Showing posts with label Sweet/Inspirational Romance. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sweet/Inspirational Romance. Show all posts

Sunday, March 23, 2014

Snippet Sunday - 99 cent Easter Romance: A Polish Heart #snippetsunday

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



This snippet:   Darrin gets his assignment.

*****
Mr. Czyinski talked in rapid Polish, gesturing with his hands, holding Darrin with his eye contact. His enthusiasm and pride were evident in his mannerisms. When he was finished, Sofia spoke.

"Mr. Czyinski is pleased to meet you. Mr. Dracek will give you the plans so you can look them over this weekend. On Monday, he wants to hear your comments based on the plans. Then you can begin your hands- on inspection. This is part of the company's quality control, and Mr. Czyinski appreciates having your expertise."

****

A Polish Heart takes place leading up to Easter in Warsaw, Poland.  Can Sofia's faith give Darrin his heart back? 

Reviews:

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

5 Stars, Billie Houston, Amazon Reviewer: " I loved this warm-hearted tale. Ms. Burkhart has a talent for wrapping drama around ordinary people and spinning a touching love story."

5 Stars, Tara Manderino, Amazon Reviewer: Sofia and Darrin's story was a heartwarming one. A totally enjoyable read." 

****
Link to You Tube Video:  http://youtu.be/lC6_397PerU


BUY LINKS:

AMAZON:

BARNES & NOBLE:

SMASHWORDS:


FIND ME ON THE WEB AT:
WEBSITE:

TWITTER:

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

GOOD READS:

YOU TUBE CHANNEL:
http://www.youtube.com/user/botrina?feature=mhee
PINTEREST:

http://pinterest.com/sgburkhart/

Sunday, March 16, 2014

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

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



This snippet:   Darrin arrives at the Warsaw Airport and offers his translator a gift.

*****
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.



****

A Polish Heart takes place leading up to Easter in Warsaw, Poland.  Can Sofia's faith give Darrin his heart back? 

Reviews:

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

5 Stars, Billie Houston, Amazon Reviewer: " I loved this warm-hearted tale. Ms. Burkhart has a talent for wrapping drama around ordinary people and spinning a touching love story."

5 Stars, Tara Manderino, Amazon Reviewer: Sofia and Darrin's story was a heartwarming one. A totally enjoyable read." 

****
Link to You Tube Video:  http://youtu.be/lC6_397PerU


BUY LINKS:

AMAZON:

BARNES & NOBLE:

SMASHWORDS:


FIND ME ON THE WEB AT:
WEBSITE:

TWITTER:

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

GOOD READS:

YOU TUBE CHANNEL:
http://www.youtube.com/user/botrina?feature=mhee
PINTEREST:

http://pinterest.com/sgburkhart/

Saturday, March 15, 2014

Happy National Pototo Chip Day! #potatochips



Okay, so yesterday was National Potato Chip day and who doesn't love a good mouth watering, salty, thin, (or kettle style) crunchy, fried (or baked) chip?

Everyone has a favorite brand and favorite flavors. I'm a sucker for a good ol' fashioned Wise Potato chip (but I think they're regional because I can't find them in California). There are thousands of brands. Currently in my pantry I have a bag of 7-11 BBQ chips and Lays Original in the yellow bag.

According to tradition, the potato chip was created in 1853. George Crum was a chef at the Moon Lake House Restaurant in Saratoga Springs, NY. A fussy customer didn't care for Crum's thick, soggy, and unsalted French Fries and sent the order back. Insulted, Crum sliced the fries thin, fried 'em to a crisp and salted them to the hilt. He sent the order back to the fussy customer (rumored to be Cornelius Vanderbilt, but there's no proof) and Mr. Fussy LOVED them.

The potato chip was born.

Then there's a story that Crum's sister, Katie Speaks Wicks invented the chip in a culinary mishap. A 1917 obituary of Wicks credits her for creating the tasty treat.

Chips are great as snacks, appetizers, and a side dish. The first potato chip companies include Tri-Sum, (1908), Mike Sell's (1910) and Wise (1921) in 1926 Laura Scudder in California created a wax bag that helped preserve the chips they went mass market. Before then, chips were sold out of bins in stores.

Lays Potato Chips came along in 1932. George Lay was a traveling salesman whose hustle and determination made the company into a national success.

Question for you: What's your favorite brand? Your favorite flavor?


Author Bio: Stephanie Burkhart is a 911 Dispatcher for LAPD.  She loves coffee, adores chocolate, and her favorite potato chip is Wise original. Her 99 cents story, A Polish Heart, is a spring/Easter inspirational contemporary sweet romance.

