Hunted by Ellen Fritz

Yo Ho Ho Me Hearties!

It was smooth sailing with the wind at our backs as The Whimsical Herald sailed into port to pick up our latest literary guest, the popular and prolific YA author Ellen Fritz. Ellen is the author of several well beloved books that continue to engage and amaze her readers, young and old.
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A former teacher and counselor,author Ellen Fritz will be joining us at the Captain’s table in the seat of honor, swilling down Grog, and will regale us with an insider look at her latest release, ‘HUNTED’, BOOK 4 of her “In the Night” Vampire Series!
 
A COMMON ENEMY, A BRAVE AND DETERMINED HUMAN GIRL WHO BARELY ESCAPED A VAMPIRE’S BLOODLUST…
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 AND AN UNLIKELY, IRRESISTIBLE AND FORBIDDEN ATTRACTION
The Vampire at Cara’s feet was dazed, but there was only one way to kill him. At least only one Cara knew of. She took a homemade wooden stake out of her backpack, positioned it over his heart and hit the end as hard as she could with the wide head of the mallet she’d picked up at the hardware. It took three blows before the stake slid between his ribs into the Vampire’s heart. Cara sat back on her heals and watched as his skin took on a gray pallor and his eyes lost their glow and turned a chalky white. She grinned slightly in satisfaction, knowing she’d saved future would-be victims and avenged those already dead. Cara dragged his body to the back of the alley and pushed him against the wall. She pulled a canvas drop cloth out of her backpack and covered him completely to shield him from even unlikely visitors to the scene. Right before dawn, she’d come back to uncover him and let the sun disintegrate him. That would be the end of yet another Vampire stalking the streets.

​Rule the Night has been destroyed.  They find a place to hide at Gina’s sanctuary, La Sang Rouge, in Indianapolis.  An ancient Vampire club is found and must be investigated, its members and leaders eliminated before they themselves are destroyed. Luke discovers a human, Cara, who escaped from a Vampire in bloodthirst. She is taking her revenge, seeking and killing the same evil Vampires that Luke and his friends seek. The two are drawn to each other and find it impossible to resist their growing attraction, despite their differences and Cara’s hatred for all Vampires.

They get help from an unexpected source, a secretive group of shifters even Vampires thought were a myth.  Without help from these creatures, they may all be destroyed.

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1.Congratulations on Book 4 of your ‘In the Night’ series  Author Ellen Fritz! This seems like the darkest installment of the urban fantasy series to date-would you agree?
Yes, it is a little darker.  The characters are out in the world a little more, no longer as protected as they were in Rule the Night.

2. Tell us about the undeniable attraction between Luke and Cara in ‘Hunted’.
Luke and Cara are “love at first sight” characters.  They can’t deny their attraction to each other even though Cara, especially, fights against it.

3. What is it about Cara that makes her so relatable to readers of all ages?
Cara is relatable because she is an innocent victim who decides to fight back.  With no family or friends for support, she does what she has to and protects herself and other women.  She’s determined to never let anyone take advantage of her again, but finally learns to trust Luke.

4. In book 4 of the ‘In the Night’ urban fantasy series the characters are all grown up and you switch from YA urban fantasy to New Adult. What, if any, difficulties did you encounter in this transition?
Characters have to grow and change or they stagnate.  After what they’ve faced in the first three books, I couldn’t see them as the teenagers.  I think it would have been harder to write if I’d tried to keep them younger.

5. With readers waiting for the next book, what kind of feedback are you getting on the first three novels?
Everyone that contacts me about the In the Night series loves the story and characters.  Some have even said it’s better than Twilight!

6.’In the Night’ is not your only series. Which do you enjoy writing more, urban fantasy or Scifi fantasy?
That’s a hard question because I love them both.  Generally, though, I think Science Fiction is harder.

7. What authors do you read, or do you have time to read now that you are writing?
The last few years, my favorite has been Diana Gabaldon and her Outlander series.  Her plot and characters are unbelievably real and complex.  Besides, it helps to get my mind away from the vampires and aliens and plunge into her historical fiction.
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8. What is the most encouraging response you have gotten from a reader or readers of your work?
At a really big bookfair in Bowling Green Kentucky, a girl ran up to me and said, “You’re here!  I read you would be and couldn’t wait to meet you!”  She had read Abandoned and wanted to get all three books of the series and have me sign them.  We hugged and she stayed to talk for quite a while.  It was fun to meet someone that loves my books.

9. There are many elements of mystery and intrigue in your stories-can a character ever have too many secrets?
My muses are some of the old classical writers that I studied in college.  They wrote about people who were caught in a situation and that’s what I like to do.

10. Who are your writing muses?
My muses are some of the old classical writers that I studied in college.  They wrote about people who were caught in a situation and that’s what I like to do.

11. When you aren’t writing what are you doing to unwind?
I have to admit I’m a TV fanatic and love it when stories like Midnight, Texas by Charlaine Harris are produced.  They were great books and it was a great show.  I will admit, though, that I often read while watching TV.

12.What genres have you not explored yet in your novels that are beckoning to you?
That’s an easy one.  Time travel.  I have a couple ideas percolating through my head, but haven’t pulled them all together, yet.

13. Luke is a well drawn and unique character. How does he compare to Parker in your previous novels in this series.
Although both vampires, Parker is more serious in some ways than Luke.  Luke likes to laugh and flirt with the human customers even though he used that to fool Charles into thinking they were on the same side.  Parker is more like Byron, a serious businessman.

14. What modern day actors and actresses would you cast in the main roles in ‘HUNTED’?This is always the hardest question because there are so many good young actors around.  I personally love Jennifer Lawrence and Eddie Redmayne, but I think they might both be too old for my main characters.  Although wouldn’t Jennifer Lawrence be amazing as Constance?​

15. What projects are you working on for 2018-2019? Can you give us a teaser quote from a work in progress?
I’m presently working on three different books -- a time travel, a dystopia, and a second Bigfoot.  I can’t settle on the one that I can’t resist and have to finish, so don’t want to give you a quote, yet.  Right now, I suspect that it will be the dystopia that wins the battle.

Aye it is with many misgivings that we wave farewell to our distinguished guest Ellen Fritz. She is such a vibrant and sparkling creative soul and we will miss her company, but she has many more bestselling books to pen and we must sail on across the literary seas to our next port while the weather is temperate.

Thank you for joining us, well met as always, and fair winds and following seas to you all!

I remain your humble servant,
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Patricia Mattern, Mistress of Madness on THE WHIMSICAL HERALD

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