Bonnie Kistler's "Shell Games"

Bonnie Kistler is the author of The Cage and Her, Too. A former Philadelphia trial lawyer, she was born in Pennsylvania and educated at Bryn Mawr College and the University of the Pennsylvania Law School. She and her husband now live in southwest Florida and the mountains of western North Carolina.

Here Kistler dreamcasts an adaptation of her new novel, Shell Games.

Shell Games features Kate Sawyer, a self-made billionaire of 70, who’s just married her long-lost, high-school sweetheart, Charlie Mull. On their wedding night, Kate calls the police in hysterics to report that Charlie confessed to the Tylenol Murders, a notorious unsolved crime from decades before. Charlie says she imagined it––too much wedding champagne––and the authorities quickly establish that he couldn’t possibly have committed those murders. But Kate insists that he did confess, so if he didn’t do it, he must be trying to gaslight her to get control of her fortune.

The story then becomes the plight of her daughter Julie who doesn’t know what to believe. Is her brilliant mother sinking into dementia as her husband Eric argues? Or is her beloved new stepfather actually a con man?

I didn’t cast actors in any of these roles while I was writing it Shell Games––I never do this in any of my books––but the images of the four leading characters were so clear in my mind that it wasn’t hard for me to find real-life stand-ins when I thought about it for this piece.

Kate is glamorous and shrewd and steel-willed but with a tender heart when it comes to her love for Charlie. This would be a plum role for any of our amazing older actresses for whom there isn’t enough good material anymore. The obvious choices come to mind: Meryl Streep, Glenn Close, Helen Mirren.

All would be outstanding. But the one who best fits this bill is Sigourney Weaver. Picture her character from Working Girl but age her up to 70. She’s so elegant, so polished, so keenly intelligent. But I can see her veneer crack when her storybook marriage comes crashing to an end. And to imagine about how fierce and vengeful she could then become, you need only to remember her as Ripley in Alien.

Charlie is an ex-Marine, a man’s man, but a salt-of-the-earth guy with a genial, affable personality that endears him to everyone and makes it impossible for them to believe he’s either a murder or a con man. Jeff Bridges, please step up.

Julie grew up overshadowed by a powerful mother and is now married to a controlling Alpha male. She’s very unsure of herself, and although she has a quiet beauty, she strikes many people as mousy. Daisy Edgar-Jones could easily play this role, but think Normal People, not Twisters.

Julie’s husband Eric is an orthopedic surgeon with a God-complex. He drives a Lamborghini and thinks he knows more than everyone else. He’s tall and blond and icily handsome, with a sexual magnetism that keeps Julie in his thrall. Who else but Alexander Skarsgård?

Okay, that was fun. Now I want to see this movie!

Visit Bonnie Kistler's website.

Q&A with Bonnie Kistler.

The Page 69 Test: The Cage.

The Page 69 Test: Her, Too.

Writers Read: Bonnie Kistler (July 2023).

--Marshal Zeringue

Andrew Welsh-Huggins's "Sick To Death"

Andrew Welsh-Huggins is the Shamus, Derringer, and International Thriller Writers-award-nominated author of the Andy Hayes Private Eye series, featuring a former Ohio State and Cleveland Browns quarterback turned investigator, and editor of Columbus Noir. His stories have appeared in Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine, Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, Mystery Magazine, the 2022 anthology Paranoia Blues: Crime Fiction Inspired by the Songs of Paul Simon, and other magazines and anthologies.

Here Welsh-Huggins dreamcasts an adaptation of his newest novel, Sick to Death:

Sick To Death is the eighth book in my series about Andy Hayes, a former Ohio State and Cleveland Browns quarterback turned private eye. When thinking about who would play Hayes in a movie, I always remind people that Keanu Reeves has twice played a former Ohio State quarterback—FBI agent Johnny Utah in 1991’s Pointbreak, and down-and-out NFL player Shane Falco in The Replacements in 2000. However, though I’m a big Reeves admirer, I don’t think he’s right for the role of Hayes. Thinking about Sick to Death on the big screen, I decided to focus on four characters:

Hayes; his newly discovered adult daughter, Alex Rutledge; Hayes’ friend and sometimes collaborator Otto Mulligan, a bail bondsman; and Suzanne Gregory, an award-winning TV journalist who also happens to be Hayes’ ex-fiancée. This time around, I’m selecting Jake Gyllenhaal to play Hayes. Although I like the breadth of his work, I’m leaning mainly on his performance in the 2024 remake of Roadhouse. Gyllenhaal is a lot buffer than I imagine Hayes, but what draws me to him is the baggage that Gyllenhaal’s character carries in the movie from a violent incident in his past as a UFC fighter. Hayes has baggage to spare, and I think Gyllenhaal could aptly portray Hayes’ ongoing efforts at redemption.

