The Amazon Chronicles: A
Collection
By: Sarah Mäkelä
By: Sarah Mäkelä
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Kissa Press LLC
Date of Publication: October 14, 2013
Book Description:
The Amazon Rainforest still contains
a few secrets.
One of these secrets is a hidden
village of women whose history is filled with the horror of
conquering men. When the princess of the Amazons falls in love with a
weretiger biologist, the tiny village will be changed forever.
This collection contains the four
previously published paranormal romance novellas in the Amazon
Chronicles series: Jungle Heat, Jungle Fire, Jungle Blaze, and Jungle
Burn.
Excerpt:
Adara
raced over the dense forest floor, trying to escape the shadow
closing on her heels. Fear pumped adrenaline through her body as she
ran toward her village through the darkness. Panic tangled with the
sheer need to survive. If only I'd listened. What was I thinking,
coming out alone?
She
shot a glance over her shoulder. Her foot smacked against a tree root
in the moment of distraction, pitching her body forward. The fall
came in slow motion.
Cursing
under her breath, she rolled onto her back. Dry leaves clung to her
blonde hair. The subtle, musty scent of slow rot rose from the rich
soil, mixed with something coming from behind her. The dark shadow
loomed. Her gaze rose to take in her pursuer, wondering if the beast
would be her doom.
The
tall, broad-shouldered creature towered over her. Watching. It wasn't
human or animal. The village wise woman had warned her of beings like
this, but they'd seemed like fables. How could something so
fantastical be real?
Even
as she trembled with fear, this creature captivated her. The black
and orange stripes covering his shoulders and arms evoked a distant
memory, yet the design was uncommon in the Amazon.
His
hair hung in straight, black strands like a human's, but his face had
the nose, mouth, and eyes of a feline. His muscular, naked body
reflected a splendid combination of both species. Sweat-shiny skin
glistened through the inch-long fur that covered him. His white chest
intrigued her, all the way to the patch of fur barely covering his
groin. Leaves and branches framed his face with a lush green
background. He crouched over her. His piercing golden eyes focused
solely on her. His stare reminded her of a cat from her village
staring at a small rodent before pouncing.
As
he leaned down, she grabbed her kris from the garter on her thigh and
pushed it against his stomach. She didn't want today to be the day
she died. Her people needed her. She wouldn't let this beast deny
them their princess.
The
animal cocked his head at her. He brushed his lips over her throat,
whiskers tickling her chin.
Her
body stiffened. What is he doing? Bewilderment spread through her as
his feline lips touched her neck. Instead of biting her, his canines
grazed lightly, gently, from just below her ear down to her shoulder,
almost as if exploring her flesh, instead of seeking to rip open her
throat.
She
tensed. Even with her weapon pressed against the beast's stomach, she
still feared for her life. As an Amazon princess, she wasn't easily
scared. But this feline made her heart pound. If only she had brought
Rubia with her. She wouldn't be in this situation and could've stood
a better chance against this feline.
Why
does he persist in toying with me? Adara swallowed as a low burn
started in the pit of her stomach. These feelings confused her.
A
soft sniffing sounded in her ear right before his tongue scraped
rough caresses on her skin. Other jungle cats marked their territory.
Did this animal believe she was his? She didn't want to find out.
Without
waiting for the feline's next move, Adara drove the kris deep into
his stomach, meeting resistance as it plunged through flesh and
muscle. She forced it further as his blood flowed onto her hands,
making the hilt of the kris slick, weakening her grip.
He
roared and leapt back with her kris still embedded in his abdomen.
She
scrambled to her feet. His scream so near the side of her face made
her ear ring. Bringing up a hand to her ear, Adara felt a trail of
his wet blood drip along her cheek.
He
straightened his spine and strode back to her, her kris still buried
in him. It seemed as if it were nothing more than a minor annoyance
to him. She clenched her hands into fists and dropped them to her
sides.
The
reality of what she saw struck her. She froze. How could he act so
unaffected? He shouldn't have been able to move around so casually.
It wasn't possible. How can I outrun something like that? This can't
be happening. Her mother had always warned her to be careful when
traveling through the forest. Why hadn't she listened? And how could
she feel so drawn to this animal when he intimidated her?
"Who
are you?" Gritting her teeth, she forced her voice to resonate
with the commanding tones of an Amazon huntress, and fervently hoped
it didn't betray the panic racing through her veins. Her people's
beliefs restricted them from showing fear in front of strangers. Not
that they saw many. But her tribeswomen were survivors in dangerous
times. Their history brimmed with reminders.
