Showing posts with label Carmen Stefanescu. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Carmen Stefanescu. Show all posts

Monday, April 17, 2017

Dracula's Mistress by Carmen Stefanescu #paranormal #romance #historical

                    


 Dracula’s Mistress
Publisher – City Lights Press
Genre – Paranormal historical/light romance
( just 0.99 $)
Blurb

From the day that the powerful, brave and merciless Vlad III Basarab, a descendant of the Draculesti family—better known to most people as the infamous vampire Dracula—ascends the throne, he knows only battles, betrayal and intrigue.
Evil grips the town of Targoviste, capital residence of Walachia. The secrets behind the stone walls of the palace are as dark and violent as a winter’s night, as terrifying as the prince’s deeds. Dead bodies, drained of blood and missing their little finger keep appearing in the streets at night.
Lovely, smart, determined, Angela Oltenescu ignores all the aggressive rumors and her mother’s warning regarding Vlad. Will she suffer the consequences of falling in love with a man nicknamed Dracula by his enemies—an infamous creature of the night?
Rich, sly, treacherous,  Marin Craioveanu, a powerful landlord, craves the same woman loved by Vlad. Marin's hatred toward the prince will make him an ally to Handsome Radu, Vlad’s brother and Sultan’s friend, ready to sell the country to the Ottomans to get rid of his rival.

Dracula’s Mistress will awe legions of fans of Gothic literature, paranormal and historical fiction.


Romantic excerpt 

“What’s your name, my child? I can’t seem to remember it,” the prince asked Angela, who following her father’s advice, had curtsied low in front of Vlad.
The prince helped her up and cupping her chin in his hand, forced Angela to look him directly in his eyes. Vlad directed his gaze for a second to Grigore and winked at him.  
No doubt, Vlad knew her name and hadn’t forgotten it, but must have wanted to hear her voice, she thought.
The touch of his strong hand on her face, and the brooding power of his gaze, sent tingles along her skin. First warm and then icy rivulets ran down her spine. Her heart took off at an alarming speed. Her voice came as a mere whisper when she managed to utter through parched lips, over her choking, thumping heart, “Angela. Angela, Your highness.”
Her slender figure, her soft, blue eyes enhancing her china complexion, her full mouth temptingly curved, and the shining golden curls fighting rebelliously out of the braids falling heavily over her breasts must have made a special impression on him as he nodded in appreciation and smiled.
“So beautiful. So innocent. Angela. Yes, a name most suited for your angelic face. And how old are you?”
“I’m almost sixteen.”
“Tell me, Angela, is your heart given?” he whispered and, still looking directly in her eyes, the prince flashed her a most enthralling smile. The first genuine smile since he’d entered the hall.
His smile could have stopped the sun in its course. . . and it had an arresting effect on Angela’s heart as well. It stirred in her something unbelievably pleasant. For a split second, the deep sadness she’d noticed moments before vanished from his look. She willed time to stand still for eternity. She willed this moment to go on and his warm hand never to leave her face, or his kind look never to leave hers. Her gaze clung to his lips for a second and then returned to his eyes.
“No, my lord. I haven’t found the man worth giving it to. Not yet.”



Author Bio and links
Carmen Stefanescu resides in Romania, the native country of the infamous vampire  Count Dracula  where, for about 50 years of communist dictatorship, just speaking about God, faith, reincarnation or paranormal phenomena could have led someone to great trouble - the psychiatric hospital if not to prison.
High-school teacher of English and German in her native country, and mother of two daughters, Carmen Stefanescu survived the grim years of oppression  by escaping in a parallel world, that of the books. Reading was, is and will always be her greatest hobby.
She has dreamed since childhood to become a writer, but many of the things she wrote remained just drawer projects. The fall of the Ceausescu’s regime in 1989, and the opening of the country to the world meant a new beginning for her. She started publishing. Poems first, and then prose. Both in English.
She likes to blend genres and thus she writes paranormal stories with a smidgen of mystery, history and romance. The reader will find suspense, dark themes, adventure, danger as well as sweet revenge. She calls her stories  “gothic” romance. Her writing focuses on rebirth, past life regression, karmic retribution.
                   Carmen joined the volunteer staff at Marketing For Romance Writers Author blog and is the coordinator of #Thursday13 posts.
Author Carmen Stefanescu's Links
 http://shadowspastmystery.blogspot.ro/
http://carmenstefanescu.simplesite.com/
https://twitter.com/Carmen_Books
http://www.pinterest.com/carmens007/
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Carmen-Stefanescu-Books/499245716760283
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6624397.Carmen_Stefanescu
https://plus.google.com/117216040843648957646/posts
https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=dp_byline_sr_ebooks_1?ie=UTF8&text=Carmen+Stefanescu&search-alias=digital-text&field-author=Carmen+Stefanescu&sort=relevancerank
http://coldcoffeecafe.com/profile/CarmenStefanescu
Trailer Dracula’s Mistress
https://youtu.be/_JfSJGAwM_w 
Buy link
Only 0.99$
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XNW7RXD/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1489663418&sr=1-1

