2024 COVERS

2024 covers

Welcome to the Dark Side!

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

Wednesday 22 May 2019

DarkSider News for May!

Welcome!

Winter is coming and we have just thing to snuggle up with...
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NEW RELEASES


Heart of Eon by Anna Hackett (Book 3, Eon Warriors) was released on 23 April.



Okay, maybe hijacking an alien commander’s warship wasn’t her best idea…

Genius computer geek Wren Traynor prefers her high-tech comp lab to socializing with people, and she definitely prefers it over crawling through the bowels of the huge Eon warship she’s hijacked. When Earth’s Space Corps blackmails her into this deadly mission, Wren will do anything to help her beloved sisters and save the Earth from invasion by the insectoid Kantos aliens. That includes entering into a dangerous game of cat and mouse with the tall, hunky, and seriously enraged Eon war commander who captains the Rengard...

War Commander Malax Dann-Jad is a born protector and has forged a successful career in service to the Eon Empire. Haunted by an early mission where he lost good warriors, he’s dedicated to protecting his ship and its crew. Especially since his warship is carrying a special, top-secret cargo. But one tiny, infuriating Terran puts all that at risk when she commandeers his ship and refuses to listen to reason!

When the ravenous Kantos set their sights on the Rengard - using sneaky, underhanded tactics - Malax finds himself with an armful of curvy woman. He and Wren must join forces to fight back, and are shocked at their improbable, intense attraction. But with lives at risk, both will learn that strength comes in more ways than one, and love can hit when you least expect it, and that in order to survive, you have to put everything on the line!

Read an excerpt

Available from:
Amazon US | Amazon Aus | 



Princess Avenger by Bernadette Rowley (Book 1, Queenmakers Saga) was released 26 April. It has a new cover, editing and formatting.


…an avenging princess, determined to protect her citizens from her tyrannical father. Alecia’s only worth is to have a son, who will be heir to the kingdom.

…a dangerous shifter, tasked with guarding a princess who refuses to be shielded from danger. Vard’s dark secret could spell the end of the woman he’s sworn to protect.

And yet, when thrown together, neither of them can deny the forbidden attraction. As their lives spin out of control, will love be enough to pull them from the vortex and perhaps save the kingdom?

Princess Avenger is the first book in the epic Queenmakers Saga, combining the sweeping high fantasy world of Thorius with sizzling romance. If you like magic, political intrigue and mythical creatures, wrapped up in a ‘beauty and the beast’ love story, then you’ll adore Princess Avenger.

This book contains sex scenes and is intended for mature readers.


Available from: 



The Lady's Choice by Bernadette Rowley (Book 2, Queenmakers Saga) was released 5 May.



…the perfect plan…With her people on the brink of starvation, Lady Benae Branasar devises a daring rescue. She will marry powerful Prince Jiseve of Brightcastle and use his fortune to save her estates. But first she must compete against three princesses equally determined to win his hand.

…a dangerous distraction…When she finds herself drawn to her reluctant escort, the prince’s squire Ramón Zorba, her plans begin to unravel. 

Ramón is dealing with problems of his own, but as he thaws, Benae glimpses the devastating man beneath. The more time they spend together, the harder Benae finds it to focus on her objective. Will she stay true to her people? Or will love and fate intervene?

Benae and Ramón face temptation, danger and tragedy in this passionate fantasy romance.


Available from: 




Princess in Exile by Bernadette Rowley (Book 3, Queenmakers Saga) was released 19 May.



…a princess of the people in self-imposed exile. Nothing could prepare Alecia for what she faces as she leaves all she has known behind and embraces a future with her rescuer.

…a tormented shapeshifter, desperate to defend the woman he loves. Vard Anton fights both external forces and the least controllable of his forms – the bear.

The lovers travel to a lost city, hoping a sorcerer there may help Vard master his transformations. They soon discover this mentor has his own devious agenda. Will Vard and Alecia escape? Can their love survive Alecia’s fear of Vard’s animal forms? What secret does the princess hold with the power to destroy Vard’s trust?

The answers to all this and more are contained in the pages of Princess in Exile, the dark sequel to Princess Avenger.


Available from: 



Embodied by Shona Husk (Book 3, Coven of the Raven) was released 13 April.


A love potion gone wrong leads to a goddess hijacking Alexis’s body. Now Alexis will do anything to catch her boss’s eye. It’s unfortunate that he starts to notice her for all the wrong reasons. Such as the army of cats following her around.

Peyton Kilpatrick has always kept his relationship with Alexis professional despite the simmering interest. But something has changed, she crackles with magic and she wants more from him than he’s able to give. As a witch and a lawyer his life is complicated enough, throw in a hell hound bite that causes all kinds of side effects around the full moon and he really isn’t boyfriend material.

