Meet Tammy, a demigoddess gifted with a water affinity. Her only problem? She resides in perpetually soggy England, where her unfortunate rain allergy complicates life. One day on her way home, she encounters upon a flash flood and a teenage werewolf, sparking a chain of events that will alter her destiny forever - but for better or worse?

Published: July 07, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-473-57951-7
Language: English
Format: EPub

About the Author

Melissa Gunn spent several years pursuing a science career before deciding to write fiction - though it turns out that there is even more research involved. Luckily, research is one of her favourite things. She enjoys combining facts that seem fantastical with actual fantasy, and creating quirky characters with a sense of humour. When she’s not trying to figure out how a dryad would react to the modern world, she takes photographs of whatever will stand still for long enough (mostly plants).

Twin Soul pairs often meet young, part ways to grow, and reconnect later. Their journey through life's lessons may lead to true love and happily ever after. Will it be their destiny or their end?

Published: September 02, 2024
ISBN: 9798330391691
Language: English
Format: EPub

About the Author

I'm a passionate storyteller who weaves magic, mystery, and heart into every tale. As an author of fractured fairy tales and supernatural adventures, I love creating worlds where the extraordinary meets the everyday. When not writing, I enjoy exploring nature, sipping coffee, and finding inspiration in life's small wonders.

Beside the fire we warm our hands
We tell our tales of distant lands
The midnight hour is surely here
It’s time to fill our hearts with fear!


Clocks Locks Corpses! is an anthology of stories that plunges you into a world teeming with vampires, werewolves, cyborgs, and hordes of the undead. You'll encounter bootlegging centaurs and the power of unionizing workers, all wrapped up in one conveniently sized book.

But there's a twist — these epic-length tales are told entirely in rhyme!

Imagine sitting around a campfire or at a Halloween party where you and your friends take turns reading these rhyming stories aloud. The cadence of the verses send shivers down your spine. Each poem captivates and enthralls, making it perfect for storytelling sessions that last well into the night! Share the thrills and let the haunting verses create frightful gatherings you’ll always remember.

Gather together by the fireplace or under a flashlight's beam and dive into the eerie and enchanting, poetic, slightly spooky and offbeat world of Clocks Locks Corpses!

Sir Julius Vogel Award Finalists – 2025 - Best Collected Work

Trigger Warnings

Some slightly scary imagery. Rated PG.

Published: June 29, 2024
ISBN: 9781738618378
Language: English
Format: E-Pub

About the Author

Ten years ago, Suzanne Jayne Bradley showed up at a friend's thirtieth birthday party dressed as a poet. Fortunately, the theme of the party was "What you wanted to be when you grew up" and no one who knows her was surprised by Suzanne’s choice, because her love of writing and poetry is long-standing.

She has been crafting poems since primary school and at sixteen even won third place in a high school writing competition (for a little tiny poem of no consequence, but she’s still proud of it!).

Now she's forty years old and has finally seen her dream come true with the publication of her anthology of fun, spooky poems, Clocks Locks Corpses! It is the result of a series of slightly unbelievable events involving Dungeons and Dragons, pizza, and a supportive writers' group. (You had to be there to understand.)

Over the years, Suzanne has worked various jobs, from cafés to call centres and even on film shoots. Currently, she lives in Auckland, New Zealand, working in an office for a manufacturing company while continuing to nurture her love of writing.

With her first book now published, she is committed to her new dream of writing poetry for a living. Fingers crossed!

This is the first in a stand-alone series and includes the following tropes: touch her and die, friends to lovers, lost memories, animal companion, chosen mates, only one ‘horse’, and dual POV.

Life never fears Death.

Time was not something Alora remembered. Not before the age of twenty, anyway. For three years she’s been paraded before wealthy lords and viscounts while stealing precious moments with another lady in the beautifully kept gardens when no man was looking.

Fate, however, needs her to remember.

When deafening screams rip apart her secret relationship, Alora gives no second thoughts to following the only other person who can hear them, and finds herself pulled into a war between kin. All while losing her heart to the only one who has ever truly kept it safe.

He doesn’t answer to Death, Death answers to him.

Ascian spent three years building his walls tall and immovable, hiding any softness beneath layers of grit and stone. Now, he no longer remembers what it feels like to open up to someone. To hand his heart over without protection.
For three years he fought eternal life itself, defending death and everything that came with it in an attempt to keep balance in his world.

