2024 COVERS

Lawless In Leather
Winterfall Destiny
Mated to the sapphic orc
Fae's Fate
Broken: A Romantic Science Fiction Eco Adventure
Wolf's Prize
Knightqueen
Wicked Ways
Unbreak My Heart
Curiosity Killed the Vampire
From Across the Sea
Angel In Armani
Edge of Night
The Witch's Tangle
Three Vampires And A Baby
Banshee, Death and Disarray: Holly Harrow: A Point Muse Cozy Paranormal Mystery
Damaris: A Scifi Alien Romance
The Shattered Court
Moon Blessed
Falling for Mr. Fake It

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.

Thursday, 13 February 2025

DarkLight On... Kelly Ethan!

 



Welcome Kelly!


How did you come to write paranormal cozy mysteries? 

My family drove me to it 😊 Actually I moved from Queensland to Tasmania when my husband discharged from the army after 20 years. I took some time to reassess what I liked to write. I looked at what I was watching on TV and reading. Turns out cozy murder with the odd witch or vampire hit the top of the list. I browsed some premade cover sites to see what a popular cover style was and found one featuring a library. It sparked some ideas and here we are now. 20 plus books later.


What attracted you to the genre? Are you a plotter? Panster? Or somewhere in-between? 

I love the twists and turns of a cozy and the fact it’s closed door. No graphic sex or violence. It’s a warm hug on a bad day. Add in a cackling witch and mouthy feline and it’s my idea of relaxing. 

I am definitely a plotter. I have a book bible for each story which has questions written in it e.g.: Heroine, villain, victims, suspects, secondary characters, red herrings, setting, weapons and mode of death. And fun fact…I write my blurb before I write my story. Then I plot the entire book out. Normally 2 or 3 paragraphs per chapter. After that I am ready to crack on and write.


You have a long running series with the Point Muse Mysteries. Can you tell us about them and the sub-series?

I adore Point Muse. It’s chaos and mayhem and I love it. Think talking, karaoke loving cats, an always hungry, mouthy pug and a hypochondriac cursed Viking Raven that won’t stop talking about tumours. Oh, and witches, including my librarian heroine and her grandmother who is the wicked witch of the town. She’s shifty and always has a money making, generally illegal, plan in place that she drags the whole family into. I have two spin-off series that feature my main heroine’s cousins as well. I love crazy and anything magical or mythological so Gods, Goddess and zombie dragons may or may not pop up too 😊





You continue to publish despite having chronic health conditions. How do you manage to do this? 

I have completely slowed down in the last two years. Initially when the series first came out, I was publishing every two months. Because I plot the story out, I could write fast. But since being diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis that has slowed down. I now publish around 3 full books and maybe a novella a year. I write by hand and then dictate. Typing is too painful on my finger joints whereas writing doesn’t seem to bother my hands. I also only have limited time sitting upright at my main computer, so I need to schedule most admin, creative tasks during the morning in short bursts of 30 minutes. Also, the plotting helps my brain fog. Between the RA and the drugs I need to take, I tend to forget specific points or words so having it in front of me works.


Do you have advice for aspiring writers?

I’ll paraphrase the great Nora Roberts…You can’t edit a blank page. If you think you have that story in your head get it down on paper or the computer. Look for writing groups or organisations that can help you hone your craft like the Romance Writers of Australia. They have an amazing conference every year which helped me find my feet in the publishing world. Having a support framework around you like your family also helps. My mother also writes so I am very lucky. And fun fact…something about using pen on paper sparks your muse. I am far more creative with a pen in my hand.



What else can we expect from you in the future?

I am busy beavering away on the final two books in my Point Muse world then I am off to fresh worlds. I have three new cozy paranormal series planned and I am also plotting out a Paranormal Woman’s fiction book as well as an Urban Fantasy series. Different to my cozy books but all will be clean and closed door as that’s the way I roll.




What are you currently reading/watching?

Watching: I am almost finished with season ten of The Brokenwood Mysteries. A quirky police procedural that has a cozy feel set in New Zealand. I love it. 

Reading: I just finished the Usual Witchspects by Amanda M Lee. A fabulous cozy paranormal mystery featuring mouthy witches. I also auto buy R.J. Blain under any of her pen names as I adore her writing. I’m about to re-read Whiskers on Kittens which is book 27 in her Magical Romantic Comedy with a Body Count series.


What other ways do you fill the creative well?

