Interview with Eli Boone Reno: Main Character Monday

Interview with Eli Boone Reno

Welcome to Main Character Monday and my interview with Eli Boone Reno. Eli comes to us from Reframing Trust, book 5 in the RenoVations Inc. series. This contemporary Christian romance series is by Regina Rudd Merrick and published by Scrivenings Press.

Welcome, Eli. To get us started please tell us a little about yourself.

 I’m just a guy who likes to have a good time. Carpenter, history buff, spending time with family and friends.

Carpenter and history buff. Interesting. Tell me something about you that readers may find surprising?

I never felt like I fit in with my brother and sister. They’re the egg-heads, and me? I’m just a regular guy.

I wonder if they would see it that way. But maybe that’s for another time, when I speak with one of them. What is your favorite Bible verse and why?

Psalm 38:14: The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. I never thought about that verse applying to me until lately. Between being dumped by my girlfriend and my best friend ghosting me, it’s the closest I’ve ever been to my heart being broken. Apparently Julia is suffering from the same feelings, although the fact that she caused my friend Lance’s broken heart makes me have a hard time feeling sorry for her. But maybe … No, if I’ve learned anything, it’s that the only person I can trust is God. Maybe Grandma and Grandpa?

Things sound pretty complicated in your life right now. Instead of getting into that, can you tell us, is there a person from the Bible that you relate to most?

Probably the apostle, “doubting Thomas.”

Interesting choice. I’d love to know more, but since I know you have limited time with us, we’ll have to read your story to get the scoop. The fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Is there one of these characteristics you find is easier to show than the others?

Probaby joy. I can fake that one.

Does it count if you’re faking it? No. Don’t answer that. Is there one that is more challenging than the others?

Patience and gentleness. I have a hard time faking those two.

I think anyone who struggles with those would have a hard time faking them. If you could give one message to those reading this interview, what would you tell them?

Don’t trust everyone, but find a few people you can trust. Otherwise, you’re awfully lonely.

Sounds like you’ve been burned before. But, again, I can’t really get into that with you today. Instead, I’ve got some lighter-hearted questions for you. Just for fun. Fake that joy for a moment! If you could visit just one place your entire life, where would you go?

Oh, boy. As a history buff, probably Great Britain. I have a feeling it’s a place where I’d find unending sources of information about our family history.

Sounds reasonable. If you could choose one talent you don’t already have, what talent would you choose?

Pfft … Mind-reading. I know, nobody really has that, but it would sure make it easier to figure out what’s going on in Julia Rossi’s mind. Not that I care …

I’ve often thought I’d like that skill myself. Not to read Julia Rossi’s mind, but everyone else’s. Dark or Milk Chocolate? Milk chocolate

Beach or Mountains? Beach.

Sweet Tea or Lemonade? Sweet tea, hands down, and don’t put any lemon in it.

And one more question. If you could describe Regina Rudd Merrick only using three words, what would those words be?

 Thoughtful, Resourceful, and Open-Minded

Thank you Eli, for being with us today. And thank you, Regina Rudd Merrick for allowing this interview with Eli Boone Reno. I’m sure it piqued everyone’s interest to find out more about Mr. Reno and this Julia Rossi he seems to have some issues with.

Readers, stick around to find out more about today’s author and the book, Reframing Trust.

More About Regina Rudd Merric

Regina Rudd Merrick started her journey as a life-long lover of reading in first grade, and
eventually parlayed that love of literature into a degree in library science, with stints as both elementary and middle school librarians, and currently as a public library director.

After finding the enjoyable world of reading and writing original stories based on characters from familiar stories, television shows, and movies–she realized that for some reason God had given her the ability to weave a story, whether it be in this online community or with original characters.

Her first novel, Carolina Dream, book one of the Southern Breeze Series, was the winner of a publishing contest with Mantle Rock Publishing, LLC (now Scrivenings Press), and her writing career was born.

Now the author of seven novels and a contributor to four novella collections, Regina writes about
people like all of us who sometimes struggle with their faith and trusting God. Her latest novella
contribution is included in the collection, Love in Any Season, and her latest novels are Window
of Peace, book two2 of a multi-author series entitled Stained Glass Legacy, releasing in April
2023, and Twelve Days of Mandy Reno, a short Christmas novel and book two of the
RenoVations, Inc. series.

In 2024, she’ll have three offerings: Carolina Connections (January 2024), Rebuilding Joy
(February 2024), and Christmas ReWired (November 2024). She’s wrapping up the RenoVations Inc. series with Reframing Trust, and has plans for a Christmas novella for 2026, and is brainstorming her next full-length novel.
Regina loves chocolate, the beach, providing keyboard and vocals in her church’s praise band,
historical homes, watching other people renovate on HGTV, and Hallmark movies. She and her
husband of forty-plus years are empty nesters in rural western Kentucky and are the proud
parents of two grown-up daughters, a son-in-law, and most important, she’s a grandmother for
the first time.

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More About Reframing Trust

FBI Special Agent Julia Rossi returns to Clementville to investigate signs of criminal activity linked to a case she’s struggling to leave behind. After losing her fiancé to infidelity and her partner to prison, trust has become a foreign concept. Can she trust her job, her instincts, or even her faith?

Carpenter Eli Reno isn’t thrilled when his exploration of the tunnels underneath Clementville not only uncovers evidence of recent criminal activity but also forces him to work alongside the woman who broke his friend’s heart.

As the two explore the dark tunnels, Eli battles his anger over his friend’s betrayal, while Julia fights to regain her footing in a world full of broken trust. But in the depths below, can they learn to rely on one another—and on God—to uncover the truth and find healing in each other’s hearts?

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