Virtue
Amy Jarecki
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Publisher: Turquoise Morning Press
Date of Publication: 12/3/13
ISBN: 978-1-62237-234-8
ASIN: B00H343Y1S
Number of pages: 338
Word Count: 88,640
Cover Artist: Kim Jacobs
Book Description:
Sheltered, raised in rural Utah, Zoe Marshall has never heard of the Mayan Prophecy of the Golden Goddess—but she’s about to.
At the moment she’s thrilled to have landed her dream job dancing on a cruise ship where she meets Belizean Gabriel AhKin. The sizzling bartender stirs her passion.
When the ship docks in Belize, Zoe disappears—spirited into the bowels of a Mayan cult led by a reclusive fanatic. When the madman sees her, he divines Zoe is the Golden Goddess. She is “the one” to fulfill the prophecy. Now Gabriel’s driving obsession is to save the woman who’s captured his heart.
Book Trailer: http://youtu.be/kDtR0q3JPRY
Chapter One
Las Vegas. Present day.
Hopping in her VW Bug and sneaking off
to Vegas had taken her greatest act of courage ever. Zoe hadn’t told a soul
about the audition. She couldn’t risk it.
Palms sweating, fingers trembling, Zoe
focused on her breathing. A few deep inhales and her mind would clear enough to
remember the dance combination. She closed her eyes and concentrated on her
core, blocking out the mob of sweaty dancers that surrounded her. She inhaled.
Her shoulders relaxed as the calming effect of oxygen shot through her
fingertips.
“Group Four,” the stage manager’s voice
roared.
Now?
Her eyes flew open with a push from behind.
“Come on, blondie. We’re up.”
Zoe stumbled forward and scrambled for a
place in front, where they’d see her. Her entire body trembled when she assumed
the starting position—knees bent together, fists on hips. Oh God, please don’t let me fall on my face. Focus. Smile.
“A one-two-three-four…” cried Jayden,
the dance master. Besides looking like a style model out of GQ Magazine, he’d
marked the steps of the combination twice, expecting everyone to pick it up and
perform with expert finesse. Luckily, Zoe got to watch three groups before,
giving her a chance to memorize it.
With a smile plastered in place, her
legs took over—step-kick, step-kick, shimmy, shimmy, bump and turn,
ball-change, time-step and pirouette—all in double time to the earsplitting
roar of speakers blaring rumba drums.
Each time she completed the combination,
Zoe’s confidence grew. Her smile went from a plastered grimace to a
fun-laughing grin. She focused on the judges, winking, working it, and putting
everything she had plus a bit extra into her effort. She wanted this job more
than anything. It meant freedom.
Holding her pose after the last
pirouette, Zoe twitched as a bead of sweat trickled between her breasts and
pooled against her black leotard. With deep breaths, she glanced at Jayden. He
winked. Trying to hold back a giggle, she snorted. Jeez, good one, Zoe.
The tension on the stage radiated
between the dancers as if anticipating the final decision in a Miss America
pageant. Frozen in place, they waited for a decision as Jayden sauntered over
to the judges who sat on the old red seats in the center of the theater. Their
fingers flew across iPads while looking down their noses.
Zoe’s heart pounded against her chest as
she watched them. What were they writing? Would she make the cut? Had she
driven three hours to Las Vegas for only a two-minute audition? Her stomach
squeezed. Please pick me. Please, please,
please. I’ll never get to Broadway if I can’t get out of Cedar City.
Jayden glanced up. “Number
two-fifty-three stay. The rest of you are excused.”
Forgetting her number, Zoe looked down
and gaped. Leapin’ lords, it’s me. Thank
you, God!
A heavy hand grasped her shoulder.
“Okay, beautiful, you can wait in the theater seats out front. We’ll call you
for the second round.” The stage manager pointed toward the stairs and hollered
for group five.
Floating, Zoe sat with four other
dancers selected from the previous groups. She grinned at them excitedly. Seven
groups of ten ran through the audition, and after the first cut, nine hopeful
dancers sat in the theater seats—only nine of seventy.
Jayden sauntered over to the judging
panel and a pretty, ebony-skinned girl stood. “I’m Sunny. Everyone back up on
the stage.”
The auditioners eagerly clamored up the
stairs. Zoe tried to push forward with the others, but a sharp elbow to the gut
knocked her back. Instinctively her arm swung forward, the heel of her hand grazed
the shoulder of her assailant. Zoe glared at the girl, but ended up last on the
stage. She had to take a spot in the back. Her spirits dove. No one gets picked if they’re in the back.
Sunny took center stage, facing the
group. “Next we’re going to form a chorus line.” She marched up to Zoe, grabbed
her arm and pulled her to center stage. “You’re the tallest. I want the rest of
the class either side of two-fifty-three according to height.” Sunny stood back
while the other dancers fell in place. “Lock arms over your neighbor’s
shoulders, right arm over, left under.”
Zoe looked to her right. A cute girl
with brown hair and pink highlighted bangs frowned and draped her arm across
Zoe’s shoulder.
Not
bad. Nice legs. She’s got the job for sure. Zoe forced a
smile. “Hi.”
Pink Bangs returned a curt nod.
“Now, when I give the cue, I want
everyone to kick at the same height. This is supposed to look like the
Rockettes—a-one-two-three-four…”
With the first kick, Zoe’s leg soared
higher than the dancers on either side, but she adjusted her height with the
next kick, and the next. After what seemed like an eon of kicking, Zoe’s lungs
strained for air while she fought against the weight of her tiring partners
hanging on her arms.
“Keep it up.” Sunny clapped her hands,
demanding more.
Zoe gritted her teeth through her smile.
Her legs inched up. Pink Bangs glanced over and threw her legs higher. Zoe
noticed the stretch, and added effort. Pink Bangs matched it. Zoe kicked,
sucking in air as her lungs screamed for her to stop.
Zoe could no longer hear Sunny clapping.
Pink Bangs kept kicking. A wave of new energy flowed through to Zoe’s toes and
her thigh hit her chest with the height of her kick. She glanced to her left—Oh.—she and Pink Bangs were the only
ones still kicking.
About the Author:
Before college, I was a showgirl. I toured—singing and dancing my way around the world in a review called Follies on Broadway. Several years later, I dreamed up the plot for VIRTUE after I took a cruise to Belize...
How cool would it be to write a romantic suspense about a dancer who falls in love with a hot Belizean man and ends up in more trouble than Indiana Jones?
Web site: http://www.amyjarecki.com/
Twitter: @amyjarecki
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amyjarecki
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Hi Winona! Thank you for hosting me on your blog today!
Good luck in your tour!! Sounds like a great book.
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