The Tightening Spiral Giveaway!

Horror Haikus for The Tightening Spiral

Hello there! I’m here today to promote my newest anthology of short horror and suspense fiction. For something different, I have summarized some of the stories from my collection in haikus.

I admit, when I first decided to do this post, I thought maybe I’d gotten WAY out of my depth. I have written poetry, but never a successful haiku. But with a little brush up on what makes a haiku (three lines of 5-7-5 syllables are the “guidelines”) I figured what could go wrong? So here are some horror haikus for selected stories from my upcoming horror and suspense short story anthology with Hazardous Press, called The Tightening Spiral. Try a copy. It makes for GREAT reading when you only have a few moments to spare!

ChoosetheVictim.com

Five girls’ names offered

By a writer seeking fans

Good wet inspiration

The Prison

Man on a mission

To break others out of prison

Finds his plan has flaws

In the Night

Mother and Daughter

Enjoy hunting hitchhikers

Mom, your turn to gut.

Say Goodbye

Her child is missing

Every minute ticks faster

Eat the poison berries, son

The Bribe

A cold beach at night

Evil lurks under the pier

Coin for your silence.

The Lie

Stop social climber

With a spoken vague falsehood

In return? Bullets

Not Enough

Save a beloved bro

With a vampiric virus

Infect the whole town

Granma’s House

Girl alone hears noises

Thinks her dead grandparents are there

Instead...a killer.

                       

Black Smoke

Woman who sees smoke

Confronts her fear in the crypt

Smoke gets her anyway

Let Me In

Demon comes calling

Woman sells her soul for love

The devil laughs last

The Tunnel

Shelter for world war

Becomes a scene of murder

Something waits below

Cold Enough

Iceman seeks storage

To endure coming summer

Stops killer as bonus

Making Hay

Old bitch nags at him

Hired hand has had enough

Buries her in hay

Face Recognition

Failsafe directive

Sends robot on killing spree

No escape, human

The Memory of Trees

Streets are utterly silent

Pro-earths release mutagen

Don’t stand still too long

The Network

The social network

Everyone too busy to care

TakeUSBack.com

End of Days

Supernova bomb

Trek south to kids’ salvation

But Sam’s already changing

ENTER THE GOODREADS GIVEAWAY HERE!  3 print copies available: https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/71054-the-tightening-spiral

Blurb: Tara Fox Hall’s second collection of short suspense and horror stories, ranging from novella to microfiction in length. Chock full of demons, serial killers, social climbers, zombies, activists, ghosts, and the occasional happy ending…of sorts.

Excerpt from ChoosetheVictim.com:

 Stan stared at the letter on his glowing computer screen, furious. His newest work, My Victim, had been rejected. His editor said it “wasn’t horrifying enough” and had suggested a rewrite to “up the scare factor.” All his work with Kate—more on point, on her skin—had been for nothing.

Resisting his urge to throw the laptop across the room, Stan closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Destroying inanimate objects wouldn’t slack his rage. But destroying an animate one might. The key here was to gain not only some peace of mind, but also inspiration.

Stan opened another internet window, and typed in an address. His website came up: www.myvictim.com, the stark image of the survival knife shining with just a faint sheen of blood against the pristine white background.

He had tried several promotions in the last few months to encourage readers. Serial killer books were plentiful in small presses. He’d gotten a mixed response, until he’d decided to do some real life research and post some of his findings. But that small increase had been nothing when he’d invited his audience into the kill. Suddenly his inbox had been brimming with emails, all wanting to offer up victims they knew. As if he was an idiot! Stan was not going to be stupid. He’d come too far to be caught now.

Instead, Stan had launched a contest; Name My Victim. He had put in five random girl’s names, saying whomever got the most votes would be killed. He’d never thought to go through with it. But he’d gotten five hundred votes in the first ten minutes, five thousand total. At first, he had been thrilled so many people had responded with Katlyn. Luck and a little computer hacking had lead him to a girl called Kate. Then he had been worried that the coincidence would lead the police to his door. He needed a better method for choosing victims...

