Waiting on Wednesday: March 29th

Three words: Ward, Ione, Showalter. 

Need I say more?

Yes? Well, alright. On March 29th, some of the best of the best in romance have new books coming out. 

For J.R. Ward, March 29th marks the release of the 9th Black Dagger Brotherhood book, Lover Unleashed. Squeee! Having to wait a year for each BDB instalment is pure torture. You can bet I will be first in line at Chapters to buy this book. 

Although Lover Unleashed is at the top of my to-buy list for March 29th, Larissa Ione's Eternal Rider and Gena Showalter's The Darkest Secret are also must-buys. I'm eager to delve into Ione's new series based of the Four Horsemen. Her Demonica books are some of my favorites, so I have high hopes that Eternal Rider will be just as addicting. Also, I can't wait to read Amun's story. After being in the background for so long, I'm excited to see how Amun will measure up to the rest of the Lords. 

While Lover Unleashed, Eternal Rider and The Darkest Secret are my top picks for books being released on the 29th, there are a ton of other great reads out that day as well. If you want a more complete list of all the books being released on the 29th, head on over to Wicked Scribes. 

New Cover Alert: Lord of the Vampires by Gena Showalter

Apparently capes are the new it accessory in book covers these days (ex. Never Again by Michelle Bardsley). While capes have the potential to be very cheesy and cartoonish, I think the cover for Lord of the Vampires does the cape justice. Also, the horse design in the background is interesting, although I have no idea what horses have to do with vampires. Perhaps there will be a vampire horse in the book?

I have to give my stamp of approval to this cover because it's so different from other Harlequin Nocturne books. I'm glad Harlequin has decided to do away with the garish purple banner at the top because it only served as a distraction. Bravo Harlequin!

Lord of the Vampires is the first book in a 4 author series. The other authors include Jill Monroe, Jessica Andersen and Nalini Singh. Lord of the Vampires comes out September 2011.

Once upon a time…the Blood Sorcerer vanquished the kingdom of Elden.  To save their children, the queen scattered them to safety and the king filled them with a need for vengeance. Only a magical timepiece connects the four royal heirs…and time is running out.

Nicolai the Vampire is renowned for his virility, but in a cruel twist of fate “The Dark Seducer” has become a sex slave in the kingdom of Delfina—stripped of his precious timepiece and his memory. All that remains is a primal need for freedom, revenge—and the only woman who can help him.

When the wanton vampire summons Jane Parker, she is helpless to obey.  She's drawn to his dark sexuality and into his magical realm.  But for this human, all is not a fairy tale.  For saving Nicolai could mean losing the only man she's ever craved...

Steamin' Hot New Cover: The Darkest Surrender

OMG! How great is this cover? The golden tones really pop and it fits well with the rest of the LOTU books. And can we talk about the abs here? YUMMY. Two thumbs waaaaay up!

                                                                                                                                       The Darkest Surrender comes out October 2011.

                                                                                                                                       The Lords of the Underworld return in this enthralling tale of an immortal warrior determined to win and the beautiful seductress he can’t resist. 

Possessed by the demon of Defeat, Strider cannot lose a challenge without suffering unimaginable pain.  For him, nothing stands in the way of victory.  Until Kaia, an enchanting Harpy, tempts him to the razor’s edge of surrender.

Known among her people as The Disappointment, Kaia must bring home the gold in the Harpy Games or die.  Strider is a distraction she can’t afford because he as an agenda of his own – steal first prize, an ancient godly artifact, before the winner can be named.  But as the competition heats up, only one prize will matter – the love neither had thought possible…

New Cover Alert: Dark Taste of Rapture by Gena Showalter

2011 hasn't even started yet and there is already a contender for the best cover of the year! Gena Showalter has had some great book covers in the past, but the brand new cover for Dark Taste of Rapture is stunning. I love the gold, the fluttering hair, and the six pack. Two thumbs way up for this one.

Dark Taste of Rapture is the 6th book in Showalter's Alien Huntress series and features Noelle Tremain and Hector Dean. It's out August 23, 2011.

"Beautiful Noelle Tremain has just completed AIR training and successfully navigated her first mission. Life is perfect.  Until her best friend is turned into a vampire, destroying her day life, and she’s partnered with Hector Dean, destroying her nightlife.  He’s the sexiest, most powerful man she’s ever met, able to atomize his arms and punch through anything – but he’s also emotionally distanced, determined to remain alone. So, to stay on top of their case, she might just have to find a way on top of him.

Oh, the naughty things a girl will do for her job . . . "

New Cover Alert: The Darkest Secret by Gena Showalter

FINALLY! It's been a long wait, but Gena Showalter released the cover and the blurb for The Darkest Secret this week.

Hmm, I have mixed feelings over this one. I personally am not a huge fan of the yellow but I suppose it makes the lettering standout more. The shadow behind the guy's head also makes it look like he is sporting a fro. However, I love how the model looks like he could be Egyptian. There is nothing worse than a cover model who looks nothing like how the character is supposed to look.

Also, the heroine is not who I expected her to be. I thought for sure it would be one of the harpy sisters and Haidee would be Strider's mate. Way to keep us on our toes Gena! The Darkest Secret is out April 1, 2011.

Here's the blurb:

"Keeper of the demon of Secrets, Amun can manipulate the darkest thoughts of anyone nearby. But when new demons possess him, the immortal warrior must be chained and isolated to protect those he loves. Death is his only hope of release—until he meets Haidee, a fellow prisoner whose beauty and hidden vulnerability draw him into a reckless test of his loyalty….

Haidee is an infamous demon assassin, raised to despise Amun’s kind. Yet how can she hate the man whose touch sets her aflame? But to save him, she must give herself body and soul…and face the wrath of a powerful adversary sworn to destroy her."

Pick of the Week: Ecstasy in Darkness

(October 25th - October 31st, 2010)

This is the week I've been waiting for all October! Not only is it Halloween on Sunday (the best holiday of the year), but also two of my favorite authors have new material coming out. Candy, costumes, and some good reads, who could ask for more? PS: I'm going as a bag of popcorn for Halloween :)

Although it was a tough decision to make, this weeks Pick of the Week goes to Ecstasy in Darkness by General Showalter. I'm a huge fan of her Alien Huntress series and can't wait to read about Mckell, the former leader of the vampire army who went a tad crazy in the last book. However, I'm hoping that Frost's novella Night's Darkest Embrace in the new anthology Haunted by Your Touch will help take the sting away from having to wait 3 more months for the next Cat and Bones book.

Both Haunted by Your Touch and Ecstasy in Darkness are out Tuesday, October 26th.

New York Times bestselling sensation Gena Showalter enthralls with a dark, tantalizing world of humans, otherworlders, powers beyond imagining, and a seductive vampire undone by his insatiable hunger for one woman. . . .

Growing up poor on New Chicago’s meanest streets, Ava Sans had two options: be the predator or be the prey. No contest. Now, working for Alien Investigation and Removal, she’s been ordered to capture the biggest, baddest warrior of all—a vampire too beautiful to be real, with the ability to manipulate time. . . .

Once the leader of the entire vampire army, McKell has been deemed savage and unstable, spurned even by his own kind.To McKell, humans should be nothing more than sustenance. Yet the petite, golden-skinned Ava is a fascinating contradiction—vicious yet witty, strong yet vulnerable, lethal but fiercely loyal. Against his better judgment, McKell craves that loyalty, and much more. When the chase leads to seduction, McKell and Ava will race to discover the truth about his past. But the answers will come at a price, even for a woman who thought she had nothing left to lose. . . .