DarkSider News: January 2026 - General News!

       

 

"Prologue

Isle of Eigg, December 1565 

Is it another walk ye want, my darling lad?" Roisin MacDonald smiled indulgently at her beloved terrier, who panted excitedly at the prospect of a third escape from the castle today. In truth, she was as eager as her sweet Ecne to take advantage of the break in the weather. The storms that had buffeted the Isle of Eigg over the last few days had finally blown themselves out over the sea, leaving the air bright and crisp.

 No wonder her eldest sister, Isolde, hadn't wasted any time in taking her mysterious stranger from the sea, Njord, up to the peak of An Sgurr, the magnificent ridge that defined Eigg, in the shadow of which Sgur Castle nestled."

 - Abducted by the Highlander (Book 1, Daughters of the Isle) by Christina Phillips

New DarkSider - sort of....

L.A. Monteiro also writes as

Lisa Rodrigues

Lisa Rodrigues is a Paranormal Romance author based in Perth, Australia. She’s a neurodivergent Eurasian Australian, a goth, a burner and a sometimes acroyogi.

She works part-time in public tech policy, after ten years in marketing and communications, 

and is currently querying ‘Neon Vamps’.

See Lisa's page on the DarkSide DownUnder website. 

Lisa has recently started up on Substack.

Leisl Leighton

The Gods Cursed series is now available in German. 

Amazon Aus | Amazon de

D.K. Hood

Promises in the Dark (Book 10, Detectives Kane and Alton) now has a pre-order in French. 

Due for release 23 August.

Amazon Aus | Amazon Fr

Anna Hackett

Mission: Her Freedom (Book 6, Team 52) is now available in German.

Amazon Au and Amazon de

The Hero She Needs (Book 1, Unbroken Heroes) is now available in German.

Amazon Au and Amazon de

Saving Mr. Norcross (Novella, Norcross Security) is now available in German.

Amazon Au and Amazon de

Christina Phillips

The Highland Warrior Chronicles have been translated into German.

Amazon Aus | Amazon.de

 

 

 

and in French.

Amazon Aus | Amazon.fr

French covers done by Eleni Konstantine's alter ego, HelzKat Designs. 

The Druid Chronicles have been translated into German.

Amazon Aus | Amazon.de

 

 

Lilliana Rose

Dragon Reborn (Book 2, The Ochre Dragon Shifter) has been translated into German.

Amazon Aus | Amazon.de

Dragon Desire (Book 3, The Ochre Dragon Shifter) has been translated into German.

Amazon Aus | Amazon.de

Books 4-6 of the series are on pre-order.

Covers done by Eleni Konstantine's alter ego, HelzKat Designs. 

Cathleen Ross

Heat (Book 1, Zombies) has been translated to German.

Amazon Aus | Amazon.de

Bernadette Rowley

Bernadette has the following blogs about the Romantasy Hero: 

The Romantasy Hero: What Makes Him Unforgettable

Archetypes of the Romantasy Hero - part 1 and part 2

And about Mythical Animals in Romantasy - part 1

Also check out Bernadette's pins on Pinterest. 

Donna Maree Hanson

The Prudential Light had a Release Day post on 

the Australian Romance Readers Association (ARRA) blog. 

Donna hosted an interview with character Jemima about The Prudential Light on her blog. 

Melinda Sørensen

Melinda was in her local newspaper, The Geelong Advertiser.

Alexandra Almond

Alexandra lists her favourite reads of 2025 on her blog. 

Clare Boston

Clare will no longer book on Facebook. 

Instead she will be concentrating on building a community on Substack. 

Theresa Fuller

Theresa's session at the Peranakan Saying Festival was recorded.

Her session was entitled A Journey Through Language and Legacy (takes you to Facebook).

Dakota Harrison

Dakota was a week long guest over at The Barrington Club with Susan Mackie Tyrrell 

(a Facebook group).  You need to join to view.

~~

Congratulations to our DarkSiders! 

