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WELCOME TO: GEMINI RISING   UPDATED INTRO 25 OCT 2021: Just a little about me. I've been married for 30 years in NOV this year!! and currently live in Southern California, but I grew up in New Hampshire. I've got 2 boys in their teens. I work as a 911 dispatcher for LAPD. I enjoy my job a lot. I love to write, but since I've been so involved with the Boy Scouts program since 2015 (now Scouts BSA since girls were invited to come on board) I haven't written much. I hope to get back to more writing soon, as I'm scaling back my BSA commitment. Update on this: I was able to get out 2 stories that were previously published. The update/publishing is going slow. I like to get out in nature, take walks around Castaic Lake, drink coffee and watch football. Here's a little bi about my zodiac. GEMINI: Gemini, the sign of the Twins, is dual-natured, elusive, complex and contradictory. On the one hand it produces the virtue of versatility, and on the other the vices of two-facedness and flightiness. The sign is linked with Mercury, the planet of childhood and youth, and its subjects tend to have the graces and faults of the young. When they are good, they are very attractive; when they are bad they are more the worse for being the charmers they are. Like children they are lively, and happy, if circumstances are right for them, or egocentric, imaginative and restless. Their good qualities are attractive and come easily to them. They are affectionate, courteous, kind, generous, and thoughtful towards the poor and suffering - provided none of the activities resulting from expressing these traits interferes too greatly with their own lives and comforts. Geminians can be successful in many walks of life though their general characteristics tend to make them unreliable. They are often skilled manipulators of language, in speech and writing, and may be: debaters, diplomats (though in politics they are more interested in theory than practice), orators, preachers (brilliant rather than profound), teachers, authors, poets, journalists, or lawyers. This is me. I am a Gemini. Pure, Raw, passionate. The NEW focus of this blog is to share my adventures, book reviews, thoughts, opinions, and writing adventures from actual writing, writing/editing tips, marketing, research. I'll get there.  Find me at: WEBSITE: http://www.stephanieburkhart.com 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 Previous GRATITIOUS Warning, that I decided to keep in case I post about something that might offend.  WARNING I intend to be open, honest, and forthright. No topic is off limits from religion to you name it, I'm going there. If you think you might be offended...back up now - this blog isn't for you. For those who "dare"  check out the "Gemini Rising..." |
| I just wanted to share this review I got back for "The Wolf's Torment." The reviewer is Floyd M. Orr, who has a blogger site where he just reviews IUniverse books. I was very impressed with the blog site. If you want to check it out, here's a link. http://iuniversebookreviews.blogspot.com/ I thought his review was "spot on," (then again, I would, I'm the author!  ) *********** This was the review posted on his Blog Site: This is the only book review at iUBR that was not requested by the author. I specifically asked the author if she wanted a review after I discovered The Wolf's Torment and researched both the author and the book. I did this simply because I am always looking for a good werewolf book, and this one looked promising. I had an intuitive feeling about the book and I was not at all disappointed. This is Miss Stephanie's fifth book, and you can view the others at her website. Her unusual variety of subject matter among the five releases reminds me a little of someone known as Tabitha. The Wolf's Torment is a soap opera full of romance set in Moldavia during the mid-1860's. A young prince is just graduating from college in London when he is called back home by his father to prepare to rule the kingdom. His father is dying of syphilis he had contracted through a life full of mistresses and affairs. The young Prince Mihai has been betrothed since he was a boy to a princess from a neighboring kingdom. The first of Mihai's problems is that he is bringing his pregnant mistress with him to Moldavia. He had become best friends with a classmate in London, so he is taking Viktor with him to be his close aide and confidant. Prince Mihai marries Princess Theresa as planned, and Viktor marries a servant girl who works at the castle. Both couples go off on their separate honeymoons and excitement begins to happen. The understatement here is quite intentional, since I don't care to give away plot details in my reviews. Ms. Cardin is a big soap opera fan, and the bubbles just keep on poppin' throughout The Wolf's Torment. Mihai's mom was a witch, as is all of Theresa's family. Viktor is more in love with Theresa than he is with his own wife, Sonia. Mihai cannot make up his mind what to do with his mistress on the side, and of course, Theresa loves Mihai's side order who never seems to vanish from their lives. Everybody wants a baby, so everybody