Tuesday, May 24, 2011

RUN TO ME Discussion

Welcome to the discussion of RUN TO ME. Grab your favorite beverage and a snack, then sit back and relax as we chat about golden haired Ethan and the love of his life, Shea. If you’ve not had a chance to read RUN TO ME, please be aware that plot points will be discussed and spoilers will be revealed!

The third book in the Last Chance Rescue series tells the story of Ethan Bishop and Shea Monroe and what some have called “the darkest LCR book of them all”. For those of you attended the RETURN TO ME chat last month and know my writing style, you won’t be surprised to know that Shea and Ethan’s story took me by surprise at almost every chapter. Every time I thought the story was headed in one direction, a character would lead me down another path.

If you’ll remember, Ethan is mentioned briefly in RESCUE ME as he assists Eden and Jordan in capturing the LaRues. Still, I had no real knowledge of him, except for Eden’s description:

Hotheaded Ethan, with a wild mane of golden hair and peridot eyes, had a reputation of having a death wish, often defying orders to get the job done. The jagged scar etched down the left side of his face was an indication of the hell he battled inside his soul.

Just based on that information alone, I knew I wanted to know more about him. How’d he get the scar and what had hurt him so deeply that people thought he had a death wish?

In RETURN TO ME, he showed up to guard Samara. Her description of him is poignant and so true:

There were a thousand tears in his eyes and Samara felt sure he’d never been able to shed one. His ravaged, scarred face held a deep, dark sadness and though he was a stranger, she ached for him. Whatever this man had gone through continued to tear at his soul.

Also in RETURN TO ME, we learned he’d once been in love with another LCR operative and that she had married his best friend, Cole Mathison. And we discovered that Ethan felt responsible for Cole’s death. Yep, the man had some major baggage.

So with all of that and absolutely no knowledge of Shea, one would think I’d begin the story with Ethan, but the moment I started typing, I knew it had to start with the woman Ethan had loved and lost. Having Shea go after the man who murdered her husband made sense, but then, as she's lying on the bed, tied up and defenseless, I realized she’s there out of guilt, too. She hadn’t loved Cole as she should have. Why? Because she still loved Ethan, of course!

One of the reasons I loved Shea and Ethan so much was the knowledge they had of each other. Even when Shea couldn’t remember their past, she still knew Ethan’s character and something inside her told her she could trust him. I enjoyed the fact that they knew each other faults and weaknesses, acknowledged them, but still had this deep, fierce love for one another.

Donald Rosemount? Okay, I’ll admit, I had fun creating him. Every time I wrote a scene for him, he would go over the top with his thoughts and actions. One of my favorites is near the beginning when Ethan abducts Shea and Donald wakes to the sound of gunfire. He was so obviously terrified, but with his giant gun (an over compensation, I’m sure) he storms through his house like a mighty warrior. Finding out he was a little pipsqueak was a delight.

Some have said that the identity of the mysterious man Donald was holding was obvious. Others had their suspicions and then others were shocked. Put me in the shocked category. I sincerely didn’t know who the man was. I did have it in the back of my mind that who ever it was deserved a story of his own, but I was well into the book before I realized it was Cole.

RUN TO ME is definitely a dark book, much darker than the first two in the series. I know that turned some people off. Others liked it for that very reason. I wish I could explain why one book turns dark and another has lighter moments. I can’t. A story takes on a life and personality of its own and to try to manipulate it in one direction or another feels not only wrong but also disingenuous. The characters are who they are…they control the story and carry me along for the ride. Yes, occasionally I’ve seen them go in a direction I felt was completely wrong and I’ve had to nudge them a bit. But even then, if I try to force them to a place they don’t want to go, I’m the one backing off, not them. Yeah, I know…seems weird, but that’s the way it is.

Want some little known facts about RUN TO ME?

1) I was recovering from surgery when I wrote it and the love scenes were probably some of the toughest I’ve ever written.

2) The jungle scenes with Shea and Ethan are some of my favorite scenes from all of my books.

3) I sincerely disliked Gabe in this book and almost thought he was the mole. Thankfully he wasn’t and he redeemed himself.

4) Shea wasn’t supposed to shoot Ethan but she did it anyway. (Stubborn woman!)

5) There’s a minor character in RUN TO ME that will get a much larger role in this year’s trilogy.

6) I didn’t know Gabe was married until he told Ethan he never got divorced.

