Tuesday 1 May 2012

Stephanie Burkhart is visiting! And has a giveaway!

Stephanie Burkhart has written a new YA mystery and is here to tell us about it.  Take it away, Steph:





STEPH: Rosanna, thanks so much for having me on your blog today. Just a little about me: I grew up in New Hampshire and joined the Army when I was 18, wanting a great adventure. I met my husband in the Army and we settled in California. Now I work for LAPD as a 911 dispatcher. I'm a romance and children's author.


ROSANNA: Tell us about your latest book.


STEPH: My latest book is a YA mystery, "First Flag of New Hampshire." High school juniors Alyssa Rydell and Miguel De Soto are given a "history mystery" to solve by the end of the semester – where's the first flag of New Hampshire?


ROSANNA: If you could have a romantic evening with any character from romance literature who would it be and what would you do?


STEPH: I really enjoyed Jillian Hunter's Boscastle series, and my favorite hero of the series was Drake Boscastle. And knowing Drake, we'd end up doing something naughty by the end of the night.


ROSANNA: What was the first thing you ever wrote?


STEPH: A Spiderman comic book when I was six. Does that count?


ROSANNA: What is your favorite book of all time and why?


STEPH: Oh that's a toughie because I have a lot of "favorite" books. I would have to say JK Rowling's "The Deathly Hallows" for its easy reading style and how it used the clues given in previous novels to present the ending the series deserved. Well done.


ROSANNA: What was the first thing you did when you discovered you were going to be published?


STEPH: Treated myself to a bowl of ice cream – with chocolate. J


ROSANNA: If you could live in any of your plotlines which would it be and why?

STEPH: I've always been interested in history's mysteries and what if scenarios. That said, I wouldn’t mind going on the hunt for the first flag of New Hampshire with Alyssa and Miguel.


ROSANNA: Tell us about the lead characters from "First Flag of New Hampshire."


STEPH: Alyssa Rydell is very determined. She's very goal orientated and likes to run track to relax. Miguel De Soto is very easy going. He goes with the flow. His common sense smarts compliments Alyssa's book smarts. They make a good team.


ROSANNA: Do you ever borrow any plot lines from real life?


STEPH: Generally, no. I'm a 911 dispatcher for LAPD and while I hear a lot of crazy stuff, I've yet to find inspiration from that. For my contemporaries, I find I like international settings (inspired by my time traveling in the Army) and heroes who are searching for something and heroines who help them find what the hero is looking for.


ROSANNA: What are you working on now?

STEPH: A steampunk romance called "A Gentleman and a Rogue." It's Book 2 of my Windsor Diaries. Modern day royals Edmund and Alice Windsor travel back in time to set the time line straight, but can they overcome the obstacles in their path? There's plenty of steel, brass, and coal including whuzzies, datamancers, and transmogrifiers. There's even a guest appearance from Queen Victoria.


ROSANNA: What would you be doing if you couldn't write?

STEPH: Well, I'm already a 911 dispatcher so I'm doing it. It's like the best of both worlds.




BLURB FOR: FIRST FLAG OF NEW HAMPSHIRE:

Alyssa has to take American Studies for college prep, and she hurries to the first class. She’s paired with classmate Miguel De Soto to find the first flag of New Hampshire, but the flag has flown only four times in New Hampshire’s past. Can Alyssa and Miguel track the flag through history before time is up?

BOOK TRAILER:





Hunt For the Flag Giveaway:

Answer the following questions about New Hampshire. I’ll pick a winner to receive a spring book bag (made by my talented friend, Lori Powell), full of goodies to include a GC to Starbucks, chocolates, a magnet and more. Please leave your email address so I can get a hold of you if you win.

Question: What's the type of ship is on the NH State flag?

Bonus: What New Hampshire landmark collapsed in 2003?

BUY LINKS:
PUBLISHER’S WEBSITE:


AMAZON:


BARNES & NOBLE:



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


23 comments:

  1. Stephanie, congrats on your book..It sounds like a lovely read...

    ReplyDelete
  2. Savannah, thanks for popping in. I grew up reading the Hardy Boys and while the book isn't as long, I'd like to think the mystery is an interesting one.

    Rosanna, thank you so much for having me here today.
    Smiles
    Steph

    ReplyDelete
  3. Steph, that was a wonderful interview. Congratulations on your release.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you for popping in, Sweetie.
      Smiles
      Steph

      Delete
  4. Just cruising by to say hello. Nice interview, Steph. I like how focused you are on your writing, your career, and your family. You've managed to create separate but compatible worlds, something most of us aspire to. Best of luck with this new YA release!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Maggie, it's certainly a challenge, but one that I find very fun most of the times.
      Smiles
      Steph

      Delete
  5. Hi there Steph. Interesting interview and here's wishing you many sales!