The
feline bared pointed white teeth. "Call me Rei." His husky
voice reverberated like a deep growl.
He
launched into the air and, before she could react, flattened her to
the ground. Air whooshed out of her lungs. Her eyes widened and
locked onto his.
He
pinned her arms next to her head and pressed his feline lips to hers.
His tongue scraped across her lower lip, causing nips of pain to cut
through the alluring sensation.
She
shook her head hard, breaking the kiss. Her breath rushed out short
and quick. Never before had she kissed anyone. His mouth on hers
created fiery stirrings within her body that felt almost too good.
Her racing pulse only spread the warmth throughout her body that much
faster.
Twice
a year, her tribeswomen associated with Indian men. The younger girls
were forced to stay in a hut during those visits, although Adara had
snuck out once with Rubia in a fit of rebellion. She'd spotted one of
her kin pressing her mouth against an Indian male's. Could this be
what happens?
But
men weren't to be trusted. Her kin had learned that the hard way
many, many years ago.
Her
mind flashed to the tales she'd heard from the wise woman. Horrible
reminders assaulted her, memories of the men from long ago, enslaving
her kind, killing them ruthlessly with diseases and swords.
She
could imagine the cruelty of the conquering, pillaging men as vividly
as if she had been there herself, so strongly had the wise woman
spoken. It had taken weeks for her to sleep soundly after listening
to that story.
Sudden
panic swept away the lust that burned inside her. This
creature could do the same. He's chased me, after all.
"What
do you want from me?" Adara asked, trying to sound forceful, but
instead her voice came out husky. She cleared her throat and returned
his gaze.
Talking
with an animal! Rubia would be jealous. Her tribeswomen would never
believe this story... if she survived the encounter.
Rei
smiled, warmth emanating from him. "You." His chest
rumbled, and he rolled the word off his tongue like an exotic purr.
Excerpt Two:
Rubia
Costa tied down her hammock in a peaceful spot where she went to get
away. She'd told no one of this spot, and yet she was within yelling
distance of her people. Help would come if the need arose.
She
didn't dare venture far from her village. But these days, her village
wasn't as calm and mundane as it once had been. So far, she wasn't
sure whether that was good or bad. Life and traditions were changing,
and she couldn't hold back confusion as pieces of what she'd been
taught now unraveled around her.
She
climbed onto the hammock and gazed at the trees above her. The
hammock swung gently, lulling her into the relaxed state she so
desired. She closed her eyes and sighed softly.
The
dream world rose up to greet her. The sound of dry leaves crunching
underfoot forced her back to alertness. Her eyes shot open to see a
tall, dark-haired man staring at her.
She
lunged for her spear, stuck in the ground nearby. Gradually, the
realization dawned on her who this man was, and she settled back, her
nerves still tense and ready to fight.
"Some
reflexes you have there," Kyle Reynolds said. A grin stretched
across his lips, brightening his face. At ease, he leaned against the
tree near her feet while she admired his broad, muscular shoulders
that narrowed down to a slim waist.
She
rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, unwilling to show the impact
his presence had on her. "What are you doing here? How did you
find me?"
"My
sense of smell isn't as acute as other animals', but it's good enough
to find where you went. I wanted to make sure you're not out getting
in trouble."
His
grin turned into a smirk, and he pushed off from the tree.
"What?
Like my friend..." She grimaced. Although they still talked,
Adara had so much going on. They didn't spend as much time together
as they had before, especially now with Rei in Adara's life.
"I
don't know what you're talking about." He winked and sat next to
her in the hammock. It tilted enough that she slid closer to him.
Her
hip bumped his, and her nerves tingled. She crawled away.
Unfortunately, he must have taken that as an invitation to come
closer, since he lay next to her. "What are you doing? Get out
of my hammock." She scooted farther away as her body started to
slip toward his once again.
Kyle
grabbed her wrist and kissed her knuckles. His gaze held something
she'd seen in glances between Rei and Adara. Those kinds of emotions
were unfamiliar to her. Vaguely, she realized their meaning, but why
would Kyle project that toward her?
He
trailed his lips over her wrist and slowly moved up her arm. His warm
breath tickled her flesh. She couldn't drag her gaze from his. Her
voice escaped in a whisper. "What are you doing?"
"Something
I've wanted to do for a while now. You don't make this easy for me,
Rubia." He rolled over carefully. His body hovered over hers,
and he pressed his lips against her shoulder and then her neck.
Sensations
of pleasure spread between her legs, warming her body to a fever
pitch. What were they doing? Panic rose up within her, and she shoved
hard at Kyle's chest, throwing him off balance. The hammock tilted,
and air rushed by just before her body hit the ground with a thud.
