AWRW Character Interview: Wendi of Have You Seen This Girl? By Author Carissa Lynch @CarissaAnnLynch @LimitlessBooks

Have you ever read a book that stuck with you, long after you closed the book? Different things within the pages of a book stick with us… Sometimes it’s the setting, the plot, or the general message that makes a book unforgettable.

Recently, I read a book by Author Carissa Ann Lynch, titled, Have You Seen This Girl? This book left a mark on me because of the memorable characters, specifically the lead protagonist, Wendi Wise. I am so lucky to be a book blogger, because I have the opportunity to speak to Wendi, through her creator. 🙂 The following is my character interview of Wendi, answered by the Author!

Hi Wendi. Thank you so much for agreeing to be interviewed on A Well Read Woman Blog. I think this will be a fun way for readers, and potential future readers to get to know you better!

Wendi, I know your story isn’t about addiction, but it certainly took a back seat. What was your drug of choice, and why?

Ad-dic-tion. Three tiny syllables that have affected my life so much…I used to think my drug of choice was heroin, but I quickly learned in my lovely stint to rehab that I’m what you call a “polysubstance abuser” – which basically means I’ll use whatever drug I can get my hands on. And the why…I used pot a couple times to look cool, but mostly I avoided drugs. But when I was held captive in the House of Horrors, my body was introduced to stronger substances, like heroin. I initially hated the drugs, but then I came to rely on them. My body needed the heroin to function. It wasn’t about feeling “high”; it was about not feeling terrible. After the addiction to heroin, I used any and all drugs that were available. No one was forcing me at that point, but I enjoyed the numbness. The heroin kept me numb. The meth kept me awake so I wouldn’t have to deal with the flashbacks. And the other drugs…well, they were just to pass the time in between. I think I was trying to erase the past…erase the old Wendi…

Thank you, Wendi for your candid response. “Polysubstance abuser” is a new term for me.

Your troubles began when you lied to your parents about where you would be hanging out with your friend. That is when you met Joey and Zeke. Was following them your first major mistake, or was lying to your parents the catalyst?

Wow! That’s a great point. I’d always considered my first major mistake to be when I followed the boys. But you’re right. I never should have lied to my parents in the first place. But I knew if I told the truth, they’d prevent me from going. All kids lie from time to time, don’t they? If I could do it all again, I’d change…everything.

Yes, of course. All kids do lie to their parents from time to time, for similar reasons as you did. Unfortunately, you learned the hard way why parents set rules. The really hard way.

When the boys stuck you and your best friend Claire with the shoplifting charges, why did you forgive them?

I’d never received so much positive attention from a boy. Joey was sweet and charming, and I wanted him to like me so much that I was willing to overlook his flaws. He was my first real crush.

You felt uncomfortable at the boys’ Aunt’s house, and you were right in your suspicions that something wasn’t right. What was it about the situation that led you to believe you might be in trouble? Was it the people? The house? Or a general feeling?

All of the above. The whole situation felt “off”. The limo driver was a total creep and kept staring at me strangely in the rearview. He was supposed to be picking someone up, but instead, we were sitting in some strange lady’s living room. She was using drugs and staring at me and Claire strangely. I felt a general sense of unease. I don’t know what it is about gut feelings…but they’re usually right, and I should have trusted my initial instincts. There was something secretive in the air, and I knew something was wrong. I tried to go back to meet my mom, but by that point it was too late.

I’m curious, what was it about Officer Jonathan Milby, that made you want to straighten out?

For a police officer, he was surprisingly young. Here was this guy, not much older than me, and he seemed to have it all together. Plus, something about that uniform just screamed, “I’ll protect you!” I needed that. I needed saving…

Not only that…unlike every other man in my life, he didn’t want to sleep with me or do drugs with me. He was the first man who took an interest in me who wasn’t ill-intentioned. He wanted to help me, not use or hurt me.

Teenagers rarely trust adults. I am glad you were able to trust him, especially since he turned out to be such a blessing in your life.

Was revenge always on your mind?

I was thirteen years old and terrified. I wanted to kill them all, honestly, but I didn’t have the means to do it. Not then. I thought about home all the time. I missed my mom and dad, and my old life. But by returning home, I’d have been placing their lives in danger. And I didn’t know what do about my addiction so I just ran. Looking back, I’d change everything about that day too. But I’d still try to kill them – the ones who hurt me.

What are your feelings on your landlord, Ruth?