works really hard at making babies. Did I mention the wolf pack? Did you know that werewolves smoked pot after coming down from an excursion under the full moon? A few vampires even make cameo appearances, but it's the werewolves and their witch mistresses who steal the show. This is not your traditional gothic horror story. There is some real innovation in the many subplots of S. G. Cardin's book, in which the reader becomes more entangled and fascinated than frightened by nightmares. There are a few issues clawing the exquisite furniture of The Wolf's Torment. The error count is a little high, and these are nearly all the obvious result of incomplete proofing of the text, with misplaced and missing common words being the prevalent infraction. Most of the dialogue is a bit too simple and stilted, but I wonder if the author was simply trying to imitate the formal speech of the era. There are far too many short, declarative sentences, the overall effect of which is an amateurish compositional style. These issues taken together keep The Wolf's Torment from being declared as top dog, meaning that it is a four-star book and barely misses the brass ring as the best werewolf book I have ever read. The cover is outstanding, and even the laminated bookmarks Stephanie uses are the best example of the standard template supplied by iU that I have yet seen. She even uses printed ballpoint pens in her promotion, as I do. She has included a Prologue, Epilogue, and Question and Answer section in the book, too, adding to its complete, professional look. A six-page Deleted Scene has been tacked onto the end, too. Although this is an innovative idea, I would much rather the author had simply included it within the text. When I reach the end of a good novel with a surprising, striking ending such as the one in The Wolf's Torment, the reading of a tacked-on, mundane passage dulls the shock. Stephanie Cardin has created a romance full of werewolves and witchcraft that excels with its plot twists and unusual storyline. I cannot say definitively that it is the best werewolf book I have ever read, but it is bitingly close. The story develops slowly. If you read only the opening chapters and do not continue, you will never know what a mistake you made. The Wolf's Torment is a tale of lust and deceit that you won't soon forget. Keep your silver bullets handy. |
| I can't believe it's been close to three since I've had a chance to sit down and write. Boy, as the time FLOWN by. I've been very very busy. Well, back on 22 MAR we celebrated Andrew's 6th birthday. We had about 8 kids over, which was a good size. I had a bouncy-house and we played several games with the kids. We did an Easter egg hunt, Egg toss, Musical chairs, and Pin #1 on Thomas. I passed out "outstanding" ribbons to all the winners (that I bought at Party City!) Andrew had a great time and he said the best part of his birthday was the bouncy.  The week after that was busy. It was Andrew's last week of school before Spring break. I still haven't had a chance to buy "thank yous" to send out! I went back to the story but they were out! Sigh... I'll try later on today. Back in November I sighned up to help at the Golf Tournament my work was hosting. It was the 2nd Annual LAPD 911 Challenge cup. It was at the Knollwood Country Club, which is run by LA City Parks & Rec. It was in the valley and only about 20 minutes from the house. Last week I was helping out with that. We held the tournament on 4 Apr. We were hoping for 125 golfers and only got about 50. I think the tournament fell into the red, which is sad, because it was a lot of fun. I helped to check in people and then went around the course taking pictures. At the banquet dinner, I won 4 tickets to Disneyland and a bunch of golf balls. Haha. On 5 April, I started my short vacation. Brent had been on vacation when Andrew went on vacation, a week earlier. We went to Legoland on Sunday, down in Carlsbad. It's just on the other side of Oceanside, which is right by Camp Pendleton. It wasn't crowded at all and Andrew had a good time. Joseph was well behaved. My mother-in-law her husband, Richard came with us. We decided to stay overnight and got a suite at the Hilton Homeward Suites in Carlsbad. OMG! I have never stayed in such a nice hotel before. I was really impressed. Brent and I had our own bedroom and we had baby with us in a pack n play. Andrew was on a pull out bed and Carmy & Richard had their own room. We even had a kitchen area. Joseph was a bit of a pistol having been in the stroller for so long. Everyone had a touch of sunburn that evening. We forgot the sun block in the car! The next day, we went down to Seaworld. Joseph had to run around for about 45 minutes to work out his anxiety. I can't say I blame him, but it stressed me out because I was the one who had to follow him. Then I had to stay with him while everyone went to watch Shamu. After Shamu, we ate and then went to Shark Attack. I went in with Andrew while Brent stayed with Joseph. Brent found a shark puppet and played with Joe. The shark puppet was a bit hit and we bought it for him. Andrew wanted a penguin doll we got him one. He named Joseph's puppet "Sharky" and his penguin, "Snowy." haha. Our trip back to Castaic took about 3 hours with traffic. Going down it took about 2 hours to get to Carlsbad, no traffic. On Tuesday, Brent and I deposited our insurance check and went to look at F-150's at the Ford Dealer. Brent found one they liked and they gave him a great deal so we bought it. As soon as I have pictures, I'll put them up. Yesterday was payday so we payed bills and shopped. Haha!! Everyone here has caught "golf fever" so we're going to take Andrew to the local mini-golf place today. Tomorrow we're going to see the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Next Tuesday, it's back to work for me...sigh... ((hugs)) Steph |
