Blurb from War:
Weresnake Lash journeys to Europe on the
eve of war, desperately searching for not only his nephew, but also his
former lover Nancy. Leveraged into service to Germany by the malicious
German werecougar Theodor von Kessel, Lash befriends fellow soldier and
weresnake Dieter, even as he secures safety for Nancy. When Theodor
divulges The German Final Solution and the part they are destined to
play in it, Dieter and Nancy attempt escape to England while Lash
orchestrates distraction. Horrified to learn upon his escape that Nancy
and Dieter were captured, Lash returns to Europe in a second rescue,
banding with another weresnake called Nails and his motley crew of
various weremen to free Dieter and Nancy from the camps where they are
imprisoned. Caught by demons in an ambush, Lash is imprisoned in a death
camp, but breaks free with Dieter in time to join the American Forces
near D-day. Resolute, Dieter and Lash fight onwards with Allied forces
to Germany itself, their goals to find Nancy, kill Theodor, and survive
the final bloody days of World War II.
“Don’t ask any questions,” I said coldly. “Just meet us here before your next mission.”
Excerpt:
“That is tomorrow,” Dietrik hissed back at me, his own fangs growing in anger. “There is no rotation of crews.”“Watch your temper,” I cautioned, another evil smile gracing my lips.
“The snake will come out of you with any strong emotion. And that
includes sexual release.”He jaw worked, but to my grudging respect, he contained the
transformation this time. “Thank you for the warning.” He put on his
hat, then holstered his gun. “I’ll send a car for you.” He strode out.I’d either engineered our escape or sealed our doom. I went upstairs to Evans, praying he was asleep.***“I can’t believe you turned him,” Evans hissed to me the next morning
as we waited for the car. “You realize he can now make his whole crew
snake, right?”“Being snake doesn’t save you from drowning,” I hissed back,
remembering my mother’s warnings long ago. “We’re not immortals. You
were done for if I hadn’t saved you. We’re both done for if we don’t get
out of here. Now shut up.”After the car’s arrival at the shoreline, we were blindfolded, then
taken to the underground bunker where the U-boats were docked. After
boarding, we were left alone in a small room, the only sound the whine
of the boat’s engines. I could feel the pressure as we dived and
resurfaced, but that was all. Evans’ constant hissing and bitching
drowned out all other noise.Hours later, we were taken to the deck of the U-boat and our
blindfolds were removed. Dietrik was there in front of us alone,
waiting.“You are AWOL, Lash,” he said softly. “You’re wanted for questioning in the disappearance of another officer as well.”He was no match for me, not newly turned as he was. “Yes,” I replied, then stared at him, waiting for him to make a move.
INTERVIEW with the AMAZING Tara Fox Hall
Q. Please tell
the readers who are the main characters of your series?
Myself, for
starters. My name used to be Trystan Valeras. I left it
behind, like my old life. Now there is just the careful maneuvering
of the world of non-humans, trying to help my vampire boss Devlin
retain control of his United States territory against all up and
comers. I never wanted this life, but I’m getting used to it. Hell,
I’m good at it, so I might as well make the best of the easy money.
Devlin has also been around since
pretty much the beginning. He’s a 400+ yr. old vampire, a sadist,
handsome as fucking Prince Charming from a fairytale, and given to
fits of melancholy over his lost love of his life, Anna. His brother
Danial is also part of the story, and entered my life about the same
time. Danial is also a vampire, but much less powerful than his
brother. The two of them fight like rats over cheese any time they
are together for more than a few minutes.
The only other character who was in
all the books to date is Solomon, a fellow bodyguard and assassin who
has become one of my best friends. He also works for Devlin, but he’s
a werebear, not a weresnake like me. He’s ranked below me, in the
Ranking, which is like a list of best of the best fighters. I have
reasons to believe another character from the third book, Dieter,
will also be a recurring character, but can’t confirm that for
sure.
Q. What or is
there conflict in the series of your life?
Every time I
open my goddamn eyes, I seem to have a new conflict. Like I said
previously, Devlin always seems to have some new enemy after his ass.
And I’ve made my own share of enemies in the years I’ve been
alive. Then there are the dames. Every few years I seem to get
another girlfriend or lover. It never seems to work out, for one
reason or another, but I keep hoping. Then there are all the things
that humans do, like start world wars and crash the economy and stuff
like that. It makes for an exciting life, but sometimes it is too
exciting, if you’re the one living it, know what I mean?
Q. Which
characters in WAR are you most like?
