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Ethan
Author: bob11.28.2007
There have been more requests for more information about Ethan, my ‘hero’ for Wild Ride. First, the name comes from the John Wayne character in The Searchers. His mother had a thing for John Wayne. And Ethan’s middle name is John. And his last name is Wayne. His mother cutting him a little slack by making John the middle name. At the start of the book, he’s about hit bottom. I’m thinking he’s kind of like Gus in Lonesome Dove early in his life. Care-free, has a good time drinking, chasing women, carousing, causing a ruckus. He’s got a best friend who is like Call– let’s call him Karl. Ethan pretty much does anything Karl wants to do. Karl is the serious one. Always making plans. They both played on the football team in high school. Karl was the quarterback. Ethan was a defensive back. Both were talented, but Karl applied himself, while Ethan just used the natural gifts he had. So Karl gets recruited by West Point. And Ethan thinks, what the heck, sounds good. Ethan aint too thrilled getting yelled at in Plebe year and he barely squeeks through while Karl excels. Ethan manages to graduate with the highest demerit total in his class and as the class ‘goat’ (last academically). It’s not that he aint bright, it’s just he doesn’t see the point in working that hard when you could be having fun. So Karl goes hard-core into the Infantry and Ethan follows. Then into Special Forces.They’re both deployed to Afghanistan when Karl’s team is over-run. Ethan is listening from his firebase to the calls for help. By the time helps arrives, Karl is dead. Ethan is devastated. And lost. Karl kept Ethan in check to an extent. The combination of the death of his best friend and his guide, Ethan begins to drink heavily and screw up. He’s kicked out of the army and can’t get a job, not that he’s trying hard. Drifts around. His mother, Glenda, who is the mistress of the guy who owns the amusement park, manages to wrangle him a job, because she’s worried he’ll fall in with the wrong company and do bad things. Because he is, after all, a highly trained special operator. Even the liquor can’t wash all that away.Ethan aint thrilled to be working security at this dumpy, old amusement park, but he doesn’t know what else to do. So he’s drifting, aimless, drunk- a mess. Who has no goal and nothing he really believes in. But he’s a good guy deep inside and can be a lot of fun if he wasn’t in such a bad hole. In character, perhaps a mixture of Bruce Willis from Moonlighting and Nick Nolte from 48 Hours.
November 28th, 2007 at 5:26 pm
And then he mugs Mary Imogen in the park and her dog Al bites him. You know how this ends. Ethan and Al live happily ever after.
Seriously, that’s a kickass back story. Go, Bob.
November 28th, 2007 at 5:59 pm
Book done yet?
Cause I so want to read this NOW. Not that I’m impatient or anything.
November 28th, 2007 at 6:05 pm
It is going to take some SERIOUS Glittery Hoo Ha to pull this poor guy up out of the hole he has dug for himself. Go Bob & Jenny.
November 28th, 2007 at 6:21 pm
Oooh. Yeah, drooling over here. And almost sorry I asked for the details. It’s like only having one potato chip.
Okay, I’m thinking Sean Bean is still good. He’s not just gorgeous, but he’s good at that rough around the edges look too. But not from Sharpe. In that he was a leader, the underdog who rises through the ranks. But check out IMDB for his stuff because he’s done bad guy roles too. And one squinty-eye look will have Mary Imogene at least giving him a second chance.
Or, how about Val Kilmer as Doc Holliday … without the mustache. ‘cuz he was a sot in the movie and mostly came through because Earp needed him.
And don’t put quotes around that hero, Bob. There’s just something about a reformed rake … and I’m assuming Mary Imogene will take care of that?
November 28th, 2007 at 6:38 pm
I’d rather see him healed than reformed.
Fulfilled.
Are you blogging it?
Bleak, angry, shadowy, desperate, hiding.
I know you’ll get to Oz from here. Love to see how. Expecting thrill ride. Yeah.
November 28th, 2007 at 7:41 pm
He follows Karl everywhere, the sustained ordeal of West Point, the infantry, Special Forces, the firebase? Fixated.
‘Splainin’ to do.
November 28th, 2007 at 8:20 pm
Is this where we tell them it’s not a romance?