7) RUN TO ME is the first and only book I’ve written that my editor required no revisions.

8) It's original title was Remember Me, but my publisher didn't think that title sounded suspenseful enough

I have several favorite lines and scenes in this book and since I can’t list them all, I’ll give you my favorite:

************************************************************************

Taking several steps closer, she raised her arm, the knife grasped securely in her slender hand. Ethan looked into her beautiful face. If this was it…if he were to die, then Shea’s beautiful face was the last image he wanted in his mind.

“Go on. Do it!” Rosemount shouted.

The knife glinted as her hand twisted to reposition it for the kill.

“I love you, Shea.”

Her head tilted slightly. Beautiful lips curved up in a smile. She winked. The knife slashed down, slicing his bonds.

He was free!

************************************************************************

I think one of the biggest reasons I loved the above scene was because I had no idea how they were going to get out of that fix. When Shea winked at him, I thought, Go, Shea! And was thrilled!

So what about you? What are your thoughts on Shea, Ethan and Donald Rosemount? Did you know immediately who the tortured man was? Did you know the identity of the mole?

I did a quick reader's poll a year or so back to see which man was their favorite LCR hero and Ethan won by a landslide. Does he still hold up or has another LCR operative replaced him in your heart?

And to make this walk down memory lane more fun, one random commenter will win a $25 Barnes and Noble giftcard. And, later on in the day, I’ll post a RUN TO ME trivia contest. First person to get all the answers correct will win signed copies of two LCR books of their choice and a $25 Amazon giftcard.

Now, let’s chat!

38 comments:

Crystal said...

Oh where do I begin when it comes to my love for Ethan? Everyone especially you Christy know that Ethan stole my heart right off the bat! I was all about Ethan the first time he was mentioned. In Rescue me he caught my attention just because of the scar, but in Return to Me Samara's description of him grabbed me and I was forever an Ethan girl!
When I started reading Run To Me I was wondering how in the world you could write a story in a way that would make me like Shea. I thought there is no way I will be able to like the woman that broke my man's heart, but you pulled it off fabulously!
When Gabe came to Tennessee to tell Ethan about Shea at first Ethan thought she was dead. It was then that I could feel the all consuming love that he had for her. He asked Gabe if she was dead and Gabe said if only it were that simple... I thought Ethan is going to kill him! lol
I have to admit I got a bit of a thrill when Shea shot him, just because it was so unexpected. I loved their trip through the jungle because it showed how far Ethan would go to protect her.
I have no idea how you poured so much feeling into her recovery. My heart actually hurt for her while she was detoxing. It reminded me of a wild, abused animal that didn't trust a sole. With Ethan being the protector who thought he should be able to control the universe in order to help her.
When Ethan told the story of how he received his scar and how he met Noah the emotion was overwhelming. All the burden he carried for so many years was finally eased by sharing it with Shea.
I loved that you brought Cole "back to life." I hate that he had to survive such horrible torture, but he was SOO worth saving!! :)
Donald.... gives me the shivers! He is (or the living breathing Donalds of the world) are the reason I am a very over cautious/protective mother!! He is evil on a whole new level! When we found out that he was this pipsqueak of a man I thought that was great! Such a small person through and through!
Run To Me is among the very top of my favorites list!! I am so excited for the SWEET books Christy!

Christy Reece said...

Oh Crystal, I should have let you write the blog post. You did a great job...a wonderful summary!

And I do think that Ethan's all consuming love for Shea might well be the reason he's a favorite of so many. Got to love a man who loves so deeply!

Though Donald is truly evil, I do believe the villain in SWEET JUSTICE puts him to shame. The guy gave me nightmares!

Thanks so much for your SWEET comments! I can't wait for you to read the SWEET books!

krisgils33 said...

Great post, Christy! I love all the little known tidbits that you share and how you write without knowing where the story and characters will take you. Amazing talent!!

Ah, Ethan. *sigh* He is his own worst enemy isn't he? I just wanted to smack him upside the head. This was such a great book, an emotional roller coaster, and I love the dark/gritty side of it. I don’t think I could put it into any better words than Crystal already did. A yummy read!

Angela said...

Run to me was the first book I read in the series. I know most people start with the first book of the series by I happen to stumble upon this book by a recommendation from a friend. I'm so happy I picked up the book. The story between Ehtan and Shea was so wonderful and exciting; I couldn't put the book down. The first and second chapters reeled me in. The love between Ethan and Shea is undeniable.

