My good friend, Juliette Cross has a new release in her Vale of Stars series. Dragon In The Blood is such a masterful work of fantasy in the land of Morgons (super sexy dragon shifters). The world Juliette has created is so real, and filled with characters who come to life on the page. I was fortunate to receive an advance copy of this and have already left a review for it. I'll post it here for your convenience. 
To celebrate this release, Juliette is giving away a $25 gift card. Be sure to enter on the Rafflecopter link below.

​I'm just gonna say you'll be doing yourself a favor to go grab a copy for yourself. Seriously.

Oh- one last thing: Be sure to sign up for Juliette's newsletter. She is including free short stories based on her secondary characters. You're gonna love them!

​Dragon in the Blood
Vale of Stars
Book Two
Juliette Cross
Genre: Paranormal/Fantasy Romance
Date of Publication: July 26, 2016
ASIN: B01FNI7L1E
Word Count: 72K
Cover Artist: Kanaxa
 
Book Description:
 
When desire bites, there’s no patience for a slow burn.
 
While all seems quiet in Gladium Province, the Morgon Guard—the global justice force for the dragon hybrid race—knows their enemy is rebuilding its forces in the underground.
 
Valla Moonring, an assassin for the Order of the Morgon Guard, is ordered on a mission into the Wastelands of Aria—a formidable, icy wilderness fraught with all manner of dangers, including outlaws, deadly weather, and big-game predators.
 
To her great distaste, she’s partnered with a Nightwing Security operative, Conn Rowanflame, a Morgon with the aggravating ability to get under her skin. While she takes her mission seriously, Conn’s confident charm throws her off balance, a dangerous place to be in conditions like these. Especially when cold nights require close contact.
 
Sensual attraction binds them ever closer, igniting a passion of unexpected force—the soulfire. But when the hunters become the hunted, their bond could prove perilous. Even fatal…

Buy The Book
Amazon

Tour Giveaway
​Enter to Win a $25 Amazon Gift Card.
​(You can buy lots of books with that!)

My Review:
I was so excited to re-enter the Morgon world and I wasn't disappointed by Juliette Cross's new release. The author is so gifted at creating a realistic setting, she makes it seem entirely possible that dragons really do exist. 

Valla and Conn have been charged with undertaking a fact finding mission through the frigid, desolate land of Aria. Their trip is full of discoveries about the nature of the dragons abducting human women to use as slaves and sacrifices. They also uncover a group of brigand dragons who might not be as criminal as they seem. And along the way, they discover an attraction to one another so incredibly strong, the only thing they can do to lessen the burn of desire for each other is to exchange soulfire, a mating ritual that bonds them for life. A perfect set up in an romance. Except Valla, a badass Morgon Guard Assasine, really doesn't want to depend on a Morgon man for anything.

I loved Conn's gentle, calm pursuit of Valla. He recognizes her as his mate, as does every other person around them. Valla seems to be the only one not aware of how brightly his flame burns for her. Or hers for his.

Cross's description of the world and the battles undertaken by Conn and Valla are exquisite. She has a gift for plunging a reader into the story, and holding onto their attention and their heart until the characters achieve their happily ever after. Although this is book two in the series, it reads as a stand alone. I loved Dragon in the Blood and would highly recommend it to anyone.
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​About the Author:
Juliette lives in lush, moss-laden Louisiana where she lives with her husband, four kids, and black lab, Kona. Multi-published author of paranormal and urban fantasy romance, she loves reading and writing brooding characters, mysterious settings, persevering heroines, and dark, sexy heroes. From the moment she read JANE EYRE as a teenager, she fell in love with the Gothic romance. Even then, she not only longed to read more novels set in Gothic worlds, she wanted to create her own.
 
You can discover more of Juliette and her books on her website.
Website: https://www.juliettecross.com/ 
Amazon: 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
 

The Set Up: Lia Thanos has to explain to Ben Jordan that she is a Muse and what that means for him.

He hesitated a moment. After a quick frown at his computer monitor, he leaned forward and propped his elbows on his knees. “So all of that last night was real?” He kept his gaze on her face but raised his brows.

Goddess, she didn’t want to dash his hopes, but it was inevitable. She nodded. “One hundred percent, straight up from the you-can’t-make-this-shit-up files.”

Humor flickered in his eyes, but was quickly buried in favor of a more skeptical expression. “Better start at the beginning. Tell me about being a Muse.”

“I’m first came into existence in the sixth century. BC that is.” At the moment she felt every one of those years. “I am one of nine sisters endowed with the ability to inspire mortals. We each have our own specialty. Mine is comedy, and I have a twin, Melpomene, who inspires drama.” She shifted in her seat to get more comfortable. “I have some sub-specialties, like architecture and agriculture. Most of the great advancements in any of those fields are a result of my influence.”

“Example?”

Her stomach rumbled and she eyed the waste bin holding the last of her funnel cake. “Without my guidance, Jerry Seinfeld would still be working as a waiter in Brooklyn.” The episode where George dug a bear claw from the trash had been her idea, and one she was seriously contemplating re-enacting right now. “Also, Gregor Mendel would never have begun experimenting with plant genetics without a push from me.” Her belly growled again and she pressed her hand to it.

Ben reached into a small refrigerator next to his desk, pulled out a piece of fruit, and tossed it to her.

She snagged it mid-air. “Thanks.” Sweet flavor exploded in her mouth as she bit into the flesh of the apple.

While she chewed, he watched with a heated gaze. He cleared his throat before he spoke. “So you’ve been alive for what—eight thousand years?” His husky tone belied his direct, uncompromising stare.

I hope you enjoyed this excerpt. I'll be back with more next week. Thanks for reading!
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