    Angela Britnell

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  6. Hey Steph....what a nice interview. Your book sounds great and I wish all kinds of success!

    I am going to go with a 32 gun frigate (thought my husband says it's a square rigger!)

    AND it was The Old Man in the Mountain!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Penny thanks so much for answering the questions. Please leave an email address so I get a hold of you if you win. I'll be back tomorrow to pick a winner.

      Smiles
      Steph

      Delete
  7. I know nothing about New Hampshire. Shame on me. I'm going to see what I can find out. In the meantime, your book sounds interesting, Steph. Stories about historical events are some of my favorites. Best of luck to you.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Beverly, thanks for popping in. I enjoy a good historical. Please come back if you get the answers and leave a comment!

      Smiles
      Steph

      Delete
  8. Steph--I don't know how you write so many varied stories. My brain would freeze up, for sure.For one thing, you're still young. For another, you're just plain talented. New Hampshire? I could pick it out on a map, but know little else. Congratulations on the YA book!

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    Replies
    1. Celia, I suprise myself all the varied stories, but they are fun! I'd like to think New Hampshire is a state that flies under the radar most of the time, but if you go ahead and explore it, you'll find it will surprise you.

      Some NH Natives you might know:
      Franklin Pierce
      Daniel Webster
      Christa McAuffle
      Robert Frost
      Jodi Picolt
      Dan Brown
      Adam Sandler

      Smiles
      Steph

      Delete
  9. Hi Steph, I think it's the Old Man of the Mountain that collapsed. Not sure when and not sure if I have the right name. I lived in Boston for thirteen years and used to go to NH very often. When my kids were small we visited the White Mountains, Indian Head and the Old Man, and always went to see the foliage. We have friends who still live in Nashua. At the time, we had dinner together once a month.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Mona, Ah, the Old Man of the Mountain! I got a chance to see him back in 1992 with my husband and BFFs when we were on vacation in the Army. I'm glad I had an opportunity to since he's long gone now.

      My son's godparents live in Nashua. It's a nice town. I love the foliage. For me, that's one of the romantic times of the year.

      Smiles
      Steph

      Delete
  10. Hi, Steph. I always enjoyed visiting New Hampshire when I lived in Saratoga Springs, NY. I'd make an annual pilgrimage through Vermont and New Hampshire for the colors. Beautiful country. I think the Old Man collapsed in 2003. I was in North Carolina at the time and remember my mom telling me about it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Keena, I lived in Romulus, NY near Geneva back in 1989 when I was stationed at the Seneca Army Depot. I loved the Finger Lakes region, gorgeous. Lake Ontario was about 1 - 1/2 hours away. Autumn is such a beautiful time in NE. I was in California when the Old Man fell down. My BFF's sent me a copy of Manchester's Union Leader with the article. They knew it meant a lot to me.

      Smiles
      Steph

      Delete
  11. I'm all admiration for your wealth of genres, Steph! It's great to write in different styles. I wonder where your army experiences fit in? Or is it just a general atmosphere that you can use from that?

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    Replies
    1. Liz, First Flag of New Hampshire was inspired by the time I took "American Studies" in 1985 as a Junior in High School. It's a class I detested at the beginning but by the end of the school year, I knew it was going to resonate with me for the rest of my life.

      In other parts of my writing, my army experiences tend to help me with my international settings.

      Smiles
      Steph

      Delete
  12. Hey Steph,

    I will admit I researched the questions. Unless you lived there I'm not sure you would know the answers. But hey it looks like a Clipper Ship/sailing ship to me and The Old Man of the Mountains which appeared on the New Hampshire state quarter collapsed.

    Question what did you have to do to become a 911 operator? I think it would be fascinating and terrifying at the same time.
    Hugs hope you're having a great May.

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  13. Kathy, I appreciate you researching the questions. Like Aly & Miguel hunt for the flag, I hope to have you hunt for the answers. *smile*

    You have to be 18 with a high school degree. There is a series of tests you have to take to become a dispatcher and the process for me took 7 months. There was a written test, a typing test, an oral interview, a background check, and a drug test. It can be challenging, but the only real skill you need to get the job is your ability to multi-task.

    Smiles
    Steph

    ReplyDelete
  14. Rosanna, thanks so much for having me on your blog. Congrats to Penny, the winner of my giveaway. Thanks so much to everyone who supported me on the blog this week. I appreciate it. My next stop on the Hunt Flag Tour will be Linda McMaken's blog next week.
    Penny, please send me an email to sgcardin1@yahoo.com or botrina_buchanan@yahoo.com so I can make arrangements to ge the giveaway out to you.

    Smiles
    Steph

    ReplyDelete