DarkSider News - September 2022 Part 4!

 

The good news just keeps on rolling in this month...

EVENTS

Bernadette Rowley

Bernadette will be appearing at the Cooroy Handmade and Artisan Festival at Cooroy Memorial Hall on Saturday 1 Oct - 9am to 3pm and Sunday 2 Oct - 9am to 3pm.

Books In-Sight Melbourne - Author Signing Event

8 October 2022

Join the following DarkSiders for this author signing event.

Keri Arthur

Lilliana Rose

M.J. Scott

Mila Young

For more details, go to the event's website.

NEW RELEASES

Soul Bound

Leisl Leighton

Book 1, Dawn of the Curse

Released: 27 September

Can soulmates survive a darkness threatening to tear them apart?

The Darkness is banished and a new era has begun for the Were and the Covens, bound together by the magical Pact that keeps them safe.

Spirit-talker Morghanna Cantrae doubts she’s strong enough to lead her Coven into their new life with Pack MacCrae, especially given she can’t even persuade her beloved yet stubborn sister, Morrigan, that the Pact is the only way forward.

Then a mysterious traveller, Alistair Sinoir, arrives. With one glance, they are mated. But the mating is the least of the wonders he brings. He carries the proof that the Pact is right: he is both Were and Warlock, and he is the strongest of them all.

But before Morghanna can reveal this revelation to anyone, the Darkness they thought banished strikes in the most devastating of ways. To save the pack, her Coven and her mate, Morghanna is forced to face the truth of her own powers … even if it costs her what she thought never to have: her love.

Set 500 years ago, Soul Bound is book 1 of the Dawn of the Curse Series, the much-anticipated start of a sweeping new prequel saga in the award nominated Pack Bound Series.

If stories of wild magic, shifters, witches, fated mates, terrible secrets, meddling Goddesses and the struggle against evil, all mixed with a large dollop of sexy romance are your idea of story heaven, then this is the book for you.

Start your journey into the Dawn of the Curse Series and discover the long-forgotten secrets of the ancient witches and shifters by binding yourself to a copy of Soul Bound today.

Buy

Lost and Found

Lily Rose

Book 4, Adventures of the Misfit Monsters

(children's book)

Released: 22 September

Terant, part computer, part ghost, with a little bit of giant can’t remember losing so many objects. Desperate to find what he has lost, Terant goes deeper than ever before into the hunting grounds. A dangerous risk to find something that could cost him being taken away forever.

Shille, part unicorn, part mystic with a little bit of spirit, goes with Terant far into the hunting grounds. To her horror she sees him being captured by a human. She must find a way to rescue Terant. The problem is the other misfit monsters don’t believe her.

Can Shille find a way to rally the misfit monsters before something happens to Terant in the hands of the humans?

Buy

Jimmy and Me & Other Stories

contains story 'Jimmy and Me' by

D.D. Line

2022 Anthology, Spooky Stories Competition 

Released: 27 August

Buy print anthology direct from KSP

The Fallen World

Mila Young and C.R. Jane

Book 1-4, The Fallen World

Released: 21 September in paperback

Three alien warriors. A human true mate. They are her darkest temptations, and her only salvation from the danger engulfing Earth.

800+ pages of alien romance that WILL make you crave your very own scorching hot protective warrior. Let yourself fall into this exciting, action-packed, and sizzling romance that will leave you breathless for more. Follows three aliens invading Earth to find their fated mate and save their own world.

The collection includes the following stories:

Bound

They came to earth. They destroyed my life, took those closest to me, and now they’re set on making me their own.

Broken

Their obsession will destroy me... One thing is for sure though...the Vepar are never going to let me go.

Betrayed

What happens when I find out that the three aliens might be the monsters I need to fear the most?

Belong

All I want is a happy ending, but things keep getting in the way of that...like the fate of a fallen world.

Four complete full-length heart-pounding books with burning hot scenes, no cheating, and a guaranteed happy ending!

Buy

Non spec-fic

Hades

Anna Hackett

Book 2, Sentinel Security

Released: 20 September

He’s a gorgeous former Interpol agent.

 

Tall, dark, and Italian.

He’s way out of her league, but when danger explodes around them, she finds herself on the run with the sexiest man she’s ever met.

CIA analyst Gabbi Hansley has a plan—escape her dysfunctional family, excel at her job, and build a safe, stable life for herself. Boring? Maybe, but she likes boring. When tasked to meet a security contractor and give him an encrypted drive, a quick, simple job goes terribly wrong.

Gabbi didn’t expect her contact to be the hottest man she’s ever seen. Nor was she expecting the bad guys who turn up and spray the restaurant with bullets.

After years of wading through the muck, dismantling mafia crime syndicates in Italy, former Anti-Mafia officer and Interpol agent Matteo “Hades” Mancini likes his job at Sentinel Security. He also knows he has nothing permanent to offer any woman, so he keeps things fun and temporary.

But when his dangerous past rears its head, he finds himself trapped with the tough, no-nonsense Gabbi, and on a second glance, he sees past her sensible exterior to the tempting woman beneath.

Now Gabbi and Matteo are in a race for survival. While they work to track down who’s after them, attraction burns hot and bright. Gabbi knows a man like Matteo won’t be interested in her for long, and she asks him to show her all the things she’s been missing in the bedroom. But the possessive need to keep her safe is growing in Matteo, and soon he has two mission objectives: take down the bad guys, and convince Gabbi Hansley that she’s his.

Buy

The Protector

Anna Hackett

Book 2, Norcross Security

Released: 21 September in audio format

For a ballerina in the line of fire, the only man who can keep her safe is a scarred, battle-hardened soldier.