After reading this book, I wanted to start in the beginning of the series. Because of Run to Me, I have read all of your books and cannot wait to read the next one. I'm so excited. Great job Christy! :)

Christy Reece said...

LOL Kris, I can't tell you how many times I wanted to smack Ethan too. And, of course, many more times I wanted to hug him!

I'm so glad you liked the dark, gritty storyline! The first sentence of the book told me it was going to be darker than the first two books but I was somewhat surprised just how dark it got in places. I think torturing Cole was my least favorite part. ):

Christy Reece said...

Angela, how cool that you started with RUN TO ME. Did you feel as though you were missing out on something by starting with the third book of the series? I worry about that a lot, if people pick up one and feel as though they should have started from the beginning. Since I know the books so well, it's hard for me to gauge whether I'm leaving stuff out that's going to frustrate an out of order reader.

I'm so glad it made you want to go back and read the others!

Hope said...

::sigh:: Ethan....I loved him so much and I felt for him, even when he was guarding Samara. He is truly a tortured soul. He is a true hero that every gal wishes she had, a fierce loyalty, an unbinding passion, a protectiveness that makes you weak in the knees and a soft gentleness that made you want to reach out and kiss him...such a great character.

I loved that Donald was a little pip-squeek, I had him pictured as much in my mind and loved that we were on the same page on that one. I hated him so much, but the scene when Shea rescued Ethan with a wink, just made me smile. I loved how that one all worked out.

I did have a suspicion of who the man was that was being held by Donald, I was pretty sure I knew. I did love the direction the story took, and set up Cole's story as well.

This book brought out so many emotions, I cried with Shea when she went in to her storage unit. I was angry when Donald was doing his evil things to both Cole and Shea. It was nice to see other characters too, which is one thing I love, we get to "keep in touch" with some of our friends.

Christy Reece said...

Hey Hope, I cried when Shea went to the storage facility too, especially when she read about Cole's family and then again when she found out about the baby. Poor girl had a rough time of it! (:

And I love visiting with former characters too. I never know who's going to show up. I'm in the middle of SWEET REVENGE copyedits and there's one scene in particular I think a lot of LCR fans will love. Lots of familiar faces appear!

Christy Reece said...

Hey all, I've heard from several who have had difficulty posting. Sorry! Blogger is apparently acting up again. If you can't post here, feel free to post on Facebook and I'll transfer your post over here. Or, if you're not on Facebook, you can send me an email at christy@christyreece.com and I'll post it here. Don't want you to miss out on the chances of winning a prize!

Christy Reece said...

Here's Ronlyn's post from an email:


Ducking in really quickly...big 'ol DITTO to everything that has already been said!
Donald was CREEPY! Bleh!
The building of the relationship between Shea & Ethan while Shea was trying to regain her memories and Ethan was struggling with his own memories was swoon-worthy.

And I'm so glad to hear that you didn't like Gabe at first because I had my doubts about him as well! LOL

Christy Reece said...

Mary G posted this on Facebook.

I love reunited lovers, so of course this one was special. I remember that after I read about Rosemont’s character, I asked you if you had a psych degree. He was so vile & icky. I couldn’t reconcile in my head that this sweet, Southern, genteel lady could write such a character LOL. I did think the mysterious man was Cole but don’t remember how early I guessed.

While there are many wonderful parts to quote, the one that I kept rereading was at the end. When Shea sneaks up on Ethan & uses the same words he used on her. “Don’t move”. Sorry, I don’t have my book with me at work.

Christi said...

*ack* the 24th snuck up on me, so I have spent the morning re-reading RUN TO ME. ahhhh, I just love this book. It is sooo emotional. Of course, we ALL love Ethan...how can you not...the girl shoots him and then racks him and he's still trying to save her and protect her.

This entire story kept me gasping the first time around. I didn't guess ANY of the curves/twists that kept coming and add that to the wonderfully deep emotions of the story...this absolutely is one of my favorite books of all time.

I didn't remember Jamie's part in all this....and I read so much that I have lousy recall on these things. Does he make another appearance in any of the other books until the SWEET series?? I will have to go back and look.

Christy, I just adore your storytelling! So much depth of emotion and the suspense is incredible. *sigh* LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this book!!!

