Covers to Covet

Beauty Awakened

by Gena Showalter

(Angels of the Dark # 2)

"Combining passion, humor, pulse-pounding action and just plain fun, Gena Showalter's books are always a refreshing escape!" - New York Times bestselling author Lara Adrian New York Times bestselling author Gena Showalter returns with another captivating Angels of the Dark tale, as a tormented warrior is brought to his knees by the most delicate of humans...

His name is Koldo. He is scarred, powerful, his control legendary-and he lives only for vengeance, determined to punish the angel who viciously removed his wings. But if he yields to the forces of hatred, he will be kicked from the heavens, eternally damned.

She is his last hope. Nicola Lane was born with a defective heart, yet this fragile human shows surprising strength as demons stalk her every move, determined to end her. She is the key to Koldo's deliverance...and his downfall. Though he fights duty, destiny and his first addictive taste of desire, his toughest battle will be the one for Nicola's life-even if he has to sacrifice his own....

Available February 26, 2013 

Shut Up and Kiss Me: Hot Down Under

by Rhian Cahill

The city of Sydney isn’t the only thing heating up this summer.

Jacqueline Mowbray has spent months fantasizing about her friend Kyle and never once did she consider he may be suffering the same unrelenting attraction. But Jac is about to find out what Kyle wants Kyle gets.

Kyle Barnes has kept a lid on his simmering desire for Jac for years but what’s a man to do when faced with a hot, wet woman wearing only a towel? Take what he wants of course.

As the city around them melts under a summer heat wave these two friends will discover the sizzling temperatures aren’t the only thing boiling over.

Warning: This story contains more than rising temperatures and the author advises the reader to have a cold drink or suitable partner to help combat the heat.

Available December 1, 2012

Her Fantasy Men

by Shayla Black

Kelsey Rena is an enigma. She’s a girly-girl who’s wild for football, craves action movies, and loves knocking back a cold beer with her three best friends–all male. She’s a puzzle, too, when it comes to sex. Here are three hot guys always ready and within reach and she’s never seemed interested. So who is the lucky mystery man satisfying the girl of their secret dreams? The three pals plan to find out. And when they do, they’ll see a side of Kelsey they’ve only dared to fantasize about.

(Note: Her Fantasy Men is also a single story in Four Play anthology)

Available October 23, 2012

Their Virgin Princess

by Shayla Black and Lexi Blake

(Masters of Menage # 4)

Covers to Covet

The Better to Bite

by Cynthia Eden

Don’t go into the woods.

Sixteen-year-old Anna Lambert knows that the woods near her new home aren’t safe. She’s seen the wolves that stalk through that dark forest, but Anna doesn’t scare easily.
Anna is cursed–or gifted, depending on how you look at it–with the ability to find anyone or anything that is lost. So when folks start disappearing in the small town of Haven, Anna’s father, the sheriff, has to use her special skills as they begin to hunt for a killer.

But the killer isn’t exactly human. As Anna is pulled deeper into the secrets of Haven–a town that is truly cursed–she finds herself falling for two, equally mysterious boys. With the danger closing in, one of those boys may just turn out to be her savior. And the other? He could be a very big, very bad…beast.

Beware of beasts…and boys…with bite.

Releasing this October!!!!

From Cynthia's blog...

THE BETTER TO BITE will be the first YA that I release, although it is not the first YA that I have written. I actually wrote my very first YA novel almost 16 years ago. So, ahem, I guess you could say this one has been a long time coming. 

As I wrote THE BETTER TO BITE, I thought of it as Veronica Mars meets Little Red Riding Hood–with werewolves.  I had such an incredible time writing this story, and I’m crossing my fingers and hoping that readers enjoy it, too.

Eternal Hope

by Frankie Rose

(The Hope Series # 2) 

He loves me, he loves me not, he loves me

When your friends go missing and you don’t know if they’re dead or alive; when you tie your soul to the one you love; when you kill to protect and your family suffers, there’s only one thing you can do:

Move to Montana.

Farley Hope is special. She was prophesied to kill the forebears of her bloodline- a race of cold-blooded Reavers, men who steal the souls of the living to gain power. The Quorum had counted on Farley ending her own life in the process, but when Kayden came to her aid and helped save both her and Daniel, he undid their plans. Now the Quorum are displeased, not only with Kayden, but with Farley and Daniel too. Though her father is now dead, Farley’s troubles with the Reavers are far from over. An ancient Immortal, trapped for a thousand years, wants Farley for himself, and he will stop at nothing to claim her.

