keeping to my normal stride, and using a more powerful push off, and I’ve immediately improved my timed walks, cutting down between 1-2 minutes.

STRETCH BEFORE YOU GO!
 
Walking to Support Alzhiemers 
Before you walk, stretch out. Some focused stretches include calf stretches, a side stretch, a gentle torso twist, quadriceps, and hamstring stretches.

Do I have walk 30 minutes straight?

No, you don’t. If anything, finding time in our busy lives can be challenging. It is for me. I usually go walking on my lunch break at work.  Walking 10-15 minutes when you can, a couple of times a day, will give you the same benefits of 30 minutes straight walking.

If you’re a good walker, and looking to “up your game,” then you might consider hiking and incorporating inclines and an uneven terrain, but that’s a topic for another time.

Enjoy your walk!

Question for you: Are you a walker? A hiker? Do you have an exercise you’d like to recommend?

Stephanie Burkhart is a 911 dispatcher for LAPD. She’s published with Desert Breeze, 4RV Publishing and Victory Tales Press.

A POLISH HEART:

Can Sofia’s faith give Darrin his heart back? A sweet, contemporary romance for the spring/Easter season.


Reviews:
5 Stars, Tara Manderino, Amazon Reader, “A totally enjoyable read.”
 5 Stars, Nancy Levine, Amazon Reader, “My grandfather was from Poland, but I have never been there, so I enjoyed reading about it as well as the customs about the Easter basket, etc.”
5 Stars, Billie Houston, Amazon Reader, “I love the warm-hearted tale.” 
BOOK TRAILER:
BUY LINKS:
Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/a-polish-heart