"Vella slid into Councilor Matthias Medea's bedroom suite, and with delectable hints of sandalwood and spice warming the air, hit the timer on her watch. Eighteen minutes and thirteen seconds to locate the runes and get out.
Frigging goddess, how many more would Vella need to steal?"
- Wrath (Book 1, Witch Wars) by HM Hodgson
PRE-ORDERS
Amy Hutton
Ghosted
Expected Release:
30 September
Banishing vengeful spirits from the mortal realm is Holly’s day job, but she’s never had to ghost anyone before – until Callum breaks her heart, making her wish she could exorcise her ex from her life.
It’s been two years since professional ghost-whisperer Holly Daniels ghosted Callum Jefferies – successful paranormal podcast host, unsuccessful boyfriend. So when he reaches out asking for her help investigating the infamous East Mill haunted house, Holly is hesitant to get involved, despite his infuriating charm. But the house in question calls to her, and she can’t resist.
When they arrive in East Mill – and take up adjoining rooms at a rundown bed and breakfast – something in the air stirs up old feelings. If only the local ghosts would give Holly some peace and quiet to work out what those feelings are…
As their investigation unfolds, Holly and Callum unearth a string of mysterious deaths linked to the house – one of which is bound up with East Mill’s very own seventeenth-century witch trials. But Callum is hiding something, and as disturbing details emerge about the family who once occupied the house, Holly realises she will have to put her life – and her psychic powers – on the line if she and Callum are going to get out of East Mill alive.
Melanie Pickering
Hounding the Truth
Book 1, Deadly Possessions
Expected release:
11 July
Like your cozy mysteries a little dark, with bite, and slow burn sizzling romance?
When Emily Sloane starts her new job at Jared Bell’s prestigious auction house, she’s thrilled to prove herself with a high-profile assignment: cataloging the life-sized bronze statue of a hellhound once owned by notorious gothic horror writer, Victor Barrow. But as Emily delves into the statue’s history and taps into her uncanny ability to sense its past, she uncovers dark secrets linked to Barrow’s untimely death.
As the auction draws near, Emily and Jared are drawn into a dangerous game involving a ruthless publisher and a ghostwriter with a grudge. Amidst the gothic gloom of Barrow’s legacy and the growing attraction between them, Emily and Jared find themselves entangled in a web of danger that threatens their very safety.
Will they unravel the dark secrets of the Barrow estate in time, or will they become the latest victims trapped within their own gothic nightmare?
Hounding the Truth is the thrilling first addition to the Deadly Possessions series, where each antique hides a dangerous secret, and revealing the truth comes with its own distinct price.
HM Hodgson
Weapon
Book 2, Witch Wars
Expected:
6 October
Bound by magic. Hunted by danger. One kiss away from destruction.
Vella Knight knows two things: one, Ellaine—the witch who raised her and rules the Council with a spiked iron wand—is pure evil. And two, if Vella wants to save her sister, she’d better hide her secrets, train hard in her newfound magic, and find an ancient set of bone runes before Ellaine does.
And Vella isn't the only one on the hunt.
Enter Matthias Medea: enemy-with-benefits turned emotionally-complicated-ally. Vella walked away from him weeks ago, but now he’s back—stuck to her side like magical duct tape. His excuse? He needs the runes to recover his coven’s stolen grimoires and end Ellaine’s reign. The other reason? His dangerously unstable power is bonded to Vella’s, and if Ellaine finds out, she’ll obliterate them both.
Now, the two must fake indifference while following an international hunt for clues to the lost runes, dodging enemies, and trying not to explode—literally. But the more time they spend together, the harder it is to pretend their bond is just magical.
As their attachment deepens, the stakes skyrocket. If Vella can’t harness her bone magic, if she and Matthias can’t stabilize their connection, if their secrets are discovered, Ellaine might get her hands on the runes. And trust Vella on this: that woman can never be allowed near ultimate power.
Love. Lies. Explosive magic. And two witches who will burn it all down to save the people they love.
TJ Nichols
The Blood and the Seer
Book 2, Hunting Hearts
Expected Release:
28 July
Sent to clean up the mess left by the Orlans, Joel Reid finds himself dealing with unaffiliated vampires who want Reid blood.
K.E. Turner
The Wolf and the Witch
Book 1, The Descendants
Expected:
22 July
He gave her up once. He won’t make that mistake again.
Annabelle Jackson loathes everything about Christmas. Three years ago, beneath the Christmas lights of the Champs Elysees, the love of her life walked away. Christmas hasn’t been the same since. No man has ever captured her heart or stirred her body the way Gabriel did. Now she dedicates her time to her family, her job and the coven she will one day rule. Until the man who abandoned her walks back into her life.
Gabriel Montagne, head of security for the Langeais wolves, met his mate in Paris three years ago. She wasn’t ready for the truth about him, and when pack business called him in, he didn’t look back. Something he’s regretted every day since.
