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.

Saturday 28 July 2018

Darklight On ... Shelley Russell Nolan

Today's Darklight On is ... Shelley Russell Nolan

Welcome, Shelley



How many lives does one story have?

I started writing when I was a teenager, penning my ideas on paper seeing as I didn't even own a typewriter let alone a computer. One of those stories first scribbled down and then neatly transcribed by hand onto fresh paper was Angel Fire. It was the story of a teenage girl with a recurring dream of fire that led her to the discovery she once had an identical twin. She then sets out to find out what really happened to her sister.

Fast forward many years to 2014 when three friends and I decided to put out a paranormal anthology which we would all write a novella for, Sisters of the Shadows. I pulled out the folder containing Angel Fire with the idea of using it for my novella. But the story I found did not live up to my memory of it. In short, it sucked. Which is to be expected for a first manuscript. I still believed the idea behind it was sound, so I set the folder aside and rewrote the story from scratch.

In 2015 the anthology was released and I was pretty chuffed to have my first publication. Reviews were very kind and I shuffled off to write something else. Fast forward another two years and I had a couple of readers approach me to ask if there was going to be a sequel to Angel Fire. At the time I was in the middle of my Reaper Series, but the question got my mind racing on what might happen in a potential sequel were I to write one.

My mind kept ticking over with ideas, so once the final book in the Reaper Series was done I turned my attention back to Angel Fire with the intention of making it into the first in a paranormal fantasy novella series. Of course, once I got started on the second novella in the series, Wild Lighning, I realised I needed to add more details to Angel Fire to give it the scope needed for a first in series.

Angel Fire Mark III was published this month, along with Wild Lightning in Arcane Awakenings Books One and Two. It may not have the nine lives of a cat, but I am pretty happy with how the third incarnation of it turned out. Now I'm working on giving another old manuscript a second chance for the fifth novella in the series, Divine Captive. All of which gives me hope that one day I will be able to resurrect my first ever story, about a teenage heroine accidentally transported to another planet where she has to fight brain eating aliens before she can return home.

A girl can dream right?

~~~

Arcane Awakenings Books One and Two

A hidden past. An uncertain future.

In Angel Fire, all Andie wants is acceptance, a task made difficult thanks to the nightmare that's plagued her for the past fifteen years. Then she learns it's a terrifying memory of the night she lost her identical twin. When Angel's spirit calls to her, begging to be saved, Andie is determined to discover what really happened the night her sister died.

The story continues in Wild Lightning, when Celeste wakes in a mental institution with no memory of who she is or why she can shoot lightning from her fingertips. Spurred on by a vision of Angel, Celeste escapes and searches for answers as her captors close in.

Andie and Celeste must battle ruthless adversaries as they seek to uncover the truth, but will this lead to a future more dangerous than what they've left behind?

Arcane Awakenings – a fast-paced paranormal fantasy novella series.

Buy Links: Amazon / Kobo / Google Play / Barnes & Noble / iBooks

About the Author: Website / Facebook / Goodreads /  Twitter

Monday 23 July 2018

DarkSider News for July - Part 3!



Welcome to the latest DarkSider News!

Even MORE to share this month, so here's another edition of the DarkSider News for July...






NEW RELEASES


Imperator by Anna Hackett is Book 11 in the Galactic Gladiators series and was released on 8th July.



Space station security specialist Sam has done one thing since her abduction by alien slavers...fight to survive. But now one strong alien gladiator stands at her side and Sam knows she is no longer alone.

Thrust into a lawless desert arena, Sam Santos has done terrible things in order to stay alive. As the Champion of Zaabha, she's been fighting to find a way out. Everything changes when the Imperator of the House of Galen sacrifices his freedom to help her. The hard-bodied, fierce man has vowed to help her escape, but getting out of Zaabha is only the first deadly task they face.

Galen was bred to be a royal bodyguard and protect his prince. With his planet now destroyed, he's grown powerful and forged his wealthy gladiatorial House on the desert planet of Carthago. All Galen knows is honor, service, and sacrifice. Now his life depends on working with one battle-hardened woman of Earth as they fight together to survive. But Sam Santos is not what he expected. Tough, yes. A brilliant fighter, for sure. But there is a softer side to the woman as well. And Galen finds himself irrevocably drawn to all of Sam's captivating facets.

