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.

Tuesday 5 December 2017

DarkSider News for December


Welcome to the latest DarkSider News!

Get ready to fill those Christmas stockings with some great stories....





NEW DARKSIDER


TJ Nichols

TJ Nichols is an avid runner and martial arts enthusiast who first started writing as child. Many years later while working as a civil designer, TJ decided to pick up a pen and start writing again. Having grown up reading thrillers and fantasy novels, it’s no surprise that mixing danger and magic comes so easily, writing urban fantasy allows TJ to bring magic to the every day. TJ enjoys writing novellas and novels and has a series, Studies in Demonology, coming out with DSP Publications.
With two cats acting as supervisors, TJ has gone from designing roads to building worlds and wouldn’t have it any other way. After traveling all over the world and Australia, TJ now lives in Perth, Western Australia.








NEW RELEASES

Poison Marked by TJ Nichols is part of the 2017 Advent Calendar Daily - Stocking Stuffers Series released by Dreamspinner Press 1st December.



Kill his lover or disobey his king and instigate civil war?

As the feared court poison master, Nikko is sworn to do as his king bids. As the lover of the king’s nephew, Lord Rodas, Nikko must hide his affection or risk being labeled a traitor and punished. A former thief who clawed his way into the palace from the filthy streets, Nikko longs to be deserving of Rodas’s love.

A respected war hero, Rodas is in a delicate political situation. He is not the kingdom’s natural heir, though many support his claim over the wastrel, Prince Fortin. The last thing Rodas wants is war. His highest ambition is for Nikko to openly wear the jewels he’s bestowed on him as a public declaration of their love.

Neither man is prepared for the king to order Nikko to poison Rodas during the solstice feast or for the deadly intrigue they’re plunged into, which exposes their affair and rocks the foundations of the kingdom.






The Black Tide by Keri Arthur is Book 3 (and final book) in The Outcast Series. It was released 5th December.



 


Though Winter Halo–the pharmaceutical company behind the evil experimentation on both children and adults–has been destroyed, the danger is far from over. Not only do seven children remain unaccounted for, but some of the vampires are now able to walk in light.

The key to stopping the unthinkable lies in finding Ciara Dream, the last member of the trio behind the plot to give full light immunity to both the vampires and the Others. But Ciara, like Tiger herself, is a shapeshifter, able to take on any human form she desires.

To find her, Tiger will need to use every skill in her formidable arsenal, and even that might not be enough to save the city and the people she has started to care about.

Because the vampires are coming, and this time, the lights won’t stop them.


Keri has made available a second teaser of the first three chapters (opens pdf).


Buy links available from Keri's website. 



Rogue by Anna Hackett is Book 8 in the Galactic Gladiators series. It was indie published on 26th November.


Abducted by alien slavers and taken to a lawless desert world, the last thing she expects is to be claimed by a handsome alien rogue. Rogue contains two action-packed novellas in the Galactic Gladiators series.

Information Rogue: arrogant information merchant Zhim doesn’t know what hits him when he collides with feisty human hacker Ryan.
Rescued by the humans and gladiators from the House of Galen, Ryan Nagano is working hard to piece her life back together. Her priorities are conquering her anxiety, recovering from her captivity, and using her exceptional computer skills to help the House of Galen decrypt alien data that could reveal the location of other abducted humans. That’s all she’s focused on. But when she needs help, she finds herself having to work with arrogant genius Zhim…and discovers that the two of them redefine the word explosive.
Zhim thrives on the need to uncover information and ensure his wealthy, carefully constructed life is exactly as he wants it. Then one infuriating menace of a woman blasts into his life. Ryan matches him skill for skill, drives him crazy, and worms her way under his skin. But forced to take her deep into Kor Magma’s shadowy hacker underworld, Zhim soon learns exactly what he’s willing to risk to keep Ryan safe.

