When I set up the Russell brothers to each go to their mother’s family when their father died, I hadn’t really considered the implications for Sebastian. Going to Boston at the age of 12 meant he’d be in his early 20s as the Civil War began. When I began on Double Jeopardy I very quickly realized it would be impossible for him not to join up on the Union side. He’d been with his uncle in Boston right through his teens, he’d been assimilated into his mother’s family, and the city was an important center for Union support. He’d have to join up.
Five things you might not know about Sebastian
- When he’s first united with his brothers they think he’s the same deep-thinking, peace-making middle brother they knew in Hong Kong. But he isn’t. He’s struggling with unfinished business from the war. He thinks about all the good men who are gone. He’s a young man weary to his bones. And he seriously doubts he can love or be loved after what he’s seen.
- I like to have a picture of what my characters might look like. For Seb I chose Scottish actor Richard Madden. After all, Seb’s father was Scottish. And then I watched Madden in the TV series Bodyguard and thought WOW! In that show he portrays a man facing his own war-induced demons . . a perfect match.
- Seb has no idea of his own attractiveness. He’s probably the best-looking of the Russell men, but he is completely unaware of it.
- There’s a significant age difference between Seb and Isabella, and until Book Three he’s dismissed her as a kid. But from the start of Double Jeopardy she’s the strong one and he’s broken. And that’s good for both of them.
- Being forced to face up to Edmund’s role in the deaths of his best friend Robert and his sister Sarah helps him heal emotionally and find the space in his heart for new beginnings.
