Magic Thursday: Weaving Worlds: Balancing Genre Mashups in Your Writing with Ava Silvers!

Hello fellow word weavers! Ava Silvers here, ready to delve into a topic that's both exciting and challenging: blending genres. My Creatures of the Midwest series, starting with the first book where a witch hunts her sister's killer in a town teeming with supernatural beings, is a prime example of how much fun genre mashups can be. It's a blend of urban fantasy, mystery, and a touch of cozy small-town charm. But how do you create a harmonious blend without ending up with a literary Frankenstein's monster? Let's explore.

One of the biggest pitfalls of genre blending is creating a story that feels disjointed. Imagine mixing a gritty noir detective story with a light-hearted romantic comedy. Unless handled with finesse, the tonal shifts can jar the reader out of the story. The key is to find the common ground between your chosen genres. What thematic elements overlap? What character archetypes can bridge the gap?

In Creatures of the Midwest, the mystery element provides the narrative drive. Both Hazel, the witch, and Corwin, the vampire, are driven by a need to uncover the truth. This shared goal creates a natural connection between the urban fantasy and mystery aspects. The cozy small-town setting, while seemingly disparate, adds a layer of intimacy and community, grounding the supernatural elements in a relatable environment.

Think of genres as ingredients in a recipe. You wouldn't just dump everything into a bowl and hope for the best (even though I am known to cook like that!). You need to consider how the flavours will interact.

Will they complement each other or clash? A dash of spice can enhance a dish, but too much can overwhelm the palate. Similarly, a touch of horror can add depth to a fantasy novel, but an overabundance can turn it into something entirely different.

Start by identifying the primary genre of your story. This will be the foundation upon which you build. Then, carefully select secondary genres that enhance and expand your core narrative. Ask yourself: what elements of these genres can I incorporate to enrich my story? Perhaps the suspenseful pacing of a thriller, the social commentary of dystopian fiction, or the emotional resonance of a romance.

Character development is crucial in genre mashups. Your characters need to feel authentic within the blended world you've created. Hazel, for example, isn't just a witch; she's a grieving sister seeking justice. Corwin isn't just a vampire; he's a creature grappling with his identity in a world that believes he's extinct. These layered characters bridge the gap between the different genre elements, making the blend feel seamless.

Finally, don't be afraid to experiment. Genre blending is all about pushing boundaries and creating something new. Read widely in the genres you want to combine, paying attention to how other authors have successfully (or unsuccessfully) blended elements. Take inspiration from their successes and learn from their mistakes. And most importantly, have fun with it! The joy you find in creating your unique blend will shine through in your writing, captivating readers and drawing them into your wonderfully woven world.

So, go forth and blend! Create stories that defy categorisation and captivate readers with their unexpected twists and turns. Happy writing!

A Vampire in Disguise 
Book 1, Creatures of the Midwest

A witch’s mission to find her sister’s killer leads to otherworldly dangers.

When Hazel Goode’s search for a murderer lands her in Shadow Hollow, she thinks the strangest thing there is herself. But this little midwestern town has been collecting supernatural creatures for centuries, and the arrival of one more could shatter the paranormal veil.

Corwin doesn’t plan to disclose he’s a vampire. After all, vampires are supposed to be extinct. But when he enlists Hazel’s help to solve a mystery – the same mystery she is trying to solve…but for a very different reason – his secret will put them both in danger.

Helping Corwin could crack Hazel’s case wide open, or could make them the next target. Now, with the Last Vampire on Earth and Hazel both digging around in the Midwest’s magical underbelly, it won’t be long before an uncontrollable darkness is released. And this time, there will be no escape.

Fans of True Blood and Midnight, Texas will find their next fix in Creatures of the Midwest series, a thrilling, additive paranormal drama.

Start reading this cozy small town fantasy today!

Buy

See the series on Amazon

Ava Silvers

Ava Silvers is an author who specialises in the genre of Urban Fantasy. Ava's storytelling merges from her own lived experiences and imagination. When not writing she finds joy in exploring forgotten towns and haunted hotels and seeking inspiration from eerie buildings from the past. A collector of rare books and artefacts, her home reflects the magical and mysterious world like her books. A Vampire in Disguise is the first book in the Creatures of the Midwest series. 

Visit Ava on Facebook. 

Magic Thursday: Writing Crime Thrillers with D.K. Hood!

 

I always look at writing a crime thriller as an adventure. As a Pantser, the story must move along at a fast pace to keep my imagination turning over to add the twists and turns in the mystery to find the killer. 