Christi said...

oops, forgot to check the follow-up comments box...

Christy Reece said...

Here's an email from Kara:

Here is my contribution to the discussion:
LOVE THIS BOOK! Unfortunately, my crazier than usual week has prevented me from rereading it. On a positive note, I\'ve probably reread this book more than any other LCR book. Given that I\'ve reread all of them, that\'s really saying something. Part of the reason for the multiple rereads is the jungle scenes you mentioned.

AND what a brilliant editor to recognize that this story needed no alterations to be fabulous!

Christy Reece said...

Hey Ronlyn, so sorry you had trouble posting.

LOL Yes, Donald was most definitely creepy. Actually there were a few more things I wanted to reveal about Donald's past, but I don't believe I did. For one, he killed his parents. I don't recall if I included that in the book. Does anyone remember? LOL I know, terrible of me not to remember myself!

I enjoyed watching Shea fall in love with Ethan. If she had remembered from the beginning what he had done to hurt her, I don't know if things would have worked out for them. She was able to see the real man without all the garbage of the past getting in the way.

And though, even in Gabe's book, there were times I wanted to smack him, I am glad he ended up being one of the good guys. (:

Hope said...

Christy, I am pretty sure it was in the book that he killed his parents, if it wasn't maybe I read it somewhere else that you may have posted. I really hate the getting older thing, somethings I remember right away, others.....not so much. But, I was pretty sure I remember that in the book.

Christy Reece said...

Mary, sorry you had trouble posting!

I remember your email asking me about a psychology degree. And sweet, genteel Southern lady? LOL Me? Many would argue the sweet and genteel, but no one could argue the southern once they heard me talk!

And Mary, at the end, when Shea goes after Ethan and repeats the same thing he said to her when he rescued her, is one of my favorite parts too. (:

Christy Reece said...

LOL Christi, you're so right. You gotta love a guy who still loves a woman after she shoots him. (:

And so glad you loved the twists and turns. They surprised me as much as anyone!

James Jenson (Jamie) is long gone from LCR. It wasn't until I'd sent in the revisions to LAST CHANCE that I realized I was going to have a heroine in an upcoming book that had the same name as a villain in an earlier book. Will explain all of that when we do the LAST CHANCE discussion. Lots of surprises in that one, especially for the writer. (:

The minor character in RUN TO ME that gets a larger role in SWEET REVENGE isn't Jamie (the villain). I hope you guys like who it is. And I hope someday to write his/her book. We'll see!

And thanks so much for your kind words! I'm so glad you loved this book!

Christy Reece said...

LOL Thanks, Kara. I'll tell my editor you think she's brilliant!

The jungle scenes were so much fun to write and I reread them the other night and thought, wow, I want to write another jungle scene book! (:

And you know that I love to hear about rereads. Smooches!

Christi said...

oh, okay...phew! I am glad that I was confused about the Jamie's. I am so bad about all the details on these after I have read a few books in between them. hmmm, maybe Raphael??

Elke said...

I totally agree with all the comments on Ethan and Shea.

What stood out to me about their relationship is the fact that only after all they went through Ethan was able to share his past and the guilt he felt with Shea . I think that was very important for both of them.

Christy, Donald is one of very few evil characters I have actually a picture in my head. I imagine him to look like that little weasel in one of the Indiana Jones movies , the one who got burned while grabbing the amulet ( I don´t know the English title of the movie).

How did you get the idea about the mind control drugs ? Did you have to do some research about it ?

The part of the book where Shea is in the clinic and suffers such horrible nightmares and headaches after the hypnose sessions grips me every time I read it. And Ethan coming to Shea every night to help her getting through it and slipping out before she awakes, putting all his own needs and desires aside to help her - he really is a true hero and one of my all time favourite characters.

Oh and that minor character in RUN TO ME that will get a bigger part in the SWEET trilogy -is it Raphael ? I would love to see how he did after being captured by Rosemount. He was mentioned in Last chance wasn´t he ?

And what about that evil doctor who created the drugs - Cole wasn´t able to catch him as far as I remember. Will he be brought to justice ?

Elke said...

Hope, trust your memory - Donald killed his parents -I reread the book last week and it was mentioned ( think ? lol)

Christy Reece said...

Trivia questions coming in about an hour. Get your book ready to do some flipping! (:

Christy Reece said...

