Spotlight: Jewel of the Gods by Mary Bernsen

Jewel of the Gods
Mary Bernsen
(Beyond the Gods #2)
Published by: CTP Pulse
Publication date: December 19th 2017
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Mythology, Romance

Sold at the age of seventeen to the king of the realm, Ursula has spent the last four years serving as his submissive concubine. She has grown to love him with a fierce loyalty, but when he orders her to kill a spirited young girl, she simply cannot obey.Her master does not take defiance lightly, so Ursula must find the girl she spared and return her to the king—or lose her own head. Her search leads to the girl’s former employer, a handsome man who introduces Ursula to a world of experiences and freedoms she has never known. Though thrilling and intoxicating, she knows this new lifestyle is only temporary.She must finish her quest and return to her master…before this new, softer kind of love has her questioning everything.

Jewel of the Gods is the second novel in the fiery and passionate Beyond the Gods series by Mary Bernsen.

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Sequel to:

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EXCERPT:

Hercules clenched his jaw and balled up his fists. “Do you even hear yourself?” He raised his voice into a mocking tone. “’Poseidon doesn’t allow this. Poseidon prefers that.’ Dear Zeus, Ursula. Have you ever taken a moment to think about what you need? How much longer do you think you will be able to survive under such stifling conditions?”

Suddenly, I was overcome with a sense of shame at myself. I had never taken a step back and thought about what it must seem like to others. There was no way to defend it, either. It was as it seemed. I was my master’s pet. He cared for me, ensured I had my necessities. All he required in return was obedience.

Still, I couldn’t deny Chiron’s earlier claim, either. I had become a stranger to myself in the time I had served Poseidon. There was a time not so long ago when I had harbored fight in my heart. I had to release that independence to save my life, and one way or another Poseidon’s shelter had consumed me until I loved him for it. I hated Hercules for making me question what I had grown so comfortable with. I didn’t want any further complications at the moment.

“It does not matter.” I lifted a chin. “I’m a servant. I have no say in it.”

“You do as long as you are here.” He nodded toward the food in the center of the table. “Eat, or I will starve as well.”

Author Bio:

Mary Bernsen is a southwest Florida native currently living in North Port with her two beautiful children and a third, much larger child that she affectionately calls husband. She is the Amazon Best Selling Author of Healing The Bayou, The Ganga Shift, and Beyond the Gods series.

She also writes young adult romances under her pseudonym, M.E. Rhines.

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Teaser Reveal: The Bitterroot Inn by Devney Perry

Her past. His secrets. They have more in common than she knows.

Maisy is happily content with the life she’s built for herself and her young son in small-town Prescott, Montana. Her child is thriving, her business is growing, and her family is as close as they’ve ever been. But when a handsome stranger walks into the lobby of her motel, her simple life is swept up in a wave of affection for his gentle heart. None of those feelings can be trusted, though. She made that mistake before with another man. The man she murdered.

Hunter was a different man when he first saw Maisy Holt from afar. He took one look at her and ran in the opposite direction. But years later, he’s back in Montana and unable to keep his distance. He shouldn’t have tried to find her but he never was good at rejecting temptation. The promise of the good she could bring into his life is too hard to resist. Maybe if he can disguise the lies and hide the deceit, he can keep her from learning the truth. Because his only chance at a future with her is by burying his past.

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About the Author

Devney lives in Montana with her husband and two children. After working in the technology industry for nearly a decade, she abandoned conference calls and project schedules to enjoy a slower pace at home with her kids. She loves reading and, after consuming hundreds of books, decided to share her own stories.

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Sale: FIRE ON ICE Boxed set by Brenda Rothert

If you haven't checked out the Fire on Ice series, for a limited time you can grab it for only .99! Sweet deal right? Read on to learn about Brenda's series! 

This series has five full-length novels about hot hockey stars and the women who steal their hearts.

Bound 

College senior Kate Camden has learned to adapt - to her last year of school, to the promise of motherhood, to the fact that she’s doing it all alone. But just when she’s learned to adjust, heartache threatens to break her apart. 

Pro hockey player Jason “Ryke” Ryker has it all: adoring fans, a promising career, and a beautiful wife. But when his seemingly perfect life is shaken by tragedy, he’s left questioning whether having it all is ever more than an illusion.

When circumstance brings Kate and Ryke together, they discover they don’t have to hurt alone. Bound by a grief that haunts them both, they must rely on one another to survive heartbreak. But that grief is more powerful than they realize, and the tie that binds them together may ultimately tear them apart.

Captive 

Two years ago, Jason and Kate Ryker were brought together by grief and bound to one another by love. Now married, they’re confronting their fears together.