I’m often asked why crime thrillers. I think at times authors get too comfortable in a genre or believe they can’t experiment with something different. For me moving from fantasy to crime was a big step and I’d never intended submitting a book for publication. The story for the first book in the Kane and Alton series came to me as Kane’s story. An ex-special forces sniper, injured in the line of duty, and carrying the pain of losing his wife is sent to Black Rock Falls, Montana USA, to live a quiet life as the local deputy.  The second character and main character was Jenna Alton, living in witness protection with a new name and face is a determined woman who fought her way to become the sheriff of the town.  Over the series, of now 27 books, 25 series books and 2 prequels, I have a running subplot of Kane and Alton’s relationship.

I wrote the first book, Don’t Tell  A Soul and decided to submit it. I was very fortunate to have it picked up by Bookouture (Hachette UK).

It all sounds so simple, doesn’t it? The drawbacks for writing crime thrillers are substantial. All the details involving police procedure, forensics, local laws and customs must be correct.  I write about serial killers, so whatever type of killer you choose, you must  discover what makes them tick. Look into the psychology of the killer you wish to portray. Do they kill for the thrill or is it a crime of passion, revenge or something else? This takes a great deal of research and time. 

The benefits for me have been a growing reader base and sales of over 1.6 million English versions to date. Nine of the books, made the USA Today Bestsellers List, and one The Wall Street Journal Best Sellers List.  The series is an Amazon bestseller and 80% of my sales  in the US. My books are translated into German, French and Russian.

If you plan on embarking on a thrill ride of a story, a few things you must consider:

1. Setting- create a place where many murders can occur for a character limited to a jurisdiction. I chose the backwoods of Montana, I have a vast area, which includes, mountains, lakes, waterfalls, mines, lowlands, industrial and domestic areas. All varied places where murders can take place and criminals can hide.

2. Relatable characters- readers must associate with the continuing cast of  characters, each one I introduce has a purpose to keep the series moving forward. Each one has their own interesting story. There should be nice people and people readers will hate.

3. Accuracy in police procedure, forensics, local law, weapons etc.

4. Know the  local jargon.

5. If you decide on a fictional place, set wherever. Make sure you are aware of the weather, sunset and sunrise times, local fauna, local wildlife, customs etc.

6. Use your imagination, as in creating murders and mysteries with any number of potential endings. Only in the end will the reader discover what actually happened.

7. Tell the story from many points of view.

8. Run two or more stories along the same timeline, what is happening to the main characters, the murderer, the victims.

9. Avoid information dumps.

10. Have a satisfying conclusion. 

My journey has been an interesting one. I’ve been running two series alongside each other. FBI Agent Beth Katz is up to book 4 and to move once again out of my comfort zone, I’m writing a domestic psych thriller. 

I like to keep my mind active and moving across genres works for me. I hope my journey will encourage others to try something new. A change is as good as a holiday. Happy writing!

~ D.K. Hood
Sign up to my Bookouture new release mailing list and receive a free book, In the Dead of the Night.

Upcoming release

Tears On Her Grave

Book 24, Detectives Kane and Alton

Expected Release: 14 December

Stepping into the dark cave just a short distance from the safety of her college friends, the blonde-haired girl immediately senses danger. A tall figure steps out of the shadows, and she knows there’s no time to run…

When a heavy storm hits Black Rock Falls, it brings a trail of destruction. Sheriff Jenna Alton is more than prepared, but she never expects to find college sweethearts Abby Jaye and Cole Peters floating among the wreckage in the river. Missing for twelve years following an end-of-school party, no clues were ever found and the couple’s devastated parents gave up hope that their beloved children would ever come home. Could the fraternity pin clutched tightly in Abby’s hand be the key to finding out what really happened that night?

As Jenna and her deputy David Kane speak to the pair’s classmates, they’re struck by how startlingly similar their stories are. They all say that nothing suspicious happened that night—they describe the open fire, the cans of cheap beer and the way Abby and Cole seemed totally in love before they disappeared. Their accounts are word-for-word identical, Jenna suspects the friends are keeping a deadly secret, and she’s determined to find out what it is.

Days later, Marissa, who still lives in town with her husband and young children, is found dead at a remote farm miles from her cozy family home just hours after answering Jenna’s questions. Jenna’s pulse races as she realizes the killer could be one of the group, and so could their next victim…

As Jenna inspects the isolated barn, gun shots ring out nearby. Heart pounding, she receives a panicked phone call from the youngest member of her team. She races to the forest, praying that her friend is still alive. But with a deadly storm brewing overhead, and a twisted killer on the loose, will she make it in time to save another life from being taken?