Other books by Carmen: Till Life Do Us Part
https://www.amazon.com/Till-Life-Do-Us-Part/dp/1625263856/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1484307781&sr=8-1&keywords=Till+life+do+us+part






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Monday, October 3, 2016

Till Life Do Us Part by Carmen Stefanescu and #RomanticTravel to Romania


Fall #Romantic  Travel



It’s true that Romania, my country,  is the homeland of Count Dracula, the infamous vampire, but when you visit the country in autumn you are not only going to enjoy its imagery of medieval castles but also spectacular views of autumn’s finest foliage.

 You can enjoy romantic walks in leafy parks dusted with crunchy auburn, red and gold leaves. 


Or visit the rural areas for a rustic experience and fill your lungs with the strong, fresh air in the mountains. It’s also hard not to feel starry-eyed among the rolling hills and fragrant vines of wine regions.

And what place can be more suitable for rekindling the sparks of love than a visit at The Gate of the Kiss that features a kiss motif on the gate pillars?




                            Till Life Do Us Part




Blurb

Barbara Heyer can hear voices of dead people. They whisper of their deaths, seek comfort for those left behind, and occasionally even warn her about future events. But when Barbara’s brother, Colin, is accused of murder, it will take more than her gift to prove his innocence.

Becoming smitten with the handsome investigator, Detective Patrick Fischer, is a serious complication given his assignment to her brother’s case. Barbara senses there is something far deeper—and perhaps much older—than the surface attraction between them. Could that be why she’s visited by a mysterious woman named Emma in her dreams? Could past life regression tie all the seemingly unconnected events together?

Barbara and Patrick must overcome heartache to find the truth to save Colin, and perhaps themselves.



Excerpt

Patrick poured the bubbly liquid into the glasses. He offered one to Barbara and raised his.

“To the undercover, paranormal investigator, Barbara.” He smiled and touched his glass to hers, looking straight into her eyes.

“To you, too, Patrick, Detective Fischer. If  it hadn’t been for your determination to find out the truth, many families wouldn’t have had the small consolation to see their relatives’ murderers behind bars.” She took a sip of the champagne.

“There’s something else I’d like to tell you,” Patrick said. He cleared his throat and took one of her hands in his. “It’s something that I wanted to tell you... to ask you for a while, but it never seemed the right moment.”

She heard the tremor in his voice and was sure what was to come. Yet, she didn’t want to make it easier for him. She saw it in his eyes, felt it in the touch of his hands. He was in love with her as she was with him.

“So, as I was saying... I want to ask you if—”

The telephone rang again, cutting like a steel blade through the thick emotional atmosphere surrounding them.

“Oh, not again.” Barbara rolled her eyes upward and headed to the bloody thing. She picked up the receiver and said in a voice that sounded a bit irritated, “Yes. What? Who? Yes, one moment, please.” She turned to Patrick, “It’s for you. An emergency, it seems.”

Patrick grabbed the phone, “Yes, Fisher here. What? When? I’m on my way,” he said and put down the receiver.

“I’m sorry, Barbara. There’s an emergency, indeed. Bruce has been injured. He’s in the hospital right now.”

“Oh, goodness. Is it bad?”

“I’ve no idea. They didn’t say. I’m going there. Sorry I spoiled the evening.”

“No need for apology, Patrick,” Barbara replied hiding her disappointment. “Duty comes first in your job, I know.”

“I’ll call you. Soon. There was something important I wanted to tell... to ask you. Goodnight, Barbara,”  he said and kissed her hand affectionately. He hurried outside.

Barbara stood in the middle of the room. It looked empty and cold without him. She took the bottle of champagne, pushed the cork back into it, then went to the kitchen and put it in the fridge.

Moments later, she returned to the living room. With a reflexive gesture she picked up the packet of cigarettes Patrick had forgotten on the table. She weighed them in her hand for a moment and smiling, opened a drawer of the bookshelf and placed the cigarettes inside. She took her book from the bookshelf and sat on the couch, enveloped by the faint smell of aftershave left behind by Patrick.

Jack stretched, then came to Barbara and curled up in her lap.

“Yes, Jack. It is like that. It’s always been like that. Just you and me.” She sighed and opened the book. She failed to notice a faint light hovering outside the window.






Author Bio

Carmen Stefanescu resides in Romania, the native country of the infamous vampire Count Dracula, but where, for about 50 years of communist dictatorship, just speaking about God, faith, reincarnation or paranormal phenomena could have led someone to great trouble - the psychiatric hospital if not to prison.