RUN TO ME Trivia Contest. Email your answers to christy@christyreece.com. First person to get all the answers correct wins a $25 Amazon giftcard and two signed LCR books of your choice!

1) What kind of gun did Rosemount have hidden under his bed?
2) What was Rosemount's nickname for Shea?
3) Rosemount had Cole beaten because he refused to do something. What did he refuse to do?
4) What is Ethan Bishop's real name? (the entire name)
5) What did Shea name Ethan's cat?
6) What was Cole's first wife's name?
7) How did Ethan find out Cole was still alive?

Have fun!

ShellyE said...

I loved this book too! for the reasons everyone else has given - so I'll just say "ditto". Wish I had my book here at work so I could work on the contest! I could never remember all the answers without looking them up!!

Mary G said...

Me too. Next time can it be tru or false? LOL

Mary G said...

or multiple choice? LOL.

Unknown said...

I enjoyed Shea and Ethan's story. I loved how he was so protective of her and took her to her favorite place (the mountains) to help her recover. Donald Rosemount made me sick. He had such a twisted mind. The fact that Cole was his monster TOTALLY SHOCKED me!! Once it was revealed, I could kind of see the clues, but it still shocked me! I kind of guessed who the mole was, but wasn't 100% sure. I have read all first 5 books, and am now waiting to go to the library to get Last Chance. My first favorite couple was Cole and Keeley. My second favorite was Jordan and Eden. I love seeing the differences between each couple in the books in terms of personalities and pasts. On the surface, all of the LCR operatives seem the same, but in depth, they are all very much different. I love the way their secrets and personalities are revealed! Can't wait to read Last Chance and the last three books! :)

Christy Reece said...

Hope, LOL, maybe that's where I read it!

Thanks! Glad to know I did include it (especially since I meant to). (:

Christy Reece said...

Hey Christi, great guess! (:

Christy Reece said...

Elke, I know which guy you mean. Wow, he would make a great Donald, wouldn't he?

On the mind control drugs. I have a friend who's a nurse. She gave me some suggestions on different kinds of drugs that do certain things. With Rosemount's evil genius doctors, I figured they could create the perfect combination to create something evil.

Yeah, I loved that Ethan came to her room each night to hold her too. Such a big, gruff, grumpy SWEETheart. (:

Good guess on the character! And yes, in LAST CHANCE, remember he helped in Jamie's rescue?

And yes, Cole got his evil doctor. He kind of mentioned that in SECOND CHANCE. However, I do have a scene of his capture that I hope to put up some day!

Christy Reece said...

Hey Shelley. Thanks! And there will be plenty of chances to win in other contests. Promise!

Christy Reece said...

LOL Mary, good idea. Will see what I can do for the NO CHANCE contest next month.

Christy Reece said...

Hey Jessica! Yes, I loved that Ethan built his home in the Smokies. Even though he never thought he'd have a chance to be with her again, he built his home in the place she loved.

I'm so glad you were shocked the tortured man was Cole, like I was! (:

And thank you! I'm thrilled you enjoyed the first five books. Hope you enjoy LAST CHANCE too! And the 3 SWEET books!

Jackie P said...

"Run To Me" is my favorite book of them all. I loved the characters and the storyline. But none of those are the reason for it being my favorite book. It was the writing. As I read this book, I became so engrossed within the story that I would have swore that I was actually right beside the characters. Seeing in vivid detail my surroundings, smelling the stinch and sweat with the misquitoes flying around. The whole time hoping that if it was Cole he would make it out of this situation. By the time the ending got near, I was up in my chair sitting on my feet and then afterwards off to figure out how to write to an author and beg her to give Cole his own book. That it would be SO So Wrong to leave it like that.

Christy Reece said...

Hey Jackie, I remember that email! You described to me how you had your feet up in the chair as you were reading about the rescue at the end and how much you wanted Cole to have his own book. That was just so very cool!

I'm glad Cole survived too! (:

Unknown said...

This was one of my favorites too. I had a feeling that Cole was still married. Run to me was one of your books I could not put down. Still waiting for the SWEET books still to come. Now I must go watch Hines win Dancing With the Stars.

Christy Reece said...

Thank you, Sarah! So glad you had trouble putting the book down. That makes me a very happy writer. And I"m thrilled you're looking forward to the SWEET books. LOL I am too!

Oh, and looks like you were right about DWTS! (: