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.

Tuesday 28 December 2010

Good News Day!

Well it's Tuesday and that means Good News to share.....


Sales

H.C. Brown
H.C  has sold her Cyborg Doms (series) to Noble Romance! Congrats H.C.!



CAPA Awards
The CAPAs are the Cupid and Psyche Awards by The Romance Studio.

Mel Teshco and Denise Rossetti
Mel's novella Iced-Cold Lover has been nominated in the Paranormal Erotic Romance category.

Denise's novel Thief of Light has been nominated in the Fantasy category.




Well done ladies!! We wish you the best! Awards will be presented on Valentine's Day.



New Members

And also welcome our latest DarkSiders, Wendy Godding and Pia Moonglow.

Until next time....

Friday 24 December 2010

Christmas cheer...

We wanted to wish you all very Merry Christmas.
Ho, ho, ho...



it wouldn't be the Dark Side without some Fang ;)


 And for those who don't celebrate Christmas, wishing you a safe holiday season!!!


~The Dark Siders

Wednesday 22 December 2010

Magic Thursday giveaway winner - Poison Kissed

The winner (chosen randomly from commenters) of last week's giveaway of a paperback copy of POISON KISSED is...

elaing8!!

Congrats! And thanks everyone for playing. Elaing8, if you see this, please email me at ez at ericahayes dot net and we'll arrange your prize.

Good News Day!

Well it's not the regular good news day but we have do have some good news this week and I wanted to share it with you all.


Reviews


Tracey O'Hara
Tracey's Death's Sweet Embrace has received a fabulous 4.5 starts from Romantic Book Times. But that's  not all, it's also been given Top Pick! Go Tracey!









Covers


Mel Teshco
Mel has received her latest cover for Moon Thrall, due out with Ellora's Cave early next year (date still to be confirmed).....Yowsa!





Go the good news. See you next time with some more....

Sunday 19 December 2010

Hiatus & What's New...






We hope you have restful, safe and fun holiday season.....


We will resume our regular programming on the 9th of January. Depending on good news, there may be only Good News posts, but if not we hope to see you back then.


~DarkSiders



Before we go, here is what's new on the blog:

Check out Tracey O'Hara's book trailer for Death's Sweet Embrace.





We have a new DarkSider join us - H.C. Brown. Welcome H.C.!


Saturday 18 December 2010

Darklight On…Janni Nell: Q&A


Welcome to DarkSider Janni Nell!

Great to be here. Thanks for having me.

How did you come to write speculative fiction? What attracted you to the genre? 
                                                                                       
I didn't find it. It found me. Paranormal things just keep popping into my manuscripts.


Your debut novel, Allegra Fairweather: Paranormal Investigator was released earlier this year with Carina Press. Can you tell us the process it took to get it there?  
                                                                                    
Several years ago Allegra Fairweather did the rounds of agents. There was a lot of interest but no cigar. I went on writing other manuscripts while Allegra had an extended vacation in my bottom drawer. When I heard about Carina Press (on our own paranormal loop - thanks guys) I figured I had nothing to lose by submitting. I was absolutely gobsmacked to be offered a contract.
 

Who are you favourite authors?

Susan Howatch, Lucy-Anne Holmes, Carrie Bebris, Robert Crais, Peter Robinson, Tracey Chevalier, Michelle Moran, Sarah Dunant, Nicci French, Lisa Gardner. Oddly enough none of these people write speculative fiction. (Unless you count Carrie Bebris who has paranormal elements in her books.)


What are you currently reading?

I've just finished Mara Purnhagen's YA novel "Past Midnight". Fabulous. Add her to my list of favourite authors. And she writes paranormal!



Do you have a favourite spec fiction movie or TV series?

"Gattaca" I love the idea of a character overcoming insurmountable odds to achieve his dream. And the soundtrack is as sublime as the visuals.


You attended RWAus in Sydney this year. How did it feel to appear as a published author?

As amazing as you'd imagine. Getting my first sale ribbon was one of the best moments of my life.


I love the cover of Allegra Fairweather – did you have any say in it?

I filled out an art fact sheet which contained various questions about setting and characters. The rest was up to the cover artist. Frauke from CrocoDesigns did a brilliant job. I love her work so much I'm getting her to redesign my website.


Do have a favourite of your characters?

Yep, it's a character called Orlando, who appears in book 2. He's a naughty, quirky kind of "guy".


What are you currently working on?

The third Allegra Fairweather book.


What can we expect from Janni Nell in the future?

The second Allegra Fairweather book will be released in 2011. (No news on a date yet.) I'm hoping to get more Allegra books published. I'm aiming for 10 which is a nice round number. Plus I have a half finished manuscript for another mystery series. Hopefully that will get published once it's finished.


Do you have advice for emerging writers?

Never give up. Keep working and learning your craft. Keep submitting. Be polite and co-operative. And remember it's subjective. What one person hates another will love.


~~~~~~
 Keep a look out for Janni's next Allegra Fairweather book, coming out in 2011 by Carina Press.

Friday 17 December 2010

What We Are Reading

Welcome to the first 'What We Are Reading' blog post!

We aim to do one of these posts a month with about five Dark Siders at a time. This month we have Kylie Griffin, Jess Anastasi, Kitty Bucholtz, Nicole Murphy, and Nicola E. Sheridan.

Take it away ladies.



Kylie Griffin

I've read three books in the last few weeks.

The first two are TRIAL BY FIRE and UNDER FIRE by Jo Davis. They're romantic suspense and the first two in a 5 book series based around The Firefighters of Station Five. Ever had a firefighter fantasy? These guys (and one woman) are hot. The first story revolves around Howard "Six-Pack" Paxton, confirmed bachelor with a traumatic childhood that comes back to haunt him, and Kat McKenna, an intuitive school teacher who recognises a man tormented by his past. Throw in a vengeful villain, a secret affair and some strong emotional scenes (not just the sex scenes) and you have a great blend of suspense and romance, with neither taking precedence over the other.

Can you imagine a virgin firefighter (Zack) with the IQ of Einstein and an exotic dancer (Cori) as a romantic couple? Neither could I until I read UNDER FIRE, the second in the series. This was a touching but dark and gritty story with some very evocative scenes in it where you could feel the emotions emanating from the characters. Zack made geekness soooo appealing. Suffice to say, I can't wait to read the other three books.
I've only just discovered Joey W.Hill. She writes contemporary erotic romance (for Ellora's Cave) and erotic paranormal romance (for Berkley). BRANDED SANCTUARY is the 7th book in her Nature of Desire series. I didn't realise this until after I'd read it but I had no problems reading this as a stand alone. Chloe is scarred by a brutal attack in her past and Brendan is a man she's only met once but someone she connected with a friend's wedding. During a panic attack one night she calls him and he helps calm her fear. He's also a male submissive. She's not into the D/s lifestyle and the story is an exploration of accepting each other for who we are. At times, the story is explicit, and it might not be for everyone, but there's no denying the incredible connection these two characters have for one another. It has real emotional punch.



Jess Anastasi

I'm 3/4 of the way through Sins of the Heart by Eve Silver. Its a paranormal romance featuring soul reapers, ancient egyptian cults, and just about every god that's ever been worshipped. Its interesting because although the main characters have an intial meeting in chapter 1, after that, they're not in the same scene together until page 155. So people firmly in the romance camp might not enjoy it as much for that reason, but I think the developing story line is facinating enough to carry it off. I'm looking forward to finishing it (when I can find some bloody free time! Its taken me over a week to read this much.)



Kitty Bucholtz

I'm on summer break from my master in creative writing program where I've had to read what someone else tells me to. The moment my last class was over I immersed myself in The Hunger Games young adult trilogy. Written by Suzanne Collins and published by Scholastic, The Hunger Games, Catching Fire and Mockingjay are about 16-year-old Katniss Everdeen, a girl trying to survive in a dystopian version of the United States. I enjoyed the first book the most because it's an emotional adrenalin-filled ride! The other two books still captured me - I missed my bus stop once while reading book two, and I had to put book three away this week because I was crying on the bus - but book one was shocking to me all the way through, especially because the trilogy is written in first person.


I've also read/skimmed a few how-to writing books since classes ended. I had high hopes for The Power of the Dark Side: Creating Great Villains and Dangerous Situations by Pamela Jaye Smith, but I was disappointed. It's more a book of examples of different kinds of villains. I didn't find it very helpful, but if you can find it in your library, it's at least worth flipping through. Maybe you'll get more out of it than I did. Regardless of what genre you write in, there are some great bits of advice in How to Write Tales of Horror, Fantasy & Science Fiction edited by J.N. Williamson. After years of hearing how every writer should read On Writing Well by William Zinsser, I finally got around to it. What a great book! I particularly enjoyed chapter 22: Trust Your Material, and chapter 23: A Writer's Decisions. 