But heartbreak finds them again, and the ties that bind Kate and Ryke are tested as she struggles against fear and sadness. As a grief counselor, Kate understands all too well the pain of her clients. And while her husband’s career as an NHL forward is at an all-time high, he’s coping with the frustration of feeling powerless as his wife's hopes slip away.

Edge 

One bad hit has left the career of young NHL Center Luke Hudson in question. When he arrives for rehab with a minor league team, his injury has robbed him of the edge that made him great.

Team trainer Adella Price’s job is to help Luke get back in peak condition. But their one on one sessions shake her resolve to remain unattached. Dell is hands-off to all hockey players, even one as charming and successful as Luke. 

As Luke starts to get ahold of his game again, he loses his grip on his heart. Helping Luke get his edge back brings to light what Dell is missing from her life. But those who want them apart are relentless, and with their careers on the line, Luke and Dell must decide if their love is worth risking it all.

Drive

Years of training are about to pay off for hockey player Nikola Vereshkova. A call to play in the big league means he can finally come through for those who need him. His relocation to Chicago comes with built-in friends – and one gorgeous enemy who was less than impressed with him after their first encounter.
Sadie Alexander knows all about the drastic measures men will take just to get laid. She’s not only experienced it first-hand, but lived to tell about it in her online column, Sadie Says. And even though she’s a die-hard independent woman on the outside, the recent marriage of her best friend has her secretly feeling more alone than ever. 
Getting close to a foul-mouthed Russian hockey heartthrob was the last thing Sadie expected. And the timing couldn’t be worse since she’s sworn off of men for a writing assignment. The line between love and hate is eroding, and Niko and Sadie find themselves in deeper than they ever expected. Could something that started out wrong end up being just right? 

Release 

NHL player Orion Caldwell protects his own. He’s an enforcer to his core, but he was the one left defenseless when his longtime girlfriend broke his heart. Now he’s all about his game, but spending the offseason in his hometown forces him to confront painful issues –both old and new.

Samara Cross just wants to be invisible. After living a nightmare, she came back to her hometown seeking solace. But her quiet life is upturned by the hot, charismatic hockey player who’s taken a sudden interest in her.

Orion and Samara find something unexpected in each other, but when the hockey offseason ends, so does their time together. They struggle with their separation, confronted by ghosts of the past and an uncertain future, discovering that sometimes the only way to hold on.

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Spotlight: Where Lives Lead by Gabrielle F. Culmer

Where Lives Lead is a contemporary tale of love and sacrifice as different paths attempt to unite.

Mindy and Blaine enjoy a life of marital bliss in upstate New York.  The fire is still lit on their marriage as they still experience romantic dates in the Hamptons, however, Mindy realizes that she wants more and that is to start a family.

She manages to chase this desire regardless, while planning a gala with her favorite charity and opening a new design school in New York.

Blaine has many projects on the horizon including the acquisition of a new hotel out west and the family business, but the most important will enable a new cast to arrive in Crystal Shores. He is expanding to the film and entertainment market in addition to his hospitality empire. A venture which requires the expertise of his mother, Harriett, and an avant garde writer, Genevieve, who grasps the essence of the Shores and results in a promising project. Mindy decides to support his dreams with conditions.

Will Blaine find the time to help Mindy realize her dreams now that he is more successful? Or will a move to the west coast delay their plans? Wherever their lives may lead all directions still point to the serenity of his first development and Crystal Shores.  

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About the Author

Gabrielle F. Culmer is a lawyer and has received degrees from universities in New York, Chicago and the United Kingdom. She is also the author of four previous novels, including "Arrive by Dusk," and "Restoring Patterns" and two collections of poetry, including, "Glenely Bay and Nostalgia from Paris." In her spare time, she enjoys traveling to Europe and New York, and riding horses.
 
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Read an excerpt from Renegade Cowboy by Sara Richardson

Cassidy Greer knows that cowboys are nothing but trouble. But when her childhood crush comes riding into town, she starts to have second thoughts. Levi's a world-class bull rider now, and more handsome than ever. It's a good thing she's headed out of town soon or she just might be tempted.... 

As a famous rodeo star, Levi Cortez could have his pick of any woman on the circuit. But when he reconnects with Cassidy, sweet memories come rushing back. Levi knows Cass doesn't want to get roped into a relationship. Not with a cowboy. The only question is, can he convince her he's more than just a renegade cowboy before the summer's over?

Excerpt

Gazing into her eyes, Levi stepped back and pulled his T-shirt up and over his head and then dropped it on the ground.

She did her best not to react, but her eyes widened and her lips parted. He was exquisite. Lean muscle, chiseled detail, broad chest and pecs. The sight was even better than the pictures that were plastered everywhere online. “I thought they’d airbrushed you.”

His head tilted. “Say what?”

