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.

Thursday 30 May 2013

Magic Thursday: The Story Behind the Logo




You've seen our new logo, right? Well let me tell you I had a hell of time getting it there as the blog team can attest to.

Why?

Here are the DarkSide DownUnder, things are not completely dark despite the name. We have members who write stories that are on the lighter side. I know my flash fiction tends to be this way. We also write a wide range of fiction - from epic fantasy, futuristic, paranormal romance, YA, historical romance, urban fantasy, dark urban fantasy, erotic romance, and much more. Trying to reflect all this in the logo was a bit tough going.

I knew my initial designs weren't quite right and with the blog team's feedback, this was confirmed.

One day sitting in a waiting room (which I do a lot of), I came up with a variation on the final design. I thought of hearts representing the romance; the angel heart for the 'light side' as well as the stories with angels and magic; the devilish heart for the 'darker side' as well as stories with demons and vampires and other creatures that go bump in the night; the moon representing all facets of spec fiction really; and being Aussie and NZ authors, the Southern Cross, which has the duel meaning of sci-fi and mystique.

Phew, not much too think about, eh?

After a first mock up on the computer, there was positive reaction except for the positioning of the moon (it was horizontal and looked like a big smiley face). I  then changed the position of this and of the hearts and the rest as they say is history.

As much as I loved our previous logo, which did have various elements, the lighter side was missing. So now, I'm happy that our new logo represents the DarkSiders so much better.






Eleni Konstantine also designs book covers and banners for writers as HelzKat Designs. She is currently studying graphic design at TAFE, and has set up a number of blogs/websites and has given talks on the subject of blogging and navigating in the online world.

You can find Helen at her helzkatdesigns.com




Tuesday 28 May 2013

Good News Day!

Welcome to this week's good news...






GIVEAWAYS

AUSSIE AUTHOR GIVEAWAY!
Enjoy paranormal romance? Fantasy romance? Urban fantasy? Post-apocalyptic romance? Steampunk romance?

Would you jump at a chance or three to win a box full of these sorts of books?

Who, what, where, when and how can I win? - I hear you cry!

Well, 9 Aussie paranormal romance authors have banded together and each have donated books and swag from their latest series to go into the Aussie Author Giveaway - three huge giveaway packages which will be on display at some of the specialty romance bookstores here in Australia.


Rendezvous Books (Victoria) will host the first box of goodies and the giveaway will run the entire month of June 2013.

The second box of authorly-goodness will reside at Rosemary's Romance Bookstore (Queensland) right through July 2013.

The third box of giveaway-fun will be with Galaxy Books (Sydney) over August 2013.
All readers have to do is order a book (or books) from these stores in the designated giveaway month - either in person or online. You'll earn one entry per purchase in the Giveaway. The prize winner will be drawn at the end of the month and the Aussie Author Giveaway box of goodies will be posted to you.

NB. Due to postage costs, entry is restricted to Australian readers.

So, come on Aussies, come on! Support your specialty romance bookstores, get to know some local Aussie authors - and you could find a huge parcel of books in your mailbox at the end of June, July or August!

Participating authors:

Bec McMaster
Christina Ashcroft


Erica Hayes
Keri Arthur
Kylie Griffin
Kylie Scott





 







M.J.Scott
Rowena Cory Daniells














Shona Husk



BOOK COVERS & RELEASE DATES

Dakota Harrison's debut book, Exhale (from Samhain), is available for pre-order from Amazon! It releases July 30th, 2013.

She is the one dream that never had a chance to come true…until now.
Takeshi is finishing up a brutal double shift in the ER when a familiar—and bloody—face erases all thought of heading home. The broken body of the woman fighting for her life belongs to Gabby, his best friend’s mother. A woman he has rarely seen since he turned nineteen and foolishly declared his love for her.
She’s not dying today. Not on his watch. And not with a promise left unfulfilled.
Gabby has never forgotten the taste of the kiss Taka gave her under the mistletoe all those years ago. Or the silly promise that surely by now he’s forgotten. She’s wrong. Taka remembers. And she melts as he uses every trick in his highly trained surgeon’s hands to heal her—and rekindle the heat between them.
But there’s a secret lurking in Gabby’s past. And when it follows her all the way to Seattle, it threatens to drag the one man she loves into the nightmare she thought she’d left behind.
Warning: Contains a reluctant cougar heroine with a planeload of emotional baggage, a hot Asian surgeon who knows how to kiss it and make it better, and smoking-hot love scenes that’ll give you a new appreciation for the tenacity of younger men.


