DarkSider News - we're back!

Hello there DarkSide friends, welcome to the very first DarkSider News.

We have had a quiet year in 2017 on the blog, website, Twitter and Facebook.

There had been discussion of whether we would continue in our previous form for a number of reasons. The short answer is not exactly. Find out how after some news from our DarkSiders.

NEW RELEASES

Silver Reaper by Shelley Russell Nolan was released 1st October!
This is book three in The Reaper Series.

How far would you go to save those marked for Death?

When the call to reap uncovers a new threat to Easton and its inhabitants, Tyler is drawn back into a world she thought she’d left behind.

Forced to face her greatest fears, she seeks to uncover the identity of the rogue reaper murdering men employed by her former ally. But the search leads her to a conspiracy decades in the making.

With the line between friends and enemies blurring, Tyler begins to question her loyalties as she fights to stop the storm threatening to engulf Easton. But when the Grim Reaper offers the last hope, death might be the least of her problems.

Who can Tyler trust when even her allies want her dead?

You can buy it on Amazon US and Amazon Aus.

 

PRE-ORDERS 

The Black Tide by Keri Arthur is now available for pre-order over at iTunes and Amazon for our North American friends.

This is the third and final book in The Outcast Trilogy.

New York Times bestselling author Keri Arthur brings her Outcast series to a breathtaking conclusion as Déchet supersoldier Tiger races against time to save humanity from darkness and total annihilation….

Though Winter Halo–the pharmaceutical company behind the evil experimentation on both children and adults–has been destroyed, the danger is far from over. Not only do seven children remain unaccounted for, but some of the vampires are now able to walk in light.

The key to stopping the unthinkable lies in finding Ciara Dream, the last member of the trio behind the plot to give full light immunity to both the vampires and the Others. But Ciara, like Tiger herself, is a shapeshifter, able to take on any human form she desires.

To find her, Tiger will need to use every skill in her formidable arsenal, and even that might not be enough to save the city and the people she has started to care about.

Because the vampires are coming, and this time, the lights won’t stop them.

You can pre-order at:

iTunes US | iTunes CA | Amazon US | Amazon CA

COVER LOVE

Hell's Bell by Keri Arthur has got an amazing cover!  

It's book 2 of the Lizzie Grace series and due for release February 2018.

NEW DARKSIDER

Welcome Juanita Kees to the DSDU!

Juanita writes Romantic Suspense, Rural Romance and Paranormal/ Fantasy Romance.


Check out her bio page over on our website.

Her latest release is a rural romance called Secrets at Wongan Creek.

It is book two of the Wongan Creek series.


Still waters run deep in Wongan Creek…

When spray drift ruins his crop and throws his ability to hold on to the family farm in question, Harley Baker wants to confront his neighbour and shout his rage and worry to the sky. But arguments are tricky when the woman whose herbicides killed his crop is also the woman he’s loved his whole life.

Tameka Chalmers knows that her father’s farming methods are outdated, inefficient, and even dangerous, so when Harley charges her with the loss of his livelihood, she can only accept the blame. There’s so much she would like to do differently, but her father’s rule is absolute and if she wants to keep working the farm she loves, she must do as she’s told.

But the simple action of speaking with Harley, the man she wants but can never have, starts an unexpected chain reaction of events that throw everything she’s ever known into question: her past, her family, her life. Dark secrets come to light and when Tameka is injured in a house fire, she and Harley have one small chance to seize a lifetime of happiness, if only they are able to rise from the ashes and claim it.

You can find the buy links here.

PREVIOUS 2017 RELEASES

Since we missed out on some of our releases during the year, we'll feature some every month.


The Lady and the Pirate by Bernadette Rowley is the third book in the Wildecoast Saga and was released in February.

Lady Esta Aranati, burdened by an impoverished estate, has turned her hand to smuggling. She leads a double life, a mask and wig the only shields that protect her reputation. Swashbuckling pirate Samael Delacost craves her cargo and her heart. But before he can be worthy of her love, he must exorcize the ghosts of his past. An irresistible connection binds them but will that be enough to convince Samael to turn his back on the sea, or for Esta to take a chance on happiness she doesn’t think she deserves? 