When my hands are up to it, I love drawing, using pen and ink and painting with watercolours. I have a little station set up on my couch so I can paint and draw without hurting my joints. I also have a digital art program called Procreate on my iPad. So, I enjoy digital drawing and painting too.


Tell us about your latest release.

I have just had a Christmas story that came out in Dec 2024 titled The Wicked Witch and the Killer Grinch. Think sabotaged Christmas events, a killer grinch stalking the town, and a nosy librarian turned sleuth.

 I am also editing the 2 and 3rd book in my last Point Muse trilogy. The books will be out sometime this year. At the same time, I am slowly writing my brand new story which is a Dragon cozy mystery. So always busy lol.



The Wicked Witch and the Killer Grinch
Point Muse Christmas Cozy



Sabotaged Christmas events, a killer grinch stalking the town, and a nosy librarian turned sleuth. Let the mayhem begin…

There's always something happening in Point Muse…especially at Christmas. Unfortunately, for Alexandra Meyers-Braun, aka Xandie, it generally involves a body count and her grandmother, Elspeth Harrow. This year is no exception. Christmas isn’t always ho, ho, ho.

Sometimes it’s die, die, die.

Then an old school fiend of her grandmother’s turns up in town with a festive axe to grind. Suddenly, rampaging reindeers are on the loose, stuffed toys are out for blood, and a killer grinch is on the loose. And Elspeth Harrow might just be the next target.

Can Xandie dodge blood thirsty toys and a revenge fuelled Elspeth Harrow before the killer grinch claims another victim?

If you like snarky dialogue, murder and mayhem, then you’ll love this Christmas installment in Kelly Ethan’s Point Muse Mysteries, a laugh-out-loud cozy paranormal mystery series.




Kelly Ethan

Kelly Ethan enjoys writing all manner of murder and mayhem. She has had both paranormal romances and a non fiction book contracted to various publishers.

No matter the genre, Kelly loves kick-ass and sarcastic heroines who like to save the day and the hero.

Writing is her outlet for madness. She has worked as a library assistant and reviewed category romance novels. She moves regularly around Australia every few years and is a supernatural/paranormal TV junkie. 

She inhales cozy paranormal mystery, paranormal romance, urban fantasy, science fiction and fantasy, middle grade, young adult, and military spy thrillers. 

She has many influences but loves Amanda M Lee, Michael Anderle, Sherrilyn Kenyon, David Weber, Matthew Reilly, Jennifer Estep, Kelley Armstrong, Cassandra Clare, Ally Carter, Gini Koch, Rick Riordan and Illona Andrews to name a few.  

​​Visit kellyethan.com


Monday, 10 February 2025

DarkSider News: February 2025 - New Releases & Sales!

       



“Fill your house with stacks of books, in all the crannies and all the nooks.” 
— Dr. Seuss


NEW RELEASES




Mila Young
Their Pretty Monster

Released: January as a Special Edition


In their arms, danger becomes desire.

Every year, monsters demand their Offerings—women like me. This year, I thought I escaped. I thought I was safe. Then he arrived.

The Viscount.
Dangerous and ruthless, he declares me a late Offering.
Swept into the deadly realm of the Shadowfen, I realize I’m not here by chance.

They want to rule, and I’m their key. My reality crumbles, and as much as we act like enemies, they refuse to let me go. Their touch ignites a fire I can’t resist, fueling desires I never expected.

They call me their little monster.
Maybe they’re right.

Because when everything is stripped away, a fiercer side of me no one expected—not even me—emerges.

You see, in the shadows, temptation and peril collide.

So, ready or not, the monster within is about to be unleashed… and these three Shadowfen are eager to claim their prize...

Me…






TJ Nichols
Phoenix Mate
Book 3, Brothers of Fire

Narrated by Roberto Scarlato
Listening length: 8hr 1min
Released: early January in audiobook format in author store
17 January in other retailers



Prince Everest of Mont de Leucoy—heir to the throne, spy, and double agent—is determined to rescue his brother who was captured over two hundred years ago, even if he destroys himself in this life.

Everest has spent his last two lives planning and setting up this mission. But to act on the plans he made last time, he invoked a dangerous magic, and now, as he is so close to success, he is running out of time to save his brother and heal the soul bruise that the loss caused.

As the prince’s bodyguard, Cadel McKeon has one job: protect the prince. He never expected to disobey the king or to agree to rescue another phoenix from the Shadow Board in a foreign country. But if he doesn’t help Everest, then everything he set up will be wasted, and Cadel can’t sit back and watch the brilliant and wounded young man fail.

