2024 COVERS

2024 covers

Welcome to the Dark Side!

We are writers mainly from Australia and New Zealand who write speculative fiction with romantic elements. Be it fantasy, paranormal, dark urban fantasy, futuristic and everything in between.

Wednesday 1 August 2018

DarkSider News for August!


Welcome to the latest DarkSider News!

Grab that hot chocolate, sit back, relax and enjoy...



NEW MEMBERS 




LJ Swallow
Technically, Lisa Swallow is already a DarkSider,  but her alter ego LJ Swallow is new on the DarkSide DownUnder website. 

LJ Swallow is a USA Today bestselling paranormal romance and urban fantasy author who is the alter-ego of contemporary romance author Lisa Swallow. Giving in to her dark side, LJ spends time creating worlds filled with supernatural creatures who don’t fit the norm, and heroines who are more likely to kick ass than sit on theirs.





NEW RELEASES


Held By Magic by LJ Swallow is Book 1 in The Demon's Covenant series and was released on 21st June.



I helped the Four Horsemen save the world, but I can’t save my own life. 

I’m Syv. I like to collect sharp weapons, and my favourite activity is liberating magical items. My best friend is an immortal fae, and I love dogs.

I’m not enthusiastic about end of the world scenarios.

Okay, I’m a half-demon thief with an attitude that brings me more enemies than friends. But the fae part is true.

My life had returned to normal, but everything changed when my latest assignment ended in disaster. Somebody took the item I was ‘liberating’ and also decided to curse me with a death mark. If I don’t find the cure soon, I’m facing life as a lich under the control of a necromancer.

And I swear the demonic dog I rescued from the apocalypse is following me.

Now, three sexy supernatural guys have tracked me down in need of my ability to detect magic. They want to recruit me to work alongside them and under their protection. The guys need me to locate an item and also claim they know someone who can find a cure for my mark. So, we strike a deal: I’ll help them if they help me.

The problem is, I’m not sure I trust their so-called ‘secret organisation’. Another problem? They’re on the Four Horsemen’s hit list because they shouldn’t be in this world.  As my death is imminent and options limited, I’ve agreed to leave with them tonight.

But if they murder me, I’m going to be really pissed off.

Don't miss this new series from the world of The Four Horsemen, LJ Swallow's addictive bestselling reverse harem series.

Held by Magic is a slow burn reverse harem urban fantasy.


Available from: Amazon US Amazon Aus | 







PRE-ORDERS



Embrace the Passion - Pets in Space3 includes a story by Anna Hackett and is due for release on 9th October.



Join us as we unveil eleven original, never-before-published action-filled romances that will heat your blood and warm your heart! New York Times, USA Today and Award-winning authors S.E. Smith, Anna Hackett, Ruby Lionsdrake, Veronica Scott, Pauline Baird Jones, Carol Van Natta, Tiffany Roberts, Alexis Glynn Latner, E D Walker, JC Hay, and Kyndra Hatch combine their love for Science Fiction Romance and pets to bring readers sexy, action-packed romances while helping our favorite charity. Proud supporters of HeroDogs.org, Pets in Space authors have donated over $4,400 in the past two years to help place specially trained dogs with veterans. Open your hearts and grab your limited release copy of Embrace the Passion: Pets in Space 3 today!

The pets are back in this new, exciting collection of eleven original stories from today’s hottest Science Fiction Romance authors! Feel the action and passion!


DESERT HUNTER (Galactic Gladiators Series) By Anna Hackett

Among the desert sands of an alien world, a man with secrets to hide finds himself face to face with the one woman who can bring him to his knees.

Mersi Kassar is a woman of the desert. Born, raised, and sold into servitude on the desert world of Carthago, she’s finally found her freedom and her place on the Corsair Caravan. She’s the right hand to the caravan master, and works leading travelers from the gladiator city of Kor Magna through the desert. She also works side by side with her friend—the big, silent Bren—a man she’s desperately in love with. But stubborn Bren shuts down her every attempt to deepen the feelings they have for each other and Mersi isn’t sure she can take the pain anymore.

