It's October. Time to get your spookiness on...
NEW MEMBERS
Welcome to our newest DarkSiders!
Katrina Coll
Check out out her DSDU page.
Katrina also has a guest post over at Breathless in the Bush.
Hollee Mands
She currently resides in fickle-weathered Melbourne and is a proud member of Romance Writers Australia.
Check out her DSDU page.
NEW RELEASES
Broken Wolf by Mila Young (Book 2, Savage Sector) was released 30 September.
Is there such a thing as second chances?
I made a deal with four Viking Alphas to help me find my sisters. But what I found has left me devastated. Now I'm thrown into a cursed mission with four men I am just getting to know. They are forced to remain by my side whether they want to or not.... And I'm still not sure if I can trust them.
Buy links
Amazon US | Amazon Aus |
Ravenhold: Blood Legacy by LJ Swallow (Book 3, Supernatural Reform Academy) was released 15 September.
Eloise, I told you we would watch the world burn. They'll start the fire, and we'll stand in the ashes of their destruction, ready to create our own.
Now I've escaped Ravenhold, what does my future hold?
Even before Ravenhold, I lived under others' control, but now I have a freedom that I've never experienced. I'm no longer the compliant girl everybody manipulated; I'm the Trinity witch whose connection to Dorian, Zeke, and Ethan has created something unique and unstoppable.
We're fugitives with decisions to make and agendas to follow. Dorian's obsession lies with revenge on those who created his life. Zeke needs to sever ties with the Tigris permanently. And I want to discover who's responsible for the 'special program'—student deaths need to stop.
But Ethan's dangerous plans could expose us. He's consumed by the need to find his sister, the girl whose life he saved the day he became a mid. If the Confederacy want to lure us out, they have the perfect opportunity because Ethan will not stop his search.
Anybody can try to take us, but nobody will ever contain us, and nothing can pull apart the bond we have.
The Blackwoods and Dominion continue their interference as they attempt to manipulate us into helping in their war with Confederacy. But Dorian wants revenge, and when he confronts a savage enemy, the consequences reach further than we could imagine.
As we move closer to the truth about Ravenhold and why the four of us were there, we discover a world woven with family feuds, secrets, and lies. But few know the ultimate secret that the Confederacy hold about me. One that will create a new future and alter our lives in a way we never expected.
Blood Legacy is the final book in the Ravenhold series.
Buy links
Amazon US | Amazon Aus |
.
Flood of Bravery by Khloe Wren (Book 2, Royal Bastards MC: South Australia) was released 28 September.
We don't get to choose our fate, only how we deal with it.
Being the immortal bastard son of King Tut is both a blessing and a curse. My abilities with water certainly come in handy, earning me the moniker of Croc, but living a long life got old fast.
Though my brothers in the Ankeny RBMC chapter accept me for everything I am, I haven't been able to fully settle here. The restlessness growing within me is demanding my attention.
When I got word that someone was trafficking kids out of Australia, I didn't hesitate to travel half way around the world to join my blood brothers to go hunting.
The last thing I expected when I arrived down under was for fate to put the woman destined to be mine in my path. Head strong and short tempered, Emily holds my attention like no one ever has before, even as she pushes me away.
As much as I want her, Emily is a distraction I can't afford. Keeping her safe is rapidly becoming more important to me than shutting down this human trafficking ring.
Which is only going to bring more trouble to us both. Trouble I'm not sure we're ready for.
This series has multiple authors. Check out the website for more details.
Immortal Consequences by Imogene Nix (Book 2, House Secrets) was released 7 October.
Niamh’s banishment from Ireland is as incomprehensible as it was unfair. A fairy thrust into the world of New York; she has to learn to make it on her own. Working as a cleaner in a hospital allows her to hide who and what she is, but an unfortunate incident almost reveals her secret.When Simon, the Lord of Lycan’s first sets eyes on Niamh, he’s captivated, but he’s not the only one. Simon thinks money and power can buy her safety. He installs her in an apartment block the clan buys as an investment, aware of the restrictions she faces.When the reality of her danger comes to the fore, Simon whisks Niamh away, but whoever is stalking her doesn’t give up easily.They may both desire a life together, but danger is lurking around every corner.
