I'm excited to be spotlighting author Lindsay Marie Miller's new book, Jungle Eyes, today! Check out the excerpt and giveaway below...
Jungle Eyes
by Lindsay Marie Miller
November 20, 2015
In the spring of 1899, Henry Rochester boards a ship on the docks of New York Harbor and sets sail across the Atlantic. Desperately seeking freedom and adventure, Henry fails to anticipate the violent ocean storm that will destroy the ship, murder his fellow comrades, and leave him stranded on a deserted island. However, Henry is not alone in paradise, as a beautiful young woman, named Elaine, acquaints him with the enchanting, yet evil nature of the jungle. As the two quarrel, reconcile, and bond, love blossoms between them like an exotic wildflower. But when the tide turns, bringing an unescapable wave of danger with it, Henry and Elaine must face the callous brutality of the uninvited.
EXCERPT FROM CHAPTER TWO OF JUNGLE EYES
One day, when the sun was preparing to center itself in the sky, Henry felt still, peaceful somehow, as if the water had stopped moving him. Henry slowly opened his eyes to find himself lying on his stomach, his hands pressed into the sandy shore beneath him. He moved his fingers, and as they dug into the damp ground, his face lifted. Holding that small clump of wet sand in the air caused Henry to look forward, where he discovered a tropical island in the midst of the sea.
In astonishment, Henry staggered to his feet, not minding the waves that still flowed against the back of his knees. Pushing the hair from his face, Henry crawled towards the lush paradise, finding it hard to move on such weak muscles. His mouth hung open, so full of hunger and thirst that he yelped in delight once he discovered a table of food, covered with exotic fruits, leafy vegetables, and fine grains.
There was a small wooden shack, just bordering the area where Henry ate like a mad man, shoving as much sustenance as he could into his mouth at once. He closed his eyes, taking a thankful breath, as he had never felt so grateful for food in his entire life.
Except for the small shack and table where Henry had found the food, the rest of the land remained a tropical beach. From what Henry had noticed so far, a forest began where the sand ended, and if he were to walk deeper, he might find running water.
Taking one last piece of fruit, Henry stepped towards the shack, whose door frame was covered only by a transparent sheet of white fabric. He moved closer, for behind the cloth he saw a young woman sleeping, her body outstretched on a small rectangular section of bedding against the wall.
He took another step, only to make out the image of her face, framed in a glossy mane of raven black hair. However, with that step, a deep, haunting growl sounded from the border of the jungle. Just as quickly as Henry had shifted his eyes to observe the noise, a black panther, long and sleek, emerged from the woods. Fearless, the creature soared through the air and pounced on top of Henry. Before he could understand what was happening, the snarling black cat held an enormous paw over him, and then swiped its claws across his chest.
Henry wailed in panic and terror, using his arms to push the cat off him, as it pinned him to the ground by the flat of his back. The creature clawed at Henry’s stomach in protest, while the young man did the best he could to protect his face.
During the struggle, Henry had never felt so near the bottom of the food chain in all his life. He was paralyzed with fear as the great cat hovered over his body, with such a close distance that no human ever lived to talk about. But what terrified Henry the most, above the shiny, slimy white fangs, were the panther’s piercing green eyes, so alive with the greenery of the forest, that they could have been cut from the leaves of a vine for all he knew. They were so perfectly round and rigid, that they nearly looked like stones, though not the exact color of emerald. And yet it was these cat’s eyes, those jungle eyes, which made his heart stop.
“Jade,” a soft, transcendent voice called from above. The cat retreated immediately, slowly walking away from Henry.
Sunlight shone on Henry’s face as he lay flat, still on the ground. He lowered his eyes, horrified by the blood stains on his white ocean-soaked shirt. But then, the face of a lovely woman stood before the sun, blocking out its light. Henry looked up at her, taking in the long, silky black hair; golden, sun-kissed skin; and green eyes – so much like the jungle he had just discovered.
She narrowed her eyes, looking over Henry’s body as he felt her pulling him into a trance, mesmerizing him with her beauty. Then, for he had not seen it coming, Henry felt a tremendous pain enter the side of his head. All of a sudden, he noticed an object in her hand that she had just bludgeoned him with. But before the blue sky faded to black, the last thing Henry remembered was the natural hue of her glistening green jungle eyes.
Lindsay Marie Miller was born and raised in Tallahassee, FL, where she graduated from high school as Valedictorian. Afterwards, Lindsay attended Florida State University and graduated Summa Cum Laude with an English Literature major, Psychology minor, and Specialized Studies in Markets and Institutions. Lindsay is the author of the romance novels: Jungle Eyes, Me & Mr. Jones, and Emerald Green. Jungle Eyes is the beginning of a new romantic action/adventure trilogy. Emerald Green is the first installment in a four-part series of Young Adult romantic thrillers. And the New Adult romantic thriller, Me & Mr. Jones, will be accompanied by a sequel. In her free time, Lindsay enjoys singing, playing the piano and guitar, and writing songs. The author resides in her hometown of Tallahassee, FL, where she is currently working on her next novel.
Win 1 of 3 ebook copies of Jungle Eyes!
Lindsay has generously offered up ebook copies of her book for three winners.
DETAILS
-open to anyone who can read ebooks
-each winner will get 1 Smashwords coupon for 1 e-copy
-ends 12/ 13
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