2024 COVERS

2024 covers

Welcome to the Dark Side!

We are writers mainly from Australia and New Zealand who write speculative fiction with romantic elements. Be it fantasy, paranormal, dark urban fantasy, futuristic and everything in between.

Thursday 30 January 2014

Magic Thursday—Temptation in a Bottle

Boyfriend in a Bottle was the second novella I wrote and the second story of mind to sell (it was written during my GFC redundancy when I decided to write a novella every couple of weeks so I could work on characterization, plotting and structure).

I had such fun with that story that I planned to go back and write another in the same world. It took several years but I did.

Temptation in a Bottle is set in the same world but is stand alone. The only thing the two books have in common is that the heroes are genies…well slightly more than genies because they were created by the Goddess Inanna for women’s pleasure (something only a Goddess of Love would do).

So there’s hot guys in bottle just waiting to be freed to serve your every lusty desire…why did it take me so long to write another?

Well, I sold the Goblin King trilogy and two of those books weren’t written, plus there were deadlines and one year became two and then three. But the ideas for more sexy genies were there so I jotted them down determined that I would come back to them. I think I have a dozen ideas now. They may not all get written but now that I’m writing full time I’d like to write another couple.

Usually my stories are quite dark and the characters are tortured and angsty. The In a Bottle stories are a little lighter, the romance is a faster and more of a whirlwind (which is what I look for in a novella, something short and sweet with a HEA, but still with enough punch to make me care).

Temptation in a Bottle is my first new self-published story (An Elemental Tail was a re-release). I hope you enjoy it :)

Temptation in a Bottle
His only wish is to be free…
For centuries Gage has existed only to fulfill the most intimate desires of the woman who holds his bottle. Now Gage has a wish of his own—to be a real man and a have a real life even though he knows it’s an impossible dream. This time he plans to take his bottle and break it just to see what will happen.

Paramedic Sasha Watts has seen the damage falling in love does to people and she had no intention of being another of Cupid’s victims. She accidentally frees Gage without knowing what he is. After one kiss he walks away and she never expects to see him again, but the goddess Inanna has other ideas.

As punishment for breaking his bottle she erases Gage’s memory of everything but Sasha. Only Sasha can give him the life he longs for and only Gage can be the man she’s always dreamed of, but first she’ll have to open her heart and he’ll have to finish the job Inanna gave him. If he fails, he’ll cease to exist.





Buy links:
iTunes
All Romance ebooks
Kindle
Nook

Wednesday 29 January 2014

A Bite Of... Night of the Dark Horse

This fort-night it is my pleasure to welcome Janni Nell, with an excerpt of her book Night of the Dark Horse.


Can you, in less than five words describe Night of the Dark Horse?
Humorous, angels, fairies, Ireland, mystery.

Who is your favourite character in this book?

Casper, a warrior, who died fighting the Romans and now ‘works’ as a guardian angel for paranormal investigator, Allegra Fairweather. Wouldn’t the world be a great place if we all had tall, built, hot guardian angels?

What inspired you to write it?

I wanted to finish the Allegra Fairweather series with a book that tied up all the loose ends and gave readers the ending they’d been asking for.


And here's the excerpt!

At a store in the Jervis Centre, I picked out several pairs of jeans, some shirts and a jacket for him to try on. Angels aren’t vain, so Casper wasn’t influenced by fashion. Refusing my offer to help him change, he took the clothes and headed for the fitting room. Not only did I miss out on getting a sneak peak at his butt, I had to endure the sales clerk’s endless small talk. I managed some monosyllabic replies until Radha—that was the name on her badge—suddenly asked, “What’s in your pocket?”

I hadn’t realized I’d been playing with the leprechaun’s pebbles, but there I was clicking them together like worry beads.

“Just some pebbles I picked up.”

“Seriously? Pebbles? Do you collect them or something?”

“Or something,” I said as Casper emerged from the fitting room looking...well, let’s say it was definitely worth the wait. The skinny-leg jeans showed off every muscle of his butt and thighs.

Even Radha was impressed.

“Hhhhot,” she breathed.

But Casper wasn’t too thrilled with skinny leg jeans. He claimed they were uncomfortable.

“You sure about that?” I asked.