The Lady and the Pirate continues The Wildecoast Saga, with popular The Lord and the Mermaid characters Nikolas Cosara and his wife Merielle featured in this latest instalment from Bernadette Rowley.

You can get a copy at Amazon US and Amazon Aus.

Blood Kissed by Keri Arthur  was released in May.  It's book 1 of the Lizzie Grace series.

In a world where magic and science sit side by side, and powerful witches are considered necessary aides for all governments, Lizzie Grace is something of an outlier. Though born into one the most powerful blue blood witch families, she wants nothing to do with either her past or her magic.

But when she and Belle, her human familiar and best friend, open a small cafe in the Faelan werewolf reservation, she quickly finds herself enmeshed in the hunt for a vampire intent on wreaking bloody havoc. It’s a hunt that soon becomes personal, and one that is going to take all her skills to survive–that’s if the werewolves, who hate all things witch, don’t get her first.

You can find buy links on Keri's website. 

Finding Paradise by Juanita Kees was released in March. It is book one of The Gods of Oakleigh.

From the shores of Mykonos to Melbourne Australia, Arian and Ajax find that sometimes in life or death true love is worth fighting for. 

Arian Kendrick has always felt she doesn’t quite fit in. On holiday in Mykonos she rescues a little girl from drowning and discovers powers she didn’t know she had. As her long-dormant mystical talents blossom, so does her heart when she meets Ajax, the handsome, mysterious Greek-Melbournian who swears he is destined to be in her life. 

After falling on his sword after the Battle of Troy, Ajax the Great is banished to Van Diemen’s Land where he must search for a way to redeem his soul. Two thousand years later, he is given a second chance when Zeus orders him to Mykonos to search out and protect the future Queen of the Faeries, Arianrhod. The last thing he expects is to fall in love. 

But every romantic island holiday must come to an end, and the mysteries and fairytales of Mykonos fade into the suburban reality of Melbourne where Arian begins to doubt Greek lore and the magic in her veins. 

Can Arian embrace her mythical legacy in time to save her people as Hades threatens to destroy Paradise forever, and will Ajax rise to fight by her side, or is he destined to fall on his sword for eternity? 

The quiet suburb of Oakleigh may never be the same again. Not as long as the gods are in town...

You can buy it on Amazon US and Amazon Aus.

Now we continue with our DSDU news...

Website

The website will continue to host our DarkSider bio pages.  However they will be have a different look as we'll be using widgets from Goodreads for the covers. This cuts down on volunteer time and also gives us another avenue where we'll be located (more on this later).

We'll be slowly working on updating all our DarkSiders' pages in the coming months and we apologise for any inconvenience.

Updated pages include Keri Arthur, Juanita Kees, Bernadette Rowley, and Emmeline Lock.


From 2017 onwards, our covers page will use a widget also.

Blog

This blog has also been updated in relation to columns.

DarkSider News (formerly Good News) will be on the 1st Monday/Tuesday of the month. This will feature good news from our DarkSiders as well as any news regarding us in general. This will be run by Eleni Konstantine.


Magic Thursdays  will be on the 2nd Thursday of the month.  This is a column that covers promo, giveaways, articles on any aspect of writing, speculative fiction, feature an excerpt (formerly featured in a A Bite of.. column), or other interesting topics (eg mythology). This is run by Janni Nell.


Darklight On will be on the 4th Saturday of the month. This combines the three columns, Darklight On, Enchanted Orb, and What We Are Reading. It is a focus on the author. This is run by Shelley Russell Nolan.

Twitter

We'll have more of a presence again on Twitter concentrating on announcements to begin with.  It will be run by Juanita Kees who has joined the DSDU team. 

Facebook
We'll have more of a presence again on our Facebook page and like Twitter concentrating on announcements to begin with.  It will be run by Efthalia who has joined the DSDU team. 

Goodreads

We've created a Goodreads presence where we will be setting up shelves with DarkSider books.  This will be run by Eleni Konstantine. 