When Alexis finally gets Peyton in bed, things get hairy. Peyton reveals what he is and convinces her to give up her new-found power. If she doesn’t get rid of the goddess inhabiting her body, she’ll die.



Available from:

Last Run of the Ice Princess by Shona Husk (Book 1, A Tale of Distant Colonies) was released 11 April.



Bern Ober is on a discrete mission to the Evron starsystem of the breakaway Distan Colonies to gain support for a band of revolutionaries in the Terran Republic. It is a dangerous mission, but he is a dangerous man. When Terran operatives capture him, Lady Fortini hires a reluctant smuggler and her starship, the Ice Duchess, to run the Terran blockade and collect him. Captain Veronik Ayres and her intrepid crew must risk everything to run a gauntlet of warships to rescue the rebel spy. However, getting in is easier than getting out. To get back, the Ice Duchess must slip past the alerted Terran blockade ships or try their luck against the pirate corsairs of the Lotharian stellar coast.


Available from:




Vorn and the First Comers by Donna Maree Hanson (Kushlan Silvertongue, Tales from Argenterra) was released on 1 May and is available for FREE!



A choice between life or death…

Kushlan Silvertongue has been commissioned to write the Tales of the First Comers, Tales of Argenterra.

This novella is the story of Vorn and the First Comers and their journey from violence and death to the beautiful magical land of Argenterra, the Silverland.

Mighty warrior, Vorn, leads the survivors to a new land and sets in motion a civilisation that lasts for over one thousand years.

Discover the origins of the given magic and how the first comers made the oaths that secured that magic forever.

The other function of the novella is for readers to get a taste of Argenterra and then get the rest of the series if it interests them.


Available from:






Nightworld Academy: Term One by LJ Swallow (Book 1, Nightworld Academy) is expected to be released on 17 April.



I'm told my curse is a gift. A valuable one that could cost me my life.

My lifelong visions are weird, but my new school is weirder. All lessons take place in the evening, and the majority of students are on an advanced program where they take extra classes late into the night.

The pupils here are predictable for an English boarding school. There's Ash, the rugby team captain and the school’s most popular guy. Then there’s Andrei, the moody guy with a bad attitude who takes pleasure in annoying me. And Jamie who’s studious and friendly but intense.

I thought I had the school figured out: the mean girl, the quirky friend, the nerd, the emo, and the jock. But on the evening I swear allegiance to my new school house, things spin out of control, and I realise I’m dealing with more.

Much more.

One of us will die, and I know who.

Welcome to the Nightworld Academy, attended by vampires, shifters, and witches. A place filled with harmony and mutual respect between the supernatural races.Sometimes.


Available from:



Beltane Bliss by Lilliana Rose (Book 1, Pagan Pleasures), was released on 30 April.



Edi Court is training to be a modern-day white witch, her unique ability is healing. Emotionally wounded from her ex, Anto, she has run away from the covenant with a need to heal herself. Following her psychic ability, she finds herself south, along the coast from Melbourne Australia, where she decides to set up her own healing shop, Crystal Sands.
Voltaire is a down to earth guy, a plumber by trade, he believes only what he sees in the physical world. The loss of his mom and sister to breast cancer and his ex, who stole his money and left him with a debt to work off, has caused him to close his heart.

Can Edi stop herself from rescuing another man and landing in deep water? Or with the Beltane energies thick in the air, can this be the start of a new relationship between two wounded souls?

Volt must become a believer in the Magiks and allow his heart to heal. And Edi must learn to trust herself again.

Will a non-believer and a believer find love over Beltane?


Available from:




Lust and Other Drugs by TJ Nichols (Book 1, Mytho) was released by Dreamspinner Press on 21 April.


Police officer Jordan and dragon shifter Edra might have to work together, but they don’t trust each other—even if sparks do fly between them.

If anyone finds out Jordan’s a mytho sympathizer, it could kill his career. No one can know that he frequents the satyr dens and uses the drug Bliss. Another satyr overdose might not get much attention, but two dead humans? That shouldn’t be possible.
And it might not be an accident.
Edra, Mythological Services Liaison, has been covering up mytho crimes to protect the community’s reputation. With a mayoral election looming, the last thing his people need is a scandal.

To get a murderer off the streets, Jordan and Edra will be spending a lot of time together, and it won’t be easy to keep up with their deceptions… or to keep resisting each other.

Available from Dreamspinner Press.





Non spec-fiction


  Rough and Ready by Cathleen Ross (Book 2, Outlaw Warriors) was released on 15 April.