When he nodded, Radha and I exchanged a disappointed glance. There was nothing we could do to stop Casper heading back to the fitting room to try a looser pair. He pulled the curtain closed again.

I sighed. “I wish I was a fly on the wall.”

Too late, I realized I was holding a wish-pebble.

The store ballooned around me, stadium-huge. Visual images bombarded me, as though I had a hundred eyes. I could see parts of the store I hadn’t even realized were there. Far below me, Radha’s head whipped back and forth, looking right and left as though she’d lost something. Since I was no longer standing beside her, I figured it was me.

Holy crap, the wishes did work.

Radha’s mouth moved, but I couldn’t hear a word she said. What the—? Flies didn’t have ears? Being a fly on the wall wasn’t going to be much fun if I couldn’t eavesdrop on conversations. Actually being a fly wouldn’t be much fun at all. And didn’t they have a seriously short lifespan? Like about a month max?

Returning to human form became a priority, but here was the kicker; now that I knew the wishes worked, I was reluctant to waste one to reverse the stupid wish I should never have made in the first place. Still, it wasn’t like I had many other options, and believe me I considered them all. Funny that although I had a fly’s body, I still thought like a human. Go figure. Anyway since I didn’t want to hang around in the fly’s body any longer than necessary, I reached into my pocket, intending to use a wish-pebble to get me out of this mess. Uh-oh. I didn’t have pockets! Oh, bugger.

Was I stuck in this stupid body with only a month to live? Even worse, Radha was reaching for the fly spray. I zoomed off the wall, and headed straight for Casper’s fitting room. Having a limited lifespan made me realize what was really important. I landed on the wall of the fitting room. Multiple images of Casper hit me like a drug. Oh yeah, I was in heaven. A fly on the wall might not be able to eavesdrop but it sure as heck could appreciate the sight of a hunky angel in his jocks.

Casper tensed. He looked up, a pair of jeans dangling from his hand. When he caught sight of fly-me, he rolled his eyes. He waggled a finger at me, his mouth moving. I think he was saying, Naughty, naughty. Then he scrambled into his clothes like a virgin bride. When he was dressed, he extended his hand to me as though I was a runaway bird. He didn’t need to offer twice. I flew down and settled on his finger. He transferred me to his shoulder and I sat there like a parrot on a pirate. He left the fitting room and returned the clothes to Radha. When she caught sight of me, she reached for the fly spray again.



If you liked the sound of this, you can find more about Janni Nell and her books at the links below. Thank you for sharing Janni!




Buy links: 
Carina Press | Amazon | Barnes & Noble 


Locating Janni: 
janninell.com | Twitter | Facebook




Tuesday 28 January 2014

Good News Week


Welcome to this week's good news....

coming to you this week by Cassandra L Shaw



POETRY


We have a poet lurking in our ranks.



 Lilliana Rose has had her poem, First Line of Defence  accepted for publication with Every Day Poets.

Check out Lilliana's website for some more poetry.








BOOK RELEASE AND COVER


Shona Husk has another release this month.


Temptation in A Bottle is the second release in the 'In the Bottle' series.

cover design by HelzKat Designs
(aka Eleni Konstantine)


His only wish is to be free…

For centuries Gage has existed only to fulfill the most intimate desires of the woman who holds his bottle. Now Gage has a wish of his own—to be a real man and a have a real life even though he knows it’s an impossible dream. This time he plans to take his bottle and break it just to see what will happen.

Paramedic Sasha Watts has seen the damage falling in love does to people and she has no intention of being another of Cupid’s victims. She accidentally frees Gage without knowing what he is. After one kiss he walks away and she never expects to see him again, but the goddess Inanna has other ideas.

As punishment for breaking his bottle she erases Gage’s memory of everything but Sasha. Only Sasha can give him the life he longs for and only Gage can be the man she’s always dreamed of, but first she’ll have to open her heart and he’ll have to finish the job Inanna gave him. If he fails, he’ll cease to exist.


Buy linksARe | iTunes | Nook | Smashwords | Amazon 

Lose Yourself In the Dark... find Shona at her website





CONTESTS


Looking for a contest to enter? Our Contests page has been updated thanks to Sandra Harris -

Take a look here.




Saturday 25 January 2014

Enchanted Orb with Nicole Hurley-Moore



Good morning everyone. Today we have Nicole Hurley-Moore sharing her inspiration and a little about where the idea for Rain came from. Thanks Nicole for joining us.

