DarkSider News: February 2026 - Events!

      

"The tide drew back as if running away from the shore. Ul had heard tales of waves as tall as the palace crashing into the shore and destroying everything in their path, but he
had never seen one in all his forty-seven years.

 "Ring the bell," he ordered Ifer, his secretary.

 "Which pattern should they use?" Ifer stared out the window alongside the councilor who had alerted him to the strange tide." 

 – Palaces and Other Prisons (Mytho Collapse)  by TJ Nichols

Grab a cuppa and your diary and check out the events our DarkSiders are attending....

(featuring upcoming events for the coming two months, updates to events, and new listings)

Meet Me in the Mountains

Blue Mountains, NSW

7 February

Helen Walton

Lilliana Rose

Mila Young

Rachel Armstrong

Tickets 

Website

Facebook page

Facebook Attendee group

Sydney Language Festival

Blue Mountains, NSW

7 February

Theresa Fuller

Free Event!

Website

Facebook page

The Chase at Brighton Court Book Launch

Galaxy Bookshop, Sydney, NSW

14 February

Cathleen Ross

Tickets (Free!)

Indie Bookworm Event - Chapter 5: Fantasy

Kryal Castle, Leigh Creek, VIC

 21 February

HM Hodgson

Keri Arthur

Tickets

Pre-Orders

Website

The Book Booth's Facebook page

Book Fair Australia

Melbourne, VIC

 21 February

Leisl Leighton

Tickets and website

Shadows & Seduction 

New Orleans, USA

13-15 March

Mila Young

SOLD OUT!

Website

Facebook group

A Romantic Adventure

Christchurch, New Zealand

14 March

HM Hodgson*

Rachel Armstrong

Tickets

Website

Facebook group

*new entry

Celestial Events:

Fantasy Book Signing & Merchandise Day

Perth

21 March

Imogene Nix

Lilliana Rose

Tickets

Other Events tickets

Facebook group

Facebook page

Website

A Romantic Rendezvous

Multiple Cities

March

Brisbane

HM Hodgson

Sydney

Donna Maree Hanson

Keri Arthur

Melbourne

Hellucy Howe

Leisl Leighton

Lilliana Rose

M.L. Tompsett - pre-order

Samantha Marshall

Perth

Juanita Kees

Tickets

List of signing authors

Facebook group

Wild Out West Romance Book Signing

Perth, WA

3 May

Anna Hackett

Carolyn Wren*

Claire Boston / Claire Leggett

Danni Line

HM Hodgson

Lana Pecherczyk

Leisl Leighton

Mila Young

Ruby St. George*

TJ Nichols

Tickets

Website

Facebook page

* additional DarkSiders

Newcastle Book Boyfriend
13 June
​Newcastle City Hall, NSW

Donna Maree Hanson

Efthalia

Keri Arthur*

Lilliana Rose*

Mila Young*

Rachel Armstrong

Tickets not available yet

Pre-Orders

Facebook group

*also sponsors of the event

Brimstone & Bookshelves

Auckland, New Zealand

May 2027

HM Hodgson

Lana Pecherczyk

Mila Young

Website

~~

Congratulations to our DarkSiders!

Happy Reading everyone. Be safe & well.

Next on the DarkSider News: New Releases & Sales

DarkLight On... Leisl Leighton!

 

Welcome Leisl!

You write paranormal romance & romantic suspense. What attracted you to these genres?

I read them and love to read them. I was also brought up watching and reading sci-fi/fantasy/paranormal shows and books (my mum breastfed me while watching Star Trek), and so I think it’s in my genes.

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

A Pantser. I cannot plot before writing a book. If I do my brain gets bored because it thinks it’s already written it.

What is your favourite part of the writing process?

I love all parts. There are frustrations with the writing and editing processes, but the glory of sitting down and getting the story onto the page is amazing, as is turning that word vomit first draft into a gem with good editing.

Tell us about your author services.

I am an author mentor and manuscript assessor. I have my own little side business as well as doing work for the SA Writer’s Centre. With the author mentoring, I have online chats with authors to help them through the process of writing a novel and giving little teaching sessions on various writing techniques. With the assessing, I read a manuscript and then give a report as well as writing notes on at least the first part of the manuscript to help a writer shape their novel into something that could be submitted or published. I enjoy doing both of these things. Working with authors and helping them to reach their goals is a pleasure and a privilege.

What advice do you have for aspiring writers?

Learn. Keep learning. Don’t think you know it all because you are a reader. And don’t think you know it all because you get a contract. There is always room for learning and improving.

How do you fill the creative well?

Reading and watching TV shows and movies as well as just getting out and doing things I enjoy like singing with a choir or doing fun things with my family.

What is next for you?

Continuing to write the 3 series I am actively working on (Gods Cursed, Blood-Rites and Dawn of the Curse) as well as working on some side-projects as well. I am also focusing on doing some special editions of my books and also translations. Very excited about both these things.

What is your latest release and your inspiration behind it?

A Love Cursed Christmas Wish is my latest release. The inspiration? Christmas. I love Christmas. I was born at Christmas and know this to be both a blessing and problematic, but I always try to focus on the blessing rather than the problems. I wanted to write a book that focused on this as well – Christmas spirit all the way.

A Love Cursed Christmas Wish

Novella, Gods Cursed

A Christmas Wish, A Love Denied, A World in Danger

All cupid, Tamuel, wants is to help star-crossed and cursed lovers, Jules and Bas, regain their Christmas Spirit. But when he convinces Bas to help him make a Christmas Wish to Santa, he has no idea how much trouble that will land them in.

That is until a rather grumpy elf riding on a slightly crazed Rudolph arrives to kidnap him to the North Pole and show him just how badly he’s stuffed up. In making the wish, not only has he accidently broken Jules and Bas’ curse, but it’s caused thousands of years of their cursed-repressed sexual longing to rebound on Santa – who granted the wish – and is now expanding out to affect the entire world through Santa’s Christmas magic.

Now, if they don’t manage to undo the wish in the next few hours, Bas and Jules’ love will destroy Christmas Spirit and curse the world. But how do you undo a Christmas Wish you wished with all your heart when doing so will return an evil curse to the people you love the most in the world? What is a well-meaning cupid to do?

Perfect for fans of Lucifer, The Sandman, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Nalini Singh, Kresley Cole, and Gena Showalter—a world where gods, witches, Christmas and mortals collide in sizzling, fate-twisting romance.

If you love action-packed Christmas stories with fated mates, hot heroes, witches discovering their powers, second chance spicy romance, curses, a hot Santa, grumpy elves, slightly crazed reindeer and plenty of Christmas Spirit, then A Love Cursed Christmas Wish is the story for you.

Buy

Leisl Leighton

Leisl is a tall red head with an overly large imagination. As a child, she identified strongly with Anne of Green Gables. A voracious reader and a born performer, it came as no surprise to anyone when she did a double major in English Literature and Drama for her BA, then went on to a career as an actor, singer and dancer, as well as script writer, stage manager and musical director for cabaret and theatre restaurants (one of which she co-owned and ran for six years). 

After starting a family Leisl stopped performing and instead, began writing the stories that had been plaguing her dreams. Leisl's stories have won and placed in many competitions in Australia and the US, including the STALI, Golden Opportunities, Heart of the West, Linda Howard Award of Excellence, Touch of Magic and many others.

Leisl lives in the leafy suburbs of Melbourne with her two beautiful boys, lovely hubby, overly spunky dog, Buffy, and likes to spend time with family and friends. She sometimes sings in a choir and works as a swim teacher in her day-to-day job. 

Visit Leisl at: leislleighton.com