Angel on the Ropes — Jill Shultz

Amandine Sand lives to fly. Unfortunately, she's hobbled by a life-threatening secret: she's one of the spotted humans wrongly accused of being a plague carrier. These "leopards" are hunted by zealots to protect their offworld colony from the scourge. Despite this threat, Amandine spends her days guiding other leopards to an underground shelter run by the pacifist Seekers. At night, with her own spots hidden, she soars on the trapeze, the one place she feels free and gloriously alive.When the persecution of leopards explodes into widespread violence, the Seekers demand more of her time. But her circus is teetering toward bankruptcy and desperately needs her, too. She has no time to breathe... and then she meets a stranger who leaves her breathless--and might be the biggest risk of all. If her trust is misplaced and she's unmasked, everyone she loves and everything she's fought for could crash.To survive, Amandine must draw upon all of her circus and Seeker skills. But can a pacifist defend her violent enemies to stop a civil war? And can this reluctant angel fly beyond her limits to save her life, her love, and her world?•Reader's Crown Award Winner in Science Fiction from RomCon (2014)•Rainbow Book Awards Winner in LGBT Sci-fi/Fantasy (3rd place, 2013)•Shortlist for Best Novel, the Gaylactic Spectrum Award (Recommended 2013 title)