Sin, Sugar and Shadows by Kelly Ethan (Book 3, Lila Harrow: Point Muse Cozy Mystery) was released 30 September.
Sin, shadows, and a dessert duel. Let the mayhem begin.
Lila Harrow, baker witch extraordinaire, knew when the banshee hollered, death soon followed.
She just didn’t expect the death to be her beloved bakery, Hearts Delight. But when two sinful, dark witches open a dessert bakery across the road, the cakes start dropping and so do the corpses.
Lila has no choice but to sleuth up and join the food fight fray.
A piece of cake for a witchy baker.
Buy links:
Amazon US | Amazon Aus |
Non Spec-Fic
Escape to Retribution Bay by Claire Boston (Book 3, Aussie Heroes: Retribution Bay) was released 4 October.
She witnessed a murder and the killer knows it. He needs to get home in time for his brother’s wedding, or the ceremony will be ruined. A chance encounter could be the solution they both need.
An airport strike strands Ed Stokes twelve hundred kilometres from home with the rings for his brother’s wedding. He snags the last available hire car, but it’s a twenty-year-old bomb that might not make the distance.
Tess Lim is on the run, but her one hope of escape is thwarted when all flights out of the city are cancelled. With no hire cars available, she’s desperate enough to accept a lift from an attractive stranger. Tess doesn’t care where he’s going, as long as it’s far away from the city.
As Ed breaks through Tess’s wariness, he discovers a woman who longs for adventure. But they get more adventure than either of them bargained for when the murderer catches up with them.
Can they divert the killer’s attention and escape in time?
Escape to Retribution Bay is the third adventure-filled book in the Aussie Heroes: Retribution Bay romantic suspense series. If you like unlikely heroes, desperate heroines and road trip romances, then you’ll love Claire Boston’s thrilling story.
Lose Your Breath by D.K. Hood (Prequel, Detectives Kane and Alton) was released 7 September.
David Kane’s completely gripping origin story. Find out how he went from Black Ops to Black Rock Falls in this short 150-page read you won’t be able to put down.
She pulls the door of her office closed and hurries over to her beaten-up old Toyota parked in a deserted alley. Slipping into the driver’s seat, she checks the rear-view mirror, and her heart stops. Staring back at her are the dark eyes of a stranger. She opens her mouth to scream, but it’s already too late…
When secretary Annie Parkes is snatched from the street outside of her workplace, David Kane is tasked with finding her. Strong, highly skilled, and secretive, he’s a loner and an outsider; the only man the mil
itary trust to find Annie before her kidnappers make good on their promise to kill her.
itary trust to find Annie before her kidnappers make good on their promise to kill her.
But as Kane pulls Annie from a derelict building, gunshots ringing through the deserted streets around them, he realizes rescuing her is just the beginning. He needs to keep her close to find out who is behind her capture, and to keep her safe.
Hiding out in a remote part of town, Kane feels the walls he put up around himself many years ago begin to slip in front of Annie. Could she be more than just a job? With an old enemy hot on his tail, showing any weakness could be fatal—but when Annie is dragged back into danger once again, could he already be too late?
Buy links
Amazon US | Amazon Aus |
Lady in Red by Mel Teshco (Book 1, The VIP Desire Agency) has a new cover and was re-released 10 September.
Will she risk it all for one man?
After surviving a traumatic childhood, Kate Matthews grows up and transforms herself into beautiful and confident, Brandy Alexander, a sexy, high-class call girl. With a select number of rich and successful clients and a jaw dropping income, Kate is living her dream being desired and bedded by some of Australia’s most powerful and influential men. Her only rule is to never fall in love. Except the more time she spends with her favorite client, Blaine Waymann, the more she fears he might topple the perfect world she’s built.
