Waking
the Dragon
Vale
of Stars, Book
One
by Juliette
Cross
an Urban Fantasy Romance
from Kensington Publishing
I met Juliette Cross at RT in Dallas. She is such a lovely lady and I loved hanging out with her. She's been on the blog before and we are happy to have her back with her newest release. Dragon fans are going to love this new series!!!--pearls
I met Juliette Cross at RT in Dallas. She is such a lovely lady and I loved hanging out with her. She's been on the blog before and we are happy to have her back with her newest release. Dragon fans are going to love this new series!!!--pearls
The Gladium Province is on the
verge of civil unrest as humans and Morgons, the dragon-hybrid race, clash once
more. But amid disorder can also arise passion…
When the bodies of three human
women are discovered in Morgon territory—with the DNA of several Morgon men on
the victims—it’s just a matter of time before civil unrest hits the Province.
But for ambitious reporter Moira Cade, it’s more than just a story, and it may
mean risking her own life.
Descending into the dark underworld
of Morgon society, Moira is paired with Kol Moonring, Captain of the Morgon
Guard, for her protection. Fiercely independent, Moira bristles at his
dominance, and defies his will at every turn. Yet resistance proves futile when
passion flares between them, awakening powerful emotions within both, body and
soul. But as the killings continue, can their fiery newfound bond survive an
even greater evil—one that threatens all of humanity, Morgonkind, and Moira’s
very soul?...
Excerpt:
Prologue
Prologue
Tick.
Tick.
Tick.
The beautiful
blonde froze.
Silence.
She peered down
the darkened corridor of the cellar beneath the Vaengar Stadium. No one.
The Morgon with
black hair and black eyes at the bar had told her the restroom was this way.
The only sound was the wafting crackle of the torches. The only sight was long
shadows cast by flickering flame. An eerie tendril of fear snaked up her spine.
Even half-drunk, something primitive warned her of danger, like the innate
foreboding a deer senses when the tiger stalks unseen from the trees.
She shook it off,
flipped her long hair over one shoulder, and walked on, knowing the restroom
must be just around the bend up ahead.
Tick.
Tick.
Tick.
She stopped again
and spun around, unable to tell from which direction the sound came.
“Bennett? Is that
you?” A hollow echo of her voice reverberated down the empty corridor. “Stop
it! You’re scaring me.” The last came out a faint whisper. A
presence—corporeal, malevolent, and drawing closer—plunged her into icy fear.
Her pulse quickened. A hiss of wind pressed the thin fabric of her mini-dress
to her thighs. The flame on the wall guttered to nothing, then relit anew.
Tick.
Tick.
Directly behind
her. She whirled and stared up at a massive Morgon man who stood only feet
away. A behemoth silhouetted by the flambeau. His pointed wings, half-open and
huge, kept the rest of him in shadow, as if the light itself repelled him. She
could see nothing but his eyes—amber orbs with serpentine slits, bright as the
torch-flame. Her breath hitched in her throat. She fell back against cold
stone, scraping her bare shoulders against the rough cavern wall.
He passed near a
sconce, the light illuminating hard, angular planes, the ancestral lines of the
dragon sculpting his face in stark relief—more beast than man. Her heart
thrashed against her ribcage.
“I—I lost my way,
I think. I should go.” She gestured in the direction she had come, inching
along the wall.
He moved with
lethal grace, angling closer in slow, even steps.
Tick.
Her gaze dropped
to his large hand. Claw-tipped fingers spread wide, the sharp nail of the index
tapping the stone. She bolted left, only to find a wall of six Morgon men
blocking her exit. They’d materialized out of the shadows in silent stealth.
Unmoving, watching. Backing against the wall, she swiveled her head from those
blocking her path to their master stalking closer.
“What—what do you
want from me?” Her voice cracked, primal fear ripping through her gut.
By now, she’d
reached the pinnacle of terror, petrified in place. Tangible evil seeped into
her skin as the sinister creature loomed, enveloping her in his shadow.
Something screamed for her to run, while a compelling power rolling from the
beast kept her pinned in place. It was as if his very presence demanded
obedience, subservience.
The beast braced
one arm next to her head, her panic filling up the confines of their space. He
inhaled a deep breath, drinking her fear in like the sweetest nectar.
“Will she serve,
my lord?” A voice of authority from one of the Morgons in shadow—sultry but
edged like a razor.
Her chest rose and
fell, drawing the beast’s gaze. He leaned closer, trailing one claw lightly
over her swelling breasts. Viper-swift, he clamped her mouth with his other
hand, stifling her screams, and continued his exploration of her naked skin
with the blade-like nail. Her rapid pulse beat frantically at the base of her
neck.
“Perhaps.” One
word, grating and broken. The voice of a monster.
He snaked his claw
across the bottom of her throat, then down the line of her cleavage, pressing
just enough to scrape the skin, a thin line of red rushing to the surface.
Keeping her immobile with his crushing weight, he scraped a drop of blood from
her breasts. He opened his mouth, revealing a row of sharpened teeth, the
canines most prominent. Reeking of menace and power, he licked the tip of his
claw.
“Perhaps.”
His voice fell to
a raspy whisper. A rumbling growl rattled her bones. A flash of flame and
shadow and all was black.
About
the Author:
Juliette calls lush, moss-laden
Louisiana home where the landscape curls into her imagination, creating
mystical settings for her stories. She has a B.A. in creative writing from
Louisiana State University, a M.Ed. in gifted education, and was privileged to
study under the award-winning author Ernest J. Gaines in grad school. Her love
of mythology, legends, and art serve as constant inspiration for her works.
From the moment she read JANE EYRE as a teenager, she fell in love with the
Gothic romance--brooding characters, mysterious settings, persevering heroines,
and dark, sexy heroes. Even then, she not only longed to read more novels set
in Gothic worlds, she wanted to create her own.
Website: https://www.juliettecross.com/
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Juliette-Cross/e/B00MQ18Z1W/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/juliettecrossauthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Juliette__Cross
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/crossjuliette/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7795664.Juliette_Cross
Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/XeKIn
Tour
giveaway
$20 Amazon GC
2 bundles of Soulfire and Windburn,
books 1 and 2 in the Nightwing Series
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Thank you, Inner Goddess, for having me on your blog today! I loved meeting you at RT. The Samhain No Waiting Dating event was SO much fun. I hear they're doing it again net year. :)
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