One minute Saskia Hawke is dancing on stage, and the next she’s been abducted by a very wealthy, very powerful man with connections. Whisked away to a country estate, she’ll do anything to escape, and prays the former soldier she can’t stop thinking about will come to rescue her.

What she doesn’t know is that her disappearance will light a protective fury inside Camden Morgan, and he’ll tear down the country to find her.

After a final mission leaves former Ghost Ops soldier Camden Morgan injured, scarred, and riddled with guilt, he comes home to San Francisco. Surrounded by his family and working at Norcross Security, he still can’t settle. He definitely knows he’s too broken to offer anything to the beautiful, raven-haired Saskia.

When she goes missing, Cam knows something is very wrong. He’s the man with the right skill set to bring her home, even as he knows he must protect her from himself and push her away.

But saving Saskia is just the beginning, as her abductor isn’t letting go of his obsession. Cam must go all in, be the protector Saskia needs, and risk his scarred heart. With the help of his brothers and Norcross Security, not to mention Saskia’s dangerous brother and his team, they’ll put everything on the line. And for Saskia, she’ll fight with everything she has to survive…and to prove to Cam that he’s capable and worthy of love.

Buy

Beneath the Sapphire Sky

Dakota Harrison

Book 5, With Love, From Kurrajong Crossing

Released: 22 September

They’ve known each other for years…

Born and raised on adjacent family vineyards, and inseparable since childhood, there’s not much Belle Davis and Dante Casellati don’t know about each other. That crush Belle had on him in her teens? Dante knows about it. Dante’s confirmed bachelor stance? Belle’s heard it all before. And each believes the other is happy with the status quo.

Used to pushing aside her own dreams and desires out of duty to her ailing mother, Belle dismisses all hope of her and Dante ever being in the same place at the same time emotionally, until Dante’s prodigal brother returns to Kurrajong Crossing and makes a play for her. Dante’s jealousy finally prompts him to act on the attraction to Belle he’s been ignoring for years. Taking their relationship one step further, life is bliss…until tragedy strikes Belle’s family. As tensions rise and hope of a happy outcome fades fast, Belle’s guilt estranges her and Dante for the first time in their lives.

Can they salvage their love, or will harsh words and the fear of truly letting one another in ruin everything?

Buy

PRE-ORDERS

One Wolf Next Door

Efthalia  

Book 1, The Willow Witch Chronicles

Expected Release: now postponed until January 2023

A Witch. A Wolf. And defective magic.

Samantha Willow is a defective witch. Her magical powers are useless, and her coven has turned its back on her. Her comfortable and serene lifestyle is short-lived when a new neighbor moves in next door. Romance was not on the agenda. To add to her problems, one of her customers ends up dead, and the police want answers.

Dex Lycophron, wolf, and immortal warrior has had enough of fighting for humanity. He wants to put his feet up and relax, but when he gets a whiff of his delectable witchy neighbor, he knows he's not going to rest until he claims her as his mate. But to do that he must return to the world and connections he left behind.

Will the Witch admit that they belong together?

Pre-Order

Salvation

Reclaim

Awaken

Cassie Laelyn

Book 1-3, Small Town Packs

in Special Edition Hardcovers

Pre-Order

Direct from Cassie

Wraith's Revenge

Keri Arthur

Book 10, Lizzie Grace

Expected Release: 28 February 2023

You can’t run from the past forever…

Lizzie Grace has finally returned to Canberra, the city where she grew up and a place that holds so many bad memories. Not only does she have to testify at her father’s trial, but also deal with her ex’s will and relatives unhappy that she’s inherited a good chunk of his assets.

Yet Canberra holds more than just memories of an unwanted marriage. It’s where her sister was murdered, and the man responsible was never caught.

Witches are once again being ritualistically sacrificed, and it holds terrible echoes of those past deaths.

As the murders draw closer to home, Lizzie finds herself in a race to hunt down the wraith of a man after the ultimate revenge…the soul of the woman who once escaped him.

Pre-Order

Sword of Darkness

Keri Arthur

Book 2, Relic Hunters

Expected Release: 25 October

The race to claim Agrona’s Claws continues…

Agrona’s claws—three godly artifacts that, when used together, have the power to either extend darkness or utterly banish it—were deliberately hidden eons ago so that no man or woman would ever again wield them. But nothing stays hidden forever, and the Crown of Shadows was recently unearthed and stolen, despite Bethany Aodhán’s best efforts to stop it.

Now Beth and her brother Lugh must seek out the Sword of Darkness before those intent on destruction can reunite two of the three Claws and unleash chaos.

But even the help of a cranky goddess and two sexy elves might not be enough to save the day… or the world itself.

Because the forces of darkness are gathering momentum, and its origin lies closer to home than any of them guessed.

Pre-Order

Lunar Rising

anthology contains Dragon Desire by

Lilliana Rose

Expected Release: 4 October

The moon is risen, and the beasts have come out to play.

From wolves to fae to witches this limited edition paranormal romance urban fantasy collection will keep you riveted from beginning to end.

Are you ready for the thrill of a lifetime?

Allow the bestselling authors of Lunar Rising tease your senses and tickle your fancy with fantastic adventures featuring powerful heroines and the protective heroes who love them.

Don’t wait, dive in today and escape into fantasy!

Pre-Order

Dragon Desire cover by Eleni Konstantine's alter ego, HelzKat Designs.

Wicked Dreams

M.J. Scott

Book 4, Techwitch

Expected Release: 6 June 2023

In exciting dark and sexy futuristic urban fantasy series from RITA® Award nominated author M.J. Scott.

