Blurb:
17 year old orphan Dria is confused. Why does she feel different from all the other kids? How can she have this enormous hunger that's never satisfied? And what is the meaning to the strange markings on her back that seem almost...dragon-like? It's not until handsome Trey walks into her life does she feel a sense of belonging...a sort of kindred spirit...and a spark of attraction she's never felt before. But when a white-haired young stranger steals a vial of her blood, the mystery of Dria's secret past begins to unfold...and the future of her kind is revealed to be in her hands. Can she save her dragon race, AND her one true love? Or will she sacrifice herself for the good of all who soar secretly in the night, unbeknownst to man?
Read an excerpt:
Nothing should force a woman to choose between the happiness of the man she loves and the safety of their child. The mother's shoulders shook with silent sobs as she bent over the baby carrier and gazed at her sleeping daughter. The tiny girl already shared her mother's beautty. Reaching in carefully, she stroked her cheek, but made sure no sound disturbed her infant's sleep.
The car seat sat on a round, marble topped table, entered in the large entrance of a magnificent home. Behind the table, a wide staircase curved gracefully up to the next floor. On the landing above hung a large wedding picture of the gorgeous mother with a handsome man looking down at her. Obviously in love, the couple's expressions reflected the joy of their special day. The tragic expression the woman wore now contrasted sharply with the happiness from the past.
She imagined no peace for either her nor her husband after what she needed to do -- had to do -- for the greater good. But she clung to the comfort of knowing he also wanted the best -- for their daughter and others like them. Picking up the carrier in one hand and throwing a generously stuffed bag over her other shoulder, the mother paused one last moment to look around. As she walked out of the home's large double doors, she knew she would never see this place again. She walked down the wide stairs to her waiting vehicle. After securing her precious cargo in the back seat, the grieving mother got in the car and drove off.
Though she saw many things clearly, the fleeing woman did not know if she would have a chance to explain. She could not see that part of the future. So with tears still spilling down her cheeks, she clutched at her necklace. It held three beautiful charms sparkling with precious rubies.
She gripped them in the palm of her hand for a long moment, thinking of how her husband fulfilled every one of her heart's desires from the moment they met. One day, she hoped he would understand her drastic actions. Then she tucked her necklace back into her shirt, determined to do what she must.
Darkness threatened all their kind and their way of life. She hated sacrificing her and her husband's futures, but what she planned to do held the only hope. Hanging on to her courage, she pushed harder on the gas pedal and sped into the night.
Ronda White experienced a very multicultural upbringing—born in Bangladesh where she lived most of the time until turning eleven, then two years in India where she spent three semesters in boarding school, and graduating high school in Brussels, Belgium where she spent four years and enjoyed traveling around Europe. She attended college in the U.S., where she lived periodically throughout her first seventeen years.
After graduating with an English Education degree, she spent two years in Liberia, West Africa where she had the privilege of teaching a very diverse group of students—American, Argentinian, Canadian, Dutch, Ethiopian, Filipino, German, Korean, Lebanese, Liberian, and Scandinavian. Her time there was cut short with the onset of a civil war that forced the school to shut down and her and her students to be evacuated. She is still in contact with many of these former students.
After some further education, she taught school for eleven years in a Southwest Missouri city. Transferring to a much smaller community, she taught five more years before resigning from teaching. Now she is pursuing a career she dreamed of doing since ninth grade—being a writer. Ronda lives with her husband, kids, and dog in a small town in Missouri.
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