Now, he has a second job: keeping Everest in the present as his mind crumbles under the weight of the past. Neither job is easy, especially when Everest’s plan is to be captured by what remains of the Shadow Board.

Getting in was the easy part…getting out alive…was never part of Everest’s plan. To save them all, Cadel will need the help of the brothers who no longer trust Everest.

For readers who MM bodyguard romance, princes, past lives and phoenix shifters.

Buy




TJ Nichols
Minotaurs and Other Magic
Prequel, Mytho Collapse

Released: 14 January on author store;
28 January for Amazon


Visit Tariko before the collapse. Come for the minotaur and stay for the magic.

When a hiking trip in the human world goes wrong, Nate Lee finds himself in another world, stealing to survive. His crimes land him at the hooves of Prince Rohan: minotaur, musician, and massive...

While his brother rules the city, Rohan de Calla concerns himself with smaller matters, like cute human thieves who don't belong there. Rohan pays off Nate’s debt, now Nate owes him.

And Nate soon realizes the size of his predicament…





Horn of Winter
Keri Arthur
Book 5, Relic Hunter

Released: 28 January in all formats


Revenge is a dish best served cold…

When Bethany Aodhán, resident—and reluctant—relic hunter for Deva’s Fae Council, is assigned her next task, little does she realize just how many unwanted ghosts it will raise.

The missing relic—Borrhás’s Horn—enables the user to raise elements of winter against their enemies. It quickly becomes clear that the Horn is now in the hands of a powerful witch who has very specific targets in mind—everyone involved in the hunt for Agrona’s Claws. 

As the attacks intensify, and buildings—and people—are frozen and destroyed, Bethany and Mathi Dhār-Val, her Elven handler and friend, race to uncover who is behind the attacks and reclaim the Horn.

But the threads of treachery loom closer than either of them realize, weaving around the pixie who pursues her romantically and the dark elf king she wants but cannot have.

As the attacks grow ever more violent, it becomes clear that Bethany is now in their enemy’s crosshairs.

Can they find the Horn and its wielder in time to not only save Bethany, but an entire city?

Or will winter’s icy embrace take them all?

Buy






Keri Arthur
The Lizzie Grace Omnibuses
Books 7-9
Books 10-12

Hardcover omnibuses now available



Available via Keri's store unless you're in Australia,
 then contact Keri direct at keriarthurauthor@gmail.com.






Cassandra L. Shaw
Blood Ring
Book 1, The Vampire's Daughter

Released: 26 December 2024


Alyssa lives in a quiet town in Montana. Quiet that is, except for the vampires.

Eighteen-year-old Alyssa Presage's biggest problem used to be her court-mandated therapy sessions. That was before the stalking. Before the impossible new abilities that make her feel like even more of a freak.
Before the murders.

When the mysterious Leclereq brothers arrive at her high school, the gorgeous Stirling surprises Alyssa by setting his sights on her.

When a brutal killer stalks Fielding and kills a beloved friend, Alyssa must face a terrifying truth—the murderer isn't human.

Together with her best friends, Alyssa must work with Stirling and his brothers to discover who the murderer is before more people they love die.

Perfect for fans of The Vampire Diaries and Buffy the Vampire Slayer - Blood Ring delivers a pulse-pounding blend of supernatural thrills, deadly family secrets, and with just a bite or romance.






Maggie Mundy
The Secret of the Essence
Book 1, The Mask Wearers Downfall

Released: 14 February



Nothing is as it seems.

In Majura, the Mask Wearers have mystical powers they receive from a crystal entity, called the Essence. For six hundred years, the crystal beacons they provide, protect the people from the wolf like horde. That was, until now.

Twenty-year-old Cora, did the unthinkable for a female child. She touched a beacon crystal that left her hand deformed, and her mind scarred. Ten years later, she still has nightmares of a strange mask wearer saying she will destroy the land.

When Cora’s settlement is attacked, she develops magical abilities and saves people. Now, she must join the exalted ranks of the mask wearers, whether she wants to or not.

She is magically taken to the capital, Denarius, by a Traveler Mask, called Alenze, who is as handsome as he is mysterious. When he transports her, something goes terribly wrong and she’s convinced it’s her fault?