Until one day, a girl falls through a crack between worlds. A crack that should never have existed, and sets off an avalanche of events that might just end up knocking down his immovable guards.

But can he keep the world around him intact while losing his heart to the only one who can destroy it?

Trigger Warnings

Depictions of self-harm, graphic scenes of violence, and gore. Suspected off page SA, mentions of SA, consensual sex scenes, mentions of family death (parents and siblings), sibling death, family trauma, depictions of depression.
18+ Only

Published: December 27, 2024
ISBN: 9780473728663
Language: English
Format: E-Pub

About the Author

Zoey J. Briar is a fantasy romance author from Aotearoa. Her debut When Death Called Life Home, the first in her When Deities Awaken series, released in December 2024. She crafts heart wrenching stories filled with found family, animal companions, and healing journeys.

When she's not writing, you can find her surrounded by her own animal companions, watching her favourite tv shows, reading indie books, or playing cozy games.

Greener Pastures Calling
A new country, a great job, and a good Kiwi bloke. Life couldn't be better.
Until it gets worse.
Newly emigrated to New Zealand, Lena wants a ‘good Kiwi bloke’, but they’re elusive as their nocturnal namesake. Nigel’s avoiding females, unless they’re cows, horses, or his mother after his first marriage. Sparks fly when  they meet—but not the first time, over the dirty instruments in a filthy cowshed. They seem to be made for each other, until Nigel remembers where he first saw her. And then the questions start.

Series: Once Upon a Vet School, #4

Published: December 24, 2018
ISBN:  978-0-9951157-0-5
Language: English
Format: E-Pub

Meet the Author

Lizzi grew up riding wild in the Santa Cruz Mountain redwoods, became an equine veterinarian at UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, practiced in the California Pony Express and Gold Country before emigrating to New Zealand. When not writing, she's swinging a rapier or shooting a bow in medieval garb, riding, driving a carriage or playing on her farm, singing, or working as an equine veterinarian or science teacher. She is multiply published and awarded in special interest magazines and veterinary periodicals.

Lena Takes a Foal
She needs help... he needs to stay away...
Lena’s got a problem—one that might prevent her from graduating. When her horse flips over and lands on her, it has to be the dashing resident, Kit, who finds her. Luckily, she’s sworn off relationships after her last debacle and sea-green eyes and rugged good looks are the last things on her mind. Besides, to a veterinary school faculty, relationships between residents and students are like oil and water.
They just don’t mix.

Series: Once Upon a Vet School, #4

Published: December 7, 2018
ISBN:  978-0-9941447-8-2
Language: English
Format: E-Pub

Meet the Author

Lizzi grew up riding wild in the Santa Cruz Mountain redwoods, became an equine veterinarian at UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, practiced in the California Pony Express and Gold Country before emigrating to New Zealand. When not writing, she's swinging a rapier or shooting a bow in medieval garb, riding, driving a carriage or playing on her farm, singing, or working as an equine veterinarian or science teacher. She is multiply published and awarded in special interest magazines and veterinary periodicals.

Fifty Miles at a Breath
Horses bring them together and their future looks rosy—it’s the present they can’t handle.
When equine veterinary student Lena and veteran pilot Blake fall in love, vet school and the past intrude. Add in a long-distance relationship, and things get just plain hard. A gruelling endurance race forces them to draw on their strengths and face their fears—together.

Series: Once Upon a Vet School, #3 

Published: December 24, 2018
ISBN:  978-0-9941447-8-2
Language: English
Format: E-Pub

Meet the Author

Lizzi grew up riding wild in the Santa Cruz Mountain redwoods, became an equine veterinarian at UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, practiced in the California Pony Express and Gold Country before emigrating to New Zealand. When not writing, she's swinging a rapier or shooting a bow in medieval garb, riding, driving a carriage or playing on her farm, singing, or working as an equine veterinarian or science teacher. She is multiply published and awarded in special interest magazines and veterinary periodicals.

Can an orphan, with only her Mustang and a Cossack sword, survive alone on the frontier?

From the deserts of Utah, through the gold mines of California, to the turbulent wilderness of Colonial New Zealand, Aleksandra rides, loves, and fights—with only her Cossack skills to keep her alive.  Historical Western Family Saga: Books 1-3

Book One: A Long Trail Rolling

A Family Secret. A Ruthless Enemy. A Love Worth Fighting For.

UTAH TERRITORY, 1860.