I’m most
like myself <chuckle>. But I will answer this for Ms. Hall….she
doesn’t like to admit it, but I’m her alter ego, in my opinion. I
can do the stuff she could never do, ‘cause she’s a woman and
she’s got to behave and be polite. But I can kick ass and take
names and in general let it all hang out. And let’s be honest…if
she didn’t feel some camaraderie with me, why would she be so
concerned that readers like me? Then there’s also that tattoo on
her back of a snake. She’s got lots of other heroes in her books,
sexy ones even. But I don’t see any vampires or cougars on her
skin, just a snake. I think that means something, though I’ve never
been able to get her to admit it so far.
Q. Take us
inside WAR. What are two major events taking place?
There is only
one big event, darlin’, and that is World War II. I should know, I
was there for all of it. This third book of mine goes through most of
the major battles everyone knows about, like D-day, and the Battle of
the Bulge. But other battles like Kursk are also given space, too.
There were a lot of bad times in that war. But I also met some great
friends, like Dieter and Evans. What we went through over there was
hell. But if I had to go through anything like that again, I would
want friends like that with me. They kept me sane in the horror of
day-to-day survival over there. I guess that was something else you
could say was going on in this book: I learned how to be part of a
fighting group. Until now, I’d only been able to work well on my
own, as a single fighter. After this, I know how much I need people
by my side in a fight, friends I can depend on.
Q. Are your
characters from the portrayal of real people?
I know that
Ms. Hall watched a lot of documentaries, but she also watched a lot
of movies about that time. I think a lot of what she saw affected
her, as this book took a long time to write, and she was upset
usually after watching these shows, the way she wasn’t for the
other books. That came from hearing people talk about their friends
and loved ones dying, about how the war had changed them. Facts in a
book are just information, with little emotional impact. But you put
human faces on those statistics, and suddenly those numbers take on a
terrible meaning. I do also know for a fact that she interviewed her
stepfather about Navy practices for one of the characters in the
book, who was in the Navy, so I think there is a good bit there from
real life.
Q. Describe
each character/friend in three words?
Devlin-vampire,
moody, poet/sadist
Evans-US
Soldier, Goody-two-shoes, stalwart
Dieter-soldier,
friend, fellow viper
Deadeye-Irish,
sarcastic, human
Hicks-wereshark,
secretive, pilot
Nancy-sexy,
innocent, lover
Thoedor-werecat,
true believer, Nazi asshole
Q. Do you wish
you could have had a different "first time"?
No. Looking
back, I really liked Jasmine, how she handled the whole situation. I
didn’t know shit about women, or what to do. It could have gone so
badly, you know? She was nice and she was kind, things I haven’t
been fortunate to get from a lot from women since her. I miss her
terribly.
Q. What was it
like when you first realized that vampires and other weres existed?
I’d grown up
knowing I think that there were other weres. I mean, I never thought
that my mom and my brother and I were cursed, or somehow magical
because of our ability to become snakes. It is just how we were born.
So that other weres were out there, that they could become other
animals made sense, even if I never met many until I was older. Much
of that is that we seek our own kind, and tend to stay away from
humans…and even among weres, snakes are kind of in their own group
by themselves. We don’t usually fit in. Vampires…now they were a
shock. I didn’t believe my father, the first time he told me about
them. But after I met one, believing in the rest like demons, faeries
and goblins, etc., got a lot easier. I’m sure there are even more
non-humans out there of other kinds. Who knows what hides in the
darkness?
Q. Did you
ever wish you had a brother and not just sisters?
I did have a
brother, whose name was Franco. He died very shortly after he got
mated, along with his whole family. They were killed as a message to
my father, their heads sent to our door in boxes. It was the most
terrible moment of my young adult life, until then. But I love my
sisters, yes. I only wish I had been able to save all of them.
Q. Why haven't
you ever gotten married or mated?
I guess I
haven’t found the right woman yet <grin>. I’m not sure I’m
the settling down type, either. I can’t very well be having
adventures if I’m raising a family, can I? <laughs, then looks
serious> If that happens, it happens, but it’s hard to hope for
that, after so many disasters. But it would be nice, to have a mate.
Q. What's your
favorite drink?
Anything
containing alcohol <laughs> But I do favor scotch.
Q. Do you have
any tattoos, would they even work on a were or would the ink just
fall out due to your healing powers?
I have a
tattoo of a snake on my back, all coiled up and fangs bared to
strike. I got it after a wild night with a hooker called Britney,
most of which I can’t remember. It was done with special ink, so it
would never heal over. I keep it to remind me of the treacherous
nature of women, tell you the truth. Britney was the one who lured me
to an ambush, then stabbed me with a stiletto. That kind of thing
makes you tend to be cautious.
Q. What's your
favorite movie?
I like The
Public Enemy. That never fails to get me in a good mood, with
Cagney’s lines as a street gangster. But I’ve loved lots of
others through the years. Anything with action, guns, and hot women
floats my reptilian boat.
Q. Does the
forked tongue really do anything for human ladies?
