Swift Runs the Heart

Both Geraldine MacKenny and Bas Deverill escaped to the goldfields in search of something — for him, a fortune; for her, independence; for both, freedom. Neither expected the fields to yield so much more. 1860s, Otago, New Zealand Geraldine finds the life of a wealthy runholder's daughter stiff and constraining. On the goldfields, she has the opportunity to be so much more: independent, responsible, strong. But her freedom is short-lived when she is noticed by notorious bandit Black Jack MacRae — a man who is used to getting what he wants and who never takes no for an answer. Cheerful, casual, uncommitted — that's the way Bas likes his life on the goldfields. He may be of aristocratic blood, but he thrives on the challenges of commerce and the freedom of the colonies. Rescuing a beautiful girl from the grasp of Black Jack MacRae, however, throws his whole life into turmoil. Geraldine seems to be a magnet for trouble, and the goldfields are a long way from civilisation. Taking her under his wing only makes sense, but Bas has no intention of letting her get any further under his skin. He might want to bed her, but that is no reason to risk falling to the prison bars of respectability — is it?

A Heart Divided

From debut author Mary Brock Jones comes a sweeping historical romance about growing up and getting what you really need, set against the harsh landscape of the New Zealand gold fields. Newly arrived on the Otago Goldfields of 1863, a young Englishwoman is caught between two men: the younger brother who needs her and the man who loves her. The goldfields are rough and dangerous, especially for a woman, but Nessa’s brother Philip, like all miners, hopes to makes his fortune, and her place is by his side. But the fields hold more than a few surprises, including the acquaintance of Mr John Reid, a local run holder who comes to their aid. John Reid takes one look at Nessa Ward and knows that he wants her — in his home, in his bed, in his life — but she is hell-bent on putting her brother’s needs before her own. All he can do is protect her as best he can, and never give up hope that she will return his love.

Resistance: Hathe Book One

ans of epic science fiction will love this tale of political intrigue and romantic turmoil set in a far off future where two worlds battle for survival and the loser faces annihilation - of freedom, of hope, of life itself. What chance have a pair of duty-plagued lovers caught in the middle? Five long years ago, the Terran invaders appeared in the skies above Hathe and life on that peaceful and wealthy planet changed forever. Now, the time has come to throw the invaders out. The Hathians are about to reclaim Hathe. Hamon Radcliff is one of those Terrans. He must use any means available to keep Hathe in Terran control, no matter how much he hates it, for Earth cannot survive without the urgonium found only on Hathe. It’s their main energy source. But all the rules change when he captures a woman of the long-lost Hathian ruling class, a woman he strongly suspects is an undercover agent for a secret Hathian resistance movement. Now he must choose. Protect the woman he loves and let millions of his people die. Or break her, find out what she knows and save Earth

Pay the Piper: Hathe Book Two

This gripping conclusion to part one of the Hathe series is a must read for fans of epic science fiction laced with adventure, romance, and cut throat politics. A "brilliantly woven loyalty-torn tale" (Ind'Tale Magazine), PAY THE PIPER was a finalist in the 2016 Romance Writers of Australia RUBY awards. Secrets are revealed; questions must be answered, as two lovers caught in a maelstrom of opposing loyalties face their toughest fights yet. For five years, Earth ruled Hathe, taking what they needed, especially the energy-rich mineral, urgonium it must have to survive. For five years, the Hathians kept their world safe by hiding behind a façade, posing as subservient peasants and pretending all the wealth and knowledge of Hathe had vanished. Then came the time for Hathe to fight back, and for the Terrans to learn how wrong they were. Surviving the peace was always going to be tough for lovers caught on opposite sides. Hamon Radcliff of Earth and Marthe an Castre of Hathe did whatever was needed to protect their home worlds during the war. But the end to the war can’t banish hate and anger. When Marthe and Hamon become the target of all that bottled up bitterness, peace time becomes downright dangerous.

Torn (Arcadia Book 1)

An intricate and compelling adventure for fans of epic science fiction and lovers of climate fiction. Two ecological engineers must change their world to save it, no matter the cost to all they love. Fee comes from the mountains of her world. She grew up with trees, rushing streams and rain. The grasslands beyond the foothills are Caleb’s home. Dry, windblown, a place of endless light and untouchable horizons. Both are ecological engineers for the Survey, working to save their world from environmental disaster before it’s too late. Because unless something is done, soon, the planet is going to hit back. Storms, floods, drought. Don’t bother taking your pick, says the planet, you’re going to get the lot. Only the men and women of the Survey hear the call, working in secret for years to heal Arcadia’s wounds. Now the Survey has a plan to save their world. Fee and Caleb must make lakes where dusty grasses rule; meadows where dense forest stands, all without their profit-geared families finding out until it’s too late to stop them. An impossible task surely, when all they have in common is the love both have for their home regions and the lies they must tell the families who love them. But why Fee and Caleb, and what does the Survey truly plan for them?