For Alex, I would tap Hailee Steinfeld. I first saw her playing Mattie Ross in the remake of True Grit and became an admirer for her role in the Marvel limited TV series, Hawkeye, in which she plays Kate Bishop. Bonus: at age 31, she’s close to Alex’s age in the book when we meet her.

For Otto, I’d love to see Mahershala Ali in the role. I know of him for his roles in House of Cards and the independent feature film, Moonlight, and enjoyed him more recently as a rental homeowner and financial adviser with a secret in the dystopian film, Leave The World Behind. I think he’d bring the perfect blend of humor, loyalty, and skepticism that characterizes Mulligan.

Finally, there’s Suzanne. She and Hayes have a rocky history: their engagement ended the night she was receiving a journalism award and Hayes, his ego unable to handle the spotlight on her, sneaks away for a make-out session with a cheerleader with the Columbus Crew soccer team who is at the same event and also feeling left out. Over the years, Suzanne and Hayes reach a détente of sorts, with Hayes turning to her for information about cases in exchange for scoops when the case is solved. The actor I’d love to see play Suzanne is June Diane Raphael. I’m most familiar with her from her scene-stealing role as Jane Fonda’s daughter in Grace and Frankie, but also from her performance in Long Shot as assistant to presidential candidate Charlotte Field, played by Charlize Theron.

Visit Andrew Welsh-Huggins's website.

My Book, The Movie: An Empty Grave.

Q&A with Andrew Welsh-Huggins.

The Page 69 Test: An Empty Grave.

Writers Read: Andrew Welsh-Huggins (April 2023).

My Book, The Movie: The End of the Road.

The Page 69 Test: The End of the Road.

Writers Read: Andrew Welsh-Huggins.

--Marshal Zeringue

Marshall Fine’s "The Autumn of Ruth Winters"

Minneapolis native Marshall Fine’s career as an award-winning journalist, critic, and filmmaker has spanned fifty years. He has written biographies of filmmakers John Cassavetes and Sam Peckinpah, directed documentaries about film critic Rex Reed and comedian Robert Klein, conducted the Playboy interview with Howard Stern, and chaired the New York Film Critics Circle four times. The author currently lives in Ossining, New York.

Here Fine dreamcasts an adaptation of The Autumn of Ruth Winters, his first published novel:

The Autumn of Ruth Winters focuses on three central characters. Ruth is 68-year-old widow who has lived an unfulfilling life, punctuated by her fractious relationship with her younger sister Veronica. But Ruth is forced to re-engage with her sister when Veronica suffers a health crisis—at the same time that Ruth is corresponding with a high-school classmate and crush, Martin, who is coming to town for their fiftieth high school reunion.

Ruth is someone who deals with her constant social anxiety by being stand-offish and even snappish, while Veronica is someone who has always been able to ask for just what she wants in life, and usually got it. Martin is a bit of a dark horse, someone remembered fondly in flashback who turns out to be even better in person, even after fifty years.

If you’re casting any movie about a woman of a certain age like Ruth, the first choice is always going to be Meryl Streep, who I believe would be lovely as this lonely, repressed character. But I could just as easily see Mary Steenburgen, Alison Janney, Jean Smart, Sigourney Weaver or Catherine Keener.

I really only have two choices to play Veronica: Patricia Clarkson or Michelle Pfeiffer. Both of them have the ability to play the kind of self-centered sass that makes Veronica an interesting character.

As for Martin, I have a number of ideas, starting with Michael Keaton and including Ted Danson, Jeff Bridges, Jeff Daniels and Tim Robbins. They all have both the requisite warmth and that edge of mischief to them.

Re directors: I would want someone who could find the humor in the drama, who is able to shift tones easily and credibly, preferably someone like Nicole Holofcener, Tom McCarthy, Greta Gerwig or Greg Berlanti.

Learn more about The Autumn of Ruth Winters, and follow Marshall Fine on Facebook.

--Marshal Zeringue

Sariah Wilson's "A Tribute of Fire"

Sariah Wilson is the USA Today bestselling author of The Chemistry of Love, The Paid Bridesmaid, The Seat Filler, Roommaid, Just a Boyfriend, the Royals of Monterra series, and the #Lovestruck novels. She happens to be madly, passionately in love with her soul mate and is a fervent believer in happily ever afters—which is why she writes romance. She currently lives with her family and various pets in Utah, and harbors a lifelong devotion to ice cream.

