“RINGING.
An insistent, continuous, ringing dragged Dev from a brain-dead sleep. Stifling a groan, he reached across and thumped the alarm clock. The sound continued. Shaking off the groggy confusion, he dragged himself out of bed, as the cacophony appeared to be someone leaning on the doorbell.
Dev barrelled down the stairs, almost succumbing to a broken neck when an impatient Siamese wound herself between his feet.
'Hang on, Carmen. I'll feed you in a sec.'”
- Purr-fect Pitch by Carolyn Wren
PRE-ORDERS
Annie Seaton
The Witching Hour
Book 3, Catherine Snowden Supernatural Thriller
Expected Release:
15 September
Some churches should stay abandoned.
Six months after stopping a serial killer, Detective Inspector Catherine Snowden has finally found peace. Her gift—the ability to hear the dead—is under control. She has boundaries. A loving husband. A quiet life in the countryside.
Until Rebecca Wright's spirit reaches out.
Twenty-four-year-old Rebecca was found hanging in an abandoned church, ruled suicide. But her sister is having vivid nightmares—Rebecca showing her a man's face, a struggle, a murder.
Catherine takes the case. Just one more investigation.
But St. Bartholomew's Church holds a darker secret. Five women have died there over twenty years. All ruled suicides. All found at 3 AM in the bell tower. And every night at the witching hour, something ancient stirs within the deconsecrated walls.
As Catherine investigates, she discovers the truth: this isn't suicide. It's ritual murder. And the killer believes Catherine's gift makes her the perfect final sacrifice.
The witching hour is coming. And this time, Catherine might not survive till dawn.
A gripping supernatural thriller perfect for fans of dark mysteries and gifted detectives.
Pre-Order
Annie Seaton
May Day Magic
Book 6, The Enchanted Village
Expected Release:
20 May
Patrick Doyle was supposed to be something brilliant. His family had chosen his profession before he’d even finished school—medicine, law, anything worthy of their cleverest son.
Instead, he followed his heart and became an English teacher. And for a long time, that was enough.
Then came the year that broke him.
Now Patrick is moving to the Cotswolds, his books packed in boxes and his faith in himself left behind, to take up a teaching post in a quiet market town and a cottage in a village.
But Lavender Cottage has already been waiting for him.
As May unfolds across the village, Lily Morrison watches Patrick Doyle move quietly through it, slowly coming to understand himself. Can she help Patrick see that maybe he made the right choice?
The village does its work. It always does.
May Magic is the sixth book in the beloved Enchanted Village series—a story about the courage it takes to choose your own life, and the person who helps you realise you already have.
Pre-Order
Raven Corbin
Murder at Millmerran House
Book 1, Bitterport Mysteries
Expected Release:
24 June
A crumbling mansion. A ghost seeking justice. A mystery that someone will kill to keep buried.
In the abandoned gothic town of Bitterport, Tasmania, Millmerran House has been waiting. When London hotelier Aiden Bellingan inherits the neglected Victorian estate, he discovers the renovation comes with a resident ghost — Elvira Brown silenced in 1945, and furious about it.
Interior designer Marielle McGregor knows she shouldn’t take the job. The mansion already claimed her father, who vanished while uncovering its wartime secrets. But Elvira is surprisingly helpful for a dead woman, and Aiden is surprisingly hard to resist.
As hidden passages reveal decades of betrayal, conspiracy, and stolen justice, Marielle and Aiden race to uncover the truth before the killer still protecting those secrets claims their next victims.
In Millmerran House, the past isn’t dead. It’s just waiting to be restored.
Suzanne Gilchrist
The Body in the Bath House
Book 2, Bitterport Mysteries
Expected Release:
29 June
A fresh start. A gruesome discovery. And a killer with a dangerous obsession.
Mercy Galanis needs a new beginning. Inheriting a crumbling historic bathhouse in the remote Tasmanian ghost town of Bitterport seems like the universe delivering. Until she gets there.
The weather is brutal. The town is barely breathing. The bathhouse is in ruins. And Mercy can’t shake the feeling that something — or someone — is watching her every move.
Then her dog unearths a mummified body, and Bitterport’s silence takes on a darker meaning.
Determined to uncover the dead man’s identity — and her own unsettling connection to him — Mercy reluctantly teams up with Zac Alexander, the infuriatingly capable single-dad plumber with renovation plans of his own and zero interest in complications. Mercy, apparently, is nothing but.
