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!