Before special ops soldier Hugo Boudreaux can move on, he has one last thing to do–fulfill a wartime debt to the friend who saved his life. He must infiltrate a vicious Louisiana MC club to stop their next illegal weapons shipment and send the president to jail. What he didn’t plan on was ending up an unwilling bodyguard to the man’s daughter–innocent and attractive nurse Alice Kaintuck.

Alice wants a normal life with a nice guy. But her rough-edged bodyguard is the sexiest man she's ever met. Suddenly she can’t stop thinking about just how hot he makes her. Before she knows it, she’s tumbling into his muscular arms…though she'll be damned if she'll fall in love with a man as dangerous as her father. Only Hugo doesn’t make love, he consumes her and turns her life upside down with his carnal, erotic sex. Dreams of nice guys vanish when her enemy becomes her obsession…

Available from:





Mission: Her Safety by Anna Hackett (Book 5, Team 52) was released on 23 April.



A sexy, grumpy black ops scientist will do anything to track down the mysterious woman who broke into his lab. 

After Dr. Ty Sampson catches a mysterious female intruder in his home and lab, he’s obsessed with finding out who she is and what she wants. He’s a man who trusts very few people and hates anyone in his space. His role as Team 52’s lead scientist brings him into contact with a host of powerful, ancient artifacts, so he knows the woman must be after something dangerous and he refuses to let her succeed.

River Elliott-Hall is good at finding things and prides herself on always getting the job done. When a very valuable painting by a master is stolen from a famous museum, it is her job to get it back. The trail leads her to the bright lights of Las Vegas and she’s heard rumors of the covert, black ops Team 52. But as she investigates if they know anything about the painting, she finds herself drawn into a battle of wits with a big, bad-tempered, and far-too-handsome genius.

Life has taught River and Ty to guard their hearts, so as these two circle each other, they warily agree to work together. Because it soon becomes clear that the painting is more than just a painting, and someone with a dangerous plan is working behind the scenes. Fighting their intense chemistry, Ty and River—along with Team 52—will risk everything to save the day, and both find themselves battling the unfamiliar needs to claim, protect, and keep each other safe.


Available from:
Amazon US | Amazon Aus | 


The Love Left Behind by Daniel de Lorne was released by Escape Publishing on 4 May.



What happens when a man with his heart in the clouds falls for one whose feet are firmly stuck to the ground? Pilot Nick Galanos is on a mission to visit the fifty countries his mother couldn't before she died. But the closer he gets to his goal, the more he worries that he won't have anything to show for it but stamps in a crowded passport. On a rare visit back home, he meets a hot electrician with a killer set of dimples. Suddenly a future of shared adventures seems possible.

Except for one thing...

Lyall Turner's big brother died in a plane crash. He's been afraid of flying most of his life, but there's no shortage of destinations in Australia that don't require a boarding pass. But then he meets Nick and suddenly his 'no biggie' phobia stands squarely in the way of a beautiful future together. Now he has to decide whether he's going to let his fear or his heart take the lead.

And will Nick stay grounded while he decides?

Buy links available from Books2Read.




PRE-ORDERS

Valor by Mel Teshco (Book 5, Dragons of Riddich) is due for release on 9 July.




The dragons will search the universe for their one true mate...

As a breeder, Rebel Mayfield attracts Riddich dragons like bees to honey. But to guarantee her next dragon capture, she has no choice other than to lay a trap for sharp-witted, blond-headed Valor. She waits in a dark alley, and when her breeder instincts sense Valor near, she signals to her male colleague to approach and pretend he’s hurting her. Valor falls for the ruse and is so enraged he nearly kills the male operative. Until the Paranormal Detection Agency—Rebel's team—step in and take Valor as their prisoner.

As Valor lays chained on a gurney, his body bloodied and bruised, and the air too frosty to call on his dragon, he dreams of escape along with hundreds of ways to kill everyone in the underground facility. Everyone except Rebel. He’s got a special kind of hell for her. He’ll use her body again and again before taking his ultimate revenge. That it’s Rebel who gives him the opportunity to escape might be her only salvation … but only if she can handle his dragon’s physical demands.



Available from:
Amazon US | Amazon Aus | Kobo | Apple Books




Non spec-fiction

It Starts with a Kiss by J.L. Peridot will be released by Kyanite Publishing on 13 September.



A steamy, friends-to-lovers office romance on a pre-AI space station.

Celeste is a talented engineer who doesn’t realise her job’s going nowhere fast. She’s a little naïve. She’ll cut code and solder cables forever as long as Owen’s around. Owen, on the other hand, knows exactly how badly things suck—he just doesn’t care. Sure, his skills aren’t what they used to be, but they’re still better than what Halcyon Aries deserves.