Thanks to our volunteers we're re-energised and we are back! 

Congratulations to all our DarkSiders with good news.

Good News

Welcome to this week's good news....
coming to you this week by Imogene Nix

NEW CONTRACTS

Congratulations to Imogene Nix on a brand spanking new contract with Totally Bound for 

The Chocolate Affair this is a re-release (Originally in Edible Delights Vol 2)
More details pending

and

another new contract with Totally Bound for 

Revenge On Cupid which is the final of her series including Blame The Wine and A Stranger's Embrace
More details pending

NEW RELEASES

Maree Anderson is celebrating, with two of her wildly successful titles now moving into print! The Crystal Warrior and Ruby's Dream available through CreateSpace.

Emmeline Lock is celebrating the release of her story Liberating Clementine available now in Sci-Fi Romance Quarterly.

Mel Teshco is celebrating the release of her story Shadow Hunter available now Amazon.

Imogene Nix is celebrating the release of her story Executing Justice available now Beachwalk Press.

Until next time, keep reading!
xo
Imogene Nix

Good News Day!

Welcome to this week's good news...

CONTESTS

Emmeline Lock's Little Gems short story will be included in the 2013 RWA "Sapphire" collection after it placed 2nd in the top 15 entries for the contest. You can read the full list of authors included on the RWA Blog.

BOOK COVERS & RELEASE DATES

Allegiance Sworn is the third book in the Light Blade series from Kylie Griffin and Berkley Sensation. It's out today (April 2nd trade size).

There is no mercy in the demon realm. No escape. In this place of desperation and conflict, anyone who is not purebred is virtually powerless. Until a demon leader seeks to unify the races…

With the alliance of the humans and the half-blood Na’Chi forged, the demon Na’Reish prepare for war by seizing human blood-slaves. Captured during a rescue mission-gone-wrong, Light Blade warrior Arek Barial finds himself claimed by a Na’Reishi female who offers him an unexpected choice.
Raised in the elite ranks of a society she abhors, Imhara Kaal lives a dangerous double life as a Na’Reish Clan-leader and an advocate for a caste-free life that honors the Old Ways. Openly rebelling against the Na’Reish would mean her death, unless she can find an emissary willing to present her petition to the human Blade council.
But Arek isn’t about to blindly follow a demon—despite the intense attraction growing between them. And while hatred for the Na’Reish is all he has ever known, Arek must learn to trust Imhara, or risk the destruction of all three races…

And it's double the celebration with Vengeance Born by Kylie Griffin (Berkley Sensation mass market) also being released today.

There is no mercy in the demon realm. No escape. In this place of desperation and conflict, anyone who is not pure bred is virtually powerless. Until an unlikely champion is born…
Annika, half-blood daughter of the Na’Reish King, longs for more than her tormented life among her father’s people. Conceived in hatred and bred as a tool of retribution, she’s gifted with a special talent that can heal as well as destroy.
With the Na’Reish vastly outnumbering them, Kalan, a Light Blade warrior, knows the future of humankind depends on him alone. Incursions into human territory and raids for blood-slaves by the Na’Reish Horde have increased. As Chosen-leader, he faces the task of stopping the demons—and convincing the Council of aging Light Blade warriors that change is necessary for survival.
When Annika learns Kalan is a prisoner in her father’s dungeon, her dream of escape seems within reach. She agrees to free him in exchange for his protection once they reach human territory. Now, marked for death for helping him, Annika must learn to trust Kalan as they face not only the perilous journey to the border but enemies within the Council—and discover a shocking truth that could throw the human race into civil war…

REVIEWS

Colonist's Wife by Kylie Scott received a 5 star review from My Book Chatter.

"Kylie really does have a talent for writing clever conversation and smouldering sexual attraction...A reasonably short read at just 90 pages but Louise and Adam's story is sweet, funny, sexy and sensual; and it has a great thriller/mystery element too which brings some interesting secondary characters into play."

Full review here.

Kylie Griffin's Allegiance Sworn rated 5 Hearts from Alyssa from Riverina Romantics.

"To say I was blown away by this book is an understatement. This was everything I love about a romance novel and more. All the necessities were there--captivating story, amazing characters, hot sex—but what I wasn’t expecting was the depth and entrancement of the world this book took place in."

Full review here.

And Mrs Clare's Books gave a great review for Kylie Griffin's Allegiance Sworn.

"Arek and Imhara's story just grabbed me by the heart and yanked...Never have I felt such a range of emotions while reading a book. When they hurt, I hurt. When they were touched, I was touched. When they felt empty, I felt empty. It was just profound. I loved it."

Full review here.

Darklight on...Emmeline Lock Q&A

Today's Darklight On... is with Emmeline Lock. Welcome Emmeline!

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

I write spec fic, because it’s what I love to read. The first novel can recall adoring was Tolkein’s Lord of the Rings, when I was ten. Amazing, really because I would be asleep by page fifteen these days! I watched movies like The Dark Crystal, Labyrinth, The Lost Boys and I devoured books like The Neverending Story and The Borrowers. I loved the fantastic, and I still do. If it had a happy ending, I was hooked. 

Everyone else was reading Sweet Valley High, and I had phoenix and sirens in my school bag. If a story had dragons it was a must read, and I was addicted to Celtic and Greek fables and myths. I swoon at pointy ears and get twitchy about big, curved swords. Which led to my thing for Johanna Lindsey’s heroes in my teens… 

You write novellas. What drew you to this length? 
The fact that it’s impossible to fit more than 24 hours in a day? Having three small kids, I find I’m only currently able to work in whatever little chunks of time I can grab throughout the day. Novellas seemed to be the answer, early on. Of course, many would argue it’s just as difficult, if not more so, to write a short story as a long one, so it’s been a baptism of fire. Early in my foray into writing, I met my critique partners, the lovely Anna Hackett (Silhouette Nocturne Bites) and the gorgeous Rach, who also write short, and it’s worked beautifully for us. All three of us are also working with longer pieces.


Are you a plotter? Pantser? Or somewhere in-between? 
A plantser? I think I am in the middle somewhere, with heavy plotter tendencies. I’m a visual person, so I need to ‘see’ where a story is going before I can write it with any kind of success!


Do have a favourite of your characters? 
It seems always to be the one I’m working on at the moment. Does this mean my characterization is improving? Let’s hope so!


What are you currently working on? 
Right now, I’m mentally sorting through a new story, which entails me making lots of notes, scribbling down scenes as they come to me, and doing things to fuel the writing fire, like reading and watching movies. This work is in a new vein for me—I’m still working out what it is. It’s lighter in tone than my previous pieces, and may even have a teenage heroine, or perhaps an older heroine who needs to grow up! The only thing I know for sure is that is revolves around the Fae, and a hero who needs redemption. Who knows? I’m just hanging on for the ride at this stage.


What is your favourite part of the process of writing? 
I love this early discovery phase, where anything is possible, and I get to know the characters and the story. I also love typing THE END and hitting send. Unusual, eh?  J 

What can we expect from Emmeline Lock in the future? 
I believe I’m still finding my writing voice, so for the near future, at least, I’m going to be writing, writing, writing to nail that down. I’m also subbing novellas and working closely with Anna and Rach. I’ve also committed to entering at least one contest this year. Gulp!

Who are your favourite authors? 

That’s a dynamic list! I love Anna’s work, and I admire other Aussie authors like DSDU’s own Keri Arthur, Denise Rossetti and Tracey O’Hara. Mmm, let me think…Kresley Cole, Patricia Briggs, Gena Showalter, Larissa Ione, Michele Hauf, Christine Feehan, Elisabeth Naughton, Vicki Pettersson, Joey W Hill and Nalini Singh for paranormal and urban fantasy. 

Fiona McIntosh, David & Leigh Eddings, JK Rowling, JRR Tolkein for fantasy, Meljean Brook for steampunk. I read a lot outside of spec fic, too. Jenny Crusie, Lisa Kleypas, Monica McInerney, Nora Roberts (JD Robb) and Kristan Higgins for women’s fic. Anna Campbell and Stephanie Laurens for historical. Of course, I’m open to suggestion. 

