M. S. Spencer ~ Tale Spinner: Mystery and Romance in the Amazon

Thursday, December 19, 2019

Orion's Foot: Origin of the Title

Monsters and mystery lurk deep in the Amazon—a tale of passion and obsession.

I thought I'd tell you a bit about the title of my new mystery romance Orion’s Foot: Myth, Mystery, and Romance in the Amazon:

Orion—along with Ursa Major and Ursa Minor—is one of the most recognizable constellations in the sky. Most people zero in on the three stars that make up his belt, but the brightest star in the constellation is Rigel—his left knee or foot.

Orion was the son of Poseidon, who gave him the power to walk on water. He was a great hunter. In the excerpt below, Petra tells Emory why she wishes on Orion’s foot, and he in turn warns her to be careful of him.

Oddly enough, I came up with the title for Orion’s Foot: Myth, Mystery, & Romance in the Amazon, separately from the actual inspiration for the book. I was sitting outside on a beautiful night and saw Orion—I’m sorry to say one of the few constellations I can identify. I thought, what a neat title for a book. There you have it.

Blurb:

Petra Steele is wallowing in self-pity after being dumped at the altar, when her brother Nick invites her to come to the Peruvian Amazon. Before she even sets her suitcase down, she's confronted with a murder victim. In a research station peopled with a quirky assortment of scientists, she is drawn to Emory Andrews, a gruff, big man with a secret past. That is, until his beautiful ex-wife shows up. More murders, more secrets, more mysteries ensue, all in the deeply romantic, sizzling jungle.

Excerpt: Orion’s Foot

After supper, she sought the hammock room, hoping to see the capybaras again, but the lawn was empty. For once, the sky was clear, and she wandered out and down to the dock to enjoy the stars. Ah, there’s Orion. Usually people chose Venus or Polaris, but Petra always wished on Orion’s left foot. Nick had once asked her why. “Because it’s his foot that takes the first stride across space.”

“So what does that have to do with your wishes?”

“Whenever I’m faced with a scary decision, Orion gives me the courage to take the first step.”

Nick had laughed at her.

As she closed her eyes and pondered her request, a rustle sounded behind her. “Don’t fall in.”

Petra sprang forward and nearly did fall in, but a strong hand caught her around her waist and pulled her back. She felt warm breath in her ear. “Emory!”

He let go. “What are you doing anyway? You had one leg hovering over the water.”

“I guess the stars distracted me.” She glanced at him shyly. “I was wishing on Orion. Or rather, on his foot.” She pointed at the star twinkling below the famous belt.

“Why Orion?”

No need to let on how weird I am just yet. “It’s…uh…the only constellation I recognize?”

“It’s probably the only constellation most people recognize.” He looked down at her. “Okay, do you have a foot fetish, or what? Why wish on the foot?”

Just because Nick made fun of me doesn’t mean Emory will. “It brings me luck.”

“Like a rabbit’s foot, only better?”

She didn’t answer. The thing that had been simmering in the back of her mind for the last two days, obscured by the chaos of events, had made itself known. She knew what she wanted to wish for.

“Petra? Did you hear my question?”

Petra lowered her eyes to Emory. “I don’t know about better—but it serves the same function. See, everyone zeroes in on Orion’s belt, or his dog, or his manly physique, but his left foot—Rigel—is actually the brightest star in the constellation.”

He inspected the night sky. “True. And?”

“Well, it reminds me that when you have to take that first step into the unknown you…um…put your best foot forward. I look at Orion striding across the cosmos, and he helps me believe I can meet any challenge.”

Emory was silent for a minute. Petra was about to take her leave when he said, “Did you know that Orion claimed he was the greatest hunter of all time? Gaia sent a scorpion to kill him.”

“Huh. Who is Gaia?”

“Gaia means Earth—she’s the goddess the Greeks called the mother of all life—the primordial deity. The cool New Age kids all worship her. Don’t tell me you aren’t into crystals and yoga?”

“No. So why did Gaia want to kill Orion?”

“Because, to prove his prowess, he announced he was going to hunt down and kill all the animals in the world. Since Gaia is the guardian of every living thing, you might say his threat kinda ruffled her feathers.”

“I’ll bet. So she decided to kill him before he massacred her subjects. Did she succeed?”

“No. Another god—I forget his name—gave Orion the antidote. That’s why you never see both Orion and Scorpio in the sky at the same time.”

“Hmm.”

“So,” he said softly, “Orion is hardly the hero you want to set your heart on. All the stories of him involve power, lust, and murder.”