A Facebook notification popped into his email. Irritated, Stan went to delete it, then stopped cold. Here was the perfect place to find new victims. There wouldn’t be a trail on his computer for cops to find, because he wouldn’t need to hack anything; all the information was at his fingertips. All he would need to do was run his contest on his website…then choose a winner with a name like the most popular victim. There was a limitless supply of people with their entire lives online: where they ate, where they worked, how they lived. There were tons of pictures of their houses, their kids, their spouses, and their neighborhood. No address was posted usually, but enough clues to easily find one.

Sure, most people didn’t make all their info public. But he could always get a new email address, and build a new avatar. All he would have to do was make a study of those he wanted to kill. Once he knew a few of their interests, he could formulate an identity that would ensure his friend request would be accepted by his victim-to-be. Once he was in, he could get the info he wanted. Then would come the tantalizing wait for his readers to select that name from the list of choices.

God, this was going to be fun! Stan laughed aloud in glee, then began scanning random names by typing in letter combinations. There was no time to waste.

Buy link: http://www.amazon.com/Tightening-Spiral-Tara-Fox-Hall/dp/0615903924

AUTHOR LINKS

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/TaraFH

Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/tara-fox-hall

Melange Books: http://www.melange-books.com/authors/tarafoxhall/index.html

Goodreads:  http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5286654.Tara_Fox_Hall

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Tara-Fox-Hall/e/B005YPAA4W/

Website: www.tarafoxhall.com

Email: tarafoxhallATgmail.com

Blog: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5286654.Tara_Fox_Hall/blog

Facebook Page:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tara-Fox-Hall/151813374904903

Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/TerrorFoxHall

WELCOME TO LATHAM’S LANDING

            Latham’s Landing is a cursed island mansion that dwells like a sitting spider on a long clear lake in the northeastern United States. The stones that make its skeleton are red granite, bleached in spots to white and pink. Lights form at night in its windows, though the electricity there has been off for some time. Winding out from the isle is a long narrow stone bridge that snakes to a house of glass known as The Sea Room. On some nights, The Sea Room also lights up, burning like a pyre of Hell as it welcomes in new victims.

            How many have died on the shores of the island, or within the walls of the mansion are unclear. What is known are the many drownings in the waters just around the island. The shallow water is home to many hidden rocks ready to gore a boat’s bottom. Winds tend to come up out of nowhere, becoming tempests of lightning and rough waves in mere minutes that overturn boats with childish ease. Time passes differently there, the hours slipping away like minutes.

            To those that spend the time to research the haunted isle, there is also one other troubling characteristic: the house changes. Return through a doorway you just left, and you may find yourself in a room that you’ve never seen before. What was once a wall may suddenly have a door…and the door you ran to for escape may suddenly disappear. Part of the house is sunken, or so the tales tell. But more than one fisherman has returned with his catch to report a house that sits up on dry land, no contact with water visible. The tides ebb and flow, is what some say. However, no one who goes looking for the proof of that ever comes back.

            Disappearances stack up back from the owner’s time. Hans Latham was a shipping tycoon who made his fortune in transport. Some say on foggy nights they hear a clipper ship’s foghorn sound on the lake. Others report a ghost ship covered with algae and flying tattered sails, crewed by a host of skeletons. It is hard to say really, what is truth and what comes from fear. For the isle wears an unspeakable menace like a permanent cloak, and none who come close enough to see anything—and live to tell about it—ever tell all that they have seen.

            It is said that the island is able to sense your fears, to reach into your soul and see what most terrifies you...and bring those fears to life. Some people report dead loved ones beckoning to them from the shore. Others tell of haunting music floating on the breeze, plaintive and melancholy. But most report a shadowy male figure that waits on the shore appearing near dusk. He will not answer any mortal’s call, and never leaves the shore. Not long after, a wind often springs up, storm clouds appear on the horizon, and the waves began to heighten. Those who report seeing him—for most everyone agrees it must be Latham’s ghost—don’t fish those waters again, if they make it back to shore. For it is well known the island takes offense with those few that manage to successfully escape its storms, enacting terrible vengeance if they dare its waters again.