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. 

Enjoy this Excerpt:

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.

BUY LINKS:
AMAZON:

BARNES & NOBLE:

SMASHWORDS:

Find me on the Web at:
FIND ME ON THE WEB AT:
WEBSITE:

TWITTER:

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

GOOD READS:

YOU TUBE CHANNEL:

PINTEREST:
http://pinterest.com/sgburkhart/




Saturday, March 8, 2014

Author Interview for A Polish Heart, a 99 cent sweet contemporary romance #authorinterview



Question: Spring and Easter are right around the corner. Your story "A Polish Heart," takes place during the spring. What's it about?

Steph: Darrin Riverton is an American architect who is hired to consult on a 50,000 plus soccer stadium being built in Warsaw, Poland. When he meets his translator, Sophia, he discovers she's a breath of fresh air in his stale life. Can Darrin put aside his apprehension? Will Sofia's faith give him his heart back?

Question: How long did it take you to write?

Steph: About six weeks.

Question: Did you have to do any research?

Steph: I researched the National Stadium being built in Warsaw, Polish Easter customs, and a little about the city itself. Some things I did take fictional liberties with, but I'd like to think that blended into the story well.

Question: How does the cover reflect the story?

Steph: There's a traditional styled Polish Church with a couple on the cover meant to represent Darrin and Sophia. It captures the 'spirit' of the journey Darrin undertakes during Easter.

Question: Sophia is the heroine. What are her strengths? Weaknesses?
 
Inspiration for Sofia
Steph: Sofia knows her mind and is not afraid to speak it. She also adores her family. She has the kind of family Darrin longed for when he was little. She also doesn't see much gray in the world. She'd very black and white and needs to see people and situations in a broader light.

Question: What does Darrin like about Sofia?

Steph: She's not afraid to be who she is. Darrin realizes its time to do the same.

Question: What was the inspiration behind the story?

Steph: I wanted to set the story in a country that was known to have strong Easter traditions. I remember growing up, my family was Polish and drew on rich Polish customs to make Easter special for us kids. My grandmother would make lamb and ham and we'd have pierogi along with homemade bread and beets. We never blessed the Easter basket though. That's something I started recently with my boys.

Question: What's your writing space like?

Steph: I use the dining room table. My Mac is surrounded by all kinds of paper, pens, notes, and stickies. The coffee pot is within arms reach.

Question: Do you have an ebook reader? If so, which one?

Steph: I have a Kindle, 2nd generation and I love it. I also have a Kindle Fire, but I prefer that one to play apps like Angry Birds and play movies.

Question: What do you do when you're not writing?

Steph: Marketing! No, seriously, I'm an assistant den leader for my son's cub scouting den and I love it. I get to do cool scouting things with my son. We're always seeing new things.

QUESTION FOR YOU: What are your favorite Easter foods?  Share your yummies!


Author Bio: Stephanie Burkhart is a 911 dispatcher for LAPD. She loves chocolate, enjoys coffee, and going to the movies. Her favorite Disney movie is "Frozen."  She's published with Victory Tales Press, 4RV Publishing, and Desert Breeze Publishing.

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

BUY LINKS:
AMAZON:

BARNES & NOBLE:

SMASHWORDS:

Find me on the Web at:
FIND ME ON THE WEB AT:
WEBSITE:

TWITTER:

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

GOOD READS:

YOU TUBE CHANNEL:

PINTEREST:
http://pinterest.com/sgburkhart/



Friday, March 29, 2013

Easter Traditions 2013 & a Giveaway

Coloring Easter Eggs with my son, Joe



Easter is just around the corner. Growing up in New Hampshire, Easter was a big family affair. My mother's side of the family embraced many traditions from her father's native Poland. This love of tradition became embedded in my bones and it's something I hope to pass on down to my boys.

As a girl in the 1970's growing up, I remember going to mass, getting a new dress for Easter, and eggs – boiled, deviled, colored, and who can forget the lamb? I remember visiting the "twins" up on the hill and playing with cousins I didn't realize I had.

Nowadays, in the mid 2010's, 40 years later in California, I'm working on giving my boys the same sense of tradition I had growing up. I make Polish Pierogis by scratch, which is an all day affair and I buy the "butter braid" stuffed bread at church. The boys and I go to mass and I always color eggs. Easter afternoon is time for the egg hunt.

And who can forget the chocolate? I'm a sucker for a Cadbury crème egg. They're the best kind of egg.