Here Wilson dreamcasts an adaptation of her new novel, A Tribute of Fire:

This question is a bit difficult for me because these characters become so real to me that I can’t imagine any actor in Hollywood ever doing them justice. I definitely drew inspiration from Reylo (the Star Wars pairing of Kylo Ren/Ben Solo and Rey), so I can easily envision Adam Driver and Daisy Ridley playing these parts—the problem is that they’re too old for these characters (although I still think they’d both do an amazing job playing Jason and Lia). I am not as familiar with younger actors , but I think Xolo Maridueña and Ariana Greenblatt would do an excellent job.

Choosing a director would be incredibly easy. I would pick the man who created the Reylo dynamic in the first place—Rian Johnson. I think he is a brilliant storyteller, especially visually, and I know he would knock it out of the park. Not only does he have an incredible flow to his movies, but he seems to truly understand the female gaze and with a story that is so heavy on the romance and is told from a female point of view, I think he would get it. Patty Jenkins is another director that I always enjoy and she would also do an excellent job with the adventure and romantic aspects of this book.

Visit Sariah Wilson's website.

The Page 69 Test: A Tribute of Fire.

--Marshal Zeringue

Christina Lynch's "Pony Confidential"

Christina Lynch is at the beck and call of two dogs, three horses, and a hilarious pony who carts her up and down mountains while demanding (and receiving) many carrots. Besides Pony Confidential, her new novel, she is also the author of two historical novels set in Italy and the coauthor of two comic thrillers set in Prague and Vienna. Lynch teaches at College of the Sequoias and lives in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada.

Here Lynch dreamcasts an adaptation of Pony Confidential:

Pony Confidential was actually born as a movie idea and only later morphed into a novel, so it’s a natural fit for this blog. Although it’s billed as a comic mystery, I'm not afraid to admit it's operatic in its internal and external conflicts (opera directors, take note!). The story of a pony who is trying to find the little girl who ruined his life by selling him twenty-five years earlier, it’s also the story of that little girl, now grown up and accused of a murder she didn’t commit. The novel is full of small satiric observations about human and animal behavior but it's also epic in scope: the pony crisscrosses America in various modes of transport many times, and faces all kinds of challenges including how to traverse a lake on a paddleboard.

I’m a little torn about animation vs. live action, but I think we’ve got the technology now to make a round and very furry little pony—and all his many feelings-- come alive in either format. If it’s live action, it would be incredibly funny to see a pony and a goat running through the streets of Los Angeles, and rat having therapy sessions with a racehorse in a trailer rolling across America. The birthday party scenes where the pony commits gentle violence on unsuspecting children would also be funnier in live action. I would love to have Bobcat Goldthwait, with whom I worked for many years on a sitcom, do the voice of the pony in his normal voice. He would be great at playing the many moods of the pony, from pissed-off critiques of humans to epiphanies about love. Bill Murray would also be perfect. Kristen Bell would be a great Penny because not only is she the right height (neither Penny nor Pony are tall), but she can play strength and vulnerability, comedy and drama. I love her range and her smarts.

Because the story is modeled after the epic The Odyssey, it would also be beautiful as an animated film. The tiny pony’s journey across vast landscapes, the horrors of a kill pen, and getting caught in a hurricane would make for breathtaking and heartstopping scenes in the hands of the right artist. I am fortunate enough from my days in Hollywood to know animation artists and directors, and I would love to work with old friends like Lauren MacMullan, a Simpsons director who was nominated for an Oscar for her short film “Get a Horse!” or Disney legend Paul Felix. Or someone I don’t know but whose work I deeply admire like Charlie Mackesy, whose film of his book The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse had me weeping in the aisles.

Plus, I would like to attend the premiere with my own small pony, who has his tuxedo pressed and ready!

Visit Christina Lynch's website.

My Book, The Movie: The Italian Party.

The Page 69 Test: The Italian Party.

Writers Read: Christina Lynch (April 2018).

My Book, The Movie: Sally Brady's Italian Adventure.

Writers Read: Christina Lynch (June 2023).

The Page 69 Test: Sally Brady's Italian Adventure.

The Page 69 Test: Pony Confidential.

Q&A with Christina Lynch.