“Those pictures they’re always posting on the Internet. Of you without…um…your…um…shirt,” she stammered, suddenly embarrassed to admit she’d been gawking at him for the past six years. Though with that body of his, it was kind of hard not to.

“You thought they Photoshopped me?” he repeated in mock disbelief.

“Well, yeah.” She thought they did that to everyone. She eyed his chest again. Apparently they didn’t have to with Levi Cortez.

He inched closer, the look on his face almost predatory. “You looked at pictures of me online?”

“Darla forced me to.” Staring at hot men online was one of her friend’s favorite pastimes. Of course, she’d looked him up on her own a few times too. Only to see his stats on the circuit, of course. Not that he should be privy to that information.

“Did you like what you saw?” he asked in a husky voice.

One of her shoulders lifted in a pathetically weak shrug. “Kind of.”

He inched closer. “Do you like what you see now?”

Her gaze trailed down his body. Before she knew what she was doing, her hand brushed his chest and worked its way down his abs. “Mmm- hmmm.”

“Want to see more?” He kicked off his boots, and his hands went to his silver belt buckle.

Whoa. She blinked hard. Wait a minute. Was he stripping? She shook herself awake. “We can’t go skinny- dipping!” She backed away from him, nearly tripping over the chair in the process.

He unclasped his belt. “Why not?”

“Well…” Staring at his chest, she struggled to come up with one logical reason. Rational thought, rational thought…there had to be one in there somewhere. “What if someone else shows up?” Like Dev? “It’s indecent exposure.”

Levi laughed. “It’s private property. No one will show up. Lucas and Naomi hardly ever leave the house anymore, and Lance and Jessa are in Denver for the night.” He pulled her into his arms. “So it’s just you and me, baby.” 

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About the Author

Sara Richardson grew up chasing adventure in Colorado’s rugged mountains. She’s climbed to the top of a 14,000-foot peak at midnight, swam through Class IV rapids, completed her wilderness first-aid certification, and spent seven days at a time tromping through the wilderness with a thirty-pound backpack strapped to her shoulders.

Eventually, Sara did the responsible thing and got an education in writing and journalism. After five years in the corporate writing world, she stopped ignoring the voices in her head and started writing fiction. Now, she uses her experience as a mountain adventure guide to write stories that incorporate adventure with romance. Still indulging her adventurous spirit, Sara lives and plays in Colorado with her saint of a husband and two young sons. Her first contemporary romance, No Better Man, was released by Grand Central forever 2015.

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Spotlight: Long Dance Home by Julie Mayerson Brown

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Cece Camden has a plan—for work, for love, for life—and she believes she is right on track. But on her 29th birthday, her grand plan begins to unravel, and the disciplined, former ballerina’s life is turned upside down. Newly unemployed and devastated to learn she and her boyfriend are not on the same page, Cece returns to Clearwater, her hometown in Northern California wine country, hoping to find comfort for her broken heart with her family. Being back in Clearwater only adds to her stress, however, when she reluctantly agrees to help rescue a small-town production of The Nutcracker. Having once been the ballerina that would make Clearwater famous, Cece’s return attracts attention, inspires gossip, and forces her to examine a decision she made years before at the most vulnerable time of her life. As old wounds are opened and secrets revealed, long-held beliefs about Cece’s childhood are challenged, leading her to question everything she thought she knew about family, love, and herself. As Cece struggles to accept the truth, she lets go of one dream and discovers a new one, opening her heart to a purpose and a future she had never imagined.

About Julie Mayerson Brown

I am blessed to live on the beautiful Palos Verdes Peninsula, an oasis just outside of Los Angeles, with my family, three dogs, and hundreds of wild peacocks. I could say writing was my “first love,” as I’ve been telling stories to myself as long as I can remember. But sometimes we take a circuitous route toward self-discovery. It was not until I left the workforce to become an at-home mom that I discovered what I was meant to be. Something struck, and I decided, “I am a writer!” But saying I was one did not make me become one. Only years of hard work and dedication can do that. I began by writing and publishing humorous essays based on the antics of my two young sons and on my successes and failures as a mother. They were busy years: by the time both boys were in school, I had become a founding member of a non-profit organization dedicated to protecting children and teens from abuse and exploitation. I served on the board and worked as an educator for the next fifteen years. All the while, I wrote whenever I could carve a few free minutes into my day. Time flew by, as time does, and before I knew it my sons could drive and make their own sandwiches. As I became increasingly irrelevant to their day-to-day survival, I took steps to fulfill my dream of becoming a full-time writer. It’s been a journey, to say the least, replete with countless rejections and a few wonderful wins. Writing gives me tremendous joy. My hope is that with every book, readers find something they’re looking for, something they need, something that inspires and uplifts. Most of all, I hope my readers are captivated by the stories I tell and will fall in love with the characters I create.

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