The Darkest Touch Pre-Order Campaign

The Darkest Touch Pre-Order Campaign

About Campaign

If we reach 15,000 pre-order for The Darkest Touch before the November 25th release date, Gena Showalter will:

· Post a never before seen excerpt from The Darkest Touch 
· select one winner for a Swarovksi Two-Tone Crystal Butterfly Pendant Necklace 
· select winners for 1 of 10 signed posters of the Darkest Touch cover, just in time for Christmas.
  (prize winners announced on her website for 10,000 goal already reached!)

To enter The Darkest Touch Pre-Order Campaign, visit http://members.genashowalter.com/page/the-darkest-touch for details. 


Title: The Darkest Touch

Author: Gena Showalter

Series: Lords of the Underworld #11

Age: Adult

Genres: Paranormal Romance

Publication Date: November 25th 2014

Publisher: HQN Books

Page Numbers: 384

Format: Paperback

Source: The author

PurchaseAmazon | Kindle | B&N | Nook Book Depository | BAM | Indie Bound | Chapters.Indigo | Kobo 

Synopsis: 
From New York Times bestselling author Gena Showalter comes the long-awaited story of Torin, the most dangerous Lord of the Underworld yet…

Fierce immortal warrior. Host to the demon of Disease. Torin’s every touch causes sickness and death—and a worldwide plague. Carnal pleasure is utterly forbidden, and though he has always overcome temptation with an iron will, his control is about to shatter.

She is Keeley Cael. The Red Queen. When the powerful beauty with shocking vulnerabilities escapes from a centuries-long imprisonment, the desire that simmers between her and Torin is scorching. His touch could mean the end for her, but resisting her is the hardest battle he’s ever fought—and the only battle he fears he can’t win.
My Rating: 

Praise

Showalter’s signature blend of sizzling attraction, breathtaking worlds, and lethal stakes
rocks me every time!

—Sylvia Day, #1 New York Times bestselling author 
With compelling stories and memorable characters, Gena Showalter never fails to dazzle.
—Jeaniene Frost, New York Times bestselling author
For fans of expertly written, gritty paranormal romance that is laced with hope, Showalter has just the book for you.
—RT Book Reviews on Burning Dawn
The Lords of the Underworld series…keeps getting more satisfying. Sometimes with a long-running series, characters or storylines can run their course, but not with Showalter’s talent. The chemistry has never been hotter and both the characters and the world they live in are beautifully detailed.
—RT Book Reviews on The Darkest Craving 
Showalter does her magic with an intricately developed world, complex and intensive character arcs and dark, compelling paranormal themes. She releases that literary punch to the gut with excruciatingly detailed scenes that haunt the senses long after reading the pages.
—USA TODAY on Wicked Nights 
Gena Showalter knows how to keep readers glued to the pages and smiling the whole time.
— Lara Adrian, New York Times bestselling author 
Another sizzling page-turner…
Gena Showalter delivers an utterly spell-binding story!