Over to Nicole...

I find that inspiration can come from anywhere and sometimes it can be from the most unexpected place. A snatch of conversion, an article, a place, a picture or even just a feeling. One of my stories was inspired by my mother, growing up around old theatres and having more than my fair share of ballet lessons as a teenager. I understood where the basis of this story came from; my mother was a dancer. I like ballet (well, I like it now the lessons are far behind me) and I love a bit of history. Yet some sparks of inspiration seem to come out of left field.

The inspiration for Rain sparked with a thunderstorm. I suppose I should explain - I live in a semi – rural town in the Central Victorian Highlands. Several years ago we were caught in drought (one that went on for years), I never thought that I would be sick of cloudless blue skies but I was. Finally, the storms returned and it was wonderful. The fresh scent of rain, the drumming sound on the tin roof, wind, thunder and lightning.


So one night as I sat and listened to the tempest pounding outside, I had an idea to write about an elemental spirit, a rain spirit who followed the storms. I put it aside as I was working on other things but I couldn’t shake the image of Maras perched like a bird in the middle of a downpour.

Taking the initial image, I mixed it with a little medieval history and my love of fairy tales.



BLURB: Rain copyright Nicole Hurley-Moore

1216 AD

Nuri is caught between heaven and hell. Two men fight for her love and her soul. The first is Maras, an elemental being who follows the storms. The second is Brother Erebus, a pious monk whose tortured soul is twisted by his desire for her. But Nuri may sacrifice more than her heart when the Church brands her angel a demon. As Brother Erebus will do anything to protect her soul from the silver haired devil, even if he has to crush her body to do it.

Amazon

Rain Book Trailer



A little about Nicole Hurley-Moore:

Nicole has always been a lover of fairy tales, history and romance. She grew up in Melbourne and has travelled extensively, whilst living her life through the romance of books. Her first passion in life has always been her family, but after studying and achieving her BA in History and Honours in Medieval Literature, she devoted her time to writing historical romance, paranormal romance and fantasy.



Where to connect with Nicole:

Website | Blog | Facebook |  Twitter

Nicole is currently on a blog tour - join in and help her celebrate.




Friday 24 January 2014

Real Life Paranormal: The Yowie



image taken from Big Foot Public Domain 
So we’ve all heard of the big hairy creature called Big Foot (Sasquatch), or as Australian’s know it, the Yowie.

Sightings of these have been fairly rare (none of us paranormal guys or gals came forward with a story) with many stories almost too weird to be true. From the eight foot giants that most of us imagine to the smaller 4-5ft ‘hairy men’ these stories abound.

Much of the footage and photos are grainy and inconclusive with many hoaxes out there being found out. But still there are as many believable stories and I’m certain some of us know of at least one person who’ve sighted a Yowie.



I found a fantastic website (Australia Yowie Research) that documents eye-witness accounts - many stories which you’ll no doubt find will have sightings in an area near you. As an aside, one of these many mentioned areas is the Watagan Mountains - I used to horse-ride by myself in there years ago and got lost a number of times at night and let my horse find its way home. I’m sure glad I never came across one of these hairy creatures in my travels! Anyway, well worth a read and looking up to see what might live in your area!

Other names people know the Yowie by in other countries: Yeti (Himalaya's Big Foot), Yeren (Mongolia's Big Foot), Hibagon ( Japan's Big Foot).


So what I want to know - has anyone here seen something like our Yowie? We'd love to hear about it! =)




Amazon

Thursday 23 January 2014

Magic Thursday: Just Magic - How to market your work by one author who did

with Cathleen Ross


Two years ago when I started self-publishing I had a dream that I would be able to support myself by writing. The fantasy I had in mind was that I wouldn't have to wait to publishers to get back to me, that I would be able to find a way to market my work without it costing a bomb and that I would be able to grow my audience. My first Highlander story came to me in a dream about The Black Douglas, a disenfranchised noble who had lost land when living in Scotland in the 14th century. The interesting thing was he was still talking to me when I woke up. I had to search the net for who he was as all I knew was his name was James and he served under Robert the Bruce. Sure enough, with research, I found him, a real life Scottish knight. Highlander was born.

Two novellas and a category romance book later, I had a series that was selling and gaining ground with every release, so I decided to put it in a boxed set. I priced each novella and book at 2.99, so readers could get a discount when they bought the boxed set for 4.99. Readers are willing to pay 2.99 for an indie release and this has become a recognised price point on the net.





I have approximately 5000 friends on Facebook and a network of author friends who kindly share my releases. It's important to build this network if you intend to self-publish and it's also important to pay it forward. If an author does something for you, remember it and think how you can do something for them. I always take note of who shares my work with their network and do something for them when I can. When I released my boxed set Highland Romances, it began selling immediately after I announced it on Facebook.


To make a boxed set is not that difficult. I employed designer, Char Marie Adles who did it at a very reasonable price. I cut and pasted the book documents together and uploaded them to smash words and Amazon. My total outlay for the design was forty dollars as I had already paid for the covers through Romance Novel Covers earlier. Sales covered the cost of production in one day.


Another event driving sales was Wattpad, a free author and reader site. I had posted Highlander in her Bed minus the raunchy scenes on Wattpad. At the time of writing Highlander in her Bed has had 110,000 reads and is currently number 3 on Wattpad's most read historical books. Wattpad has young readers, but these readers grow up and name recognition for an author is important. I've noticed that sales follow whenever I post scenes to Wattpad. All good and free ways for an author to market and grow their name.



~~~~
Thanks, Cathleen.


In Her Wild Highlander's Bed, the third in the Highlander series was released on January 6th.

When Sir Jasper Bruce discovers a lady hiding under his bed in the castle he has just conquered, he doesn't expect to fall in love. No Scottish knight in his right mind would fall in love with a Sassenach enemy, not in 1313 when Scotland is fighting England for its independence. 

Forced into a betrothal with a cruel Scot, Lady Rosamund Percy can think of nothing else except escaping to England after her betrothed leaves her stranded in a highland castle. The trouble is Sir Jasper considers her a delicious prize of war. How can she convince him to let her go when he can think of nothing else but getting her into his bed?

You can find it at Amazon & Smashwords

The box set is available at Amazon & Smashwords

You can find Cathleen at her Website | Facebook | Twitter





Tuesday 21 January 2014

Good News Week


Welcome to this week's good news....

coming to you this week by Cassandra L Shaw






SOON IN PRINT


Imogene Nix has her near futuristic title Hesparia’s Tears 
(released in ebook in Aug 2013) 
going to print as of Feb 7 with Totally Bound.






BOOK COVERS AND RELEASE DATES


Imogene Nix  has  War's End 
book one in the Reunion Trilogy, a Scifi Novella series
out on 17th March 2014  with Beachwalk Press



Selina Codecko is an Indy Pilot… without the citizenship of the Federation, she’s treated like a second class citizen. But when she’s caught up in a brawl she’s arrested and in the hands of the Justice Officers.


Renjiro Ito has dreamed of a woman for five long years. As the Commander of the Justice Officers, the plight of one woman will turn his life upside down.


But there’s more going on than just the fate of one woman. The chances of a future together are slim, but they’ll take any chances that come their way. Will it be enough?








Imogene Nix has The Illuminated Witch 
sequel to The Blood Bride (Blood Secrets Trilogy) released on the 
28th March 2014 with Totally Bound in EFormat.




After years of struggling alone, Celina - a witching of immense power - must find her place in the world of vampires.

But while Javed is building a new nest - the first new one in over a century - and struggling to overcome his own demons, an ancient evil stirs.

Now with Celina in danger, time running out and the demands of a fledgling nest, can their love possibly overcome every obstacle?













find more on Imogene here
Sexy Sassy Romance That’s Out Of This World.



OTHER NEWS



Our Facebook page is at at 242 likes! Woohoo! 

Do you like the DarkSiders? Do you have a Facebook account? Then help us reach 300 Likes. 

LIKE us here



Friday 17 January 2014

What We Are Reading-January