Then they uncover a devious plot by the Thraxians that could bring down the foundations of the Kor Magna Arena and all they hold dear. Galen and Sam will stop at nothing to defeat the evil alien slavers, even if it means war. In amongst the fighting, Sam may finally show a man who lives for everyone else, that he deserves more than just honor and freedom, but love as well...if they survive the coming battle.

Note to readers: This sci fi romance contains a lot of action (think wild fights and daring escapes), tough gladiators (the warriors of the House of Galen and the House of Rone) and a steamy romance (between a sexy, mysterious imperator and a tough fighter from Earth). So if you like it fast, and gritty, and sexy, this is for you!


Available from: Amazon US | Amazon Aus | 




Guardian by Anna Hackett is Book 9 in the Galactic Gladiators series and was released on 29th June in audio. 




Rescued from alien slavers, former cop Dayna wakes to discover she's host to a powerful alien symbiont, and the only man who can help her is the mysterious and dangerous casino owner, Rillian.

Dayna Caplan has dedicated her life to protecting others...and now that she's no longer a captive at the desert arena of Zaabha, she desperately wants to help find the last of the other human women who were abducted by the Thraxians. But now she has to deal with the intense hunger and powerful new abilities the alien living inside grants her...and the person forcing her to confront her new reality is the cool, enigmatic, and far-too-attractive Rillian. 

Rillian has wheeled and dealed his way to the top of the food chain on the lawless desert world of Carthago. He lets no one close and keeps iron-clad control on his life...which is vital to keeping the lethal power within him in check. But one human woman - tough, stubborn, and fascinating Dayna - works her way under his skin, and he finds himself obsessed with protecting her. But as dead bodies start appearing in his casino as a deadly warning, dangers are closing in on them. 

With their allies, the gladiators from the House of Galen, Rillian and Dayna find themselves fighting for survival on every front. On the hunt to find Zaabha and the lost humans, they will face murderers, slavers, and the deadliest of all challenges...the aliens living within them.


You can find a sample and buy links on Anna's website.




Skyfire by Donna Maree Hanson is Book 5 in the Dragon Wine series and was released on 13th July.




Deliciously dark fantasy…

“Shatterwing has all the fantasy ingredients I love: tormented heroes, a truly twisted villain – and a brand new take on dragons!” Glenda Larke, (award winning author of The Stormlord Trilogy)

“Dark and compelling, with strong characters and a sense of grim inevitability that pulls you along with the story.” Craig Cormick, (award-winning author of the Shadow Master Series.)

The story continues…

On the devastated world of Margra, where man-eating dragons are tamer than the humans, a small band of heroes fight for a brighter future.

After a battle with the malevolent baron and the evil dragon creature, Gercomo, to prevent the life giving dragon wine being sequestered in the doomsday city, Eternity, for use by the rich elite, Salinda turns her attention to the looming disaster that threatens their very existence.

With the aid of the powerful cadre, an ancient source of power and knowledge, Salinda fights to save her planet, Margra, from the final moonfall—an event that will destroy the already ravaged planet.

Currently safe within the underground city of Barraheim, a heavily pregnant Salinda knows that the end is looming and that a solution must be found. Plagued with doubt, she ponders whether her child be born before moonfall or born at all.

With Nils’s, her alien mate incapacitated and others in her band recovering from injuries, Salinda struggles to decipher an ancient text that speaks of a machine that might help them.

And in the dark spaces beneath Barrahiem lurks something else, something mysterious and dangerous…


Available from : Amazon US | Amazon Aus | Kobo




Arcane Awakenings: Books 1 & 2 by Shelley Russell Nolan is a collection of two novellas in one book. It is due for release on 21st July. 



A hidden past. An uncertain future.

In Angel Fire, all Andie wants is acceptance, a task made difficult thanks to the nightmare that's plagued her for the past fifteen years. Then she learns it's a terrifying memory of the night she lost her identical twin. When Angel's spirit calls to her, begging to be saved, Andie is determined to discover what really happened the night her sister died.