November 28th, 2007 at 8:22 pm
Well my guy’s a romantic at heart. Much like Gus in Lonesome Dove. And I imagine he’ll have some fluttering of the heart here and there, but Ethan and Mary. Uh no. We’re hoping they’ll speak to each other. Maybe even banter.
November 28th, 2007 at 8:58 pm
Serious writing ahead….and it will take that. I bet there is some good She…He togetherness ahead.
I’m so looking forward to this book.
Keep on writing, please.
November 29th, 2007 at 12:21 am
Good back story, Bob. Woot!
I like Ethan but heck no, this can’t be a romance. After the honeymoon is over, first sign of trouble he’d be tippling again.
Maybe Mary Imogen (and for the life of me every time I say that name I think of my great aunts who were nuns) can slap him around a bit, get him in shape, show him a good time and help him get back on his feet.
Women, we love a good challenge!
November 29th, 2007 at 6:19 am
Kids.
You feed ‘em, and next thing you know, they’ve outgrown their bikes.
November 29th, 2007 at 7:28 am
Oh this is sounding VERY promising. Thanks for the info. Now I want to know more. Please write fast.
November 29th, 2007 at 8:09 am
I can get behind the “not a romance” thing. Especially if this is going to be a series. You don’t want the characters to be totally redeemed, or where’s the fun? And, oh, the snark between them will be so much fun!
November 29th, 2007 at 8:43 am
When will Amazon have this on the pre-order list?
Can’t wait. Definitely a crunchy backstory.
Keep writing.
November 29th, 2007 at 9:44 am
Bob, what about Bruce Campbell as he appears on Burn Notice? http://www.usanetwork.com/series/burnnotice/theshow/characterprofiles/sam/index.html
November 29th, 2007 at 10:03 am
Jeff Bridges in THE FISHER KING
November 29th, 2007 at 10:52 am
Oh man… how did my (first-yes number 1)comment disappear???
November 29th, 2007 at 1:52 pm
Peter Fonda
Chris Cooper
Steve McQueen
Tom Selleck
November 29th, 2007 at 6:21 pm
Bob, great backstory; but what happened to Lou’s 1st entry? Paranormal stuff happening already?
No romance between Ethan and Imogene? Hmmm. Maybe they will be sidekicks after Ethan sobers instantly after a big fright from the spooky thing. Bad scares will do that to drunk people; I saw it happen once.
A Bruce Willis type character will be a tough contender once his training kicks in and gives Imogene a run for her money (or her research). Or Ethan may be quite scary…a professionally trained killer who suddenly gets pumped up for action. Yes, WILD RIDE is going to be a very interesting book with its psychological elements.
November 30th, 2007 at 5:35 am
The memory of Moonlighting is a wonderful thing. Just don’t try and watch it again - it doesn’t live up to that golden glow of nostalgia. Mmmmmm, banter.
November 30th, 2007 at 10:57 am
Is anyone else’s computer showing the gold band over the comments? I have to highlight the comments in order to see them as they are hidden under the gold band - definitely paranormal stuff going on!
November 30th, 2007 at 1:13 pm
Lou–
Have you checked your clearance lately?
November 30th, 2007 at 8:34 pm
Lou - it was doing that for me yesterday, but now it seems okay. I think it was some kind of spec ops thing Bob is trying out. Camo, maybe?
November 30th, 2007 at 10:48 pm
I like Charlie Sheen for the part as he was in…..I can’t remember- was it Platoon? I think he would play the role really well. Of course it’s already optioned for the movies, right?
Great back story Bob. Now don’t be like me, keep on writing.
December 3rd, 2007 at 7:15 am
Ethan= Ewan McGregor, obviously. Possibly Russell Crowe. Not conventionally handsome, but oh so charismatic, with bad times written all over their faces.
If Ethan and Mary Imogen aren’t going to hook up, can they at least have sex with other people? Jenny, Bob? You aren’t going to waste your god-given talents at describing hot sex, are you? Because that would be . . . bad.
December 3rd, 2007 at 10:09 am
Where is Ethan’s father?
December 3rd, 2007 at 11:39 am
Well, dang, the gold bar is still hiding the comments. Thank Bob for highlighting.
LtL - *SNORT*