Hello everyone! I hope you got plenty of books in your stockings. This month I asked the darksiders what they received (some were apparently on the naughty list as they got no books!)

Claire Boston
 
Maree Anderson

Eleni Konstantine

Shona Husk
 
Jenny Schwartz
Santa was slack this year, so I'm waiting on the postie to bring me Lisa Shearin's The Grendel Affair which begins her new UF series, and Jayne Ann Krentz's Dream Eyes, a paranormal romance. I really like the work of both authors, so I'm thinking of holding the postie's bike hostage till the books arrive ;)

Thursday 16 January 2014

Magic Thursday - Massive Aussie Author Giveaway

The 26th of January is Australia Day, to celebrate I've joined in with a Facebook event for the month. It's called Aussie Author Month. Click here to head over, there are lots of authors visiting over the course of the month and there is a massive giveaway which will be drawn on the 26th (and includes my first book 'Her Guardian Angel').

I was in the hot seat last week and if you scroll through the event you'll find some teasers for my latest release. 'Cinderella's Guardian' is book 2 of 'Fire and Snow'.


I like putting real life issues into my paranormal romances. I've spent much of my life battling depression, so I can relate rather well to Tina's battle in Cinderella's Guardian and enjoyed finding her Happily Ever After with her. I hope you do too!
xo
Khloe
www.khloewren.com


Blurb:
After watching his older brother win the heart of his mate, Conner White can’t wait for his turn. When he finally has his first dream of his mate, he is both relieved that he knows who she is and worried as he hasn’t been able to get near her since he caught a glimpse of her at his brother’s wedding weeks earlier.

Tina Anderson is beyond miserable. Her mother abandoned her after a life altering injury that left the vibrant gymnast in a wheelchair. Her father has been forced to leave her to go work off shore. She’s been left in the care of a harsh bitter woman who is only after her father and will do whatever she deems necessary to take her place in his life. No matter the cost.

Conner and Tina’s road to happiness is filled with twists, turns and pot holes, but are they strong enough to pull each other through it all?

Check out the trailer here: YouTube
Buy links:
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
All Romance Books

Wednesday 15 January 2014

A Bite Of... Tearing the Shroud



For our first A Bite Of... of the year, I'm mixing it up a bit, by adding a new question each fortnight.
Today however, I'm pleased to introduce J. M. Bray with A Bite Of...
Tearing The Shroud.





Can you, in less than five words describe your book Tearing the Shroud?

How about? “Crap, I don’t think so.” Ok, ok, a serious try: Love, Possession, Sacrifice, Steadfastness.

Who is your favourite character in this book?
Vincent…no…Jule…wait wait. Flea or Mr Brown…um... Justus definitely…Jolie is so great….ah…Coleman yeah it’s gotta be…erm…Vincent?

What inspired you to write it?
The list is pretty long but since this is a bite of, not a full meal, let’s go with this: The way we embrace or reject the joys and difficulties of life, determines who we are, who we become… and how we love.

And without further preamble, here's the excerpt;

(Since this is the Darksiders. Here’s a bit of the villain.)

Sitting on the edge of the lumpy mattress, he clicked the remote. The TV popped on. It was the best part of the cheap hotel room. Why do you click a remote? Nothing clicks on it. He scratched his head, surely there was a memory floating around that had the answer. But he wasn’t finding it. On the screen, the blathering heads were spitting out their drivel again. Of course, it’s always a sunny day in the southland. He headed to the bathroom. ‘At least the facilities here are inside, and I love these lights,’ he said, flipping the switch up.

He stared at his face in the mirror as he relieved himself. The florescent light gave his complexion a corpse-like look. Corpse-like. The thought made him chuckle as he zipped his pants. The TV droned on, ‘Up next. Violent crimes are on the rise locally.’ A woman’s voice picked up at the man’s pause. ‘Is it gang related, or the brutal work of a single individual?’

He leaned into the mirror for a closer look. ‘Shave, or not shave? What do you think, Bill?’ Bill wasn’t being very talkative. He glanced at the bathtub, where Bill had spent the night, or at least the last few hours of it. He lay there in his t-shirt and boxers, his head off to one side, neck bent unnaturally. An apron of thickened blood covered his chest from the cut across his throat, which had nearly decapitated him. A red mural of San Diego harbor decorated the wall next to the tub. In it, medieval buildings replaced the modern architecture. Looking at the painting, he tilted his head and rubbed his chin. He plucked a brush off the counter, dabbed it against Bill’s chest and added a flag to the top of a tower. At the lower right hand corner he wrote Callendel. ‘There, that’s what was missing. Bill, any thoughts?’