As they dig deeper into Bitterport’s buried past, someone determined to protect their secret at all cost decides they have come too close.
In Bitterport, the ground always gives up its dead. The question is whether you survive the discovery.
Lana Pecherczyk
The Sinner and the Priest
Book 3, Sinner Sisterhood
Expected Release:
28 April
A week ago, I was an exorcist with ironclad vows. Now...
I confess to Almighty God, and to you, my brothers and sisters, that I have greatly sinned in my thoughts… especially in thoughts involving my Roman collar, a certain red-headed Sinner’s wrists, and the desk in my church’s oratory.
I spent years in prison trying to starve the violence and hunger in my cursed blood. Instead, I found it purring when the sisterhood’s deadliest seductress entered my confessional and whispered her litany of filth.
I have lied to my superiors. I have sworn to dismantle this heretical organization, while secretly burning every bridge back to Rome to keep her safe.
I am the shepherd who was too busy counting freckles on her bare shoulder to hear the screaming of my flock.
Through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault... I told Mercy I was not her prophesied, fated Saint. But when her sister dared to threaten her life…
I forgot that I am Father Francisco Angelotti, the former mafia enforcer, whose vows are a muzzle to keep the world safe from his teeth. I forgot that I should have been hunting the Third Horseman, Famine, and his demons in my flock’s garden.
And I forgot that I was the wolf who taught them how to eat.
If you enjoy stories about irreverent bad girls corrupting the good boys, heartbreaking slow burn smut with all the feels, complex characters with tragic backstories, compelling plot, hilarious banter, suspense, and action, then this is for you.
For fans of Buffy, Supernatural, Constantine, and K-pop Demon Hunters, but for adults.
Tropes you'll love:
Forbidden priest romance
Monster unleashed for her
Touch her and you die
Morally grey hero with a violent past
Found family of orphans and misfits
Cute demon pets
Magical weapons that work only for her
Book 3 in the Sinner Sisterhood series. Each book follows a different couple. Best enjoyed in order.
Please note: This series contains dark themes, explicit content, religious imagery, and morally complex characters. HEA guaranteed.
Melody Beckett
Alien Warrior's Honor
Book 1, Taurean Mercenaries
Expected Release:
28 April
A warrior with a secret. A woman desperate to find her sister. A twist neither saw coming.
During an alien invasion, slavers snatch Aletta’s sister, tearing her world apart. Hunted and alone, Aletta expects death—until Gark, a mercenary captain with a fearsome reputation, saves her life.
Gark has spent his whole life fighting against the dishonor of his heritage. But the moment he touches Aletta, his suppressed side erupts, triggering a mate drive he cannot control. As they race through the stars to track her sister’s captors, Gark saves Aletta again and again, his growing desperation mirroring his fading sanity.
In the shadow of her sister's rescue, Aletta faces a final, terrifying choice: accept Gark's claim, or let him succumb to the madness of an unrequited mate bond. When everyone she's ever loved has left her, can she trust in Gark's promises of forever?
Alien Warrior’s Honor is a fated mates, sci-fi romance where survival demands sacrifice, and love may be the only thing strong enough to tame a monster.
- releases 1 week earlier.
Get free character art if order via author store.
Ava Silvers
The Shadowflame Crown
Book 2, Threads of FateExpected Release:
30 April
To save her life, he might have to surrender his crown. To save his kingdom, she might have to surrender her soul.
Kael Damaris has finally seized the Crimson Throne. But his ruthless victory tastes like ash when the woman he desires is fading right before his eyes. Cressida’s mind and magic have been fractured by the very fate-weaving he forced her to perform. The Unity prophecy still looms over them, and the fragile peace of the vampire realm is already shattering.
A new and deadly threat rises from the darkness. The Shadowflame Crown is an ancient artifact of unimaginable power. It is the only thing that can heal Cressida's broken soul and secure Kael's unstable reign. But claiming the crown requires a sacrifice neither of them is prepared to make.
As enemies close in and dark magic threatens to consume them both, Kael must choose between the kingdom he bled for and the witch who stole his cold heart. Cressida must decide if she can truly trust the monster who broke her. Their twisted bond will either save their world or burn it to the ground.