Disguised as a Pony Express rider, Aleksandra races across the rugged frontier, fleeing the Cossack assassin who killed her father. Determined to protect her family’s secret and outrun the shadow of death, she rides through a land on the brink of war. But the Paiute are rising, the desert is unforgiving, and her enemies are closing in.

Xavier has given up on love. Haunted by his past and bound to his duty as a Pony Express station keeper, he lives a life of solitude—until a fiery rider gallops into his world, dragging danger behind her. When he discovers her secret, he must choose between protecting his heart or risking everything to keep her safe.

Caught in the crossfire of the Paiute War and hunted by a relentless enemy, Aleksandra and Xavier must learn to trust each other if they hope to survive. But as secrets are revealed and loyalty is tested, they discover that the greatest danger lies not on the frontier, but in the shadows of the past.

Can they overcome betrayal and fear to save each other—and the legacy that could change their lives forever?

Book Two: The Hills of Gold Unchanging

A Secret War. A Divided State. A Love Fighting to Survive.

California stands on the brink of war, and the battle for its future has already begun.

Utah Territory, 1860.

Whispers of secession echo across the West, and Confederate sympathizers are quietly gathering power, plotting to rip California from the Union. Determined to protect his family’s rancho, Xavier leads Aleksandra on a perilous journey through the rugged frontier, unaware that treachery lurks closer than they think.

From the booming silver mines of Virginia City to the sprawling lands of California, they confront political intrigue and rising tensions that threaten to consume everything they hold dear. But as ambition and betrayal close in, Xavier finds himself ensnared in a web of deception that could destroy his family’s legacy—and take Aleksandra from him forever.

Aleksandra refuses to be a victim. When Confederate agents target her in their quest for power, she faces them head-on, risking everything to protect those she loves. But her courage puts her in the crosshairs of a deadly enemy who won’t rest until she’s silenced. Kidnapped and taken aboard the J.M. Chapman in San Francisco Bay, she faces her greatest challenge yet.

In a city torn between loyalty and ambition, Xavier and Aleksandra must risk everything to save each other and protect their future. But as the final showdown looms, they discover that freedom comes at a price—and they’re willing to pay it all.

Book Three: A Sea of Green Unfolding

A Paradise Shattered. A War Without Mercy. A Love Worth Fighting For.

San Francisco Bay and New Zealand, 1863.

The grand wedding fiesta at the legendary Rancho de las Pulgas echoes across California, uniting Aleksandra and Xavier with the most powerful rancheros in a celebration of love and legacy, but their next loss brings them to their knees. Desperate, yet determined to rebuild, they set sail for New Zealand, hoping for a fresh start. But paradise is not what it seems.

Separated by betrayal and danger, Aleksandra must navigate a land on the brink of war, where loyalty is uncertain, and trust is a luxury she can’t afford. With her beloved Mustang by her side, she faces enemies she never saw coming and finds unexpected allies among those fighting for their land. As she races to find Xavier, she is drawn into a conflict that could destroy everything she loves.

Xavier’s journey is no less perilous. Pursued by those who would see him dead, he faces a treacherous path filled with deceit and danger. As he battles to clear his name, every step brings him closer to a truth that could shatter them both.

Caught in the crossfire between Māori warriors defending their homeland and colonial troops determined to conquer, Aleksandra and Xavier must find a way back to each other before the fires of war consume them.

In a land divided by loyalty and ambition, can love find a place to grow? Or will destiny tear them apart?

Series: The Long Trails Series

Format: E-Pub
ISBN: 9780995115736
Language: English

Meet the Author

Lizzi grew up riding wild in the Santa Cruz Mountain redwoods, became an equine veterinarian at UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, practiced in the California Pony Express and Gold Country before emigrating to New Zealand. When not writing, she's swinging a rapier or shooting a bow in medieval garb, riding, driving a carriage or playing on her farm, singing, or working as an equine veterinarian or science teacher. She is multiply published and awarded in special interest magazines and veterinary periodicals.

She didn’t expect to become a target, but she is one now.

 Winner of True West 2016 Best Western Romance, Romance Writers of New Zealand: 2014 Pacific Hearts Award and 2015 Koru Award.

UTAH TERRITORY, 1860. Alone. Aleksandra has spent her whole life training for the inevitable. So, when a brutal Cossack tracks down and kills her father, she knows what she must do. She flees, disguised as a Pony Express rider, in an attempt to keep her pa’s killer from discovering their family’s secret.