Nicole Murphy

I've been making my way through the JD Robb stories - a friend gave them to me to read up on how one author keeps a relationship boiling through a series of books. Have only read the first two so far but they're pretty fabulous. I particularly love the way she's slowly revealing the backstory of Eve and Roarke when it's necessary and not just telling us cause she wants to.

I've also been reading a few category romances. It's been a long time since I read any and I'm enjoying re-discovering them.




Nicola E. Sheridan

I don't have a huge range of genres that I read. I usually stick with Urban Fantasy, Paranormal and Chic lit - and they all really must have a romantic element. I love a good romance!


French Relations by Fiona Walker
I have just finished re-reading this for the 100th time. I absolutely love it. If you're being pedantic it could be called "contemporary women's fiction, with a large romantic element", or just chic lit. Its filled with fantastic characters and loads of awkward and funny moments.
"A summer holiday with her eccentric, infuriating family and assorted glamorous hangers-on is the last thing Tash French would usually volunteer for." - but lucky for us, she did!

Shadow Fever by Karen Marie Moning 
Alas, this isn't actually out yet. I'm waiting with baited breath for January when it's due for release! If you haven't read Ms Moning's work - I highly recommend it.The Fever Series is urban fantasy (with what I hope turns out to be a romantic element!)
"MacKayla Lane was just a child when she and her sister, Alina were given up for adoption and banished from Ireland forever.Twenty years later, Alina is dead and Mac has returned to the country that expelled them to hunt her sister's murderer. But after discovering that she descends from a bloodline both gifted and cursed, Mac is plunged into a secret history: an ancient conflict between humans and immortals that have lived concealed among us for thousands of years.What follows is a shocking chain of events with devastating consequences, and now Mac struggles to cope with grief, while continuing her mission to acquire and control the Sinsar Dubh--a book of dark, forbidden magic scribed by the mythical Unseelie King that contains the power to create and destroy worlds." 

One of my favourite characters of all time is in her Fever Series - Jericho Barrons, he's HOT (in capitals and bold!). I am such a "Moning Maniac" that I'm considering re-reading all the preceding books in the series so it's all fresh for when I finally get my hot little hands on Shadow Fever! Tragic - I know. I used to do the same everytime a new Harry Potter came out!

The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss.
I don't know anything about this author or this book. My brother in-law left it on my doorstep along with a bag full of lemons. Random - but true. I hope it's a good read and the lemon's weren't symbolic!



Rachel Vincent's Shift and Alpha.
When I get around to the book shop, I'm buying these. I really enjoy her Shifter series!
"Rachel’s Shifters series follows Faythe Sanders, the world’s only female werecat enforcer, as she fights to define her own role in her family and to claim a place in her Pride." - this is a cool concept and incredibly engaging read. 




Thanks for sharing ladies. I now have more titles on my TBR pile, nicknamed Mt. Everest.
~Eleni



Thursday 16 December 2010

Magic Thursday - Poison Kissed


Welcome to Magic Thursday, which today is all about me :) Hi, I'm Erica. Some of you may be familiar with my Shadowfae Chronicles urban fantasy/romance series. POISON KISSED is my latest release, and it's book 3 in the series.

It's sort of funny to be here talking about this book, actually, because I've done so much since I finished it.

I've written two more novels and started a third. I've finished two short stories. So when you say, 'tell me about POISON KISSED!" I'm here thinking: hmm, which one was that again?


But I'll never truly forget this book. Mina the killer gangster banshee and her snaky boss, Joey, arrived with a bang and a whiff of sadistic co-dependency in the previous book, SHADOWGLASS, where they're the villains, fighting a pack of thieving fairies cleverly disguised as the hero and heroine of that book :)

Joey and Mina were Cool and Kick-ass respectively. They were angry and driven. They were stubborn and stand-offish. They were totally made for each other. Their story demanded to be told.

Who betrays whom? Why does Joey, a rich, powerful, deadly gang boss, keep this lithe banshee protegee of his around, when all evidence suggests she's a traitor? And what draws Mina to him, when she offers everything she's got, over and over, and he only pushes her away?

The way these two carry on is... tense. Here's a snippet:
Joey took my hand and kissed it.
Just a light brush of ice-cooled lips, his fingers warm under my palm. And a tiny flicker of his tongue, hot and exciting on the back of my hand like a flashburn.