Adina West has two 1 June releases, Dark Child Episode 5, the final episode of this serialised novel, and the Dark Child Omnibus which collects all five episodes in one volume. Perfect for fans of The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare, this intriguing urban fantasy follows the story of Kat Chanter, who discovers that the world she knows is controlled by ancient creatures who feed on blood. And she might just be one of them ...

Lately things have been getting weird for pathology technician Kat Chanter. She's been craving raw meat, and having dreams so realistic they're scary. When she accepts a job offer from the prestigious Hema Castus Research Institute, she hopes she'll have the chance to discover what's wrong with her, but instead, her move to New York thrusts her headlong into a treacherous hidden world, where the wrong move could be fatal . . .
Tarot, witchcraft and astrology all take on a frightening resonance in Dark Child's richly imagined alternative reality where vampiric beings live among us, hidden by magic. Dark romance tangles with paranormal fantasy and page-turning suspense in this enthralling tale of 'dark child' Kat Chanter, half-human and half-vampire, who has woken an ancient prophecy and must face a formidable destiny.
(Dark Child was originally released in serial form. You can read part one for just 99c by searching for Dark Child: Episode 1.
)




REVIEWS

Christina Phillips has received a 4 Star review from Riverina Romantics for Betrayed.
"I enjoyed this story and the characters very much. There were even a few surprises that I didn’t see coming. Tacitus was so sweet and honorable. It is impossible to not love him. Nimue is just as honorable and is driven by not only her beliefs, but my magic itself. The way this couple learns to navigate one another and deal with the attraction that could be their very ruin was frustrating in so many ways. I can’t imagine how they must have felt."
Full review here.






OTHER

Dark Sider Bec McMaster continues her cyber-touring to promote Heart of Iron. You can find her visiting the following blogs:
24th May - Supernatural Smackdown at Dark Faerie Tales - international giveaway of Kiss of Steel and Heart of Iron, plus Tim Tams! Vote for Will here!  
28th May - Mindful Musing - "Why does steampunk appeal to so many readers?" There will be a giveaway of Kiss of Steel.
29th May - Awesomesauce Book Club - "What do I like most about steampunk?" Another giveaway of Kiss of Steel.
30th May - Literary Escapism - An interview and Kiss of Steel givewaway!



Kylie Griffin, Cathryn Hein and Karly Lane had a lovely time in Taree this week as guests of the Taree Regional Library on the "Queens of Heart" author panel.

Kylie, Cathryn & Karly
Those who attended asked some great questions and were genuinely intrigued by the various aspects of the publishing process, particularly the comparison between Aussie pubbed authors (Cathryn Hein & Karly Lane) and Kylie Griffin (USA pubbed). There were also some fun moments when we talked about erotic romance, erotica and true love!  

Queens of Heart author panel
Thanks to Shelleyrae (volunteer) and Danielle & Debbie, the staff at Taree Regional library, who helped organise this event - the evening was a wonderful event!





Thursday 23 May 2013

Magic Thursday: Carlie Simonsen on Writing for the Younger Crowd



Thank you to the DarkSiders for having me here, today, even though I write mostly speculative and paranormal fiction for Younger readers, and very rarely hint at romance. I have written science fiction (Dear Tiger, Rocky to the Rescue), fantasy (Assassin, Not), contemporary ‘reality’ with a twist (Long Hair, Tag Man One, The Dog’s Way), science-fiction-fantasy blend (Spit), and contemporary reality with no twist (Legacy of Dreams, All Alone). 

People ask me why I write for a younger audience, and what they need to do in order to write successfully for that age group. Over the years, I’ve come up with the following tips, or rules:
 
The first rule is DON’T WRITE DOWN: No one likes being talked down to, or having it all explained as if they are too stupid to work it out for themselves. Just write the story. Write to entertain. Youngers are *young*; they’re not morons, and they’re far from stupid. Don’t treat them as either.

