Interview and Contest: Tes Hilaire - Deliver me from Darkness

Please help me welcome Tes Hilaire to my blog today. There will also be a giveaway of her new book, Deliver me from Darkness.

Welcome!

1. Could you tell me a little about yourself?

TH: Of course you’d start off with the hardest question. Can I call a friend?  ;-)  Okay, I admit it, I’m one of those darn reclusive writers who doesn’t like to talk about herself. Now, if you were to ask my friends, I’d hope they’d tell you things like: She’s loyal and funny, creative and smart, but a real grizzly when it comes to protecting those she loves. Oh, and she’s a major bookworm. Give her a choice between a rainy day at home or a sunny day in a park and she doesn’t much care…as long as she can bring her book.

2. Your new book is called Deliver Me from Darkness? What is it about?

TH: The title, Deliver Me from Darkness, comes from one Paladin’s struggle for his humanity, and the one woman who can save him from the darkness he believes to be his eternal destiny.

Our hero, Roland, is a “fallen” Paladin. Ninety-four years ago he was turned vampire and has lived his life in exile and darkness since. Believing his soul lost, he doesn’t think himself worthy of the title Paladin anymore or of love; his only goal is to hold onto the last shreds of his humanity.  Until one day when Karissa—the woman meant to be his bond(soul)-mate is delivered to his door and all his vows of honor are challenged. 

3. What made you write a paranormal romance book?

TH: When I read, I go to one of two shelves in the books store: Romance or Fantasy. For me, Paranormal Romance is the perfect blend of these two genres.  With it I get both the gritty, fantasy world that I crave along with the romance that I desire. Who can beat that?

4. Now who are these paladins?

TH: Like many of the “eternal warrior” stories out there, the Paladins fight against an evil that most of humanity cannot see but are in grave danger of succumbing to. The difference is that though the Paladins are descendants from a group of twelve angels who took up arms after The One True God’s call for volunteers, they are, in fact mortal. The Paladin currently fighting the war, though originally of His realm, are not angels, but now merely enhanced humans infused with longevity and supernatural powers.  And they, as much as any human, must hold the line against evil, be it Lucifer’s evil hordes or their own destructive emotions, in order to reclaim their place in His realm.  

5.  Who is your inspiration behind Roland?

TH:  The one thing my hero Roland is, is honorable. Even though his brethren have turned their backs on him, he will not turn his back on them. Alone, he still fights Lucifer’s evil army and the evil seeping into our world. I wanted a character whose historical roots were similarly immersed in honor so when I stumbled across an 8th century literary work called The Song of Roland, I knew I’d found the line he was descendent from. One of the oldest works of surviving French literature, the song romances the battle of Roncevaux pass, where Roland (one of Charlemagne’s twelve Paladin in the song) is betrayed by Ganelon and has to hold the rearguard against an overwhelming force.  I decided that this Roland would become the grandfather of my own honorable warrior, giving him a legacy to live up to. 

6. What’s next up for you?

TH: I actually just turned in my second book of The Paladin Warriors this last month!  This novel, Deliver Me from Temptation, is Logan’s story. He is Roland’s best friend and the one Paladin who stood by Roland when the rest of the Paladin turned their backs on their fallen brethren. Logan lives for honor and duty, his emotions well hidden behind a hard-ass shell.  It takes a very special woman to crack through that shield, so when he falls—for a human no less—it forces him to release all his grand ideas of control as he succumbs to temptation.

7. Do you have any advice for aspiring writers out there?

TH: Keep writing. Keep developing your craft. And use a dispassionate eye when faced with criticism. When I look back on my very first manuscripts I see how much I’ve really learned.  That knowledge wasn’t without tears though. If I were to tell the honeymoon-stage aspiring author the comments that came along with some of bad contest scores I had, or of the rejections I received, or the many different ways that my critic partners would try to sugar-coat their suggestions (when really they just wanted to put my pages through the shredder) they’d probably turn in their pen now. But that’s not how a story gets written. Write. Learn. Edit. And if it’s not good enough, write another and repeat.

Thank you!

GIVEAWAY

2 copies, Deliver me from Darkness

1. Open to US and Canada

2. Ends Feb 9th

3. Just go ahead and enter... or ask a question, comment or (trying to think of something here....) How do these Paladins sound to you?

DELIVER ME FROM DARKNESS BY TES HILAIRE – IN STORES FEBRUARY 2012

A stranger in the night… 

He had once been a warrior of the Light, once of the revered Paladin. A protector. But now he live sin darkness, and the shadows are his sanctuary. Every day is a struggle to overcome the bloodlust. Especially the day Karissa shows up on his doorstep. 

Comes knocking on the door… 

She is light and bright everything beautiful—despite her scratches and torn clothes. Every creature of the night is after her. So is every male Paladin. Because Karissa is the last female of their kind. But she is his. He may not have a soul, but he can’t deny his heart. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Daphne Award-winning author and former Tennessee native Tes Hilaire doesn’t remember how old she was when she wrote her first story, but she’s pretty sure it had something to do with a boy and a girl and a happily every after.  Displaced at an early age to “the north country,” her stories turned darker as she started creating whole new worlds to escape the harsh, upstate NY winters. Now back in the South, her stories remain edgy, exciting, and bring a hint of dark fantasy to paranormal romance. Best of all, no one ever has to shovel snow. For more, visit her website at www.teshilaire.com.