Straight Chatting from the Library: Christine Wenrick

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READ THE INTERVIEW

What is the favorite book you remember as a child?

Nancy Drew. I loved Nancy Drew. She seemed so smart and so independent. I wanted to be just like her.

Tell us about your current book in 10 words.

Even when one is grieving, love finds a way.

Do you have any bad book habits? Actually, I do. When I’m reading I have this really terrible habit of bending the spine. Brand new books look ten years old after I’ve read them. It’s ridiculous!

*Sigh* Christine, Christine, Christing. E-Reader or print? and why?

Wow, even just a couple of years ago I would have answered print, but that is changing. (Probably because I do such damage to the paperbacks, lol.) Actually, it’s just that E-Readers are easier. They travel well, have more user friendly options, and the one I have is backlight so I can adjust the light when I read at night before bed.

Yeah, I think staying with your ereader is a really good choice for you! One book at a time or multiples?

One book at a time. When I get the time to read in my schedule, I usually will sit down and read a book from start to finish in one day. If I change over to another book it’s because the first one does not have me entirely engaged.

Dog-ear or bookmark? (don't worry—Librarian Judith won't hold it against you—much)

OK, so you know the bending the spine thing I mentioned above? Well, I dog-ear as well. Really I should never be allowed to touch a Library book!

*Making a note in my library patron "do not loan" list* ;-) Favorite genre?

I’m a bit quirky that way. I write contemporary paranormal but I love to read historical romances. I’m not entirely sure why that is. Maybe partly because I don’t want my stories and ideas to be influenced too much by other writers of my genre. I do read a lot of straight contemporary romances as well.

Re-reader or not?

Wow, these are some good questions that I never get asked. I do re-read! Sometimes, when I’m stressed or tired I like to read a book that is familiar to me. I guess because it’s easy and I know I’m going to like it!

What would make you not finish a book?

I think I’ve only had one book that I did not finish. I’m usually pretty good at selecting things I will like based on other’s recommendations, but nothing about this book worked for me. The characters were flat, the love scene dull and it repeated constantly. There was a phrase that was used literally every other page and it drove me so crazy that I finally threw it down. Luckily, I’ve managed to avoid is another such disaster since. :-)

Keep books or give them away?

I regularly recycle books for kids. There is a drop box near my home.

READ THE BLURB

ONE NIGHT . . . ONE VIOLENT, SUPERNATURAL BATTLE . . .

AND FIVE STORIES OF THE MEN WHOSE LIVES WILL BE CHANGED BY IT.

Alec Lambert was born to lead. He’s a ruling Elder of The Brethren, possessing steely confidence, natural smarts, and decisive problem solving abilities . . . and he’s not too bad on the eyes, either. Everything in his life has gone exactly according to plan—until the night of Brahm Hill. Alec loses his best friend at the hands of the uncle he trusted like a father, along with his previously unshakable faith to lead those with whom he’s charged. Despite this, he continues to press ahead, and for his next assignment he’s asked to protect a very beautiful but very clumsy Dhampir who’s being hunted by a powerful warlock. Suddenly, he finds his whole Brethren world is turned upside down . . . and he finds himself harboring a desire for her he can’t explain.

Poppy Honeywell knows she’s far from perfect. Bad things tend to happen when she’s around. She’s more than a little clumsy, with a phobia or two mixed in. Not to mention that her name is certainly unusual. But she doesn’t have time to worry about all that because she’s on the run and not about to back down from the arrogant Elder who’s just been assigned as her protector, claiming he has all the answers to her problems. The real problem, though, is . . . she’s irresistibly drawn to this man who faces constant danger and takes charge so naturally. But Poppy also sees that taking charge of others helps Alec mask his own very deep pain.

WILL ALEC FIND HIS WAY OUT OF THE DARKNESS AND SURRENDER TO HIS FEELINGS FOR POPPY BEFORE THE WARLOCK CHASING HER CATCHES UP TO THEM BOTH?

READ AN EXCERPT

Sovereign Elder Joseph Davin stepped forward to embrace Poppy. “You’re not safe here, little flower.” Now Alec really felt like he was intruding on a private conversation. “I must protect you the best way I know how. I promised your mother.” He then motioned back to Alec. “I trust Alec. He’s a former Guardian—and a very good one. You yourself said that you can feel Irina getting closer. Let Alec take you someplace where he can protect you and you can know what it feels like to be safe. In the meantime, I will find a way to deal with Irina.”

Poppy dropped her head quietly, and for a moment it seemed she wasn’t going to answer him. “I feel safer here with you than I will with a stranger.”

“He’s right,” Alec finally said as he came slowly to his feet, realizing he needed to do something to gain this woman’s trust—though he could hardly blame her for being guarded after spending a lifetime on the run. “I may be a stranger to you, but I can protect you. And more importantly, I can give you all the tools at my disposal so you can protect yourself. If you have a sense for recognizing the warlock who’s threatening you, your Dhampir instincts are telling you that you’re in danger. You need to start trusting those instincts.”

Those huge gold eyes of hers locked on him fully with a look of utter determination as she walked right up to him—thankfully, straight this time. He had to admit, he flinched just a bit with the possibility she might trip again.

“I don’t want any part of witchcraft, Dhampirs or vampires. That’s not who I am.”

“Yes, it is,” he challenged her without hesitation. “That’s exactly who you are.”

Her eyes narrowed as if she were preparing to blast him with a thousand different reasons why that was not true, but instead she replied, “I will agree to go with you on two conditions.” Alec simply crossed his arms in front of his chest. What was it about women and their conditions? Why couldn’t they just agree? “One, you’ll agree to never disagree with me again.” Alec’s brows arched high at that rather impossible request. “And two, I will only go with you if it doesn’t require us crossing an ocean in an air-”

Poppy’s words were cut off by her small squeal when Alec caught sight of Joseph sticking a needle into her arm. Her eyes widened in shock and she tried to turn to Joseph, but her limbs gave out from under her almost immediately. Alec reached out and caught Poppy when she would have otherwise collapsed to the floor. “What in the world did you do that for?”

“No worries,” Joseph assured him. “It’s just a little something to help her relax for the trip.”

Alec blinked at him. “Relax? She doesn’t like flying?”

Joseph shook his head. “Terrified of it, actually. Unfortunately, Poppy lacks an appreciation for the severity of her current situation. We need to get her out of London tonight—hence, something to relax her. But once she’s someplace safe she’ll be no trouble at all.”

Alec’s gaze narrowed shrewdly. By what he had already witnessed in the few scant minutes he had been in this woman’s presence, she was the very definition of the term high maintenance.

So he doubted that very much.

MEET THE AUTHOR

Christine is a graduate of Washington State University where she received a BA in Interior Design. And true to form of using mostly her ‘right brain’, she splits her time between her commercial design career and her imaginary world of writing. She lives in the scenic Pacific Northwest where she enjoys hiking, camping and photographing many of the wonderful places that served as inspiration for her writing. Her biggest reward in life is any given day when one of her books connects with a reader because she herself is such a lover of reading. Some of her favorite authors include Lisa Kleypas, Julia Quinn, and Kimberly Derting.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/christine.wenrick
Facebook Fan Page: https://www.facebook.com/ChristineWenrickBooks?ref=hl
Twitter: @CWenrick https://twitter.com/CWenrick
Website: http://www.christinewenrick.com/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/dashboard

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