High school teacher of English and German in her native country, and mother of two daughters, Carmen Stefanescu survived the grim years of oppression, by escaping in a parallel world that of the books.

Several of her poems were successfully published in a collection of Contemporary English Poems, Muse Whispers vol.1 and Muse Whispers vol.2 by Midnight Edition Publication, in 2001 and 2002.

 Her first novel, Shadows of the Past, was released in 2012 by Wild Child Publishing, USA.

                   Carmen joined the volunteer staff at Marketing For Romance Writers Author blog and is the coordinator of #Thursday13 posts.

Other books by Carmen Stefanescu:

Shadows of the Past – paranormal/light romance/light historical/light mystery




You can stalk the author here:












Trailer for Till Life Do Us Part: https://youtu.be/UbuntlWISc0

Buy Links:




 Short URL for Amazon:    https://goo.gl/H0dqkb


 Thanks for sharing. Those are some beautiful pictures,

Tina
















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Monday, May 23, 2016

Carmen Stefanescu - Cover Reveal Till Life Do Us Part #Paranormal #Romance @Carmen_Books

Tina, thank you so much for having me as your guest today.  You know my interest in anything odd -  paranormal, myths,  legends  - all that is out of the normal boundaries.  Reincarnation and chat with ghosts can be included, too.
I’m thrilled to be here, and excited to share the cover for my incoming release


                            Till Life Do Us Part
 
Publisher: Solstice Publishing
Genre:  Paranormal Romance
Magic, Reincarnation, Mystery, Suspense
Release date: 9th June 2016
 
Blurb
Barbara Heyer can hear voices of dead people. They whisper of their deaths, seek comfort for those left behind, and occasionally even warn her about future events. But when Barbara’s brother, Colin, is accused of murder, it will take more than her gift to prove his innocence.
Becoming smitten with the handsome investigator, Detective Patrick Fischer, is a serious complication given his assignment to her brother’s case. Barbara senses there is something far deeper—and perhaps much older—than the surface attraction between them. Could that be why she’s visited by a mysterious woman named Emma in her dreams? Could past life regression tie all the seemingly unconnected events together?
Barbara and Patrick must overcome heartache to find the truth to save Colin, and perhaps themselves.
 
 

 
Author Bio
Carmen Stefanescu resides in Romania, the native country of the infamous vampire Count Dracula, but where, for about 50 years of communist dictatorship, just speaking about God, faith, reincarnation or paranormal phenomena could have led someone to great trouble - the psychiatric hospital if not to prison.
Teacher of English and German in her native country and mother of two daughters, Carmen Stefanescu survived the grim years of oppression, by escaping in a parallel world that of the books.
She has dreamed all her life to become a writer, but many of the things she wrote during those years remained just drawer projects. The fall of the Ceausescu’s regime in 1989 and the opening of the country to the world meant a new beginning for her. She started publishing. Several of her poems were successfully published in a collection of Contemporary English Poems, Muse Whispers vol.1 and Muse Whispers vol.2 by Midnight Edition Publication, in 2001 and 2002.
 Her first novel, Shadows of the Past, was released in 2012 by Wild Child Publishing, USA.
                   Carmen joined the volunteer staff at Marketing For Romance Writers Author blog and is the coordinator of #Thursday13 posts.
 
You can stalk the author here:
 
Trailer

 
 
 
 
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Thursday, February 4, 2016

Shadows of the Past By @Carmen_Books / Carmen Stefanescu #EggcerptExchange #paranormal

Today, for the Eggcerpt Exchange, my guest is Carmen Stefanescu








Carmen Stefanescu was born in Romania, the native country of the infamous vampire Count Dracula, but where, for about 50 years of communist dictatorship, just speaking about God, faith, reincarnation or paranormal phenomena could have led someone to great trouble - the psychiatric hospital if not to prison.
            Teacher of English and German in her native country and mother of two daughters, Carmen Stefanescu survived the grim years of oppression, by escaping in a parallel world, that of the books. 
            She has dreamed all her life to become a writer, but many of the things she wrote during those years remained just drawer projects. The fall of the Ceausescu’s regime in 1989 and the opening of the country to the world meant a new beginning for her. She started publishing. Poems first, and then prose. Both in English.

Author Links
 Carmen Stefanescu's Site:
                      Shadows of the Past



Publish date: 4th December 2012
Publisher: Wild Child Publishing
Genre: paranormal/light romance/light horror.
                       Blurb
Anne's relationship with her boyfriend Neil has disintegrated. After a two-year separation, they pack for a week vacation in hopes of reconciling. But fate has other plans for them.
The discovery of a bejeweled cross and ancient human bones opens a door to a new and frightening world--one where the ghost of a medieval nun named Genevieve will not let Anne rest. This new world threatens not only to ruin Anne and Neil's vacation but to end all hopes of reconciliation as Anne feels compelled to help free Genevieve's soul from its torment.
Can Anne save her relationship and help Genevieve find her eternal rest?
A touching, compelling story of tragedy, loss and the power of endless love and good magic.
The twists and turns in this paranormal tale keep the reader guessing up to the end and weave themselves together into a quest to rekindle love.