With secrets that lead to anger and pain, that turn friendship to dust, the group must overcome the problems within their own circle before they have a hope of fighting off the powers that threaten their lives.

Releasing October 12, 2012

Magic at Midnight

by Gena Showalter

TOGETHER FOR THE FIRST TIME

Two charmed and sexy novellas set in Mysteria, the beguiling little Colorado town where magic is in the air and passions run high—and not because of the altitude . . .

Hundreds of years ago, in the mountains of Colorado, Mysteria was founded by a random act of demonic kindness. Today, it’s a magnet for the supernatural, where magic quietly coexists with the mundane world. But now two sisters are about to unleash a tempest of seduction that will have tongues wagging for centuries to come . . .

The Witches of Mysteria and the Dead Who Love Them
Genevieve is a witch with a bad case of unrequited love for a local bar owner. But is his sudden change of heart the result of a love potion—or a literally breathtaking passion?

A Tawdry Affair
Glory, witch of love, wants her man. Unfortunately, he barely knows she exists—until a magic pen brings her creative fantasies of seduction, sex, and delicious revenge to life.

Available February 5, 2013

Interview and Giveaway with Gena Showalter

You might've figured this out, but we are HUGE Gena Showalter fans!  And everytime she has a new release out we get giddy with excitement and just jump up and down.  This time she's taking on the theme of Alice in Wonderland and throwing in some zombies for good measure.   She delivers a story that is true Gena Showalter full of action and lots of fun.  Now lets welcome Gena back to UTC for a little pre-release celebration.

Hi Gena and welcome back to Under the Covers. As you know you are one of our all time favorite authors and we love having you here!

Thank you so much for having me!

We are extremely excited about the release of ALICE IN ZOMBIELAND, the first in the White Rabbit Chronicles series. Tell us a bit about the White Rabbit Chronicles.

The White Rabbit Chronicles features a sixteen-year-old girl who loses her entire family in a car crash, only to discover her father was right. Monsters stalk the night. She has to learn to navigate this dark, new world—and with the help of bad boy Cole Holland, she just might survive. Or not. ßI just had to throw that in.

How did you include the elements of Alice in Wonderland in your zombie remake of the fairytale?

I tried to use shades of Lewis Carroll’s beloved characters and give them a twist, patterning a certain girl off the Mad Hatter and a certain boy after the Cheshire Cat. I then tried to pull from the essence of his scenes. While his Alice falls down a rabbit hole, my Alice falls down a pit of despair when she loses her family in the crash. Just things like that.

Is there something you have to have when writing YA or adult to get you in the right mood for each style of writing?

I try to remain aware of my audience. And it’s actually easier to do than I thought it would be, because my teen characters aren’t ready to experience the things my adult characters experience. As long as I stay true to the characters, their pasts, their mindsets, their hopes and dreams, I don’t think it will ever be a problem.

Demons and aliens and zombies, oh my! You've written about just about anything paranormal, even a paranormal dating guide. What's your favorite creature to write about?

I very much enjoy writing about my Sent Ones (the Angels of the Dark), and the redemption of a tortured soul.

Speaking of the paranormal dating guide.... Will you publish another issue of Dating the Undead? It was so much fun! 

I wish! We had an absolute blast with it, but that baby was actually very expensive to make (because of all those photos) and quite labor intensive. There just isn’t time in the schedule.

Impatient minds want to know... Do you have any idea when you will take Dallas off the back burner and write his story?

He shows up in Last Kiss Goodnight (briefly), and will have a bigger part in the next Otherworld Assassins novel (I think), but his book isn’t actually under contract so it’s difficult to say.

Who is the heroine you most identify with?

Probably Alice. No matter how many times she’s kicked down, she gets back up to continue the fight for those she loves. I adore that about her, and hope to always do the same.

I'm not sure how you managed this, but I'm crushing on a YA hero. What are your favorite things about Cole Holland?

Cole is big and bad and dangerous, but he’s also amazingly loyal to those he loves. He will die for his friends. He will protect those weaker than himself with every ounce of his strength. And, okay, he's sexy.

I know this is early, but thinking about zombies makes me think about Halloween. Do you have a Halloween tradition?

I don’t. Well, other than staying in, wearing fuzzy pj’s, and relaxing. Three of my favorite things!

She won’t rest until she’s sent every walking corpse back to its grave. Forever.

