Genre: Paranormal Romantic Suspense Faced with losing Pandora Productions as well as her best friend Rebecca to the smarmy Paul, savvy film executive Debbie makes a pact with the demon Shaker, agreeing to bind herself to him as his human master in return for killing Paul and securing Pandora’s future. Yet even as Pandora gains accolades and renown, Debbie’s strong resolve begins to crumble under the weight of her actions. And the pleasure she finds in Shaker’s arms is becoming more than sex. Is Debbie doomed to lose her heart as well as her soul to a demon who has only been waiting for the chance to claim both?
Excerpt: “I never asked you to kill anyone,” Debbie said defensively. “I never asked you to—”
“You asked me to save your company, and I’ve done it,” Shaker shouted, the boom of his voice shaking the room like a small earthquake. He loomed over her. “What did you think was going to happen? I’m a demon out of Hell! What did you think I would do when you unleashed me on your enemies?”
“These are human beings—”
“Who matter as much as insects splattered on a windshield,” Shaker snarled. “Humans are just another species who think that they are superior to all others…a prevalent notion in all evolved creatures. They are not.” He stared down at her. “You are not superior to me, Mistress.”
Debbie looked up at him with tear-filled eyes. “But I am human. How do I know you won’t hurt me, too, Shaker?”
“Honestly?” he said gruffly, his expression softening. “You don’t. But the same could be said of any human man you know, Mistress.” He leaned in closer, tilting his head. “And I kiss better than most.”
Debbie didn’t know what to do when the demon’s lips met hers. She leaned back involuntarily, but Shaker just leaned forward farther, his lips pressing hers. His kiss was nothing like she’d expected it to be: not brutally strong, or too hot, or even too provocative. It began as a chaste kiss; gentle, languid, warm, with just a hint of passion to come if the merest sign was given. The longer it went on, the hotter Debbie got, the urge to open her mouth growing each moment. Just as she gave in and relaxed into Shaker’s embrace, he pulled back from her, ending the kiss, his red eyes staring into hers, his desire mirroring her desire.
I'm an OSHA-certified safety and health inspector at a metal fabrication shop in upstate New York. I have a bachelor’s degree in mathematics with a double minor in chemistry and biology from Binghamton University. My writing credits include nonfiction, horror, suspense, erotica, and contemporary and historical paranormal romance. I am the author of the demon romantic suspense Unhallowed Love series, the paranormal action-adventure fantasy Lash series and the vampire romantic suspense Promise Me series. I also coauthored (with Eric Dietrich) the nonfiction book Forbidden Conversations. I divide my free time unequally between writing novels and short stories, chainsawing firewood, caring for stray animals, and sewing catbeds, catnip mats, & cat toys for donation to animal shelters.
Giveaway
$66.60 Amazon gift card grand prize, plus 10 copies of the first series e-book as additional prizes Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!
February 19, 2019 Genre: Paranormal, Erotic Romance, Contemporary Romance Publisher: Melange Books Will a demon-hunting priest and a wizard bent on world dominion end Shaker’s happiness with his human Mistress Debbie?
CEO Debbie and demon Shaker’s first year of partnership was a smashing success for both Pandora Productions and their own new intimate relationship, ending with the announcement of their engagement last New Year’s Eve. Shaker now inhabits a human host, Pandora’s rising action star Jett Black, putting the possibility of a family within Debbie’s tentative grasp as the couple pledges their love at the altar. But as before, one crisis after another ensues, beginning with Titan’s push to assimilate Pandora and the death of Debbie’s father, bringing her back together with her estranged family, and into the sights of a demon-hunting priest, Father Matthew, who will stop at nothing to not only send Shaker back to the Hell he came from, but also ensure Debbie is free of sin…permanently. When Shaker is sent back to Hell, Debbie is left bereft, her team of allies decimated, her best friend in a coma, she must decide if she will succumb…or rise from the ashes and fight ruthlessly for everything she loves, no matter the cost.
Debbie hesitantly went up the stairs of the church. Being a Saturday afternoon, the doors were closed, and no one was around. Debbie grasped the handle with a half-hearted tug, expecting it not to budge. Instead, the door opened smoothly, and she stepped inside. She approached the side of the altar, where candles were lit for those who had passed. She put in a donation, then lit one.
“You weren’t on the list,” she said tentatively, then cracked a smile. “But I’m sorry, Jett. This light’s for you. You weren’t a good man, and I still think that Shaker made you a much better one in the time he was with you. But please forgive me if you think I wronged you. And I hope you are at peace, for what happened to you.”
In succession, Debbie made more donations and lit candles, naming off the people she knew Shaker had harvested, including Amanda. As she closed the brief prayer for her former secretary, there was an angry hiss from behind her. Debbie wheeled around, lit taper in her hand. The ghost of Celia was there with glowing yellow eyes, her grin ghastly. “You think you can light a few candles and be forgiven?” she shrieked. “You will not be.”
Remember what Myrrh said. “I’m sorry,” Debbie said, not backing down. “But I didn’t kill you. Stop haunting me and be at peace. Your mother waits for you, Celia. Pass on and go to her.”
The ghost reached out, slashing at Debbie with her ragged nails, ripping four bloody furrows down her arm. Debbie yelped and staggered back, dropping the taper and clutching her bleeding flesh. From outside the church, twin howls sounded, angry and stymied.
The hellhounds. But they can’t get in! Likely Myrrh can’t either!
The ghost picked up the still-burning taper, which began to glow like a branding iron. “You’re not sorry. But you will be. Oh, you will be!”
The church’s twin doors slammed wide open, as Myrrh appeared, moving slowly as if slogging through knee-high mud. The murder of crows wheeled frantically in the sky behind her, cawing madly, diving toward the church, then away. In her hand was a ball of green fire. The ghost turned to her, screeching, claws outstretched.
“Go back to the grave, little girl,” Myrrh commanded, her blue eyes flashing. “Go back willingly, or I’ll end your haunting here. What remains of you will join my murder, until you have atoned for your crimes.”
“Demon!” Celia growled.
“You are becoming one, in your hate,” Myrrh intoned. “As such, you are fair game to me. I owe no allegiance to Heaven or Hell. Go back to the grave!”
Celia hissed, then launched herself at Myrrh.
“Have it your way.” Myrrh threw up both hands, the green fire shooting forward to engulf Celia, who screamed shrilly as she writhed in the eerie flames. The girl split in two, one misty form disappearing, the other solidifying and darkening as it shrunk, becoming a baby crow.
Book Tour Schedule
Follow the book tour from February 22 - March 7, 2019. Visit each tour stop daily and discover more features, excerpts, reviews, interviews, fun facts and more! To check the latest tour schedule, visit the Year of the Demon Book Page at Book Unleashed.
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, the paranormal romantic suspense Unhallowed Love 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.
PROS: • Never having to worry about being misunderstood (your bonded demon can read your thoughts)
• Romantic moments won’t be few and far between, and will happen exactly when you want them to (and when you’re tired he’ll just accept “no.”)
• He probably won’t be averse to dressing in romantic shirts with ruffles, ties or lace cuffs…or in his bare skin, on command. Same goes for foot rubs!
• You won’t ever have to deal with a mid-life crisis. Demons don’t age!
• You won’t ever have to have the discussion about how his body has changed since he was eighteen. You may get to have the discussion of whose body you’d like him to inhabit, a.k.a., possess!
• His sex drive will remain constant and unchanging…and HIGH
• Relative Immortality = LOTS and LOTS of experience…in ALL areas. Need I say more?
• You’ll never need to fix him his dinner…only give him a suggestion of who to target to BE his dinner. You can command him to fix YOU dinner!
• He will defend your life to the death…as if you die, he’ll be sent back to Hell.
CONS: • You’re going to have a problem getting into church (Demon taint to the soul, and all that)
• If your demon is wounded, you will feel his pain as if it were your own.
• Your lover will not understand how hard it is to diet, lose weight, or restrain from eating certain foods (but will likely constantly tell you that he understands)
• You’ll have to dispense with all religious objects in your home, or jewelry, as all types of faith are a no-no that cause demons pain
• You may need to explain modern conveniences to him, depending on when he was last out of Hell
• Hooves and horns aren’t fun in bed
• He’s likely to be a chauvinist, if a mild one, and may need constant reminding that what was appropriate in 0017 is not appropriate in 2017
• Your soul might be flagged for Hell, depending on your binding agreement (check the fine print)
• You’ll suddenly be the target of demon hunters, who know that killing you will land that hated demon of yours back in Hell
• You might be viewed as a snack in the event you break your agreement with him
Any additions to the list you can think of, blog readers? Please leave a comment!
Faced with losing Pandora Productions as well as her best friend Rebecca to the smarmy Paul, savvy film executive Debbie makes a pact with the demon Shaker, agreeing to bind herself to him as his human master in return for killing Paul. When the intended coup goes amiss, resulting in the deaths of both Rebecca and Paul, Debbie finds herself alone at Pandora’s helm, facing a rising tide of corporate enemies led by Paul’s duplicitous son Dante and the behemoth Titan Pictures. Shaker’s backing smoothes the way, solving some problems supernaturally, others through brutal bloodshed, even as he calls into play various preternatural and human allies to assist Debbie.
As the months pass, Debbie’s strong resolve begins to crumble under the weight of her actions, even as she guiltily concedes the pleasure she finds in Shaker’s arms is becoming something more than just affection. Is there hope for a happy ending built on so much evil? Or is Debbie doomed to lose her heart as well as her soul to a demon who has only been waiting for the chance to claim both?
Available now for $4.99 only. Grab your copy today.
It takes talent on the part of an author to get me rooting for someone who's decidedly not a 'good person'. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I would recommend to anyone who likes something a little different in the way of paranormal romance and would enjoy a more mature heroine. Five Stars. - Caitlyn Lynch, Goodreads Reviewer
Tara Fox Hall is a writer of consummate skill. I have been following her for years and have never been disappointed. - Jenny Twist, Goodreads Reviewer
About the Author: website-FB-Twitter-Blog Barnes & Noble-Smashwords Melange Books-Amazon-Goodreads 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, the paranormal romantic suspense Unhallowed Love 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 http://www.childrens-stories.net.
Book Tour Schedule
Follow the book tour from September 19 - October 9, 2017.
Discover more features, excerpts, reviews, interviews, fun facts and other extras on the tour.
Got a special celebration today! Ending a series is bitter-sweet for an author. This October, Tara will publish the last book in her vampire romance series Promise Me. Forever is book #16! Tara wanted to do something special for it. She has put together an awesome Vampire prize pack that will come with a print copy of all 16 books! But first we sit down with Tara and talk a bit about the series and what it has meant to her...along with some other important nerd toy stuff... 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.
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)
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.
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?
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.
Sharon: What weather phenomenon fascinates you the most?
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.
Sharon: Sam or Dean?
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!
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.
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—”
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.
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
For any fan of Supernatural, mention of a demon brings to mind black smoke, possession, black magic, blood sacrifice, and supernatural strength…what sounds to me like the perfect base for a to-die-for “bad boy” alpha male capable of not only killing off a girl’s worst enemies, but also giving her wild nights of delightfully impure seductive passion…for a price.
Enter the protagonist of my new demon-based series, Unhallowed Love: Shaker. The first book in the series is called A Good Year.
Yes, the demons in Supernatural for the most part are evil, even the various Hell’s traitors who have partnered with heroic hunters Sam and Dean on occasion. These demons also take on the attributes of whatever human they are possessing, flashing black eyes when not hiding, except when they are excised and appear as black smoke. While my demons do possess people, taking their bodies over, they also have their own physical body. I have added the traits of flushed skin, black hair, and red eyes, as well as sometimes hooves and horns for some Hellish denizens. Where Shaker is concerned, I’ve also added a lively sense of humor, too.
Those readers familiar with my vampire Promise Me and shifter Lash Series will recognize Shaker from the last several series books, and the return of several other alpha males from those series. Vampire Devlin Dalcon, always ruthless, sometimes just and usually devious shows his face along with the foul-mouthed weresnake assassin Lash. But this is Shaker’s series, and demons dominate the action here, both inside the bedroom and on the sets and offices of Pandora Productions, the film studio whose CEO, Debbie Deal, lays claim to Shaker.
There is one key difference between my demons, and those in Supernatural: dealing for souls. Demons are all about souls in the TV show: bartering with humans for souls for material gain, usually at a crossroads, where the human has summoned them. Shaker and his kin have a more devious approach: an initially unnamed favor, for which in turn a demon obeys his Master’s ¾ or Mistress’s ¾ commands. In time, this favor is revealed to be that the human must choose a victim for their demon every few months, with the unspoken assumption that years of this will corrupt the human’s soul…and lead to damnnation. For a demon’s creed is three things: that it must eat human flesh and blood to remain strong, must sow discord, and must be bound to a human to remain out of Hell. And above ALL, they must not give into any emotion other than anger, especially love…or face Hell’s wrath in retribution.
A Good Year (Unhallowed Love)
by Tara Fox Hall
Faced with losing Pandora Productions as well as her best friend Rebecca to the smarmy Paul, savvy film executive Debbie makes a pact with the demon Shaker, agreeing to bind herself to him as his human master in return for killing Paul. When the intended coup goes amiss, resulting in the deaths of both Rebecca and Paul, Debbie finds herself alone at Pandora’s helm, facing a rising tide of corporate enemies lead by Paul’s duplicitous son Dante and the behemoth Titan Pictures. Shaker’s backing smoothes the way, solving some problems supernaturally, others through brutal bloodshed, even as he calls into play various preternatural and human allies to assist Debbie. As the months pass, Debbie’s strong resolve begins to crumble under the weight of her actions, even as she guiltily concedes the pleasure she finds in Shaker’s arms is becoming something more than just affection. Is there hope for a happy ending built on so much evil? Or is Debbie doomed to lose her heart as well as her soul to a demon who has only been waiting for the chance to claim both?
Excerpt:
“I never asked you to kill anyone,” Debbie said defensively. “I never asked you to—”
“You asked me to save your company, and I’ve done it,” Shaker shouted, the boom of his voice shaking the room like a small earthquake. He loomed over her. “What did you think was going to happen? I’m a demon out of Hell! What did you think I would do when you unleashed me on your enemies?”
“These are human beings—”
“Who matter as much as insects splattered on a windshield,” Shaker snarled. “Humans are just another species who think that they are superior to all others…a prevalent notion in all evolved creatures. They are not.” He stared down at her. “You are not superior to me, Mistress.”
Debbie looked up at him with tear-filled eyes. “But I am human. How do I know you won’t hurt me, too, Shaker?”
“Honestly?” he said gruffly, his expression softening. “You don’t. But the same could be said of any human man you know, Mistress.” He leaned in closer, tilting his head. “And I kiss better than most.”
Debbie didn’t know what to do when the demon’s lips met hers. She leaned back involuntarily, but Shaker just leaned forward farther, his lips pressing hers. His kiss was nothing like she’d expected it to be: not brutally strong, or too hot, or even too provocative. It began as a chaste kiss; gentle, languid, warm, with just a hint of passion to come if the merest sign was given. The longer it went on, the hotter Debbie got, the urge to open her mouth growing each moment. Just as she gave in and relaxed into Shaker’s embrace, he pulled back from her, ending the kiss, his red eyes staring into hers, his desire mirroring her desire.
About the Author: Website-FB-Twitter Email-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
1 US winner will get this Supernatural inspired cat bed!
Featured Author: Tara Fox Hall This is a special Sunday Swag because I flocked up the raffledude on Tara's guest postfor her latest release Fate's Prison (Promise Me #14)
I'm an OSHA-certified safety and health inspector at a metal fabrication shop in upstate New York. I have a bachelor’s degree in mathematics with a double minor in chemistry and biology from Binghamton University. My writing credits include nonfiction, horror, suspense, erotica, and contemporary and historical paranormal romance. I am the author of the paranormal action-adventure fantasy Lash series and the vampire romantic suspense Promise Me series. I also coauthored (with Eric Dietrich) the nonfiction book Forbidden Conversations. I divide my 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.
About the Author:
