Book Tour for Dark Shadow by Stephanie Burkhart (Review & GIVEAWAY)

As a fan of sci-fi I'm happy to again be hosting Stephanie Burkhart with her newest release, Dark Shadow.  Keep reading to get an exciting taste of this story along with my impressions of it.  Make sure to leave a comment too telling us who your favorite sci-fi couple is for the chance to win a $25 Amazon GC!

The TPP have developed a new destructive weapon and intend to test it on the Borealis Space Station. Helios Talon, a Rebellion freedom fighter from Pith, is dispatched to the station to discover the extent of the weapon's development and stop it if necessary. He's also given a personal mission from his sister, Persephone: keep Vivian Melendez, the owner of Korn, safe from an unknown assassin.

Helios and his cousin, Athena, arrive on the Borealis and discover the TPP are ready to test the weapon. He's got to act fast, but when Helios meets Vivian, distractions complicate his plan. Can he overcome his challenges and save not only the feisty Vivian, but the station, too?

EXCERPT:

He cupped her cheek and felt his mind connect with her again.
"I'm not ashamed to work for the Rebellion. The TPP are ruthless and careless with life. The Rebellion is growing and soon it will be strong enough to overtake the TPP."
"I can't deny the conviction I hear in your voice."
"When I believe in something or someone, I'm in one hundred percent. It wasn't easy growing up on Pith, then watching the TPP rape my world. They killed my parents."
"That's your reason for being a rebel?"
"No, my motivation. I still have relatives on Pith. I still want to live there when the fighting is all over."
He quieted and offered her a wistful smile.
"Anything else you want?"
"A family of my own one day."
She paused. At one point in time she had wanted that, too. The knots lessened in her stomach. Helios drew close. Impulse took over. His lips skirted hers. His warm breath and spicy scent made her feel protected. Vivian leaned against him. Her lips brushed against his. He tasted of honey and berries -- and chocolate. The seductive sample he offered fueled her body, urging her to savor and enjoy.
She placed her palms flat against his muscled chest and her heart skipped a beat. She never felt so safe, so wanted.
Then reality struck. This was only a moment. She wasn't TPP or a rebel. Her home was here with Sally and Korn. Adonis sounded like he wanted more than she could offer, and Benares was not going to ruin her life again.
She pushed Helios away and broke off the sweet, heartwarming kiss, but discovered she was breathless and couldn't look away from him. Adonis managed to confuse the heck out of her.

BUY LINKS:  DESERT BREEZE PUBLISHING  |  AMAZON  |  BN  |  ARe  |  SONY

MY IMPRESSIONS OF THIS BOOK:

In under 80 pages Ms. Burkhart has crafted an exciting and fast-paced story full of intrigue and romance between two compelling and strong-willed characters.  As this story starts the rebellion is still underway as the TPP amps up their plans to crush them using chemical weaponry.  Their first test site is the space station Borealis' lower decks where the lower class live which brings a ragtag group together to stop the heinous plan.

Vivian considers the space station her home and just wants to run her bar with as few fights between patrons as possible while hiding from a man from her past who left her scarred both inside and out.  The only things she cares about are her bar, her cat, and chocolate....until the day she meets the intriguing Helios, who tries to take her bar.  The sparks fly as they ultimately put aside their quarrel to work together to stop the TPP in a life and death fight that puts both of them in jeopardy.  Vivian's an immensely likable heroine with her straight-forward nature and ability to stick up for herself.  She might seem hard-hearted but has a hidden soft side seen when with Sally the space cat.  Her attraction to Helios is immediate though she tries to fight it and from that moment on their burgeoning relationship is full of sexual tension and a deepening connection that has them standing side by side in their fight against the TPP.

Helios is a quiet but strong-willed hero who hates to show the weakness that the different air in this environment causes him.  He deals with his disability admirably and realistically and I enjoyed the subtle wooing he acts on with Vivian.  He's smart and imbued with otherworldly abilities that help him in his fight against the TPP.  He and Vivian are very similar in nature as they both long for a family which has him doing whatever it takes to keep her safe from the man who has returned to hurt her again along with many others as he aids the TPP.

Ms. Burkhart vividly depicts this gritty sci-fi world and all its wonders.  The different technologies and otherworldly abilities are seamlessly incorporated into this fast-paced storyline that keeps you guessing as to who's on the side of good and bad.  The main characters are likable with a romance that smoulders while putting a smile on your face.  The secondary characters are equally strong and colorful with storylines that are just starting.  Though this is part of a series it can be read on its own as it nicely wraps up the story between Helios and Vivian while leaving some things hanging to keep you coming back for more.  Not having read the other installments in this series did leave me a bit lost as to the overall issues between the TPP and the rebellion, but that didn't make it any less enjoyable as this story was exciting enough on its own to keep me fully immersed in the action and looking forward to Ms. Burkhart's next book.  

My rating for this is a B+

*I received this book from the author for reiew in exchange for my honest opinion.

AUTHOR INFO:

Stephanie Burkhart is a 911 dispatcher for LAPD.  She was born and raised in Manchester, New Hampshire.  After serving 11 years in the US Army she currently calls Castaic, California her home. Stephanie was married in Denmark in 1991 and has two young sons. She adores chocolate, is addicted to coffee and enjoys early morning walks.  She's also an assistant den leader for her son's Cub Scout den and is a Boy Scout mom. She writes paranormal, contemporary, and steampunk romance and has two children's books published with 4RV Publishing.

WEBSITE:  http://www.stephanieburkhart.com
TWITTER:  http://twitter.com/StephBurkhart
FACEBOOK:  https://www.facebook.com/StephanieBurkhartAuthor
GOODREADS:  http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4031660.Stephanie_Burkhart
YOUTUBE CHANNEL:  http://www.youtube.com/user/botrina?feature=mhee
PINTEREST:  http://pinterest.com/sgburkhart/

**********GIVEAWAY**********

Prize is a $25 Amazon GC!

-To be entered, LEAVE A COMMENT TELLING US YOUR FAVORITE SCI-FI COUPLE, along with your email addy (no email=no entry).

-Winners will be chosen randomly from all comments made throughout the tour, so the more you comment the greater your chances of winning.  A list of all participating blogs can be found here.

-Giveaway ends at 11:59 PM CST on 4/4!