            What exactly haunts Latham’s Landing? Certainly Latham himself, and also possibly his wife, who died there. A woman is sometimes sighted near The Sea Room, dressed in flowing gauze with ribbons in her short hair. There are two reported sightings of a ghost child within the mansion, a boy with needle teeth who asks for his missing father. There are still more reports of a crying girl with long hair on the shore. She plays a flute stained with blood. Like Latham, it is said these spirit apparitions come in advance of storms.

            Strangers come from time to time, looking for paranormal activity. They usually say they have experience; that they know what is waiting for them out there on Latham’s Landing. They bring along lifejackets, just in case they get marooned there. They quote that the police are available with an easy call to 911, and that they are not afraid of ghosts. They go, either with permission or without, sometimes sneaking out with oars in the middle of the night. We find their gear, their boats, sometimes even their personal effects. But we never find them. Not alive, anyway.

            You want to go on to Latham’s Landing? Go ahead. Yes, I’ll rent you a boat. I’ve done my duty and warned you. I won’t stop you, though I must insist you fill out this waiver, which says you are liable for any damage to the boat and equipment. Go on, the isle is waiting for you. It already knows you’re coming. I wish you Godspeed where you’re going, and I hope you get there. I don’t think I’ll be seeing you again. If by some 100-1 chance you do survive, you will not be the same. No one is, once they set foot on Latham’s Landing.

Blurb:  Three novella-length tales of suspense and horror of the haunted sunken Isle mansion known as Latham's Landing

The Origin of Fear
Four college friends mount an expedition to Latham’s Landing—an abandoned island estate infamous for mysterious deaths—to gather pictures and inspiration for a thesis on the origin of fear.

All That Remains
Sandra has come to Latham’s Landing seeking to discover what really happened to her relative who disappeared there years before, persuading her reluctant friend Tina that a little paranormal investigation will be fun.

The Fire Within

A bitter Caroline Stone embarks on a mission to destroy the evil isle estate that took her fiancé, joining with several others also out for retribution. Can the combined fire of their hate triumph over the relentless evil of Latham’s Landing?

Excerpt:

     It was a clear calm night. Carolyn watched the lake waves lapping the shore, then looked out into the blackness.

The cursed house was out there, waiting. Latham’s Landing. It had killed Rob. It hadn’t been any accident. Tonight she was here to settle the score.

She hefted the three 5-gallon cans and five 1-gallon cans of gas into the boat one by one. It had taken a stop at each station on the long journey here to not arouse suspicion. That last place she’d had to buy three, and the guy had taken her name. That didn’t matter though. By tomorrow, she’d have burned all that stood on Latham’s Landing down to the bare red granite.

It was said if you went to the island, you never came back. That was fine. Without Rob, she didn’t want to live. The fire within her raged, its fury poisonous. She would destroy the cursed house, or die.

***

Hours later, Carolyn swam up to shore, then lurched through the waves, choking and sputtering. Coughing up lake water, she went to her knees on the shore, crawling back onto the dry land, her hair a Medusa’s nest, her clothes sodden.

Nothing had gone as planned. The tides that she’d researched had been off, swinging her around the far side of the island where there was nowhere to dock. Stranger, she’d felt a wind on the mainland shore when she’d launched the boat, yet there had been none on the water.

When she’d finally managed to get on the right side of the island, she’d run out of gas. Bewildered, she’d checked the tank to see it was empty. In the lightening sky, her suspicion was proven true. Her watch revealed that the night had passed in what seemed to her several hours. So she’d turned for the shore with the oars, cursing, figuring to come back the next night.

That was when the wind had begun to blow.