Secondly: LEAVE OUT THE LECTURE: A story should never be a lecture. Sure, you might have some points you want to get across, but you’re a story teller first, and, for that, the story MUST come first. You’re not there to preach, or ram a few good points down anyone’s throat. You’re there to tell a story. The hardest hurdle to get over when I started in this genre was to get my head around this simple point. Editors wanted stories ‘with meaning’, stories that ‘had a moral’ or ‘a point’, or they wanted it to be wrapped in humour, or ‘e: all of the above’. Forget that. Write the story. If Youngers are your audience, then write a story they’ll enjoy, just the same as you would, if you were writing a story for an adult audience.
 
Third: FORGET THE MARKET: Think of the story you want to write and the audience you want to write it for. Some might think that a story that doesn’t ‘fit’ a market isn’t worth writing, or that the audience *is* the market, but this isn’t the case. What a publisher asks for isn’t necessarily what the audience wants to read. The story is king, and, as with every other genre, you can stifle it by trying to make it fit into a box (or set of guidelines) it was never made to go in. Worse, it can make it very difficult to write anything. Remember, you can independently publish. If a publisher doesn’t want to take a chance on your work because the content doesn’t match their perception of the market OR because your work simply doesn’t suit the style and flavour of the lines they have established, don’t try to jam your story into a shape it was never meant to be. Chances are it won’t be worth reading, or it will come across as forced.

Fourth: KEEP IT SIMPLE: And I don’t mean the story; I mean the sentence structure and words. Remember, Youngers don’t have the word experience of an adult (although a few would give the “grown-ups” a run for their money). In terms of writing for Youngers this means keeping the following in mind:

  • The nuts and bolts of your work need to have a simple but clear structure.
  • Shorter sentences work best, but varying the length of sentences is still important for a smooth flow.
  • Use words that don’t require a PhD to understand (another good rule that applies to books for Olders).


·         Use words Youngers are likely to encounter in everyday life, over words they’re going to need a dictionary or an Older for. Every time your reader has to stop and check something out, they are pulled out of your story. You don’t want this, no matter what age you write for.

Fifth: SUBJECT SUITABILITY: Yes, I know I said the story is king, but you are writing for Youngers. Some stories are best told to an older age group. If you wouldn’t talk about it to your own children, or you wouldn’t feel comfortable reading it out loud to a Younger audience with an adult (teacher, parent, person off the street) looking over your shoulder, then you might want to re-think who you are writing for: perhaps, that story is not a Younger tale, but something for the Olders. Having said all that, you can see that some of the subjects I write about touch on “issues” such as being in a wheelchair and losing your original hopes and dreams (Legacy of Dreams), being away from your parents and not fitting in (Dear Tiger), and some are mostly story with only a little bit of controversy, such as law enforcement and gun control in a semi-war setting (Spit), or facing down fear to save your family and move house (Rocky to the Rescue).
 
Sixth: RELINQUISH REALITY: Okay, not all of reality, just a little bit—just enough for your story to live and breathe. It’s like writing a story where the world isn’t quite what it seems, where the unlikely *can* reasonably happen. For instance, where you can use your hair as an effective weapon in karate (Long Hair), or a Younger can climb into the cockpit of the latest fighter jet and fly it away from a bunch of bad guys trying to steal it (Tag Man One). You’re telling a story. Always remember that.

Now get out there and write.

And all the best of luck

Carlie
  
Bio: Carlie Simonsen has independently published eight chapter books for Youngers, with the ninth, The Dog’s Way, about to be released, and another three to follow that. She started writing in the genre in response to a number of publisher calls for submissions. Unfortunately, she soon learned she couldn’t write ‘funny’ to save herself, and took the hint from a few good-hearted editors that her work just wasn’t going to ‘fit’ an established market, although they encouraged her to keep trying. The result is a number of quirky stories that entertain while touching on issues such as children left alone after a supermarket bombing (All Alone), bullying in—and out of—the playground (The Dog’s Way and Yard Boss—both soon to be released), pursuing the most unlikely dreams through hard work and effort (Long Hair), and doing the right thing even when it means change (Assassin, Not).

Wednesday 22 May 2013

A Bite Of...

This fortnight, I'd like to present the lovely Eleanor Maine with A Bite Of… A Gargoyle for the Hotel Gothica.


Can you, in less than five words describe your book?
Paranormal urban romance, gargoyles, fey

What inspired you to write it?
I think it was in 2009 that a small on-line publisher ran a contest called the Scottish Nocturnal contest, and I badly wanted to write something for it. I had spent the past two years trying to get my head around the romance genre well enough to write it. The theme of a Scottish hero who was also a creature of the night appealed to me, so I thought I’d give it a go.

The first snag I hit was that I didn’t want to write about vampires or werewolves. There were a lot of stories featuring them, and I couldn’t think of an approach that satisfied me. I wanted something different—and gargoyles adorned many Scottish cathedrals… so gargoyles it was.

The second snag was that I wasn’t familiar with Scotland and its landmarks, and I had to think of a way to bring it to more familiar territory. The opening chapter was the result.
And here's the excerpt....
The crate had been loaded with care, its contents cushioned by foam, and iron bands shrunk to fit so it didn’t burst open. It had been packed in a shipping container and hauled down from the highlands on the back of a monster truck driven by a driver who should have been certified insane long ago. Its contents had been auctioned before being packed back into the crate and loaded onto a ship in Greenock.
Since then, the crate had travelled three oceans and rounded the Cape. It had skirted the southern reaches of the world’s largest island and come to rest in that island’s only island state. The crew of the freighter, Hinchinbrook, was glad to see the back of it.
It wasn’t that there was anything particularly sinister about the crate—it was a normal shipping container, painted a bright reddish-orange and labeled in white with the firm’s logo,  just like all the others. Unlike all the others, however, there were some in the crew who claimed they only had to walk past the thing for it to give them the creeps… and there were some as whispered that something moved within.
Others claimed the wind moaned more loudly when they stood in close proximity, and a few even claimed that the wind moaned when they stood right next to it and there was no wind at all. More than one hinted at seeing a look of relief cross the lorry driver’s face as the thing was unloaded from his truck.
Claire Handley knew nothing of these rumors as she watched it being unloaded at Hobart’s docks—and she wouldn’t have cared if she had. She didn’t have time for such things. The Hotel Gothica, her Hotel Gothica, was due to open in less than a week, and the gargoyle was the last thing that needed to be fitted before the hotel’s inauguration. It would form the perfect finish to the guest entrance in what had once been Saint David’s Cathedral.
Claire had kept her promise of keeping the main area of the cathedral open to the public. The stained-glass windows and vaulted ceiling provided the perfect backdrop for the Gothica Café, and she had reserved a portion as a chapel, using long tubs of carefully pruned and trellised citrus trees to form a living wall around it. Smaller tubs, containing sweetly-scented lavender, formed a low border around the trees, and the two-tiered arrangement gave privacy to any who might need it.
Velvet-covered benches, flanked by statues or more greenery, and iron-work chairs and tables were scattered around the remainder of the hotel’s ground floor to provide people with nooks in which they could settle to wait for loved ones or guests, or stations from which to admire the windows—and all around the place were gargoyles, some hanging from pillars, others hiding beneath benches, and still others peering out from beside potted plants. It was no longer a church, but Claire hoped it was still a place where people could find solace and solitude.
The benches, statuary and greenery had been set aside to provide a clear path for the crate and its contents to follow, and Claire watched as the workmen began unpacking the creature she’d fallen in love with in Scotland.
Perhaps ‘fallen in love’ was too strong a term, but she could think of none better to describe the feelings of pride and affection she felt for the beautiful carving. Yes, it was a gargoyle, and, no, it wasn’t exactly pretty, but it showed superb craftsmanship and elegant lines. Claire suppressed a flutter at the memory of some of those lines.
The corded muscles of its forelimbs stretched into well-muscled shoulders, and the large hands that would rest on the lintel over the door leading to the registry and hotel lifts and stairs were curiously human, in spite of the half-extended claws sprouting from their fingertips.
Claire sighed. Whoever had modeled for the creature, had possessed a fine chest as well… and abs, very nice abs… and the back below the wings. You could run your fingers along those muscle lines for ever… She shook her head, trying to shake her thoughts in a more businesslike direction. It’s only a statue for heaven’s sake!
Leaving the workmen to their task, she decided to visit the kitchens of Café Gothica for a coffee. Matthias, the café’s lessee would probably be in, going over his preparations for opening night, and he would want to tell Claire how they were progressing. Revising Matthias’s plans in her head, Claire turned away from the workmen. As she did so, she noticed a figure standing at the entrance to the cathedral, a visitor far too early for opening night.
“I’m sorry, but we’re closed,” she said, moving to intercept it. “We don’t open until…” She hesitated, recognizing who it was.
“I know when you open,” the man sneered, “but I wanted to see where you would be putting my inheritance.”
 
