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.”
Buy Links:
Wild Rose Press, October 30, 2019
First Crimson Rose Edition, 2019
442 pp; 101,601 words
Rating: Spicy (PG13)
Genres: Cozy mystery, Romantic
suspense, Contemporary romance
