Cheryl Norman's "Running Scared"

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Cheryl Norman won the 2003 EPPIE award for her contemporary romance, Last Resort. Her debut with Medallion, Restore My Heart, earned her a mention in Publishers Weekly as one of ten new romance authors to watch.

Here she shares some casting ideas for her latest novel Running Scared, should it be adapted for the large or small screen:

I first wrote Running Scared so many years ago that the actors I had in mind at the time have aged beyond the roles. I based Ashley Adams, the newly divorced marathon runner who witnesses a murder while training, on Lisa Hartman-Black. Homicide Detective Rick Edwards was Ed Harris—when he still had hair. I rewrote the book several times, and the characters changed, too. Since both hero and heroine are mid-thirties, I’ve had to look for younger actors for casting my book.

If someone─the Lifetime Network, perhaps─offered to make a film of Running Scared, I hope they’d cast Alison Eastwood as Ashley. Alison has the blond hair and thin but athletic build of my heroine. She also has a fair, natural beauty that fits my character’s image. I’ve seen Alison play a role of a strong woman who must fight for her safety and freedom. If you aren’t familiar with Alison, you should be. She’s a talented actress and the daughter of Clint.

Josh Lucas, with those gorgeous blue eyes, makes a perfect Rick Edwards. He may be a bit young for the role, but I don’t care. He’s perfect. He can play sensitive and stern, although he also shows a playful side. I see him as the dedicated, honorable homicide detective who is tortured by the recent deaths of his wife and daughter, the man who leaves no stone unturned when investigating a case. On the movie screen in my mind, I see Josh Lucas giving his all to keep Alison Eastwood safe while solving the murder she witnessed. Of course, I can see them falling in love, too. Running Scared is ROMANTIC suspense, after all!

There’s a third character I need to mention, Ashley’s unstable ex-husband, Peter Adams. Johnny Depp, absolutely. He can make insanity and danger believable. He’s a doll, but he can do scary. I realize this is a dream cast, but it’s my dream.

Learn more about the book and author at Cheryl Norman's website and MySpace page.

--Marshal Zeringue