Many thanks for sharing Eleanor!
 
If you'd like to find out more about Eleanor Maine and her books, click on the following weeks. Enjoy your Wednesday!
 
iTunes Store: http://www.apple.com/au/itunes/ (Use the Search term “A Gargoyle for the Hotel Gothica” or “Eleanor Maine”)
Kobo: http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/A-Gargoyle-for-Hotel-Gothica/book-R9dXTokhQ06VSWQXYmZp7g/page1.html?s=YceT8V3xw0-9MzcGzs2l3w&r=1
 
 

Tuesday 21 May 2013

Good News Day!

Welcome to this week's good news...





SALES

Imogene Nix has sold A Strangers Arms to Total-E-Bound.  It's the sequel to Blame The Wine.

 

CONTESTS

Kylie Griffin's Vengeance Born is a finalist in the Greater Detroit RWA 2013 Booksellers Best Award in the Paranormal/Time Travel/Futuristic & the Best First Book sections. Results announced at the BBA Reception on July 17 following the RWAmerica Literacy Signing.
















BOOK COVERS & RELEASE DATES

Alexis Fleming's new release, Hidden Fire, will be out in e-book format from Escape Publishing on June 1st.

An Australian-set paranormal drawing on the Aboriginal Dreamtime in a hot, suspenseful series debut.
Gili Adams is willing to do anything to protect her parents, even travel to Australia in search of the mythical opal, the Dreamtime Fire. But her resolve is tested when she has to enlist the help of anthropologist Morgan Hunt, the Guardian of the opal and the man who once accused her of using her feminine wiles to steal a priceless artefact. She’s faced with an impossible choice: lie to the man she never wanted to lose or risk her parents’ lives.
Nothing can be allowed to stand in her way... not even her own heart.




FREE READS

Erica Hayes is giving away a free story to all of her newsletter subscribers! Cherry Kisses is an 11K urban fantasy novella set in her Shadowfae universe.

Sexy con-artist Lena Falco isn't a witch, not technically. She uses her cache of stolen magic tricks to seduce and bedazzle her marks. When she's hired by a demon to steal a cursed magical amulet from a monstrous tower in Hell, it's her lucky day. The prize? A single wish—whatever she wants.

The catch? There's competition: Ethan Benford, swordsman and enchanter, arrogant, maddeningly sexy and the only incorruptible man in town.

Lena's been burned by Ethan's easy charm before, and vows he'll meet his match this time. But is ultimate power worth betraying the only man who truly believes in her?









REVIEWS

Flesh by Kylie Scott has received a TOP PICK from Night Owl Reviews!
"Nothing is black and white anymore, and what was the norm has to be forgotten to survive. But Daniel will protect Ali with all he has, because she’s his future. When he and Ali run into Finn, another survivor with enviable skills, he’s brought into their couple. All the way in. See, monogamy kind of has to go the way of the dinosaur if the human race is to survive. An original and awesome read that was harsh, romantic, funny and graphic."
You can read the full review here.



The Outcast Prince by Shona Husk received this review from RT Book Reviews.
"Husk’s new Court of Annwyn series starts off on the right foot, adding realistic heartache and transformative romance to an innovative fantasy to create an emotional and engaging tale."







Heart of Iron by Bec McMaster receives a 5 paws rating from Rabid Reads.
"Heart of Iron, the follow-up installment to Bec McMaster’s debut onto the steampunk scene is Kiss of Steel’s equal in all things except Verwulfen which means… this book’s even better than the last! Because, let’s face it, werewolves make everything better! Am I right? In this novel, McMaster further expands upon her already colossal universe, transforms two beloved secondary characters into praiseworthy protagonists and weaves a deliciously entertaining tale that’ll keep you reading until there’s nothing left."
Full review here.


Rabid Reviews also gave a 5 paw rating to Kiss of Steel by Bec McMaster.
"From the very first page of Kiss of Steel I was swept away by Bec McMaster’s lovely writing style; her three dimensional characters, stunning dialogues and surreal universe are so brilliantly executed that I’m giving this book a 5+ star rating.
This is a story about vampires but McMaster does such a brilliant job of claiming them as her own that they almost felt new again. There are three different subgroups to the vamps in her lore and I really enjoyed the way that we get glimpses into each of their lifestyles."
Full review here.