| Gosh, it's been a long, busy, hectic week so I'll try to catch you guys up... Brent boiled corned beef & cabbage for St. Patrick's day. It was a pretty nice meal. My son Andrew, who is 5 turning 6 on March 25, ate and loved and let me tell you, he's a picky eater. Tuesday, I a lot of running around in preparation for Andrew's party that we're having on the 25th. I was happy Dancing with the Stars was back. Let me tell you I was glued to the set both nights. I have to say I kind of like that Jason guy from the Dolphins but Chrisian is a little hottie too. For the girls I was very impressed with Kristi Yamaguchi and Marlee Matlin. Wednesday was Survivor. I was sad to Tracey go, but let's face it, they weren't voting off Ozzy. Haha! I'm not into basketball, so I'm not following the March Madness. UCLA and USC are in the tournament from So. California so I'll wish them luck. Still, all the TV time March Madness gets interferes with my shows!  Thursday the boys had their well checks. Joseph barely says Mama and Dada. The pediatrician said he should have a bigger vocabulary. I don't know what to say. Joseph is playful, interactive, he'll look at you when you call his name and he has such a warm, loving laugh it makes you happy. We're going to limit his TV time and try to engage him more. I've been doing that for two days now and he's having a blast laughing at Mommy's madness. On the writing side of the house, I got one query back so far that I sent out for THE WOLF'S KISS. It was a personally signed letter that said, "I just don't feel it for your project," good luck. I can't complain. It was just a query. That said, I'll monitor my other replies. If I have to tweak the query letter I will. Right now, I'm working on editing ACROSS THE FICKLE WINDS OF HISTORY to query. Once that's done, I'll go back to TWILIGHT OVER MOLDAVIA. I really need to finish that one. I've also got a couple of genre short stories in development for 77th Writer's Digest Contest. I'm working on a fantasy based on my short story, "THE GREEN ROSE," and a romance based on my incomplete series, "A TIME AND PLACE." I might also submit "THE WATCH TOWER" a horror one about Dracula's castle. Time is getting short though, the contest deadline is 15 May and 1 June for late entries. The insurance called us today. We'll be getting 22K for the truck. That will pay off the balance on the totaled truck and give us a good down payment on a new one. We're really excited about that. ((hugs)) & Smiles Steph |
| Well, I'm a firm believer in the Writer's Digest writing contest, and I've been entering since 2006. Yesterday, while I was at work, they called my house! When I got home Aunt Alma broke the news to me. I was excited. I called back the Writer's Digest rep today while I was on break at work. While I didn't win 1st place (haha!) I had two stories place as "Honorable Mentions" in the genres they were entered in. The rep I spoke to, Niki, told me I was the only author in this year's Popular Fiction contest that had two stories score as Honorable mentions. I was excited to hear it. Here's the stories I submitted:
in the ROMANCE category, and
in the THRILLER/SUSPENSE category. Both of these stories were inspired by writing contests that I found here on WDC. I just want to thank WDC for helping me to hone my writing skills. |
| Well, I don't have much time to write, but I'll try to be quick. Last week was incrediably busy, I wasn't able to make it to weight watchers, sigh... and with the new schedule, there's just no way I can fit in gym time during the week. I did manage to finish THE WOLF'S KISS and I sent out 5 queries and I'm waiting to hear back on them. The big news was Brent was in a Traffic Accident on Sunday morning at 3 am. He was coming off work and a DUI driver hit the truck on the driver's side quarter panel, taking out the engine. Sigh... Brent slammed into the car next to him. Thankfully, that guy was a police officer too. Then the DUI driver and his passenger wanted to FIGHT Brent and his buddy!! It was ugly. While they were waiting for the police to arrive, gangmembers showed up and beat up on the DUI driver and his passenger. Brent and his friend tried to stop that, but weren't very successful. Brent has a shoulder strain. The doctor gave him and painkillers and put him out for two days. Thank God he wasn't seriously hurt! The truck has 9,000 dollars worth of damage, might be totalled. We'll know more by the end of the week. I have to get ready for work. Hope to pop in soon. Steph |