My gaze dragged to the place where his lips touched me, and my blood-drunk optic nerves set off a sizzle that stabbed all the way down to my breasts. I wanted to touch his cheek, hear my fingertips brushing his skin, slide my finger past his tempting lips into his mouth. I remembered how that mouth sprang alive on mine, that night a few weeks ago when he kissed me, wired and feverish from a fight. So fresh and dangerous, his forking tongue demanding, the hot snaky shift of his flesh and the urgency of his lips on mine showing me how much he wanted . . . something.
Maybe not me.
But he was alone. I was alone. We’re both old enough. Even if he just wanted to forget all this macho gang bullshit for a few hours and make himself feel good, I’d do it if it meant he believed me.
He leaned closer and inhaled. His lips inched apart, and my breath caught. I knew he examined me with those enhanced reptile senses, tasted my sweat, smelled my blood. Did he like it?
He cupped my bruised cheek and raked his thumb over my lips, only a few inches from kissing me. "You’d have killed him to night, wouldn’t you? Sonny Valenti, I mean."
"Yeah." My voice withered to a whisper, and my body ached with helpless longing. So much for toughness. He’d disarmed me with a glance and a rough caress. If he slipped his thumb into my mouth, I’d suck it.
"Because I asked?" He grazed his teeth over my chin, possessive. Bit me softly.
Oh, god. I shivered, terrified. 'Uh-huh.'
"Would it feel good, do you think? Would you like it?"

Uh huh. Joey, dude, I'm pretty sure that's a yes.

So. Giveaway time. I'f you'd like yourself a brand new paperback copy of POISON KISSED -- and of course you would! -- leave a comment in this post. I'll randomly choose a winner from the comments.

Open worldwide -- if the winner lives close enough to me, they'll even get a signed copy! Giveaway closes 22 December, and I'll announce the winner on this blog.

Thanks for visiting!

Kisses,
Erica.

You can check out my books at my website, or visit my blog. And come chat with me on Twitter!

Wednesday 15 December 2010

Magic Thursday Giveaway winner - Tracey O'Hara

Using a trusty Random Name Picker on the internet, the winner of Tracey O'Hara's Death's Sweet Embrace e-ARC is.....

Jackie Uhrmacher!!!!

Congrats Jackie. Please send an email to Tracey at tracey @traceyohara. com (no spaces)




From The Ashes giveaway WINNER!

Thank you heaps and heaps to everyone who entered my From The Ashes giveaway on Monday. You all make this promo stuff kinda fun!

My daughter's just drawn a commenter's name out of my hat.

And the winner of an electronic copy of From The Ashes is....

**Kelly!**


Congratulations, Kelly! You mentioned you'd never read anything like this before, so I hope you enjoy reading my take on erotic romance of the speculative fiction persuasion.

(Sending you an email about your prize right now....)

Cheers!

Maree

Tuesday 14 December 2010

Good News Day!

It's Tuesday and that means another Good News Post.


Sales

Shona Husk
Shona has sold her Goblin Trilogy to Sourcebooks. The first book, The Goblin King is to be released in October 2011.


Tracey O'Hara
HarperCollins have sold the rights to Night's Cold Kiss and Death's Sweet Embrace for German translation. They will be published in the next 12 to 18 months.


 


Covers

Erica Hayes
Erica's fourth book in The Shadowfae Chronicles has a cover. Titled Blood-Cursed, it is due out in August 2011.




Addendum:

Giveaway

Christina Phillips
Captive is part of the Dear Author Berkley giveaway. It is open until Friday.  So head on over for your chance to win.


Come back next week for some more good news.


Monday 13 December 2010

PROMO: From The Ashes giveaway

Hi y’all,

Ack. It's Monday again. And for the most part, Mondays suck the big freaking kumara.

Another. Whole. Week. before the weekend arrives. *really sad face*

I dislike Mondays with a passion I usually only reserve for dragging my butt to the gym. Which kinda means double dislike on my part, because I usually go to the gym on Mondays. Sigh....

So, because I figure I'm not the only one who needs cheering up, I thought I'd give one Dark Side DownUnder commenter a chance to read my new release for free.

It’s called, FROM THE ASHES, and it's my first novel-length release -- excuse me while I run round the room waving my hands in the air like a numnit.... Okay. Back now. (If only that could count as my exercise for the day!)

And just in case you didn't figure it out from the cover, in the interests of full disclosure, FROM THE ASHES is a SFR (speculative fiction romance) of the erotic persuasion. Wouldn't want any of you to get a rude shock ;-)

Here’s the blurb:

Calista’s a freelance space courier recovering from a disastrous marriage during which her ex tried to sell her as a slave. Sure, she’s emotionally damaged, but you should see the state of her ex! She’s also an expert pilot who can illegally reprogram and augment all manner of tech. She’s been ripping off the system and flying under the radar her entire life…. Until now.

