Eastlands — Ann Christy

Escape from Texas was only the beginning.
Karas and crew are free, but freedom is relative for a striker. Never sure when trouble might find them, they've spent a year trading along the great river and exploring the world they've only just discovered is real.
It's a good life, but life on the sea is a treacherous thing. When a hurricane traps them between open ocean and the mysterious land of Florida - a place from which no visitor returns - they find themselves in greater danger than ever before.
Florida turns out to be more than a secretive place that hoards technology. It's a land filled with dangerous plots and even more dangerous people. Texas is Florida's enemy and nothing else matters except victory. Strikers like Karas and her friends are exactly what Florida has been looking for. Within their bodies they hold the keys to victory and Florida wants to posses those keys, no matter the cost. Whether or not the friends can survive contact with Florida will depend on how deeply they can dig into themselves for strength...and how much they're willing to sacrifice.