The story continues in Wild Lightning, when Celeste wakes in a mental institution with no memory of who she is or why she can shoot lightning from her fingertips. Spurred on by a vision of Angel, Celeste escapes and searches for answers as her captors close in.

Andie and Celeste must battle ruthless adversaries as they seek to uncover the truth, but will this lead to a future more dangerous that what they've left behind?

Arcane Awakenings – a fast-paced paranormal fantasy novella series.



Available from: Amazon US | Amazon Aus | Kobo | iBooks | 




Non spec-fic titles


Miss Elspeth's Desire by Imogene Nix is Book 1 in  The Search Duology. It will be released by Beachwalk Press on 16th July.






Elspeth Forster, the eldest spinster sister and part owner of Forster Shipping Line, has never known passion. But that’s about to change.

After their youngest sister marries, Elspeth and her middle sister Isabelle decide to use their ships for more than just business by taking the adventure of a lifetime. In India she might find a man who can teach her all the things that will keep her warm in her advancing age. But she never expected that an unscheduled stop would put her within Aeddan Fitzsimmon’s sights.

Returning from a top-secret mission, English spy, Aeddan Fitzsimmons, finds passage on the Zephyr, a vessel in the Forster fleet. From the moment he steps aboard, the statuesque redhead entices him like no other ever has. Now in India he has a new mission: keep the elegant Elspeth safe from those who’d use her connections for their own purposes, while wooing her into his bed.


Buy links available from Imogene's website





Once Upon a Player by Christina Phillips is Book 2 in the British Bad Boys series, which was released by Entangled Publishing on 16th July.  




Falling for the player was never part of the plan…

Violet

When my mum gets sick, I volunteer to fill in for her and clean some hot jock’s penthouse. I’ve heard all the rumors about him, so the plan is get in, clean some toilet bowls, and get out. After my last experience with a “sports hero,” I’m done with that sort of guy.
But Lucas Carter is full of surprises. He wants to help me clean and is nothing like the toad the press has made him out to be. Resistance may be futile for some girls, but not me. Then he asks me to help him with the interior design of his new place. I can’t say, no. It’s going to look great on my resume.

Unfortunately, spending time with Lucas is dangerous. He’s so charming and sweet, but I can’t let myself forget––once a player, always a player.



Available from: Amazon | Amazon Aus |  iBooks | B&N | Kobo | 



Whitsunday Dawn by Annie Seaton was released byHarlequin MIRA on 23 July.
*updated: this is not part of the Porter series as mentioned in an earlier version of this post*


With the pristine beauty of the Whitsundays under threat, can they expose the truth in time? Australian author Annie Seaton brings to life a new area of romance - Eco-Adventure. Perfect for fans of Di Morrissey. 

When Olivia Sheridan arrives in the Whitsundays as spokesperson for big mining company Sheridan Corp, it should be a straightforward presentation to the town about their proposed project. But when a handsome local fisherman shows her what ecological impact the proposal will have, Olivia is forced to question her father's motives in the project.

Struggling with newly divided loyalties, Olivia is thrown further into turmoil when she is mistaken for a woman who disappeared more than 60 years before. When it becomes clear that Captain Jay is also keeping secrets, Olivia realises that there is more to these sunshine–soaked islands than she ever expected.

Seeking to uncover the truth, Olivia is drawn into a dangerous game where powerful businessmen will stop at nothing to ensure their plan goes ahead, even if that means eliminating her…

Against the epic Far North Queensland landscape, this is the story of two women, separated by history, drawn to Whitsunday Island where their futures will be changed forever.





PRINT



EBOOK





Cotton Field Dreams by S.E. Gilchrist (Book 1 in the Mindalby Outback Romance series) is featured in the print anthology, Heart of the Town. It was released by Harlequin MIRA as on 23rd July.



Can its determined inhabitants save a dying country town? 

Four different writers tell the story of Mindalby, a beautiful country town threatened with extinction when its cotton mill closes.

Cotton Field Dreams by S.E. Gilchrist

Sasha comes to the small town of Mindalby to recover from a traumatic event with vengeance on her mind – the last thing she wants is a relationship. Local single dad, Cole, is drawn to this smart determined nurse, but could Sasha' secrets destroy the relationship before it has begun?