Pre-Order

D.K Hood

D.K. Hood is THE WALL STREET JOURNAL, USA TODAY and AMAZON bestselling author of the Detective Kane and Alton Series. Her spine chilling, fast-paced serial killer thrillers revolve around Sheriff Jenna Alton and her ex-special forces Deputy, Dave Kane. As the main characters fight crime, their secret pasts are never far away. Set in and around the fictional backwoods town of Black Rock Falls, Montana, known locally as Serial Killer Central, D.K.’s imagery takes the reader into the scenes with her. Given the title "Queen of Suspense" by her reviewers, D.K.’s writing style offers her readers a movie style, sizzling fast thrill ride.

dkhood.com

Magic Thursday: On Genre Shelving with Imogene Nix!

Hello, if you don’t know me, I’m Imogene. I’m that critter living in the dark corners of the internet… Well, not really, but it feels like the last few years have been like that, and while I’ve been writing and releasing, I’ve not had time to ‘hang out’ anywhere except pretty much with my readers. An in case you’ve missed the why, I made the decision to return to study. I’m having a gap year this year and my plan is to undertake more study re-commencing in 2025.

Anyway, in 2024, I can be a little more interactive, hence my “Magic Thursday” post.

So, what am I going to talk to you about today? Well, it seems to me that one of the things that bunches my knickers is bookstore shelving. See, when bookstores hire people to shelve, they don’t educate either their staff or readers about what is Science Fiction vs Speculative Fiction vs Fantasy vs Paranormal Romance. I mean, what do these terms even mean? Right? Stick with me, because this is a source of frustration for me, because I write Science Fiction, Paranormal Romance and more. So, wanting to get my books to the right people is really important. Trust me, while there are similarities, they are not the same.

Science Fiction over the years has had a ‘repositioning’ in the marketplace. Not because the genre has necessarily changed but it’s a bit like people using terms and morphing them… You remember when the term ‘gay’ meant having a great time? Yeah, rather like that. 

Science Fiction by its very essence is about Science. Just because a book is set among alternate creatures it encapsulates certain aspects of science, but is it enough to make it science fiction? If I look to a definition it says science fiction, a form of fiction that deals principally with the impact of actual or imagined science upon society or individuals. So, if I take that as the manual, then no, however, one thing is clear, science fiction must include science. (And trust me, I’ve seen people say, you don’t need science for a book to be science fiction… cough, splutter, cough!)

The next thing we need to ask is why then is fantasy included among science fiction? Well, this is where the lack of understanding of the genres comes to the fore. I mean, fantasy can have aspects of science in it, but it’s not the same. You see, while fantasy relies on strong world building, as with science fiction, and may encompass supernatural (to us) creatures, there are two very clear differences. These are 

The Setting & Plausibility – which requires it to be if not technologically advanced, or dystopian, the storyline must be advanced by use of scientifically based knowledge.

Sadly, much as we may demand that shops hiring staff should know the difference between the two, mis-shelving is likely to continue because in essence, the staff are either unaware of the subtleties or are limited by shelf space. These are not something that can easily be overcome.

Authors however, do have an opportunity to educate, through use of well designed covers, clear delineation of genre through blurb usage and even, clear making on the covers of the genre. One thing is clear though, and that is the readers who don’t know the difference may continue to make the mistake of picking up the wrong genre and that leads to a poor reading experience for the unsuspecting. 

Perhaps the time has come to campaign for greater clarity in shop placement? I’ll let you tell me in the comments below!

In the meantime, I’m in my cave crafting my next novel. I hope you’ll take a chance on one of them and I promise, my books are easy to separate into their genres!

Next upcoming release:

Edge of Night

Book 3, House Secrets, PNR

Pippa is terrified of her step father, Roger—a dangerous and cannibalistic paranormal. For years both Pippa and her twin Peter, have been prisoners, keeping his house and his home in order allowing him to pursue his desires. When Peter has a chance encounter with Simon, they finally have the support to make a run to freedom.

Maxim is a fairy trying to put his life back together, rather than hiding as he’s done for the last ten years. Niamh and Simon offer him a home, and a chance to finally achieve his desired career, but chance is a fickle thing, because next door is the timid Pippa and her twin Peter. She innocently ignites his protective side, against his will.

