Book Title: RUN BABY RUN
Character Name: Marja Evans
How would you describe your family or your childhood?
I try not to think much of my childhood. But, you asked, so I’ll tell you. When you grow up in a small town like I did, you can’t escape your family’s past. The name marks you like a big red birthmark that covers half of your face. There ain’t any concealer in the world that’s gonna cover up who you are, who you’re from, no matter how hard you try. Some people lean into it, carry on the family name, giving society the big middle finger pretending there’s nothing to be ashamed of, being considered trash. You want trash, I’ll give you trash. That was my family life.
What was your greatest talent?
I am an Olympic gold medalist in ignoring the looks and whispers of other people. I didn’t finish high school, didn’t have the time or money or energy for night classes. If I wanted to learn, I had to teach myself. Turns out, I’m excellent at teaching myself. The fancy word for it is autodidact.
Significant other?
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Biggest challenge in relationships?
You’re big on relationships, aren’t you? I haven’t had a romantic relationship with anyone. Ever. There was no way I was going to bring someone home with a small child in the house, a girl especially. It wasn’t worth the risk, and I was too busy trying to keep my head above water, putting food on the table for Darcy. I might have made some questionable decisions in my life but that one? Best decision I ever made.
Where do you live?
South Texas. Frio, to be exact. Just south of the Hill Country, west of San Antone on the way to El Paso.
Do you have any enemies?
Sometimes, it felt like the entire town was my enemy. One woman in particular was determined to make my life miserable. Chelly Clarke. I can’t say as I blame her, with her husband being Darcy’s fath-sperm donor - and all.
How do you feel about the place where you are now? Is there something you are particularly attached to, or particularly repelled by, in this place?
I’m finally where I’m meant to be, and happier than I’ve ever been. I miss Darcy, though. And Helen, the little bitch.
Do you have children, pets, both, or neither?
Darcy is my only child and the love of my life. Helen is my dog, Darcy’s dog now.
What do you do for a living?
I’m a maid, an entrepreneur, and a redacted.
Greatest disappointment?
If I say “never escaping Frio, going to University of Texas like I’d planned”, then I’d be saying I regret having Darcy, and I don’t. Never have. Not for one minute. I guess my greatest disappointment is not being braver when I was young, when I could have made different decisions that would have made our lives better, sooner. It all turned out all right in the end. Mostly.
Greatest source of joy?
Darcy, forever and always.
What do you do to entertain yourself or have fun?
Reading, mostly. Turning my hand at learning a new skill.
What is your greatest personal failing, in your view?
Woo-boy, there ain’t enough ink for that question. What it boils down to, as much as I hate to admit it, I’m too much like my family.
What keeps you awake at night?
Used to be money. The big gaping hole in my stomach where food should’ve been. Worrying about Darcy suffering because of my past mistakes, my reputation. Worrying that my worst qualities would rub off on her, that none of my good would. Worrying that I didn’t have any good qualities. I guess my body got used to sleepless nights, so these days I don’t need much sleep. When I do sleep, I dream about Darcy.
What is the most pressing problem you have at the moment?
Now, that would be giving away the ending, wouldn’t it?
A Novel
A mother, a daughter and a road trip that’s about to take a hard left turn in this heartfelt and witty story about the sacrifices we make for love.
Darcy Evans is getting married. In a week. To a man who is her childhood dream come true. But a late-night confession from her best friend changes everything and before she even has time to unpack it, she must endure a road trip to the ceremony with her estranged mother, Marja. It was always the two of them against the world…until Marja ghosted Darcy three years ago. No car in the world has enough room for all of their baggage.
The drive from Austin to Chicago is nostalgic, claustrophobic, incredibly messy and exactly what both women need. As they each find themselves at a crossroads in their lives, long-held secrets are revealed—ones that reshape Darcy’s memories of the past and forever alter the future she’d recently been so certain of. She hadn’t known what a reunion with her mother might bring, but sometimes following your heart means taking a path you never planned…and finding a love you never imagined.
Thriller Domestic | Women's Fiction [Graydon House, On Sale: June 13, 2023, Trade Paperback / e-Book, ISBN: 9781525811517 / eISBN: 9780369703552]
Melissa Lenhardt writes mystery, historical fiction, and women's fiction. Her short fiction has appeared in Heater Mystery Magazine, The Western Online, and Christmas Nookies, a holiday romance anthology. Her debut novel, Stillwater, was a finalist for the 2014 Whidbey Writers' MFA Alumni Emerging Writers Contest. She is a board member of the DFW Writers' Workshop and vice president of the Sisters in Crime North Dallas Chapter. Melissa lives in Frisco, Texas, with her husband and two sons.
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