I never dreamed of magic. Having a mother who dabbled in the darker side of witchcraft made sure of that. But magic found me anyway. And the world of power is stranger and more dangerous than I ever could have imagined. So if I don't want it to turn into a nightmare, I have to take what magic offers me…

Wicked Dreams is the fourth book in the TechWitch series, exciting dark and sexy futuristic urban fantasy from RITA® Award nominated author M.J. Scott. This series has witches, demons, an ongoing relationship that will have an HEA, sexy times, and a lot of computer geeks. Perfect if you like the idea of a strong heroine, a hot protective billionaire and magic and technology colliding. Enjoy!

Pre-Order

The Traitor's Game

M.J. Scott 

Book 2, Daughter of the Raven

Expected release date: 1 November

Chloe de Montesse thought her new life would be peaceful. But now she has an inconvenient marriage no one wants to let her end, a diplomatic scandal to navigate, and old troubles swirling around her. As well as trying to determine who might want her dead. And that’s just the beginning…

The Traitor's Game is the second book in the Daughter of Ravens series, a new romantic historical fantasy series from RITA® Award nominated author M.J. Scott, set in the same world as the Four Arts series. This series has friends to enemies to lovers, political intrigue, royal witches, inconvenient marriages, sexy times and more. Enjoy!

Pre-Order

Hell or Highwater

Mila Young and Harper A. Brooks

Book 8, Sin Demons

Expected Release: 31 August 2023 

(date expected to be moved up)

There's a baby on the way for Aria and her four demon lovers... so how about a tropical getaway before all hell breaks loose?

What could go wrong?

Pre-Order

Monster's Obsession

Mila Young and C.R. Jane

Book 2, Monster and Me

Expected Release: now 28 October

Book 2 of the Monster & Me Duet

Blurb coming soon...

Release Date to be moved up.

Pre-Order

Non Spec-Fic

Wanted: Mistletoe

anthology contains Christmas Ribbon by

Lilliana Rose

Expected Release: 1 November

Dear Santa,

Before I explain, how much have the elves told you?

Who's ready for a little naughty & nice? With some mistletoe and holiday cheer, anything can--and does--happen during Christmas.

Your favorite contemporary authors have gathered around the Wintery hearth to bring you scintillating holiday romances. These sexy stories will deck your halls with filthy balls. If you’re not on the naughty list yet, you will be after indulging in these steamy reads. Whether you’re naughty or nice or you’re on Santa’s watchlist, these romances will put you in a celebratory mood and warm your heart.

Get this steamy holiday collection today.

Pre-Order

Holiday Kisses

contains stories by

D.D. Line and Carolyn Wren

Expected Release: 4 November

‘Tis the season to fall in love in this heartwarming collection of Christmas romance stories.

It’s Christmas…a time for kisses under the mistletoe, tree decorating, fruit mince pies, fairy lights and snow in abundance. This holiday season celebrates the joy of romance with some Holiday Kisses.

Filled with love, romance, and a whole lot of heart. From a Christmas gift exchange program, Manhattan wedding, fireman’s calendar photography shoot, train trip to Edinburgh, Irish castle, holiday job, Christmas wedding photo shoot, missent text, plum pudding catastrophe, and a mischievous donkey named Colin. All with a kiss or two.

Families reunite, new friends are made, and old flames take a second chance at happiness. Escape between the pages and get swept away into these holiday stories celebrating the spirit of the Christmas season!

Light the fire, grab some hot chocolate and settle in for the night and dive into these Christmassy romances. With ten stories from Australian authors, you’re sure to find something to pull at the heartstrings while rediscovering the joys of Christmas.

