Character Interview with LASH, sexy weresnake extraordinaire! from WAR by the awesomely AMAZING Tara Fox Hall

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.

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