REVIEW: HEART OF ETERNITY

Heart of Eternity

When you are invited to dance with the muse of love, when you are driven to the edge by the pain of the past, when you hold the remedy for what ails you in your arms you will find yourself in the heart of eternity. Set in the Blue Mountain's town of Blackheath in New South Wales, Australia, the novel Heart of Eternity introduces two very different characters, Jay and Naida, who encounter each other at a challenging time in each of their lives. Their individual expressions of the feelings they provoke in each other give rise to a turmoil that could ultimately claim their lives. When two people understand so deeply the pain each other has faced will it force them into the abyss of darkness or will their combined need for healing allow love to enter both their hearts?

Review

Naida is a very physically sick woman with a great deal of faith and a spiritual healer like her famous uncle. She has run from her father and the medical treatment she needs in hopes of healing herself with her own soul-deep powers of healing. Her uncle sees a great capacity to be as good as he is, but Naida has a vision that stops her in her tracks, a dark demon-like entity with green eyes in need of her guidance.

Enter Jay. Jay's life has been full of pain and sorrow. Unfortunately, he's let his inner demons rule his life and ruin every chance of happiness. When he meets Naida, he finds someone who refuses to give up on him and insists on guiding him back to the the light. Learning to control and master his demons and dark side is no small feet. Can he do it in time to save Naida?

This book has some very interesting spiritual concepts. The language is very descriptive without being excessively flowery. There's sweet romance and doggedly determined love. This would make a very safe work read or poolside companion. However, the pace is on the slow side. It takes a diligent reader who understands the ending is worth the wait. Don't expect a lot of action and fast paced sequences with our resident bad boy Jay. He's naughty, to be sure, bu the redeems himself very nicely in the end. I'm giving Heart of Eternity three and a half stars. The pacing is the only reason I'm NOT giving it four.

Excerpt

Soft lines of emotion crossed his forehead as he turned and looked into her eyes one last time, confused as to why she seemed so familiar and all the more frustrated at his own dark side for not breaking out in front of her. Jay forced himself not to look back, to pretend as if Naidah had never existed, and to be cold and alone again just the way he liked it. He disappeared eventually, basking in the heat of his own hell.

But Naidah stood there as if she’d been waiting her whole life for him. Her soulful eyes locked on his every move, craning her neck as far as she could to lock his towering frame in her eyes forever, feeling her breath stop as distance grew between them, wanting to reach over but not being able to move an inch, the distant recesses of space pulling Jay infinitely away from her till he vanished from her sight. A sharp and tangible pain ridged between her heart and ripped away her soul. She caressed the folds of his jacket. The feeling flooded her with his scent. It was engulfing. Crouching down where Jay was standing a minute ago, Naida cupped the sand up in her palm and held it there as if trying to confirm the veracity of his existence, to tell the difference between her vision and reality.

All that happened afterwards was a mere blur for Naida; Eva’s shout, the lifeguard’s queries, the crowd eyeing her drenched body with curiosity, murmuring conjectures. Everything gyrated around her in full swing but she stood there, unmoving… unnerved.

The sand in her palm slowly slipped away in the wind and took her with it and the only part that ever remained there was the one that did not belong to her anymore…it belonged to him…

About the Author

N. Jay, found the inspiration of her romance novel Heart of Eternity in her own life history and folklore---- By drawing on the power of her personal experiences, she has created characters whose desires are circumscribed by the landscapes and pasts they can no longer escape. Coming from a culturally diverse background, N. Jay received an M.A. in Literature in 2009 and teaches in the areas of comparative literature, composition, and language pedagogy. Currently, she resides in Dubai, UAE, with her husband and two year old daughter. N. Jay finds the internal world of human beings to be a constant source of fascination and loves the more emotionally laden side of life.

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REVIEW: VENICE IN THE MOONLIGHT BY ELIZABETH MCKENNA

Blurb:

A Story of Vengeance, Forgiveness, and Love

Considered useless by his cold-hearted father, Nico Foscari, eldest son of one of the founding families in Venice, hides his pain behind gambling, drinking and womanizing.

After her husband’s untimely demise, Marietta Gatti returns to her hometown of Venice in hopes of starting a new life and finding the happiness that was missing in her forced marriage.

When Fate throws them together, friendship begins to grow into love until Marietta learns a Foscari family secret that may have cost her father his life. Now, she must choose between vengeance, forgiveness, and love.

Elizabeth McKenna’s latest novel takes you back to eighteenth century Carnival, where lovers meet discreetly, and masks make everyone equal.

Links:

Venice in the Moonlight Ebook: $.99 (US) at Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Venice in the Moonlight Paperback: $6.99 (US) at CreateSpace and Amazon

Cera's Place E-book: $.99 (US) at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, Apple, Kobo, Sony and Diesel.

Cera's Place Paperback: $10.99 (US) at CreateSpace, Amazon and Infibeam.com.  

The Gypsy Casts a Spell (short story): Available for free.

