I went looking at all the posts you have done with I Smell Sheep over the last 3 ½ years and we have never interviewed you…not sure how that happened. But today we are correcting that error while celebrating a bitter sweet moment for you…the end of your Promise Me Series.
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| book that started it all! |
Sharon: May 2012 you published book one Promise Me and here we are Oct 2016 and the release of the last book in the series, Forever, book 16! Let’s start with what the Promise Me series is about? (click here for book #1 excerpt and other buying options)
With each book, more and more characters are introduced, and like dominoes and real life, the events of the first few books impact the future drastically. Witches, faeries, werecreatures of all kinds, vampire hunters, the vampire hierarchy, mobsters, assassins, demons, goblins all appear in the series. Lives that began fairly simple get more and more complex, as do the relationships between the characters. For example, the dhamphir child Theoron results in more an a few other vampires wanting Sarelle for breeding purposes, while the vampire hunters target her to be killed for creating a being they see as an abomination. Sarelle is able to have a vampire child from her exposure to demon blood, which happens when she intervenes in a fight between Danial and his enemy in book 1, Terian.
Sharon: When you started the series, did you have 16 books planned? Or did it evolve over the years? What has this series taught you as an author?
Sharon: What weather phenomenon fascinates you the most?
Sharon: Water colors or Crayons?
Sharon: Sam or Dean?
Forever (Promise Me #16)
FINAL PROMISE ME SERIES BOOK
by Tara Fox Hall
October 2016 Melange Books
Navigating the many pitfalls of being bound to the demon Shaker, human Sarelle uses him to force a peace with the vengeful vampire lords. Yet she cannot escape her Oathed vampire Danial’s command to engage in a menange-a-trois with her shifter ex-husband, Theo. Sorceress Rene magically intervenes, going in Sar’s stead only to be bespelled herself into having Theo’s son, Harrison. Secrets long hidden are revealed, as Sar, Lash, and their son are hunted throughout the northeast by the vengeful Valarian and his forces, climaxing in a final bloody reckoning. In the end, Sarelle must face her ultimate tests: to reconcile with loved ones who have betrayed her…or to finally sever the bonds between them, forever.
Tara Fox Hall Promise Me series Celebration giveaway
Tara: Hi Sharon, and thanks for hosting me! <raises wineglass>
The Promise Me Series is about a mortal woman, Sarelle, who encounters a wounded (and sexy and handsome) vampire, Danial, near her upstate New York farm one night. She brings him inside and hides him from the sun. They begin a romantic relationship a little too fast, before Sarelle really knows the kind of person Danial is (has a lot of enemies, does murder for hire, workaholic, etc.). This leads to a lot of problems for the couple, and their initial breakup by the second book, with Sarelle leaving Danial in favor of Danial’s best friend, the werecougar Theo.
Sarelle is all set to marry Theo, when his girlfriend turns up pregnant at the end of book two. Then Theo gets abducted, and is missing for a year in book three. In the interim, Sarelle and Danial try to raise Theo’s daughter, Elle, while trying to uncover the truth of what happened to him. Sarelle finally is able to let Theo go when Danial and she have a baby of their own, a half-vampire, half-human child Theoron. But she is no sooner content than she discovers Theo is indeed alive out west at the end of book three. Book four is Sarelle’s journey to track Theo down. She finds him, and in a tearful sexy reunion, they marry and return to the northeast to his daughter and Danial.
Tara: I initially began writing the series for my mom and myself, as something to share. I never intended to publish it, until I was on the third book, and my husband suggested I send it to an editor friend of his, to see if it might be marketable. I intended to write 1 book. But my mother kept asking me what happened next, so I kept writing. She is still asking me that, after reading the last book, but I’m resisting her now, lol.
The books evolved over the years, because I wrote them initially as seven books. Each was very long, and had to be split into two books, some into three books, which is why some books end with a cliffhanger and some don’t. I had to do a lot of revisions to get them ready, and add in some extra scenes. But the main storyline is exactly the way I initially wrote it, from 2006 to 2010. The ending of the series is the same.
The series was a learning experience. It’s a lot of work, a lot of keeping character histories straight when you’re on book number sixteen, versus one book. I really enjoyed it, and I’m going to miss it. But I need a break, and this is the end of the arc that I initially wrote. Could I go on with the story, sure, but we’ve all seen series that didn’t stop when it was time to stop. I don’t want to be one of those.
Sharon: Let’s talk vampires…if you were a vampire, where and what era would you like to have been reborn in?
Tara: I’d be fine living in this era. I wouldn’t want to live in the past, and being a vampire, I’d have to be able to adapt to a rapidly changing future. I’d also have the best chance of surviving—initially—if I stayed in the United States, where I wouldn’t stand out. I would hope that whomever made me a vampire stuck around at least a little while to help me in my new immortality, too, lol.
Sharon: What kind of vampire would you be? Sulking in the shadows clinging to your past or blending in and living in the midst of humans? Would you prefer a vampire lover or a mortal one?
Tara: I would imagine that I would be both, in time. Initially being a vampire would be exciting and thrilling, to know I suddenly had forever to write, that I would be able to visit places in the world I don’t think I will ever see in my own mortal lifetime. Time is no longer an adversary. But as the people I loved began to die of old age, or worse, if I had to abandon them to be a vampire, I would lose my will to live. What good is forever if you have no one you love to share it with? I’d have to find a reason to go on. As far as a lover…it would matter who I loved, which they happened to be. Though if they were a mortal and I was a vampire with the power to change them, I would want them to turn, so we could be together. But it would be their choice, in the end.
Sharon: You have a special place in your heart for strays. One hobby is making cat/dog beds. What is the story behind those?
Tara: The story is I didn’t have a lot of money years ago, yet I did have dogs and cats that would wear out their bed covers faster than I could afford to buy them new ones. And I had a sewing machine inherited from my grandmother. So I took apart an existing cover to make a pattern, and now I remake new covers regularly for my dogs. These are huge couch style beds, and not something a shelter would ever use; the cost savings for me is in reusing the inner foam, zippers, and stuffing, and replacing the outer shell. For the catbeds, I tried a lot of patterns, and the one I make now, with the oval outer ring and middle pad, is the one that the cats always preferred. I had volunteered for shelter work since the summer before I applied for college, so I naturally thought to offer beds to shelters once I was good at making them. Honestly, many of the shelters I initially donated these beds to now prefer me to make them cage pads (padded squares made to fit into a standard shelter or pet store cage). Some shelters have gone to PVC structures, as they are a lot easier to clean. But I’ll make and donate beds as long as there are shelters that want them.
Sharon: You fit in with our site so well…you are a nerd who loves romance and horror…all the cool lambs do…what is the nerdiest thing you own?
Tara: I still have some of my toys from when I was a girl, like my My Little Pony collection…and my SheRa collection. Remember the Golden Girl and the Guardians of the Gemstones? I have Golden Girl, and her nemesis, the Dragon Queen. And their horses. I have always likes horses, which is why I managed to put some horseback riding into my Promise Me Books regularly. But I also liked “boy toys”, like my transformers, especially Devastator of Constructicon fame. And yes, I have the animated series collection Special Edition. And yes, I have watched them all, in order.
Tara: I like gentle rainstorms, how the rain sounds on the roof, or against the window, especially lying in bed, listening to it. I like the moon in the almost silent predawn fall hours, how it hangs in the sky, barely lighting up an early fog, and everything else is just shapes in the mist and shadows.
*We interrupted this interview for a moment...close your eyes and listen*
*Our regularly scheduled interview will now continue...*
Sharon: What game show would you like to be on?
Tara: I would not be on a gameshow, I’d most certainly lose! I’m working myself up to trying to answer the new question sessions on Twitter for Walking Dead, when Talking Dead comes on this season, but that’s probably as close as I’m going to get to being on a gameshow.
Rapid Fire
Sharon: Water colors or Crayons?
Tara: Water colors, if I have the time to make a picture, I want it to be as perfect as I can make it.
Sharon: sacrificial alter or thrown in a volcano?
Tara: Altar, I want a chance to escape, lol.
Tara: Dean, ALWAYS DEAN, though Sam is nicer, even if he WAS possessed by Lucifer twice now….
Sharon: eat in or eat out?
Tara: If I have to chainsaw firewood that day, eat in…and someone else can cook, lol.
Sharon: Grease or Phantom of the Opera?
Tara: Phantom of the Opera. I always hope for a happy ending where Christine picks the Phantom, he was much more interesting.
Sharon: Mad Scientist or Evil Hacker?
Tara: I’d actually like to see a good hacker team, who were trying to expose corruption, like the first episode of Mr. Robot before it got weird. But I’m watching the gory movie Frankenstein’s Army as I write this, so final vote is Mad Scientist!
FINAL PROMISE ME SERIES BOOK
by Tara Fox Hall
October 2016 Melange Books
Navigating the many pitfalls of being bound to the demon Shaker, human Sarelle uses him to force a peace with the vengeful vampire lords. Yet she cannot escape her Oathed vampire Danial’s command to engage in a menange-a-trois with her shifter ex-husband, Theo. Sorceress Rene magically intervenes, going in Sar’s stead only to be bespelled herself into having Theo’s son, Harrison. Secrets long hidden are revealed, as Sar, Lash, and their son are hunted throughout the northeast by the vengeful Valarian and his forces, climaxing in a final bloody reckoning. In the end, Sarelle must face her ultimate tests: to reconcile with loved ones who have betrayed her…or to finally sever the bonds between them, forever.
Excerpt:
Danial was in bed surrounded by lit candles, the quilt covering his lower body. Rene gave my hand a squeeze, and I exhaled. I looked at him, not knowing what to say.
“You look good,” I said finally.
“As do you,” he said gently. His voice was gentler than it had been for a long time, since the night he’d remembered who I was. “But pregnancy has always become you.”
I stood there, feeling stupid but also not wanting to go over to him.
“Come to me, Darling,” Danial said softly. “I’ll not hurt you. Deep inside, you know that.”
No, I didn’t. “Did you feel you had to say that?”
“I can scent your fear from here,” he said, not moving. “I don’t want you to be afraid. This is going to be lovemaking we’re going to share, not anything else, not even sex.”
“It will be sex,” I said tiredly. “Because you don’t love me, Danial. And Theo—”
“Theo loves you as much as he ever did. I know you still care for him, in spite of everything that’s happened between you. It is in your voice whenever you say his name. It’s why you protected him when you didn’t have to, when by all rights you should’ve asked Devlin to end him.”
I looked away. “No, that was for Elle.”
“You do not have to admit it to me for it to be true,” Danial said neutrally. “And I’ll not make you. Because I do love you, Sar. I’ve loved you since you first lived with me, long before I gave you the diamond which graces your hand.” He got up from bed and came to me, his sculpted body moving gracefully. He took my right hand in his. “It hasn’t left your hand since we came together to raise Elle, and had Theoron, even during our difficulties of the last few months. Just as the band I gave you has also remained on your hand with it.” He kissed my hand gently, and released it. “Just as the band I bought to show my love for you has not left my own hand since our honeymoon.”
I was touched, remembering his right hand had worn that band since that time we’d first put them on, just as I had. If he’d not worn his fox head ring for almost four hundred years before meeting me, likely that band would have been on his ring finger instead. “I know.”
“Devlin had his own ring made of identical materials so he could take part. He also wears his and has not ever removed it, as a symbol of his love for you. But his does not have an inscription, as yours and mine does.” He tilted up my chin to look into my eyes. “Do you remember what that inscription says?”
I swallowed, feeling as if I was being seduced by him all over again. “It says ‘Forever.’”
Danial nodded, his smile loving. “Yes. That means for all time, Sar. Eternally. Everlastingly. Without end.” He kissed my hand. “That is the extent of my love for you.”
My willpower was slipping away, even though I was trying to hold onto it with both hands. Desperate, I said something nasty. “Were you loving me when you were bedding Angelica? When you were bedding Monica?”
Instead of anger, or even shame, Danial calmly looked at me. “Yes, I loved you then. Both of them knew it and envied you. It was a mark of your love for me then that you were jealous of them, even knowing I didn’t love them as I loved you. It’s a mark of your love that years after both of them are gone, your voice is still suffused with jealousy.”
It was stupid to try to hurt him with past transgressions. “I’m sorry for saying that.”
“Do not be sorry for loving me,” Danial said, holding me close to him, his right hand stroking my back. “I have never been sorry for loving you. It is you and you alone in my heart, Love. It will always be you and you alone, until death parts us.”
I reached up with my hands and kissed him. Danial kissed me tenderly back, as I put my arms around him. “I love you,” I whispered softly. “I was never sorry I did—”
Danial was in bed surrounded by lit candles, the quilt covering his lower body. Rene gave my hand a squeeze, and I exhaled. I looked at him, not knowing what to say.
“You look good,” I said finally.
“As do you,” he said gently. His voice was gentler than it had been for a long time, since the night he’d remembered who I was. “But pregnancy has always become you.”
I stood there, feeling stupid but also not wanting to go over to him.
“Come to me, Darling,” Danial said softly. “I’ll not hurt you. Deep inside, you know that.”
No, I didn’t. “Did you feel you had to say that?”
“I can scent your fear from here,” he said, not moving. “I don’t want you to be afraid. This is going to be lovemaking we’re going to share, not anything else, not even sex.”
“It will be sex,” I said tiredly. “Because you don’t love me, Danial. And Theo—”
“Theo loves you as much as he ever did. I know you still care for him, in spite of everything that’s happened between you. It is in your voice whenever you say his name. It’s why you protected him when you didn’t have to, when by all rights you should’ve asked Devlin to end him.”
I looked away. “No, that was for Elle.”
“You do not have to admit it to me for it to be true,” Danial said neutrally. “And I’ll not make you. Because I do love you, Sar. I’ve loved you since you first lived with me, long before I gave you the diamond which graces your hand.” He got up from bed and came to me, his sculpted body moving gracefully. He took my right hand in his. “It hasn’t left your hand since we came together to raise Elle, and had Theoron, even during our difficulties of the last few months. Just as the band I gave you has also remained on your hand with it.” He kissed my hand gently, and released it. “Just as the band I bought to show my love for you has not left my own hand since our honeymoon.”
I was touched, remembering his right hand had worn that band since that time we’d first put them on, just as I had. If he’d not worn his fox head ring for almost four hundred years before meeting me, likely that band would have been on his ring finger instead. “I know.”
“Devlin had his own ring made of identical materials so he could take part. He also wears his and has not ever removed it, as a symbol of his love for you. But his does not have an inscription, as yours and mine does.” He tilted up my chin to look into my eyes. “Do you remember what that inscription says?”
I swallowed, feeling as if I was being seduced by him all over again. “It says ‘Forever.’”
Danial nodded, his smile loving. “Yes. That means for all time, Sar. Eternally. Everlastingly. Without end.” He kissed my hand. “That is the extent of my love for you.”
My willpower was slipping away, even though I was trying to hold onto it with both hands. Desperate, I said something nasty. “Were you loving me when you were bedding Angelica? When you were bedding Monica?”
Instead of anger, or even shame, Danial calmly looked at me. “Yes, I loved you then. Both of them knew it and envied you. It was a mark of your love for me then that you were jealous of them, even knowing I didn’t love them as I loved you. It’s a mark of your love that years after both of them are gone, your voice is still suffused with jealousy.”
It was stupid to try to hurt him with past transgressions. “I’m sorry for saying that.”
“Do not be sorry for loving me,” Danial said, holding me close to him, his right hand stroking my back. “I have never been sorry for loving you. It is you and you alone in my heart, Love. It will always be you and you alone, until death parts us.”
I reached up with my hands and kissed him. Danial kissed me tenderly back, as I put my arms around him. “I love you,” I whispered softly. “I was never sorry I did—”
About the Author:
Website-FB-Twitter-Blog-Smashwords
Barnes and Noble-Melange Books
Goodreads-Amazon
Tara Fox Hall’s writing credits include nonfiction, erotica, horror, suspense, action-adventure, children’s stories, and contemporary and historical paranormal romance. She is the author of the paranormal fantasy Lash series and the paranormal romantic drama Promise Me series. Tara divides her free time unequally between writing novels and short stories, chainsawing firewood, caring for stray animals, sewing cat and dog beds for donation to animal shelters, and target practice. All of her published children’s stories to date are free reads on www.childrens-stories.net.
Website-FB-Twitter-Blog-Smashwords
Barnes and Noble-Melange Books
Goodreads-Amazon
Tara Fox Hall’s writing credits include nonfiction, erotica, horror, suspense, action-adventure, children’s stories, and contemporary and historical paranormal romance. She is the author of the paranormal fantasy Lash series and the paranormal romantic drama Promise Me series. Tara divides her free time unequally between writing novels and short stories, chainsawing firewood, caring for stray animals, sewing cat and dog beds for donation to animal shelters, and target practice. All of her published children’s stories to date are free reads on www.childrens-stories.net.
GIVEAWAY
One winner (US) will get:
Cat (or small dog) bed
Cocktail Napkins
Vampire Hot Chocolate Mix in coffin box
Vampire's Blood hand sanitizer, Bath and Body Works
Vampire bat sparkly candleholder and Mahogany Teak candle, Bath and Body Works
Vampire Bat cat Scentportable for automobile use
* Print copy of ALL 16 books in the series*