At first it was a soft breeze, lightly tickling her neck with wisps of her hair. Then it became stronger, the force intensifying until the boat was rocking in the choppy waves, her hair plastered to her skull from water and wind. Determined, she’d filled the tank with the spare marine gas she’d brought, then cranked the engine to life.

Where the rocks had come from, she wasn’t sure. But the bottom of the boat had peeled away like a can opener had rent it, water spilling in to cover her feet. She’d jumped and began swimming, sure that she’d end up on the rocks herself, another victim of the island. Instead, she’d made it to shore, disheveled but alive, gas containers bobbing beside her in the waves.

She turned to stare at the house, its red granite rock sparkling in the new dawn. “You haven’t beaten me,” she hissed, shaking her fist at it. “I’ll be back.”

Buy Links:

Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/364954

Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Lathams-Landing-Tara-Fox-Hall-ebook/dp/B00FNYWHC2

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Lathams-Landing-Tara-Fox-Hall-ebook/dp/B00FNYWHC2

Melange Books (print, HTML, PDF): http://www.melange-books.com/authors/tarafoxhall/lanthamslanding.html

Barnes and Noble (paperback—Nook coming soon): http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/lathams-landing-tara-fox-hall/1117079821?ean=9781612357294

           

AUTHOR LINKS:

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/TaraFH

Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/tara-fox-hall

Melange Books: http://www.melange-books.com/authors/tarafoxhall/index.html

Goodreads:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Tara-Fox-Hall/e/B005YPAA4W/

Website: www.tarafoxhall.com

Email: tarafoxhallATgmail.com

Blog: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5286654.Tara_Fox_Hall/blog

Facebook Page:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tara-Fox-Hall/151813374904903

Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/TerrorFoxHall

Come Full Circle/Natalie-Nicole Bates is now available!

I'm thrilled to announce that my new contemporary romance novella, Come Full Circle is now available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble, through Books To Go Now Publishing!

"Come Full Circle is a deeply emotional novella about tragedy turned to triumph, that true love may very well endure over the years, and it is possible to have a second chance. One thing I love about Natalie-Nicole Bates’ stories is the emotional punch she is able to create. She is probably up there among the best with this skill. Dane Brennan’s transformation is fabulous. She has a unique style not readily seen these days. Come Full Circle is an amazing contemporary perfect for the Autumn season."

5 Star TOP PICK ~ Night Owl Reviews

Blurb:

Fifteen years ago, Bethany Minor fled her hometown after being left at the alter by Dane Brennan. After the sudden death of her mother, she is forced to return home and face her past.

The years have been hell for Dane, and seeing Bethany again only reopens wounds he long thought closed.

When they realize the flames of their past love never died, Bethany and Dane will need to confess all before they can have a chance to reclaim their life that once should have been.

But when the truth of the past is finally revealed, will they still stand as a couple?

Excerpt:

Dane felt strangely nervous about meeting Bethany. What could she possibly have that belonged to him? When he’d seen her earlier, at first she’d barely acknowledged  his presence.

     But when she hugged him so hard it almost took his breath away, all of the old feelings came welling back up inside him, along with the regret of losing her, and the promise of everything a life with her would have brought.

     The feelings of loss and sadness became so acute, that he could actually feel a pain in his chest. He’d made so many mistakes, and the gravity of those mistakes was still apparent.

     Finally, he caught sight of her walking slowly up the street toward him. She was dressed only in a  loose-fitting old  sweatshirt and jeans, totally inappropriate for the cold, rainy weather. At that moment, he wanted nothing more than to take her in his arms, and beg her for a second chance. That, he would not do. He still had some semblance of pride and reality.

     “Bethany, why did you walk here in the rain? I would have been happy to come to you,” he said, and dared to push a few errant strands of her dark hair away from her face.

     “I need fresh air. Being in my mother’s house with all of her things…it was closing in on me.”

     “I’m sorry. Would you like to get out of the rain? We could go somewhere and get a cup of coffee, and talk,” he  suggested hopefully.

     “I’m not really to being around a lot of people, Dane. The funeral will be hard enough.”