Happy Reading everyone. Be safe & well. 

Next on the DarkSider News: Pre-Orders & Covers!

 

DarkSider News: January 2026 - Events!

     

"Is Glastonbury Tor the fabled Avalon of Arthurian legend? Or where Joseph of Arimathea buried the Holy Grail? Even more fantastic, does Tor–as the locals call it–hide the doorway to the kingdom of the fae, Annwn, ruled over by their king and leader of the Wild Hunt, Gwyn ab Nudd?

I ponder the myths surrounding Glastonbury’s natural hill while walking through the open doorways of St. Michael’s Tower, all that’s left of the early fourteenth-century church that used to exist on its summit. Emerging from it, the eastern view of the Somerset Levels fan out before me. Yellow fields bordered by rows of green trees or hedges look like patchwork squares stitched together to make a scenic quilt." 

– The Solstice Queen  by Melinda Sørensen 

Grab a cuppa and your diary and check out the events our DarkSiders are attending....

(featuring upcoming events for the coming two months, updates to events, and new listings)

Big Book Energy Indie Signing Event

Glenelg, SA

18 January

Helen Walton

Tickets

Facebook page

Instagram

Inked in Words: Virtual Book Signing

Online

30 January - 1 February

Lilliana Rose

Facebook group

Enchanted Readers & Authors (ERA26)

Melbourne, VIC

31 January

Khloe Wren

Leisl Leighton

Mila Young - pre-order form

Tickets - now available

Website

Facebook page

Meet Me in the Mountains

Blue Mountains, NSW

7 February

Helen Walton

Lilliana Rose

Mila Young

Rachel Armstrong

Tickets 

Website 

- includes pre-order form links

Facebook page

Facebook Attendee group

Indie Bookworm Event - Chapter 5: Fantasy

Kryal Castle, Leigh Creek, VIC

 21 February

HM Hodgson

Keri Arthur

Tickets

Pre-Orders

Website

The Book Booth's Facebook page

Book Fair Australia

Melbourne, VIC

 21 February

Leisl Leighton

Tickets and website

A Thousand Lives:

Indie Book Convention

Melbourne, VIC

18 April

HM Hodgson

Mila Young

Tickets

Website

Facebook group

Instagram

A Romantic Affair: Adelaide Romance Book Convention

Adelaide, SA

23 May 2026

HM Hodgson

Lilliana Rose

Keri Arthur is no longer attending.

Tickets

Pre-Orders

Website

Facebook groups

Four Brits Book Fest

London, UK

12 September

Maggie Rose

Tickets - out now!

Facebook page

Facebook group

Linktree

Secrets in the Pages

Bendigo, Victoria

19 September

Lilliana Rose

Tickets - out now!

Facebook page

Bookish Amour Mentor Day

Melbourne, Victoria

22 November

Lilliana Rose

Tickets - out now!

Instagram

~~

Congratulations to our DarkSiders!

Happy Reading everyone. Be safe & well.

Next on the DarkSider News: New Releases & Sales

DarkSider News: December 2025 - General News!

      

"A Girl Walks Into A Bar

Here I was with my best friend, about to do something stupid and wondering how I'd let myself get talked into this. Jen grabbed my arm and pulled me towards the bright lights and chaotic sounds of the bar. No fancy name, just 'the bar.'  That should have been my first warning, but I pushed down my unease. This was supposed to be my big adventure into the city, away from home for the first time ever. 

My one shot of freedom in a place where no one knew my secrets."

- Strange Magic (Book 1, Touch of Magic) by Ruby St George

Introducing Juanita Kees' alter ego, Raven Corbin

Some authors find inspiration in coffee shops or quiet libraries. Raven Corbin found hers in moonlit cemeteries and the whispered legends of abandoned towns.

Growing up on family vacations that other children might have found terrifying, Raven was enchanted by crumbling headstones, forgotten settlements, and her father’s spine-tingling campfire stories that brought the past to life. But it was her older sister’s home — an historic dwelling dating back to 1814 — that truly opened Raven’s eyes to the world beyond the veil. Living alongside restless spirits, including one particularly dramatic poltergeist, became as natural as morning coffee.