Pain
throbbed throughout her back, and a groan welled from her throat. She
blinked her eyes open.
Kyle
knelt next to her. Concern etched soft lines at the corner of his
mouth. "Are you okay?"
The
ache in her back sharpened, and she fought not to wince. Instead, she
pushed against Kyle's chest. "I'm fine. I can walk."
Kyle
stared at her with a raised eyebrow. He shook his head. "I'll
carry you. It's no trouble."
Great.
She didn't want her tribeswomen to see him carting her around as if
he was her protector or had... claimed her. Let alone the state she
was in. They might worry she'd been injured, which wasn't far from
the truth since she wasn't feeling too well at the moment.
She
shoved against him, but it was like trying to move a solid tree
trunk. He didn't budge an inch. Her people had studied the werecats,
since they lived in such close proximity, but she had a hard time
getting used to one being so close. She wasn't sure she wanted to be
intimate with Kyle.
Something
about him was alluring, but she couldn't dream of becoming tied to
the werepumas' leader and shirking her responsibilities as an Amazon.
She wanted to lead a peaceful, simple life. Those words were foreign
when Kyle was involved.
He
stood just out of sight from the village's catwalks, and she wriggled
in his arms.
"Set
me down. Right now." She lowered her voice and glared at him. If
only he didn't have such a solid grip on her spear, but there was no
chance she'd be able to wrestle it away from him. Not if he didn't
want her to.
Determination
set in his jaw, but he gently placed her feet on the ground. "Fine.
Go show everyone how strong and brave you are." He muttered
under his breath, "Silly woman."
Review by Gia:
The Amazon Chronicles: A Collection, contains four novellas. They are Jungle Heat
Jungle Fire, Jungle Blaze, and Jungle Burn. These are paranormal romances that take place around a tribe a of warrior women.
In Jungle Heat we meet many of the characters that appear throughout the series. Adara is a Princess of the Amazons. The Amazons are a tribe of warrior women. Adara meets Andrei (Rei) when she is outside her village. Rei is a weretiger. Rei wants Adara to be his mate. Adara character is very naive. Rei and Adara's characters fit very well together.
Jungle Fire is Kyle and Rubia's story. Kyle is the ruler of the werepumas. Kyle wants Rubia as his mate, this causes trouble for him as the ruler of the werepumas.
Jungle Blaze continues with characters we have previously meet. This is Eduardo and Sol's story. Edaurdo is the second in command for the werepumas. He likes Sol but doesn't want to mate. In Jungle Blaze we find out if he is able to overcome his fear of mating before it's too late.
Jungle Burn is the story of children from the couples in the first three stories. It was a great way to end to series but it also left it open for more.
All four stories were very short. Read together they were great. I enjoyed reading about the characters.
4 Amazeballs Stars!
About the Author:
The Amazon Chronicles: A Collection, contains four novellas. They are Jungle Heat
Jungle Fire, Jungle Blaze, and Jungle Burn. These are paranormal romances that take place around a tribe a of warrior women.
In Jungle Heat we meet many of the characters that appear throughout the series. Adara is a Princess of the Amazons. The Amazons are a tribe of warrior women. Adara meets Andrei (Rei) when she is outside her village. Rei is a weretiger. Rei wants Adara to be his mate. Adara character is very naive. Rei and Adara's characters fit very well together.
Jungle Fire is Kyle and Rubia's story. Kyle is the ruler of the werepumas. Kyle wants Rubia as his mate, this causes trouble for him as the ruler of the werepumas.
Jungle Blaze continues with characters we have previously meet. This is Eduardo and Sol's story. Edaurdo is the second in command for the werepumas. He likes Sol but doesn't want to mate. In Jungle Blaze we find out if he is able to overcome his fear of mating before it's too late.
Jungle Burn is the story of children from the couples in the first three stories. It was a great way to end to series but it also left it open for more.
All four stories were very short. Read together they were great. I enjoyed reading about the characters.
4 Amazeballs Stars!
About the Author:
Sarah Mäkelä loves her fiction dark,
magical, and passionate. She is a paranormal romance author, but
she’s written all over the romance spectrum with cyberpunk, sci-fi,
fantasy, urban fantasy...even a sweet contemporary romance!
A life-long paranormal fan, she still
sleeps with a night-light. In her spare time, she reads sexy books,
watches scary movies (and Ghost Adventures), and plays computer games
with her husband. When she gets the chance, she loves traveling the
world too.
Thank you for reading and reviewing my book! I'm so glad you enjoyed it.
ReplyDelete