—Kresley Cole, #1 New York Times bestselling author,
on Playing with Fire


Excerpt

She appeared in front of him, displaying more tanned skin than she concealed, her hair falling around her face in lush, golden waves. Her eyes glittered with remnants of her anger. Her lips were slightly swollen and pinker than usual.
“Temper much?” she quipped.
His relief was palpable. She hadn’t forgotten him! But the relief was quickly replaced by concern. “Are you all right? Did someone hit you?”
She blinked with confusion. “No. Why?” “Your lips are swollen.”
She rubbed them, color heating her cheeks. “Someone didn’t hit me, but someone sure did hit on me.”
Hit on her. As in kissed her.
Already on edge, Torin. Utterly. Erupted.
He forgot everything he’d planned to do and say and got in Keeley’s face, snarling, “Who was it?”
Her eyes widened. “Hades. Why?”
“You dare ask why? You belong to me! We agreed. You do not kiss other men, Keeley. Ever. Have you for- gotten my rules?”
Her jaw dropped, and she gasped out a few unintelligible words as if she couldn’t quite figure out what to say to him.
He stood in place, breathing too quickly, too heavily, his throat and lungs burning. He reached for her, but as so many times before, fisted his hands and dropped them just before contact. This is crazy. I’m crazy. I have to leave.
“Are you…thinking about touching me?” she asked, her eyes widening again.
No, she had to leave. He could not be in public right now. “Go shopping. Buy yourself something pretty. My treat.” He basically tossed his credit card at her. He should be calm by the time she finished. “Come back in an hour. Maybe two. Actually, we’ll reconvene to- morrow.”
“You are,” she said. “You’re thinking… Even craving me. You don’t like the thought of another man’s hands on me, and you want to replace the memory with your hands.”
That. Yes. Hades would die, and Torin…Torin would touch this woman and never stop.
He gnashed his molars. “Last chance, Keeley. I sug- gest you take it and leave.” Soon. His control was almost completely shredded.
“No way. You’re the big bad warrior, yet I’ve had to come on to you time and time again. I’ve had to battle within myself—worth the price or not worth it. Well, it’s your turn.”
“There is no damn way you just suggested I haven’t done the same. I’ve battled.”
“When have you ever caved without prompting from me? You’ve resisted me so easily, always walking away. Sure, you’ve snarled while you’ve done the walking, but still you left me behind. So, tell me. When did you ever—”
“So easily?” he roared. Had she just said so easily? She had no clue about the intensity of his need—but he would teach her better.
Torin cupped her by the nape, yanked her close and smashed his mouth against hers. The kiss was a brutal assault meant to silence her, to dominate and possess. He held her still, making her take it, take everything. But the moment she softened against him, welcomed him inside her mouth, the darkness churning inside him switched gears. From the need to punish and master to the need to seduce and please.
This was Keeley. His princess. She deserved his best. He gentled the pressure, rolling his tongue inside her mouth, learning her all over again, tasting her. Summer berries and melted honey. So sweet. And mine. All mine. He framed her cheeks, angled her head and rolled his tongue just a little deeper. This time, she met him with a roll of her own.
That was his undoing.
- Chapter fifteen


My Thoughts

OMG! This was so freaking fabulous and probably my #1 fav of the series with The Darkest Night coming in as #2. Gena Showalter did an excellent job with Torin's story, especially with the romance. The action was on point, the lies were incredible and the end result -- perfection.

Torin is the keeper of Disease and he has never had skin-to-skin contact without ever killing someone. He has always had to separate himself from others, keep his hands covered in black leather gloves and be alone. He's never been with a woman in an intimate way and when he finally did she died. Torin feels so much guilt for all the things he's done, both accidentally and purposefully, and he never forgets his demon. Not until Keeley comes around.

Keeleycal aka Keeley is the Red Queen. She is the only living Curator left that she knows of. She was locked away by Cronus among others such as Galen, the keeper of Hope. While imprisoned, she makes friends with Mari. Mari dies after touching Torin. Keeley gets angry and vows to kill Torin, but in the end her hate turns into love.

I totally loved the relationship between Torin and Keeley. The love-hate relationship always turns out good in this series, but these two here has gone the extra mile. I love how Torin did everything in his power to try and stay away from Keeley but failed. The attraction was too strong between them. I enjoyed how he fought the minions and did it to impress her. The back and forth between staying together and being together irritated me at the same time I enjoyed it because it had meaning.

The fact the Keeley could touch Torin and not die from sickness was amazing! He finally found someone he could be with. What made him back off was the fact that she would get deathly ill and it scared him. Learning that the brimstone made her sicker was insane, but even more insane is the solution that Hades told Keeley about. Either ingesting his blood or semen every day -- now that was hilarious. In the end the sex they had was perfect for Torin because it meant he was no longer a virgin. Too cute!

Hades pissed me off at first, but in the end he let Keeley go because he loved her which is touching to me. Anya is still as rude and hilarious as ever. Everything she did and said to Keeley was just freaking hilarious. I totally love Anya. The other Lords are still awesome, the shocker for me was the ending with Galen. That was definitely a twist for the best.

I definitely need more of this series or characters in this world because Gena Showalter has created a profound world.


Author Bio

Gena Showalter is a New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author whose books have appeared in Cosmopolitan and Seventeen magazines, as well as Entertainment Weekly. Her novel Red Handed has been optioned by Sony Television. Critics have called her books “sizzling page-turners” and “utterly spellbinding stories,” while Showalter herself has been called “a star on the rise.” Her mix of humor, danger and wickedly hot sex provides wildly sensual page-turners sure to enthrall.