That’s the problem with the dead. They’re usually such poor conversationalists. ‘I suppose a shave will go better with my new suit. Thank you for that, by the way.’ He nodded at Bill. ‘Oh, and the credit cards, Rolex, Cadillac, cash, and, well everything. You certainly gave your all.’ He peered at first one side of his face then the other. ‘It’s a shame that convincing you took such a difficult turn.’ Bending down, he retrieved the ball gag from the floor where he had dropped it earlier, kicking the pieces of Bill’s amputated fingers to the side. He sighed. ‘It could have been so much easier.’

The rich...they so often confuse affluence with power. He picked up the sleek hunting knife and shook the tip toward the bathtub, while still examining himself in the mirror. ‘A lesson learned, Bill, a lesson learned.’

He lathered his face with soap and shaved quickly, the knife gliding across his skin, never cutting anything but whiskers. ‘Ah, a good shave, glad we went that way. Don’t you think, Bill?’ After rinsing his face, he washed in the sink then walked back into the dingy room. As he passed the TV, the blonde woman calmly described a home invasion in University Heights that left a wealthy couple dead.

‘Their mutilated corpses were discovered this morning by the gardener, where they had been posed reclining in chaise lounges by the pool.’ She spoke with a serious demeanor that never reached her eyes, her overly white teeth flashing.

Singing tunelessly, ‘Busy, busy, busy,’ he put on his new suit. He’d chosen well; it was a perfect fit. ‘I told you we were the same size,’ he called to the bathroom. The shoes were another matter; they were much too small. First stop today will be shopping. He put the money clip stuffed with hundred dollar bills into his pants pocket. A folded knife went in one breast pocket and the calfskin wallet in the other. One last look in the mirror. He looked, smiling. ‘Hi, I’m Bill, Bill Wilson.’ He slipped the sheathed hunting knife into his newly acquired briefcase.

‘Well, I’m off, Bill. Thanks again.’ He waved as he walked toward the door. ‘Oh my, I nearly forgot.’ Taking the wallet out, he looked at the driver’s license. A much livelier Bill smiled up at him. ‘This won’t do,’ he said running his thumb over the photo. As it passed, the picture transformed. His face now occupied the ID. ‘There we are.’ He stepped out and closed the door behind him.

She was right, another sunny day in the southland.

WOW, what an excerpt - thank you very much for sharing J. M.!

If you'd like to find our more about J. M. Bray, *click* on the links below!

Tuesday 14 January 2014

Good News Day

Welcome to this week's good news....

coming to you this week by Cassandra L Shaw



REVIEWS



Christina Phillips has received a 5 star review from A Readers Review for
 Her Savage Scot 







“OMG! If you thought that Christina Phillips’ Romans and Celts were hot in her Forbidden series, then check out her passionate Picts and sexy Scots in her Highland Warrior Chronicles. The author once again combines a spellbinding historical romance with a superb erotic read, which will keep you panting for more. She writes in a way that transports you to the time period and creates truly memorable heroes and heroines."


Take a look at the full review: A Readers Review







BOOK COVERS & RELEASE DATES





Khloe Wren has a new release out this week:

Cinderella's Guardian 
Book 2 of Fire & Snow

by Rogue Phoenix Press


Buy links:
Amazon | All Romance eBooks | Barnes and Noble


Blurb:
After watching his older brother win the heart of his mate, Conner White can’t wait for his turn. When he finally has his first dream of his mate, he is both relieved that he knows who she is and worried as he hasn’t been able to get near her since he caught a glimpse of her at his brother’s wedding weeks earlier.

Tina Anderson is beyond miserable. Her mother abandoned her after a life altering injury that left the vibrant gymnast in a wheelchair. Her father has been forced to leave her to go work off shore. She’s been left in the care of a harsh bitter woman who is only after her father and will do whatever she deems necessary to take her place in his life. No matter the cost.