Then it happens. The company’s toxic management team finally cross the line. As both techies race to upgrade the station, to free the team from their oppressive contracts, they come to learn that life—and love—can only ever be what you make it.



Pre-order from:




Shelter by Claire Boston (Book 1, First Response) is due for release 24 June.



She’s desperate to fit in. He’s searching for forgiveness. Can they break their emotional chains to free true love?

Border Force Agent Zamira does everything by the book. But when she hears rumors of a missing friend held captive, she opts to ditch the rules and go rogue. Met with suspicion upon her arrival in Blackbridge, she sweet-talks a handsome resident and watches sparks fly at exactly the wrong time…

Jeremy volunteers to fight fires to atone for his father’s death. With his feelings heavily guarded, he’s surprised when the beautiful Zamira sets his heart racing. But after the agent’s quest puts them both in harm’s way, he hopes the dangerous hunt won’t cost him yet another person he loves.

As shadowy figures track Zamira’s every move, finding her friend may mean ignoring the deepest connection she’s ever felt.

Can Zamira and Jeremy liberate the girl and free their hearts?

Shelter is the first book in an enthralling romantic suspense series. If you like wounded heroes, small-town Australian settings, and fast-paced action, then you’ll love Claire Boston’s gripping tale.







COVER REVEAL


I Dream of Zombies by Imogene Nix doesn't have a release date as yet. 


After the apocalypse the world was a different place. Those who survived did so by wits, strength and by banding together. 

Julia is a soldier—not by choice but circumstance in a world where taking up arms is a necessity. She’s buried the softer parts of herself including her heart.
Leroy on the other hand is a warrior. An ex-soldier who has to come to terms with what he hides and a loner by choice.

Now they have a mission—retrieve those missing from Camp Queanbeyan. Survival is just the first step on a rocky road toward redemption and there’s no guarantee of success.







Congratulations to all our DarkSiders!

Thanks for sharing in our news. Until next time, happy reading!

Thursday 9 May 2019

Magic Thursday: Inspiration Behind Beltane Bliss

by Lilliana Rose



Way back in January, in the spur of the moment, at a point where I thought I didn’t have much going on for the year ahead, I joined a writing group. The aim was to bring out a series this year with five of the pagan holidays; Beltane, Summer Solstice, Mabon, Samhain, and Yule. I love writing paranormal romance, and I have an interest in pagan celebrations, so I thought that this would be a fun challenge for me. I was ready to start a new series, and I jumped on board.

First of the rank, was the celebration of Beltane, hence the title of my book Beltane Bliss. The main inspiration for this book was of course Beltane. I had a story idea brewing in my mind for years where the main character owned an alternative healing shop, and so I put this idea into the story (I pinched this from another character whose story I’ve not written, the poor woman! I’m sure she won’t mind when I go back and give her a new story line, or maybe in the future she might well be part of Crystal Sands). I’ve spend time over the years, learning about crystals, and I’m a Reiki master, and so some of my own knowledge of alternative healing was put to very good use to help create this story.

I began to develop the main character, Edi, who was a white witch, and such a business venture is well beneath her skill in the Magiks. But she’s running away from a relationship and her covenant, so I like this being a solution for her that might work out, especially if there was a love interest! Cue the very hot non-Magik hero, Volt. It was going to be interesting to see how a believer and a non-believer would find love. The story was quickly beginning to take on its own life.

In the past, I’m more of a darker writer when it comes to paranormal, for some reason this one is more in line with white witches. So, I went with this new inspiration, and I’m glad I did, Beltane Bliss was a lot of fun to write.

lillianarose.com


Beltane Bliss (Pagan Pleasures book 1) 


Edi Court is training to be a modern-day white witch, her unique ability is healing. Emotionally wounded from her ex, Anto, she has run away from the covenant with a need to heal herself. Following her psychic ability, she finds herself south, along the coast from Melbourne Australia, where she decides to set up her own healing shop, Crystal Sands.

Voltaire is a down to earth guy, a plumber by trade, he believes only what he sees in the physical world. The loss of his mom and sister to breast cancer and his ex, who stole his money and left him with a debt to work off, has caused him to close his heart.

Can Edi stop herself from rescuing another man and landing in deep water? Or with the Beltane energies thick in the air, can this be the start of a new relationship between two wounded souls?

Volt must become a believer in the Magiks and allow his heart to heal. And Edi must learn to trust herself again.

Will a non-believer and a believer find love over Beltane?

Read on KU, or buy on Amazon
mybook.to/beltanebliss


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