<blinks>
I cannot believe you asked me that. Um….well, yes, to be blunt. But
just exactly what it does to them, I am not allowed to discuss right
now. But I can tell you that there will be an upcoming scene soon
that will give you full knowledge, so to speak. <flicks tongue out
and wiggles it>And you won’t be disappointed, I promise.
Q. Is it true
that you hatched out of an egg?
Not to my
knowledge. I wondered about that at first, but my sisters were live
births, no eggs, so I guess the answer is no. Kind of a relief. It’s
too odd to think about being all wound up inside an egg…that would
have to be uncomfortable.
Q. Describe
your perfect date.
Food, movie,
and sex, not necessarily in that order <laughs>. Frankly, I’d
just be happy to go somewhere with a woman and have her be nice to me
and tell me some good things about her day or her life or something
like that. I see a lot of bad things in my line of work. I’d like
to be with someone that showed me the good in people, rather than the
bad.
Q. What is the
most romantic thing you've done for someone?
I haven’t
done romantic things for anyone, really. I bought presents for my
fiancé Mara years ago, but I did that for all my long-term lovers. I
like buying gifts for women, if I know for sure they will like them.
I guess you could say I’ve been hurt too often. I’m not about to
open myself up to rejection. I guess the most romantic thing to date
was those flowers I got years ago from Cassandra, another longtime
lover. But she told me she preferred meat, so I’m not sure that
went over that well. I really tend to leave the romance to Devlin.
He’s better at it by far, and he always knows what to say and do.
The women just fall all over themselves when he’s around. I might
as well be wallpaper, you know? But that’s okay. I have other
talents <wriggles forked tongue again>
Q. What's the
most romantic thing done for you?
Well, I got
really stoked that time Cassandra and her working girl Candycane got
into a brawl on the nightclub floor over which of them would get to
lay me that night. But that’s probably not what you meant….
Let’s
see…probably the most romantic thing was those few weeks I spent
with Tanya, after I managed to escape New Orleans after my friend and
former boss Abraham was killed. She took me in when I had nowhere to
go. She protected me, and when I went to leave, she told me to stay,
that we could have a life together. At the time I was too angry, too
bent on getting revenge, and I was worried I’d bring danger to her
door by staying. But looking back, that touched me, that she offered
me a life with her, that she cared about me enough to do that. No one
ever did that for me before. I’m not sure if that qualifies as
romantic, but it moved me for sure.
Q. Is there
anything you won't do in the bedroom?
No…so long
as my lover requests it. I’m generally not into sadism or bondage,
but some women need that to come, so sure. What matters the most is
that they enjoy their time with me. I’m at the point where if they
aren’t into it, I’m not into it…and that’s all there is to
say about it.
Q. If you
could go back in time and change one event, which one, and why?
God, there are
so many events I’d like to change. I wouldn’t wait to change Mara
right before our wedding. Hell, I might have just left her alone in
the first place. I would have told Nancy not to go overseas after we
split. I would have been there to save Abraham, the night he was
staked and beheaded. I would have warned my brother and his family,
so they weren’t assassinated. I would never have gone after Kline,
or have lead him to Char, or gone on any kind of revenge scheme. I
would have left Britney to her fucking wolfpack and not gone to
rescue her. And on and on…so many bad things happened over the
years, and I lost so many people I cared about. I’d like to go
back, save them, and have a different future with them in it.
Q. Do you have
any regrets?
See the above
question. Other than that….I did not always respect women. I did
things I regret, things I am appalled and sickened by. But there
isn’t anything to do about that, other than to remember how
terrible I feel now about it, so it never happens again.
There were
people I cared about that I lost that I wish I had told how important
they were to me, like my mom and my sisters. I regret now telling
them that I loved them, and hugging them more. I’m sure they knew
it. But I’d give anything to go back and hug them again, and feel
their arms around me, squeezing tight.
Q. If you had
one wish, what would it be, why?
I wish to get
out of this fucking series alive and to have an HEA, if I’m saying
it right? Ms. Hall has hinted that that is going to happen, but with
what she’s done so far to me in only the first 3 books, I’m not
sure I can believe her. So if you have any pull with her, put in a
good word for me, okay? I’d really appreciate it.
About the author
Tara Fox Hall is an OSHA-certified safety and health inspector at a
metal fabrication shop in upstate New York. She received her bachelor's
degree in mathematics with a double minor in chemistry and biology from
Binghamton University.
Tara Fox Hall's writing credits include
nonfiction, horror, suspense, action-adventure, erotica, and
contemporary and historical paranormal romance. She is the author of the
paranormal action-adventure Lash series and the vampire romantic
suspense Promise Me series, as well as other novellas. She also
coauthored the essay "The Allure of the Serial Killer," published in
Serial Killers - Philosophy for Everyone: Being and Killing
(Wiley-Blackwell, 2010). 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.
Stalker Links