Asher’s her “cargo”, the mouthwateringly gorgeous
Phoenixae alien who accidentally hatched from the egg she was transporting, and bonded with her. He’s been bred as a sex slave and he can read her mind. Which wouldn’t be so bad if 1) she didn’t abhor slavery and everything it represents, 2) she wasn’t horny as hell, and 3) he wasn’t doubly tempting because of his extra er, male parts! Oh, and then there’s the small issue that if Asher is killed and his body burnt, he can be resurrected. He’s one hot commodity that illegals will kill to possess.

Take one sex-deprived space courier who’ll risk everything to save an alien from a life of slavery. Add one mouthwateringly hot alien sex-slave who knows her deepest desires, feels her pain, and lives to please her in every way. Mix with a ruthless ex-husband intent on vengeance. And stir in a sadistic Libertine noble who will do anything at all to get his hands on a Phoenixae.


From the ashes, an unexpected hero will rise…. And he’s full of surprises!

So if you'd like the chance to win an electronic copy of FROM THE ASHES, please leave a comment and:

Tell me what's special about Asher, the hero of From The Ashes.

Hint: it's all in the blurb ;-)

Using an incredibly complicated scientific method -- namely, sticking bits of paper with all the names written on into my Akubra hat and getting one of the kids to draw one out -- I'll choose one commenter.

Giveaway offer closes 15th December.

I'll post the giveaway winner here at the Dark Side -- oh, and don't forget to leave your email address so I can contact you.

Cheers!

Maree

To read an excerpt of From The Ashes, please click here.
To purchase a copy of From The Ashes, please visit Maree's website,
or Maree's Red Sage Publishing author page.

Sunday 12 December 2010

This Week and What's New on the DSDU

Coming up this week

Monday 13 Dec - Promo: Maree Anderson with From the Ashes.

Tuesday 14 Dec - Good News Day

Wednesday 15 Dec - Magic Thursday giveaway winner announced (Tracey O'Hara)

Thursday 16 Dec - Magic Thursday with Erica Hayes. Giveaway of Poison Kissed.

Saturday 18 Dec - Darklight On... Janni Nell, author of Allegra Fairweather, Paranormal Investigator.



What is new on the blog?

The links on Our Review Sites page are all working.

A Dark Side DownUnder 'Fan' button has been added to the sidebar. Go grab the code and place on your blog or website!




You can also sign up to our blog posts via email - just check out the sidebar.

See you on the Dark Side :)

Saturday 11 December 2010

It's Dark and I Don't Know Where I'm Going


The title of this post pretty much sums up how I feel most of the time when I'm writing. You see, I'm a pantser through and through.

For those of you who don't know, a pantser is someone who 'flies by the seat of their pants' when it comes to writing. As in, I just sit down and I write. I don't plan anything out. I don't have characters profiles, story arcs, future scenes or dialogue. It's all blank.

What starts me off is usually the ghost of an idea. For example, in my recently released book, Sanctuary, you get to meet the demon, Alastor. He makes a deal with Nakita, who is the best friend of Sanctuary's heroine, Tori. The deal is basic; Nakita won't by hurt by either him or anyone else - demon, angel or human - as long as she goes with him to use as leverage to get Tori.

I'm tree-quarters of the way through writing the second book to Sanctuary, titled (for the time being) Severance. When I sat down to write the book, all I knew was that for some reason, the deal between Alastor and Nakita still existed, even though the agreement had come to an end. So, against his will and possibly better judgement, Alastor is forced by the bounds of the contract to protect Nakita. I could foresee some of the complications this might bring for them both, how they might be brought back together and work out the deal was still in effect, but nothing beyond that.

So I start writing. The only way I can compare this type of writing is to say its like reading a book. You sit down, open it up and start discovering the story. You have no idea what's going to happen. Though you might have some ideas, you can only go along for the ride, finding out little bits at a time as you read page after page.
Believe it or not, this is what the writing process is like for me. A lot of the time I don't know whats going to happen until I'm writing it, the story being revealed to me like a movie in my head and I have to interpret what I'm seeing into words. Imagine watching a movie, having to take notes and then find a way of describing a certain expression from a character, or an action sequence, or a fight, or a kissing scene. It wouldn't be easy! And therein always lay the challenge for me; changing what I see playing out in my head into words on a page that will have an impact on the reader.

