Blog Tour: The Reachers Series by LE Fitzpatrick + Interview

Title: The Reachers Series
Novels: The Running Game (Book 1), Border Lines (Book 2)
Author: LE Fitzpatrick
Genre: paranormal, science fiction, dystopian, mystery

The Running Game by LE Fitzpatrick

Her father called it the running game. Count the exits, calculate the routes. Always be ready to run because they’ll always be coming for you. Whatever happens, they’ll always be coming for you.
Rachel had let her guard down and they had found her. She could run now, leave the city and try her luck beyond the borders, but with no money and a dark secret to hide her chances of survival are slim.
But then she meets two brothers with a dangerous past and secrets of their own. Can they help her turn the game around?
This is the first installment of the Reacher series. Set in a grim and not too distant future, this urban thriller will keep you hooked until the last page.

 

Buy Links

Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00G7VJ0GG/
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00G7VJ0GG/
Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/370963
B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-running-game-l-e-fitzpatrick/1117298998
Kobo: http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/The-Running-Game/book-dd4LOU4_lkWM0FLWucj6hw/page1.html

Border Lines

“We all remember that kid in Piccadilly. That determined look he had on his face as he willed all those people to him. Just using his mind he pulled them close then blew them all to pieces. It could be anyone. Your neighbour, your friend, your lover. Remain vigilant. Reachers are everywhere.”
When the perfect job comes up Charlie doesn’t think twice about taking it. This is the break he’s been looking for and nobody, not even the rest of his team, can persuade him otherwise.
The job means working for an old enemy and crossing the border into London. Both are risky but Charlie has no idea how high the stakes really are.
The team will have to confront their past, each other and a killer who is closer than they realise. But can they all make it out of the city alive?
This is the second installment in the Reachers series.

Goodreads link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22758101-border-lines

 

Buy Links:

Amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LY6USX8/
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00LY6USX8/
B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/border-lines-l-e-fitzpatrick/1119986337
Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/458255
Kobo: http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/Border-Lines/book-Uv64gdopQ0-I3j3JfoeaFA/page1.html

Interview

Hello, LE. Let’s forget the fancy author bio for a moment. Please introduce yourself in your own words.

I'm an indie author, proofreader and book enthusiast, but I'm also a mum, I work in an office and seem to have acquired more pets than I know what to do with. Most of my life revolves around books, but I also love history and travelling too.

Your first series, Dark Waters, is fantasy while your new series, The Reachers, is dystopia. Was it difficult to make the transition from fantasy to dystopia? Why the drastic change?

Dark Waters was the first time I really wanted to write for an audience rather than just for myself. I love epic fantasy and so for about five years I lived in a world of pirates and alchemy. But the writing was very dark and quite emotional at times. By the time I finished the series I was feeling pretty drained of all my creativity. I then embarked on my first self-publishing project and that was a whole new and complicated world. Then for two years I worked on getting the story out to people, so in total I lived and breathed Dark Waters for seven years.

I realised then that I had a choice, I could continue with the world (because there are more stories I could develop in that series), but I would be facing another seven years of hard labour, or I could try a change of pace for a while. I decided I loved my characters too much to abandon them, but unfortunately after a couple of months I realised that what I was doing just wasn't working for me anymore.

Luckily the idea for Reachers was already on my mind and what started as a brief break took hold. The Reacher series feels effortless to write and has really been embraced with readers. I think, despite the difference between genres, my style is consistent between both series. Both are still quite dark, have a twisted authorial voice and hopefully have strong, believable characters.

What exactly are the “Reachers”?

There are a lot of theories about what Reachers are. Some people believe they're mutations. Others believe they're fallen angels. Some think they are from out of space. But really they are just ordinary people with extraordinary powers. Their telekinetic and telepathic gifts are a threat to the government and they have been hunted so now only a few remain. But those that are alive are in hiding, constantly on the run and in fear that one day they will be captured and sent to the Institute like the rest of their kind.