--Marshal Zeringue

Nikki May's "This Motherless Land"

Born in Bristol and raised in Lagos, Nikki May is Anglo-Nigerian. Her critically acclaimed debut novel Wahala won the Comedy Women In Print New Voice Prize, was longlisted for the Goldsboro Glass Bell Award and the Diverse Books Award, and is being turned into a major BBC TV drama series. May lives in Dorset with her husband, two standard Schnauzers and way too many books. She should be working on her next book but is probably reading.

Here May dreamcasts an adaptation of her new novel, This Motherless Land:

I always cast my books before I write them – it’s one of the most fun bits. I print out pictures of my leads (and locations) and pin them to the board over my writing desk. When I can’t work out what a character would do – I look up and talk to them. It works!

For This Motherless Land, Funke was Thandie Newton and Kate was Rachel Weisz. I cast the supporting actors too, so Dominic West, Damian Lewis, Dame Maggie Smith and Dame Helen Mirren (I know – I dream big!) were on the board too.

The only thing is, Funke is nine when we meet her, and Liv is only ten – it’s easy to trawl the web for pictures of stars when they were young, slightly less easy to make a fifty-year-old pass for a pre-teen!

So, the real cast will be very different. I’ve just finished watching Industry and think Myha’la would make a great Funke (if she can drop her American accent). And Michelle Dockery could make a good Liv (though she might have to put on a few pounds).

The ink has just dried on the contract for the TV option for This Motherless Land (woo hoo!) so Myha’la and Michelle – are you listening?

Visit Nikki May's website.

Coffee with a Canine: Nikki May & Fela and Lola.

The Page 69 Test: This Motherless Land.

Writers Read: Nikki May.

--Marshal Zeringue

Michael Wendroff's "What Goes Around"

Michael Wendroff is an author and marketing consultant, and has an MBA from NYU. His background is running marketing and advertising for Fortune 500 companies, and he now runs a global consulting practice (one of his clients is a $4 billion firm headquartered in India). He has homes in New York City and Sarasota.

Here Wendroff dreamcasts an adaptation of his new novel, What Goes Around:

I've been told my book, What Goes Around, would make a great Netflix Original (I was kind of thinking of the Silver Screen, but hey, I'll take it).

A key protagonist in my film shares some similarities with Jack Reacher, but I sure as hell don't want Tom Cruise playing him! I could see John Cena playing him. Given his impressive stature, and background in action films, he could easily portray his stoic and physical presence. Another good choice would be Chris Hemsworth, best known for playing Thor in the Marvel films. He has the size, strength, and charisma to play such a commanding character.

The other protagonist in the novel, his foil, is a female detective, Jill. She gets partnered up with Jack, and together they must solve a string of killings in a small town. They had been enemies ever since their days together in the police academy, and now must see if they can find the killer before they kill each other. Jill is smart, intuitive and beautiful. I think Emily Blunt would be a good choice to portray her. She is versatile and capable of playing tough, smart roles (Sicario, A Quiet Place). She combines depth with an approachable yet strong persona that would suit a detective role.

There is also a naive teenager in this thriller that gets caught up in the evil of others. This could be played by Lucas Hedges (Manchester by the Sea, Boy Erased) because he has the emotional range to play a character struggling with identity and regret. Another good choice would be Timothée Chalamet, who excels in roles where characters face emotional turmoil and personal growth.

For director, I would choose David Fincher. With movies like Gone Girl, Zodiac, and Seven, he has a talent for dark, psychological thrillers with complex characters and shocking twists. Another candidate would be M. Night Shyamalan, given the twist in The Sixth Sense and the twist in What Goes Around.

Visit Michael Wendroff's website.

The Page 69 Test: What Goes Around.

Q&A with Michael Wendroff.

--Marshal Zeringue

Tony Wirt's "Pike Island"

Tony Wirt was born in Lake Mills, IA, and got his first taste of publication in first grade, when his essay on Airplane II: The Sequel appeared in the Lake Mills Elementary School’s Creative Courier.

He's a graduate of the University of Iowa and spent nine years doing media relations in the Hawkeye Athletic Department. He's also been a sportswriter, movie ticket taker and Dairy Queen ice cream slinger who can still do the little curly thing on top of a soft serve cone.

He currently lives in Rochester, MN, with his wife and two daughters.

Here Wirt dreamcasts an adaptation of his new novel, Pike Island:

Pike Island is a dual POV book split into two timelines, the current day and twenty years ago. Since the past timeline revolves mostly around teenagers, I’ll stick to the current timeline with my casting.

Krista Walsh – Krysten Ritter

Krista is a take-no-crap woman who is often underestimated because of her age and gender, but never lets that stand in the way of getting what she wants. Who better to play her Krysten Ritter, than the woman who brought Jessica Jones to life?

Andrew Harrison “Harry” Leonard – Glen Powell

I know he’s everywhere now, but Glen Powell is about perfect for the adult version of Harry Leonard. Tall, blonde, with an aura that makes you trust him even if something inside tells you not to, the guy just screams “young, ambitious congressman with a secret past.”

Jake Nelson – Jesse Plemons

The adult version of Jake is a guy who has been through the wringer. He’s been living with secrets his whole life, and those demons have taken a toll on him. He might be okay, but he might not, so you need an actor who has an edge to him. I fell like Jesse Plemons would be able to nail it. He’s guy you can scruff up and believe he’s been living out in the middle of nowhere with just a bottle and his memories for years.

Visit Tony Wirt's website.

The Page 69 Test: Pike Island.

Q&A with Tony Wirt.

--Marshal Zeringue

Stephanie Booth's "Libby Lost and Found"

Stephanie Booth has an M.A. in English from the University of New Mexico and an MFA in Creative Writing from Emerson College. Her work has appeared in Cosmopolitan, Real Simple, O, Marie Claire, The Washington Post, and Los Angeles Times. Booth has been a contributing editor at Teen People and an advice columnist for Teen, and she has helped with casting for MTV’s award-winning documentary series, True Life.

Her new novel is Libby Lost and Found.

Here Booth shares some ideas for casting an adaptation of her novel:

Forty-year-old Libby Weeks writes the best-selling fantasy series in the world, The Falling Children. (Imagine the popularity of Harry Potter, then dial it up a million.) But before she can finish the last book in the series, which fans across the globe are impatiently waiting to be published, Libby learns that she has early-onset dementia. Desperate to save the characters she loves so much, Libby reaches out to her biggest fan, an 11-year-old girl named Peanut Bixton, to help her finish the very last book.

I did not have any actors in my head while I was writing this, so it’s harder than I thought it would be to answer this question!

Peanut should probably be played by an earnest kid who begged her parents to go to the audition, they said, “No, you’re not missing school for this,” and she sneaked out and went anyway. I also expect that she gave the casting director a few notes about their line reads on the way out.

Libby is quiet and typically prefers to be alone, but she has an exhilarating inner life which she goes to great lengths to hide from others. What if this is a role for Alexis Bledel who does internal angst so well? Plus, everyone knows Rory Gilmore loves a good book and is an excellent writer.

Jessie, Peanut’s overprotective, pugnacious 20-something sister, might be played by Shailene Woodley, while their father, Dr. Bixton, would require an actor who’s folksy, likable, but also able assert an impatient authority. JK Simmons? John Goodman?

I could see Anthony Mackie playing the ambitious, charming, but not totally trustworthy journalist, Glenn, who is determined to figure out who’s writing the Falling Children books. And for Buzz, Peanut’s brother who plays a pivotal role in the book, the role description might read, “Handsome in a sloppy slacker way. Must have the right ratio of surly misanthropy and kindness, and be able to talk clearly with their mouth full of candy.”

Visit Stephanie Booth's website.

Q&A with Stephanie Booth.

--Marshal Zeringue

Sung J. Woo's "Lines"

Sung J. Woo's short stories and essays have appeared in The New York Times, PEN/Guernica, and Vox. He has written five novels, Lines (2024), Deep Roots (2023), Skin Deep (2020), Love Love (2015), and Everything Asian (2009), which won the 2010 Asian Pacific American Librarians Association Literature Award. In 2022, his Modern Love essay from The New York Times was adapted by Amazon Studios for episodic television. A graduate of Cornell University with an MFA from New York University, he lives in Washington, New Jersey.

Here Woo dreamcasts an adaptation of Lines:

I imagine my fifth novel, Lines, would be a welcome challenge to actors, because the four main characters would each get to play two very different versions of themselves. The stars are Joshua the writer and Abby the painter, who in one "line" are married and miserable (which I call Together), while in the other line, they meet for the first time five years later and maybe-sort-of fall in love (which I call Apart). In both lines, they interact with the same two people, Marlene for Joshua and Ted for Abby. In Together, Marlene is Joshua's "work wife"; Ted and Abby share an office and are friendly. In Apart, Josh and Marlene are married; Abby and Ted are about to be.

In Together, Joshua is bitter about everything -- his lack of money, his hatred of his job, his disappointment at his fledgling writing career. Here, Abby unhappily paints large canvases to make money, and she very unhappily lives with her angry tyrant of a husband.

In Apart, Josh and Marlene share a comfortable life, and even though Josh's writing is no more successful than in Together, his financial situation smooths out any and all wrinkles. Here, Abby and Ted are also well off so she has the freedom to paint her true passion, miniature paintings.

In both lines, Abby becomes pregnant. The novel spans nine months. That's not a coincidence!

Okay -- so, whom to cast...

Joshua Kozlov - Jonah Hill. I was actually thinking of him when writing this book. A few years back he starred in a limited TV show called Maniac with Emma Stone, and he showed some impressive dramatic chops.

Abby Kim - Kelly Marie Tran. I did not enjoy any of the new Star Wars movies, but I did like Kelly's take on her Rose Tico character. She'd make a great Abby; she's got the right sad eyes.

Marlene McNally - Melissa McCarthy. If you haven't seen her in non-comedic roles, you really should. Even before Can You Ever Forgive Me?, she was great in The Nines. She's probably a little old for the role, but hey, she can still pass for forty.

Ted Wingfield - Walton Goggins. Also probably a bit too old to play Abby's love interest, but if anybody can pull it off, it's Walton! Such a versatile actor, flips between comedy and tragedy on a dime.

As far as directors go, how about John August, who helmed the movie I already mentioned, The Nines? If you haven't seen that film, it's absolutely worth watching, and because he so effortlessly moves between three stories (Ryan Reynolds, Melissa McCarthy, and Hope Davis each play three different people), I can't think of a better person to make this movie.

Visit Sung J. Woo's website.

Coffee with a Canine: Sung J. Woo & Koda.

The Page 69 Test: Everything Asian.

My Book, The Movie: Skin Deep.

Q&A with Sung J. Woo.

The Page 69 Test: Skin Deep.

My Book, The Movie: Deep Roots.

The Page 69 Test: Deep Roots.

Writers Read: Sung J. Woo (September 2023).

The Page 69 Test: Lines.

--Marshal Zeringue

Robert Dugoni's "Beyond Reasonable Doubt"

Robert Dugoni is a critically acclaimed New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post and #1 Amazon bestselling author, reaching over 9 million readers worldwide. He is best known for his Tracy Crosswhite police series set in Seattle. He is also the author of the Charles Jenkins espionage series, the David Sloane legal thriller series, and several stand-alone novels including The 7th Canon, Damage Control, The World Played Chess, and Her Deadly Game. His novel The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell received Suspense Magazine’s 2018 Book of the Year, and Dugoni’s narration won an AudioFile Earphones Award. The Washington Post named his nonfiction exposé The Cyanide Canary a Best Book of the Year.

Here Dugoni dreamcasts an adaptation of his new novel, Beyond Reasonable Doubt:

One of the problems with getting older is I just don’t know actors and actresses as I once did. However, if they make my book into a film I can think of some great actors to play the lead roles. Here’s my dream team.

Emma Stone comes to mind to play the lead, Keera Duggan.

Brie Larson or Caitriona Balfe as Ella, Keera’s oldest sisters.

I actually thought of Albert Finney as Patsy Duggan but, of course, that is no longer possible. Brian Cox would be perfect.

Chiwetel Ejiofor as JP Harrison.

Visit Robert Dugoni's website and Facebook page.

The Page 69 Test: Wrongful Death.

The Page 69 Test: Bodily Harm.

My Book, The Movie: Bodily Harm.

The Page 69 Test: Murder One.

My Book, The Movie: Murder One.

My Book, The Movie: The Eighth Sister.

The Page 69 Test: The Eighth Sister.

My Book, The Movie: A Cold Trail.

The Page 69 Test: A Cold Trail.

The Page 69 Test: The Last Agent.

My Book, The Movie: The Last Agent.

Q&A with Robert Dugoni.

The Page 69 Test: In Her Tracks.

The Page 69 Test: A Killing on the Hill.

My Book, The Movie: A Killing on the Hill.

The Page 69 Test: Beyond Reasonable Doubt.

--Marshal Zeringue

Galina Vromen's "Hill of Secrets"

Galina Vromen began writing fiction after more than twenty years as an international journalist in Israel, England, the Netherlands, France, and Mexico. After a career with Reuters News Agency, she moved to the nonprofit sector as a director at the Harold Grinspoon Foundation.

Vromen launched and directed two reading readiness programs in Israel, one in Hebrew (Sifriyat Pijama) and one in Arabic (Maktabat al-Fanoos). During her tenure, the two programs gifted twenty million books to young children and their families and were named US Library of Congress honorees for best practices in promoting literacy.

Vromen’s stories have been performed on NPR’s Selected Shorts program and appeared in magazines such as American Way, the Adirondack Review, Tikkun, and Reform Judaism. She has an MA in literature from Bar-Ilan University in Israel and a BA in media and anthropology from Hampshire College in Massachusetts.

Vromen and her husband divide their time between Israel and Massachusetts.

Here she shares some ideas for the above-the-line talent for an adaptation of her new novel, Hill of Secrets:

If they make my movie into a book, I would like the lead, Christine, to be someone who has the steely character and look of a young Katharine Hepburn, a woman who follows her own path, regardless of convention and who is attractive and lithe without being pretty. Gertie, the teenage hero of the book, might be portrayed by a young Zoe Kazan, a character who exudes vivaciousness and curiousity, with Kazan's big, inquisitive eyes.

I don't have specific actors in mind for the male roles. I have imagined Andre Aciman, the author of Call Me By Your Name, whose writing I admire a lot, as a model Kurt Koppel, Gertie's father, a German Jewish refugee, and a leading physicist on the atomic bomb project. Asiman (who in fact hails from Egypt's Jewish community) is short, and bald but has a magnetic energy about him in interviews and an intellectual breadth in common with Kurt in my book. I don't have anyone in mind for the other main male characters in Hill of Secrets. I'm happy to leave that to the future casting director to decide!!!

As for the director, I would love to see Mike Newell turning my book into a movie. I loved how he depicted characters and place in the movie adaptation The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society and I loved Mona Lisa Smile which he also directed. He is probably best known for other films, like Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and Four Weddings and a Funeral, all of which I also thought were very well directed.

Visit Galina Vromen's website.

The Page 69 Test: Hill of Secrets.

--Marshal Zeringue

Susan Walter's "Running Cold"

Susan Walter is the author of Lie by the Pool, Good as Dead, and Over Her Dead Body. She was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts. After being given every opportunity―and failing―to become a concert violinist, Walter attended Harvard University. She had hoped to be a newscaster, but the local TV station had different ideas and hired her to write and produce promos instead. Seeking sunshine and a change of scenery, Walter moved to Los Angeles to work in film and television production. Upon realizing writers were having all the fun, Walter transitioned to screenwriting, then directing. She wrote and made her directorial debut with the 2017 film All I Wish, starring Sharon Stone.

Here Walter dreamcasts an adaptation of her new novel, Running Cold:

Of all my books, this is the one I most want to see as a movie … because it was inspired by a movie! Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones starred in a 1993 film called The Fugitive about a doctor (Ford) who was framed for killing his wife (the impossibly beautiful Sela Ward) and escapes arrest in a spectacular collision between a bus and a train. Ford is pursued by a scrappy U.S. Marshal (brilliantly played by Tommy Lee Jones) while trying to solve the murder and clear his name. Thirty years later, I still can’t get this movie out of my head. So I decided to do a version with women in the starring roles, and then up the stakes by setting it in the Canadian Rockies during a blizzard.

Julie Weston Adler is working as a chambermaid in the spooky Banff Springs Hotel (yes it’s a real place!) because her husband lost all their money then took his own life. Not your average hotel employee, Julie is a former Olympian. Her sport, the biathlon, combines skiing and sharp shooting … and yes she has her rifle with her … and may be forced to use it!

I imagine Julie as a Canadian Katniss Everdeen - fearless and athletic with a strong connection to nature. So of course I wrote her with Jennifer Lawrence in mind! Other actresses I think would make excellent Julies are Blake Lively (so tall and commanding!) and Captain Marvel herself, Brie Larson.

The woman Julie is accused of murdering is named Ceci Rousseau. She is a former ballerina and socialite in her sixties with a sharp tongue and style for days. I directed the outlandishly talented Sharon Stone in my 2018 film All I Wish and wrote the character with her in mind. I could also see Helen Mirren or Naomi Watts in the role.

Julie has a suitor, Remy, who is a French-Canadian heartthrob. I would cast another All I Wish actor, Gilles Marini, in this role. He is so talented and gorgeous, with that thick cascade of black hair and irresistible French accent.

Julie has a best friend, Izzy, who is opposite to her in almost every way - relaxed and fun-loving instead of intense and self-critical, has womanly curves where Julie is all muscles and grit. She’s not primarily an actress, but I always imagined Adele in this role. Or maybe the hilarious Nicole Byer from Nailed It.

