The Bloodgate Guardian by Joely Sue Burkhart

The Bloodgate Guardian

Joely Sue Burkhart

Carina Press

Worlds within worlds await through the Maya Bloodgate...

Dr. Jaid Merritt doesn't do digs. The last time she ventured into the jungle, someone died. Now she's content to decipher Maya glyphs from pictures sent to her by her famous archaeologist father. But when he goes missing while trying to perform a ritual based on her translations of an ancient codex, Jaid must put aside her fears and travel to Guatemala to find him.
After misusing the Bloodgates to bring his twin brother back from the afterlife, the Maya priest known as Ruin was cursed by the gods to stand as the guardian for all time. He was unable to stop Dr. Charles Merritt from opening the gates, and now demons roam this world. The last thing he wants to do is hurt the beautiful woman who is somehow infused with his magic, but if she uses the codex to retrieve her father, Ruin must do his duty. And this time, he won't fail. Even if it kills him. Again.



Joely Sue Burkhart introduces us to all of the various demons of Mayan beliefs. With the approach of the Mayan prophesied end of the world looming, many have sought to explore this topic. But Joely Sue Burkhart’s is unusually unique as to the ultimate outcome. She writes a tale with no-nonsense dialogue that gets very descriptive as our Ruin and Jade explore the many Mayan levels of Hell.

Ruin is a Mayan priest from the beginning of the religion whose ultimate sacrifice is love. He loved his twin brother so much, he violated the rules of the Bloodgate to bring him back from death. Not, I might add, a good thing to do. Now he is cursed by the Gods to forever guard the portal. But he is drawn to this woman who comes in search for her father, the scientist who has violated the portal.

Dr. Jade Merritt is the image of the child of a famous parent: always in the shadows of her parent's fame. But she has some difficult phobias to overcome too. She is deathly afraid of the jungle, but determined to find her father, even if it means she must face her fears head on. She is a strong and intelligent woman, determined to do what she must for her father’s safe return.

The happy ever after in this one is hard won, but satisfying. This has an edge of your seat tension, and you spend much of the book holding your breath. The secondary characters are mostly demons and are unbelievably evil, but she uses her imagination to bring these beings to chilling reality. Yes, the loves scenes are few in number, but Ms. Burkhart uses her words to best advantage, with passion and touching emotions.

Do Over by Mari Carr Romance Done Perfect

Do Over

Mari Carr

Carina Press

October 4, 2010

As her twenty-fifth anniversary approaches, Faith is caught up in the onset of empty nest syndrome, seeing both of her children off to college. She isn’t unhappy, but she feels like something is changing, and she isn’t sure yet if it is a good type of change. A visit to her home town with her husband seems to be an okay idea, but she isn’t prepared for the week-end that her loving husband Troy has set up to celebrate their lives together. Faith never knew that beneath the surface, her man was what every woman dreams of, and she finds out how much more there is to her man.



Mari Carr has written a beautiful and touching love story. Actually, it is a reaffirmation of a love that touches the soul of the reader and brings an emotional reaction to each and every occasion this couple reclaim to strengthen a love that was already beautiful to behold.



Ms Carr has a talent for creating characters that are real and three-dimensional. Troy and Faith are the couple next door, the best friends you knew back in high school, and the couple you most wanted to be like. This is not some flash in the pan quickie romance, and they are people who have been down the road of rough breaks, and came out stronger for it. I loved that they aren’t perfect: Faith admits she isn’t the slim size eight she had been when they married, and Troy shows his age as well. But these are real people, with real emotions and feelings, and I loved the honesty and caring that they shared.



The surprises the Troy has planned to show Faith his deep and abiding love are such thoughtful and caring ones. You can see that these are well thought out, drawing on memories of shared events, and that makes them all the more special to see. With a man like Troy beside her, it looks like Faith will get a happily ever after that will last for both of their lifetimes.

Moira Rogers' & Vivian Arend's Fall Frenzy Event

Win a copy of A Safe Harbor by Moira Rogers!
Find out how it all began...
During the bite of the Great Depression, sole female dominant Joan Fuller struggles against the rise of cruelty among her alpha counterparts. The men tolerate her interference--until she breaks from the pack and allies with a witch and a vampire. Now the Boston alpha intends to bring them all forcibly back into the fold--and teach her a lesson she may not survive.
Seamus Whelan and his werewolf bootleggers intend to retire from smuggling and savor their fortune, but first they must do a favor for an old friend: escort some female wolves to safety. An easy job, if their leader wasn't a prim ex-debutante with enough power to challenge Seamus himself. Chance makes them allies; powerful need makes them lovers.
Together, they have the opportunity to build a sanctuary for their kind, but first they must free themselves from Joan's past, and the powerful man who would see her destroyed.

Leave a comment for a chance to win a digital copy of A Safe Harbor!

This contest is a part of Moira Rogers' & Vivian Arend's Fall Frenzy Event. For your chance to win books, gift certificates, ereaders and more, visit

http://www.moirarogers.com/contests/

CONTEST ENDS: October 14, 2010 11:59 PM 


Please leave your  email address so I can get the book to you
The winner will be selected using the True Random Number Generator from RANDOM.ORG.

