The Door to Forever by Shirley Martin ~ What Reviewers Are Saying
Land of Magic Book 2
As a teenager, Kaylee suffered an attempted sexual assault. now a woman, she vows she’ll avoid the opposite sex. When her dreams take her to an alternate world, a land of peace and harmony, she wishes she could stay in this world. There, a psychic with a crystal ball tells her she will find love, for he sees a man reaching out to her. He tells her she must learn to trust men. Kaylee has no idea who this man is, and she knows she can never put her faith in a man. The memory from her teenage years is too painful. Then she meets Logan. Will he be the man to change her mind?
World-weary and cynical, Logan declares a respite from women. When he meets Kaylee, he knows she is a woman like no other. His head tells him to stay away from her, but his heart refuses to listen.
Kaylee’s search for happiness takes her to another world.
Reviews
“Alabama author Shirley Martin was born in Pennsylvania, graduated from the University of Pittsburgh, taught school for one year, then changed her career to that of a flight attendant with Eastern Air Lines based in Miami. Her impressive output embraces romance novels of all types including historical, fantasy and even vampire tales!”
“It isn’t often that an author can offer so many seeds of thought in the opening paragraphs of a novel that grow and bloom as naturally as Shirley allows in this fine little romance: some of the hints are so subtle that it is only on reflection after finishing this little novel that they become obvious! ‘Arrived home after a busy day at Joe’s Midtown Grille, Kaylee Mackenzie parked her car and got out. Home was a basement apartment she rented from a widow who lived upstairs. Walking down the outside steps to her place, she caught the sweet scent of honeysuckle, a sure sign of spring. An occasional car went by on this quiet street near Birmingham, Alabama. In the late evening darkness, Kaylee unlocked her door. Her mind teemed with present regrets and future plans. Was this how she wanted to spend the rest of her life, waiting on tables, after graduating cum laude from an elite eastern university with a major in philosophy? She wanted to make her parents proud of her. Face it, she scolded herself. It was stupid of you to major in philosophy when you surely must have known that it wouldn’t lead to any future. And after the fortune her parents had spent! She vowed she’d reimburse them some day, but how? She thought about her restaurant job, her stomach knotting. Someone at the restaurant was sabotaging her work. Just today, a customer had complained that his chicken soup tasted sugary. Oh, she knew it sounded crazy, and if she told anyone, she’d be laughed at. But there had been other such incidents lately. Sooner or later–-probably sooner–-word would get back to the owner, and Kaylee feared she’d lose her job. That mustn’t happen! She needed the money! How could these incidents occur? The kitchen staff filled the orders and set them on the counter. But why in the world would anyone deliberately mess up an order? She gritted her teeth, determined to discover who was causing her this trouble. Lost in thought and trying not to dwell on present troubles, Kaylee recalled the customers she’d served today, including that good-looking man who frequented the restaurant. She remembered him because he was always ready with a smile and a generous tip.’
Shirley incorporates such subjects as sexual abuse, psychic phenomena, alternate worlds and the influence these have on interrelationships in a story that will find a very broad audience.”
“The plot is well summarized in Shirley’s synopsis – ‘As a teenager, Kaylee suffered an attempted sexual assault. Now a woman, she remains fearful of men. She vows she’ll avoid the opposite sex. When her dreams take her to an alternate world, a land of peace and harmony, she wishes she could stay in this world. There, a psychic with a crystal ball tells her she will find love, for he sees a man reaching out to her. He tells her she must learn to trust men. Kaylee has no idea who this man is, and she knows she can never put her faith in a man. The memory from her teenage years is too painful. Then she meets Logan. Will he be the man to change her mind? World-weary and cynical, Logan declares a respite from women. When he meets Kaylee, he knows she is a woman like no other. His head tells him to stay away from her, but his heart refuses to listen.”
“Writing of this quality seems to be a vanishing art – love stories brewed with the experiences of the past that offer the reader a satisfying escape for the duration of the novel. This is a fine curl up on the coach and escape type book. Try it. ” – Grady Harp, Amazon reviewer, February 17
“This book is a bit of a change for me, but I finished it in a day. I could not put it down. I could hardly wait for Kaylee to fall asleep and return to Vestoria. a place where there is peace, love, caring for others, and caring for the land. A place where there should be no wars, no need for police, and no violence. A place in an alternate universe where good triumphs. Kaylee is a young woman, a college gradate with a desire to write a book of her own. She has had 2 attempts of being raped, and this haunts her until true love subtly visits her over and over again in the form of human man with wonderful qualities come to her rescue. The author, Shirley Martin, gives this unique book life, actually two lives, intertwined by love. Her talent for writing is so good that I was transported to Vestoria, and viscerally felt the characters, the senses, and visually took me there: here on earth with Kaylee, and to Vestoria with her as she visited this place. A beautiful told story, where love and commitment prevail in the face of adversity, this book will appeal to young and the not so young. A wonderful story, well told. I can not wait to read more like this. Thank you, Shirley, you have done well.” – Barbara L, Amazon reviewer, March 11