Roger doesn’t relinquish what is his easily, and the danger grows deeper. Pippa and Maxim along with Peter are moved to what should be a safer location, but the danger follows and while their attraction grows, so do the stakes.

Releasing 14 April 2024

Pre Order Now 

Imogene Nix

Imogene is published in a range of romance genres including Paranormal, Science Fiction and Contemporary. She is mainly published in the UK and USA.

In 2011, Imogene Nix (the pen name not Imogene herself) was born. Imogene sat down and worked tirelessly for 3 months culminating in the books Starline, which became the first in a trilogy titled, “Warriors of the Elector.” 

Imogene has successfully been contracted for many titles, not to mention the ones finished on her computer! In 2017 Imogene decided to self publish and this task will be completed by the end of 2021, with all her books (unless specifically contracted) under the Love Books Publishing banner.

Imogene is a member of a range of professional organisations world wide, and believes in the mantra of mentoring and paying it forward.

She loves to drink coffee, wine & eat chocolate and is parenting her spoiled dog and ferocious cats along with her husband and daughter.

~~~

You can find Imogene at her website.

Magic Thursday: Genre Hopping with D.D. Line!

In our industry, especially in traditional publishing, there’s a consensus to stick to one genre because that’s better for marketing, managing audience expectations, and involves less work. That may be true for many, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t explore other genres and achieve our goals.

Writers like HG Wells, Georgette Heyer, Stephen King, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Margaret Atwood, and Charlaine Harris are all successful in more than one genre. In our Darksiders group, we have multi-genre talents in the likes of Leisl Leighton, Anna Hackett, Carolyn Wren, and Mel Teshco, to name a few.

For some authors, they found their success by first establishing themselves in one genre.

They’ve built a strong following, and creating a voice so strong, their readers will follow them and their stories anywhere. For others, their different creative styles encouraged them to explore other possibilities and create separate genre followers / readers, even if it’s on a trial-and-error basis. They run separate websites, fan bases, and, in some cases, write under different names.

There are also the authors who stick to the one name, website, and brand, and captivate their readers no matter what genre they love. Their writing voice is strong, yet flexible enough to carry them over two or more genres, satisfy their readers’ desires, and they rise to the challenge of balancing the different styles / expectations required.

Then we have writers like me who maybe should stick to one genre first, but just can’t help themselves. I started my writing career with a love of ghost stories, horror, and ‘things that go bump in the night.’ Many of my short stories are dark and devious, but my characters wanted to do ‘kissing stuff’ and my love of paranormal romance was born. I also love a good mystery, and challenged myself to write something that didn’t rely on supernatural means. This drew me to exploring romantic suspense. So much for the horror writer I believed I was.

While I write both romantic suspense and paranormal romance novels and novellas, they are mutual in the way they feature redemption and second chances.

To date, they’ve been two separate entities. There’s been no curses, magic spells or any woo woo, which is totally a technical term, in my romantic suspense. No police officer or detective has rushed in to save the day in my paranormal romances or explained anything scientifically.

This will change in my next series because I’m a glutton for punishment. I’m merging my favourite genres together.

In the meantime, I’d love to learn your thoughts on writing on more than one genre and what mash ups you’d be keen to write/read.

~~~

Out now

Moon Cursed 

Part 2, The Artemis Curse

A new term. A wicked spell. An end to innocence and lies.

University never looked so good. Karisa caused a stir with her wandless magic and survived a shadow mage attack. With a magical lacrosse championship and a winter ball to celebrate, there’s a growing sense of camaraderie at Takoda.

But not everyone is keen to embrace Karisa’s secret quest.

Garrett Huxley is a wizard with an attitude—and the reputation to match. He’s got her in a daze, and she never knows what to expect from him. But Garrett is the key to unlocking the most stubborn of the guilds. Karisa must learn to place her trust in him and what she feels in her heart, whatever the cost.

The Shadow Master is closing in, and his spies are everywhere. There’s only thing Karisa fears more than Donovan Tempest. The Artemis Curse may have finally found her, and the consequences could be devastating.

Moon Cursed is the second book in the 5-part story, The Artemis Curse. Parts one through to four ends on a cliffhanger, with the fifth book concluding the tale. Part Three, Moon Set, will be available later in 2023.

Buy 

Part 3, Moon Set is available for pre-order. 

