Hot Contract

by Jodi Henley

When Jen Stalling, chief geologist on a new magma-based power plant known as the Pele Project witnesses the murder of a fellow scientist, Project officials don’t want the negative publicity of a murder investigation. “An accident,” they say. Jen knows better. So does her father, billionaire Art Stalling. But having pushed Jen away years ago, he can’t now reveal his interest without exposing her to danger. He hires DalCon, a Seattle-based security group to watch over her.

220 pages, ebook & print

First published January 1, 2008

About the author

Jodi Henley is a craft of writing geek, developmental trouble-shooter and writer. A popular workshop presenter, Jodi enjoys talking about the transformational character arc. Born in Hawaii, she likes talking story.

Reviews

[Kristen Koster · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'll be the first to admit I'm biased, but please don't hold it against Jodi Henley. I bought this ebook the day before it was officially released as the links and downloads were available at The Wild Rose Press. I knew a little more than the blurb about the book from reading her blog, so I was excited to see the work as a whole and how the story played out.

Jodi is the author who turned me on to Peter Dunne's Emotional Structure and several other craft ideas. The evidence that these ideas are solid and are essential to a good great story runs all through this book. You end up being sucked into this world of DalCon and Stalling Co and even if you've only dreamed of vacationing in Hawaii, you become submerged in the story. Not only are the main characters and the secondary characters well-developed and matched, but the tertiary characters come to life on the page as well.

Now, lest you think I'm alone in my rabid fangirl praise:

Jennifer of The Redneck Romance Writer listed this book as one of "Thirteen Books That Should Be Bestsellers But Aren’t….Yet" in November of 2007 well before it's release.

And I found this review out yesterday, and I gotta say I agree wholeheartedly with it:

Don’t just add this book to your to be read pile or even your must be read pile, place it front and center on your read now pile, you won’t be disappointed. I gave the book Simply Romances highest rating, but it has now become the standard I will judge all books of this type by. Good Job, Ms. Henley!

Read Stephanie's full review or just go buy it!

I'm so buying the print edition when it comes out in September too! Definitely going on the "keeper" shelf. Don't even think about askin' to borrow it.

Oh, and Jodi knows, I'm going to be harassing her about finishing the sequel Drop Dead Gorgeous until it comes out.