Starting Over by Susanne Bellamy
More than a Promise by Lauren K McKellar
A Daughter's Choice by Lee Christine


Available from: Amazon Aus | Booktopia | 




PRE-ORDERS


Moonfall by Donna Maree Hanson is Book 6 in the Dragon Wine series and is expected to be released on 31st August.




Deliciously dark fantasy…

“Shatterwing has all the fantasy ingredients I love: tormented heroes, a truly twisted villain – and a brand new take on dragons!” Glenda Larke, (award winning author of The Stormlord Trilogy)

“Dark and compelling, with strong characters and a sense of grim inevitability that pulls you along with the story.” Craig Cormick, (award-winning author of the Shadow Master Series.)

The story continues…

On the devastated world of Margra, where man-eating dragons are tamer than the humans, a small band of heroes fight for a brighter future.

After a battle with the malevolent baron and the evil dragon creature, Gercomo, to prevent the life giving dragon wine being sequestered in the doomsday city, Eternity, for use by the rich elite, Salinda turns her attention to the looming disaster that threatens their very existence.

With the aid of the powerful cadre, an ancient source of power and knowledge, Salinda fights to save her planet, Margra, from the final moonfall—an event that will destroy the already ravaged planet.

Currently safe within the underground city of Barraheim, a heavily pregnant Salinda knows that the end is looming and that a solution must be found. Plagued with doubt, she ponders whether her child be born before moonfall or born at all.

With Nils’s, her alien mate incapacitated and others in her band recovering from injuries, Salinda struggles to decipher an ancient text that speaks of a machine that might help them.

And in the dark spaces beneath Barrahiem lurks something else, something mysterious and dangerous…



Pre-order from: Amazon US | Amazon Aus







SALES


Cassie Laelyn has sold her debut paranormal romance novel, Unforsaken,  to The Wild Rose Press. It will be published in 2018. More details to follow as it comes to hand.







EARLY 2018 RELEASES
Since the website is slowly being updated, news of the following releases had been missed...

The Importance of Ernestine by Elizabeth Dunk was released by Escape Publishing on 4th April.


Love isn’t easy in the cutthroat world of Australian politics...

Cecily Carter and Gwen Fairford have both started a fantastic new life in Canberra – jobs they love, a fabulous friend (each other) and even, it seems, the perfect men. Or at least, they could be perfect, if they changed political allegiances.

Alec Moncrieff and John Worthing are leading perfect lives: great jobs, a great friend (each other) and even great new relationships. But when they are caught out in a lie, everything begins to fall apart. Alec, so used to manipulating everything to his own satisfaction finds he can’t manipulate his way out of his feelings. And Cecily’s past is about to roar into the public domain. Will Gwen and Cecily give their men a second chance, or is love just another empty campaign promise?




Buy links available from: HarperCollins




Secret Confessions: Down and Dusty is the complete collection of short stories which also includes Elizabeth Dunk (previously mentioned for Mel Teshco and Rhyll Biest). It was published by Escape Publishing on January 12th 2018.



Welcome to the heart — and heat — of Australia…

They say that no one has secrets in a small town — these women prove them wrong.

Eight stories from some of Australia’s hottest writers in Australia’s hottest genre. From the bar stools of the local pub to the wide open plains of the biggest stations in the world, these tales travel the dusty roads to the heart of Australia and the women who understand how to work hard — and play even harder.

In the latest in the wildly successful Secret Confessions series from Escape Publishing, the women of Down & Dusty invite you into their lives — and their bedrooms.


Casey: Rachael Johns
Lucky: Cate Ellink
Kelly: Fiona Lowe
Brooke: Eden Summers
Clarissa: Mel Teshco
Skye: Rhyll Biest
Maree: Elizabeth Dunk
Frankie: Jackie Ashenden



Available from: Amazon US | Amazon Aus | B&N | iBooks








AROUND THE WEB


On Sale


Bernadette Rowley has 50% off her books on Smashwords.




