Wistful YA ~ ABANDONED by Ellen Fritz & A Writer's Critique!

Wistful YA is my reoccurring spotlight, giving young adult literature center stage.
One of the first things I revealed about myself here on Writer's Alley was that I'm a hopeless romantic. #restspalmonforehead There's no denying it. But sometimes romance is preceded by despicable and fateful acts, leaving a soul's only salvation in love's hands. This next story is just that. Technically it's categorized as young adult, but some of the content is a little older. *Disclaimer: One aspect of the story, a violent topic in nature, is not be suitable for children; however, the act is no shown, but explored as a character develops.
Now to our next ... segment.
Meet ELLEN FRITZ, retired high school English teacher and School Counselor. She'd always heard the saying "Write what you know." Instead, she wrote for the audience I knew quite well - young adults. They recommended so many great books to Ellen over the years that she wanted to write some for them. Ellen is also the author of the young adult tale Mira. Find her on her Website, Facebook, and Goodreads. 
Hi Ellen! It's great to have you visit the Alleyway. I want to ask you firstly, what inspired you to write this story? The idea for the story came from the sense of abandonment I heard in the voices of many young people I worked with. My main character, Holly, has learned to take care of herself and get herself out of dangerous situations because there was no one else she could rely on.
That truly is admirable. I can only image what you've heard and seen as a high school counselor. Give us a little insight into Abandoned. The story starts in the middle of one of the worst days of Holly's life. Then it gets worse. Writing it, I simply followed the events that take her through joy, fear, anger and despair.
Turmoil right from the get-go. Great way to start a story. Tell us about Holly.  Holly has no one she can really trust, so she depends on herself. Attacked, near death, she finally enters a life where she can learn that others care enough to defend and protect her.
Tell us something people wouldn't suspect about you. People are always surprised that I've enjoyed Fantasy/Science Fiction my whole life. I think it started in high school when a teacher assigned Lord of the Rings as required reading. I've mentally thanked her every day since. Lord of the Rings, now there's some fantasy! What can your readers expect next from you? Look forward to Book II, Vulnerable, and Book III, Forsaken. Abandoned should be out as an Audio Book soon.
Let's take a peek at Abandoned. 

AMAZON

Abandoned - Book I of the In the Night Series

by Ellen Fritz

Genre: Young/Adult Fantasy Publisher: Tell-Tale Publishing Pages: 292 pages
Description:         Where do you run in the middle of the night when you hear your uncle join your parents, all planning to continue the drinking that has already been going on for hours?  The uncle who raped you.  The one that your parents believe when he says he never touched you.         Abandoned plunges the reader into the story of seventeen year old Holly Locke, whose home life is barely tolerable at the best of times.  She starts a job cleaning a bar so she can move away from her parents.  It quickly becomes the one place she thinks she’s finally found acceptance and security, until she witnesses three vampires feeding.         Holly is attacked, must be changed to a vampire to save her life, and joins a world very different from her old one.  She is trusted, respected, and quickly falling in love with Parker.  But Parker is human.  A human that, with every kiss, drives her closer to her uncontrollable desire to drain him.
Passage:         Holly’s heart beat faintly and slowly, but Quinton couldn’t get her to start breathing again on her own.  She was dying in front of them.         “Change her,” Parker almost whispered.         Byron just turned his head and looked at him.         “You know you have to.  We can’t just let her die!  If she dies, it’s our fault!”  Parker’s voice was frantic.  By the time he finished speaking, he was shouting.         Quinton turned his face from Holly’s lips.  “It’s my fault!” He shouted back at Parker.  “I was following them, but let them get too far ahead of me.  I should have been able to get there sooner.”  He gave up on the mouth-to-mouth and stood next to the bed with his anger and frustration radiating out of him.         Parker put both hands on the mattress and leaned forward gazing into Byron’s eyes.  “Please don’t let her die,” he begged.  “Please.”         Byron squeezed his eyes shut for a moment and then looked back at Parker.  Without saying a word, he lifted his own wrist to his mouth and bit into his vein.  Quinton reached down and gently opened Holly’s mouth again.

Thank you for sharing yourself with us, Ellen. All the best to you! 
Alleywalkers, Ellen has offered up a first three chapter critique for any young adult manuscript! I'll keep the offer open until February 25th. To qualify, just have the first three chapters of your YA manuscript ready to critique and ENTER below. A winner will be chosen randomly.
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