Moonlight and Storm

Australian Supernatural: High Country #1

by Nicole R. Taylor

Shapeshifters, conspiracy theories, and an urban myth brought to life. Welcome to the Australian High Country, where secrets and magic lie beneath the melting snow .

After Grace Atkinson's city life crumbles, she’s forced to move back to her childhood home—the sleepy alpine town of Targangil.
When she arrives, she finds herself in the centre of not only her own family drama, but a flurry of mysterious black panther sightings—elusive predators rumoured to roam the wilderness, but whose existence has never been proven.
But when Grace comes face to face with a black panther in the shadow of a looming storm, she becomes determined to uncover the truth behind the sightings once and for all. But her world is shattered when she witnesses the panther transform…into a human being.
Lawson's hidden shapeshifting abilities have always been a closely guarded secret, but as his past catches up with him, Grace's discovery of his true identity exposes them both to danger.
Because he is hunted…and now so is she.

Moonlight and Storm is the first book in the Australian High Country series.
Set in the wild and romantic Snowy Mountains, it tells the story of Grace Atkinson, who discovers a secret world of shapeshifting black panthers…and the evil forces who hunt them.

Genres: Fantasy, Paranormal, Urban Fantasy, Shapeshifters

191 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 5, 2023

About the author

Nicole R. Taylor is an Australian Urban Fantasy author.
She lives in the western suburbs of Melbourne dreaming up nail biting stories featuring bad-ass witches, duplicitous vampires, hunky shape shifters and devious monsters.
She likes chocolate, cat memes and video games.
When she’s not writing, she likes to think of what she’s writing next.


AVAILABLE SERIES:
The Witch Hunter Saga (Urban Fantasy) Series Complete!
The Crescent Witch Chronicles (Urban Fantasy) Series Complete!
The Arondight Codex (Urban Fantasy)

And more coming soon!


Find out more about Nicole and her books by visiting:
https://www.nicolertaylorwrites.com

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Reviews

[Deb · Rating 5 out of 5]

a smooth mystery with Australian charm

It wraps up the story enough to be satisfying but leaves you ready for the next book. It is well cast with characters that make sense. Well done.

[Ricard Margienda · Rating 4 out of 5]

The plot is interesting , maybe needing some cleaning of loose ends but keeps you tourning pages. What's refreshing is the main character, she's bluntly exposed, direct and consistent from end to end, far from being an heroine, she's up for the right thing. Without being bewitched to her love interest there is a bit of romance that never hints to more of what has to be. Her dialogs are true and consistent with the plot. Plot that involves shifters , more as magical beings and far from the dominant males we find in other books.
All i n all a good time reading.

[Psyckers · Rating 4 out of 5]

An Australian paranormal mystery, based in the High Country where sightings of panthers. Three girls decide to go bush to find out if the panther sightings are real and find terror, mystery, magic, and an experience that will haunt there lives for years.
This is a beautifully crafted story by the author, who appears to be proud of being Australian and wants readers to imagine an Australia that only a few locals would know and imagine.
Page turning brilliance.

[Lennie McDonald · Rating 5 out of 5]

An exciting tale of terror, love, and mystery. The first book in the series definitely leaves you wanting to read the rest of the series. Coming home from the big city its tough fitting back into old ways. The author certainly knows how that would feel and easily conveys this. Definitely worth
reading Moonlight and Storm by Nicole R Taylor.

[Mariaan Belinfante · Rating 3 out of 5]

A slow but interesting storyline. Grace Atkinson returned back to her childhood home, broke and disappointed after her life in the city floored. Lawson, a panther shifter, on the run from the army, is the mystery man in town. After a near death experience Gracie is left alone as Lawson fled town, but will that keep her safe? Book 1 in the series which peaked my curiosity enough to get book 2

[Hannah Woods · Rating 5 out of 5]

different, and I loved it

Sooo cool to read something set in Australian high country and get a flavour of the scenery and culture there. Really enjoyed seeing the protagonists develop. Lots of times it would have been easy to slip into cliches and the author did not. Doesn't end on a cliff hanger but is definitely part of a series, will be queueing the next book.

[Nicola Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read

I love the characters that you have created Nicole, Grace and Lawson seem like a great pair. You have written Australia as a beautiful and lush country, I think that I have to visit!

[Jayne Stewart · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series is so good it makes you continue reading, one book to another, it has a great storyline and doesn’t follow the usual of when you know what going to happen next. I now have to carry on reading as I can’t stop myself wanting to know how it finishes.

[Cally Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

a hood addition

To Aussie paranormal. Mysteries and consequences keep coming up in the high country as Grace’s city life crumbles behind her

[Evelyn Goughnour · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very good book!

I really liked the characters in this book. I just wish Lawson would have stayed with her instead of leaving her without telling her goodbye.

[Pedro Bedro · Rating 5 out of 5]

A bit in the dark about what started the sequence of were-panthers but apart from that the story flows along nicely and the settings are well described.

[Perry · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too slow. Couldn't hold my interest. DNF.

[Liza · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found the writing too Australian. (I'm Australian.) The idioms seemed over the top and took away from the story.

[Donna Phillippi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the story and the characters. Only some really egregious typos kept me from giving it 5 stars.

[Stephen Kunin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy escapism, nice read

I enjoyed very much, easy read and not the "usual" sane ol. On to 2nd book and after that too

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining