Character Interview with Eric from The Undead: Playing for Keeps by Elsie Elmore

Today we welcome Eric from The Undead; Playing for Keeps. Eric is an eternal eighteen year-old grim reaper assigned to the small town of Martin to investigate the reanimated corpses. As a reaper, he marks 'em to go down and they're not supposed to do the opposite. Since he's been assigned to the small time of Martin, he has more free time on his hands.

Before he sits, he throws both hands up when you offer to shake his hand. "No offense, but I don't shake hands."
"Okay then. Welcome. I'm glad you could stop by and talk. 
1.     Eric, tell us a little about you.There’s not a lot to tell that’s worth anything. I was lost and now I’m found. No seriously. I’m stuck in a job I earned by being selfish, among other things. And apparently, being selfish is pretty damnable offense.
2.     You're a musician, and a rather gifted one I gather. Tell us how you got into music.It all started with my mom. She found a beat up guitar in the trash bin outside our apartment. She cleaned it up for me. Damn thing had duct tape on the neck and only three strings.  But it played. And before I started making bad decisions on an epic scale, I hung out at the local bars and watched bands play. I talked a few players into teaching me the basics and the rest I learned on my own.
3.     How does being a reaper affect your music? The reaper gig technically prevents me from playing. I’m not entitled to indulgences because of the job. But when I was sent to Martin to deal with the whole reanimated corpse issue, an opportunity presented itself. I had to get close to the Grimm family and Ben had a band. I didn’t realize how much I’d missed the guitar until I started playing again. And once I started, I didn’t want to stop.
4.     Without any spoilers, can you give us some background on how you came to be a reaper?Nah, I can’t. I mean, I now know what happened but for a long time those memories were inaccessible. People become reapers when they’re not worthy of getting a second chance to live. I’d kinda like to leave it at that.
5.     Now some fun questions. If you had one wish, what would it be? For a long time, my only answer was freedom. But there’s a bit more to life than freedom, especially when I thought I knew what restrained me. One wish I have now is that I’ll be worthy enough to receive a second shot.
6.     If zombies attacked, what would you do, and why? Zombies… once you’ve been a reaper, dead bodies and death are significantly less scary. The reanimated corpses that Lyla created didn’t have the killer instinct that zombies have. They just wanted to be close to the giver of life and for them, that was Lyla. But being close to death toughens you up. As a reaper, I’d just draw out their energy and put them to rest. This job does have one or two benefits.

7.     So, Lyla. What are your thoughts and feelings about her? She smells good. I don’t know. At first, Blondie drove me crazy with her “deer-in-the-headlights” approach to everything. She let people get to her. She’d freak out over emotional issues. But Lyla’s good inside. Like really good. And once you start learning who someone is on the inside, things change. And if you want to be near them, you have to change too.

The Undead: Playing for Keeps, by Elsie ElmoreDate of Publication:September 3rd, 2014
Cover Artist: Alexandria Thompson (http://alexandriadior.deviantart.com/)
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22131059-the-undead?from_search=true
Description:
When an undead woman with serious de-comp issues stalks sixteen-year-old Lyla Grimm, her hope of rescuing her rock-bottom reputation takes a back seat. Especially once Lyla’s new talent of resurrecting the dead draws the attention of Eric, a Grim Reaper with a guitar and a chip on his shoulder.
While Lyla navigates the gossip-ridden halls, Eric works to gain her trust and discover why Death’s clients aren’t staying down. If she passes on her gift, his death-messenger destiny might be altered. But the closer he gets to Lyla, the less sure he is of his plan. The dead are way easier to deal with than the living.
Gossip explodes, the Grimm family implodes, and desperation sets in. Death wants the gift and a soul. Lyla and Eric face hard choices with hidden consequences. Sometimes life’s choices aren’t really choices at all.

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About The Author:Elsie Elmore lives in North Carolina with her husband and two kids.With a science education degree from NCSU, she never imagined she would someday write stories that challenge the laws of nature. She loves the color red, has an appreciation for chocolate and coffee that borders on obsession, and wishes fall temperatures would linger year round.Elsie is a member of several writing organizations: RWA, SCBWI, and WSW.  The Undead : Playing for Keeps is her debut novel. Find Elsie Elmore Online:Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads 


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