Desert hunter Bren Hahn has secrets. Life taught him early to never share the terrifying darkness he hides within. He will protect the few people he cares about with everything he has, that includes the smart, lively woman he cares about most of all. A woman who sparks a simmering passion he finds harder and harder to ignore. But Bren knows the one thing he can’t live with is Mersi looking at him in horror. So even if it kills him, he vows to guard her from the most dangerous thing in the desert—himself.

On a perilous journey in the heart of the desert Mersi and Bren rescue a strange alien creature. Working together to heal the big, shaggy canine, their smoldering desire ignites, but their feelings turn out to be the least of their concerns. A deadly enemy is hunting their new pet. An enemy that threatens Bren’s darkest secret and all they hold dear. Will Mersi still feel the same for Bren if he has to unleash the darkness inside of him or will he lose the one woman who holds the key to his heart?


Pre-order from: Amazon US | Amazon Aus | B&N | Google Play | iBooks | Kobo |




COVER REVEAL

River's Edge by C.M. Simpson  is a science fiction short story due for release in early August. 




Elements of Magic by LJ Swallow is Book 2 in The Demon's Covenant  series and is expected to be released on 14th September.










Non spec-fic titles



A Christmas Bride by Viveka Portman is expected to be released in November.



'Tis the season for Christmas reading! 

A hot, historical Christmas romance about a respectable school teacher about to dedicate her life to her students, and the advent season of adventure.

London 1813

Miss Smith is dreading the festive season. With her students gone, long cold days and endless dreary nights are a glum and lonely prospect. So when she comes across a beautiful gown left behind by one of her students, she can’t help but try it on. And perhaps a walk down the street as a little Christmas gift to lift her spirits. And a small, warm drink at a local pub. No one will recognise her, and what harm could it do?

Lonely and worried about raising a daughter by himself, handsome widower Robert Carring knows he must find another wife. But having already endured one passionless marriage, he refuses to enter another. He will only marry when he finds the intelligent, spirited woman of his dreams. And then he sees her, making merry on a cold winter night.

For the first time, finding herself admired in the eyes of handsome man, Miss Smith is more determined  than ever not to resign her self to a life as a spinster school matron, and makes a daring decision that will change all her Christmases forever.





Snatched by Cathleen Ross is Book 1 in the Outlaw Warriors series. It is expected to be released by Entangled Publishing on 19th September.










SALES





Mel Teshco has signed a 3 book deal with Tule Publishing for her Bachelor Brothers in Sydney series.




Daniel de Lorne has had his third and final book in the Bonds of Blood series, picked up for publication by Escape Publishing. Binding Blood hasn't got a release date or cover yet







EARLY 2018 RELEASES
Catching up on the releases missed 
(as pages on website are being updated)

Chaos by LJ Swallow is Book 5 in The Four Horseman series and was released on 23rd January.


Questions will be answered. Trust will be rebuilt. And the true threat to the world will be revealed.

The threat to the Four Horsemen and the world continues, but now they have solid leads and are closer to uncovering who is behind the attacks. Vee and the Four become closer as barriers fall and trust grows, yet one person remains worried about what will happen if Vee reaches full power.

An opportunity to regain Portia's trust, some help from a supernatural mercenary, and an investigation into the Myriad Foundation reveal more answers about the chaos surrounding them.

Suddenly, everything slots into place but the big picture isn't what they expected. What will happen if the only way forward for the Horsemen is an alliance with their enemies?


Available from: Amazon US | Amazon Aus




Descent by LJ Swallow is Book 6 in The Four Horseman series and was released on 20th March.



The Four Horsemen are left reeling from their discovery that the world is threatened by something greater than anybody imagined. Now the group are forced into an uneasy alliance with old enemies. But can they be trusted?

The group discover the shocking answer to who Vee is, why she’s here, and her connection to Chaos is revealed. As the pieces join together and the Horsemen find out more about their identities, their place in the world becomes clearer too.

How long do they have before Chaos becomes bored of his dangerous games and moves on to his final goal?

Whoever brought Vee into the Four Horsemen’s lives created a powerful bond that Chaos has failed to break. Now they need to prove that their love and strength is enough to change the future for themselves and the world.



Available from: Amazon US | Amazon Aus |




Reckoning by LJ Swallow is Book 7 in The Four Horseman series and was released on 20th May.


