Shannon K. Butcher - Living on the Edge

Table of Contents

Praise for Shannon K. Butcher and the Sentinel Wars Novels

Finding the Lost

Exerts much the same appeal as Christine Feehans Carpathian series, what with tortured heroes, the necessity of finding love or facing a fate worse than death, hot lovemaking, and danger-filled adventure.

Booklist

A terrific grim thriller with the romantic subplot playing a strong supporting role. The cast is powerful as the audience will feel every emotion that Andra feels from fear for her sister to fear for her falling in love. Finding the Lost is a dark tale, as Shannon K. Butcher paints a forbidding, gloomy landscape in which an ancient war between humanitys guardians and their nasty adversaries heats up in Nebraska.

Alternative Worlds

A very entertaining read... the ending was a great cliffhanger, and I cant wait to read the next book in this series... a fast-paced story with great action scenes and lots of hot romance.

The Book Lush

Butchers paranormal reality is dark and gritty in this second Sentinel Wars installment. What makes this story so gripping is the seamlessly delivered hard-hitting action and wrenching emotions. Butcher is a major talent in the making.

Romantic Times

Burning Alive

Starts off with nonstop action. Readers will race through the pages, only to reread the entire novel to capture every little detail... a promising start for a new voice in urban fantasy/paranormal romance. I look forward to the next installment.

A Romance Review (5 Roses)

This first book of the Sentinel Wars whets your appetite for the rest of the books in the series. Ms. Butcher is carving her way onto the bestseller lists with this phenomenal nonstop ride that will have you preordering the second book the minute you put this one down.

Affaire de Coeur (5 stars)

Absorbing.... Butcher skillfully balances erotic, tender interactions with Helens worries, and intriguing secondary characters further enhance the unusual premise. Fans of Butchers romantic suspense novels will enjoy her turn toward the paranormal.

Publishers Weekly

Ms. Butcher offers fresh and delightfully creative elements in this paranormal romance, keeping readers engaged as the story unfolds. Burning Alive is a well-crafted beginning to this exciting new series, and will have fans of the genre coming back for the next adventure in the Sentinel Wars.

Darque Reviews

An exciting romantic urban fantasy.... Shannon K. Butcher adds her trademark suspense with plenty of tension and danger to the mix of a terrific paranormal thriller.

Midwest Book Review

Burning Alive is Shannon Butchers first foray into paranormal romance, and what a doozy it is! Filled with sizzling love scenes, great storytelling, and action galore, fans of paranormal romance will rejoice to have Ms. Butcher finally join the genre!

ParaNormal Romance

A different twist on the paranormal genre.... Overall, Shannon K. Butcher has done a good job with Burning Alive , and I will definitely be reading the next in the series.

Fallen Angel Reviews

Also by Shannon K. Butcher

NOVELS OF THE SENTINEL WARS

Running Scared
Finding the Lost
Burning Alive
Living Nightmare

eISBN : 978-1-101-47742-7

SIGNET ECLIPSE

Published by New American Library, a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc., 375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014, USA

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80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England

First published by Signet Eclipse, an imprint of New American Library,
a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

First Printing, March 2011

Copyright Shannon K. Butcher, 2011

All rights reserved

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For Jim Butcher.

Happy twentieth anniversary, honey.

Chapter 1

L ucas Ramseys target stood out from the swirling masses of perfumed, sequined gold diggers on the ballroom floor. There was something different about hera watchful, focused quality that none of the other women at this fancy shindig possessed. Then again, there were three other women flirting with the flabby, older man she was hanging on. Maybe she was worried shed lose her sugar daddy.

Too bad Lucas wasnt a rich man, cause hed love to sign up for that job, even if for only one night.

The weapon in his shoulder holster felt odd through the thin cotton of his tuxedo shirt, and the shiny leather shoes didnt have the same gripping traction of his combat boots. He was as far out of place here as a man could get, but Sloane Gideon was here, so he was, too.

She was his last chance to repay a man he owed everything to. And the job was simple. All he had to do was keep her from catching her flight on a private jet in ninety-eight minutes.

No sweat. Even a washed-up soldier like him could handle that. In fact, Lucas could think of more than one way to make her miss that flight. The Old Man had said to use any means necessary to keep her in Texas, and as the list of the more interesting possibilities formed in Lucass head, his body temperature kicked up a couple of degrees.

There were hundreds of people here, all as well dressed as the room itself. Silk draped the walls, and fine linen cloths covered the tables. No polyester there.

A tidy crew of unobtrusive waiters wove among the guests, offering an endless supply of champagne in crystal flutes. Live music swelled from the raised platform where a small orchestra played. Elegant harmonies wove their way through the room, and on the far left, couples danced to a waltz Lucas recognized but could not name.

He was more of a beer and rock-and-roll kind of guy, but that didnt mean he couldnt appreciate the finer things in life.

Like Sloane Gideon. She was definitely fine.

Sloane was lovely in an untouchable sort of way. Perfect hair, perfect makeup, perfect dress flowing over perfect curves. She was walking perfection, and hed bet his last dollar that she knew it. Decked out in diamonds and a dress that probably cost more than his car, she was way out of his league. Of course, if a man managed to strip her of all that flash and sparkle, the playing field would be a lot more even. And a lot more interesting.

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