Pre-Order

COVERS

Sleuth on the Beach

Janni Nell

Book 1, Kangaroo Cove Mystery

OTHER

D.D. Line

Check out D.D's new banner and website! 

~~~

Congratulations to our DarkSiders.

Thanks for joining us. Until next time, be safe and well.

 

Darklight On... Kat Chant

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

From about the age of six, I wrote speculative fiction because it’s what I loved to read. Mostly, I think, because genre protagonists take a proactive approach to solving their problems. Oh, and magic. Or science that might as well be magic. 

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

I’m a puzzler. I get a scene, vividly, like watching a movie. That gives me a character and a place. Since I write romance, the next step is to figure out who their potential partner is. With those two pieces, there’s a sense of which tropes will come into play. Writing the story feels a lot like connecting the dots and not being sure how the final picture will turn out but knowing roughly what it’ll be. 

Do you have a favourite of your characters? 

My soft spot is for my villains. I have a few that I’m waiting to reform and I’m really looking forward to making them suffer for my art.

What are you currently working on? 

I’m working on a prequel novella to my debut paranormal romance. 

What is your favourite part of the process of writing? 

I love it when I’ve gotten stuck and go sort socks or something and the reason why hits me. It’s usually some piece of character backstory or because I’ve tried to force the plot.  

What can we expect from Kat Chant in the future? 

My first book is part of a loose trilogy, each from the perspective of a different protagonist. I also have another, unrelated manuscript that needs a final polish before launch.

Who are your favourite authors?

Number one has to be Diana Wynne Jones. I have all her books.

Mostly, though, I read a lot of Regency romances because they’re different to what I write. If they have a magic twist though, I’m all in. KJ Charles and Emily Larkin are good examples. Cassie Laelyn has the unique distinction of making me like angels.

What are you currently reading? 

I’ve just finished Ali Hazelwood’s Loathe to Love You STEM novellas and started on a Courtney Milan contemporary novel.

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

Empire Strikes Back remains my all-time fave, but respect must be given to Edge of Tomorrow for the joy of Tom Cruise’s many deaths and the truly fabulous character of Emily Blunt’s Sergeant Rita Vrataski. 

  

Do you have advice for emerging writers? 

Writing is like parenthood. Everyone is ready to give advice about how to do it ‘properly’, but you have to find what works for you.

About Kat Chant

Kat Chant is an award winning writer. A bookworm who grew into a history buff, she exchanged beaches for castles move from Australia to the UK. There, she fell in love with a lad from Ireland…and fell in love with his country, too.

She and her family live in the heart of Ireland, surrounded by fields in forty shades of green.

God of Summer

Back in the Bronze Age, Angus McCraggan sacrificed his life to break the Celtic curse laid on his kind. He failed. Millennia later, he returns to modern Ireland to find his people have become feral, vengeful shadows. With his hollow hill now packed with tourists, he uses his power to keep his past hidden.

Until an American calls him out.

Since a banshee attacked her as a teen, Erin De Santos has been tormented by dreams of a boy she’s never met. Armed with a new identity, she returns to the Emerald Isle determined to face her nightmare. But her discovery turns fatal.

When the banshee strikes again, Angus surrenders his heart—and his hope of freeing his people—to save her. With his life now hers and his curse descending, Erin must make a terrible choice: kill her savior or share his doom.

Available Now: https://books2read.com/godofsummer 

DarkSider News : September 2022 - Part 3!

 

Hold the phone! We have another September issue for you.

NEW RELEASES

A Court Beyond the Mists

LJ Swallow

Book 1, Fae Fantasy Romance

Released: 15 September

A hidden human princess. A seductive fae prince. A dangerous prophecy.

Never trust those from beyond the Mists.

Twenty years ago, Talia’s father believed he’d made a bargain with the fae. But the fae’s trickery cost the human king everything—the queen’s life and their daughter’s freedom. Since that day, Talia has lived in a hidden court surrounded by thorns. Now, only marriage to a human prince will end the princess’s exile and allow her to rejoin the kingdom.

Unless the fae reclaim her on the day that the roses bloom.

Three years ago, a seer whispered a prophecy to a fae prince. If Jaren returns the girl stolen from the fae, he’ll secure his throne. But when he finds Talia, Jaren discovers the seer didn’t tell him everything about the hidden princess. Talia’s silver scars aren’t only from the thorns that surround her prison—the marks hide a dangerous secret.

Once over, the humans and fae lived in harmony until the kingdoms became threatened by fae magic and they declared war on the fae. In response, the fae created the Mists to divide two lands. Humans who step beyond the Mists never return. Fae who walk through are killed on sight.

The handsome and deadly fae captures Talia’s heart of thorns and frees her from the shackles of her kingdom. Jaren knows that if he crosses through the Mists with Talia and returns to his court, her life is at risk. But if she stays in the human kingdom, he’ll lose the princess who must become his queen.

And Jaren isn’t prepared to let her go.

Can the bond between Talia and the man with dark secrets bring her the life and love she desires? Or will the fae prince’s deadly ambition destroy them both and bring destruction to the fae realm?

Buy

The Seahorse Prince's Mate

TJ Nichols

Novella, Familiar Mates

Released: 2 September in all formats

When biologist Beau Evans goes on holiday to enjoy a week of snorkeling and diving, he isn’t planning to have a holiday fling…or for that fling to turn out to be his mate.

As first-born twin seahorse shifter Kai was raised to rule, not just beneath the sea but also run the seahorse land-based businesses that employs many seahorse shifters and enriches them all. Falling into bed with the hot guy who looks like he needs some fun was not supposed to end up with him being consumed by the mating heat and getting pregnant.

Now instead of doing what he loves, he has to disappear into the ocean for three months. Beau doesn’t know how to deal with a mate or the twins Kai carries, but he does know that he isn’t going to walk away, no matter how complicated things get with seahorse politics. 

Buy

ebook 

- free when sign up to TJ's newsletter

 | Paperback | Audiobook |

Bits and Bobs

Lily Rose

Book 3, Adventures of the Misfit Monsters

(children's book)