Billionaire philanthropist Blaine Waymann is determined to break Kate’s rule. He wants exclusive rights to Brandy and Kate, in bed and out, and is willing to risk everything to win her heart and her trust. But when Kate starts falling for Blaine, she faces an agonizing decision. Walk away like she always does, or stay with him and jeopardize everything she’s worked so hard to achieve.
Buy links:
High Class by Mel Teshco (Book 2, The VIP Desire Agency) has a new cover and was re-released 21 September.
Her fear of abandonment might cost him everything.
Claire Davis hasn't had it easy. Her mother died when Claire was eighteen, leaving her with two younger sisters to raise. In order to give them a simple, stress-free life, Claire leads a complicated, double life as Scarlet, high class call girl, where her billionaire clients pay the bills. Except falling in love with one of her regulars—a born heart-breaker who has never known the sting of rejection—was never a part of her plans.
Mackenzie Smitherson has one goal in life: make money, and lots of it. Except the one woman he pays to be with also turns out to be the one woman whose heart isn't available at any price. He wants more than her beautiful body…he wants all of her. Even if that means he has to open up his own heart, and reveal his dark past.
But will Claire's insecurities see her walk away before he has a chance to be explain?
Buy links:
Exclusive by Mel Teshco (Book 3, The VIP Desire Agency) has a new cover and was re-released 28 September.
A rock star and an escort. What could possibly go wrong?
Amos Drynn isn't interested in a relationship. He's been there, done that, and wished he'd listened to his better judgment. As the lead singer of the famous band Frankenstein's Blood, he's not short of female attention, but in his world, a long term relationship isn't feasible. That is, until he purchases a night with a call girl who makes his blood run hot and has him forgetting all about his fear of commitment.
Tiffany doesn't believe in fairytales, not anymore. In her world trust is thin on the ground and promises are meaningless, especially from the mouth of a married client. A night in bed with her rock idol, Amos Drynn, will surely salve her wounded pride. But will their explosive chemistry shatter her infatuation with an ex-client or will she turn her back on Amos, the one man willing to give her everything, including his heart?
Buy links:
A Match Made for TV by Katrina Coll (Book 1, Bex Jameson Production) was released by Evernight Publishing on 16 September.
Ria DeLorenzo is a damn good doctor. Or was. Burnt out before she’s begun, a three-month paid vacation as the medical consultant to a reality TV show is just what she needs to recover her mojo.
Cancer survivor and headline grabber Griffin Stromberg is desperate to reboot his ultra-macho image. Typecast by years of fame, showcasing his softer side with a picture-perfect relationship should do the trick. Until Ria breaches show protocol and gets Griff's fake girlfriend disqualified.
Now Ria's only hope of clocking out of reality is to check in to a fantasy by becoming his new partner. Griff, however, wants their relationship to be the real deal, not one of his infamous life-hacks.
Can a man renowned for taking shortcuts prove he's ready to commit to a forever relationship? Or will reality bite once filming is over?
Buy links
PRE-ORDERS
A Perfectly Normal Paranormal Valentine anthology featuring Leisl Leighton and Samantha Marshall is expected for release 18 October.
Who will get their happy ever after the night the veil to the Otherworld thins?
When Demi-Gods and Demons, Witches and Fae, Dracons and Shifters come out to play on All Hallow’s Eve, it’s a night for mischief, for revelry, for power plays. It’s not a night for love … or is it?
Anything could happen this Halloween ... and probably will.
A Perfectly Paranormal Halloween is the second offering in the A Perfectly Paranormal Anthology series by new and award-winning Australian authors, and features continuing and standalone stories that will give you goosebumps of the romantic kind. With sweet or spicy romance, action, revenge, secrets and curses, delicious chills and emotional thrills, you are sure to fill all your Halloween desires with this exciting collection of paranormal novellas.
Pre-Order links
Amazon US | Amazon Aus |
Little Fire by Hollee Mands (Book 1, Warriors of the Five Realms) is expected for release 23 October.
She’s broken from a past she can’t remember. He’s scarred from a past he can’t forget.
