Jeannie Holmes' "Blood Law"

Jeannie Holmes is a native of southwest Mississippi. A total caffeine junkie, she currently lives in Mobile, Alabama with her husband and four neurotic cats, and is hard to find during hurricane season. Her debut novel, Blood Law, was released by Dell Publishing in July 2010.

Blood Law has a modern twist on the vampire as well as combining love affairs gone sour, murder, forensic science, and complex family dynamics. If Hollywood called and wanted to turn Blood Law into a movie, here’s who Holmes would like to see in some of the roles:

Alexandra Sabian: I honestly have no idea who would play Alex. Others have suggested everyone from Jessica Alba to Jessica Biel to Evan Rachel Wood to Rose McGowan. I would have to leave casting this role up to people with more knowledge than I. My only requirement would be that whoever they cast is willing to color her hair red for the role, if she isn’t a natural redhead.

Varik Baudelaire: Hands down, I would want Ben Barnes (Prince Caspian from The Chronicles of Narnia) to play Varik. Even before I knew Ben Barnes existed, he is exactly how I pictured Varik in my head -– the hair, the dark eyes, the body. In my mind, he has both the natural sex appeal and the acting ability to play someone with a dark past he’s trying to atone for so Ben Barnes is my ideal Varik.

Stephen Sabian: Alex’s brother runs a vampire bar and has a lot of charm as well as temper, especially where Varik is considered. I’d love to see Kyle Schmid play Stephen. He’s proven in past roles that he can be very dynamic and quickly switch from happy to broody.

Tasha Lockwood: The lone human working with a bunch of vampires, Tasha is a complex character. I can see two possible women in the role. Either Halle Berry or Jada Pinkett Smith would be great in the role. Both are able to play kick-butt women who still have vulnerabilities to overcome.

Damian Alberez: As Chief Enforcer for the Federal Bureau of Preternatural Investigation, Damian is Alex’s boss and has a very distinctive physical appearance so the only actor who comes to mind to fill that role is Michael Clarke Duncan. He has the “look” of Damian but also the ability to play a variety of characters.

Sheriff Harvey Manser: Harvey is another difficult role to cast. I can see so many great actors playing Harvey. Gary Oldman, Fred Dalton Thompson, and Chris Bauer (Andy Bellefleur from True Blood) to name a few I’ve thought of along the way. I think I’ll have to leave casting Harvey up to the professionals.

Emily Sabian: If I’m going to dream, I’ll dream big and cast Meryl Streep as Alex’s mother. She’s wonderful in every role and I think she’d bring a lot of life to the role of a vampire fighting to protect her children.

Learn more about the book and author at Jeannie Holmes' website and blog.

--Marshal Zeringue