     “Would you like to come home with me for a while? At least you won’t be alone.” He made the offer, but from the look on her face, he already guessed her answer.

     “No. Thank you for offering, though.”

     Her refusal made it sound as though she’d said no to a business associate, not someone she’d once loved.

     After a few minutes of silence, she spoke again.

     “So anyway, here is what I came to give you.” She produced a small, familiar-looking box, from the front packet of her jeans.

     He licked his lips. “I hope that’s not what I think it is.”

     She lifted the lid, and as he feared, it was the engagement ring he’d given her, when he thought of her as his princess. The round diamond twinkled proudly under the harshness of the street lights.

     “I don’t want it back,” he stated firmly. He didn’t ever want to see it again. The ring was a harsh reminder of what might have been.

     “Well, I don’t want it either, Dane. It belongs to you. I thought my mother returned it to you after…after we broke up. It was wrong for her to keep it.”

     She was trying to push the box into his hand, but he refused to open his hand and stepped back from her.

     “Throw it into the garbage, Bethany.” He pointed to the public trash receptacle.

     “I can’t throw it away; it’s too expensive!” she exclaimed.

     “Then give it away, donate it, sell it! I don’t care!”

     When she shrank back, he realized his tone was  harsher than he’d intended. Immediately, he stepped forward and pulled her into his arms. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” he repeated over and over again.

     He wasn’t sure exactly, how it happened, but his lips found their way to hers. He closed his eyes and basked in her familiarity, her taste, and his tongue gently parted her lips. As their kiss deepened, he became keenly aware of the contrast of the intense heat coming from her skin, and the icy coldness of her hand on his neck. In that one moment, he was ready to beg Bethany to escape with him forever.

     “Hey, Mr. Brennan.”

     The voice jolted him back to reality. A teenage boy  held the hand of a teenage girl as they passed by. They  looked vaguely familiar; most likely they were from the neighborhood.

     “Hey,” he answered back.

     “Hear that? If I’m Mr. Brennan, what does that make my father?” he whispered into Bethany’s ear.

     Without a word, she tilted her head back and connected her beautiful espresso brown eyes―the eyes he’d fallen in love with―to his, and held him captive.

     There was so much he wanted to say to her, but the words wouldn’t come. He touched a hand to her cheek, and found that her skin burned beneath his fingertips.

     He then spoke the obvious.

     “Bethany, you’re burning up with fever. You can’t be alone tonight. Come home, and let me take care of you,” he implored.

     She blinked a few times, and he held a tiny hope she would agree to leave with him, but she reached up and ran her fingers through his beard, and said, “You know I can’t do that.”

     “Well, at least, let’s go to the apartment upstairs at BFC. I lived there for a few years. It’s really nice.”

     Her eyes grew huge. “I never want to go to that apartment again!”

     Then she darted away from him, and hurried off in   the opposite direction.

     For a moment, he simply watched her leave, perplexed at her final words. Why was she so upset at the mention of the apartment? It wasn’t as though she ever stayed there. It was mostly for interns from the mortuary college, who were on-call during the night.

     He slowly crossed the street and walked to his car. Reaching his hand into the pocket of his jacket to get his keys, he  found the box with the engagement ring. A caustic laugh escaped his throat. While he was lost in their kiss, she’d found a way to return the ring.

Buy Links:

Amazon

Amazon UK

Barnes & Noble

Natalie-Nicole's Links:

Blog

Twitter @BatesNatalie

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The Horror Infused Romance

The Horror Infused Romance

By Natalie-Nicole Bates

When people find out I’m a published author, they inevitably ask the question, What do you write?

To me, it’s always been a no-brainer answer. I write contemporary and paranormal romance. Simple. Easy.

Recently, a blogger did a post about my short novella, Remember The Stars. Something stuck out in the post, something odd that I’ve never seen associated with my writing—the novella was listed under horror!

Well, that was a first.