D.D. Line

D. D. Line lives in coastal Western Australia with her family and two over-enthusiastic dogs. Reading was her favourite childhood pastime. In her senior year, thanks to a crush on her English teacher and a desire to impress him, she developed a deep love of writing stories.

She writes Romantic Suspense and Paranormal Romance where her characters find redemption through romance. Her Trinket Bay romantic suspense series is published by Gumnut Press. Books in this series have won an ARRA award and placed in competitions such as The NEST and the Daphne du Maurier Kiss of Death awards in the United States, and the Koru Award in New Zealand. Her paranormal romance series, The Artemis Curse, is a five-part series with theirst two books now available on KU.

Her short stories feature in various anthologies throughout Australia such as Gumnut Press’s ‘Holiday Kisses’ and ‘Sweet Delights’ anthologies. She won the 2022 KSP Writing Centre’s Spooky Stories with her story, ‘Jimmy and Me’ based on the theme ‘Best Friend.’

She’s a wife, a child wrangler, and a wannabe baker who wishes she could sing.

D. D. Line looks after Member Services and is also the Aspiring Ambassador for Romance Writers of Australia (RWA). She's a member of DSDU (Darkside DownUnder), Romance Writers of New Zealand (RWNZ) and the Australian Romance Readers Association (ARRA). 

She loves hearing from her readers. :)

Visit D.D at the following: 

| Website | Facebook | Reader group | Instagram | Amazon profile | Goodreads |

Magic Thursday: The Benefits of Writing in Multiple Genres with Lilliana Rose

 

For better or for worse, I write in multiple genres from paranormal romance, to contemporary romance and then on a completely different angle children’s fantasy (as Lily Rose). Why do I do this? 

The answer is simple; I love writing and I enjoy having the flexibility to switch between the genres 

I have been writing stories since primary school and writing in different genres comes naturally to me. I couldn’t stop this this approach if I wanted to. I love the variety of writing in multiple genres. It matches what I read, which is everything and anything. So, it’s not surprising I write so broadly. 

The approach to writing paranormal romance is very different to children’s fantasy, no surprise there, but what this does it helps to keep the process enjoyable and interesting for me. There are times when I want to write more adult stories, that’s where my mindset is at. After writing a story, especially a novel length, which could have been dark, contained fight scenes, steamy romance, I’m looking to have a break. 

By changing to something like writing a middle grade story, gives my brain a break. I write a story that still is in the realm of fantasy which I love, but also at the same time it is fun, and I can let my imagination play. This helps to fill my creative well, keeps me enthusiastic about what I’m writing. 

Variety is the spice of life, and my writing life is enriched by having multiple genres to let my imagination run wild in.

Paranormal Romance

Shadow Wolf

Book 1, Protector Wolf Shifter

Paperback out now; Ebook expected 24 February

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 bidder. But when the precious gem is stolen in front of everyone, her future ends up in jeopardy.

The prime suspect?

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

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.

Buy - print

Ebook link TBC

The Waking of Ghosts
Book 1, Protector Wolf Shifter

***Revised Content***

Kicked out of home, Zarya is left to live on the streets of Seattle using her skills as a witch and ghost hunter to survive.

An unexpected invite to the Lost Souls Academy might be the way for her to find a new home along with other rejects. Can she trust the Head of the Academy, Avery, who cares only for herself?

There might be a bright future for her with all the knowledge in the library, along with interest from Daire, an unusual vampire, someone she definitely should stay clear from. Then there’s the wolf shifter, Panguar whose brute force gives her the security she’s longed for. Can either win her heart?

When a seemingly normal ghost banishment goes horribly wrong, Zarya endangers the lives of her new friends.

Will Zarya’s actions cause more enemies at the Lost Souls Academy than friends?

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Contemporary Romance

Chasing Dust Clouds
Book 1, Dusty Love

After an incident involving a mob of sheep, Blaise Johns finds himself needing to make amends with the bold and feisty Dusty Miller. But how does one make amends with a woman who’s intent on busting your balls?

When the country and city collide, an explosion of differences rocks the foundation of their lives, forcing them to face the future in unplanned ways. 

When hearts bond, can Blaise give up the city life for the country? And can Dusty stop fighting long enough to fall in love? 

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Children's fantasy

The Jumble Sale
Book 1, Adventures of the Misfit Monsters

Zadi is part zombie, part fairy with a little bit of robot, which makes her a misfit monster. She lives with other misfit monsters, with their quirky parts in their makeshift town. They survive by hunting at the nearby hunting grounds taking items discarded by humans and making them into something useful.