The gripping conclusion to the bestselling reverse harem urban fantasy series, The Four Horsemen

The book talks about Truth, Chaos and Order. But what about Love?

Now the shocking truth about Vee’s identity is revealed, the five are forced from to leave the UK in pursuit of the god threatening to end the world.

But Chaos hasn’t finished his games yet. The countdown is on to stop the portals opening and to discover his whereabouts.

The arrival of new allies sends shockwaves through the group when they discover Joss’s theories are true. But with them comes new hope.

And following one more stunning twist about Vee’s identity, and her connection to them, the five discover their place in the world is much bigger than they realised.

In the midst of the storm swirling around them, the five grow closer as emotional barriers breakdown. Is their unshakeable bond enough to save everybody in the final battle with Chaos? Or will they be lost in their struggle to save the world?


Available from: Amazon US | Amazon Aus |





Huntress by LJ Swallow (& Angel Lawson) is Book 1 in Trials of the Gods series and was released on 20th March.




In a world where the gods live together in one society, a revolution is coming-led by the goddess Artemis and the five gods who are her allies and protectors.

Artemis is pulled from her simple life in the forest, where her father Zeus hid her to shield her from a dangerous society and taken to the Academy of the Gods.

The strongest god in the Academy, Apollo is dead taking with him any hope for a new future. Artemis must take her brother's place in the Trials of the Gods, a series of challenges designed to either prove her strength or determine her failure. The winner of the Trials will lead the Academy towards a new future.

Can Artemis win the Trials and fulfill her brother's plans to bring equality to all gods and goddesses?

Dealing with her new life and role is challenging enough without the distraction of the gods she must ally with: Thor, Loki, Dionysus, and Triton. Romance is the last thing on her mind, but the closer the five work as a team, the harder it is to resist.

Not everybody supported Apollo's desire to begin a revolution. His plan to create equality for the goddesses in a world where they're inferior could be the reason for his death. Can Artemis also bring Apollo's killers to justice? Or will those behind his murder succeed in stopping the revolution Apollo planned?

Huntress is a reverse harem fantasy romance which joins Greek, Roman and Norse mythology into a sexy and thrilling story, from USA Today bestselling authors Angel Lawson and LJ Swallow.


Available from: Amazon US | Amazon Aus |






FREE READS



Sealed  With A Kiss by Eleni Konstantine is a paranormal romance short story that is now available for FREE on Smashwords


Can a gift from her grandmother protect Lise?

Lise doesn't believe in vampires. Or so she tells herself. Though, she constantly wears the garnet necklace her grandmother gave her, which wards off the creatures. Andreas, the man she's attracted to, seems more than a little interested in it. Could there be an ulterior motive?





creative commons attribution licence 2.0
Viveka Portman has free read on her website - a letter from Miss Emily Barton to Mrs Mary Astley called Ruined by the Penis







AROUND THE WEB


Kindle Unlimited



The Hathe series by Mary Brock Jones is on Kindle Unlimited for a limited time only. 

  




The Sex, Lies And Family Secrets series box set by M.L. Tompsett is now on Kindle Unlimited. 











Excerpts


C.M. Simpson has the first chapter of Mack 'n' Me: Aragh featured over on her blog.








JL Peridot has the first chapter of Only Question That Matters featured over on the DRB 1st Chapter blog.







Blog posts


S.E. Gilchrist is featured in the column Tell Us Your Back Story on the ARRA blog, which also features her newest release, Cotton Field Dreams.  








Daniel de Lorne tells us Six Things I Learnt About Writing a Gay FireFighter from his research for Embers and Echoes.







courtesy of Pixabay

JL Peridot tells us What I'm NOT Reading - aka on the TBR pile, as well as a Fresh Find: Secrets and Spies (Undercover Lovers #1) by Ellie Barker, review and guest post over on her blog.




Eleni Konstantine is has reading updates on her Eleni's Library blog - 1) Audiobook 2018 Challenge semi annual update, and 2) 2018 reading challenge - halfway mark!



ON THE WEBSITE

Pages that have been created or updated: Lisa Swallow, LJ Swallow, Viveka Portman, and Tracey O'Hara







Congratulations to all our DarkSiders!



Thanks for reading our news. We'll see you next time...

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