Sure, my previous story, SEE ME (available at Leap of Faith Publishing)does feature one graphic scene of horror in the prologue, but SEE ME is still a pure love story with paranormal characters that I love. And, I will admit that many readers read the blurb for SEE ME and tell me it scares them!

When I wrote Remember The Stars, its intentions were always to be a short love story that takes place over one night. But the difference between SEE ME and Remember The Stars is that SEE ME occurs over fairly normal circumstances, Remember The Stars features a between life and death scenario, and to my surprise, I realized that I had created something magical, I had taken a love story and encased it inside a horror story!

How cool is that?

I take this latest discovery as a compliment. I think there is a sect of readers out there who enjoy horror with their romance, who enjoy seeing the characters in an extreme perilous circumstances but love still prevails. I hope you will read Remember The Stars, available now from Books To Go Now. If you enjoy Remember The Stars, be sure to get your copy of SEE ME from Leap of Faith Publishing.

Find Natalie-Nicole on the web:

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Twitter @BatesNatalie

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Promise Me Anthology Playlist

Happy Autumn! Well, okay, almost autumn. We have a few more hours to get through before the equinox tomorrow :)

September brings two new additions to the Promise Me Series…though neither takes up where Book #4, Taken for His Own, left off late last spring. Instead, I wanted to take an opportunity to fill in the blanks for readers by giving them some origin stories, and also give new readers a way to jump into the Promise Me Universe without feeling they needed to read a ton of books to catch up.

Immortal Confessions, though labeled Book #5, is an origin tale of the main villainous vampire from the Promise Me Series, Devlin Dalcon. It details all of what happened between Danial, Devlin, and the human woman who began their centuries long feud, Annabelle. A new reader can begin with that book, and go right to Promise Me #1 with no confusion.

Promise Me Anthology #1 collects previously published tales from the Promise Me Universe into one volume along with brand new novella-length stories. Why are these necessary, when we already have a series? Mainly because the Promise Me Series is told for the most part through Sarelle’s eyes, so a reader can’t see events of which she has no knowledge. I wanted to use these stories to give background on several known series characters—and also foreshadowing on several who will shortly make themselves known. Danial, Devlin, Theo and Sarelle are the main characters of the earlier Promise Me books. But characters such as Terian, Heather, Nate, Kyle, Tasha, and the vampire couple David and Krystin have their own part to play in the unfolding of major events in the series.

Promise Me Anthology Playlist

1.      Tears and Rain – Tears and Rain, James Blunt

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9svxE49Ngs

This song seems like it was written for the suffering half-demon Terian…whose nickname in the series is “Tears.” Like Dorian Grey, he’s immortal, hiding his true nature, trying to find a way to reconcile the life he wants to the life he has. To do that, he does “run far, far away” to try to find meaning and a new purpose…but what he finds instead is a dark warning of a possible future to come.

2.      Tears and Rain — Rain, Concrete Blonde

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMHQmx-y25Q

This song represents Terian’s unrequited feelings for Sar

These kinds of days…I really miss you now…seasons have changed again

I said your name…I wonder where you are…watching the rain

And it makes me remember things I tried to say

3.      With Every Goodbye – Have you Ever Needed Someone so Bad, Def Leppard

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBRWGpozuQ8

Sar’s beloved husband Brennan died in a mountain climbing accident after only a year of marriage. She’s trying to get on with her life, but keeps coming back to all that she’s lost, leading her to some risky behavior.

Have you ever wanted someone you just couldn’t have

4.      Total Eclipse of the Heart – Total Eclipse of the Heart, Bonnie Tyler

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcOxhH8N3Bo

I used to love this song, until I actually listened to the lyrics and they freaked me right out, i.e. Your love is like a shadow on me all of the time. Then it occurred to me how perfect this song was for a woman who’d given into her obsession for a hot and sexy vampire…like the handsome Devlin Dalcon.

