AustLit

'Arguing with witches, hunting warlocks, fighting vampires and kissing werewolves wasn’t quite the Valentine’s Day she had planned…

'It’s coming up to Valentine’s Day, and empath morpho medic, Harriette “Harry” Swalwell, doesn’t want to spend another one alone. Ever since her best friend’s murder, she’s struggled with the loneliness and grief of losing yet another loved one, but can’t quite relax her guards enough to make new friends, and possibly new lovers. So, sipping a love potion to help find her heart’s desire seemed like good idea at the time… She just wasn’t expecting to run into her best friend’s annoying older brother, or slip into the mind of a killer.

'Werewolf alpha Jude Colton and his brothers are determined to find their sister’s killer, and keeping an eye on her best friend is good in theory, not so much in practice. The woman is human, annoying, resistant to orders, determined, with little regard to her own safety when it comes to hunting killers. When an unwelcome side affect of drinking a love potion gives Harry an insight into a cunning killer, Jude adds protecting his sister’s frustrating best friend to his to-do list. Just as well, because another side affect of that darn potion is that Harry gets very kissy…'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'A lost treasure. A haunted hotel. A kidnapping. These weren't the bumps in the night he'd planned...

'Maid of Honor Prue Merrick is determined to find the positive in every situation, and she's positive she'd like to wring grumpy ex-boyfriend Lochie's neck when he unexpectedly shows up at her sister's wedding party weekend meet-up. Her plan: get through the weekend without ruining her sister's event by causing a scene - possibly a crime scene - with Lochie.

'Best Man Lochlan Leighton believes Prue's eternal sunshine is a way for his ex to avoid the harsh realities of life, and when she starts claiming she's seeing monsters in this manor, he's sure there's a logical explanation for it. His plan: prove to Prue it's all in her imagination - and dodge whatever she throws at him. He just wasn't expecting the vampire, werewolf or ghost to be so ... tangible.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'It's all fun and games until someone gets murdered...

'In this gripping new action suspense from award-winning author Shannon Curtis, an undercover bodyguard must protect a witness who is unaware of her guardian. The only problem - she's on a killer's hit list, and they're playing a dangerous game of hunter and prey deep in the Californian wilderness.

'A former soldier struggling with loss, grief and guilt...

'Undercover bodyguard Knox Landon has an easy job monitoring this pretty principle - he's got her routine down pat. Work, sleep, repeat. Hired by her father, he watches over her from a safe distance, but after coming to her rescue after a physical attack in a hotel room, he realises he's going to have to get up close and personal in order to protect his client's daughter.

'A woman who has already faced too much betrayal...

'Logistics manager, Michaela Robson, is fighting the whistleblower stigma after busting an illegal drug smuggling ring at work, and hopes to build trust with her work team at the company's annual retreat. The last thing on her mind is a steamy workplace romance with the new alpha male freight handler on her team, but Knox has the uncanny ability to be there for her when she desperately needs him, and of showing her that freight isn't the only thing he can handle so skilfully.

'Caught in a sniper's crosshairs, Michaela must decide whether she can trust this man full of secrets. For Knox, though, protecting this woman means facing his own demons, consequences be damned.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'A collection of romantic suspense stories from three bestselling Australian authors.'

'Mortal enemies…bound by a kiss!

'When his spirit is separated from his body, werewolf Zane Wilder is invisible to everyone―except Vivianne Marchetta. A vampire who has good reason to loathe all lycans, Vivianne is eager to be rid of her shifter shadow.

'But the spell that should sever the connection between this mismatched pair only deepens their bond. Can they trust each other enough to survive this transformation, or will it destroy them both?'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'He trusts no one. She trusts him.

'When a name appears on Dave Carter’s skin, he goes hunting. It’s his job to find and kill witches who transgress natural law. He can’t believe that sweet, naive empath Sully Timmerman is the murderer he’s seeking. Is she dangerous, in danger, or both? Dave wants to protect her, but he can’t protect his own heart. And he might not even want to…'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Echo Springs on the edge of the outback – a town where everyone knows your name, and your business. But the wholesome country living and welcoming community aren't what they used to be. Echo Springs has a dark underbelly, and it is seeping ever outward.

'Jacinta Buchanan understands stress. Between trying to keep the family farm going and convince her father that she's the best (and only) option to take over permanently, she has a lot on her plate. So when one of the old mines on the property blows up, killing a local teenager, she can barely hold it together. But finding out that she's a suspect and the cop sent to investigate her is her brother's best friend is the absolute last straw.

'Country cop Mac Hudson is used to disappointment. He's watched friends, classmates, townspeople he likes and respects cross the line time and time again, and it's his job to dole out the consequences. But discovering that Jac Buchanan has a meth lab on her property is an unexpected blow, so when she hatches a plan to prove her innocence and draw out the real culprits, he agrees to go along. But there's a darkness on Bull's Run that runs deeper than they expect and a darkness in Echo Springs that stretches further than they can imagine. In their quest for the truth, Jacinta and Mac will have to risk the town they both love and the future they're only beginning to imagine.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Her cruelest temptation… 

'A werewolf's bite has just one cure, and vampire Lucien Marchetta intends to find it. But first he must convince Professor Natalie Segova to help him. Natalie once considered Lucien a friend and protector…until he abandoned her to a terrible tragedy. And yet she still struggles to resist his tantalizing allure and the intimate memories of their past. 

'Racing to locate the cure, Lucien and Natalie tangle in a seductive power play where every move ratchets up the intensity of their blistering attraction. But time is running out and the veil between death and life is shifting. If Lucien doesn't reclaim Natalie's heart soon, he could lose her – and everything he values – forever.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'She'll do whatever it takes to track this killer ...

