DOORWAY TO THE MOON
by Parris Afton Bonds

Description:
When two hearts are meant to be together, no matter how long it takes, how far they go, fate will conspire to unite them

The Luna land grant encompasses the artesian springs, miraculously there in the New Mexican desert, near the spot where the conquistador Coronado was believed to have passed in 1541. Rumor has it that he stashed a horde of gold at the springs on his return trip from the Seven Cities of Gold . . . and legend has it that the bottomless waters contains the mythical mermaid.

The fiery Mhaire wants her rights to the Luna land grant back. The masterful Miles needs Coronado’s stash of gold somewhere on the land grant. While a powerful attraction exists between them, they are both determined to gain their goals, despite the possible misfortune it could mean for the other.

If such a fanciful creature as a mermaid, indeed, inhabits those holy waters of Puerta de Luna, New Mexico, can there then be a fairy tale ending for Mhaire and Miles?
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Review: Love Endures Beyond the Reaches of Time

Parris Afton Bonds does a brilliant job of immersing the reader in a period of history. Culture, language, and the sights and sounds of a historical period come alive in her stories. In her novel, DOORWAY TO THE MOON, we get to experience two time periods and understand how people living in those two time periods are deeply connected.

The first setting is Puerto de Luna, Territory of New Mexico, 1878 . Here we find our heroine, Mhaire and the man that she’s attracted to, Miles Neville. It’s through Mhaire’s dreams that we explore a second time and place in history, Blackwater Vale, Eire (Ireland), 1691. In her dreams, Mhaire feels deeply connected to Merrow O’Mordha, a woman who’s lost her home and social standing when the Irish Jacobites are overrun by the English Williamites. Interestingly, well-born Mhaire has also lost her home and standing in her community.

But the two women share much more. They both have spirited, proud temperaments, and they both find themselves drawn to men they consider the “enemy.” Through her dreams, Mhaire is privy to another version of herself who lived in another time. She also recognizes that she and her counterpart both have hearts that love deeply no matter how hard their minds protest.

This beautifully written novel drew me in very quickly and kept me wanting to know more. The two stories each have well fleshed-out portrayals of the characters and are cleverly intertwined. Of course, there’s also lots of romance as the path of love, desire and passion draw each couple closer and closer. Highly recommended!