Often at the start of a scene or chapter I know what the characters are and what they're doing, but I can't stress how much I don't know whats going to happen until the scene is playing out, until the characters are doing their thing and driving the story forward. And you know what? Even I get surprised by things that happen sometimes and have a moment of "wow! I didn't see that coming!"

It seems totally nuts, right? In the back of my mind, I wonder if the day will ever come when I sit down to write and just get a whole heap of nothing. Like, my characters are half way through a pivotal conversation and then the connection will go dead, like someone yanking out the power cord on the TV. No more movies. Then what will I do? I suppose that might be a secret fear of all pantsers.

But, back to Alastor and Nakita. I might be three quarters of the way through their story, but I don't know how it's going to end. I don't know how their situation is going to resolve itself. But I know it will. They always do. And as for the series arcing idea of the war between the angels and demons? I have no idea how that's going to play out either. Characters are revealing themselves all the time. Some are good, some are quite obviously evil, and some are those shady characters you never quite know about, they could go either way. Things are starting to stack up in a way I'd never guessed about when I started writing Sanctuary. Eventually there's going to be an end-of-the-universe type battle, but I don't know when or how it's going to come about. In a lot of ways, it's fairly disconcerting!

So readers can ask me all they want what's going to happen and whose book I'm going to write next, but unfortunately I'm as much in the dark as the rest of you.

And I don't know where I'm going.


Sanctuary available now from Noble Romance Publishing


To win a copy of Sanctuary (the very last copy I have to give away!) leave a comment below. And because I'm (lazy) such a nice person, I won't even make you answer a question.

Good luck everyone!

Thursday 9 December 2010

Magic Thursday - Death's Sweet Embrace

Well release day is face approaching for the second Dark Brethren novel DEATH'S SWEET EMBRACE. As I write this there is 47 days until the big day.

To celebrate the impending release and Magic Thursday I am giving away a DEATH'S SWEET EMBRACE advance reader pack including:

1. A signed cover flat of the book
2. A signed eARC card
3. A bookmark
4. a magnet
5. And a downloadable eARC from NetGalley


A little about DEATH'S SWEET EMBRACE -

After thousands of years of secret conflict, humans and parahumans have reached an uneasy truce. But unspeakable evil now threatens to shatter the tenuous peace.

Teenaged shapeshifters are being slaughtered by a twisted, sadistic serial killer who rips their still-beating hearts from their paralyzed bodies. A task force must be formed to halt the madness—a union of avengers including the vampiric Aeternus, Christian Laroque and Antoinette Petrescu, as well as Kitt Jordan and Raven Matokwe, members of enemy Animalian tribes…and forbidden lovers.

A centuries-old blood feud has divided their peoples—pitting wolf against snow leopard in a battle to the death—and if their passion is discovered it will doom them both. But past hostilities must be put aside in light of the scourge that is now upon them. For the killer they seek is but the first sign of a blossoming terror rising up from their long-buried pasts: the all-consuming nightmare of The Dark Brethren.


Here are what some of the advance reviews are saying about the novel:-

“Death’s Sweet Embrace, book 2 in the Dark Brethren series, is an action packed thrill ride filled with non-stop action, mystery and a touch of romance. Truly a unique view in the paranormal genre that shouldn't be missed.”

“Death's Sweet Embrace is another intriguing and sexy novel from the Dark Brethren series. The first, Night's Cold Kiss left readers in a trance with the creative storyline and beautiful romance that Tracey O'Hara has created. Fans will be far from disappointed with this installment as the paranormal world only deepens and the romance is just as sexy.”
  
So one lucky commenter will win this fabulous pack.Please help spread the word about the Darkside Downunder blog site.

Wednesday 8 December 2010

Winner - copy of Secret Ones and Power Unbound

Hi folks

First, thank you for all your heart-felt and open comments to the blog post. I'm quite stunned by your honesty and the great strength you've all shows in your lives. Thank you.

Now, onto the business side of things. I put all your names into a spreadsheet, randomly organised you, then chose a random number from random.org

The winner is - practimom!

Email me at nicole @ nicolermurphy.com with your address, and I'll get the books in the mail for you asap.

I'm just sorry I can't give you all a copy - thanks for taking part.













You can read the first part of Secret Ones here: http://www.voyageronline.com.au/books/extracts/secret_ones_extract.pdf
You can read the opening of Power Unbound here: http://www.voyageronline.com.au/books/extracts/V15_POWER_UNBOUND.pdf

Visit Nicole's website at http://nicolermurphy.com, follow her on Twitter at twitter.com/nicole_r_murphy or friend her on Facebook.

