Witches, Werewolves & Stephanie Burkhart

What do horror novels and paranormal romance have in common? A dash of 'gothic' and a pinch of 'moonlight.' Oh, let's not forget those creatures that go bump in the night – vampires, werewolves, and witches.

I was born and raised in Manchester, New Hampshire. As a young girl in the 1970's, family time was "Creature Double Feature" on Saturday afternoons. I grew up with vampires, werewolves, ghosts, and witches. Oh, and who could forget Godzilla?

As a teenager in the 1980's, I discovered gothic romance written by Victoria Holt. Now Holt could pen a tale full of secrets and darkness. Then I found Anne Rice. "The Witching Hour" is one of my favorite Rice novels.

After graduating high school in 1986, I joined the Army, wanting a great adventure. I got it. I spent 7 years overseas in Germany and 11 years total as an MP.

What I loved about my time in the military was the exposure I had to different cultures and nations. I've been to Germany, France, and even Hungary. In 1991, I was married in Nykobig, Denmark.

I left the Army in 1997 and settled in California where my husband was from and became a 911 dispatcher for LAPD. Writing, however, had always been an itch so I decided to scratch it. My 1st novel, "Destination: Berlin" is a sweet contemporary/military romance that was self published. The story was inspired by my trip to Berlin in 1988, right before the fall of the wall.

The vampires still slept under my bed though – along with those pesky werewolves and witches. I had to let them out.

In 2005, I began "Twilight Over Moldavia." Prince Stefan was cursed to become a werewolf. Could Princess Caroline save him? The story was inspired by this simple thought: I wanted to write a fairytale in reverse where the princess had to save the prince.

From 2005-2009, I focused on my craft, earning several honorable mentions in the Writer's Digest Annual Writing Competitions and Popular Fiction Contests. In 2008, my short story, "Spontaneous Decision," won 8th place in the WD Annual Competition in the Mainstream Category. That same year, "The Wolf's Kiss" was1st Runner up in the Popular Fiction, Romance Category. That story was the inspiration for "The Hungarian," Book 1 in the Budapest Moon Series.

The werewolf under the bed got the jump on the vampire. Wanting to let the wolves out to play, Matthias (the hero in "The Hungarian") became a werewolf. I wanted to do a couple things differently in my paranormal series. I wanted to focus on the humanity of the beast. My paranormals highlight the psychology of the man/wolf. There are secrets and dark corners courtesy of Victoria Holt and my gothic roots.

In 2009, Desert Breeze picked up "The Hungarian," and my Budapest Moon series. Ambitious, I also contracted the "Moldavian Moon Series,' which featured Stefan and Caroline from "Twilight Over Moldavia." While both series have elements in common, such as werewolves, witches, secrets, and European settings, that's where they end.

The Budapest Moon Series

Set in Budapest, Hungary, in the early 20th Century, rivals Matthias Duma and Anton Varga attempt to deal with their lycanthropic condition while retaining their grasp on humanity.


Books in this series include:

Book 1 – The Hungarian – MAY 2010
Couple: Matthias Duma & Katherine Archibald

Book 2 – The Count's Lair – FEB 2011
Couple: Anton Varga & Amelia Andrassy

Book 3 – Danube in Candlelight – NOV 2011
Couple: Adam Varga & Morgan Duma

Book 4 – The Secret Door – DEC 2012
Couple: Sophia Varga & Zoltan Kristos

The Moldavian Moon Series

Set in Romania in the mid-1800's, werewolves haunt the royal witching families of the Romanian principalities.


Books in this series include:

Book 1 – The Wolf's Torment – MAY 2011
Couple: Mihai Sigmaringen and Theresa von Kracken

Book 2 – Twilight Over Moldavia – JAN 2012
Couple: Stefan Sigmaringen and Caroline Moldoveanu

Book 3 – Sunrise Over Brasov – APR 2013
Couple: Michael Sigmaringen and Rosa Getzi

When the wolves and witches stay under the bed, I get to venture out. Just recently they let me out of the house to see Selene, David, & Eve from Underworld 4. What can I say? Selene Rocks. She is my ultimate paranormal heroine. I wanna be Selene when I grow up. Sign in if your Underworld Fan and let me know what your Favorite Underworld Movie is.



This year "I Believe" and got hot about my weight loss. I joined Weight Watchers and the weight loss challenge at work. I'll be talking about the highs and lows of weight loss on my blog every Saturday. Feel free to stop by and visit.

Did I tell you I'm also a glorified chauffeur for my kids? Both take dance lessons and are signed up to play flag football in the local rec center league. Joe also takes gymnastics.

I love playing racquetball, but my partner is my husband and it's not easy to find time with our schedules. What else do I do in my "me" time? I'm an avid reader and love going to the movies.

You can find me on the web at:

WEBSITE:
http://www.stephanieburkhart.com

TWITTER:
http://twitter.com/StephBurkhart

FACEBOOK:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Stephanie-Burkhart-Author/149938795021166

GOOD READS:
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4031660.Stephanie_Burkhart