Dragon Wine: Volume One by Donna Maree Hanson is on sale now for .99c. It contains the first two parts in the series, Shatterwing and Skywatcher


Buy links:  Amazon (Aus) | Google Play | iBooks | Kobo |








Blogs


Christina Phillips had a release day blog post on the ARRA blog for her release, Once Upon a Player.  














ON THE WEBSITE

Pages that have been created or updated: Adina West, Nicole Murphy, and Elizabeth Dunk








Congratulations to all our DarkSiders!



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

Thursday 12 July 2018

Magic Thursday July





Hello, everyone—It’s Colleen, although you’ll see me writing as C.M. Simpson and Carlie Simonsen, pretty much most days. I’ve written a lot of short fiction, and will continue to do that in the future, but, this year, I’m kicking off with some novels for C.M. Simpson. (Next year, it’s Carlie’s turn.)






The Evolution of a Universe
I’ve done novels before, and even completed a fantasy trilogy, but this year I’m working on my first science fiction series, and put a bit of a twist into it. The funny thing is that these characters didn’t come with a series in mind… or even a novel. They arrived in dribs and drabs as I wrote flash fiction for my first two flash fiction collections… and then they decided they had to have a short story… and then they wanted a novel.
And then they decided that they belonged in the same universe as Agent Delight of Odyssey, and that she should become a feature of their stories, as well—and they didn’t stop there. Because of the novels, I have discovered that many of the short stories I’ve written belong in the same universe, and that’s made my life both easier and harder, which brings me what’s good and bad about writing a series.


Pros and Cons of Writing in a Known Universe
Writing stories in a known universe is easier than writing a stand-alone, because I know a lot more about my universe than if I had to start it off from scratch. I can draw from events and characters that I’ve written about before, and I’ve got a lot more to build on. The universe feels more real as a result.
But writing in a known universe is also harder, because I have to remember where the characters have met before, and where on the universe’s timeline they are in relation to what’s happened. I don’t have time-travel—that I know of—so there’s no easy out if I mess it up.
(Pro Tip: Create a ‘bible’ for your universe where you note down every person, place, event, or item that you name in your universe, and the story it can be found in. You’ll need it as you create more stories in that setting.)
When I decided to write my current series, I didn’t know Agent Delight was linked to the universe; that came out in the first book, and it meant I had to remember there were a bunch of short stories and flash fiction about her that I had to keep at the back of my mind. It also meant there was a bunch of information I could draw from when I was building my series’ universe.
Overall, I’ve found writing this series has gotten easier as time has gone on, and that’s solely because there is so much already in place. Apart from keeping things straight in the stories, I’ve yet to discover any real down sides.


An Overview of the Mack ‘n’ Me ‘n’ Odyssey Series
I’m planning this to be a six-book series, and will be releasing the fourth book, Mack ‘n’ Me: The Transporter’s Favour, in the next fortnight. Next year, I’ll release a collection of all the flash fiction and short stories around these characters, but that’s a little way off, right now. Each book has so far dealt with slightly different opponents, and each book has linked the series’ setting to previous short stories.





Book 1, Mack ‘n’ Me: Origins, surprised me by being the story of how Cutter joined Mack’s crew. It also brought Delight and Odyssey to the setting, and saw Cutter dealing with Odyssey’s claim on her life, and a master of genetic mutation with a technological twist. This is followed by the short story, The Depredides Dance, in which Cutter meets Abby, a sentient courier ship, and tells the story of what happened immediately after Origins ends.








The short story, Cloud Door, fits in before Book 2, Mack ‘n’ Me: Blaedergil’s Host. In Cloud Door, Mack and Cutter mess up the plans of a some space-faring werewolves, and in Blaedergil’s Host, Cutter and Mack work together to deal with a marriage alliance that had gone off the tracks, and noble rivalries. It also introduces the arach, a race of space-faring shape-shifting spiders.




Book 3, Mack ‘n’ Me: Arach, focuses on the arach, but introduces the world of K’Kavor, with its wasp and spider races. And Book 4, Mack ‘n’ Me: The Transporter’s Favour tells the story of what happens when Abby calls on Cutter to pay the favour she owes—and introduces the wolves of the Star Shadow clan.





