When my best friend Leanna Ellis told me she planned to write a series of novels about  a  vampire hunter among the Amish, I wondered whether even such an experienced author could pull off  so unusual a pairing of elements. I should not have doubted: the Plain Fear series reaches its conclusion with today’s release of “Forgiven”, the final book in the series that began with  “Forsaken” and continued in last year’s  “Forbidden.”  In interviews about the series Leanna said that her inspiration grew from a joking challenge among a group of authors discussing the popularity of vampires and Amish in fiction. Someone remarked that the two should be combined and after some noodling, Leanna, a veteran author of women’s fiction and sweet romances set out to do just that. The result is a trilogy of paranormal novels that have garnered praise from authors of suspense including best-selling author Linda Castillo, and from review journals such as Romantic Times Reviews and Library Journal, whose reviewer called Forbidden “A richly detailed and atmospheric tale of suspense.”

Undoubtedly, the novelty of a “mashup” of two popular genres has caught readers’ attention, but these books are  deeper and more thoughtful than the concept might suggest. In all of the stories, people are caught up in the very real choices between love and duty, between good and evil, between hope and despair. These are choices we all experience to one degree or another. Those who are willing  to suspend disbelief will find themselves rooting for Rachel and Hannah and Samuel, and Roc…as they do battle with the forces of evil that threaten to destroy them.  Readers looking for rich writing and “something different” will find both in the pages of these novels.

The Plain Fear novels, published by Sourcebooks, are available wherever fine books are sold.

Congratulations, my friend. You did it!