Had anyone told Alice Bell that her entire life would change course between one heartbeat and the next, she would have laughed. From blissful to tragic, innocent to ruined? Please. But that’s all it took. One heartbeat. A blink, a breath, a second, and everything she knew and loved was gone.

Her father was right. The monsters are real….

To avenge her family, Ali must learn to fight the undead. To survive, she must learn to trust the baddest of the bad boys, Cole Holland. But Cole has secrets of his own, and if Ali isn’t careful, those secrets might just prove to be more dangerous than the zombies….

I wish I could go back and do a thousand things differently.
I'd tell my sister no.
I'd never beg my mother to talk to my dad.
I'd zip my lips and swallow those hateful words.
Or, barring all of that, I'd hug my sister, my mom and my dad one last time.
I'd tell them I love them.
I wish... Yeah, I wish.

READ OUR REVIEW

ARC copy of ALICE IN ZOMBIELAND + SWAG US only.

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ARC Review: Alice in Zombieland by Gena Showalter

Alice in Zombieland

by Gena Showalter

(White Rabbit Chronicles # 1)

You have no idea how happy I am that I don't have to start this review saying "I AM IN LOVE WITH A ZOMBIE" because if there's an author out there that can make me say that, that would be Gena Showalter. I have read most of her adult books, but this is my first YA book by her that I've read and I can just say one thing about that...I love how much of her fun personality come through in this book.

This was such a fun and original read because her zombies are not just regular zombies...And, oh yeah: "I AM IN LOVE WITH A ZOMBIE KILLER". I might feel like a bit of a cougar right now because I have the hots for Cole.

I was captivated and enthralled from the first line:

"Had anyone told me that my entire life would change course between one heartbeat and the next, I would have laughed."

Alice Bell has grown up thinking her dad was crazy and that all she wanted was a normal life. She always talked about the monsters in the night and they all had to stay in at night and learn self-defense. She resented that until the night both her parents and her little sister died...because they've gone out at night on her request.

She realized then the monsters were real and she didn't understand any of it until she found a group of kids at her new school that were already fighting them. Fighting helped her cope with her loss.

No sweet sixteen for Ali. Except some good came from all that. She met good friends, true friends. Kat is one in particular I want to fold in my pocket and carry around with me to take her out when I need a pick me up. She is so funny, so supportive and such a loyal friend. I <3 her!

Then there's Cole and the rest of his group of zombie killers. Cole and Ali share a special and unique connection, they are literally drawn to each other like moths and I was drawn right along with them.

Ali is strong and kick ass and everything I want a sixteen year old heroine to be. But she is still a normal teenager, wanting to have friends and be normal and crushing on a hot guy. She's got balls to confront people threatening her and not to be scared of her bad boy crush but embrace him and fight right along side him.

The story was great with a bit of a twist and a sad at the end. I absolutely cannot wait for the next book in this series. Congrats to Gena Showalter on another story very well written, totally captivating and originally HERS.

Quote:

No way did I want to be known as Pinot Grigio. (That's what my my parents had called me anytime I'd gotten my whine on. They'd called Em Pinot Noir.) 

*ARC provided by publisher

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Review: Wicked Nights by Gena Showalter

Wicked Nights

(Angels of the Dark #1)

by Gena Showalter

From the amazing author who brought you the Lords of the Underworld comes a new world were angels toe the line between darkness and light. In WICKED NIGHTS, the first book of the ANGELS OF THE DARK series, Gena Showalter introduces a virgin angel named Zacharel. Burdened by the Deity to be the leader of a group of badass angels, Zacharel is forced to lead and receive punishment for any misdeeds they commit. In this group there is Thane, Bjorn, Xerxes and Koldo. All of which are tortured souls waiting to exact revenge on someone or something.

 I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I have been a fan of Showalter for some time now and firmly believe that her writing has improved with each book. I noticed this in her last release, THE DARKEST SEDUCTION, but in WICKED NIGHTS, Showalter really shows her strength and growth as a writer. Her writing has become more descriptive, more tighter and the proof is in the pages. Gena has been working her butt off and you can totally see the improvements in each subsequent book.

Probably the biggest reason I loved this book is because I adored the hero and heroine. Zacharel is a virgin – need I say more? And Annabelle is a woman who has faced a tough life, but doesn’t allow her past hurts to haunt her. I adored her spunk and fiery spirit and added to Zacharel’s more serious side results in some hilarious dialogue. Here, case in point:

Annabelle alternately marveled at the change in him and at the luminosity of the full moon. Other humans gave him a wide berth, nearly flattening themselves against the building walls to widen the distance between them. Annabelle danced around him, grinning. “Can I just say what a bad boy you are right now?”
 “Of course you can. You just did.”
“No, I mean – Oh, never mind, you spoiled it. “ Her lips dipped into a pout. 