Conner and Tina’s road to happiness is filled with twists, turns and pot holes, but are they strong enough to pull each other through it all?

Take at look at the Book Trailer




CELEBRATING & IN THE NEWS

Cheryse Durrant  and Clan Destined Press 
are celebrating 
The Blood She Betrayed's
ARRA Shortlisting


EXCITING NEWS! Clan Destine Press is celebrating The Blood She Betrayed's shortlisting in the Australian Romance Readers Awards (Favourite Sci Fi, Fantasy or Futuristic Romance category) by halving the eBook price to $2.99 - for a limited time only. Find out why Taloners are the new sexy!


Buy Links:

Amazon | Kobo | Clan Destine Press | Lulu has only reduced the eBook price to $4.74 but this is still cheaper than before.


In the News

Cheryse Durrant was last week featured in the Bundaberg NewsMail and on 4BU radio in relation to selling out on her first print run of her debut novel, The Blood She Betrayed, and her ARR Awards shortlisting. Durrant has also been interviewed by Marianne de Pierres' Escape Club staffer Bec Stafford here.


Reviews

Belinda from the Marianne de Pierres' Escape Club has given Cheryse Durrant's The Blood She Betrayed a fabulous review, describing Max and Shahkara's journey as "fast-paced and studded with emotional land mines". "The Blood She Betrayed takes us on a flail-your-arms-worthy trip from Brisbane’s Central Business District to the upper class rooms of the Hilton Hotel in Sydney... Durrant lives in my hometown of Bundaberg. Thank heavens this book is gonna put (this town) on the map for something I adore... brilliantly written books."

For the full review, click HERE.


OTHER NEWS

Welcome to our latest DarkSider, D.D. Line!

You can visit D.D. at her blog


Saturday 11 January 2014

Darklight On... JM Bray



Today's Darklight On is... JM Bray

Welcome, JM Bray!





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

As a reader, my favourite books always include an element of the fantastic. When I started writing my mind went there first. There’s a freedom to it, the boundaries are less distinct. I like that.


Are you a plotter? Pantser? Or somewhere in-between?

Pantser. I get a “what if” idea, then a character comes from there. Then I mull the two for a while and if they still seem solid I start writing. But I have only the broadest notions where the story will go.



Do you have a favourite of your characters?

No. I love them all for varying reasons, even my sociopathic villain.



What are you currently working on? 

The third book in the Shroud series, with a working title of Shrouded. Book two should (hopefully) release in the first half of next year.



What is your favourite part of the process of writing?

I enjoy all of it, even editing. If I have to choose: it’s the moment where I’m blindsided at what happens in a scene. That’s magic.


What can we expect from future instalments of the Shroud series?

Mending the Shroud, book two, picks up the story a month after Tearing the Shroud. Vincent, Jule and the rest of the gang are falling deeper into love, adventure and everything that goes with it.



Who are your favourite authors?

It depends on the genre. Fantasy: Raymond E. Feist or Anne McCaffrey. Horror: King or Koontz. Alt-mythic/Historic: Stephen R. Lawhead. Romance: Ainslie Paton.




What are you currently reading?

Scarlett by Lawhead. It’s a re-imagining of the Robin Hood story.



Do you have a favourite spec fiction movie or TV series?

The director's cut of the movie, Highlander. I’ve watched it at least twenty times.



Do you have advice for emerging writers?

Keep everything you write. You never know when those partial stories will bloom into something wonderful.

~~


Thanks, JM!


Buy Links to Tearing the Shroud

                            Amazon       |        iTunes       |        Kobo       |        EscapePublishing


About JM Bray
JM Bray lives in Southern California with his college sweetheart and their two dogs. When not writing or working his day job, he loves to cook, play the guitar, and travel with his wife. Every chance he gets, he races an old Porsche named Tuffy at tracks in the southwest.Catch up with him via:

Twitter       |       Website       |        Blog       |       Facebook       |       Facebook Connect       |       Pinterest

Tuesday 7 January 2014

Good News Day!

Welcome to this week's good news....

coming to you this week by Cassandra L Shaw



BOOK COVERS & RELEASE DATES



S.E. Gilchrist has  Star Pirate's Justice 

out with Escape Publishing 1st February 2014.


Here is the description & blurb :

Photo 

A brand new installment in S E Gilchrist's bestselling erotic Sci-Fi series about a dark and delicious alien race on a desperate quest for survival -- and the human women who can cure their years-long curse.

