Author Interview: Stephanie Burkhart

Hey all! Today I have the wonderful author Stephanie Burkhart back. She's here to talk about her latest story release, A Polish Heart, which is a contributed story in the Spring Easter Anthology by Victory Tales Press.


And with a really snazzy drum roll. Hey, you can't hear it...so I can call it snazzy, even though in actuality it may sound more like a seizure of finger tapping on my table...you'll never know...any-who, here is Steph!

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Amber, thanks so much for having me here today. Let me just share a little about me: I was born in Manchester, New Hampshire. After graduating from Central High, I joined the US Army. I spent 11 years in the military, 7 in Germany. I left the Army in 1997 and settled in California, but my favorite football team is still the New England Patriots. I work for LAPD as a 911 dispatcher. I've been married for 19 years. I have two boys, Andrew, 8, and Joseph, 4. Little Odd fact: I went to High School with Adam Sandler. He was the class of 84. I was the class of 86.

Thanks for popping in. What is "A Polish Heart" about?
A Polish Heart' is a short story in the Victory Tales Press Spring/Easter Anthology. It is a "sweet" family/inspirational. Darrin Riverton is an architect that is hired by a Polish construction company to help work on the National Stadium. (Warsaw's Soccer Stadium") There he meets Sophia Buraczynski, his interpreter. As they work together, Darrin realizes he's attracted to Sophia. Will her faith give him his heart back?

Why did you choose Poland for the setting of the story?
I enjoy writing international contemporaries, so I knew I wanted an international setting. Since I'm part Polish, I knew from my own experience that Easter is an important holiday, that draws the family together so I tapped into my heritage and my knowledge of Polish customs to set the story in Warsaw.

Did you do a lot of research?
I did online research. I wanted the story set in Warsaw and did a Wikipedia search. From there I discovered the National Stadium and that's how I decided Darrin had to be an architect. I also researched the Easter basket, Polish customs, and a little about the language.

Have you been to Poland?
Once in 1997. I went to a Polish border town and visited a pottery factory there. It was like stepping back in time to the 1950's. The buildings were older, coal was used more frequently, and I saw a man delivering coal using a horse and buggy. Gas was delivered in above ground pipes.

Do you have an ebook reader?
I have a Kindle. I love the text to speech feature because then I can listen to books going to work.

Tell us a little about your day job.
I work as a 911 dispatcher for LAPD. It's a very stressful job. I hear a lot of stuff on the phones from a shooting in progress to a loud party. It's very rewarding work knowing I've been able to help people, but it also has an "unsung" quality to it because dispatchers usually don't get recognized for a job well done.

What's the last movie you saw?
The King's Speech! I absolutely loved it. It's a very inspirational story. George VI was a very courageous man.

Can you share an excerpt with us?
Steph. Sure. After this quick goodie time...Leave a comment and I'll pick one lucky poster to win an autographed print copy of the anthology. I'll be back tomorrow to announce the winner.

Excerpt:
Sofia smiled and spoke to Dracek. Their conversation seemed to last forever and Darrin was impatient to talk to her. Finally, she gestured toward the door and they walked out.

He kept quiet, not quite sure what he should say to her. He had known her for less than twenty-four hours, but he wanted to discover everything about her.

As soon as they were in her little car, Darrin looked directly at her.

"Have dinner with me tonight."

It was bold, yes, but this might be his only chance to get to know her.

She raised an eyebrow. Perhaps that didn't sound right. It sounded too demanding – something his father would say – and he was not his father.

"I'm sorry. Will you have dinner with me tonight?" His voice was soft and gentle.

Sofia paused. "I'm quite tempted, but what about your work?"

"I'll stay up half the night slaving over these. I promise."

She pursed her lips, her expression softening. "We should maintain a professional relationship."

He held up two fingers in the boy scout's salute. "I promise to be on my best behavior."

"What time?"

"What time is best for you?"

"Six. Do you want me to pick you up?"

"Well…"

A sly smile graced her lips. "I bet you want me to pick the restaurant, too?"

"I promise to pay."

"I—"

Afraid she might decline, Darrin reached out and placed his hand over hers. Her warmth traveled up his arm and he liked it. "Show me Warsaw through your eyes."

A sunny cheerfulness shined in her face. "Meet me in the hotel lobby at six."

Darrin's heart tripped with sweet anticipation. Sofia was sincere, honest, and had a smile that heated his blood. He couldn't wait for dinner to see her again.

"A Polish Heart" is a sweet inspirational/family romance in the Victory Tales Press Spring/Easter Anthology.

Book Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lC6_397PerU

Blurb

When Darrin falls for his beautiful Polish interpreter, will Sophia's faith give him his heart back?

Buy Links
Print Book: Create Space: https://www.createspace.com/3579108
Ebook: Lulu: (PDF) http://www.lulu.com/product/ebook/a-springeaster-collection-sweet/15166166
Smashwords: (multiple formats) http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/48682

The Anthology is also avail on Amazon as a Print & Ebook for Kindle.

Find me on the Web at:
BLOG: http://sgcardin.blogspot.com/
WEBSITE: http://www.stephanieburkhart.com/
FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1357922219
GOODREADS: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4031660.Stephanie_Burkhart