Tuesday 7 December 2010

Good News Day!

Welcome back to another Good News post. Can you believe it's December already?




Releases

Maree Anderson
Maree's From the Ashes was  released 1st December.











Competitions




Michelle de Rooy

Michelle is a finalist in the Paranormal section of The Emily (West Houston RWA) with her paranormal romance, Appleseed.








Covers

Jess Anastasi
Jess has a lovely new cover for her upcoming Romantic Suspense release, Dead Reality (out January 10th).







Pre-Order

Shona Husk
Shona's How to Breathe Fire is up at Amazon for pre-order.















Other

Tracey O'Hara
Don't forget Tracey is part of a online continuity story on the Dark Faerie Tales and Tynga’s reviews this month. Go check the story out.





Join us next week for some more Good News!!!!

Sunday 5 December 2010

This Week and What's New on the DSDU

Coming up this week on the DSDU

Tues 7 Dec - Good News Day.


Wed 8 Dec - Magic Thursday giveaway winner announced (Nicole Murphy)


Thurs 9 Dec  - Magic Thursday with Tracey O'Hara. Win a copy of an e-ARC of  Death's Sweet Embrace.


Sat 4 Dec - Darklight On....with Jess Anastasi - plus giveaway of Santuary.





What's new on the blog?

We have two new Book Trailers on the Book Trailer page. 

Captive by Christina Phillips and Power Unbound by Nicole Murphy








We also have a new Page called Promo Material, where you will find things like widgets for book releases and bookmarks.

Here's a sample:






And don't forget that our Latest Releases page and Upcoming Releases page continually gets updated.

Enjoy your week :)

Saturday 4 December 2010

Darklight On…Michelle de Rooy: Q&A

 Welcome to DarkSider Michelle de Rooy to the Darklight On...!!


How did you come to write speculative fiction? What attracted you to the genre?

Hello, Eleni! Thanks for the invite. Well, I've always had this 'thing' for SciFi, etc. Anything that had space in it, or even alluded to having something to do with space was a huge thrill for me. Then I was given a copy of The Lord of the Rings for Christmas when I was 11 and that was it for me. I found my home! From then on, I read anything and everything about fantasy, SciFi, robots, ANYTHING spec fiction I could get my hands on. Which was really hard considering I live in a rural area with no book shop, waaay before the Internet!


I had the idea for my fantasy manuscript when I was about 16. I tried to write it several times, the last being when I was at Uni. I just couldn't get it right, couldn't find the right place to start the story.


You have been doing extremely well in the writing competitions lately. Congratulations. Can you let our readers know what these achievements have been? Does finalling give you more confidence in your writing?

Thanks!! I must say, I've had a fantastic year, and I certainly didn't expect it. First, I came 2nd RWNZ Strictly Single; then 2nd in the RWA Emerald Award, which was so awesome; then 4th in the Valerie Parv Award; Next was 2nd in the RWNZ Clendon Award. But the best bit of all was receiving the RWNZ Clendon Reader's Choice Award. It was so unexpected and such a huge thrill. I couldn't get the smile of my face for weeks. Even now just thinking of it (and looking at the trophy!!) it makes me get a sloppy smile all over again.

Also, I received word a couple of weeks ago that I have finaled in the Strictly SIngle with my fantasy manuscript and just last night that the same ms has finaled in the WHRWA Emily. So, what a year!


Are you a plotter? Pantser? Or somewhere in-between?

I would love to say I'm a plotter, but unfortunately that just isnt the case!! Im a pantser, through and through. I try hard at plotting, but it just dries up my inspiration and sends my muse packing to Barbados, straw hat and all!! Unfortunately my brain just doesn't work that way, so I'm stuck the way I am.


Who are you favorite authors?

Now, that's a loaded question! Raymond E Feist, Asimov, Anne McCaffrey, Anne Stuart, Robin Hobb, plus many others. My new favorite and someone who is going to stay on my shelf for a long time is JR Ward. MAN!!! Am I in love with those Brothers... Or, should I say, one in particular...


What are you currently reading?

JR Ward!! LOL.


Do you have a favorite spec fiction movie or TV series?

Battlestar Galactica - the new one. V - both the new and old, that Anna's one mean mother! Stargate, Star Trek, Star Wars... Im kind of seeing a pattern here! Maybe I'll have to write an alien book next! Mysterious Ways, even though it only lasted a few seasons. The X Files. I could go on forever.

And last but not least, LOTR. Man, I love elves. Which is why a hot, hunky one ended up in my manuscript!

Do you have a favorite of your characters?

Hmm. Yes, although I shouldn't! It's a toss up, but I have to be honest and lean towards Cas, my elf. For someone over a thousand years old, he's something special! Just ask Bec... 


What are you working on currently?