OTHER

If you live in Taree (NSW) & surrounds, don't forget there's a "Queens of Heart" author panel on Wednesday, May 22nd at Taree Regional Library. Karly Lane, Cathryn Hein and Kylie Griffin will be talking love, lust & longing.
Bookings essential - details below.


Friday 17 May 2013

What We Are Reading

Welcome to What We Are Reading in May! This month seems to be all about favorite reads. The books you go back to time after time.

For me it’s Daggerspell. Rhodry was my first literary crush, I think was about 14 (and I wouldn't discover romance novels for another 12 years). I know it's not a romance, but there is romantic elements as well as past lives, magic and elves.


Imogene Nix
Mackenzies Mountain by Linda Howard.
This is one of my go-to books when I want something incredibly well written, emotive and just need to "read" for the sake of reading books. Gee, I hope that makes sense.  

First released in 2000, there's something totally amazing about this incredibly sensual half celt half native american man falling for the quintessential old maid school teacher, Miss Mary Potter. Wolf and Mary just burn up the pages as they fight against discrimination on the grounds of a false accusation and imprisonment for rape, a small town with an us and them mentality and a boy/man who thinks Wolf killed his father due to misunderstandings made worse by his mother's bitterness and his learning disability.

Seriously, this one is on my keeper shelf... and falling apart. :)

Then because I'm in a Linda Howard mood, I'm rereading Kiss and Tell. Another gutsy woman who has to deal with secrets, half truths and people making snap judgements. I love this one too. Again, it's on my keeper shelf. It's a 2003 release... maybe a little dated, but I love the writing and visuals.



Jenny Schwartz

I've also been on a re-reading binge. If you haven't discovered Ilona Andrews, you really should try her stories. Silver Shark is a novella that gives you a sense of her style.








What books do you re-read? What are your keepers?
~~~
happy reading
Shona 

Thursday 16 May 2013

Magic Thursday: Science Thursday

by Anna Hackett


Iron Man 3 is blazing its way across the cinema screens right now, on track to break the billion dollar barrier soon. I can’t wait to see it – because I want to see more of the romance between Tony and his ever-patient Pepper, and because what I love about Iron Man is that his superpower comes from science.

So today I’m declaring Magic Thursday is Science Thursday!

I’ve had futuristic science on my mind lately. I’m busy revising a futuristic romance and my upcoming release, DARKEST BEFORE DAWN, is a post-apocalyptic science fiction romance (both are set right here Down Under!) I was hoping to have a cover and maybe a release date for Darkest Before Dawn to share…but we’ll all have to wait just a little bit longer. 



What I love about writing science fiction stories is inventing all the cool things I wish I had right now to make life a little easier. 
Source: I Love Butter


I’m about to get on a plane with my 2 year old for a 14 hour flight (help!) Bring on the supersonic jet or better yet a transporter! Imagine stepping into a transporter in Australia and stepping out seconds later in Africa! Brilliant.

I’d also love a phone-ereader-tablet-laptop combo device. One I can scale up or down in size as needed (check out my Sync device in my sci-fi romance, WINTER FUSION, for more info!)

These days we hear a lot about space tourism (want a book a ticket on Sir Richard Branson’s VIRGIN GALACTIC?) I’d love to visit space one day, look down on our planet and get up close and personal with the moon. I confess, I spend a fair bit of time thinking about spaceships: fast rust-buckets like the Millennium Falcon, cozy rust-buckets like Serenity and old warships like the Galactica.

Unlimited renewal energy sources, coatings that stop ice melting, superfast helicopters, mind-blowing medical technology (no more disease or surgery), robots to do the housework, simple and effective beauty treatments (pain-free hair removal…I wish), the sky (or the moon) is the limit in the science fiction realm.

We might have to wait a little longer for these in real life…for now, we’ll have to make do with reading some good science fiction romance.

Well, before I brave that 14 hour flight, I’d love to hear what cool science breakthrough you’d love to see in your lifetime? Big or small, come and share!

~~~~


Anna Hackett loves action movies, sci-fi shows, short stories, writing her own romantic adventures, her wonderful husband and her little man. You can find her at the usual places:  Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Her latest novella, SOUL STEALER, is out now. You can find her novella, TIME THIEF on sale for only 99c and stay tuned for her sci-fi romance, DARKEST BEFORE DAWN, coming soon.