| Happy Leap Year! Well, it's been another week until I've been able to pop into here, sigh. That said, I just wanted to do a little pimping. I love this guy: http://www.nathanbransford.blogspot.com/ He's Nathan Bransford and he's a literary agent who blogs out of San Fernando. I really like the tone he takes in his blogs. He comes across as down to earth to me. He had a great post about word counts a couple days ago which really hit home with me. When I was working on TORMENT, my first, rough draft hit over 175,000 words. Too much for a first time author. When I did a manuscript review with IUniverse they told I was too wordy and had to cut it down. I tackled the uncomfortable chore of editing and sliced and diced and got the manuscript down to 125,000 words, which falls in his Nathan's recommend word count range of 40-150K words. With THE WOLF'S KISS, I'm up to 53,000 and I'm almost done. I just have to write the ending which might take me up to 60,000. I can't wait till I finish too. Then the hard work begins - finding literary agents who want to take on a paranormal romance. Any recommendations? Smile. As for my week, it's hetic, as usual. First off I'm down on my Nano. I've pretty much max'd out my 8 gigs with shows of the Tudors. This conflicts with the fact I want to download a couple of political podcasts so I can keep up the primary races. Sigh...My husband says he'll get me CLASSIC for my birthday - in June. I guess I just have to be patient. It been hard to do any writing at work this week. I was on the non-emergency line and it's draining to try and write between listening to non-emergency police problems. Wednesday, I helped Brent shop at Costco before going to work. Thursday, I stayed home with the kids while Brent went to the dentist and took our 4Runner to the dealer to get a major service since it hit 60,000 miles. Can you believe it? 60,000 miles since Sep 2005. I'm a driving whore! We did manage to find a babysitter at the last minute and go to our favorite French restaurant out this way called, Le Chene. My husband tried the buffalo ribeye which he loved. I played it a little safer with NY strip in borderlaise butter. Now we're plotting our return trip. We also did some planning for our mini vacation we're taking in April. I think we're going to visit California gold country up near Sacramento and then we'll visit the train museum in Sacramento before going on to wine country. My hours at work change on Sunday. I'll be working from 6 am to 2 pm. It's more of a normal day, but it's harder to find child care in the morning hours. It was a challenge trying to get this month covered. Rock out with Amy Winehouse. |
| I just got this book review in for "Destination: Berlin" from the MIDWEST BOOK REVIEW and I thought I'd share: Small Press Bookwatch: February 2008 James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief Midwest Book Review 278 Orchard Drive, Oregon, WI 53575 The Fiction Shelf Destination:Berlin S.G. Cardin IUniverse, Inc. 2021 Pine Lake Rd. 3100, Lincoln, NE 68512 9780595164196, 414.95 www.iuniverse.com Honorable mention winner of the 75th annual Writer's Digest Competition S.G. Cardin present Destination: Berlin, a suspenseful novel set in Cold War Germany. When Corporal Sharon Cates finds her train to Berlin derailed in the middle of communist East Germany, she discovers a top-secret document in her briefcase, that both the KGB and the Stasi are willing to kill for. A race to Berlin ensues, and Sharon receives hlep form the unlikeliest of sources, Russian soldier Jr. Sgt. Dimitri Nagory. Inspired by the author's own experiences taking a trip to Berlin, serving the Army's Military Police Corps, and studying history, Destination: Berlin is a tautly written sage of mistrust, determination, and survival. *** I was so tickled pink to get this review from the Midwest Book Review. I sent the a copy of "Berlin" back in August 2007. They are a very reputable Book review site and I'm honored to have a review from them. Thoughts? Smiles, Steph |
I just updated my "Going Pro" Journal. Here's a link:
VALENTINES Well Andrew's school put on a 30 minute program with singing and poetry for Valentine's Day. It was so cute. Andrew was in the first row and was my animated with the hand gestures. He was a big ham. I'm glad I had the opportunity to see it. Yesterday Brent and the boys and me all shared dinner today and then exchanged cards, chocolate, and flowers. It was low key but the thing I appreciated the most was the fact we were all together. SAD DAY LAPD just paid their respects to Officer Randal Simmons of the LAPD SWAT unit. He was killed in the line of duty yesterday when a male with mental illness had hostages in his family's house and was refusing to let them out. SWAT tried to get in and he was killed. I just watched his funeral on TV. It was a loving, poignant last remembrance of him. POLITICS Well my girl Hillary is down in numbers, but if you ask me she's still competitive. One thing I am concerned about is that she has to rock the house in Wisconsin. Wisconsin may not be as big as Ohio or Texas, but it's a state that she could do really well in. The