Good Luck Everyone!!!

Twenty Days of Enchantment

 

From August 16th to September 7th Anya Bast is giving away a book every day (except Sundays) on her blog. Check back every day for your chance to win. The contests for the daily giveaways and the grand prizes are open to international entrants. These giveaways are void where prohibited. There will be books from Elizabeth Naughton, Ann Aguirre, Beth Kery, Lauren Dane and Cynthia Eden (just to name a few).


The Grand Prize – $75 gift certificate to Barnes & Noble.

Runner-Up Prize – A big box of books, bath goodies, chocolate and other surprises.


For more, go to
http://www.anyabast.com/blog/



.

Review-Two From Korossos

Two From Korossos
Sierra Dafoe
Under the  Moon

The fight--if such it could be called--lasted all of fifteen heartbeats. Five to stride from the champion’s den, up the tunnel and onto the blazing sands of the grudge pit. Four to size up the massive Southron fighter who waited, dark and oiled and confident, naked but for a garish orange loincloth, a sword, and two throwing knives strapped to his bulging thighs. One to nod to his adversary as custom dictated; one to sway left as the first knife flew past; one to knock the second from the air; two to close the distance between them, lean away from the Southron’s vicious swipe--and one bring Karkaran whistling down.

Reading the blurb above, you might be expecting a story of fighting and battles. Looking at the name Sierra Dafoe, you might be expecting a hot and sexy story. You would be wrong on both counts. This is pure fantasy, and I enjoyed it very much. It is a story of good versus evil, and one of family love and loyalty. It is a story that deals with the love a brother has for his sister, and what he will endure to protect and save her. It is a side of Sierra Dafoe one doesn't often see, but one well worth getting to know.

The characters in this short story are rich in depth and I found that I liked them very much. There is Salnath of the Sword, Champion of the Grudge Pit. He is undefeated for all of the time he has spent fighting Lord Khren's battles. Salnath is honorable, and thinks he will be treated the same. When he tries to "retire" from the pit, Khren tricks him into one last fight, all or nothing. But Salnath discovers, too late, that he is too trusting.

Then there is Myrra, Salnath's older sister, probably the only person in the world who can get away with calling this massive warrior by his childhood nickname of "Sally" and live. Myrra is the strong older sister, with the intelligence and cunning needed to free her brother from the evil Lord Khren. I enjoyed watching how her mind worked, bending knowledge to her advantage.  With a bit of help from some new found friends, things get really interesting around Myrra. Does Myrra defeat Lord Khren and free Salnath?  With restraint, I will just suggest that you read this and enjoy it for yourself.

Possess Me Release Contest

Possess Me
R.G. Alexander


POSSESS ME is coming out in 5 days! R. G. has decided to have yet another contest. (For those wondering about the others, go to www.smutketeers.com where we are celebrating a week of obsession and possession with author friends and prizes)

R. G. will be giving away all four of her COG series. All print-all signed AND a signed copy of POSSESS ME to two lucky winners.




What you have to do

Visit Smutketeers and post

Spread the word about Possess Me release and post at R.G. 's blog

See if you can find a pic of Bone Daddy (this last one is not mandatory lol- just curious)

The Prize?
 

 
Winner announced August 4th.

A New Sierra Dafoe Book-At Last!!!! Life's A Beach Now Out at Changeling Press

Life's A Beach

Sierra Dafoe

Changeling Press

Life's a bitch, so far as beautiful biochemist Lily McKinney is concerned. You work hard, and then you die. And even if you do find a man to fall in love with, he breaks your heart. Now she's determined to discover the biochemical causes of that sticky, confusing emotion called love -- so she can make sure she never has to feel it again.

But when she's shipped off unwillingly to Myrtle Beach for three weeks' vacation, Lily learns she knows even less about life -- and love -- than she thought, as the carnal attentions of two handsome strangers teach her that not even the world's greatest scientists can unravel the mysteries of the human heart.


First off, I want to say-Welcome Back, Sierra!!! And what a way to return! This is a fantastic and fun book-a short but extremely HOT read. I love the character development here. Just when you think Lily will get three weeks of peace, quiet and much needed relaxation, what should happen but the appearance at her borrowed Myrtle Beach hideaway of not one, but two amazing men. And the way she first sees them goes way beyond hot, believe me. What could be hotter than secretly spying on  an Adonis of a man swimming naked, you ask? Why, watching two sinfully hot guys, both naked, swimming in the moonlight and pleasuring each other in the pool. This is enough to recommend the book in itself, but when these two gang up to give Lily more pleasure than she has ever felt, the heat goes through the roof.

I love Lily. She has been burned, and isn't looking to repeat the process. Her life is devoted to finding a scientific explanation for "love" and all that it entails, and after two years, she is so tense and uptight, she is ready to snap. I enjoyed watching her finally let loose on her forced vacation. I fell in love with Alec and Tyler: Alec for his humor and spontaneity, and Tyler for his sensitive and caring side that was finally able to break through to Lily.

This is the perfect summer short read, and I made the mistake of reading it at work on my lunch break. It was wonderful, but scenes kept drifiting through my head the rest of the day, distracting me: on second thought that is a very good thing.