Carly has one focus in her life: to return home to her terminally ill younger sister. When she learns that a Darkon traitor possesses gateway maps to Earth, she uses all her skills to track him down. But capturing the charming star pirate turns out to be trickier than she anticipated…

Volkar is determined to prove his innocence to those who drove him to a life lived on the Outer Rim, and he will overcome anyone who gets in his way. But his surprisingly sweet captor has some skills that will come in handy, so he strikes a deal: the maps for her help. Neither expect their partnership to turn into more, but as dark secrets are revealed, their lives become forfeit — and the relationship blossoming between them nothing but a starburst of happiness in the deep shadow of the sky…


Visit S.E at her website.




Lilliana Rose  has Circus Escape


Photo
her steampunk sweet romance novella out April 2014 
with Less Than Three Press as part of their 'A Loose Screw' collection. 


Visit Lilliana at her website












Shona Husk has two announcements:

Lord of the Hunt is released today (January 7th)! 


Check out these great reviews. 

PhotoWith mechanizations galore, Lord of the Hunt will captivate your mind while teasing your senses with the forbidden romance. This fast paced, action packed, adventure will keep you glued to the pages when the fantasy world of the fae clash with the human world. A new and refreshing take of a fae world bleeding over story, Lord of the Hunt is sure to delight the romance fantasy reader.


RT magazine

4 Stars

Surprising, sensual and full of magic! The fairies of Annwyn can be ruthless, so playing the game properly can mean the difference between life and death, especially during such a perilous time of transition. Taryn and Verden try to be careful, neither one expecting to fall in love. Fantastic worldbuilding and compelling character will make readers yearn for another foray into the world of fairy.




LORD OF THE HUNT by Shona Husk continues to deliver intriguing characters, beautiful settings, treacherous power plays, and steamy encounters in her Annwyn trilogy. I can't wait for the final book in this series To Love a King to be released.

And she has a

Lord of the Hunt 

Launch Party:


Join her on 
January 8 6:30am-10:30am (Perth time)



Visit Shona at her website.

and keep an eye out for Shona's upcoming releases:

Lord of the Hunt-Sourcebooks January 2014
Temptation in a Bottle-January 2014
The Changeling Soldier-June 2014
Lunar Reunion & Lunar Dancer -Ellora’s Cave 2014




AWARD NEWS


Voting will open today for  the 2013 Australian Romance Readers Awards.  And we have a bucketload of DarkSiders nominated.

A Huge Congratulations!!! Well done everyone and best of luck to you all.

Below is our Darksider nominees. For a full list go to the ARRA blog post


Favourite Paranormal Romance 
A Warlord’s Lady by Nicola E Sheridan
Iron Kin by MJ Scott
Redemption by Erica Hayes
The Outcast Prince by Shona Husk
The S.E.R.A. Files Vol 1 by CT Green

  






Favourite Sci Fi, Fantasy or Futuristic Romance
Alien, Mine by Sandra Harris
Allegiance Sworn by Kylie Griffin
Chaos Bound by Rebekah Turner
Demon Chained by Erica Hayes
Heart of Iron by Bec McMaster
The Blood She Betrayed by Cheryse Durrant


   

  




Favourite Contemporary Romance 
Breathless by Dakota Harrison
Exhale by Dakota Harrison
Lick by Kylie Scott


 



Favourite Erotic Romance
Betrayed by Christina Phillips
Her Savage Scot by Christina Phillips
Skin by Kylie Scott
Tainted by Christina Phillips
The Secret Diary of Lady Catherine Bexley by Viveka Portman


  


 




Favourite Continuing Romance Series
Half-Light City series by MJ Scott



 






London Steampunk series by Bec McMaster






Favourite Australian Romance Author 2013
Kylie Scott




Members’ Choice categories are …

Favourite Cover from a romance published in 2013
Allegiance Sworn by Kylie Griffin (Berkley)
Heart of Iron by Bec McMaster (Sourcebooks)
Iron Kin by MJ Scott (Roc)
Lick by Kylie Scott (Momentum)
My Lady Quicksilver by Bec McMaster (Sourcebooks)


  





The Sexiest Hero from a romance published in 2013
Will Carver from Heart of Iron by Bec McMaster




Favourite New Romance Author for 2013
Dakota Harrison
Sandra Harris


 


The Voting will close on 5 March and the winners will be announced at the Awards Dinner to be held on 22 March 2014 at Cello’s Restaurant in Sydney. 



Don't forget to vote!!



check out all our books on our dsdu-books shelf:
DarkSide DownUnder's book lists (dsdu-books shelf)