Almost three years to the day, when the San Francisco Bayside coven takes an interest in his ancestor’s arch enemy, Gabriel comes face to face with Annabelle. His Annabelle. Best Christmas present ever.
Trusting the man who left her isn’t on Annabelle’s agenda, but with the coven divided, and Annabelle’s suitability to rule it questioned, she’s forced to work with him on a crucial mission. There’s more than broken trust and power struggles at stake. The fate of witchcraft and the Langeais wolves hangs in the balance.
This time, Gabriel’s not leaving without her.
Pre-Order
K.E. Turner
Wolf's Return
Book 4, The Wolves of Langeais
Expected:
16 September
Unlocking his humanity could shatter her heart.
For witch Constance Voyante, her second sight is more a curse than a gift. Alone and outcast, she survives by trading her healing skills, clinging to a vision of a life as the mate of Langeais’ Black Wolf. Until she discovers the Black Wolf has found his mate. And it’s not her.
When a wild and damaged werewolf appears at the d’Louncrais keep with knowledge of the pack’s traitor locked inside his tortured mind, it’s Constance the Langeais wolves turn to. If anyone can help him, it’s her. No one knows their lore better than she does. Resigned to her solitary life, Constance is unprepared for what awaits her. Another black wolf.
Struck down on a battlefield by one of their own, D’Artagnon d’Louncrais shifted into wolf form and fled, leaving behind his pack and his brother. Presumed dead, he’s returned to take his vengeance, but he has no plans to return to his human form. Not for his brother. Not even for the witch who makes him yearn for something he’s long forsaken. A mate.
Constance is the key to unlocking D’Artagnon’s humanity. D’Artagnon is determined to remain a wolf. Helping him shift could destroy everything Constance has always dreamed of.
Pre-Order
Lilliana Rose
Clockwork Hearts
Book 1, A Timeless Affair
Expected release:
10 August
Time is fragile. I never expected it to shatter—and take me with it.
Everything changed the day I opened a package containing a glowing pendant that shouldn’t have existed. The world shifted, and I fell through time itself.
Now, I’m stranded in a past where the line between science and magic blurs, and the man with the mechanical heart—Thaddeus—holds the key to both. He has built the chronarium, which is connected with power and time. It could be my only way home, but I’m not the only one who wants it. I
might never return to my time—or the life I thought I wanted. But in this fractured world, I’ve found something unexpected—a cause worth fighting for and a man worth risking everything to save.
Time is running out. But if I’ve learned one thing, it’s that even monsters can fight for the future.
Non spec-fic
Annie Seaton
A Magic Christmas
Book 1, The Enchanted Village
Expected Release:
15 November
Australian author Dimity Armstrong is visiting London, on the cusp of Hollywood success, when a devastating fall results in vision impairment. Retreating to her late great-aunt’s cottage in the Cotswolds to meet her looming book deadline, she arranges for an editor to help complete her latest steamy mystery novel. But when Vivian Edwards arrives at Bramble Cottage, Dimity discovers her carefully arranged plan has a major complication: Vivian is most definitely not the woman she was expecting, but a deep-voiced male editor who now must help her write the most intimate scenes of her career.
As Christmas approaches in the picture-perfect village, the cottage seems determined to work its legendary matchmaking magic. The antique dwelling has a history of bringing lonely hearts together during the holidays, and despite Dimity’s pragmatic nature, magical coincidences begin to pile up. With her confidence still shattered from childhood taunts, she struggles to believe that someone like Vivian could see beyond her ordinary appearance.
Meanwhile, Vivian finds himself increasingly drawn to the brilliant mind and resilient spirit behind the bestselling novels he’s long admired. As her deadline approaches, Dimity must decide whether to trust in the magic of the cottage and open her heart to honesty or retreat into the worlds she creates on the page, where she can control every happy ending but her own.
A heartwarming Christmas romance about learning to see with more than just your eyes and finding love where you least expect it.
Pre-Order
Annie Seaton
Storm Season
Book 3, Bec Whitfield Mystery
Expected Release:
15 January 2026
Detective Bec Whitfield thought she'd found paradise in tropical Mission Beach—and maybe even love with charming local developer Jake Morrison. But when Cyclone Meredith threatens the coast, emergency preparations uncover a twenty-year-old secret buried in concrete.
The skeletal remains belong to Marcus “Moondog” Sullivan, a former Sydney property developer turned environmental activist who vanished in 2004 during heated battles over coastal development. Marcus had made powerful enemies on both sides of the conservation debate, and someone wanted him silenced permanently.
As Bec investigates, the case becomes uncomfortably personal. Jake's construction company was involved in the building where Marcus was found, and her new boyfriend grows increasingly evasive about his past. When Detective Todd Davenpot arrives from Brisbane with warnings about Jake's reputation, Bec finds herself caught between two men and a web of corruption that reaches far beyond Mission Beach.