One of the most exciting things about reading is that authors and their stories are always changing, so there’s a never-ending supply of romantic gold to dig up!



What are you currently reading? 
I’ve got two craft books on the go (Creating Short Fiction, by Damon Knight and Vogler’s, The Writer’s Journey), and I’m about to embark on books by two Aussie authors, Tracey O’Hara (Death’s Sweet Embrace) and Jess Anastasi (Sanctuary). I loved Night’s Cold Kiss, and I’ve heard excellent things about Sanctuary, so I’m dying to dive in!

 

Do you have a favourite spec fiction movie or tv series?
The TV is a sought-after commodity in our house, so my viewing time is infrequent, and sometimes, I admit, I’m just in it for the man-candy (NCIS, or Castle, anyone?), but I love movies. It recently occurred to me I hadn’t seen a movie in years--you know, really sat down and concentrated on it--so I’ve made a big pile and I’m working through them. I’ve got some I know I love, like The Princess Bride, How To Train Your Dragon, Enchanted, The Shreks (Bonus—the kids watch too!), Serenity (Hello, Nathan Fillion) and Labyrinth. 

I also need to get cracking on popular ones like Avatar, Stargate and The Matrix. I must watch anything with Hugh Jackman in it, even the tea commercial. Bonus points for shirt-off action. A big pile of extra gold stars if Hugh indulges in shirt-off action.

Do you have advice for emerging writers? 
Hone your skills--Get in there and write. Get up, get coffee. Repeat.

Build your arsenal—read books on craft, do good online courses.

Share your journey—a good critique partner or group will save your life and your sanity. Get networking!