Well, Cas kind of got the short end of the stick in Appleseed - don't you hate it when your story writes itself into a totally different direction and you sit there screaming at the computer going, "NOO!! Don't do THAT!" - so he's got his own little thing going on, plus I'm also working on a military SciFi. Just blew things to smithereens, so they've got HUGE problems right about now!


What is your favorite part of the process of writing?

My heroes. Without a doubt. And what I can make them do to get the notice of the heroine! I just love to torture them!! Sometimes literally. I love being able to create them from scratch; a man (or whatever he may be) who has the characteristics I would love in a partner. And sometimes ones I absolutely HATE, but cant help loving him for, anyway. To tell the total truth, they often come to me, flaws and all, almost fully realised. They just pop up, usually in my dreams. Sometimes even when I'm writing another ms. I just add extra bits. Go figure!

I love the creation of the world, something that no one else has seen yet, or somewhere no one else has been and I get that privileged first view. THAT's the awesome part. They show me first. Pretty heady stuff.

Thursday 2 December 2010

Magic Thursday - Life’s little twists and turns

It’s extremely weird, to think that just eighteen months ago I was toiling away, hoping that the dream of being a published novelist would come true.
Now, I’ve got one book out with great reviews, the second just a few weeks away and I’ve just completed copy-edits on the third.
Life can do some funny, funny things to you. It can twist and turn so quickly that you’ve got no choice but to hang on and hope eventually you’ll get to stop and catch your breath.
That’s one of the things I love about romance. You take two people – who often think they’ve got life sorted and things are just dandy, thank you very much – and then they meet and BAM! Everything changes.
Each of the books in the Dream of Asarlai trilogy features a character who’s just like that – quite sure of the way things should be. In Secret Ones (July 2010), it’s Maggie Shaunessy.

Maggie’s not that impressed with being the member of a secret magical race, the gadda. She’s more interested in being part of the human world. She’s a teacher, she’s just finished her Masters degree and she’s pretty damn happy with her lot.
In fact, when we first meet Maggie she’s buying champagne and nibblies for a party to celebrate her success.
However, Maggie doesn’t know that a) some pretty nasty people have it in for her; b) that she’s about to meet a particularly dishy man and c) that she’s destined to become one of the most powerful magical beings alive.

In book two, Power Unbound (out January 1), the character facing incredible changes to her world is Ione Hammond Gorton.
Ione’s not had an easy life – she’s one of the few members of the gadda who can’t access her power. She got over that through her love for her husband Patrick, only to lose him a year after their son Jack was born.
So now Io’s got a precocious, fabulous eight-year-old son and she’s making her way in the world by taking on the very human profession of computer programmer. Sure, she’s a woman with needs and when she sends Jack to stay with his grandparents she gets those needs seen to, but she’s quite convinced that the life she’s built for just the two of them is the right one and she doesn’t want to mess with it.
Enter Stephen O’Malley. Ione tries hard to resist – really, she does. But what’s a girl supposed to do when her son’s away and she’s got the hottest guy she’s ever seen staying in her spare room?
Except Ione doesn’t count on Stephen capturing more than just her attention. And then she becomes the new focus of the people intent on changing the world of the gadda forever.
In book three (Rogue Gadda, due out July 2011), we spend time with the man who’s become a favourite amongst all the women who’ve read the series – Hampton Rourke.
He’s the Sabhamir, the protector of the gadda, the most dangerous man alive. He loves his job, but it’s really not the kind of life that you can share with someone. However, people have a way of getting into your life regardless…
Turning people’s worlds around on them and watching them deal with the consequences is one of the most fun aspects of writing.


***
You can be one of the first people to read Power Unbound. I’m giving one lucky commenter a copy of it, AND Secret Ones. There’s your holiday reading there! So pop in and tell me a story about a time your life spun on itself, or your favourite fictional moment of that.
I’ll pick a winner next Wednesday December 8, so be sure to pop back then!

Nicole Murphy is the author of the Dream of Asarlai trilogy, published in Australia and New Zealand by HarperVoyager. Secret Ones was released in July and Power Unbound is due for release January 1 (although you might be lucky enough to find it on bookshelves before Christmas). Her website is http://nicolermurphy.com and you can follow her on Twitter with nicole_r_murphy or Facebook as Nicole Murphy.
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