Cora survives her training as a mask wearer and her relationship with Alenze grows stronger. Then the city is attacked, and she has two choices. Stay and be controlled, or leave with Alenze and try to find and fix the Essence.

As they travel, she sees the land is changing and so are they. But, could someone like Alenze ever love a person like her who has caused all the magic to fail.

Or is he keeping secrets of his own.










Non Spec-Fic


Anna Hackett
The Hero She Deserves
Book 4, Unbroken Heroes

Released: 8 January in audio format


When he goes to investigate a blaring smoke alarm, the last thing he expects to find is Hollywood’s hottest actress…naked.

Deputy Sheriff Sawyer Lane likes the pace of life on Maui. After years as a Navy SEAL and in Ghost Ops, he likes that no one shoots at him. Coming to the island saved him. He still can’t sleep, but he’ll take the sun, sand, and solitude.

Then Oscar-winning actress Hollis Stanton rents the house next to his and torpedoes his solitude. When she sets her coffee machine on fire, he meant to help, not see every glorious inch of her from her russet-red hair to her red-painted toenails.

Soon, they’re running into each other everywhere, and it doesn’t take all of Sawyer’s finely-honed skills to know she’s in trouble and hiding from something. Or someone.

Hollis Stanton usually loves her life—movie roles she enjoys, an Oscar on her mantel, financial security. She’s come a long way from the poor, gangly redhead in hand-me-down clothes. But one stupid party held by a powerful movie producer changes everything.

She accidentally overhears something she shouldn’t have.

Now, someone is following her, breaking into her house, and crashing into her car. Her plan is to lay low in Hawaii. What wasn’t in her plan is the big, muscular, and rugged deputy sheriff next door. Nor is their scorching attraction.
When danger closes in, Hollis realizes Sawyer is the real deal—a hero with scars, who helps those in need.

A hero who will do anything to protect her.






Anna Hackett
The Hero She Loves
Book 4, Unbroken Heroes

Released: 16 January


The last thing he wants is to hunt a dangerous fugitive in the Alaskan wilderness, especially with a tough, stubborn US marshal.

Parker Conroy moved to Alaska to be alone. His military career in Ghost Ops ended with an explosion and three torturous weeks of captivity. It’s left him scarred, wanting to avoid people, and hating being touched.

When US Marshal Jenna Sheriden knocks on his door, he has no time for the attractive marshal. But she isn’t taking no for an answer.

A dangerous fugitive is on the loose, and he happens to be a rogue Ghost Ops soldier.

Jenna Sheriden lives and breathes being a marshal. Her past has left her with something to prove. She has zero interest in love, relationships, or anything that slows her down.

She needs help hunting a deadly murderer. She needs Parker Conroy.

The gruff, lean loner radiates a dark intensity she can’t ignore, but he has the skills to help her track down her quarry. Thrust together, they’re sharing the same bed, the same tent, and working together every hour of the day.

As they draw closer to catching the killer, Jenna sees under Park’s scarred exterior to the man beneath. A man who tempts her in ways no one ever has before. A man who will do anything to keep her safe.

If they survive this hunt, then Jenna knows she’ll have the biggest challenge of all—convincing her scarred hero to take a chance on love.






Mel Teshco
Reformed
Book 5, Gangsters at War

Released: 15 January


One mafia madman. One plain-Jane Introvert.

Alessandro
I’m not known for my long-term relationships, in fact, some might say I have commitment issues. Not that I care. I do what I want, when I want. I live my life by my own rules. Then I see sweet, homey little Jane. She reminds me of a buttercup, so fresh and innocent. So different from the women I normally go for.
Perhaps that is why I have to have her. Not that she’ll ever reform my bad boy ways.

Jane
That’s my real name. I’m a true wallflower, invisible to people. Then my biggest male fantasy-come-to-life steps into my vintage shop and I wish more than ever I was sexy and confident. When he asks me out on a date, I’m so dumfounded I can’t say no. Not that I ever expected one date to lead to another. What I should have expected is my growing feelings for him…until I find out he’s a mobster. I have to leave, but he’s not about to let me go.
He wants the plain Jane, but I don’t belong in his world. Fine. He can have me, once I’ve transformed myself.
Watch out world…watch out Alessandro..

Buy




Annie Seaton
Coming Home
Book 1, Duckinwilla Days

Released early January in author store
Released elsewhere: 23 January



In this heartfelt tale of family and community, nothing is as simple as it seems.