Thanks for having me, Eleni & DSDU! 

~~~

Emmeline is also the social network queen for SARA (South Australian Romance Authors) being responsible for the good news page (blog) and Twitter, and does much on Facebook. All of which I'm grateful for, being the webmistress on the site! J

What We Are Reading

Today we have DarkSiders Fiona Gregory, Paula Roe, Emmeline Lock, and Jess Anastasi (who is turning out to be our resident reviewer J )


Fiona Gregory

Starlight by Astrid Cooper - I fell in love with the cover when I first saw this book and bought it as a result. Am loving it and especially loving the well thought out chapter titles like Starlight Rapture. So much cooler than Chapter one, chapter two.

Body for Life by Bill Phillips and Michael D'Orso. I'm not really into serious weight training, just trying to rehab a badly injured knee and get back to running again. Although there are some pretty great abs, butts and chests in the photos as the back. J

RSPCA Qld Animal Training and Behaviour Centre Intermediate Program Manual. The knee injury was a result of the new puppy - a great dane cross labrador. When I say I'm reading this, I've nearly memorised it I've spent so much time with it. Unfortunately, the dog hasn't read it, so we're going to fail again this time around.

Patiently waiting on my TBR pile: Crimson City, Crimson Rogue and Seduced by Crimson from the Crimson City series. I will get to you, I will.

Paula Roe



To Wish or Not To Wish by Mindy Klasky

I looooved Mindy’s Jane Madison witch series and even though this book is the third in her As You Wish series, you can read it as a stand alone. It’s about an every-girl heroine, a genie and her four wishes, and has the wonderful humor I’m come to associate with Klasky’s stories, combined with likeable characters. Great fun!

Undead and Unworthy by Mary Janice Davidson


A blonde material girl with an obsession for designer shoes who suddenly becomes Queen of the Vampires... talk about clash of cultures! I love Queen Betsy and I also love the way MJ has grown this irreverent, quirky series. This book is a lot darker than the prior six, and even the author admits she’s taken a different tone for this and the next two. I’ve heard some rumblings about terrible things happening to our plucky heroine in the latest Undead and I’m crossing my fingers I haven’t invested my time poorly!




Driven by Megan Hart

This is the first book of hers I’ve read with a sci-fi/futuristic setting, and like all her other erotic contemporary romances, her awesome writing skills shine. Our heroine is a mech pleasure bot, our hero an exiled royal alpha male and the author takes you from a post-apocalyptic earth, into space and onto other planets with ease. I was hooked the entire time. My *only* complaint is the ending felt a little rushed – I would’ve liked to see more of the hero/heroine interacting to get to the HEA.





Emmeline Lock

MOON CALLED, by Patricia Briggs 

I’ve been inhaling a new-to-me author – Patricia Briggs. Briggs comes from a high fantasy background, but I’ve jumped in at her urban fantasy/thriller Mercy Thompson series, beginning with MOON CALLED. The series is available on Kindle/Kindle apps for Aussie readers.

From Goodreads, about MOON CALLED:

‘Werewolves can be dangerous if you get in their way, but they'll leave you alone if you are careful. They are very good at hiding their natures from the human population, but I'm not human. I know them when I meet them, and they know me, too.

Mercy Thompson's sexy next-door neighbor is a werewolf. 

She's tinkering with a VW bus at her mechanic shop that happens to belong to a vampire. 

But then, Mercy Thompson is not exactly normal herself ... and her connection to the world of things that go bump in the night is about to get her into a whole lot of trouble.’ 

This series has been my first “sorry kids, you know where the cereal is, Mummy’s reading” effort for the year. Mercy Thompson is a great kick-ass heroine without coming off as invincible. She’s a self-contained, likeable, intelligent character. Mercy is able to save the day/someone’s life/her own skin in various ways that you just don’t see coming. I did a lot of, “Well, how’s she going to get out of this one?", which is, to me, a hallmark of a good read.

The story blends the current day with vampires, werewolves, the fae (including brownies, selkies and gremlins), and of course, Mercy herself. I enjoyed Briggs’ take on the various beings’ magical abilities. The world Briggs has constructed is believable and consistent.

Now, to the men. *Happy sigh*. If something niggles me about the two books that I’ve read, it’s that Mercy seems to keep her men (she has two love interests and a third warming up at the beginning of book three, lucky girl) coolly dangling for eons. Does it make them lesser men because they’re not pushing her to choose? It could, but in the case of this series, I really don’t think it does (they’re good characters). It probably says more about me. Being a disciple of the school of instant gratification, I would like -- if not a whole lotta steam -- at least a bit more effort on Mercy’s part to nail herself a man (ahem). But of course, if she made a decision now, what would the remaining books in the series be about? Come to think of it, for me the lack of sensual scenes is a key difference between this series and what would be a similar series -- Laurell K Hamilton’s very-busy-in-the-bedroom Anita Blake. I do think I prefer Mercy, on the whole. Really, in her defense, Mercy does have a high body count to deal with, so I shall forgive her.

For me, this book puts me in mind of Gena Showalter’s Alien Huntress, Kresley Cole’s Amazons and Mercy even smacks of JD Robb’s Eve Dallas. It’s a great UF/thriller/romantic elements read.

Kindle version

The books in the Mercy Thompson series are:

1. Moon Called (2006)

2. Blood Bound (2007)

3. Iron Kissed (2008)

4. Bone Crossed (2009)

5. Silver Borne (2010)

6. River Marked (2011)

Preying for Mercy (omnibus) (2008)






Jess Anastasi

I planned on reading JR Ward's Crave, but picking up a historical romance from my TBR pile, Sins of a Wicked Duke by Sophie Jordan. It had a simple plot, but was actually hard to put down. It was one of those 'woman dresses up as man and becomes a servant in the hero's house' type stories. I was skeptical, I've read a few along these lines and was never quite convinced how dumb the hero had to be not to see that the woman he'd been lusting after was right under his nose. Anyway, Ms Jordan actually did quite a believable job of it. I was impressed. I bought this book becuase it was half price at Rendezvous, so wasn't expecting much. But I really enjoyed it and and next time I'm feel like a histoical, I'll be looking to see what else Ms. Jordan has on offer.

Maybe next month I'll get to Crave...




Thanks ladies!