By
Stephanie Burkhart
I’m excited to be here today at Long and Short and I just want to thank Marianne and Judy for this opportunity.
Beware. The Wolf is Coming.
My latest release is The Hungarian, a paranormal romance that takes place in 1901. It’s between England and Hungary. My hero is a Hungarian nobleman, Count Matthias Duma. On a dark autumn night, Matthias is heading back to estate nestled against the shores of Lake Balaton, when a pack of werewolves attack him. His wife dies in the encounter and the attack leaves him what he fears the most – a werewolf. So what makes Matthias a different kind of hero? Aside from the fur and fangs? For one, Matthias is a Hungarian. Most of today’s romantic historical novels features an Englishman or a Scots as the hero. I wanted to set the story in Hungary because it’s in a unique location – Central Europe.
Hungary is caught between the modern western nations and the older, more rural nations who embrace old world myths and legends. In Hungary they still dance old folk dances like the Csándas, yet in 1901 Budapest boasted many “modern” archtechitual achievements, such as the Parliament Building, Széchenyi Bridge (on the cover) and Fisherman’s Bastian.
Matthias is this unique blend of old world traditions. His father was ennobled in the mid 1800’s and Matthias was his father’s only son. Matthias makes tokji, a fine Hungarian desert wine and he has distribution contracts in England. This leads him to Katherine Archibald.
Matthias does not give into the pack mentally. He has a set of servants who knows what he is and helps him during his transformation. He stays on the grounds of his estate when the moon is full, with only the stars and flowers to keep him company. The focus of the story is on the man, and not the beast. How Matthias tempers the wolf is at the heart of the novel.
Bio:
The Hungarian is my first novel release with Desert Breeze Publishing. I also have a short story, “Matchmaking A-Muse-Ments,” in the BeMused Anthology. I also used a pen name with my earlier work, SG Cardin. You can find me on the Internet at my blog, “Romance Under the Moonlight,” http://sgcardin.blogspot.com or on my website, SG Cardin Online at http://sgcardin.tripod.com. I currently work for LAPD as a 911 Dispatcher. Amazon for Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003K15NG2
Barnes & Noble for Nook: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/The-Hungarian/Stephanie-Burkhart/e/9781936000654/?itm=1&USRI=The+Hungarian+by+Stephanie+Burkhart
Sony EBook Store: ttp://ebookstore.sony.com/ebook/stephanie-burkhart/the-hungarian/_/R-400000000000000233152
6 comments:
Steph,
I've always been fascinated by our seemingly ever changing concept of heroes. Matthias sounds different for what we think of today as a hero. But he sounds really interesting and very romantic.
Barri
Fascinating blog for a fascinating hero and original romance, Steph! I wish you great success with this and with all your work - you deserve it!
STEPH--here you are! I thought you said interview, but it's the guest blog. Sorry I'm late--I hope your Hungarian is doing well. the distinctive cover alone should bring readers--I love that cover. Keep up the good work--it'll pay off! Celia
Steph, what a beautiful trailer. Best of luck, you are doing a great job.
Ladies,
Thanks for popping in, it's so sweet to see you here. The Hungarian is close to my heart since I spent time in Hungary. It's a country with a rich history.
Smiles
Steph
Hi Steph,
My maternal grandparents immigrated from Hungary, and it was so interesting listening to their stories and the myths.
Your novel sounds absolutely intriguing to me.
Good luck with it.
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