You can find the first chapters of the first three novels on my blog—and the first chapter for this title will be available on the 16th. I’ve included a brief excerpt from the next release, but, be warned, the main character swears a lot—and the rest of the crew aren’t much better.





Story Excerpt from Mack ‘n’ Me: The Transporter’s Favour
---------------------------------------
The Marie hung in orbit around Lichcomb’s World, and we could see at a glance that she was in trouble. The four bright dots coming in hard from the planet below were military grade, and they were hailing as they came.
Shady Marie stand down. Put your weapons on hold. We are going to board.”
Rohan’s defiant near-adult pseudo-bass came as a surprise.
“Like Hell, you are. Case!”
And Abby and I watched as the Marie’s engines flared.
Flared and died.
And… Well, Rohan’s vocabulary of swears had expanded since I’d first noticed his limited range of f&%$s.
“Wow,” I managed, listening to Case laughing so hard she had to be falling out of her chair. “Just. Wow. I wonder where he learned that!”
“Hmmm. I don’t.” Abby didn’t sound amused, and neither did the voice hailing from the incoming shuttles.
“Insults to our parentage will not reactivate your drives, Marie. Now put your mother on.”
Rohan’s response was immediate, and held an all too familiar tone.
“I’m sorry, s#%t-for-brains, mother can’t make it to the comms, right now. You’ll just have to kiss my a$%.”
“Oh. That’s not good.”
“You’re telling me,” Abby said. “Those mercs are going to have him for breakfast.”
“Mack will be upset if the Marie gets dented. Rohan doesn’t know what he’s playing with.”
“No, he really doesn’t,” and something in Abby’s tone made me take a closer look at the shuttles.
“Tell me they’re not.”
“Wish I could, sweetie, but I think he upset them.”
Upset wasn’t quite the word I’d have used, but Abs was right. The four drop-ships had gone weapons hot, and they hadn’t slowed down.
“Stand your crew down, cub. This isn’t meant to be a kill mission.”
Well, that was good to know.
“Cub,” Abby said, as though that explained everything, and maybe it did. “Their leader’s a wolf.”
“Wolf?”
“Yeah, you know, wolf. Like the wolves of Lunar One, or the hunt clans four systems over.”
“No, sorry. You are talking four-legged dog-things that hunt in packs, right?”
“No, sweetie. I’m talking werewolves.”
Well, f#@%. Not more shapeshifters. Weren’t the arach enough for a single universe?
--------------------------------------------------
You can find me at the following locations:

And you can find the books for this series at quite a few retailers—here are the Books2Read links so you can buy them from the one you prefer:

Monday 9 July 2018

DarkSider News for July - Part 2!


Welcome to the latest DarkSider News!

We've got more to share this month, so here's another edition of the DarkSider News...





NEW MEMBERS

Please make welcome to our latest DarkSiders!

Karina Coldrick
Karina started writing Empire Strikes Back Fan Fiction as a seven year-old and hasn’t stopped writing speculative fiction ever since. Her work has won writing awards in Australia and the USA, including the Valerie Parv Award in 2014.

She is currently the Emerging Author Ambassador for Romance Writers of Australia. After discovering it's possible to have too much sunshine and not enough castles, Karina and her family now live in the heart of Ireland, close to the river Shannon. ​

Karina writes Mythological Romance and Fantasy Romance.



JL Peridot
JL Peridot likes stories with a little danger, and only realised in her 30s that falling in love may be the most dangerous thing we do. She performs the duties of a writer from her home in sunny Australia, where she writes erotic romance and sometimes just erotica.

JL writes Futuristic, Science Fiction, and Contemporary.





Mary Brock Jones
Mary Brock Jones lives in Auckland, New Zealand, but loves nothing more than to escape into the other worlds in her head, to write science fiction and historical romances. Sedate office worker by day; frantic scribbler by night.

Her parents introduced her to libraries and gave her a farm to play on, where trees became rocket ships and rocky outcrops were ancient fortresses. She grew up writing, filling pages of notebooks and filling her head with stories, but took a number of detours on the pathway to her dream job. After four grown sons, more than one house renovated, grandchildren, and now a new farm to play on in the weekends, her wish came true.

Mary writes Sci Fi Romance and Historical Romance.