In the quaint little town of Duckinwilla Creek, the community gathers for a farewell function for Charlotte Johnson, who is set to embark on a teaching exchange to France. But as friends and family celebrate, the air is thick with whispered secrets. Old rivalries resurface, and the mingling of past and present sparks unexpected drama at the community hall.

Just when the evening seems to settle, Amelia, one of Charlotte’s sisters, overhears a shocking revelation about Julien, their enigmatic oldest brother, sending the night spiralling into chaos.
With loyalties tested and secrets exposed, Charlotte faces a choice: will she follow her dreams to France or stay behind to untangle the mess that has suddenly engulfed her family?

Buy







Annie Seaton
Lucy
Book 1, Home to the Outback

Re-released: 15 January


The last thing advertising art director Lucy Peterkin wants is to go home to outback Prickle Creek, but family duty calls.

The one bright spot? Her neighbour and first love, Garth Mackenzie, is back home, too, and their connection is as undeniable as ever. After earning an engineering degree and working in the mines of Western Australia, Garth has returned home for good. He’s ready to put down roots, work the land he loves, and build a future—ideally with Lucy by his side. But Lucy has no intention of trading her career and city life for the outback, no matter how much Garth tempts her to stay.

But with her heart set on the city, he knows convincing her to stay will take more than their old spark. Can they bridge the gap between their dreams, or will their different dreams force them apart?

NOTE: Previously published in the US as Her Outback Cowboy (2017)

Buy





Annie Seaton
Augathella Short and Sweets
Books 4-7
Volume 2

Released early January in author store
Released elsewhere: 23 January


An Augathella Christmas 
As the summer heat heralds the approach of Christmas, the Augathella community comes together to celebrate the festive season: locals come home, families gather, Christmas concerts end the school term, and the summer holidays begin. Emily Jansen, the new teacher who is slowly settling into town cherishes the traditions of Christmas.

An Augathella Wedding 
Four couples - who have had an amazing windfall together - arrive in town and settle in Augathella with grand plans and the town wonders what has hit it! Four new businesses spring up overnight, and there is a lot of interest from the community.Those locals with wedding plans are particularly interested in the new opportunities on offer.

An Augathella Easter 
Community worker, Bec Hunter works with new Augathella residents, Chloe and Rosie, to organise an Easter camp on a lake near Augathella. Determined to provide a happy Easter for local teenagers, they employ two youth workers, Jeremy and Tilly. However, none of the newcomers to town are aware that this pair shares a complicated history: a past romance during their high school days in Augathella, which ended with a bitter family feud.

An Augathella Masquerade 
Ball Alice Templeton loves her job as a youth worker, making a difference in the lives of troubled kids. But behind her love for her career lies an unfulfilled dream: to find love, get married, and build a family

Buy





Annie Seaton
Over the River
Book 2, Daughters of The Darling

Released: 1 February in audiobook format



Home again at Ceann Mara Station, Roisin O'Byrne, a young lawyer with a passion for protecting the Darling River where her family has lived for almost two hundred years, finds herself embroiled in a battle. Her commitment to environmental justice pits her against formidable adversaries within the corporate landscape, working with her enigmatic boss Seth Brodie.

As her family continue their quest to uncover the history of the settlement of Ceann Mara and the hidden life of one of its first settlers, Samuel O'Byrne, Roisin plunges deeper into the murky waters of corporate interests and corruption.

However, her pursuit of justice becomes increasingly complicated by her undeniable attraction to Seth, a man whose ideals may be different to hers, yet whose magnetism is impossible to resist.

Will Roisin risk everything, including her life, to expose the truth and save the Darling River?

Buy







SALES 


Leisl Leighton
Love Cursed
Book 1, Gods Cursed

free for Valentine's Day!


A love across time, cursed to stay apart …




Danni Line
Moon Rise
Part 1, The Artemis Curse

99c USD for Valentine's Day - February 13-15!


A distant realm. A brewing war. An enemy who lurks in every shadow.



K.E. Turner
The Wolf and the Lost Descendant
Prequel, The Wolves of Langeais  

free when you sign up to K.E.'s newsletter!


A wolf searching for her past. A protector guarding her future.






Annie Seaton
Worth the Wait
 Bindarra Creek: A Town Reborn

Be quick for the daily deal!



When Jaclyn Douglas is posted to Bindarra Creek Central School as the new principal, 
she has plans to bring the school forward.




~~~
Congratulations to our DarkSiders! 
Happy reading everyone. Be safe & well. 


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