Rachel is the heroine of The Running Game, the first book in The Reachers series. Tell us more about her. What sets her apart from the other people in her world? Why should we root for her?

Apart from being a Reacher, Rachel is just an ordinary girl. She's an ER doctor in a hospital with no funding. She works twelve hour shifts, six days a week and lives in constant fear of being discovered. But she's strong, she has to be, and it doesn't matter what is thrown at her she is unshakeable. At the start of The Running Game, Rachel is being hunted for her powers and the Smith brothers come to her rescue. But she's not a typical damsel in distress and she ends up helping the brothers instead.

Rachel has the ability to read people's secrets by kissing them. This power saw her sister being enslaved by ruthless criminals. But Rachel is an empowered, independent woman. She uses her power as she chooses and is always in control. Rachel is the type of heroine girls can aspire to and the type of heroine men respect.

Since this is the first book in The Reachers series, does The Running Game end with a cliffhanger?

The Running Game does not end in a cliff hanger. The ending is open for the main characters, but, without giving anything away, the plot does come full circle. There is so much to this series I try to close as many story lines as I can when I complete each book or short story.

Border Lines is the second book in The Reachers series. How much time has passed since the events in The Running Game? What changed since? Will we meet characters we already know from the first book?

There is about ten months between The Running Game and Border Lines and there is a short story which you can download for free called Family which fills in a little bit of this period without giving spoilers to either main story.

The biggest changes in the transition between the two books is that Charlie is now totally sober and Rachel is a fully fledged member of the Smith family. They are all a lot stronger and sharper and much more focused on tackling a new mission. Unfortunately for them their next job is about to turn everything upside down.

Who is Charlie? In which way is his story different than Rachel’s?

Charlie is the oldest Smith brother and also a Reacher. Unlike most Reachers, instead of running and hiding Charlie used his powers for profit. But his high profile criminal lifestyle brought tragedy into his life when the government finally caught up with him and murdered his wife. At the start of The Running Game he is a shell of his former self, practically crippled and dependent on painkillers. The Running Game sees Charlie, with Rachel's help, get a grip on his inner demons and finally make a stand to get his life back together.

Will there be a third book in The Reachers series? When should we expect it to be out?

I am currently working on the third book now and I hope to have it ready for publication this summer. There will also be lots of short stories accompanying the series which will be released throughout the year too. At the present the series is planned for a total of six books and who knows it could go even further than that.

You also offer proofreading and betareading services. How does the time management work between this and being a writer? Do you get many requests?

I've lost count of how many books and authors I've worked with over this last year, which is probably because a lot of the work I do is voluntary to support the indie community. I have had to turn people away, but most authors are happy to wait for me to have an opening in my schedule and I've been very lucky to work with some amazing people.

It is difficult managing proofing and writing, but I learn so much as a writer by reviewing other people's work. I could never give it up. I'm working on a really great project at the moment and it just makes me feel so happy knowing that I can help other authors because god knows so many have helped me over the years.

What’s next for you?

Well book three is still in draft. I'm going to be concentrating on the Reacher series for a while, mainly because it's such great fun to write. We're also going to be getting Border Lines done as an audio book too which I can't wait for. And probably I'll get to work with lots of fantastic authors in between. I'm really looking forward to this year and already it's flying by.

About the author

L E Fitzpatrick was born in Hull, East Yorkshire, but now lives in West Wales, with her family plus lots of dogs and cats. She manages an office, volunteers as a room steward for the National Trust and also supports independent authors as a proofreader and beta reader. She obviously has no spare time because of this, but if she did it would probably be invested in walking in the countryside and enjoying the peace and quiet.
L E Fitzpatrick published her first series Dark Waters in 2011 and is currently working on her Reacher series.

Social Links

Website: http://l-e-fitzpatrick.blogspot.co.uk
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lefitzpatrickbooks
Twitter: https://twitter.com/L_E_Fitzpatrick
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/L_E_Fitzpatrick

a Rafflecopter giveaway