Once upon a time, I was falling in love…now I’m only falling apart

Nothing I can do…a total eclipse of the heart

Once upon a time there was light in my life, now there’s only love in the dark

Nothing I can say…a total eclipse of the heart

5.      Heart’s Bells — What About Now, Chris Daughtry

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqTzrUJNtyU

Casey and Theo thought they solved their biggest problem when they got their parent’s permission to get engaged. Then an attack by a werecougar changes everything.

Can we see beyond the scars and make it to the dawn?

6.      Heart’s Solace — Whenever There’s a Night you Need Love

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jHxPILBanAQ

This song represents Tasha’s unrequieted love for Theo, and all she hopes they’ll be in time...her reason for bespelling him with Heart’s Solace in order to keep him by her side.

And the magic can come alive

Only time will tell who cast the spell of love

7.      Partners — I Won’t Back Down, Tom Petty

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvlTJrNJ5lA

Neither the vampire Danial nor the werecougar Theo are men that back down, even when the odds are against them and there is no easy way out.

8.      State of Grace – Full of Grace, Sarah McLachlan

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_dJP_3eAiSU

Fans of Buffy the Vampire Slayer will recognize this as a season finale song (there even pics in the song video of Angel and Buffy). It represents Rodney’s despair over his solitary life as a vampire, and his heart wrenching decision to sacrifice himself in order to save Jackie, a woman he was falling in love with.

If all of the strength and all of the courage come and lift me from this place

I know I can love you much better than this, full of grace

I know I can love you much better than this

It’s better this way

9.      Just Business — All Through the Night, Cyndi Lauper

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4EkLF__fAic

This story was extended, to bring in Angelica’s background, and explain to readers what her real connection was to Tony and Thane, and how she became one of Danial’s blood donors.

Fun fact: Two stories which are heavily music related, Sonata and Night Music, don’t have a song associated with them!

Blurbs:

Collected for the first time are previously published stories from the main characters of the Promise Me Universe, along with all new novella-length stories!

With Every Goodbye (Sarelle)
Sarelle McGarran loves her new country life, her pets, and her husband, Brennan. When she loses him to a tragic climbing accident, Sarelle must fight depression, financial hardship, and her family and friends' good intentions to embrace a new destiny all her own.

Heart's Bells (Theo) 
College students Theo and Casey are in love, but Theo's father's ambition for his artistic son stands in their way. When Theo's family is attacked by a werecougar on vacation, he alone survives. Now afflicted himself, will Theo dare endanger the one person he loves most, hoping their love will endure his new animal nature?

Total Eclipse of the Heart (Heather, Devlin, Ulysses)*
Heather is a hardworking college student studying to be a nurse. When she meets the vampire Devlin Dalcon, infatuation quickly becomes obsession. Will Heather heed Devlin's warnings, or let herself be destroyed by her dangerous desire?

Night Shift (Jordan, Heather) * and Just Business (Tony, Thane, Danial, Devlin, Nate, David, Jordan, Angelica, Lash)*
When the mortal teen Angelica witnesses careless vampires draining accident victims on the hospital night shift, she runs to her bosses, mobsters Tony and Thane, for protection. While angered at the problem, Devlin also sees possibilities for expansion with Tony and Thane…if he can maneuver everyone into place in time.

Partners (Danial, Devlin, Angelica, Theo)* this is an extended version
Vampire investigator Danial Racklan finds more than his target when the suffering werecougar Theo crosses his path one evening. For Theo is not only a man with a past as tragic as his own, but also destined to give Danial something he's never had before: a partner he could trust.

State of Grace (Nate)*
Made a vampire by accident, timid Rodney has been reduced to feeding on animals to survive. Befriended by a veterinarian, Jackie, Rodney goes after her the night she attempts to thwart a dogfighting ring alone. But can he kill others of his own kind to save Jackie's life?

Sonata (Devlin, Nate, David)* 
When Nate challenges Devlin to seduce a human woman using limited words, the handsome vampire agrees to the bet, figuring to let a musical composition do the work for him. But Mary Ann, the woman in question, has an agenda of her own.

