2024 COVERS

2024 covers

Welcome to the Dark Side!

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

Tuesday 11 February 2020

DarkSider News for February 2020 - Part 2


Welcome!

Just in time for Valentine's day - spoil yourself with a book.


NEW RELEASES


Destiny, Desire & Murder by Janni Nell  (Book 4, Little Shop of Spells) was released on 14 January.



Visit the Silver Moon Festival—a weekend of celebration and magic, where wishes really do come true.

Small-town witch, Maddie Goodcharm, has some wishes of her own, not that she expects them to come true, especially not the one about finding her soul mate. But the thing she definitely didn’t wish for is another murder.

When the body of a young woman is found floating in a woodland pool, Maddie is asked to investigate. At first it looks like a case of accidental drowning, but some things don’t add up. Why did the city-loving woman suddenly move to a small town? What was she doing in the woods in the middle of the night?

While Maddie sifts through the clues, her houseguest, Jason, is planning to move out. She’d hoped their relationship would go to the next level, but it’s stalled. Okay, it’s probably over, she’s just having a hard time accepting it. Still, this is the weekend when wishes come true. Who knows what will happen?

Buy links available on Janni's website.





Ice Cave by Toby J Nichols (another pen name for TJ Nichols) was released on 21 January.


Saxon Smith is on the research trip of a lifetime in Antarctica to explore a remote ice cave system. A previous expedition found hints that the much warmer subsurface caves could support life and Saxon wants to make that discovery and make a name for himself.

The small team descends into a cavern hollowed out of the ice by volcanic activity expecting lichen and arthropods and maybe the remains of extinct life, what they find is a lost world of dinosaurs that have adapted to the permanent twilight, cool temperature, and constrained location.

The expedition now face a terrifying fight for survival against savage theropods that have learned to herd and trap, and with their ice cave ecosystem starting to fail, they’re ravenous.


Available from:
Amazon US | Amazon Aus |





Trading by Stormlight by C.M. Simpson and Michael Anderle (Book 7, The Magic Below Paris) was released on 28 January.



Parting is such sweet... No! There’s nothing sweet about it—and Marsh just wants it over. There’s a war to fight...​

...but they need to get their people to safety before finding the next battle,

...through remnant-infested territory,

...against raiders who just don’t know when to quit.

With the remnant massing, and the raiders striking territory they’ve been kicked out of, Marsh and the Protectors have their work cut out to reach Ariella’s Grotto with the survivors they’ve rescued—and then return before whatever lies Below attacks Roeglin and they garrison they’ve left behind.

Join them as they struggle to journey through hostile territory, rife with surprises and new problems to conquer. Check out Trading into Stormlight today.


Available from:


Biting Temptation by Kim Cleary is included in collection called Romance with Bite. It was released on 1 February and is available for a limited time only.


Romance with a Bite will capture the heart of anyone who loves the bite of a sexy vamp, the growl of an Alpha wolf, or the sensual mystery of a fae prince or princess.

If you adore paranormal romance with an edge, this LIMITED EDITION collection will satisfy your every craving.

Vampires, shapeshifters, witches and fae – mythical creatures abound in these ten steamy romances that will leave you shivering with delight.



Available from:
Amazon US | Amazon Aus |






PRE-ORDERS



A Summer of Smoke and Sin by TJ Nichols (Book 1, Pentecost Island) is expected for release on 28 February.



To stop a serial killer a detective will need to explore his own vices…

Nathanial Bayard wants nothing more than to find the nobleman creating snuff pornography. If he fails, his career in the recently formed nobility taskforce will be over and as the youngest son he’ll be forced to obey his father and join the church. But a life of celibacy doesn’t appeal. Nathanial has never even kissed another man, fearing for his soul and his reputation.

Jericho Fulbright has never lived a wholesome life. After behavior unbecoming he was discharged from the army and sent home in disgrace. His inventor and nouveau riche father refused to have anything to do with him, so Jericho turned to what he knew best: opium, gambling and sex.

As the owner of the Jericho Rose, a club for gentlemen who like men, he enjoys a certain notoriety. Some would say he has a golden tongue, but the truth is a succubus lives within him feeding on souls. Once he needed her help, now she is a burden that keeps him from getting close to anyone.

After the unfortunate death of a young noble man in Jericho’s bed, Nathanial is sent to investigate. He is scandalized and intrigued by Jericho, but soon realizes that Jericho could be exactly who he needs to help break the snuff case. Together they are drawn into a web of lies that will result in Jericho facing prison unless Nathanial can unmask the real creator of the snuff, a man with rank and privileges that reaches almost to the King.

For readers who love urban fantasy set in an alternate history, crime, scandal and a virgin hero.


Pre-Order from:




Soulhunter Academy by LJ Swallow (Book 2, Soulhunter Academy) has an expected release date of 31 March.


Soul hunters sent to capture nephilim souls never return, but Ava has no choice. Return with Keir's soul in exchange for her freedom—or die trying.

Nephilim Hunted is the second book in the new Soul Hunter series from USA Today bestselling author LJ Swallow.  Soul Hunter Academy must be read first. 

*Please not these books are a reworking of the previously published Soul Ties series. The series was unpublished in 2017 and changes have been made to the original*


Pre-Order from:
Amazon US | Amazon Aus |




The Unbound Queen by M.J. Scott (Book 3, The Four ARts) has an expected release date of 28 April.


She’s been offered a crown but taking it could cost her everything…

Lady Sophie Mackenzie might be fifth in line to the Anglion throne but she never wanted to rule. But she's bound to a demon, gifted with forbidden magic, and under threat from those who would use her unusual power for themselves. And now her hopes of finding peace in exile have been shattered by visions of a terrible darkness gnawing at the heart of her homeland.

Then the emperor of Illvya makes her an offer she can't refuse—return home and overthrow the queen of Anglion, or lose everything she holds dear.

To face down the darkness and save her husband and everyone she loves, she may have to betray the country—and the queen—she once served and play the games of power she never wanted any part of.

But can she play them to win…

Pre-Order from:




The Healer's Curse by Claire Boston (Book 2, The Emperor's Conspiracy) is due for release in September.


She’s their only hope. If only she could wield the power to save them…

Geriel hates that she’s the weakest healer in her tribe. And when a deadly disease sweeps through her village, she despairs she’s not good enough to rescue her people. With the outbreak spreading and her gift unstable, she’s sent on a desperate mission to locate the herbal cure deep in enemy territory.

Seeking to better control her powers with guidance from a skilled dragon, she falls in with a ragtag band of freedom fighters. But even with her mentor’s mystic teachings, villagers are still dying. And as war closes in, Geriel fears she’s losing the race against time.

Will Geriel find the cure and unlock her talents before her kind fall to the blight?

The Healer’s Curse is the second book in the action-packed Emperor’s Conspiracy fantasy series. If you like Far Eastern-inspired settings, magical creatures, and breathtaking suspense, then you’ll love Claire Boston’s captivating tale.


Pre-Order links available on Claire's website.





Non spec-fiction


Promise Me Forever by Juanita Kees (Book 8, Bindarra Creek: A Town Reborn) will be released on 14 February.



News correspondent, Jack Hughes, is sent to sleepy Bindarra Creek to escape the spotlight after a scandalous fake video goes viral. He’s in the fight of his life to save his reputation. In a town only determination has kept from dying, the last thing Jack is looking for is love.
The Bindarra Creek Museum is Meg Moonie’s life. But with her granny dead, a murder suspect on the run and the police asking questions, she struggles to keep the museum and Mary Moonie’s dream alive. Jack is a handsome distraction, but Meg has been hurt by a roving reporter before. Men who couldn’t put down roots never promised forever. If only he wasn’t so easy to fall in love with…



Available from:






COVER REVEAL

Nemesis by Mel Teshco (Book 2, Realm of Flame and Shadow) is coming soon.



When a vampire hunter cursed by her tainted heritage falls for an archangel out for her blood, an ancient covenant threatens to claim more than their lives…

All dhampir Rowan Moreton wants is a normal life, but as an assassin of the Enclave of the Phoenix, she knows that’s impossible. Bound to the vampires who saved her from certain death and destined to die young because of her mixed heritage, love is something she can only dream of. She learned the hard way it’s too dangerous to be distracted, when her enemies lurk in every shadow. But one night with the gorgeous Azrael has her wishing things can be different. Is it possible to keep her sordid life a secret from him, without endangering him?

The archangel Azrael only cares about one thing. To hunt down the dhampir army of his sworn enemy. But when he meets the bewitching Rowan, he can’t stay away. One night is all he wants, except one night is not enough. Ensnared by the mind blowing sex, intrigued by her mysterious past, and captivated by her brilliant mind, he’s tempted to break every rule in the book to keep her by his side.

As outside forces close in on them, neither will sacrifice the other. But after a bitter betrayal, their pasts come back to haunt them, and the hunters become the hunted.

Caught in a deadly web of deception, and with time running out, they must risk everything to survive. But sometimes power isn’t everything, and the price of freedom is just too high…



Deadly Vows by Keri Arthur (Book 6, Lizze Grace) is expected to be released on 2 June.

The past–and the man–they’ve spent 13 years running from has finally caught up with them…




Survivors
 by Anna Hackett  (Novella Collection, Hell Squad) is being released 11 February.



Survivors contain three novellas:

Nate — starring off-grid, loner Marine, Nate Caldwell. He lives alone in a cabin in the Blue Mountains avoiding the aliens and any survivors…until a young woman on the run from the raptors explodes into his life.

Dak — starring Captain Dak Vaughn, the head of security for Groom Lake Base in North America. He only has room for his job — keeping all the survivors alive — and no room for the tough, attractive new recruit who gets under his skin.

Alexander — starring engineer turned base leader, Alexander Erickson, brother of Hawk pilot Finn. He leads a tiny base of survivors in the snowy climes of Norway and has to join forces with an independent, older woman whose attention he’s been trying to capture.






EVENTS


Keri Arthur, M.J. Scott, and Daniel de Lorne will be celebrating Library Lovers Day (Thursday 13 February @7pm) at the  Bunjil Place Library in a talk called Romance Under the Covers





BOOKS ON SALE
These are on sale at time of blog post.  
Get them quick before they return to normal pricing.


Phantasia by Efthalia (Book 1, Phi Athanatoi)


One night’s transgression. A love unveiled. The inescapable outcome of passion and vengeance.

Carissa Alkippes is the daughter of a god but she doesn’t know it. As a cop she’s seen her fair share of bad but nothing prepared her for the horror of the world she has been plunged into.

Xen Lyson is the head of the Phi Athanatoi, a group of immortals who have been protecting man for over 2,000 years from the Kakodiamones – demons who want nothing more than to feast on humanity.

Thrown face to face with Xen during a skirmish with the demons, Carissa becomes a pawn in a deadly game of a demi-god who seeks godly power.

Buy links on Efthalia's website



Redemption by Christina Phillips (Book 1, Realm of Flame and Shadow)


This book was previously published in 2012 by Penguin US under another title and penname, but the current book Redemption has been completely reimagined, rewritten, and edited.

A fallen archangel saves a woman from a deadly fate, and unleashes an ancient power that could destroy the universe itself...

Gabe has no time for humans after the way they betrayed the ones he loved so long ago. But when he snatches a woman from the jaws of the hellish Guardians, he's compelled to protect her at all costs. Even if she does drive him crazy with her smart mouth and refusal to fall under his archangelic spell.

Desperate to discover her true heritage, Aurora opens a rift between dimensions. But before she can enter her mother's world, the most breathtakingly gorgeous man she's ever met teleports her to an impossible island.

Thrown together, they can't ignore the scorching heat that risks consuming them, or the threat to Aurora's existence. When raw need evolves into something far more dangerous, it's more than their lives that are on the line.

As Gabe and Aurora race against time to outwit the Guardians, they come closer to uncovering an explosive revelation that will challenge everything they've ever believed in.

But deep in the shadows, the merciless Guardians lurk. And they have no intention of allowing Aurora to escape their clutches. Even if it means defying the wrath of an archangel.



Unforsaken by Cassie Laelyn (Book 1, The Fallen Guardians)



One choice: Save his soul... or her life?
Hidden deep in the Snowy Mountains, lives a brotherhood of immortal Guardians, banished from the Heavens. 
After centuries of exile, Head Guardian Raven can taste Hell. One wrong move could destroy his soul. When Fate assigns him a female mortal to protect, his forbidden desire becomes a distraction he can't afford. Giving in to temptation risks plummeting into the fiery pits of Hell, dragging her along with him. 
Tayla Eason is on the run, escaping a horrific attack on her life. When she lands in the arms of the sexy, alluring man who saved her, the shadows of her past swiftly close in. But when Fate throws a twist, Tayla's forced to choose between saving Raven's soul or fleeing before the creatures strike again. 
In an ultimate test of love, the two must battle against the almighty Fate. But will it be enough to save them both?


Buy links on Cassie's website






Congratulations to all our DarkSiders!

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

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