Declan can kill with a blink of his eye. Jaded and cold, he rules his kingdom the same way he does his heart—with ruthless pragmatism. So why does he risk all to protect a little mortal during a slave-trade uprising? Now stranded in the demon realm, the loss of his powers is the least of his troubles. The woman may have a frustratingly tender heart, but she has enough fire in her soul to thaw the ice in his veins.
He could take her by right, but he wants more than acceptance. He wants her willing surrender...
Evangeline is chained by a past she can’t remember. Her fractured memories keep her shy and single. When she is thrust into a savage world in the arms of a deadly archmage, he becomes her only chance of survival. But soon she realizes her unnerving protector may not be as callous as he appears, and her heart may be as much at risk as her life.
His desire for her is no secret, but she wants more than scalding lust. She wants his icy heart...
Can they survive the nightmarish realm long enough to break down each other’s walls?s.
Pre-Order links
Amazon US | Amazon Aus |
The Fallen World Complete Series by Mila Young and C.R. Jane (Books 1-4, Fallen World) is expected to be released 10 October.
Three alien warriors. A human true mate. They are her darkest temptations, and her only salvation from the danger engulfing Earth.
800+ pages of alien romance that WILL make you crave your very own scorching hot protective warrior. Let yourself fall into this exciting, action-packed, and sizzling romance that will leave you breathless for more. Follows three aliens invading Earth to find their fated mate and save their own world.
The collection includes the following stories:
Bound
They came to earth. They destroyed my life, took those closest to me, and now they’re set on making me their own.
Broken
Their obsession will destroy me... One thing is for sure though...the Vepar are never going to let me go.
Betrayed
What happens when I find out that the three aliens might be the monsters I need to fear the most?
Belong
All I want is a happy ending, but things keep getting in the way of that...like the fate of a fallen world.
Four complete full-length heart-pounding books with burning hot scenes, no cheating, and a guaranteed happy ending!
Osprey Reef by Annie Seaton is expected to be released by MIRA on 25 October.
Love. Greed. Revenge. And a desperate search for answers ... Against the stunning backdrop of the Great Barrier Reef, two women in different eras discover how their hearts and fortunes are swayed by the secrets of the sea.
2019: Bethany Kristensen faces her toughest challenge to date, skippering the family charter business. With rivals doing their utmost to undercut her prices and reputation, the Kristensens' operation hangs by a thread. Winning the tender for a new scientific research program headed out to the farthest edge of the reef is her last chance to keep the business going. But when rumour and vandalism turn to outright sabotage, things take a drastic turn...
1934: Stella Booth flees a future of domestic drudgery in small-town outback Queensland, heading for employment and an independent life in Mackay. But fate has other plans and an accident en route sends her life spinning in a most unexpected direction...
Linked by a family mystery, decades apart, Bethany and Stella will both need to dig deeper than ever before to forge their place among the turbulent seas of the reef.
Baby It's Hot Outside: Christmas Down Under collection features Her Christmas Star by Annie Seaton is expected for release 25 October.
100% pure SUMMER Christmas. Come read along…
I really wanna stay
Baby it's hot outside
I'll lose my heart along the way
Baby it's hot outside…
100% pure SUMMER Christmas Boxed Set. Come read and visit Down Under…
12 steamy seasonal summer sizzle romances.
Escape your winter blues with these twelve top-value summer Christmas novellas. A fabulous seasonal collection of sexy Down Under romances. Hot sun and hotter men, friends to lovers, forbidden romance, reunion stories and more. Come visit a world of hot, sultry kisses and long, hot lazy days.
Join USA Today bestselling author Bronwen Evans and ten of her fellow Australasian authors. Warm your heart, and maybe a little bit more, too, with these never before published sexy stories. Plus there's a brilliant contest, because the twelfth novella is a collaboration between all the authors, and you get to guess who wrote each chapter.
· Twelve standalone novellas
· Only available until early 2022 – get your copy today!
