Mona Lisa Awakening (Monere: Children of the Moon, Book 1)

This smoldering debut novel explores the passion, hunger, and danger that can break loose in the moonlight. Mona Lisa and Gryphon, both children of the moon, can't fight their attraction. Gryphon also believes Mona Lisa is perhaps the first Queen of Mixed Blood ever known. A smoldering debut novel exploring the passion, hunger, and danger that can break loose in the moonlight. From the time she was a child, Mona Lisa knew she was different-but she never knew how different until a man of otherworldly beauty appeared during her night shift in the ER. Gryphon is hurting and hunted and he attracts her as no man ever has before. He is a Monre, one of the children of the moon-and what's more, so is she. Long exiled from the moon, the men of the Monre serve-and mate-with imperious Queens who can channel the rays of their far-off homeland. Gryphon believes that Mona Lisa is a Queen- perhaps the first of Mixed Blood ever known. But her introduction to the nighttime court of the Monre, simmering with intrigue, casual lust, and calculated cruelty, is far from smooth. The other Queens are infuriated by her potential powers, and they are all menaced by a group of rogue males who have broken away from the women's sway. Even as she battles threats from within and without, Mona Lisa is determined to discover who she is, and to explore the limits of her growing power-and her secret desires. From the time she was an orphan child, Mona Lisa knew she was different—but she never knew how different until a man of otherworldly beauty arrived during her night shift in the ER. Gryphon is hurting and hunted...and he attracts her as no man ever has before. He is a Monere, one of the children of the moon—and what's more, so is she...Long exiled from the moon, the men of the Monere serve—and mate—with imperious Queens, who can channel the rays of their far-off homeland. Gryphon believes that Mona Lisa is a Queen—perhaps the first of Mixed Blood ever known. But her introduction to the nighttime court of the Monere, simmering with intrigue, casual lust, and calculated cruelty, is far from smooth. The other Queens are infuriated by her potential powers, and they are all menaced by a group of rogue males who have broken away from the women's sway. Even as she battles threats from within and without, Mona Lisa is determined to discover who she is, and to explore the limits of her growing power—and her secret desires... The "children of the moon" are ruled by "Queens," rare females whose ability to pull down the moon's rays allows them to heal rapidly and live 300 years. Gorgeous, shape-changing males protect, serve and have sex with the often ruthless Queens, who sometimes cruelly abuse them. After treating one of these males, Gryphon, at Manhattan's St. Vincent's Hospital one night, 21-year-old ER nurse Lisa discovers she's not only a part-human Monère herself but also the first "Mixed Blood" Queen, Mona Lisa. Her human blood makes her impervious to sunlight and silver--the banes of the Monère--and her latent powers pose a threat to the nastier Queens, who want to destroy her SICKNESS AND DEATH was in the air-women crying, men cursing, unwashed bodies.