NEW RELEASES


Aftermath by Mary Brock Jones is Book 3 in the Hathe series. It was released on 26th June.


When you've lost too many of your own to war, how can you risk losing- or loving- one more?

War or Peace. It doesn't matter. There is always an enemy. Jacquel des Trurains,acclaimed hero of the resistance, has been charged with overseeing the restoration of Hathe after the Terran occupation. But it won't be easy. Years of oppression have left their mark on every dirtsider who stayed behind. And what of the Hathians who fled to the moon? The greed of a few for the sparkling jewel of the colonial worlds could destroy everything when they return.

So, Jacquel's bosses decide he needs some help, and they send him Rheia asn Postrova. Rheia spent the war embroiled in twisted diplomatic games to protect the secrets of Hathe from the Terrans. Now she's been sent to teach a stubborn man how to play nice with his fellow Hathians.

Together, they must find a way to heal their home.

But Rheia has secrets of her own, and Jacquel soon discovers that diplomacy is just a subtler war with a different enemy.



Buy links available from: Books2Read







The Depredides Dance by C.M. Simpson is short story Mack 'n' Me Odyssey series, following events in Book 1. It was released by C.M. Simpson Publishing on 6th July. 




All I had to do was disappear. That was it: disappear and stay out of sight. Hard enough with Abs running an auction for the last location she left me, but then I poked the Depredides communications network—and everything else looked downright easy… I’m not even sure there is a way out of this…

The Depredides Dance is a stand-alone short story set in the Odyssey universe. However, if you’re into reading things in order, it tells the story of what happened to Cutter after the end of Mack ‘n’ Me: Origins, and thus forms story 1-1 of the Mack ‘n’ Me ‘n’ Odyssey series.

Here's a sneak peak of the first 500 words.



Buy link available from: Books2Read






The Reset by Imogene Nix is in the anthology Love at the End of the World and was released on 15th June.



Five stories of couples who just might find love at the end of the world. That is, if they can survive. 

His Bounty by Jaye Shields 
Heaven for Us by Beth D. Carter 
Heart of Survival by Ashlynn Monroe 
The Reset by Imogene Nix 
The New Era by C. L. Scholey


The Reset 

Elaine is just an ordinary woman, but when the apocalypse occurs, she must find a way to survive in an increasingly hostile world. Enter Liam, the policeman who saves her at their first meeting and provides assistance as they try to cope with the zombie outbreak brought about by an unknown infection that's spreading out of control. 

Together they form a community, trying to save as many lives as they can, a place where people can be safe. Even in the throes of disaster though, emotions creep up, taking both of them by surprise. Who knows? They might just get their happy ever after…if they can survive. 



Buy links are available from Books2Read.






PRE-ORDERS


The Only Question That Matters by JL Peridot is a standalone novella in the AMS Celestial Dream collection. It will be released on 10th August.



“Do I call this love already? I am almost disgusted with myself. How pathetic to fall so easily. Perhaps I was the cause of my past heartbreaks. Not stupid schoolboys or an arrogant rich man, but a gullible girl from a flower farm who opens her heart too readily and expects too much.”

Sofia is en route to Planet Paradiso, ready to start a new life after her divorce. But when she accepts Alexei's dinner invitation on her final evening, she realises she's in for more than she bargained for. As the AMS Celestial Dream arrives at its destination, and their one-night stand draws to a close, Sofia must choose between a newfound possibility with Alexei and the freedom she so desperately craves.

THE ONLY QUESTION THAT MATTERS is an emotional examination of healing and resilience through sex and love.



Pre-order from: Amazon US | Amazon Aus






Non spec-fic titles

Undetected by Anna Hackett is Book 8 in the Treasure Hunter Security series and will be the final in the series. It will be released on 4th September.



Darcy Ward, co-owner of Treasure Hunter Security and computer hacker whiz, has made a deal with the devil. She’s agreed to work with Agent Arrogant and Annoying—aka Special Agent Alastair Burke of the FBI’s Art Crime Team—to lay a deadly trap for infamous black-market antiquities ring, Silk Road.