She just wants her life back. After being kidnapped and forced to kill by a vicious crime lord, Cate Hartmann is now a killer with an addiction to stealing souls. On the island sanctuary of Haven, surrounded by other anomalies with secret abilities, she fights to recover. But only one man calms the dark storm inside and makes her believe she can be whole again…Dr. Gage Walker.

Scientist Gage Walker has spent a decade helping anomalies. But every day, he’s haunted by his previous job for the CIA—where he crossed far too many boundaries and hurt so many anomalies. Including his brother. He vows he won’t fail again and will do everything he can to heal Cate—including fighting his attraction to her.

But when the crime lord comes after Cate again, it’s a race against time to find out why he wants her. Amidst the danger, Gage and Cate drawn to each other, even as they fear that one wrong step will send her hurtling back into the depths of her soul stealing addiction.



Tuesday 14 May 2013

Good News Day!

Welcome to this week's good news...






NEW LOGO

If you haven't noticed, the Dark Side DownUnder has a new logo - something that reflects the gamut of genres our Aussie & New Zealander authors write. The design was created by the uber-talented Eleni Konstantine!





SALES

Maggie Mundy has received a contract for her manuscript, World Change, from Rogue Phoenix Press. Congratulations!



NEW RELEASES & COVERS

Cheryse Durrant has received her new cover for The Blood She Betrayed, the first in her Heart Hunters series, being published by Clan Destine Press. The e-book will be launched in July 2013 and the paperback in August 2013.

To save her kingdom...
Thrust into the technology-driven Earthlands via magical mists, Shahkara is forced to rely on Max McCalden to help search for the ancient Elnara death lantern, her homeworld's last chance of survival against the heart-devouring Taloners.
Max has his own problems – a manipulative billionaire father, a murdered brother – but nothing prepares him for this fugitive warrior’s razor-sharp talons and magical abilities.
...she must betray her blood
Shahkara’s half-Taloner blood demands what she knows she can’t have – a human heart. She longs for love, but as deadly enemies attack at every turn, will her lust for Max destroy them both? Or will she find the strength to free both worlds from a threat more horrific than the demons that share her blood?


Ruby's Ghost is Shona Husk's latest book from Samhain, out today!

Breaking up is hard to survive.
One moment, Tate Cooper is giving his ex-girlfriend a lift home on his motorcycle. The next, his soul is suspended between life and death, wandering in confusion between the accident scene and the house he grew up in.
Except it’s not his home anymore. In his old bedroom sleeps a beautiful young woman, the only person who can see him. And the only person who can keep him from succumbing to the temptation to escape the horrific pain awaiting him in his mortal body.
Eloise Jones should be studying for her college exams, but it’s tough to stay focused when a lost soul keeps appearing in her room. She figures it must have something to do with sirens she heard screaming in the night, but she’s helpless to assist—and helpless to resist.
As Eloise tries to help Tate unravel the tangled facts surrounding the accident, longing and desire grow into an almost tangible bond between them. But then a second spirit appears, one with a darker intent that could separate them before love draws its first breath…
Warning: Contains a vengeful ex and a romance that crosses the boundary between life and death
 


REVIEWS

Heart of Iron by Bec McMaster received 4.5 stars from That's What I'm Talking About.
"Heart of Iron is a suspenseful tale of political maneuvering among the classes with a paranormal twist that ups the ante...Although the suspense makes Heart of Iron a thrilling read, it’s the budding romance between Lena and Will that make this book such a wonderful story...Ms. McMaster was able to convey every emotional moment with such clarity that I laughed and cried right along side the characters."
Full review here.

And here's another review for Heart of Iron from Tynga's Reviews.
"HEART OF IRON is an engrossing, thrilling sequel to KISS OF STEEL. If you liked KISS OF STEEL, you'll love HEART OF IRON because it has all of the elements that made KISS OF STEEL a strong debut, with even more world-building, intrigue, and steam."
Full review here. There's also a giveaway up for grabs here - ends May 14th.



OTHER

Bec McMaster continues her Heart of Iron blog tour.
May 14th - Novels on the Run.
May 15th - Cocktails & Books.
May 15th - Goldilox & the Three Wares.
May 16th - Romancing the Book.




check out all our books on our dsdu-books shelf:
DarkSide DownUnder's book lists (dsdu-books shelf)