Released: 3 September

Tolli, part ogre, part hobgoblin with a little bit of imp, loves hunting and bringing back items to make into something useful. But there are so many useful bits and bobs she’s collected there’s no more room in her home to keep them all. Will Tolli learn she can’t keep everything before she’s lost in the piles of collected items?

Ferly, part werewolf, part sylph, with a little bit of elf, is trying to help Tolli declutter her home. But Tolli won’t listen and the large piles of things are a danger. Can Ferly convince the misfit monsters to put aside their differences and work together for the sake of one of their own?

Buy

Curse of the Fae

Mila Young

Book 1-4, Winter's Thorn series

Released: 8 September in paperback 

“She is breathtaking, powerful, everything we’ve been searching for. And once we convince her that she is ours, we will satisfy her in every way until her true potential is realized.”

I am nothing. A girl with no past.

But then they crash into my world.

Three sexy-as-hell fae princes who insist I belong to them, that only they can satisfy my every need.

I want to reject them, but I can’t deny the way my body reacts to theirs. I crave their touch, their lips against my skin, and the way they make me feel that I am so much more.

But when they take me to a magical realm where war spreads like poison and once-powerful royals are slaughtered, I fear I’ve made a grave mistake.

My fae princes insist I’m important. I’m the key to saving them.

I want to believe them but these three fae princes who have sworn to protect me are keeping dangerous secrets. Ones that if I don’t unravel soon just might be the death of me…

Readers LOVE this enemies to lovers fae romance fantasy series with over 900 pages! Four books that include a strong heroine and three fae princes who will do anything to protect their fated mate. Lose yourself in this steamy paranormal romance with high action, suspense, forbidden attraction, and burning love scenes that will have you begging for more!

It's recommended for 18+

Curse of the Fae is a complete series and includes 4 full length books.

To Catch A Fae

To Seduce A Fae

To Tame A Fae

To Claim A Fae

Buy

Non spec-fic

Her Bleeding Heart 

D.K. Hood

Book 16, Detectives Kane and Alton

Released: 12 September

Rain soaks her clothes as she runs from the large, isolated family home and hides behind the beaten-up pickup truck parked out front. Miles from safety, her heart thuds as footsteps draw closer. He’s found her…

The rain had been falling for weeks when Black Rock Falls Sheriff, Jenna Alton, receives a panicked phone call from a local forest ranger. The lifeless body of a woman has washed up on the banks of a swollen river.

Rushing to the scene, Jenna and her deputy, David Kane, find the young girl laying face up in the dirt, her long brown hair spilling out around her, her perfect pale skin showing no signs of struggle. Leaning in for a closer look, she finds a jack of hearts playing card tucked into the girl’s underwear. This was no accident—someone killed this innocent soul, and left a twisted calling card…

Days later, another young woman is found slumped in the back of car at a local truck stop on the outskirts of town, angry red marks around her neck. Jenna’s head spins when she finds a second playing card in her clothing. Is this killer escalating? And does he have a next victim already in his sights?

As a landslide shuts the town off from the outside world, Jenna and her team battle raging storms in their search for answers. Jenna is convinced the playing cards link these victims to a twisted serial killer the FBI have been hunting for over a decade. If she’s right, she’s chasing America’s most dangerous and elusive killer. Can she catch him before Black Rock Falls loses another innocent young life?

Buy

 | Amazon | Apple Books | B&N |  Booktopia |  Google Play | Kobo |

Audiobook

| Amazon | Audible |

Audio preview at Soundcloud

Outback Dawn: The Visitor

Annie Seaton

Book 5, The Augathella Girls

Released: 15 September

When Laura Adnum, sister-in-law of Braden Cartwright, arrives unexpectedly in Augathella to visit the three sons of her deceased sister, Julia, it seems she is there to cause trouble; Laura is not impressed that Braden is planning to marry Callie Young.

Newly-appointed local doctor, Harry Higgins, is surprised when Laura insists on visiting him to check that the care of her three nephews is adequate. Harry has his own demons and has come to Augathella for peace and a quiet life.

Harry is suspicious of Laura’s motives. Why has she suddenly decided to visit three nephews she has never met? He tries to ignore his instant attraction to this enigmatic woman.

What secrets does each of them hold, and can they each find peace through love?

Buy

Cadence

Luci Hart

Book 1, Ruby Riot

Released: 20 September

Explosive chemistry, heat, and humour combine in this British rock star romance.

Jax Lewis, lead guitarist of Ruby Riot is hot property and loving every minute of his new found fame. Touring Europe and supporting the world's biggest rock band Blue Phoenix, he's living his rock star life to the full.

Until Tegan walks into his world and puts the brakes on.

Tegan Hughes swapped college life for a gap year and has her sights set on touring Europe with her big brother's band. Blue Phoenix drummer Bryn isn't happy when his sister arrives unannounced at his hotel in Lisbon, but Tegan is determined to join the tour.

Jax sets his sights on Tegan but she's related to a member of Blue Phoenix and knows exactly why girls should keep their hearts away from rock stars

The pair attempt to keep a handle on their growing attraction, but that proves harder than they thought. Tegan doesn't want to be the sexy rocker's latest conquest but Jax is up to the challenge.

Add in her protective big brother and watch the sparks fly.

Cadence is the first standalone book in the Ruby Riot rock star romance series. Perfect for fans of captivating steamy romance, hot and brooding British rock stars, and strong, sassy heroines.

Note: this book was originally published in 2016 as Cadence by Lisa Swallow and only contains minor changes.

Buy

The Sheikh's Secret Mistress

Mel Teshco

Book 4, Desert Kings Alliance

Released: 15 September

She's a commoner, he's a powerful sheikh. Will she ever be good enough?

Jazmina Fadel might be praised for her beauty and for being mistress to the powerful Sheikh Fayez Al-Khan, but she can’t ever forget she came from a broken and destitute family. Not that Jazmina craves material wealth. A lovely house and a closet filled with designer clothes and jewelry means little when she desires her fairytale dream of a husband and children. And she won’t take a backseat while every eligible princess and sheikha in the Middle East vies for his attention and, ultimately, his hand in marriage.

