GENRE: Paranormal romance

BLURB:

Count Anton Varga is haunted by the curse of the moon. It tugs on his emotions, ravishing his soul. Anton abhors the beast he must learn to tame if he is to find peace.

Lady Amelia Andrassy is an accomplished pianist, but her life in Budapest has been filled with heartache. When Amelia faints in the Duma’s bookstore, it’s Anton’s strong arms that cradle her fall. His unusual eyes spark with hers, replacing their individual loneliness with the promise of feral passion.

After a two-month separation, Anton is ready to walk into Amelia’s life again, but is Amelia ready to fan the spark they shared into a flame?

EXCERPT

Amelia went inside. The room was cast in obsidian shadows by a single candle burning on her dressing room table. The air was laced with the scent of mulberries. She grew warm. Her heart beat faster. Her defenses cracked.

“Anton?” she whispered.

He stepped out of the darkness behind her, placing his hands on her upper arms, pressing his chest against her back. His lips brushed against her ear, sending a shockwave through her. “You look wonderful tonight, Amelia.”

She dared to close her eyes and enjoy his embrace. “Anton.”

“Yes, it’s me.”

Warm feelings of longing stirred within her, only to be quickly doused by the sting of anger at his sudden departure. She stepped out of their embrace and spun to glare at him.

“How dare you.”

He backed away, confusion pooling in his unusual eyes. “I thought–”

“You thought what?”

“That you’d want to see me.”

“It’s been two months since I last saw you, and you didn’t even try to seek me out. I had no idea if you were dead, alive, or just too busy with your life to think of me.”

“I’m sorry.” His expression softened. “I had hoped to avoid the cool look in your eyes just now.”

Exasperated, she let out a quick breath. “You’re infuriating.” “So I’ve been told.”

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Stephanie Burkhart is a 911 dispatcher for LAPD.  She was born and raised in Manchester, New Hampshire.  After serving 11 years in the US Army she currently calls Castaic, California her home. Stephanie was married in Denmark in 1991 and has two young sons. She adores chocolate, is addicted to coffee and enjoys early morning walks.  She’s also a den leader for her son’s Cub Scout den and is a Boy Scout mom. She writes paranormal, contemporary, and steampunk romance and has 3 children’s books published with 4RV Publishing.

FIND ME ON THE WEB AT:

WEBSITE:

http://www.stephanieburkhart.com

TWITTER:

http://twitter.com/StephBurkhart

FACEBOOK:

https://www.facebook.com/StephanieBurkhartAuthor

GOOD READS:

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

YOU TUBE CHANNEL:

http://www.youtube.com/user/botrina?feature=mhee

PINTEREST:

http://pinterest.com/sgburkhart/

BUY LINKS FOR THE COUNT’S LAIR:

AMAZON KINDLE: http://amzn.com/B004LLIEMK

BARNES & NOBLE NOOK:

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/budapest-moon-book-two-the-counts-lair-stephanie-burkhart/1029218357?ean=9781612520186&itm=5&usri=stephanie%2bburkhart

 My Review:

I enjoyed this book very much, mostly because of its simplicity and characters. Amelia is a strong woman who is not waiting for a man to protect her or give her financial stability. After her husband’s death, she refused to return to England and focused on her career as a piano singer. She has built a beautiful friendship with Count Anton Varga, a friendship that will soon transform into more.

Even if in the past he was not considered one of the honorable persons, he felt a connection with Amelia and wants to change to win her heart. Still, he has a secret and before having her, she must learn of it and accept it. Anton is willing to start a relationship based on trust and love.

The book’s main focus is on the relationship between the two characters, but there is also some action which brings Anton face to face with his creator. Determined to protect a witch and her family by Marcus’ wrath, he will take her and her family into his house and offer them a stable environment. We have yet again a friendship based on mutual trust and understanding.

I liked very much how Anton decided to reveal his secret to Amelia, by giving her three clues. Also, his behavior once she realized what it was left me with a good impression about the character. Still, Amelia’s reactions seemed a little too calm if you ask me. I know it sounds silly, but that moment did not seem real enough.

Regardless, I give this book a total of 4 stars, for the clean writing, clean characters and good action. Congratulations to the author and if you decide to give it a try, come by and let me know your thoughts.

 

GIVEAWAY INFORMATION

Stephanie Burkhart will be awarding a $15 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

Enter to win a $15 Amazon/BN GC – a Rafflecopter giveaway