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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 shock wave 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."
The Count’s Lair is the second installment in the Hungarian series. The first book is The Hungarian and introduces both the mysterious count and Amanda. The two hit it off, but the count disappears for a few months leaving Amanda bewildered at his behavior. The second book reunites them. This time he wonders if the elegant Amanda can accept him secrets and all. If you’re wondering, he’s not a vampire.
This tender love story unfolds in historic Budapest at the turn of the century. There are several period touches including the food to the architecture that allows the reader to feel as if she too is strolling back in time.
The Count is not a predator, but a romantic, who falls for the talented Amanda. Part of his struggles are internal as he wrestles with his very nature. This lovely tales reminds me of Chelsea Quinn Yarbro’s early vampire novels. Two thumbs up for this period paranormal romance with a touch of Gothic to it.
AUTHOR Bio and Links: Stephanie Burkhart is a 911 dispatcher for LAPD. She was born and raised in Manchester, New Hampshire. She served 11 years in the US Army and currently calls Castaic, California her home. Stephanie was married in Denmark in 1991 and has two young sons. She adores chocolate and is addicted to coffee. She writes paranormal, contemporary, and steampunk romance and has two children's books published with 4RV Publishing. FIND ME ON THE WEB AT: WEBSITE: TWITTER: FACEBOOK: GOOD READS: YOU TUBE CHANNEL: PINTEREST: Buy Links: Amazon: Barnes & Noble: |