Shiekh Fayez Al-Khan never meant to fall in love. He never even dreamed it possible for someone of his self-centered ways and lofty upbringing to believe in love at first sight. Not when there are scores of women willing to enact his every sexual urge. But although Jazmina has no pedigree, she is his every fantasy come to life. He won’t give her up. Not for anything or anyone. Not even for the wishes of his people who would see him wedded to the Sheikha of Lomada to strengthen their nations alliance. In the end though, will he have a choice?

Buy

Cover by Eleni Konstantine's alter ego, HelzKat Designs.

Rough and Ready

Cathleen Ross

Book 2, Outlaw Warriors

Released: 20 September in audio format

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 . . . Contains mature themes.

Buy

| Apple Books | Audiobooks.com | B&N | Kobo |

Inky Love

Maggie Rose

Book 4, Pine Creek

Released: 30 June

Lorenzo

I can’t go back to my family, and with Italians, family is everything.

They trusted me and I let them down. Perhaps everyone would be better off without me.

Then Harper walked into my life. I wanted her like the air I breathe.

But she made it clear.

I could share her body for one night only.

Harper

My life is officially crap.

No husband, no job, and my family wanted me to just disappear.

I need a new plan, and this time I will be in control.

I intend to start by spending the night with a hot stranger.

I will leave him wanting more and walk away.

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Bayside Beach Winter

contains story by

Susannah Kade

Book 5, Write Connections Anthology

Released: 31 July

Bayside Beach Winter features three more of our short  and sweet Australian romances.

Bayside is the town and three storey Bayside Pines is the place. Apartment living brings people closer than they might want at times. New neighbors to get to know, past lovers popping by, second chances at love. Meet our characters as they tackle life's challenges and surprises with the help of family and friends, pets and hot chocolate.

Take a break in your day to enjoy our contemporary Australian  lunch time reads about life and love in a small coastal town.

Bonus: Try out a delicious recipe to accompany each story!

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| Amazon | Apple Books | B & N | Booktopia | Kobo | Scribd |

Beached in Retribution Bay

Claire Boston

Book 5, Aussie Heroes: Retribution Bay

Released: 14 September

 

Newly decommissioned soldier, Sam Hackett has his new life planned out — buy a tour boat, move to Retribution Bay, help out his best friend. But his plans are beached when an overzealous park ranger suspends his tour licence on his first day.

Penelope Fraser plays by the rules, because if she bends them, they may break. She’s definitely not going to be swayed by a sexy ex-solder who tries to convince her otherwise. But her concerns over Sam are forgotten when she catches poachers on the reef, and masses of dead fish wash up on the shore.

The unlikely pair are thrown together and find themselves embroiled in a crime ring which goes far deeper than poaching.

Can they catch the criminals in time, or will they become the prey?

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PRE-ORDERS

Witch Bond

LJ Swallow

Book 2, Nightfall University

Expected Release: 16 January 2023

Witch Bond is the second book in a college-age RH paranormal academy duet. Midnight Coven should be read first and is available now.

The Nightfall University duet is filled with seductive magic, steamy scenes, multiple love interests, and dark elements.

These books are part of the Nightworld Academy universe but take place over twenty years before the original Nightworld Academy series. The main characters are not connected by anything apart from history and there are no spoilers between the two series.

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Nero

Mel Teshco

Book 1, Alien Fugitives

Expected Release: 31 January 2023

She’s afraid to love again. He’s afraid to lose again.

Jack Ashton appears from out of nowhere, saving Brynn like a knight in shining armor from her terrifying ex. Though her heady attraction to Jack opens up her heart again, she discovers her knight comes with scales and a fin. She should be terrified, but there is something about him that draws her in and makes her feel safe.

Jack hid his identity so well from the dronians—an alien enemy intent on hunting him and the last of his species down—he managed to brainwash himself in the process, forgetting his name and the real him while living and working on Earth. But when his memories come flooding back and he becomes protector of a human woman, he realizes life on Earth isn’t going to be any easier than what it had been on his own world, especially with a vulnerable human in his care.

Lying low and not drawing attention was his one and only goal. But when he falls for Brynn and dronians threaten her life, he knows he can’t lose another loved one again. He’ll do whatever he must to keep her alive and safe, even if he has to draw on every one of his unstable alien powers to do so.

Pre-order

| Amazon | Other Retailers |

Sienna

Mel Teshco

Book 2, Alien Fugitives

Expected Release: 10 May 2023

He’s a bounty hunter sent to Earth to capture her. She’ll fight tooth and nail for her freedom.

Sienna Moore is a revered rare—a Strazan native with unique powers—burdened with grief and guilt after her species died in battle against vicious Dronians while she and six other rares escaped to Earth. Sienna takes up residence in the carriage of an ever-moving train, where she uses her mind powers to conceal her true identity. But nothing can stop the Dronians from closing in on her and the last few rares.

Gray Bastine has tracked down Sienna with the goal to capture her before the Dronians find and kill her. With his own planet in danger of becoming the Dronians next world to destroy and conquer he will force Sienna to uncover everything there is to know about their common enemy. Except Sienna isn’t so easy to acquire and the longer it takes to claim her the more he realizes their attraction is making this a mission impossible.

Pre-order

| Amazon | Other Retailers - awaiting link |

Japser

Mel Teshco

Book 3, Alien Fugitives

Expected Release: 1 July 2023

She’s fed up with her mundane life. He yearns to escape the danger that surrounds him.

Jasper Finch wants to leave the Earth city of New Faxian behind where he and six other rares—the last surviving Strazans with extraordinary powers—are forced to live thanks to the freshwater river cutting through the city. Water nourishes his species and stabilizes their powers, which are volatile on Earth. A pity his relentless enemy is tracking him down. Then he meets an intriguing woman, and leaving becomes the furthest thing on his mind.