Twelve perfect indulgences to get you in the Christmas spirit:
Twelve perfect indulgences to get you in the Christmas spirit:
KENDRA DELUGAR – Something In The Water
BRONWEN EVANS – Fast Track To Love
MEGAN MAYFAIR – The Season For Second Chances
JACQUELINE LEE – Unrequited Love
SOFIA GREY – A Christmas Retreat (Falling For The Colonel's Daughter)
SUSANNE BELLAMY – Red Dirt Christmas
KRIS PEARSON – Summer Santa
ANNIE SEATON – Her Christmas Star
RAY COLLET – Home For Christmas
JAYNE KINGSLEY – Twelve Days Of Christmas
ANNA FOXKIRK – The Worst Noelle
And
COLLABORATIVE - THE WEEK BEFORE CHRISTMAS – A collaborative novella with a chapter from each of the authors in this box set. We will be running a fabulous contest to guess who wrote which chapter!
There is something for everyone!
Larapinta by Annie Seaton (Book 5, Porter Sisters) is expected to be released on 28 March 2022.
At a crossroads in her life, Sandra Porter knows she must find the courage to find her true self. She has lost her husband in tragic circumstances, and seen each of her adult children overcome adversity. Deciding it’s time to push her boundaries, she makes a booking to trek the Larapinta Walk across the centre of the remote Northern Territory.
World renowned nature photographer, Graysen Hughes has come to the outback seeking solace after the death of his wife. Always a loner, Graysen isn’t happy when the tour guide insists on the participants walking in pairs. At least Sandra Porter is quiet and keeps to herself.
After a suspicious accident and the sudden disappearance of their guide, the group struggles on, but then another accident occurs. It soon becomes obvious that someone doesn’t want any of the them to reach their destination. Without any means to call for help, Graysen and Sandra flee into the bush in an attempt to stay safe.
Can they survive the wilderness in the heat and the rugged conditions, and can they both keep their hearts intact as they learn to rely on each other?
Love Me Do by Claire Boston is expected to be released on 25 November.
‘Tis the season… but in Lighthouse Bay, there’s not much to be jolly about.
Christmas reminds Gus Turner he’s all alone. No one sticks around after they’ve met his crazy family with their constant demands, but this year the gorgeous new doctor in town suddenly gives him hope.
Summer should mean freedom from high school and the beginning of the rest of Shay Curtis’s life, but with her mother battling cancer, how can she celebrate? The only thing that brings her joy is her new job on a dive boat, working with a sexy young Divemaster.
Erin Talbot is determined to make the holidays special for her daughter, even if it means single-handedly putting together the town’s Christmas show. But when she’s stuck with a Santa who broke her trust and her heart, she’s forced to wonder whether this holiday season is a time for second chances.
Gwen Curtis’s one Christmas wish is for a healthy, happy family, but it’s a tall order with her daughter-in-law ill. When her first love reappears after sixty years, she must reassess her life and see if there’s room for two wishes to come true.
Charming and heart-warming, this delightful romance interlinks the innocent intensity of first love with the sweet flicker of an old flame, and the bravery of second chances with the fear of taking a chance at all.
Will some mistletoe and miracles turn this year into a Christmas to remember?
Fallen Angel by D.K. Hood (Book 13, Detectives Kane and Alton) is expected to be released 23 November.
Hurrying along the dark, snow-covered path, she knows she’s not alone when she hears the light tread of someone behind her. Panic rising in her chest, she picks up the pace. But she doesn’t even have a chance to scream before everything goes black.
When a beautiful young woman is reported missing from her hotel room on the outskirts of Black Rock Falls, Sheriff Jenna Alton and her deputy David Kane are devastated to discover her pale, lifeless body trapped beneath a frozen lake nearby. It’s Jenna who finds the single pearl earring buried in the frosted grass that gives them their first lead.
Just as Jenna has the remaining hotel guests safely back in their rooms, the killer strikes again, and another victim is found in one of the hotel’s lakeside cabins. Next to his bloodied body is a second pearl earring. What does it mean, and why is the killer leaving them for Jenna to find?
Interviewing witnesses, Jenna discovers that both victims were seen arguing with other residents hours before their deaths. Could the murderer be out for revenge, and how many more bodies will follow before they are truly satisfied?