 Zacharel is adorable!

While I thought the book lacked the thread that should have pulled the plot forward, I found that I really enjoyed the ending. Showalter pulls a little twist at the ending that I really enjoyed and it really stirred the pot up! For fans of the LOTU, there are a lot of cameos in this book. You’ll be happy to note that Paris and Lucien and some of the women and more make regular appearances. It was hilarious to read Annabelle’s reaction to Paris’ hotness.

 Now I am jonesing for a taste of Koldo and Xerxes. Out of all the other angels, they stood out to me the most. If Showalter continues to write like this for her next books, there is no doubt that the Angels of the Dark series will be just as successful as the Lords of the Underworld. Watch out now, Lords ‘cause the Angels have arrived!

*Early Review Copy provided by author

 

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Author Override: Gena Showalter

Author Override is the place where authors take the reins and take you on a journey into their world. Some may allow you into their private writing dens. Others may take you along with them on research trips or interviews. Whatever the case may be, sit back, relax and enjoy the ride because here you’ll get an in-depth look into an author’s musings.

You know the name, yes Gena Showalter aka Superwoman!  We cannot even begin to tell you how much we love Gena Showalter, and we are so excited to have her back at Under the Covers! Or actually, she's letting us get some one on one time with Bad Boy # 1, William.  With the release of WICKED NIGHTS just around the corner, we thought we could bring you some inside scoop into the hero of the LOTU spin-off, Zacharel, but well... Just check out what happened...

You asked for it, and the editors of Dating the Undead delivered. Sit back, relax, and read this candid one-on-one conversation with the world’s most notorious immortal playboy, William the Ever Randy.

William claims he’s the sexiest male ever created, but we gave our vote to Zacharel from Wicked Nights. All that dark, silky hair . . .those exotic jade green eyes . . . that crazy delicious muscle mass . . .yeah, we’re smitten.

But William, tart-tongued narcissist that he is, refuses to admit defeat and wants a chance to plead his case. And, well, curious girls that we are, we wanted to know what he had to say. So, we sent our special correspondent, Francesca Teeglesworth to the Realm of Blood and Shadows, where William is currently residing with the Lords of the Underworld.

She conducted the interview in bed with him.

(Note from Francesca: What? Unlike William, I’m only human!)

Francesca: Before I expound on and on about the angelic warrior Zacharel… who has those glorious white and gold wings… and gives those smoldering will-he-kill-me-or-kiss-me glances, let’s find out a little about you. You’re a man who’s made no secret of the fact that he gets around. Word is, you’ve slept with every species out there. So, we gotta know. Who—or what—is the best?

William: Darling, anytime I’m with a woman, I’m picturing my own face. So, really, when you think about it, I’m the species I most enjoy shagging.

Francesca: Why am I not surprised?

William: Because ten minutes ago you were watching me picture my own face while I was shagging you.

Francesca (blushing): So, uh, yeah. If you could only take three items to a deserted island, what would you take?

William: A blond, a brunette, and a redhead.

Francesca: Sex before sustenance or survival, I guess.

William: I know. I’m smart like that. And look at you, learning about me so quickly.

Francesca: What will guarantee a woman a second date with you?

William (laughing): What kind of crazy question is that? Seriously, darling. Someone didn’t do her homework. I’ve never been on a second date with a woman.

Francesca: But . . . why not?

William: Why eat the stale donut sitting on your nightstand when there’s a tastier one with sprinkles still waiting in the box?

Francesca: O-kay. I’m one hundred percent convinced Zacharel is the man for me. And speaking of the Big Z from Wicked Nights, who would win in a fight between you two?

William: That depends. Will the fight take place in the skies or on the ground?

Francesca: Skies.

William: Well, how am I staying up there? Z has wings. I don’t.

Francesca: Fine. You’re on the ground.

William: Are there spectators or are we alone?

Francesca: What does it matter?

William: You might be surprised.

Francesca: You’re alone.

William: Impossible. Females are always following me.

Francesca: Never mind. Forget it. What can you tell me about Zacharel?

William: blah blah blah…cold…blah blah blah…heartless.

Francesca (dry tone): Wow. That was really lovely. Poetic, even.

William: Thanks. I read it in a fortune cookie or something.