Suzy Grant is over her career as a car saleswoman, but then it’s fair to say she’s over everything and everyone…until a young man with afro hair and a ripped body walks into the car yard. That she is too old for him is as painfully obvious as his reluctance to buy a car. So why is he so reluctant to leave? But getting to know the real him comes at a price. He isn’t what he seems…and he has pitiless alien enemies that make her reconsider the serenity of her humdrum life.

Pre-order

| Amazon | Other Retailers  - awaiting link |

Captured Earth Trilogy Box Set

containing

Resist

Regroup

Revolt

TJ Nichols

Books 1-3, Captured Earth

Expected Release: 28 September

The Captured Earth trilogy is for readers who like action, explosions, and don’t mind a little gore with their gay romance.

Capture is a soldier’s worst fear, but all his training couldn’t prepare Sergeant Josh Rayne for what it meant to be caught by the alien invaders, who have claimed the desert in Western Australia. He believes he is the last soldier alive until he is reunited with his lover and fellow soldier Xavier Fisher in the alien prison.

Pre-Order

Solstice Wishes and Christmas Kisses:

MM Christmas Romance Collection

TJ Nichols

Expected Release: 14 October

Solstice Wishes and Christmas Kisses is a collection of gay romance holiday novellas.

The stories are a mix of fantasy, paranormal and historical paranormal romance. Some are light and some are darker, all have a happily ever after or happily for now ending.

Includes:

Silver and Solstice

The Vampire's Dinner

Poison Marked

Elf on the Beach

The Legend of Gentleman John

Pre-Order

The Bodyguard's Familiar

TJ Nichols

Book 10, Familiar Mates

Expected Release: 28 October

The son of an assassin is in need of protection...

Discover the world of the Familiar Mates mm fated mates paranormal romance series. The Bodyguard's Familiar has a mind reading witch and a boar shifter who are both getting drawn back into their dangerous families, finding out they are fated mates is the last thing they need but exactly what they want.

Each book in the Familiar Mates series has a new couple and a HEA with no cliffhangers..

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Vanity

TJ Nichols

Book 5, Mytho

Expected Release: 28 November

Edra is going to LA to stop the vampires...

Book 4 in the gay urban fantasy series that follows Jordan and Edra as they solve crime and figure out how to improve mytho and human relations. For readers who like dragon shifters and fated mates romance.

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Lost and Found

Lily Rose

Book 4, Adventures of the Misfit Monsters

(children's book)

Expected Release: 22 September

Terant, part computer, part ghost, with a little bit of giant can’t remember losing so many objects. Desperate to find what he has lost, Terant goes deeper than ever before into the hunting grounds. A dangerous risk to find something that could cost him being taken away forever.

Shille, part unicorn, part mystic with a little bit of spirit, goes with Terant far into the hunting grounds. To her horror she sees him being captured by a human. She must find a way to rescue Terant. The problem is the other misfit monsters don’t believe her.

Can Shille find a way to rally the misfit monsters before something happens to Terant in the hands of the humans?

Pre-Order

Lunar Rising

anthology contains Dragon Desire by

Lilliana Rose

Expected Release: 4 October

The moon is risen, and the beasts have come out to play.

From wolves to fae to witches this limited edition paranormal romance urban fantasy collection will keep you riveted from beginning to end.

Are you ready for the thrill of a lifetime?

Allow the bestselling authors of Lunar Rising tease your senses and tickle your fancy with fantastic adventures featuring powerful heroines and the protective heroes who love them.

Don’t wait, dive in today and escape into fantasy!

Pre-Order

Dragon Desire cover by Eleni Konstantine's alter ego, HelzKat Designs.

Fae's Song

Helen Walton

Book 1, Summer Court

Expected Release: 3 November

The fate of the Fae begins…

Songstress, Niamh, has an unusual Fae power—an influence in her voice. Singing at the prince’s two hundredth birthday celebrations should be a grand moment, but not luring the prince into believing she’s his mate is all she’s concerned about. For every man succumbs to the magic of her voice and the prince is the one man she wants but can never have. For what can a lowly earth-living Fae offer the prince of the Summer Court?

When the King and Queen of the Fae insist Prince Fintan select a mate on his birthday, he’s reluctant to settle for a chosen mate, but then he stumbles upon his fated mate. He never thought he’d need to woo her, but if that’s what it takes to convince Niamh they’re fated mates, then he’ll do anything in his considerable power to make her his.

But as the secret in Niamh’s power is revealed, will Fintan still believe they are fated mates? Or will her secret be their undoing? And those of the Fae?

Pre-Order

Hell or Highwater

Mila Young and Harper A. Brooks

Book 8, Sin Demons

Expected Release: 31 August 2023 

(date expected to be moved up)

There's a baby on the way for Aria and her four demon lovers... so how about a tropical getaway before all hell breaks loose?

What could go wrong?

Pre-Order

Monster's Obsession

Mila Young and C.R. Jane

Book 2, Monster and Me

Expected Release: 29 September

Book 2 of the Monster & Me Duet

Blurb coming soon...

Release Date to be moved up.

Pre-Order

Wild Kiss

Mila Young and C.R. Jane

Book 2, Monster and Me

Expected Release: 20 October

Blurb to come...

Real Wolves Bite...

Wild Moon

Wild Heart

Wild Girl

Wild Love

Wild Soul

Pre-Order

Non Spec-Fic

Beneath the Sapphire Sky

Dakota Harrison

Book 5, With Love, From Kurrajong Crossing

Expected Release: 22 September

They’ve known each other for years…

Born and raised on adjacent family vineyards, and inseparable since childhood, there’s not much Belle Davis and Dante Casellati don’t know about each other. That crush Belle had on him in her teens? Dante knows about it. Dante’s confirmed bachelor stance? Belle’s heard it all before. And each believes the other is happy with the status quo.

Used to pushing aside her own dreams and desires out of duty to her ailing mother, Belle dismisses all hope of her and Dante ever being in the same place at the same time emotionally, until Dante’s prodigal brother returns to Kurrajong Crossing and makes a play for her. Dante’s jealousy finally prompts him to act on the attraction to Belle he’s been ignoring for years. Taking their relationship one step further, life is bliss…until tragedy strikes Belle’s family. As tensions rise and hope of a happy outcome fades fast, Belle’s guilt estranges her and Dante for the first time in their lives.

Can they salvage their love, or will harsh words and the fear of truly letting one another in ruin everything?

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Wanted: Mistletoe