Desert Rogue: prickly, independent human Neve doesn’t want or need any help…but a certain cocky desert rogue isn’t taking no for an answer.
Neve Haynes survived her abduction through grit and determination. She’s always made her own way through life, depends on no one, and is determined to achieve her own personal mission. So as she sneaks out of the House of Galen, the last thing she needs is help in the form of a tawny-haired, lean-hipped caravan master with more confidence and swagger than any man she’s met before.
Corsair is a man of the desert and leader of the Corsair Caravan. He listens to his gut and something about Neve draws him in. He can’t let her go off and get herself killed, but she’s the most skittish, strongest woman he’s ever met. As they trek deep into the desert on a dangerous mission to find a map to an infamous desert arena, they will fight side by side and be forced to depend only on each other to survive. And in Carthago’s desert sands, they will uncover a desire that burns hotter than the desert sun.


Read a sample (opens pdf).

Available from Amazon US | Amazon Aus






Anna Hackett has re-released three books to become the Warriors of the Wind series. Book 3 was released on 20th November. 




The Warriors of the Wind are the only thing protecting humans from a centuries-old evil, but with their potential mates, the Aurae, long gone, these alpha warriors are in danger of becoming the very evil they hunt.


Note: Re-release. Fury and Darkness contains two short, sexy novellas. These are re-released stories originally published as Defying by the North Wind and Claiming the East Wind. They have been updated and have new scenes and/or extended scenes added.


Fury: his new personal assistant is hiding more than just dangerous curves under her suit.

Billionaire Luca Venti is CEO of Venti Enterprises and the Warrior of the volatile North Wind. He is used to giving orders and being in charge, and as he hunts a deadly Tempest Wind in the heart of Venice, he refuses to ask for help. But the vice of rage beats within him, and when he discovers his new personal assistant is really a spy, his fury demands to be unleashed.

Rayne Santini was sent to monitor Luca, not to get involved with him and his explosive temper. But as she watches him fight the evil he’s hunting and struggle against his vice, she refuses to stand by and do nothing. But convincing the stubborn Luca to accept her help is the biggest challenge she’s ever faced. Drawn together, their white-hot desire threatens to burn brighter than Luca’s fury…and as his control crumbles, the only thing standing between him and destruction is Rayne.


Darkness: a man on the verge of succumbing to the evil he fights.

Skye Santini has lived her life in the shadows and hiding from the horrors of her past. Tired of always being afraid, she vows that now is her chance to make a difference. She will be the sacrifice to appease Soren Venti, the Warrior of the East Wind, who has succumbed to his vice of greed. The fate of the world rests on her slim shoulders.

Locked away in his villa on Lake Como, Soren has no memory of his identity. He is driven only by the whispers of greed to take, own, and possess…but then one small woman enters his domain. Mesmerized by Skye’s quiet beauty and hidden strength, Soren finds something he wants more than everything else. But a dangerous enemy is bearing down on them. The final Tempest Wind wants Soren to join him and rule the world…and he knows that Skye is the only thing standing in his way.



Available from Amazon US | Amazon Aus





Serpents' Souls & Dragon Hearts by C.M. Simpson is a science fiction short story. It was released by C.M. Publishing on 1st December. It is set on the world of the lizardine, some time after the events in The Reptiles' Blade. 



Mankind has legends of intelligent serpents, dragons and vampires in almost every culture, and now mankind is out amongst the stars. When an emergent psi of lizardine-human descent dreams of a many-legged threat and serpents walking the skies, mankind might just have a chance to discover those legends made real.









Non Paranormal title

Take a Chance by Claire Boston is Book 5 in the Flanagan Sisters series and a novelette. It was published by Bantilly Publishing on 1st December. 



Max’s perfect Christmas plan turns into a nightmare when his boyfriend dumps him. Devastated, he seizes the chance to make a colleague’s Christmas wish come true by giving him the opportunity to experience his first white Christmas.  
Liam has been crushing on Max since he started work a month ago. Now he’s been given the perfect opportunity to spend a week with the man of his dreams. There’s only one problem – he hasn’t told his new workmates he’s gay.

This might be a Christmas to remember, or one to forget – if Liam is brave enough to take a chance.


Buy links are available from Claire's website.





COVER REVEAL

The Dating Phase by Claire Boston is slated to be published in January 2018. 








PRE-ORDER

Donna Maree Hanson is part of a collection of 22 fantasy and science fiction books slated to be published in May 2018. 