Question for you: What are some of your favorite Easter traditions?  Growing up and now?

Giveaway: Leave a comment with your email and I'll pick one lucky winner to receive a PDF copy of my story "A Polish Heart."


A POLISH HEART
Sweet Contemporary/Inspirational Romance
99 cent Novella
Blurb: Can Sofia's faith give Darrin his heart back? 

*****


Darrin began washing the peppers.

"What are you doing, Darrin?" asked Basia.

Sofia turned around from talking with her mother.
"I'm washing the peppers," he said.

"Oh, I can do that." Basia walked to the sink.
"It's okay. I can do it."

"Basia, Darrin is a bit of a cook. He watches the Food Network," said Sofia.


************



Review:
"Sofia and Darrin's story is a heartwarming one. Totally enjoyable read." - Tara Manderino, Amazon Reader


BUY LINKS:

AMAZON:http://amzn.com/B007AS29AO


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



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

Friday, May 14, 2010

Guest Author Series - Anne Patrick



I'd like to welcome author Anne Patrick to the blog. Anne is the author of ‘Sweet’ Edge of Your Seat Romantic Suspense, and has penned more than a dozen novels. She’s a confessed suspense junkie with a bad habit of mixing chocolate and diet colas when writing, which can, and often does, lead to mayhem. Her heroines are usually strong willed, witty, and often very opinionated…combinations that usually land them in situations where death seems imminent. Anne has an alter ego by the name of Kinzie Monroe, who writes Inspirational Romance. Anne, you might say, is the dark side of Kinzie. Anne’s books may be darker in subject matter, but they all carry messages of hope and faith.

Anne's here today to tell us about her upcoming release, "Out of Darkness." Welcome, Anne!

***

First of all I’d like to thank Steph for having me on her blog today, and for giving me the opportunity to talk about my new book that releases this month.

In Out of the Darkness, ex-FBI Profiler Alex Michaels is forced into hiding by the serial killer who murdered her twin sister and left her with a career ending injury. Meeting up with an ex-pro football player who is also facing an uncertain future, Alex makes Royce McIntire an offer he can’t refuse. Settling into her new life, Alex has no idea the killer is hot on her tracks along with the team of FBI agents who failed to protect her before. When they all catch up to her, not only is her peaceful life shattered, but once again her life is in jeopardy.
Here’s an excerpt from it:




The room was dark as he entered. Bypassing the light switch, he flipped on the TV and sat in the only chair in the room. He then picked up the remote and turned on the VCR.

“It is of my opinion we have a serial killer at work here. The victims are similar in background and appearance. The ways in which they were murdered are identical, and the victims were all recovered from the river.”

“Do you have any leads, Agent Michaels?”

“With these murders, important evidence is missing. All we have are the bodies. We don’t have a crime scene and we don’t know where the bodies were dumped into the river. This leads me to believe we have a very sophisticated killer. He’s familiar with police procedure. He knows by dumping the bodies into the river he is eliminating any evidence such as hair, fiber or semen.

“I believe he is Caucasian. Twenty-five to thirty years old. Five-eight to six feet tall, slim to medium build. He is muscular, may work out in a gym. He’s educated, undergraduate level, a thinker who takes great pride in planning things out. He is socially inactive. He hasn’t much experience with women either because of his appearance or lack of self-confidence. He has a criminal background, most likely juvenile offenses, either arson or petty larceny. I believe he may have committed his first murder during his preteens, but went unpunished. A major change or event has taken place in his life within the last six months, triggering his violent behavior: Either the loss of a job or promotion, or breakup with a girlfriend. I believe he is from the Joliet area and he quite possibly knew the first victim, Crystal Byers.”

“You said he knows police procedure. Any possibility he is in law enforcement?”

“Anything is possible. The only thing we know for sure is how dangerous he is. But he will be caught, I assure you.”

He paused the video and fixed his eyes on the still picture. Such a beautiful face. Her posture and expression were full of confidence.

She wasn’t so arrogant the night he’d attacked her though, and neither was her sister.

He turned off the video and stared at the snowy screen. Until she’d come along, he’d been in complete control. The Joliet police were such idiots. He’d had them running in circles, chasing their own shadows. Not even the great Galen Schroeder had a clue as to his identity or the depth of his capabilities. Not to worry though, no matter where she ran, he’d find her.

Out of the Darkness releases this month from Champagne Books. To learn more about me and my other releases, please visit my blog: www.suspensebyanne.blogspot.com or my website: www.annepatrick.weebly.com


Thanks again, Steph, for having on your blog!