Aftermath: Hathe Book Three

War or Peace. It doesn't matter. There is always an enemy. SFR Galaxy Award winner 2019 - Potent Post-War Setting Award. Jacquel des Trurains of the planet Hathe knows all about enemies. He’s spent years as a resistance agent battling the Terran invaders of his home world. Now the war is over, but Hathe has been left divided and hurting. Years of oppression have left their mark on every dirtsider who stayed behind. The other Hathians who fled to the moon have now returned to their lost homes, but the greed of a few threatens all of Hathe. Someone has to fix it, and who better than a decorated leader of the Resistance. Jacquel is sent back into battle, but this time it’s to restore his home world. Then Jacquel’s bosses decide he needs help. A gifted diplomat, Rheia asn Postrova spent the war off-world, playing twisted games to protect the secrets of Hathe. Talk, promise, beg; whatever it took to stop the other worlds betraying Hathe’s schemes to the Terrans. She's paid her dues to Hathe. All she wants now is to hide in peace. Unfortunately, her boss has other ideas. Together, Jacquel and Rheia must find a way to heal their home. But Jacquel has lost too many already. Can he risk losing—or loving—one more? And Rheia has secrets of her own.

Toil and Strife: Hathe Book One and Two

When two worlds clash in a fight for survival, what chance have a pair of duty-plagued lovers caught in the middle? Five long years ago, the Terrans invaded Hathe and life on a once peaceful and wealthy world changed forever. Major Hamon Radcliff is one of those Terrans. He does what he can to mitigate the brutality against the Hathians yet knows the Terran occupation must succeed. Earth cannot survive without the urgonium found only on Hathe. But all that changes when Hamon falls for a woman of the long-lost Hathian ruling class. He suspects Marthe asn Castre of being an undercover agent, but she’s so much more. She’s a key player in a secret resistance force. Now Hamon must choose. Protect the woman he loves and watch millions of his people die. Or break her, find out what she knows, and save Earth from a long and torturous end.

Taken (Arcadia Book 2)

Fix your planet or we'll do it for you, warns the Alliance - and take your home world from you.

All Ethan Winter ever wanted was to run his family's solar energy business. But that business has been attacked, he's been imprisoned and brutalised, his planet threatened, and to save them he must work with a woman set on fighting him every step of the way. The planet Arcadia's environment is dangerously unbalanced and the Alliance is demanding they fix it or lose their home world. The Alliance of Human Worlds doesn't make empty threats.

Union organiser, daughter of a workshop supervisor and a fiery politician, Sarwenna Beren is set for battle from the moment Ethan Winter arrives at her remote desert town surrounded by rumours of change. He's rich, powerful and heir to the family that owns the town's main business, a massive solar field stretching deep into the desert. His arrival threatens the jobs of all those who have put their trust in her. Sar isn't about to let him shut down the one place keeping her town alive.

Then a frightened boy runs off into to the desert. Ethan's flyer is his best hope of rescue, but he needs Sarwenna's local knowledge. Together they try to trace the boy's flight--only to come under attack from a strange beam and an unknown flyer that nearly kills them both. Ethan and Sarwenna must find out find out who is behind the mysterious attacks and why before they succeed. It doesn't help that both have their own suspicions about who is helping their attackers. Suspicions that must be kept secret, especially from each other.

You don't betray family.

Exiled (Arcadia Book 3)

Sentenced to exile by his home world, he’s hungry for revenge. Only he isn’t innocent and Alliance space is no safe haven.

When off-worlders promise Seolta den Coille revenge against those who helped falsely imprison him, he grabs hold with both fists. Not surprisingly, it doesn’t end well and he’s banished into exile. All that does is give his hunger for vengeance a few more targets. Top of the list, the two off-worlders who lured him into betraying his home world.

Anyara a Prithand2 wants only two things in life: to be left in peace to manage the biota systems of her space station, and to avoid giving her uncle an excuse to kill her. When a newcomer to her home world offers to help her escape, she accepts. Now she just has to survive the adventure—and the unexpected desire flaring to life between them.

Chased across Alliance space by their enemies, Seolta and Anyara’s only chance lies with the Alliance Council, the overall governing body of settled space. An organisation as riven with political strife as the enemies the two are fleeing.

Can the cleverest of the den Coilles and the habitat worlds’ best biome scientist stay alive long enough to expose those threatening their worlds?

Broken: A Romantic Science Fiction Eco Adventure (Arcadia Book 4)

A fabled earth analogue paradise world, or a planet facing disaster?

Arcadia is the most perfect Earth Analogue world in all the Alliance – a world on which plenty are eager to settle in place of the present owners if they keep abusing their world. That’s what the Galactic Alliance has threatened, and the Alliance never makes false promises. Arcadians must change how they treat their world, or they will be removed. But too many Arcadians refuse to believe the threat is real, and a band of conspirators will use any means possible to hold onto their wealth and profits, including kidnap, blackmail, maybe even assassination. The Federal Marshals ask Cumchdach den Coille to infiltrate the conspiracy and expose it.

Cumchdach has known since their teens that he’d marry his beloved Anna one day. But not that conspiracies and business fraud would come between them. When Anna’s father defrauds Cumchdach’s family company, Anna leaves him, taking their baby.

As one the top botanists on Arcadia, Anna den Coille specialises in how plants work together and within their ecosystem to best thrive. Work needed by her government to help fix their world. Then she is betrayed by her father, which doesn’t surprise her. But Cumchdach’s betrayal threatens to destroy her. Even worse, her snarled up family connections and special skills make her a target for their enemies.

Can Anna and Cumchdach survive long enough to expose their enemies and save their world—and save their marriage?