ABOUT PAST MY DEFENSES
Title: Past My DefensesGenre: Suspense w/a Paranormal Slant
Author: Wendy Sparrow
Publisher: Entangled Ignite
Language: English
Pages: 271
Format: Ebook
Vanessa is the fastest Lycan around. In wolf form, the only threat she can’t outrun is her allergies. After a feline dander-bomb takes her down, she wakes up naked in a cage staring at a hot park ranger who had no idea what he’d trapped. But ooooh, he smells so good. Mine.
Dane hoped to tame the silver wolf in his kennel, but all bets are off with the deliciously sweet Vanessa on two legs. Her temper makes his pulse race, and he can’t escape the feeling they belong together.
They’re hot as a forest fire even before they scent-match, but Glacier Peak’s Alpha considers Dane a danger to the pack. Meanwhile, Lycans are being poached, and Vanessa has been targeted. Dane will have to keep her close to protect her, but with Vanessa in heat and mad to mate, who will protect him?
AMAZON* BARNES & NOBLE
What are you most proud of accomplishing so far
in your life?
I have two
kids on the autism spectrum who are fully mainstreamed and would probably no
longer qualify for the diagnosis. When they were diagnosed prior to turning two
years old, the doctors told me to tuck away all my dreams and lower my
expectations. They’ve far exceeded my expectations. I couldn’t be prouder of my
kids—they amaze me every day. And I credit my husband for so much of this.
Falling in love with him is the best thing I ever did. My life is a love story,
and we’re closer to a happily-ever-after than I’d ever have imagined.
How has your upbringing influenced your writing?
I was raised
by a nonfiction-writing father and a fiction-writing mother in a military household.
We traveled all over and my parents taught me to love the written word. I’ve
grown up with one foot in this world and the other in the worlds in my head.
When and why did you begin writing?
I’ve been
pursuing publication for five years now, but I’ve been writing since I was
young. I imagine I did it for the reason that most creative kids become
novelists…I wanted an outlet and to read stories that didn’t exist—so someone
had to write them.
Do you recall how your interest in writing
originated?
I’ve had
insomnia my entire life—something common among those with obsessive compulsive
disorder so I used to make up my own bedtime stories in my head. It was the
only way I ever got any sleep. These days, those same stories keep me from
sleep.
When did you first know you could be a writer?
I had an incredible creative writing teacher in high school who
told me that one day I’d be published. I doubted him, but he never doubted me.
Teachers are incredible people.
What inspires you to write and why?
The question
“what if.” I’m insanely curious and very susceptible to dares. So, all of my
stories probably seem like a bet at midnight on Twitter…that’s because
sometimes I bet myself that something can be done if I have the guts. Other
times, they are actually dares from friends. Those are the stories I want to
tell, though—the ones that look improbable or like a lot of work. The stories
that start with: what if there was a wolf shifter allergic to animals?
What genre are you most comfortable writing?
I’ve written
everything from science fiction to memoir pieces, from zombies to first
kisses…and been published with all those. I’m most comfortable writing stories
in a world I can invent and in cities existing in my head. The OCD writer in my
head can get the details right that way. So, I prefer paranormal when it comes
right down to it. I have more control. But I still am picky about getting my
facts straight.
What inspired you to write your first book?
Uhh. My
brother dared me to do it. I really am susceptible to dares.
Who or what influenced your writing once you
began?
Every author
I’ve ever read. I’m a prolific reader. I
read a variety and average between one hundred and two hundred books a year.
The best training for writing is to read your heart out—which I have.
What do you consider the most challenging about
writing a novel, or about writing in general?
Sharing it.
When I’m writing, the world is mine, the characters are close friends, their
problems can be solved, and their stories revised. The story feels infinite.
When I share it, I’ve lost control of where their tales go—and other people
will judge them and find flaws. And their stories for me have finished and been
turned over to the reader to visualize and extrapolate. Basically, I’ve lost
control…and it’s very difficult for me.
Did writing this book teach you anything and
what was it?
Well, I
found out I’m allergic to marshmallows while doing research. That was
disheartening.
Do you intend to make writing a career?
I’d love to
but success at this seems to rely on timing, skill, monetary and physical
input, and then blind dumb luck. I don’t want to take time from my family, but
I’d love to make this a career. I’m a strange blend of a realist and a
dreamer—I’m willing to dream big, within reason—so we’ll see, I guess.
Have you developed a specific writing style?
I’m told I’m
funny, and I sometimes laugh at my own jokes, so I think the answer is: I write
very quirky. Some might believe there’s a hint of insanity—which I won’t
dispute.
What is your
greatest strength as a writer?
My empathy
for my characters. Oddly enough, I owe this to my OCD. My paranoia makes me a
people watcher to a degree that I attempt to anticipate the motives and actions
of others. It’s good for creating characters.
What is your favorite quality about yourself?
My loyalty
to friends and those in need of protection. I’m a bit of a rabid dog about
keeping them from being hurt.
What is your least favorite quality about
yourself?
The darkness
that comes with severe obsessive compulsive disorder. There’s shame and guilt
and hateful things in my head from it. It scares me, and I don’t like to be
scared. And too often I let the obsessive side of me outdistance my logical
side. OCD isn’t about cleaning or hand-washing; it’s about control and it’s a
life-long battle over that control. I like to believe I’m calling the shots more
often than not, but it’s a fight every day.
What is your favorite quote, by whom, and why?
“We’re all mad here.” It’s said by
the Cheshire Cat in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. I like
it because my OCD is so much a part of my life that it’s difficult to
distinguish which is “me” and which is OCD. For so many years, I hid my
disorder, not believing anyone could understand. Now, I’m open about it, and
there’s peace in accepting something you can’t change, and happiness is finding
the humor in it. I was more alone before I realized that we’re all a little
mad.
ABOUT WENDY SPARROW
Writing is in Wendy’s blood…which is also about thirty percent Mountain Dew and twenty percent chocolate brownies. Wendy has been telling tales since she was a child with varying amounts of success. Her parents clearly anticipated her forays into the paranormal because she heard “The Boy Who Cried Wolf” so many times she could have written the screenplay at age five. She lives with a wonderful husband and two quirky kids and is active in Autism and OCD support networks. She can usually be found on Twitter where she’ll talk to anyone who talks to her and occasionally just to herself.
TWITTER *FACEBOOK* WEBSITE*GOODREADS
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