Fans of Jen L. Grey and Lea Stone will fall under the thrall of this thrilling, addictive fantasy drama.
Scroll up and one click to continue this dark paranormal romance between a ruthless vampire king and a fate-weaving witch.
TJ Nichols
Mytho Investigations Side Stories
Mytho Investigations
Expected Release:
28 April
What do an elf and a werewolf have in common?
They both find their HEA in these stories about side characters in the Mytho Investigations series.
Includes:
Weddings and other One-night stands
Werewolves and other Worries
Bonus scenes featuring Jordan and Edra
TJ Nichols
Queens and Other Quarrels
Book 4, Mytho Collapse
Expected Release:
28 July
Pan and Noah's story continues...
The centaurs make a visit to town and Noah leans to be more careful with what he wishes for.
MM urban fantasy romance between an ancient god who has lost his magic and a human who is now selkie.
TJ Nichols
The Librarian's Familiar
Book 13, Familiar Mates
Expected Release:
28 June
A grumpy polar bear shifter returns home to the small town he grew up in after over a decade away...
A librarian with a dangerous magic takes on the role of Coven agent in the remote town...
Neither of them are looking for trouble, but when it comes they will need to trust the fragile bond between them.
Book 13 in the MM fated mates shifter romance series.
Mila Young
Their Fierce Little Monster
Monster Games
but can be read as standalone
Expected Release:
14 October
Welcome to the Day of the Choosing.
Where the sacred Chalice decides your fate.
And monsters always take those selected as their brides…
I’ve spent my whole life fearing the moment my name might be called.
But before the ceremony even begins, I’m dragged before the village and branded a heretic for what I am. Then sentenced to burn alive.
Only, I don’t die.
Instead, the fire wakes something inside me.
Something savage and unworldly.
The problem is, the Monster Lord claimed me before the chalice ever could.
And according to village law, that means there’s only one way to prove I’m his to keep.
The Monster Games.
Now I’m being dragged into the dangerous Carpathian Mountains with the Monster Lord, the Priest who swears he’s there to protect me, and a third monster lurking in the shadows, waiting for his chance.
Escape might no longer be an option.
Because the more they close in, the harder it becomes to deny the truth.
I was never meant to survive them.
I was meant to belong to them all.
Author’s Note: This story is a standalone fated mates monster romance set in a dystopian human realm ruled by undeniable attraction, deadly games, and possessive monsters. Each book in the Monster Games world can be read as a standalone.
Efthalia
will be included in the Rotten to the Core anthology
for the
Once Upon a Fairytale event
with the story Crimson Queen
(see cover in covers section)Expected Release:
10 October
A vengeful Queen. A rebel with a cause.
Scarlett Hart never wanted to be Queen of once flourishing Cardia, but fate gave her a knife and a reason to rule. With murmurs of rising rebellions and attempts being made on her life, she must trust her instinct and one man she believed to be dead.
Kaspian Cross has the perfect plan: get in, kill the Queen, and get out. What he doesn’t expect is to lock eyes with her to know he can never execute his well-laid-out plan. His heart still wants her.
Captured and facing execution, his rebel group breaks him out, but not before he makes his childhood love an offer: abandon the throne, join me, or face the wrath that is coming and lose your kingdom.
Life gives Scarlett a second chance to fulfil her desires for freedom and love. Will she be brave enough to face them?
M.J. Scott
Wicked Lies
Book 7, Techwitch
Expected Release:
13 October
* new release date*
My mother was a wicked witch. Turns out my dad wasn’t so great either. I’ve paid for their choices and I use my magic for good. But that doesn’t mean the darker side of the magical world will leave me alone…
Wicked Deeds is the seventh 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!
Author's note: For tropes and CW, please check the author's website.
Non Spec-Fic
TJ Nichols
Nicks and Cuts
Foggy Basin season three
Expected Release:
28 August
A reclusive knife maker and a paramedic in need of a new start create a spark...
Dante Cutler does just enough to make sure the locals know he's alive, but otherwise he keeps to himself and he has no desire to let anyone close. He has too many scars for that. The last thing he expects is for his Pride hook up to knock on his door. While he's used to handling hot metal, Shannon Oakes, the new paramedic, is a lot more dangerous for his heart.