Democrats there are the ones that she appeals to. Wisconsin is a hard working state with hard working Democrats. I'd like to see her really push and focus on winning that state. If she can get Wisconsin, she can slowly, but surely keep the tide in her favor. Just my observation. All I can say, it's been a hell of a primary season so far. So, should Michigan and Florida's votes count? Well, after listening to all the political shows and pundits here how I would solve the problem: Let Florida stand. They were pressured to move up their primary and all the candidates were on the ballot. As for Michigan, I'd sponsor a new primary (since they had a primary there, not a caucus) and I'd split the bill between the National Democratic party and Michigan state party. Every vote counts this year. Smiles, Steph |
| Well, guys, I have a weight watchers update. I just got back from my weekly meeting and I met my 10%!! Yay!! Mind you my 10 percent was 18 pounds. Okay, look, I'll be honest here. I started JAN 2007 when I was 184. Too much if you ask me! I had just had my second son, Joseph, and while I gained less weight with his pregnancy than with Andrew's, I was heavier when I got pregnant with him. That said, I'm officially 166 on the Weight Watchers scale. Mind you it only took 13 months to get there! The weight loss has been slow at times and there were times I wasn't as totally focused as I am now, and times when I couldn't exercise like I should have - (actually, I have no time to exercise. Working it into my schedule is kinda' major. In fact, I only got 6 exercise/activity points this week and I was hoping for ten!) but weight loss I've discovered takes time, patience, perservance, and commitment - and it helps if the spouse in house is supportive too. My goal for my height (5'6") is from 155 to 124. I think I'm going to strive for 140 (which is about the middle of that range) I think that's realistic and that's 5 pounds than what I was when I got pregnant with Andrew. At my fighting weight, I was 135 in the military and if I'm on track to get there, I'll go for it, but a lot depends on my body. Truth be told, losing the weight the 2nd time around has been more of a challenge. My body is 4 years old and it feels it. What I've accomplished: I've hit 10 percent I'm at Joseph's pre-pregnancy weight. If anyone wants to share their story, I'd love to hear. The support I get at the meetings is such a mental boost to keep me going.  Haven't had much time to cruise the Internet. In fact, I have to cook lunch/dinner, fold clothes and get ready to go to work in 3 hours so I need to get off now. Tomorrow, Andrew and I are heading off to church. Andrew goes to Little Church from 10:30 to 11:30 and I teach the 3's at church. They have the 3's, 4's, and 5's during Sunday Morning. I like the girls I teach with so I have no complaints. I like being involved in Church thingies, but sadly, I don't have much time to do more. I did volunteer to help out with Andrew's Valentine's party on the 14th, but that's only because Brent and I got the same day off. Smiles & Hugs Steph |
| I just got this great review in on my book, Destination: Berlin The reviewer is "Reviewer of the Moment." from MySpace. After reading the back of this book, I was feeling a little iffy as I started it. Sometimes military stories catch my attention, and other times I get overwhelmed by the lingo and the violence and quickly lose interest. "Destination: Berlin," kept my rapt attention from the first page through to the last though. As I finished the story I realized with a smile that I actually quite enjoyed it. Sharon Cates is a model American soldier stationed in Germany. On her way to attend a routine orientation tour in Berlin, she meets a Russian soldier named Dimitri. The two share a meal and agree to put aside their military and political differences and "be friends for the day." Shortly thereafter, an explosion derails the train, mildly injuring Cates. After overhearing a conversation by the train bombers, Dimitri quickly realizes that Cates is carrying more than just her identification papers in her briefcase. Somewhere in that case, unbeknownst to her, are nuclear launch codes that people are willing to kill to get their hands on. Injured and completely confused, Cates finds herself with few options other than following the enemy soldier to safety. From here we follow Cates and Dimitri as they attempt to get to a safe and neutral part of the country; all the while hoping to guard the codes and prove Cates had no knowledge of the codes being in her briefcase at all. There's a little bit of everything mixed into this story. There's history, adventure, suspense, romance and of course so military jargon. The author does a good job though, of simplifying the military lingo, so that it never becomes a burden to understand. The story flows well, and moves along quickly. If you're looking for a good story to keep you occupied for a night or two, I'd highly recommend this one. Let me know what you think! Steph |
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I love gyros. We have a Greek church and restaurant in town and a festival. But... I'm not there. 