Hunting is risky because they could be captured by humans. Zadi is an excellent hunter and maker, but now she’s finding it difficult.Something unusual has happened. There have been no new deliveries to the hunting grounds. This means there are no new items which can be used to recycle into something useful, and they are beginning to worry and fight with each other. Can Zadi come up with a plan which will help the misfit monsters and bring them together as a community? 

Enter the world of the misfit monsters, their quirky lives, and be part of their fun and adventures.

Buy

Lilliana Rose

Lilliana Rose has published poetry, short stories, and novels. She loves to write, and tries to write something new everyday.  With her varied background in genetics research, teaching and counselling, and having grown up on an Australian farm her novels show this broad experience of life. She enjoys creating stories in the genres of steampunk, romance, rural romance, fantasy, science fiction and horror.

She has mentored creative writing students for the past five years, and presents creative writing and journaling workshops locally (and soon to be online).

Lilliana also writes Children's stories as Lily Rose. 

You can find Lilliana on Facebook and Twitter.

Magic Thursday: What do the DarkSiders write?

by Eleni Konstantine


We state on our website that the DarkSiders are writers mostly from Australia and New Zealand who write speculative fiction with romantic elements. Be it fantasy, paranormal, dark urban fantasy, futuristic and everything in between.

Let's break this down.


What is speculative fiction?

According to Wikipedia, "Speculative fiction is an umbrella genre encompassing narrative fiction with supernatural or futuristic elements. This includes the genres science fiction, fantasy, superhero fiction, science fantasy, horror and supernatural fiction, as well as their combinations."


That's a pretty good and broad definition.

You can see the attraction of the genre when it includes everything from myth and magic, space travel, discovery of new planets/worlds, ghosts, monsters, zombies, dragons, wizards/witches, scientific discoveries, 'Evil', survival, disasters, and even different societal structures, some to the extreme.

What is romance?

Again, according to Wikipedia "The romance novel or romantic novel...place their primary focus on the relationship and romantic love between two people, and must have an "emotionally satisfying and optimistic ending." There are many sub-genres of the romance novel including fantasy, historical romance, paranormal fiction, and science fiction."


You can see the attraction of being able to have a satisfyingly happy ending to a journey filled with conflict for two characters who are deeply in love.



The DarkSiders

Since we are a group affiliated with the Romance Writers of Australia, most of us also have romance or romantic elements in our work which usually contains speculative fiction.

The combination of speculative fiction and romance is a strong one and can attract a variety of readers.

You can see our members categorised by genre on our website. Of course some of these overlap, which is part of the joy of writing genre fiction, but also it made it difficult for publishers and book sellers to know exactly where to place these stories. With the rise of e-books and digital publishing, multiple 'shelving' with categories and keywords has allowed these cross genres to find a home easier.


Let's check out all the sub-genres in the speculative fiction umbrella we DarkSiders write...

• Dark Fantasy

• Dark Urban Fantasy
• Dystopian Erotica
• Epic Fantasy
• Erotic Paranormal Romance
• Fantasy
• Fantasy Romance
• Flash Fiction
• Futuristic
• Futuristic Romance
• Gay Fiction
• Historical with Spec Fiction Elements

• Horror
• Humour
• Male/Male Romance
• Middle Grade
• Mythological Romance
• NA - New Adult
• Paranormal 
• Paranormal Adventure
• Paranormal Romance
• Post Apocalyptic
• Romantic Erotica
• Romantic Fantasy
• Sci Fi
• SFR - Sci Fi Romance
• Short Stories
• Space Opera
• Speculative Fiction 
• Speculative Fiction Romance
• Steampunk
• Supernatural
• Sword and Sorcery
• Time Travel
• Urban Fantasy
• YA - Young Adult

That definitely is a broad range as is our non-speculative fiction areas.

Non Speculative Fiction

• Children's Stories
• Contemporary Erotica
• Contemporary Romance
• Contemporary Romantic Suspense
• Contemporary Suspense
• Erotic Romance
• Inspirational 
• Junior Fiction
• Mystery
• NA - New Adult
• Poetry
• Romance
• Romantic Suspense 
• Rural Romance
• Non-fiction

While we concentrate on the speculative fiction side on the DSDU, we want to also celebrate the non-spec fic that our authors also write, so hence why you see us talking about this as well.


If you enjoy reading any of the above genres, you've come to the right place!


~Eleni

All images courtesy of Pixabay.