Welcome to Swoon Sunday where you get to meet some of our swoon-worthy heroes. Today we have a visit from Chris Winslow from Playing Defense by Cate Cameron!
Chris, what’s your profession?
Damn, a profession? That’s kinda ambitious, isn’t it? I mean, I guess technically I’m a pro already, since I get paid for playing hockey—my mom was not impressed when she found out playing in the OHL made me ineligible for US scholarships. But the team barely pays me enough to cover my expenses, so it’s hard to call it a profession, right?
Still, I’d say hockey. Every day on the ice is a good day. If that doesn’t work out? Maybe…maybe something in sales? I like people, and they usually like me back. Or some kind of entertainment. Hey, stripping! I think stripping should definitely be on the list of possibilities.
Hockey or stripping. Those are my final answers. For now.
Where do you call home?
The rink, probably. The OHL is a weird gig—we get drafted at sixteen, when we’re too young to live on our own, technically, so they billet us with families in the community. I really like my billet family, and they’re huge hockey fans and super friendly, but it’s still their house, not mine. You know?
And going back to visit my parents is kind of weird, now. My room there is bigger than the one at my billet, but it still feels kinda small to me. Like I outgrew it, I guess.
But I don’t think I’ll ever outgrow a hockey rink. That’s a lifetime home.
What kind of music do you listen to? (What song are you listing to on your iPod right now?)
I listen to everything. Like the song right now is old-school country (“She Stopped Loving Him Today,” and, NO, I’m not crying!) but my phone’s on shuffle and the next song could be punk or metal or classical or rap or anything. Wait, this song’s just finishing… I’ll tell you in a second… Oh.
Damn.
Okay, remember how I said I listen to everything? Well, obviously I meant it.
Currently playing is “Sorry.” By Justin Bieber. And I really am sorry it’s playing, because now I look like a big weenie. But, hey, he’s Canadian, right? That counts for something.
What’s your favourite pastime/hobby?
Uh, hockey?
All kinds. You know that song? Wait, let me find a link…
“Well, I play air hockey, ball hockey, barn hockey, bubble hockey, field hockey, floor hockey, ice hockey, kitchen hockey, road hockey, roller hockey, table hockey, twist hockey…”
Honestly, I don’t know what twist hockey is, but the others? Hell, yeah. “Hockey all the time!”
Boxers or briefs?
Or nothing!
But, actually, the opposite – both! Boxer briefs. I’m a compromise kinda guy.
Early bird or night owl?
Both. Sleep is for the weak.
Although I love a good nap—doesn’t really count as sleep, so I’m not weak. I’m just pleasantly refreshed!
Chunky peanut butter or smooth?
They both freak me out. I’m the baby of my family and I’m pretty sure there was some kind of sibling-inflicted childhood trauma related to peanut butter. There was definitely a trauma related to vacuum cleaners—“We vacuum up little specks of dirt, and you’re just a tiny speck of dirt, Chris! You’re going to get vacuumed up!” and then lots of chasing and screaming—and I get the same sort of trying-not-to-panic feeling when I think about peanut butter. Like maybe they crammed my mouth full of it and I felt like I was choking? They deny this, but they deny the vacuum stuff too, so—my family members are all liars.
This is the sort of serious stuff I have to deal with. I tell you—I have deep inner pain.
What is your favourite sports team?
Corrigan Falls Raiders! Hell, yeah!
If you had to describe yourself as an ice cream flavour, what flavour would you be?
Chunky Monkey. (I don’t actually like this flavour, but… I like the name!) And, hey, congrats on the Canadian spelling of “flavour”! Good to see!
Thank you so much for joining us, Chris! Now, here’s a swoony excerpt between Chris and Claudia from Playing Defense for our readers…
When we finally came up for air, Claudia had her bare feet on top of my shoes, and she was pressed up against the brick column between their two garage doors, my forearms braced on either side of her head, our bodies lined up and pressed together in as many points of connection as we’d been able to find. And I didn’t really remember how any of that had happened. I just remembered sensations, not events.
About Playing Defense (Corrigan Falls Raiders, #2):
Disclaimer: This Entangled Teen Crush book contains adult language, swoon-worthy kisses, and sexy hockey players. It may cause you to watch a hockey game…or ten.
Sixteen-year-old Claudia Waring has never kissed a boy. Never been popular. Never been to a hockey game. All that’s about to change. Assigned to tutor Chris Winslow, a prank-loving, gorgeous hockey player, Claudia’s perfectly planned life immediately veers off course. And she kind of likes it. But as fun as Chris is, she knows she’ll never fit in his world.
After his latest prank lands him in hot water, Chris has to get serious about school or lose hockey. Not an easy thing for someone as carefree as the defenseman. The biggest problem, though, is how much he wants to help his cute, buttoned-up tutor loosen up a little. But while confidence has never been a problem for him, around Claudia, Chris is all nerves. Why would a girl as smart as her ever fall for a jock like him?
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OTHER BOOK(s) IN THE SERIES:
Disclaimer: This Entangled Teen Crush book contains adult language, underage drinking, sexual situations, and crazy squirrels. It may cause you to become a fan of hockey – or at least hot hockey players.
The hometown hockey hero won’t know what hit him…
Karen Webber is in small-town hell. After her mother’s death, she moved to Corrigan Falls to live with strangers—her dad and his perfect, shiny new family—and there doesn’t seem to be room for a city girl with a chip on her shoulder. The only person who makes her feel like a real human being is Tyler MacDonald.
But Karen isn’t interested in starting something with a player. And that’s all she keeps hearing about Tyler.
Corrigan Falls is a hockey town, and Tyler’s the star player. But the viselike pressure from his father and his agent are sending him dangerously close to the edge. All people see is hockey—except Karen. Now they’ve managed to find something in each other that they both desperately need. And for the first time, Tyler is playing for keeps…
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