Night Music (David and Krys)* 
Grieving Krys Markman has come to lose herself in family memories at Letchworth State Park, and try to figure out her next step. Yet the unearthly beautiful music she hears each night stirs her soul to romance. Can its creator, the attractive vampire David Helm, heal her broken heart?

Tears and Rain (Terian, Kyle)
Terian has come west, seeking his friend and former mentor Colin in an effort to forget his unrequited love for Sar and increase his magical skills. Instead, he finds a harsh lesson in the bonds of family, along with fresh purpose and determination.

Heart's Solace (Theo and Tasha) 
When the badly wounded cougar comes to her father's country estate, Russian teen Tasha names him Nazdeha, the word for hope. But as time goes on, Tasha discovers that the animal is instead a werecougar named Theo, whose only thought once recovered is to return to his family. Scared that Theo is doomed to die if he leaves, Tasha bespells Theo with Heart's Solace, a magical love potion given to her by a mysterious cloaked figure.

*These stories link together to tell a wider story

Excerpt: from With Every Goodbye

 “Make love with me.”

I blinked, then turned over in bed. My husband Brennan was lying next to me. Daylight streamed through the double windows, giving his short light brown hair reddish highlights. Damn, but he always looks sexy in the sun. “What time is it?”

“7:23AM; the perfect time.” His warm blue eyes blinked once, his facial expression teasing.

I stretched, yawning. “Have you been awake long?”

“I don’t usually get up before you do,” he said, chuckling. “I was watching you sleep.”

I snorted. “And you were suddenly inspired to lust?”

“Something like that.”

I slipped my hand beneath the sheet, searching. Brennan straightened suddenly, grunting.

I stroked his hardened flesh. “Tell me you love me.”

Brennan made an attempt to look stern. “I wouldn’t have married you if I didn’t, Sar.”

I let the corners of my mouth curl up just a hint, my hand not stopping its motion. “Come on. Say it—”

“I love you. I’d go to the ends of the earth for you.” He grasped my free hand in his, threading his fingers through mine. “Don’t stop.”

“Sorry,” I said cheerfully, straddling him. “Like you just said, it’s the perfect time for making love.” I brushed my lips over his, then pressed harder. Brennan groaned again, then pulled me close, rolling over onto me. I giggled, then sighed in bliss, feeling his lips kiss their way lower.

God, it was great being married.

Buy Links:

*not yet on Amazon, but should be there soon!

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18459146-promise-me-anthology-1

Melange Books: http://www.melange-books.com/authors/tarafoxhall/promisemeanth.html

Lulu: http://www.lulu.com/shop/tara-fox-hall/promise-me-anthology-1/paperback/product-21184947.html

Speculative Romance Author Regina Paul: Excerpt Wednesday: Excerpt from No Place to Run......

Speculative Romance Author Regina Paul: Excerpt Wednesday: Excerpt from No Place to Run......: Lin Chen stared out at the ever increasing blizzard wondering where she could possibly find shelter in this flat, treeless land. Snow was ...

The Heart of the Hunter by Natalie-Nicole Bates is now available!

The Heart of the Hunter, my romantic suspense is now available! A little earlier than expected, but I'm thrilled. There are already 2 five star reviews at Amazon! How crazy cool is that?

After a devastating accident, Barret Atkins has accepted a quiet, solitary existence. His life is turned upside down, when he finds the badly injured Kansas Smith, left for dead in a case of mistaken identity. As Kansas begins to recover, Barret must face some deep scars of his own. When the couple begin to fall for each other, their lives spin into a revival of past hurts, jealousies, and betrayals, causing Barret to put a halt to their budding relationship.

Barret’s hesitation causes his best friend-turned vicious rival, Duncan Craig, to pursue a friendship with Kansas. Where will this leave Barret? Can they all hold on long enough to escape Kansas’s attacker, and will they ever conquer their own inner demons intent on keeping them apart?

Buy Links:

Amazon

Amazon UK

Barnes & Noble