As a blizzard cuts the hotel off from Black Rock Falls, Jenna and her team are trapped with the killer. Then she receives a terrifying call from a teenage girl who thinks the murderer was in her room as she slept. Can Jenna save her from becoming the next victim? And how many more innocent lives will be taken before the snow thaws?
Pre-order links
The Sheikh's Runaway Bride by Mel Teshco (Book 1, Desert Kings Alliance) is expected to be released 30 December.
Sheikha Arabelle only wants to live a normal life in England on her own terms, with her strict Middle Eastern heritage a distant memory. Then her only brother dies in a freak accident, leaving her father and their country of Lumana vulnerable. Until her father secures an arranged marriage between Arabelle and Mahindar, the celebrated Sheikh of Rajhabi. But although she is forced to marry Mahindar, her husband can never force her to love him...no matter his wealth, his good looks and his skill in bed.
Can Sheikh Mahindar prove to his bride that she can be happy as his wife? Turning his country, Rajhabi, from war torn and destitute to the richest and most peaceful reign in known history seems like child's play compared to convincing his stubborn wife to give their marriage a chance. But he'll do whatever is necessary to change her mind and win her heart.
Pre-Order links:
Amazon US | Amazon Aus |
COVERS
Kings of Eden by Mila Young and Harper A. Brooks is expected to be released 27 January 2022.
Fated Wolf by Mila Young (Book 3, Savage) is expected to be released 10 March 2022.
The Hacker by Anna Hackett (Book 5, Norcross Security) is expected to be released 12 October.
Wellington Rock by Annie Seaton is expected to be released late 2022.
FREE READ
Lullaby Scars by Hollee Mands (Book 0.5, Warriors of the Five Realms) is free when you sign up to Hollee's Newsletter.
Killian’s scars are all people see, but with his wretched past, he doesn’t want them to look closer. He resigned himself long ago to living as an indentured slave to a powerful and capricious high mage—until a chance meeting with a temptress outside a brothel teaches him to want…
If only he hadn’t asked her price for the night.
Lady Mailin’s escape from her tyrannical father is so close she can taste it. All she has to do is to fake her magical prowess long enough for the high mage to sign a marriage contract and whisk her away. Then she’ll lose him and start a new life. The last thing she needs is a tortured bondsman mistaking her for a woman who works on her back...
If only she could forget his gentle, callused touch.
When a stormy sea strands them together on Prison Island, Mailin and Killian’s illicit desires may prove deadlier than the convicts out for blood, or worse...
SALES
Return to Retribution Bay by Claire Boston (Book 1, Aussie Heroes: Retribution Baby) is now on sale for a limited time.
They’ve both had their fair share of tragedy. Now the only way to heal could be to catch a killer.
Sergeant Brandon Stokes hasn’t been able to face his family for over a decade. But when his parents are killed in an accident on their remote sheep station, the guilt-ridden soldier must face his demons and return home. He’s unprepared for the gutsy female drifter who seems determined to help him reunite with his estranged family.
Amy Hammond has been running since she was fifteen. Now she’s finally found the stability she’s craved with employers who treated her like a daughter. But with her bosses’ sudden death and the arrival of their handsome military hero son, her head and heart are thrown into chaos.
Distrusting Amy’s real agenda, Brandon is forced to team up with her when they uncover evidence that his parents’ demise was no accident. And though Amy knows she needs to win the hunky sergeant’s trust, the sinister turn of events makes her fear any chance of love could be cut fatally short.
Will the troubled couple expose a murderer in their midst before they become the next victims?
Return to Retribution Bay is the thrilling first book in the Aussie Heroes: Retribution Bay romantic suspense series. If you like military hunks, plucky women, and striking Australian settings, then you’ll adore Claire Boston’s page-turning adventure.
Buy links (from Book Doggy)
(Note: Apple Books and Google Play seem to have it listed more.)
~~~
Congratulations to our DarkSiders.
Thanks for joining us. Until next time, be safe and well..