But even before they get started, things go bad. Really, really bad…


Pre-order from: Amazon US | Amazon Aus








COVER REVEAL



Cursed by Shona Husk will be Book 1 the upcoming Coven of the Raven series. It is expected to be released on 13 September.






Non spec-fic titles

Miss Elspeth's Desire by Imogene Nix is Book 1 in  The Search Duology. It will be released by Beachwalk Press on 16th July.




Elspeth Forster, the eldest spinster sister and part owner of Forster Shipping Line, has never known passion. But that’s about to change.

After their youngest sister marries, Elspeth and her middle sister Isabelle decide to use their ships for more than just business by taking the adventure of a lifetime. In India she might find a man who can teach her all the things that will keep her warm in her advancing age. But she never expected that an unscheduled stop would put her within Aeddan Fitzsimmon’s sights.

Returning from a top-secret mission, English spy, Aeddan Fitzsimmons, finds passage on the Zephyr, a vessel in the Forster fleet. From the moment he steps aboard, the statuesque redhead entices him like no other ever has. Now in India he has a new mission: keep the elegant Elspeth safe from those who’d use her connections for their own purposes, while wooing her into his bed.





EARLY 2018 RELEASES
Since the website is slowly being updated, the following releases had been missed...


Unfreezing Lucy by Kim Cleary is short story released on 23rd January.




Lucy has everything under control.

If she doesn't care, she can't get hurt.

But, when the ship's sexy and attentive engineer disappears, comfortably numb isn't an option any more.


Available from: Kobo | Amazon US | Amazon Aus





Non spec-fic titles


White Gum Creek by Nicole Hurley-Moore is a rural romance released by Allen & Unwin on  24th January.


A rural romance with plenty of heart.

Nick Langtree has lived reclusively on his farm, Winters Hill, ever since the tragic death of his wife. On the occasional trip into nearby White Gum Creek he keeps to himself and that's the way he likes it. And though over the last six years the townsfolk have tried to reach out to Nick, he's pushed them all away.

Whenever Nick comes into the Gumnut Bakery, Natasha Duroz tries to engage him in conversation when she serves him. There's something about him that intrigues Tash, but she's not sure if it's because she feels sorry for him or there's something more.

At last encouraged by the warmth of a few old and new friends, Nick gradually begins to re-engage with the outside world. Then, suddenly some minor vandalism on his farm escalates and odd things begin to happen on Winters Hill. Is someone out to hurt Nick or have his years of solitude been playing tricks on his mind?

This entrancing novel is about overcoming heartache and loss through the power of friendship and love.



Available from: Amazon US | Amazon Aus | Kobo | Google Play | iBooks |











FREE READS


The Guy Next Door by M.L. Tompsett is Book 1 in the Sex, Lies And Family Secrets series. It is currently available for FREE!



Dark Ones, assassins and fighting to survive, become Alexia’s new way of life. In this new series of Sex, Lies And Family Secrets: The Guy Next Door. This is book one of the series.

Weeks away from turning eighteen, Alexia Steele is about to face the hardest challenge in her young life. The love of her life - Drake, is gone and Alexia’s mother just revealed a massive family secret, changing her life forever. Arriving in a mysterious new world where Dark Ones roam, Alexia is on a mission to protect the people she loves at the same time fighting to stay alive and work out who is trying to kill her.

Alexia starts her search for her next-door neighbour, the absent love of her life - Drake. Alexia soon finds Drake surrounded by women, wanting prestige of marriage. Will their love be strong enough to reunite them, or is Alexia already too late?

It soon becomes clear not all family can be trusted and will the person who wants Alexia dead; succeed in their evil plans for power.



Get your free copy from Amazon US | Amazon Aus





JL Peridot has free stories on her blog. Check them out here



AROUND THE WEB


Pinterest

C.M. Simpson now has a Pinterest presence





Extracts

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



Blogs


Leisl Leighton has a great blog post talking about romance books and the humanist ideal over on her blog.  












ON THE WEBSITE









Congratulations to all our DarkSiders!



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

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