                           Excerpt 

The peal of the church bells from the abbey tower startled Genevieve. The sound added to her mounting anxiety.

The massive abbey loomed over the stone paved path.  All the nuns were at evening mass.  With a bit of luck her disappearance would go unnoticed for a few more hours. The Abbess would assume she was cleaning the toilets as ordered.

Fear skittered through Genevieve when she turned away from the abbey towards the path leading to town. Nothing stirred.  She hesitated.  Evil emanated from the forest surrounding the abbey. With a shiver, she leaned against the solid oak gates that flanked the abbey's main path. They had hidden her from detection for the past couple of hours, but how much longer would she be safe?

The mountain shadows grew thicker and closer.

She moved her weight from one leg to the other. They ached from so much standing, but she lacked the strength to return to the gardener's cottage and wait for Andrew's arrival as planned. Genevieve closed her tired eyes. The image of old Ryan, slumped dead in his chair in his cubicle, caught life in her mind and made her whole body ripple with fear.

She'd rather wait for Andrew here, outside.

Had he forgotten his promise? What if something terrible befell him during the last three days, or he had changed his mind? Why should he risk all for an ordinary nun?

Had his folks talked him into giving her up, made him see reason? Helping her out of her predicament meant a huge risk for him -- losing his family, his friends and his position among his peers. His words echoed in her mind. "I will risk everything for you, even life, if necessary."

* * * * 

"Anne, Anne, wake up. Wake up, please," the insistent voice whispered next to her ear.  The touch of a hand, on her shoulder, startled Anne.

She opened her eyes, still half between sleep and reality. Her gaze stopped on a stranger, a woman, by her side.

The moon's pale face, the only light, filtered through a small gap in the tent's entrance; yet the stranger's whole body emanated a kind of soft ray, a yellowish halo making her figure and face easy to discern.

A long, dark robe, similar to those worn by nuns in monasteries centuries ago, covered her body. No traditional headdress covered the woman's red hair, which fell loosely over her shoulders in long, heavy tendrils and continued down her chest and back.

Anne stood up and studied the intruder with open curiosity. The stranger’s wax pale face looked corpse like. Anne opened her mouth to ask her who she was. She looked Anne straight in the eyes, placed her forefinger on her lips and whispered, "Hush, come. Follow me."

Anne's eyes widened.

The woman, moving away from the sleeping bag, appeared to glide above the ground. Her bare feet didn't make a sound.

As if hypnotized, Anne followed the illuminated silhouette heading into the forest, without questioning her own actions.

An onrush of sensations unfamiliar to her followed. Dizziness and a malevolent feeling of unreality suffocated her. The presence of evil, creeping up and enveloping her, became almost palpable. Her throat turned dry, and she gasped for air.

Buy Link: Amazon
Trailer: Shadows of the Past
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6LmY-9yDl5s


Character Questions

1. Please, have a seat. Make yourself comfortable Miss...

"Genevieve. My name is Genevieve, but Sister Clementa, the Abbess,  and some of her followers call me The witch."

2. Tell me, Genevieve, where are you living?

 Genevieve ( a small sigh escapes her lips. Then she shrugs) "Well, for the moment I reside at St. Mary’s Abbey. On top of a mountain in Britain, in the...cursed forest."

3.  Do you have any schooling?

Genevieve  (nods and pats and invisible crease of her dress) "Kind  Old Bertha, who took care of me after my family perished, taught me to read and write. Not only English but also Latin. And, most important, she taught me how to prepare healing potions from plants and herbs. Perhaps that’s why the Abbess hates me so much. A peasant girl of the 13th century is dangerous if she knows more than her superiors, I think."

4. What are your worst fears or nightmare?

Genevieve (throws a shy look around her. She shivers and her voice is small) "I fear the cursed forest. This forest is responsible for what happened to my family. My father’s odd behavior, the death of my siblings. All the evil that lurks in it.

My nightmare - the Abbess, sister Clementa, who threatens me all the time with sending me to the stake. I can’t understand why she wants me out of the way."

5.  Is it anything that you secretly desire?

Genevieve (blushes and wrings her hands. Then she looks me directly in the eyes. Her voice is strong now. ) "To become Andrew’s wife and grow a family. If his family agrees....If the Abbess lets me go... If God  forgives me for giving up being a nun.....If I escape alive from the forest.... If....”
 



Thanks Carmen, for sharing and have a great summer,


Tina
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