anthology contains Christmas Ribbon by

Lilliana Rose

Expected Release: 1 November

Dear Santa,

Before I explain, how much have the elves told you?

Who's ready for a little naughty & nice? With some mistletoe and holiday cheer, anything can--and does--happen during Christmas.

Your favorite contemporary authors have gathered around the Wintery hearth to bring you scintillating holiday romances. These sexy stories will deck your halls with filthy balls. If you’re not on the naughty list yet, you will be after indulging in these steamy reads. Whether you’re naughty or nice or you’re on Santa’s watchlist, these romances will put you in a celebratory mood and warm your heart.

Get this steamy holiday collection today.

Pre-Order

Fantasize

Maggie Rose

Book 2, Hollywood Heartthrobs

Expected Release: 12 October

A movie star, a stalker and a paparazzi, what could go wrong?

Mitch

I’m a paparazzi and I make money off of catching famous people in risky situations. When Gemma Cassini literally falls into my arms. I have wanted her from the first time I saw her. I have a to make a decision. Money or sex. The decision is easy.

Gemma

I got my big break as a star on Dark Storm but life is not going so well. I am being stalked by someone who knows my family’s darkest secret. Can I trust Mitch to help me or will I just end up in more trouble? He is a paparazzi and as sexy as all hell. I don’t know if I can resist him. In fact I don’t want to.

Pre-Order

The Sheikh's Defiant Princess

Mel Teshco

Book 5, Desert Kings Alliance

Expected Release: 30 December

She desires the man of her dreams. Can she resist the attention of another?

Sheikha Aisha Al Wahed might be the sister to Sheikh Hamid—one of the most renowned and unconventional Sheikhs on the planet—but it doesn’t mean she is cut from the same cloth. She wants what almost every girl wants: to marry the love of her life. That she’s had a crush on Tabari Usamah for so long makes her more determined for him notice her. So why is Dhamar, one of her brother’s many friends, distracting her beyond all reason?

Sheikh Dhamar Qadir desires one thing—Aisha Al Wahed. A pity she is besotted with another man not worthy of her affection. But Dhamar won’t give up, he’ll do whatever is necessary to make her fall in love with him, and he’s not above using every tool in his arsenal to make that happen, including removing Tabari from the picture and sending him away. But will his interference cost him the love and respect of the one woman he wants above all else?

Pre-Order link

Cover by Eleni Konstantine's alter ego, HelzKat Designs.

East of Alice

Annie Seaton

Expected Release: 15 November

A gem-fossicking discovery echoes through time and leads to a dangerous journey through the red dust outback. A gripping mystery from Australian author Annie Seaton.

Gemma Hayden has returned to her hometown of Alice Springs for a new job as a primary school teacher. It's been six years since her family broke apart following the disappearance of her twin brother. And the scars still run deep.

Hard on the heels of her homecoming, Saul Pearce, the man she once loved, is reposted from Parks and Wildlife in Darwin back to Alice. When an old car wreck is uncovered, washed down the river to Ruby Gap, Saul investigates only to find that the wreck belonged to Ethan, Gemma's twin - and there's a coded note for her in the glovebox.

Joining forces, they trek through the rugged outback, piecing together clues that not only bring them to the attention of a criminal organisation, but lead them to uncover an even older puzzle ... One now lost to the history books.

With targets on their backs, will they unearth the truth in time?

Pre-Order

Secrets of River Cottage

Annie Seaton

Book 5, Bindarra Creek Mystery

(multiple author series)

Expected Release:14 November

Forced to move from the safe haven of her in-law’s farmhouse, single mum, Cathy Kendall is horrified she must return to the renovated River Cottage – a house that holds secrets and sad memories. When builders discover bones beneath the old house and the site is declared a crime scene, speculation and gossip engulf Bindarra Creek.

Landscaper, Grant Cummings has returned to his hometown to seek justice and it suits him to keep a close eye on Cathy. As the investigation progresses, attraction flares between them.

But when a series of suspicious events threaten Cathy’s life, should she share her suspicions with Grant?

Or is his mysterious past a warning that trusting him could prove deadly?

Welcome to the latest Bindarra Creek romances. You will love re-visiting this quaint country town and its quirky community as compelling characters search for love and happiness. Don't miss out on these seven mystery romances by best-selling Australian authors.

Pre-Order

COVERS

Shadow Wolf

Lilliana Rose

Book 1, Protector Wolf Shifter

Expected Release: TBA

Can a wolf shifter who hates humans and a human who is afraid of dogs work together to save both their asses?

If Tamaska wants to advance her career, she must sell the Blood Opal to the highest bigger…but when the precious gem is stolen in front of everyone, her career ends up in jeopardy altogether.

The prime suspect? Zodiak, a security guard from Shadow Protection—assigned as a last minute change—and someone Tamaska isn’t keen to trust.

But Zodiak is adamant about his innocence and believes the culprit is a vampire. He claims he wants to help, but Tamaska isn’t having it…until an effort to recover the stone from a dangerous visit to a nightclub leaves her life hanging in the balance.

Now, if she wants to escape she’ll have to accept the shifter’s help…and hope he doesn’t end up killing her chances of getting out alive.

Fans of Twilight, Shadow Hunters, and The Winx Saga will devour Lilliana Rose’s world of unexpected adventure and dark imagination.

A Crown of Silver and Shadow

LJ Swallow

Book 2, Fae Fantasy Romance

Expected Release: TBA

OTHER

Dakota Harrison

Dakota was interviewed by Stella Quinn for the Fabulous Fiction column about Hometown Cowboy on the Romance Writers of Australia blog.

Helen Walton

Join Helen's review club. 

Helen is also part of book sweepstakes (as mentioned in the last Magic Thursday post). Closing Soon.

Claire Boston

Nothing to Fear is being brought the screen by A Touch of Madness Studios!

LJ Swallow

LJ commissioned some artwork for her book A Court Beyond The Mists (released 15 September) which she shared on Facebook.  

TJ Nichols

As mentioned last news, TJ will be signing books at Gay Lit Oz (GLO) in Sydney April 15th next year (Tickets here) and you can pre-order books to collect there.

D.K. Hood

D.K. has signed a two book contract with Bookouture for a new series called Detectives Katz and Styles. Read press release here.

~~~

Congratulations to our DarkSiders.

Thanks for joining us. Until next week, be safe and well.