Welcome to Foggy Basin. Nestled at the base of the foothills in northern California, this small town is full of characters just waiting to tell you their story. Whether you’re just passing through or you decide to stay a while longer, you’ll always find a warm welcome from the townsfolk. From farmers and animal rescues to artists and small business owners. Foggy Basin has it all.
Annie Seaton
Outback Secrets
Book 2, The Happy Outback Hotel
Expected Release:
28 May
Small-town outback romance where love is worth the wait.
Jill and Ryan’s story continues in Outback Secrets as Irish photographer Finn O’Sullivan arrives in Garnet Creek running from a scandal—his reputation destroyed, his career in ruins.
Librarian Charlotte Hayes recognises Finn the moment he walks into her library. Her reaction is immediate, complicated—and she's not about to explain why.
When Finn is offered part-time bar work at The Happy Outback Hotel, Charlotte tells herself to stay away, but she can't ignore the growing connection between them—or the guilt of staying silent whilst Finn suffers.
When Charlotte's past catches up to her, threatening everything she's built, staying silent is no longer an option. Speaking the truth could save Finn—or destroy them both.
As Garnet Creek rallies around them both, Finn and Charlotte must decide: keep running from the past or stand and fight for the love and family they never expected to find.
Because sometimes the biggest secret is what you're afraid to reach for.
Pre-Order
Annie Seaton
Under Darling Skies
Book 5, Daughters of the Darling
Expected Release:
30 April
Bridget O'Byrne thought she was building the future with her brilliant business partner and cutting-edge AI technology. Eighteen months later, she's trapped in Sydney, financially ruined, and under the controlling influence of Antony Saar. When his venture collapses amid fraud investigations, Bridget returns home to Ceann Mara with her confidence shattered.
Back on the family property she once dismissed as old-fashioned, Bridget struggles to rebuild her life. Her path to recovery takes an unexpected turn when she reconnects with Danny Walsh, a quietly competent stockman who was her closest friend in primary school. Danny's contentment with honest work and simple truths challenges everything Bridget thought she wanted.
Meanwhile, Tom and Cat's genealogical research uncovers the mystery of eleven-year-old Roisin O'Byrne, Catherine's sister, who vanished from Melbourne in 1880. Following Roisin's trail to the goldfields, Bridget begins to understand that sometimes survival requires losing yourself completely before you can find your way home.
A story about recognising manipulation, rebuilding trust, and discovering that the most profound strength often comes from the simplest truths.
Pre-Order
Annie Seaton
Dark Waters
Book 4, Bec Whitfield Mystery
Expected Release:
31 July
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.
Pre-Order
D.K. Hood
Nothing Stays Burried
Book 30, Detectives Kane and Alton
Expected Release:
30 June
Fear grips her as she passes under the last streetlight on the remote highway. Seeing the familiar truck, she thinks she’s safe. But her scream is silenced by a gloved hand before her world goes black…
When Sheriff Jenna Alton and Deputy David Kane investigate a cold case on a remote ranch in Black Rock Falls, what they uncover chills them to the bone. In a shallow grave lies the lifeless body of farm worker Maria Reyes. Jenna’s heart breaks as she sweeps aside the woman’s long dark hair to find purple bruising all over her face.
Interviewing workers at the ranch, Jenna senses hostility and feels eyes watching her. Every instinct screams that something very sinister is happening here and when news breaks that another young woman is missing, her pulse races once again. Jenna knows she’s running out of time to find the girl before she too ends up in a woodland grave.
Jenna and her team work night and day, ignoring the growing threat from the farm workers around them, and soon discover a link between the ranch and an unsolved case where two people were burned alive in a remote cabin. Could a twisted killer have been using this place as a hunting ground for over a decade?
When a call comes in about suspicious activity at an off-the-grid hut in the nearby forest, Jenna knows this is the breakthrough they need. Scrambling her team, she prays that she can catch this ruthless killer before he takes another innocent life. But what waits for her beneath the trees is more terrifying than anything she imagined. Can she find the missing girl and save herself from becoming the monster’s next victim?
COVERS
Efthalia
Crimson Queen
Expected Release:
10 October
The story will be available at the Once Upon a Fairytale Event in October.
Details of inclusion of the story in the charity anthology mentioned in pre-orders section.
~~
Congratulations to our DarkSiders!
Happy Reading everyone. Be safe & well.
Next on the DarkSider News: Events!