A collection of 22 Fantasy and Science Fiction full novels from an international cast of bestselling authors. This action-packed boxset features strong-willed individuals in unusual and exciting settings. Encounter queens, witches, wizards, werewolves, shifters, angels, dragons, or shadowy nemeses. Stories are character driven and set in worlds with low or no technology. You will follow their journeys to discover magical worlds, encounter dystopian lands, space stations, and galaxies they never dreamed of before their adventures. Join us On the Horizon for these deadly and dangerous quests filled with thrilling action and adventure! 


Special pre-order price available from On The Horizon website.




PREVIOUS 2017 RELEASES


Warlock in Training by TJ Nichols is Book 1 of the Studies in Demonology series. It was released by DSP Publications on 14th Feburary.



Angus Donohue doesn’t want to be a warlock. He believes draining demons for magic is evil, but it’s a dangerous opinion to have—his father is a powerful and well-connected warlock, and Angus is expected to follow the family tradition.

His only way out is to fail the demon summoning class. Failure means expulsion from the Warlock College. Despite Angus’s best efforts to fumble the summoning, it works. Although not the way anyone expects.

Angus’s demon, Saka, is a powerful mage with his own need for a warlock.

Saka wants to use Angus in a ritual to rebalance the magic that is being stripped from Demonside by warlocks. If Angus survives his demon’s desires and the perils of Demonside, he’ll have to face the Warlock College and their demands.

Angus must choose: obey the College and forget about Demonside or trust Saka and try to fix the damage before it’s too late. Whatever he does, he is in the middle of a war he isn’t qualified to fight.


Available from: Amazon US | Amazon Aus |  B&N | iBooks |  Kobo |  Dreamspinner Press



Olivier by TJ Nichols is Book 7 of the Order of the Black Knights series written by various authors. It was released by Dreamspinner Press on 31st July.




Olivier Merlo works for a dangerous man. He does what he’s told without asking questions because he needs to protect his sister and niece. When someone gives his boss trouble, Olivier does what he does best. It’s a routine hit—until the victim’s brother starts poking around.

Cody Anders left his family behind a decade ago—along with their wealth and influence—to live on his own terms. Still, he knows his twin didn’t die of a drug overdose, and he’ll do anything to find the truth. What he uncovers is a conspiracy that will topple his family and leave him staring down the barrel of a gun.

Olivier must decide if he’s going to obey orders or free himself from the curse that has guided his hand for centuries. Cody, who challenges Olivier’s notion that no one can love him, holds the key to breaking his chains. But when the truth finally comes out, it might be more than Cody can accept.


Available from: Dreamspinner Press |  Kobo |  iBooks |  Amazon US | Amazon AusB&N




As mentioned above,  Anna Hackett has re-released three books to become the Warriors of the Wind series. Book 3 was released in November and the previous two books were released on 31st July. 


Tempest is Book 1.




Note: Re-release. Tempest contains one short, sexy novella. It is a re-released story originally published as Wind Kissed, Fire Bound. The story has been completely overhauled and characters changed. It has new scenes and/or extended scenes added.

One of five brothers granted the power of the wind, Lorenzo Venti is Keeper of the Winds. A loner at heart, he's fine that his duty to keep the evil Tempest Winds trapped on their island prison, keeps him isolated and alone. After seeing his father murdered by the Winds, he's made an oath to keep them locked away. Besides, he prefers his work with his horses to annoying people anyway. But his powerful foes are rising, and when one infuriating, tempting woman arrives on his island, she threatens everything...

Bright, vivacious horse trainer Riley Donovan is drawn to big, brooding loner Lorenzo, and she's planning to chase down the stubborn man once and for all. She knows he has demons, and it makes her own powers stir--powers she vowed never to use again when her mother was killed. But as their scorching attraction explodes, they find themselves in the center of a dangerous tempest...and now the fates of both their world and their hearts hang in the balance.


Available from: Amazon US | Amazon Aus


Storm & Seduction is Book 2




Note: Re-release. Storm and Seduction contains two short, sexy novellas. These are re-released stories originally published as Taken by the South Wind and Tempting the West Wind. They have been updated and have new scenes and/or extended scenes added.

Storm: the last thing he expects on his hunt is an alluring assassin out to kill him.

