Saturday, November 23, 2013
Thursday, November 21, 2013
Wednesday, November 20, 2013
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/
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.
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
Website: www.tarafoxhall.com
Email: tarafoxhallATgmail.com
Facebook Page:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/TerrorFoxHall
Saturday, November 2, 2013
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.
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.
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
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:
Facebook Page:
Tuesday, October 8, 2013
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:
Natalie-Nicole's Links:
Twitter @BatesNatalie
Monday, September 23, 2013
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:
Twitter @BatesNatalie
Saturday, September 21, 2013
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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.
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?
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?
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.
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.
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?
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.
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?
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.
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.
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.
*not yet on Amazon, but should be there soon!
Lulu: http://www.lulu.com/shop/tara-fox-hall/promise-me-anthology-1/paperback/product-21184947.html
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