D.B. Henson's "Deed to Death"

D.B. Henson was born and raised in the southern United States. Her love of reading began at age six when she was given the first book in the Trixie Belden Mystery series. Shortly thereafter, she began writing stories of her own.

A former real estate agent, Henson most recently worked as the director of marketing for a construction company. During a slump in the housing market, she made the decision to leave the construction industry and pursue her life-long dream of writing.

Here she shares her casting suggestions for an adaptation of her novel, Deed to Death:

Every author dreams of watching the characters he or she created come to life on the silver screen. I’m no exception. In Deed to Death, everyone has a secret and no one is who they appear to be. When writing the novel, I really didn’t have any particular actors in mind, but it only took a few minutes to decide who I would love to see in the roles of the main characters.

Evangeline Lilly as Toni Matthews:

I was a fan of the television series Lost, and I think Evangeline would be wonderful as the lead character. In the role of Kate Austen, the Canadian actress proved her ability to portray a woman who is not only a fighter and survivor, but also one who possesses an underlying sadness and vulnerability. These are all traits Toni Matthews shares.

Kate Hudson as Jill Shore:

When you think of Kate Hudson, you automatically think romantic comedy. However, I loved her in The Skeleton Key. In the spooky suspense film, Kate showed she has the necessary skills to master a dramatic role. She’s also a match for Jill’s physical description.

Ashton Kutcher as Mark Ross:

I’ll always remember watching Ashton Kutcher in The Butterfly Effect. Another actor known mainly for comedy, Kutcher’s portrayal of troubled Evan Treborn haunted me long after I left the theater. Not only is his appearance similar to that of Mark Ross, I believe he would bring an interesting edginess to the role.

Josh Duhamel as Brian Chadwick:

Once upon a time, I was hooked on the soap opera All My Children. Josh got his start on the show playing the much-loved former con artist Leo du Pres. Excellent as Leo, Duhamel’s acting ability has continued to improve over the years. I think he would infuse the role of Brian Chadwick with an underlying boyish charm.

Learn more about the book and author at D.B. Henson's website and blog.

Writers Read: D.B. Henson.

The Page 69 Test: Deed to Death.

--Marshal Zeringue