Shipping magnate Dante Venti is also the Warrior of the South Wind. With the terrifying Tempest Winds loose, it is his duty to scour the streets of Rome on the hunt for one of the dangerous winds, who is infecting the city with the vice of pride. Dante feels pride dragging him down, and now that the Aurae are all dead, be must fight on alone...until he finds himself attacked by a deadly assassin who tries to slit his throat.

Samia Hassan is the brotherhood's best assassin, or at least she was. Now she's on a mission to prove herself and end her lethal target. But Dante Venti is not what she expected, and as she finds herself drawn to him, she senses something is not right with her mission. Dante is not the evil being she was told he was, and instead she sees a sexy, handsome man fighting to protect the world. As Dante and Samia circle each other, a storm is growing...and Samia may be the only thing that can help Dante survive it.

Seduction: trapped, naked, and chained with a beautiful woman who can never be his.

Antonio Venti, Warrior of the West Wind, wakes up in chains, the prisoner of the deadly nemesis he hunts. An evil Tempest Wind is spreading the vice of lust across the city of Florence, and he has vowed to break Antonio. With no Aurae mate to soothe the vices, Antonio feels his body heating with desire, and he fights his reaction with every fiber of his being. But all that changes when his cunning prey locks him up naked with his ultimate temptation--the one woman he craves above all else.

Sophia Crane has given up on rich, cheating men. She's come to Italy to heal her broken heart, focus on her art restoration, and discover the truth about the legends of the Warriors of the Wind. But when she wakes up naked and locked in a room with her sexy boss--a man she's been avoiding--she knows something is desperately wrong. As Sophia and Antonio fight their scorching desire, she learns the terrible truth about the Tempest Winds and Antonio's struggle to fight back. Sophia watches him being dragged down by lust, and she realizes that she may either be Antonio's salvation...or his greatest downfall.



Available from: Amazon US | Amazon Aus



Opi Battles the Space Pirates by Donna Maree Hanson is Book 3 of the Love and Space Pirates series. It was released in March.




Ms Opeia Gayens, head of AllEarth Corp, has a problem-her company is rotten with Space Pirates. She wants to get rid of them once and for all. An unexpected invitation to dinner challenges her plans to be the bait that will draw the nasty pirates out. It's been forever since she's been on a date-just been Opi. Somehow, Owain McDevitt, mild-mannered, potato farmer from the planet Islay 2 is drawn into the intrigue. Yet, no one is who they seem, least of all Owain McDevitt. Betrayal after betrayal threatens Opi's existence and she must discover who the traitor really is before she can find her true path to happiness.


Available from Amazon US | Amazon Aus 



Memory's Return by C.M. Simpson is an urban fantasy short story in the Pixie Dust world. It was released in March by C.M. Publishing.






I don’t remember how I got in the alley, at least, not when I first wake up—and I don’t remember the names of these friendly faces making sure I’m okay, but it’s coming back. I just wish it would come back faster, because one of these faces is all kinds of wrong underneath the friendly veneer, with an agenda all their own, and they don’t mind putting my team in danger. If I don’t remember the whos and whats and whys real soon, one, or all, of us is going to end up dead, and who’s going to save the pixies then?






Non Paranormal title

Diamond Sky by Annie Seaton is Book 3 of the Porter Sisters series. It was released by Pan MacMillan Australia on 26th June.





The Kimberley can be a haven for those who can stand the heat, but its isolated beauty can also be deadly, if you're not paying attention...

The remote Matsu diamond mine in the Kimberley is the perfect place for engineer Dru Porter to hide. Her insignificance in that vast and rugged landscape helps her feel invisible. And safe. Surely the terror she left behind in Dubai will never find her here.

Security specialist Connor Kirk knows from experience that beautiful women are capable of treachery. When he arrives at Matsu to investigate a diamond theft, he immediately suspects the reclusive but obviously capable Dru Porter. He knows she's hiding something.

As Connor's investigation deepens and Dru's past catches up with her, their instant, mutual dislike threatens to blind them to the true danger lurking in the mine, one which could leave them both at the mercy of the desert...


Buy links on Annie's website.




AROUND THE WEB



Annie Seaton is part of blog hop for the 12 Days of Down Under Christmas. Visit her blog for details.










WEBSITE UPDATES


Updated pages since the last DarkSider News: TJ Nichols.




Congratulations to all our DarkSiders!


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