Francesca: That’s it. I’ll tell the readers about him and his book. Wicked Nights is the story of Zacharel, the new leader of the Army of Disgrace—heavenly warriors in danger of falling from grace—and Annabelle, a human who has spent the last four years locked inside an institution for the criminally insane. The ultra sexy, deliciously edible Zacharel doesn’t have time for a distraction, but Annabelle fascinates him in a way nothing else ever has. He decides he wants her—but then, so does the demon chasing her. Let the battle begin.

William: Can’t say he does anything for me.

Francesca (sighing dreamily): You know, Willy, that’s not the first time you were wrong today. I was actually picturing Zacharel’s face while we were shagging. But thanks for the interview.

William (sputtering)

Gena is graciously giving away a SIGNED copy of Wicked Nights!

Leader of the most powerful army in the heavens, Zacharel has been deemed nearly too dangerous, too ruthless--and if he isn't careful, he'll lose his wings. But this warrior with a heart of ice will not be deterred from his missions at any cost...until a vulnerable human tempts him with a carnal pleasure he's never known before.Accused of a crime she did not commit, Annabelle Miller has spent four years in an institution for the criminally insane. Demons track her every move, and their king will stop at nothing to have her. Zacharel is her only hope for survival, but is the brutal angel with a touch as hot as hell her salvation--or her ultimate damnation?

Available June 26, 2012

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Review: Animal Instincts by Gena Showalter

Animal Instincts

by Gena Showalter

After a very bad marriage in which her husband constantly cheated on her Naomi Delacroix is determined to stop being such a doormat and let her inner Tigress out to play. If this means unleashing her Tigress on the too-sexy Royce Powell then so be it, the only problem being is that he seems to make her inner Tigress purr...

I had a grin going the entire time I read this book, it may have made me look slightly insane and maybe scared small children, but I was too involved reading the book to really notice. This is a great book to read if you are looking for something light, a little sexy and very funny.

Although the romance wasn't the best, Royce was soooo perfect that it got a little ridiculous in the end. How could one guy (who happens to not only be filthy rich but also disgustingly hot) be so damn perfect and say all the right things (and mean them!) all the time? Especially when Naomi gave no indication really that she was interested, even though she was, I can't see a guy steaming through that amount of rejection. But despite it being completely unrealistic it was sweet and Royce was hot and reading Naomi trying to resist Royce's advances was so hilarious that I didn't really mind.

A great quick read Animal Instincts will keep you smiling and leave you refreshed for something new.  

Review: The Darkest Seduction by Gena Showalter

The Darkest Seduction

by Gena Showalter

Lords of the Underworld #9

Paris's frantic search for Sienna is coming to it's conclusion, he's lied, cheated, murdered and screwed his way to find her so he can release her from Cronus's clutches. But their time together can only be limited as all sides of the war want Sienna, the new Keeper of Wrath, and she must make a choice stay with Paris, but damn all the Lords to death or betray Paris and save them.

At last! At last we have Paris and Sienna's book, after waiting through most the series it's here! I confess that after all the build up I was secretly feeling a little skeptical over how good this would be, I have found the previous few books a little disappointing and didn't want to raise my expectations too high. I worried in vain. I thought this book could possibly be the best in the series so far, it was packed with EVENTS, revelations and romance, with multiple threads playing out through the books and new characters being introduced there was never a dull moment.

Paris and Sienna, who knew they could work so well together? They had chemistry, friendship and love. Like all really good love stories the have conquered epic obstracles in their way, death, gods, demons and their own pasts. But Paris is Keeper of Promiscuity, so lets get to the hot and steamy. The sex scenes were smokin', managing to be a great mixture of panty wettingly hot but tender as well.

But as well as the romance, a few very unexpected events happened, this book kept me reading not just to see Paris and Sienna, but to also see what else Gena was going to throw at us. We need some new demon possessed immortals, my favourite being Viola, Keeper of Narcissicty, she reminded me a little of Anya. Then, there was Kane's stint in Hell and Galen and Legion, not to mention what the Cronus and Rhea were up to. All these things happening around the main couple made this book a one-sitting-read.

The Darkest Seduction also has Gena's humour and wit in it, I love how her characters interact, especially the Lords, it shows their friendship perfectly.

I loved this book, it had a great romance and has left me desparate to read more, not just of Lords of the Underworld but also her new series Angels of the Dark as we get a little hint of what it is all about in the epilogue. The best in the series so far!

Purchase Links: Amazon