About L. Starla
L. Starla's Story
L. Starla’s path to dark romance began in the corners of her mother’s bookshelves, where she spent her childhood immersed in horror novels. While a high school English teacher eventually tempered that dark streak with the classics, the darker influences had already taken root. This collision of worlds—the refined and the macabre—defines her writing today: stories that demand the grace of a classic but thrive in the grit of the paranormal.
In 2019, Starla released her debut, I Heart Mr. Collins. A provocative exploration of the student/teacher forbidden love trope, the novel set the stage for a career dedicated to uncovering the raw, complicated truths hidden within forbidden desires. Today, she balances a corporate career in Australia with her true calling: weaving intricate tales that span romantic suspense, urban romantasy, and paranormal romance.
Starla writes for the readers who prefer their wine red, their monsters charming, and their romance with a side of danger. Her stories range from “slow-burn tension” to “pearl-clutching” levels of spice, ensuring that regardless of the genre, the emotional stakes are high, and the morally grey areas are wide. She crafts worlds for those who crave the intellectual bite of sharp wit paired with the intensity of a love that refuses to play by the rules.
Deeply influenced by the gothic atmosphere of Anne Rice and the unapologetic heat of Tiffany Reisz, Starla’s narratives prioritize mood and intellect in equal measure. When she isn’t at her desk weaving tales of secrets, steam, and beautiful chaos, she is usually found conquering a new board game, hunting for ghosts in Australia’s historic corners, or lost in the tactile world of paper crafting— proving that even a dark imagination enjoys the occasional bit of tactile creation.
Interviews and Publicity
March 3rd 2023: L. Starla chats to book blogger, Debdatta.
May 7th, 2021: L. Starla chats to Zombie Joe on the Adelaide Horror Podcast.
6th August, 2021: Interview on Reading One Book at a Time Blog
13th November, 2020: Article on ReadersMagnet
24th June, 2021: Q&A on NF Reads