These early encounters sparked a lifelong fascination with the deeper mysteries behind supernatural phenomena. Raven discovered her true calling: helping tormented souls find the peace they’ve been seeking for decades, sometimes centuries, by uncovering the truth behind their tragic stories.

Raven masterfully weaves together historical mysteries, paranormal encounters, and small-town secrets in her atmospheric novels. Her Bitterport Mystery Series, set in the hauntingly beautiful but abandoned Tasmanian town of Bitterport, will captivate readers worldwide with a perfect blend of ghostly intrigue, buried secrets, and heartwarming romance.

Drawing from her background in professional editing and publishing, Raven crafts emotionally engaging stories where every creaking floorboard and mysterious apparition serves the larger purpose of justice and redemption. Her paranormal mysteries are for readers who appreciate stories where the supernatural meets the deeply human.

When she’s not communing with spirits or researching historical mysteries, Raven travels extensively, seeking inspiration in the world’s forgotten corners. She shares her adventures with her partner who has learned to pack sage and salt alongside the usual travel essentials.

Raven believes that every ghost has a story worth telling, and every mystery deserves to be solved — preferably with a happy ending for both the living and the dead.

“I don’t write horror stories. I write healing stories that happen to involve ghosts.” — Raven Corbin

See Raven's page on the DarkSide DownUnder website. 

Melinda Sørensen

Melinda was a guest on Weaving Words into Stories with Selina

talking about Writing Romantic Magical Realism.

The Solstice Queen was also reviewed by The Book Dragon's Den

Claire Boston

Claire has moved her newsletter to Substack.

And has Chapter 1 of Repairing Dreams posted there. 

Bernadette Rowley

Bernadette has a three part series on her blog about 

The Romantasy Hero: What Makes Him Unforgettable.

and Archetypes of the Romantasy Hero - Part 1 

Also check out Bernadette's pins on Pinterest. 

Lilliana Rose

Dragon Bond has been translated into German. 

The rest of the series is on pre-order.

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

Mel Teshco

The Gangters at War series is now available in French.

Amazon Au and Amazon fr

Covers done by Eleni Konstantine's alter ego, HelzKat Designs. 

Anna Hackett

Mission: Her Safety (Book 5, Team 52) is now available in German.

Amazon Au and Amazon de

D.K. Hood

Her Broken Wings (Book 8, Detectives Kane and Alton) is now available in French.

Her Shallow Grave (Book 9, Detectives Kane and Alton) now has a pre-order in French. 

Due for release 26 January.

Tears on Her Grave (Book 24, Detectives Kane and Alton) and 

Fear For Her Life (Book 25, Detectives Kane and Alton) are available in German. 

 

Good Girls Don't Cry (Book 26, Detectives Kane and Alton) and 

Their Haunted Hearts (Book 27, Detectives Kane and Alton) are now available for pre-order in German. 

 

Amy Hutton

Amy was interviewed on Talking Aussie Books, a podcast by Claudine Tinellis.

Readings mentioned Ghosted.

And Ghosted was a top audiobook for October on Spotify.

(See Amy's post on Instagram)

 

Leisl Leighton

Join Leisl's Legends on Ream to get early access to chapters of The Huntress and the Vampire King. 

Annie Seaton

Beneath Still Waters  gets a review on Facebook on Katie's Reading Nook.

Cathleen Ross

The Sheikh’s Forced Bride (Book 3, Billionaires & Sheikhs) was a 

Feature Book on the ARRA blog (Australian Romance Readers Association).

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

Christina Phillips

Abducted by the Highlander (Book 3, The Daughters of the Isle) was 

reviewed on Historical Romance Reviews.

~~

Congratulations to our DarkSiders! 

Happy Reading everyone. Be safe & well. 

Next on the DarkSider News: Pre-Orders & Covers!