Xavier has kept the world, especially women, at arms-length since he ran from his troubles as heir to his Californio rancho family. As a Pony Express Station Keeper, having a girl riding the Pony out of his station wasn’t ever part of his plans... but somehow it happened, blackmail being what it is. Curiously, he didn’t want to let this one out of his sight.

They begin to let each other into their hearts, but the cards are stacking against them as the minutes tick by and Aleks rides full speed into the Indian Paiute War. Can they learn to trust in time to escape the Indians, evade the killer, and save both their love and Aleksandra’s family legacy?

Series: The Long Trails Series, #1

Format: E-Pub
Published: February 20, 2015
ISBN: 9780473309503
Language: English

Meet the Author

Lizzi grew up riding wild in the Santa Cruz Mountain redwoods, became an equine veterinarian at UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, practiced in the California Pony Express and Gold Country before emigrating to New Zealand. When not writing, she's swinging a rapier or shooting a bow in medieval garb, riding, driving a carriage or playing on her farm, singing, or working as an equine veterinarian or science teacher. She is multiply published and awarded in special interest magazines and veterinary periodicals.

They set sail for the peace and calm of New Zealand, but they hadn’t counted on murderers, mutineers, and a land war in paradise.

SAN FRANCISCO BAY AND NEW ZEALAND, 1863. Aleksandra and Xavier have finally found happiness on their Rancho de las Pulgas, but tragedy and death strike far too soon. Sickened further by the U.S. government’s treatment of their Native American friends, they only want out. Of everything.They are thrown a lifeline by an old friend of Xavier’s from the California goldfields. This Gustavus von Tempsky, with his shadowed past, is now a newspaperman in Coromandel, New Zealand. His invitation draws them to a new start, with a part to play in the development of the peaceful young country—but by the time they arrive in Aotearoa, everything has changed. 
Aleks thought mutineers and scoundrels aboard ship were the worst of their worries, but she hadn’t planned on disembarking into a turbulent wilderness and befriending the helpful local Māori, only to find von Tempsky leading the colonial troops into the bush against the natives who’d saved her life.

Series: The Long Trails Series, #3 (stand-alone)

 
Published: May 27, 2017
ISBN: 9780994143150 
Language: English
Format: E-Pub

Meet the Author

Lizzi grew up riding wild in the Santa Cruz Mountain redwoods, became an equine veterinarian at UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, practiced in the California Pony Express and Gold Country before emigrating to New Zealand. When not writing, she's swinging a rapier or shooting a bow in medieval garb, riding, driving a carriage or playing on her farm, singing, or working as an equine veterinarian or science teacher. She is multiply published and awarded in special interest magazines and veterinary periodicals.

As the Civil War rages, secessionists menace California. The Confederates want the state and they’ll stop at nothing to they’ll stop at nothing to take it.

UTAH TERRITORY, 1860. On a wagon train headed for the Golden State, Aleksandra makes a dangerous enemy of a gun-running Confederate when she fights her way out of his unwelcome embrace. 
After a late-night poker game, Xavier’s new friends realize he’s heard too much to be allowed to live. 
Embroiled in the Confederates’ fight to drag the new state from the Union and make it their own, can Aleks and Xavier survive? The secessionists mean business.

Series: The Long Trails Series, #2 (stand-alone)

Published: February 18, 2017
ISBN: 9780994143112
Language: English
Format: E-Pub

Meet the Author

Lizzi grew up riding wild in the Santa Cruz Mountain redwoods, became an equine veterinarian at UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, practiced in the California Pony Express and Gold Country before emigrating to New Zealand. When not writing, she's swinging a rapier or shooting a bow in medieval garb, riding, driving a carriage or playing on her farm, singing, or working as an equine veterinarian or science teacher. She is multiply published and awarded in special interest magazines and veterinary periodicals.

A cosy Halloween fantasy novella about a cat and her witch.

Published: October 15, 2024
ISBN: 978-1-0670066-2-4
Language: English
Format: EPub

About the Author

Melissa Gunn spent several years pursuing a science career before deciding to write fiction - though it turns out that there is even more research involved. Luckily, research is one of her favourite things. She enjoys combining facts that seem fantastical with actual fantasy, and creating quirky characters with a sense of humour. When she’s not trying to figure out how a dryad would react to the modern world, she takes photographs of whatever will stand still for long enough (mostly plants).