Guest Post from Lorenz Font, Author of TORMENTED

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Guest Post from Lorenz Font, Author of TORMENTED

I am very pleased to host Lorenz Font today. Lorenz is the author of Tormented, the second installment of The Gates Legacy, and she's kindly answered some questions about her characters. Please welcome her, check out her book, and make sure to enter the Rafflecopter giveaway below, as well!

Because this is a multi-volume series, we get to know several of the characters in depth. Please discuss why you chose to highlight the characters you did.
Let’s see, my answer is going to sound a bit scattered so please bear with me. I will start with story’s conception. When I first came up with the concept for Hunted, it never dawned on me that I’d be looking at more than one book. Harrow and Jordan, the two main characters, were so alive in my head that anyone they associated with came to life. Harrow’s first contact with Tor, our main focus in book two, was so animated that each scene practically wrote itself. Then when I needed a teacher for Jordan and Rohnert came into the picture, I knew then that I had a trilogy on my hands.
Certain characters talk to me at different times so I make sure that they have their fifteen minutes of fame. Harrow is a born leader despite his earlier reputation for being a weakling among his peers. He is compassionate and level-headed. So he brings that take-charge type of guy to the trilogy. Tor, on the other hand, is a smart mouth and tends to act before thinking things over. He brings fun into the mix, but make no mistake, the man packs enough punch to leave you giggling and at the edge of your seat. Rohnert is more of a reluctant character who will shine later on. He prefers to sit in the shadows and observe. His reluctance to help at first adds more intensity to the character. There is a certain charisma to the silent-but-deadly type that is compelling to write.
Now we come to the female leads. So far we have Jordan from Hunted. Who doesn’t want a strong female lead? She knows what she wants, and she’ll do whatever it takes to get it. She’s all about vengeance until a little girl altered her course. Then there’s Allison, our rich and glamorous daughter of the Tack Enterprise mogul. She is not built to fight, which gives me an interesting character to build up. Slowly, we see the changes in her, her mindset and her priorities. Lastly, there is Shelly, another strong female character who is no-nonsense and can stand nose-to-nose with the hardasses in the facility.
What are the qualities, challenges, and significance that each of the central characters bring to the overall story that make them good main characters?
Harrow’s sympathetic nature makes him a relatable character. Someone we want to cheer on. Tor’s knack for thorny but realistic commentaries shows how people react to certain situations. Like some of us, he uses humor to adapt or as a way to cope. Rohnert’s silence often leads others to believe that his loyalty lies elsewhere. On the contrary, he is loyal to a fault, and his introverted quality makes him unpredictable, which also makes him a force to reckon with.
Weakness is a challenge to write. If a character has flaw, it makes them more susceptible to mistakes. I’m a firm believer that people aren’t born malicious or evil. There is always a reason that drives people to commit atrocities. Let’s focus on Melissa. Being the female protagonist, she is written as a smart, beautiful, and lethal character. She is driven and would carry out orders without question. But she is also vulnerable because of love. In the end, this will be her downfall and also her redemption.
And because you aren't afraid to kill main characters, how do you think the real possibility of character death affects the readers' experience of the book?
It’s either they would hate or love the story. It makes them consider that anything is possible and nothing is predictable. I like for the readers to remember even though the main characters are important, that death won’t spare them. Each death is written to affect the progression of the story. In the case of The Gates Legacy, it also drives the other characters to step up and shine. If the plot calls for a particular character’s demise, then I won’t hesitate to make that choice (insert evil laugh here). Death is not purposely written just to stun the readers but to emphasize the development of the plot.

Summary:

Tor Burns is a non-infected vampire who has taken refuge in the Tack Enterprises underground facility. Having survived a vicious attack with his fellow vampire Harrow, he now has a new purpose. Vampires afflicted with Gates Syndrome are still being hunted, and Tor is committed to saving them from the clutches of the Vampire Council. With a semi-cure within their grasp, Tor is reluctant to accept his new assignment: bodyguard to Allison Tack, the daughter of their fallen leader. Armed with an abrasive personality and fierce loyalty, Tor approaches this new responsibility with serious determination despite his reservations.
Vampire Allison Tack is the beautiful and timid co-heir of the Tack fortune. Infected and hunted by the Council, those lucky enough to have known her father are determined to keep her safe. A walking target wherever she goes, Allison wants to learn how to protect herself, but no one is listening. Sick of being the helpless one in the company of trained fighters around her, Allison vows to prove that she can fight alongside the best of them.
Meanwhile, the harem leader, Melissa, is hell-bent on unraveling any clue about her son Demetrius’s fate. He disappeared without a word, and time has made her desperate. Stepping up her efforts, she seeks the help of Demetrius’s son, Zane. With the additional manpower, Melissa finds the lair of the suspected vampires and wages war against them.
Thrown together by necessity, Tor and Allison can’t continue to deny their attraction to each other. Tor wants to give in to his feelings for her, but old demons resurface. He must confront the past to prevent losing the best thing that ever happened to him.
A life must be given for a life taken. Will Tor have to sacrifice himself before Allison pays the price?

Video Trailer:

Rafflecopter Giveaway:

The giveaway starts on September 17th, and will end on October 8th. a Rafflecopter giveaway

Author Bio:

Lorenz Font discovered her love of writing after reading a celebrated novel that inspired one idea after another. She is currently enjoying the buzz from her debut novel Hunted, the first installment of The Gates Legacy trilogy.

Writing is therapeutic for Lorenz, and a perfect day consists of writing and playing with her characters while listening to her ever-growing music collection. She enjoys dabbling in different genres, with an intense focus on angst and the redemption of flawed characters. Her fascination with romantic twists is a mainstay in all her stories.
Lorenz currently lives in California with her husband, children, and two demanding dogs. She divides her time between a full-time job as a Business Office Manager for a hospital and her busy writing schedule.