Title: Amazon Connection (Book #1)
Author: Carol Henry
Genre: Contemporary Romantic Suspense
Book Blurb:
Holly Newman has been sent to monitor GlenCorp’s pipeline project to ensure it doesn’t endanger the rain forest. Working with GlennCorp’s two field engineers, Holly approves the proposed route. But trouble-shooter Jake Daniels arrives in Manaus and postpones signing contracts.
Jake has been sent to investigate a money-laundering scheme involving GlennCorp’s two engineers. Jake’s boss suspects Holly is an accomplice and orders Jake to get ‘close’ to her. The last thing Jake needs is to ‘get close’ to a tree-hugging female.
Jake plans to keep an ‘eye’ on Holly. Holly follows Jake into the rainforest to keep an eye on him. Sparks fly. And it has nothing to do with ‘saving the trees’. Being stranded in the back of beyond isn’t what Holly bargained for. Neither was being kidnapped.
Will their misadventures in the dark, mysterious Amazonian Rainforest keep them apart? Or will it be the catalyst that brings them together?
Excerpt:
The afternoon rain continued to pelt down on them with a vengeance. With the rain came more steamy humidity. Holly’s clear, vinyl, hooded rain jacket clung annoyingly, making it difficult to move. For the umpteenth time she berated herself for losing her temper and insisting she follow Jake into the jungle. She knew she’d said it often enough, but, really, what had she been thinking? If there was any consolation right now, it was that everyone else was just as drenched. No sense in complaining—no one would listen or sympathize with her anyway. The rain thundered making talk impossible. Huge raindrops splattered in the river and splashed back up into the boat.
Holly looked behind her and barely made out the silhouettes of the guides bent over scooping out buckets full of water. It was no use. Rain was coming down faster than they were able to scoop it out. How long they had been at it, she didn’t know. She only knew she wished she was someplace else, anywhere, but here.
“How’re you doing?” Jake asked, stepping over the center of the boat, looming over her with a big grin on his face. “Wild, isn’t it? When it rains, it pours, huh?”
She couldn’t answer. His smile mesmerized her. He reminded her of her ten-year-old nephew playing in the rain. The man was actually enjoying himself. His hair lay plastered against his forehead, and hugged his neck. Unlike her nephew, Jake’s shirt clung provocatively to his wet skin as water ran in tantalizing rivulets over his firm, bulging biceps. He did nothing to protect himself from the deluge. He could be Tarzan himself standing next to her. The man was in his element. She couldn’t take her eyes off him. Denying the feelings that had been coursing through her veins since they’d met was useless. His smile was her undoing.
Shrouded in mist, the rain continued to sluice over their bodies, while water continued to rise. And all she could think about was what it would be like to be kissed by Jake Daniels—a real bone-shattering kiss. She couldn’t breathe.
Holly’s heartbeat thundered wildly. She’d said she was going to follow him into the jungle come rain or come shine, but she hadn’t meant it quite so literally. Her smile broadened automatically. They were in this adventure together. And what an adventure it was turning out to be.
His grin widened. His eyes sparkled with speculation. Had he read her mind.
The boat lurched sideways. Jake grabbed her arm to keep her from falling overboard.
“We aren’t far from shore,” he shouted over the pelting rain. “Ivan says it’s not that deep here. We can get out and wade in. We’re up to our knees and soaked already anyway.”
“What? You want me to get in that river? Are you mad?” Holly shouted back.
“I’m sorry.” Jake cupped his ear. “I can’t hear you,” he mouthed. “Let me help you over.”
“There better not be any alligators lurking close by, Daniels.”
He jumped over the side of the sinking boat before she could stop him. The boat tipped. Holly couldn’t tell if the water was flowing out of the boat or back in. Jake held his hands out to her. She could only stare at him, and at the other guides who were now parading through the muddy river on their way to shore. Unless she planned to stay in the middle of the sandbar all by herself, she knew she had to take her chances and trudged through the mud with the rest of them. She leaned over and placed her hands on Jake’s shoulders only to have him grab her and swing her over his shoulder.
“Put me down,” Holly sputtered. “I can walk on my own.” Being thrown over his shoulder like a sack of feed was anything but romantic. She pounded her fists on his back.
He ignored her.
“If you don’t put me down right this second, Jake Daniels, I’m going to scream my fool head off.”
“It won’t do you any good,” he yelled over his shoulder. “In case you haven’t noticed, it’s raining too hard for anyone to hear. They know I have you so I doubt they’ll think you’re in trouble. Besides, everyone’s gone on ahead.”
“How can I notice? All I can see is your backside.” Which brought her up short. It was a nice firm, rain-slicked back side. She didn’t like the sound of his chuckle as he proceeded to carry her the short distance across the riverbed and up the slippery, muddy embankment to the shelter of the rainforest’s dense canopy. Under the protection of the trees the rain was a heavy drizzle compared to the torrential downpour out in the open. Regardless, the heat from Jake’s body penetrated her wet clothes. The friction of their bodies rubbing against each other sparked
something inside her that was hard to deny. Her attraction to Jake Daniels was getting harder to ignore.
Buy Links:
The Wild Rose Press: https://www.thewildrosepress.com/authors/carol-henry
Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/%22Carol%20Henry%22?Ntk=P_key_Contributor_List&Ns=P_Sales_Rank&Ntx=mode+matchall
Why is your featured book a must-read?
Amazon Connection is a story of intrigue, deception, and love. It’s full of action and drama where the setting becomes one of the characters, and the hero and heroine keep you turning the pages every step of the way. Amazon Connection is a romantic suspense adventure that will whisk you away into Brazil’s tropical rainforest. Have you ever met an alligator face to face in the back of beyond? And been stuck there? Holly has. Check it out.
Giveaway –
Enter to win an e-book bundle of all 66 books featured in the Backlist Bonanza: https://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/92db775072 Open Internationally. Runs August 25 – 31, 2020. Winner will be drawn on September 7, 2020.
Author Biography:
Carol Henry is an award winning and #1 Amazon Best Selling author who writes contemporary romance, as well as Destination: Romance—Exotic, Romantic Suspense Adventures. Carol lives with her husband in the beautiful New York State Finger Lakes area where they are surrounded by family, friends, and wildlife. World travelers, Carol writes about her international adventures for major cruise lines' deluxe in-cabin books and magazines, and takes pleasure in sharing her adventures with her readers in her ‘Connection’ series. A local NYS historian, Carol has written several books on her town's history. For more information visit her website at: http://www.carolhenry.org
Social Media Links:
Website: www.carolhenry.org
Twitter: https://twitter.com/carolannhenry