With the cyclone bearing down and evacuation orders imminent, Bec must solve a murder that exposes decades of environmental crime and political corruption. But the closer she gets to the truth, the more she realises that Marcus Sullivan died because he threatened to expose secrets that powerful people will kill to protect.
In a race against time and the storm of the century, Bec will discover that some foundations are built on lies—and that choosing the wrong person to trust can be deadly.
Perfect for fans of Jane Harper and Candice Fox.
Buy
Annie Seaton
Beneath Still Waters
Book 4, Daughters of the Darling
Expected Release:
1 July
In the aftermath of a personal decision, Shea O’Byrne has retreated to Melbourne, abandoning her career as a vet nurse to counsel women through pregnancy loss—a pain she understands all too well. When her father’s genealogical research uncovers a long-buried scandal involving the family’s forgotten ancestor, Samuel O’Byrne, Shea reluctantly agrees to help investigate.
Her search leads her to Professor Eliza Westfield and her compelling brother, Heath, a cardiologist whose gentle persistence begins to crack the walls around Shea’s heart. But as Tom delves deeper into the life of Clara O’Byrne—Samuel’s rebellious daughter, whose story eerily mirrors Shea’s—past and present collide in unexpected ways.
When Shea’s former lover follows her to Ceann Mara, bringing with him the painful secret she’s kept from everyone, she must finally confront the choices that have shaped her life. A sudden storm at the billabong forces Shea to decide whether some secrets are worth keeping—and if the O’Byrne family legacy of resilience and love lives on in her.
Spanning two centuries of family history, heartbreak, and healing, Beneath Still Waters continues the sweeping saga of the O’Byrne family, where every discovery on the banks of the Darling River reveals that our most personal struggles often echo through generations.
Pre-Order
Annie Seaton
Hearts in Harmony
Bindarra Creek Christmas in July
(multi-author)
Expected Release:
1 July
Desperate for a fresh start away from her family's farm, preschool teacher Amelia Johnson can no longer watch her father's declining health or endure her sister's constant criticism. When she finds the perfect rental within walking distance of her classroom, it feels like fate has finally smiled upon her.
That is, until the charming and frustratingly handsome Daniel Dupont appears on her doorstep, claiming his aunt owns the property—and he's moving in. As they reluctantly agree to share the cosy cottage, Amelia discovers that living with the gorgeous Frenchman stirs feelings she's not prepared for. Between her grandmother's wholehearted approval of Daniel and the secrets he seems to be keeping, Amelia must decide: should she guard her heart and retreat to the familiar comfort of her family farm, or take a chance on the unexpected romance blooming under their shared roof?
Pre-Order
Suzanne Gilchrist
Hidden Dreams
A Bindarra Creek Christmas in July Romance
(multi-author)
Expected Release:
1 July
Will they trust each other sufficiently to reveal the dreams hidden deep inside their hearts?
Influencer, Pixie Wellington, has one goal in her life – attain fame and fortune and show her ex exactly what he tossed aside when he betrayed her with her bestie all those years ago. Receiving an invitation to her brother’s wedding along with the news of a small town Christmas in July festival, she senses she’s on the edge of something wonderful. Finally, she’ll prove her worth.
Sheep farmer, Jordan Chase, is content with small town life but has given up on finding love. Afterall, the woman who’s been his best mate since childhood is now engaged to someone else. Confronted with an American woman who seems to spend more time filming rather than participating in life, he wants nothing more than to escape back to his almost hermit existence.
Thrown together as best brides man and the groom’s best woman, chief gingerbread house helpers and the family parade float detailers, Pixie and Jordan soon discover they have more in comman than they ever thought possible.
***
Welcome to Bindarra Creek Christmas in July multi-author series and experience love and life in a small Australian town.
Juanita Kees
It Might Be You
A Bindarra Creek Christmas in July Romance
(multi-author)
Expected Release:
1 July
Haunted by the silence in her city apartment after her mother's passing, Bonny Taylor throws herself into her work as a principal violinist for the Sydney Philharmonic Orchestra, seeking solace in music. Until a chance encounter with a charming stranger offers an unexpected escape.
Trading the city's noise for the warmth of a small-town celebration, Bonny finds herself captivated by weddings, winter festivities, and the undeniable pull of attraction to Adam McGuigan, the farmer from Yarraman Downs.
As she falls deeper into the magic of the Bindarra Creek community, can a world-renowned musician trade her concert hall for a farmer's field in rural Australia or will the lure of her career prove too strong?
COVERS
Leisl Leighton
The Blood and the Seer
Book 1, Blood Rites
has new cover!
Her blood carries ancient secrets. His blood carries her death …
Leisl Leighton
Alpha Bound
Book 2, Dawn of the Curse
has new cover!
A power too great for even her mate to withstand …
~~
Congratulations to our DarkSiders!
Happy Reading everyone. Be safe & well.
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