“Like” Elizabeth McKenna and Cera’s Place on Facebook

Reveiw:

When we start out, our heroine is very much married to the sort of man you cheer for when he dies, a  wife-abusing,  philandering, drunk. His mother is distant and cold-hearted. You really feel for Marietta. With her husband's death, Marietta finds herself an abandoned widow. The evil that is Marietta's mother-in-law barely lets her son's grave go cold before she tosses our heroine out without any arrangements. She demonic hag even burns Marietta's paintings. Once Marietta returns to Venice, she finds her father murdered, a letch chasing after her, and a lack of friends. Will her troubles never cease to end?

I really enjoyed reading this book. The descriptions were very provocative. Everything from the costumes to the deep emotional loss Marietta experiences show McKenna's writing range. The twists and turns made it a real page turner. I even became upset when I realized I left my Kindle at home one day and wouldn't get to see what happened next! Even though our hero doesn't start off as much of a hero, you find you want Nico to become a better person, to be the sort of man Marietta deserves. The only thing missing is watching that monstrous mother-in-law getting taken down a few pegs. That would have been the only thing that would have made the ending better, although Marietta is a true lady and would never do such a thing.

This book is suitable for a wide range of romance enthusiasts. The language and situations are tame enough for this be a good work read. You don't have to worry about anyone looking over your shoulder. Need a good read for that carpool line at school? No problem. This story will make you wish you could wait a few more minutes before the kids climb into the car. I'm giving this one a full 5 stars!

About the Author: 

 

Elizabeth McKenna works as a full-time technical writer/editor for a large software company. Though her love of books reaches back to her childhood, she had never read romance novels until one Christmas when her sister gave her the latest bestseller by Nora Roberts. She was hooked from page one (actually, she admits it was the first love scene). She had always wanted to write fiction, so when a psychic told her she would write a book, she felt obligated to give it a try. She combined her love of history, romance and a happy ending to write her debut novel Cera's Place. Her short story, The Gypsy Casts a Spell, is available for free on her website http://elizabethmckenna.com/. She hopes you will enjoy her latest novel, Venice in the Moonlight, as much as others have enjoyed her previous works.

Elizabeth lives in Wisconsin with her understanding husband, two beautiful daughters, and sassy Labrador. When she isn't writing, working, or being a mom, she's sleeping.

Excerpt: 

Nico shrugged in the French wingback chair they had placed by the fireplace for his portrait. He looked regal in a black silk suit trimmed in gold and a waistcoat of burgundy and gold leaf-patterned brocade. It seemed Raul had excellent taste in men’s fashions.

Marietta rolled her eyes before she settled in a chair behind the easel. “Please keep still while I draw.”

“May I talk?”

“I’d rather you didn’t.” Looking at him was going to be enough distraction. She didn’t need to listen to him also.

He ignored her request. “I have to ask—why Palladino?”

Marietta blew out an exasperated breath. “I can’t sketch you properly if you talk.”

“You could have chosen any man at the Consul’s villa. Casanova himself expressed interest in you, yet you leave with that pig.”

“It’s not what you think.” She compared her drawing to Nico and frowned. His shoulders were no longer in the same position.

“You didn’t have to suffer the man’s dismal lovemaking. What were you thinking?”

“We did not make love,” she replied through clenched teeth.

He continued as if not hearing her. “You’re the first woman in years that he didn’t have to pay, though he would never admit to his need for courtesans. I just don’t understand how you could find him appealing.”

“We did not make love.” She practically shouted it this time. “I’m not attracted to Palladino or any other man for that matter.”

This silenced him, gratefully, but only for a few moments. “Well, in that case, I know of a few courtesans that can accommodate you. I am told they are quite beautiful and skilled.”

Marietta threw down her charcoal and marched over to him. She grabbed his shoulders and repositioned him. “That is not what I meant and you know it.”

He smiled up at her innocently. “I didn’t mean to offend you, but you have refused my charms, so what should I think?”

She glared at him for her own benefit, knowing it would have no effect on the man. “You need to stop talking and moving.”

When he didn’t respond, she said, “That’s better.”

He lasted almost fifteen minutes. “So, what kind of man are you attracted to? Perhaps, I could suggest a few potential lovers.”

“How about one who has fewer conquests than fingers and toes? Or one that values honesty and fidelity over all else? Do you know any like that?”

From the thoughtful look on his face, he took this as an earnest question. “I’m afraid a man like that will be hard to find in Venice, especially this time of year.”

“Well, then, I guess I’ll have to go without.”

“How depressing. What will you do for amusement if you don’t take a lover?”

Marietta rubbed at her temples and decided she deserved more than the coins she’d already been paid. “There’s more to life than pleasuring oneself.”

“Really?”

“Yes, Signore, really.” She placed her stub of charcoal on the easel’s tray and rolled the stiffness from her neck and shoulders. “That is all for today. I have another appointment.” It was a lie, but she felt the need to rest and the bed in the corner was tempting her tired body.