'Harmony Talbot's world is destroyed when she arrives home and discovers her cousin's dead body, left with a single white rose as the killer's calling card. Lightning shouldn't strike twice, but this is the second unsolved murder in Harmony's family. Harmony is determined that this time there will be justice, even if she has to track down the culprit herself.

'Homicide detective Bern Knight is good at catching criminals. Though meaningful, his work leaves little time for relationships, and the last thing he needs is a beautiful, bumbling amateur sleuth getting herself into trouble. Whoever committed this crime is no ordinary murderer; he's a ghost, leaving behind no evidence until more bodies with the same sadistic markers start turning up.

'As a digital forensic investigator, Harmony has a special set of skills that she's fully prepared to use, no matter how much the stern detective is against her interference. Tracking the killer is no easy feat, but Harmony lures him out of hiding. Except now she's the one in the killer's crosshairs ...'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'A witch’s spell…a warrior’s curse

'If not for her protective wards, witch Melissa Carter would be dead at the hands of her enemy, shadow breed Hunter Galen. Now he’s her prisoner. Though she tortures the powerful warrior with spells, he torments her with dark fantasies, inciting a forbidden lust too strong to deny.

'Hunter must escape to complete his mission—destroy his father, who vowed revenge on him and his beautiful captor. But a warrior mates for life and now Hunter must protect Melissa—his mortal enemy and unlikely love. Doing so means descending into the underground world of the Darkken, a place so evil they might not come out alive…'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'REVENGE IS SWEET, BUT SO IS DESIRE

'On the hunt for his alpha’s killer, Lycan Matthias Marshall is willing to go to any lengths to end his quest. Even if that means kidnapping the enemy. Well-trained tracker Trinity Caldwell can take him back to her pack and their treacherous leader. Yet convincing Trinity to betray her kind won’t be easy. Nor will denying the pull his body feels toward hers.

'Matthias has buried his heart along with his mate. Desire…love…have no part in his plan. But when Trinity risks her life for his, Matthias must decide how much vengeance means to him.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Sexy bachelor and local sheriff, Jackson King would like to have a little more contact with the newest resident of his town, Patience, Texas—but dealing with her young ward’s shenanigans wasn’t exactly what he had in mind.

'Stephanie Farrell is struggling this Christmas. As a new guardian to two young children she discovers that playing Mommy is a lot tougher than expected—and there’s certainly no room in her life for dating or relationships, no matter how smoking hot the temptation.

'When Jackson is called to Stephanie’s address during a late night home invasion, his attempt to rescue her makes him a target. Now, he’ll risk his life to save the family who has stolen his heart.' (Publication summary)

'Their relationship is built on a bed of lies – but can he trust his heart in order to save her life?

'Darcy Montgomery is on the run. She must hide until she can testify in a shocking court case involving her former employer, but so far the witness protection program has only brought more danger. Any hopes of keeping a low profile are dashed when she saves the two children of wealthy property developer, Dominic St. James, from a sinking car driven by his ex-wife.

'Dominic St. James learns the car crash was no accident and his ex-wife is still missing, presumed dead. He is determined to keep his children, as well as their mysterious rescuer, safe until the threat is neutralised. Fighting his enemies and a growing attraction, he discovers that Darcy is much more than she seems.

'The danger to Darcy, Dominic and his family grows as their security is eroded and they face not one but two adversaries who have deadly intent. Who ultimately can trust who? ' (Publication summary)

'When a miscreant patient unexpectedly dies in his dental surgery, Ryder Galen knows two things: he didn’t murder the alpha wolf, and he’s dead meat unless he can prove his innocence—before the dead alpha’s pack kill him in retribution. Handing himself in to the Reform authorities should buy him some time to track down the real killer, with the help of his lawyer …

'Half-blood vampire Vassiliki Verity has inherited a secret gift from her human side of the family—a truthseeking ability that enables her to tell when someone is lying to her. Not so good on the dating scene, but very effective in dealing with criminals. Her latest client, though, is an interesting mix of honesty and secrecy, and while she knows he’s lying, her conscience won’t allow her to throw him to the wolves. But how can she trust a man who can seduce her with his lies?'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

Based on a brainstorming session, in which ARRA members shared their story preferences with writers, with the result being written by Shannon Curtis. The resulting novel, Tribal Law, was then posited as the first in a series.

'Thorne is fed up at being taken for granted at Forrester Creations. When his mansion in LA is sold, he decides to leave the catwalks and design shows for the cattle and horse ranch he's just bought in Texas. Brooke feels as though she is spinning out of control. She's been rejected by Ridge - again. She wants to develop a special lingerie line for breast cancer survivors and needs Thorne's insight. He is also the one enduring fixture in her life, and Forrester Creations doesn't feel right without him. Using her father in Dallas as an excuse, Brooke visits Thorne, determined to convince him he's making the biggest mistake of his life. But as they herd cattle and mend fences together, Brooke begins to see the lure of the land. She is also seeing a side of Thorne she didn't know existed and feels increasingly attracted to him. On a boundary roundup, Brooke is separated from Thorne and thrown from her horse. Under the blazing sun, she reflects on her life. She regrets not telling Thorne how she feels about him and, now, it may be too late. As the sun sets, Thorne finally finds Brooke. They spend the night under the stars and Brooke shows Thorne exactly how she feels. Brooke now understands why Thorne has chosen this life, and that when he offers her his heart, he's offering her the life she has always wanted.' (Publication summary)