Collection: NZ AUTHORS

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.

Andy & The Little Rimu Tree invites young readers from about ages 3-7 into a world where friendship and nature intertwine in the most remarkable ways. Colouring pages are included at the end of the story to get your child's creativity going. It also has an uplifting message which you can teach your young reader about, using your imagination in a positive way.

Andy's eyes lit up like stars as he sat on his bed looking at the beautiful little rimu tree.

"I wish to go on my own adventure," said Andy and he closed his eyes. Sleep was near and, in his heart, he saw himself journeying off to a faraway land.

Published: April 15, 2024
ISBN: 9780473707712
Language: English

Meet the Author

Hydie graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in English and History from the University of Auckland. Children's Literature and New Zealand Literature were her favourite classes. She also has a Graduate Diploma in Teaching (Primary).

When not working or writing, Hydie loves to spend time with her family and friends and go for walks in nature. Hydie lives in Auckland with her husband and her dog Beau. She has one daughter and a stepson.

As a child, Hydie spent a lot of time in the King Country of New Zealand on her aunty and uncle's sheep and beef farm. The days were spent out horseback riding on the farm with her cousin and in the early evenings she would read all the children's books that her aunty had. This was the beginning of Hydie's love for children's literature.

A seasoned police detective and a dog with a nose for crime. One dead body. Twelve suspects.

Sydney, Australia, 1933: Wealthy impresario and amateur Egyptologist Roland Cuthbert Barry is murdered on his 60th birthday, and everyone attending the evening’s celebrations is a suspect.

Detective Senior Sergeant Harold Chesterfield of Sydney Central Police has been sent by Chief Inspector Ron Thompson to Barry Island on the Hawkesbury River and the rambling sandstone house of the wealthy Barry family. Thompson is a longtime friend of Roland Barry, who has confided in him about threatening notes he has received, suggesting he will be held to account for past actions.

Harold Chesterfield discovers a curious cast of characters at Barry Island: a long-suffering wife and an ambitious young mistress; a Russian ballet dancer who isn’t what he seems; Roland’s daughter and her lover, an Egyptian woman; the family doctor with a secret past; Roland’s two troubled sons; and the evening’s entertainment, a psychic medium, who, from the moment she steps foot on Barry Island, declares something terrible will happen.

With Harold is Ben, an English Pointer with a nose for crime; together, Harold and Ben will face their most challenging case.

Australia is in the grip of the Great Depression, and Harold is surrounded by opulence: tuxedos, sequinned dresses, and sumptuous food. But when a severe storm hits and the electricity and telephone are cut off, Harold and the guests find that Roland Barry’s vast wealth cannot protect him, and Harold must uncover secrets, discover motives and find the killer.

Who knows more than they’re telling? Who has everything to hide?

Published: June 29th 2023
ISBN: 9781738592326
Language: English

When sophisticated city lawyer Beth visits Springs for a much-needed break, she finds herself irresistibly drawn to the charming and fun-loving Liam. As they explore the stunning wilderness together, Beth discovers there's more to Liam — and to life in Springs — than meets the eye.

When a high-stakes legal case unexpectedly extends Beth's stay in Springs, her holiday fling with Liam blossoms into something deeper. But as Beth's demanding career beckons her back to the city, they must confront the reality of their divergent paths.
Will Beth trade her high-powered legal career for a small-town life with Liam? Will she return to the city, leaving their love behind? Or will Liam find a way they can both make their dreams a reality?

Fans of small-town romance, opposites attract, and hidden identity tropes will be enchanted by this captivating tale of love and self-discovery in the mountain wilderness. With witty banter, sizzling chemistry, and a dash of legal intrigue, "Wild Dreams" will keep you engrossed from the first cup of artisanal coffee to the final hike.

Keywords:
● Opposites attract
● Capable, ambitious FMC
● Golden retriever MMC
● Hidden identity
● Coffee as a love language
● Mystery
● Hiking
● Open-door
● Small-town
● NZ Author
● Indie Author
● Summer

Published: September 10th, 2024
ISBN: 9798335599191
Language: English

Trigger Warnings: 18+

Meet the Author

K. B. Brookes is a passionate writer and storyteller with a love for crafting empowering and engaging romance novels. With a wealth of travel experiences, K. B. brings a unique perspective and rich detail to her writing.

Inspired by her love for reading and a desire to create stories where women have positive, empowering experiences with intimacy, K. B. has found her niche in the romance genre. Although she has never been in a survival situation like some of the characters in novels, her extensive travels and love for hiking—including on some of the trails mentioned in her books—have helped her create vivid, immersive settings for her stories.

When not writing, K. B. can often be found exploring the great outdoors, seeking new hiking trails and adventures to fuel her creativity. Her passion for storytelling shines through in her work, which aims to transport readers to exciting new worlds while celebrating the power of love and the strength of the human spirit.