At first, I was so happy with Ruth, I could have kissed her. She gave me a place to stay so I didn’t have to be homeless. She seemed understanding and kind. She’d also been through some shit in her life, just like me. In fact, she lost her son. But…as you know, her son turned out to be someone I was looking for. So, we were at odds with each other. It’s unclear how much she knew about…but she knew enough about what happened to me to make her guilty as sin, in my book.

I agree with you 100%! It’s hard to not have mixed feelings about Ruth.

What was your plan when you jumped out of Officer Milby’s car, and ran toward the ‘house of horrors’?

I didn’t have one, as usual. But there was no way in hell I was leaving there without catching a glimpse of their faces. I had to know if it was them. I had to be sure. If Jonathan wasn’t there to stop me, who knows? I might have gone after them right then. I wasn’t thinking logically. All I knew is that I’d been waiting nearly eight years to find the place, and there I was…standing right in front of the House of Horrors of my youth. I’d been searching for it for so long, it almost seemed like it wasn’t real anymore. But there it stood – real as could be. I had to see it for myself.

Understandable, but I’m glad you were yanked back into the truck.

Will you ever be able to allow your daughter, Shelby, to go off with friends, out of your eyesight? Is this a fear of yours because of what happened to you?

I never want my darkness to seep through and saturate her life, so I try to let her be a carefree, silly teenager. But I used to be that way too…I will never stop watching over her, protecting her…I have to make sure she’s safe. And as long as we live in Flocksdale, I don’t know if that’s possible.

Is there anything I haven’t asked that you would like readers to know about you?

I used to be just like you. But then I was taken, from my family and friends. In an instant, my life changed forever…

Whatever you do, stay the hell out of Flocksdale. That place is straight out of a horror movie.

Thank you, Wendi!

Wendi Wise is a troubled young woman who snorts her breakfast through a straw and spends more time in rehab than in the real world…
Her life is seemingly out of control.
But now she has a plan.
That plan involves a sharp set of butcher knives.
She’s going back to where all of her troubles began…
Flocksdale.
Wendi was lured away from a local skating rink, at the age of thirteen, and held captive in a place she calls ‘The House of Horrors.’ Dumped off blindfolded on the side of a dirt road, Wendi soon discovered that she was addicted to the drugs they fed her while she was captive.
Too scared to go home, and having a new habit to deal with, she hopped on a bus, vanishing from the family she loved.
Vanishing from Flocksdale…
The town of Flocksdale is littered with fliers with a grainy image of young Wendi, and the words ‘Have You Seen This Girl?’ written below.
Now, eight years later, she’s on a mission—a mission to find the mysterious house from her youth and the monsters who dwell inside it.
“This is the end, beautiful friend, the end…”

Page Count: 287 Pages

Publisher: Limitless Publishing, September 8th, 2015

Genre: Thriller, Psychological Thriller, Suspense, Psychological Suspense, Mystery, Fiction

AWRW Book Review

Goodreads

Series: Flocksdale Files Book 1

What Readers Are Saying About Have You Seen This Girl?

“Another fantastic story by one of my favorite authors Carissa Ann Lynch, but this time it’s a dark and twisted read that will keep you on the edge till the last page…The gothic atmosphere of the hometown where Wendi comes back to face her horrors, the nightmares both real and produced by the drug use, make this book impossible to put down. You can’t help but feel for the main character and wish her to get her horrific past and kill her demons once and for all… maybe even literally…
Loved it, loved it, loved it! Looking forward to more thrillers by the author, she’s really great at it! Five stars!” —Ellie Midwood

“This was a fantastic read. The only issue I had is that it kept me up late two nights in a row. Seriously-don’t pick this book up expecting to read a few chapters and set it down… This book will have you entranced and turning pages, and the ending will leave you in tears. I’m a fan of, Carissa Ann Lynch. I’m looking forward to future works and I highly recommend this read.” —JBradon04

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About The Author

Besides my family, my greatest love in life is books. Reading them, writing them, holding them, smelling them…well, you get the idea. I’ve always loved to read, and some of my earliest childhood memories are me, tucked away in my room, lost in a good book. I received a five dollar allowance each week, and I always — always — spent it on books. My love affair with writing started early, but it mostly involved journaling and writing silly poems. Several years ago, I didn’t have a book to read so I decided on a whim to write my own story, something I’d like to read. It turned out to be harder than I thought, but from that point on I was hooked. My first and second books were released by Sarah Book Publishing: This Is Not About Love and Grayson’s Ridge. I’m a total genre-hopper. Basically, I like to write what I like to read: a little bit of everything! I reside in Floyds Knobs, Indiana with my husband, three children, and massive collection of books. I have a degree in psychology and worked as a counselor. —Goodreads Author Bio

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