Finally, in the role of Detective Monique Montpelier, I imagined Kerry Washington, who has the perfect balance of humor and power. I also sometimes mused at how amazing Jennifer Lopez would be. I loved her depiction of a police woman in Steven Soderbergh’s Out of Sight.

If place is a character, then I have to include Banff, Alberta in my casting. The novel is set there, and there is no place like it on earth! It is somehow both majestic and adorable, with its quaint storefronts nestled in between jagged mountain peaks. And the Banff Springs Hotel, where the murder takes place, is a one-of-a-kind castle in the snow. It’s been many decades since a movie was shot there, I think it’s time for this amazing town to come out of retirement!

Visit Susan Walter's website.

Q&A with Susan Walter.

--Marshal Zeringue

Jenny Milchman's "The Usual Silence"

Jenny Milchman is the Mary Higgins Clark award winning and USA Today bestselling author of five novels. Her work has been praised by the New York Times, New York Journal of Books, San Francisco Journal of Books and more; earned spots on Best Of lists including PureWow, POPSUGAR, the Strand, Suspense, and Big Thrill magazines; and received starred reviews from Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, Booklist, and Shelf Awareness. Four of her novels have been Indie Next Picks. Milchman's short fiction has appeared in numerous anthologies as well as Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, and a recent piece on touring appeared in the Agatha award winning collection Promophobia. Milchman's new series with Thomas & Mercer features psychologist Arles Shepherd, who has the power to save the most troubled and vulnerable children, but must battle demons of her own to do it. Milchman is a member of the Rogue Women Writers and lives in the Hudson Valley with her family.

Here she shares some ideas for an adaptation of her new novel, The Usual Silence:

Having their work made into a film or show is pretty much every writer’s dream, but there’s also a tension inherent in adapting a book to an audio-visual medium. Because while the lines and dots and dashes that make up text perform an alchemy in the reader’s mind, as soon as we put a voice and face and body to a character, everybody pretty much sees and hears the same thing. Through our own lenses, of course, but still—there isn’t that unique magic that allows every individual to read their own personal version of a story.

So I don’t have a cast in mind for The Usual Silence, which features a thirty-seven year old psychologist who happens to be beautiful with fiery red hair (I did watch Perry Mattfeld in In the Dark and she captured Dr. Arles Shepherd’s blend of anger and compassion particularly well, so if she’s available, maybe give her a call); a hard-working mother to an Autistic son; and a middle-aged dad with an ailing heart whose daughter has gone missing; plus two child characters, children being particularly tricky to cast. Oh, and a hot potential love interest, dark-haired, blazing blue eyes. A guy.

But I do have a dream director in mind. Someone who’s been a force in the industry since she was a child and has proven herself to possess staying power to which every creative would aspire. Who understands both the everyday oppression women and girls face in this society and others—as well as our ability to transcend that oppression.

Jodie Foster, please direct The Usual Silence, either as a movie or, since the novel is but the first Arles Shepherd tale, by turning it into a limited series.

Can I have my people call Jodie’s?

Learn more about the book and author at Jenny Milchman's website.

My Book, The Movie: Cover of Snow.

The Page 69 Test: Cover of Snow.

The Page 69 Test: Ruin Falls.

My Book, The Movie: Ruin Falls.

My Book, The Movie: The Second Mother.

The Page 69 Test: The Second Mother.

Q&A with Jenny Milchman.

--Marshal Zeringue

Paula Munier's "The Night Woods"

Paula Munier is the USA TODAY bestselling author of the Mercy Carr mysteries. A Borrowing of Bones, the first in the series, was nominated for the Mary Higgins Clark Award and named the Dogwise Book of the Year. Blind Search also won a Dogwise Award. The Hiding Place and The Wedding Plot both appeared on several “Best Of” lists. Home at Night, the fifth book in the series, was inspired by her volunteer work as a Natural Resources Steward of New Hampshire. Along with her love of nature, Munier credits the hero dogs of Mission K9 Rescue, her own rescue dogs, and a deep affection for New England as her series’ major influences. A literary agent by day, she’s also written three popular books on writing: Plot Perfect, The Writer’s Guide to Beginnings, and Writing with Quiet Hands, as well as Happier Every Day and the memoir Fixing Freddie: The True Story of a Boy, a Mom, and a Very, Very Bad Beagle.

Here Munier dreamcasts an adaptation of the sixth Mercy Carr mystery, The Night Woods:

The Night Woods is my own humble homage to Homer’s The Odyssey—complete with wild boar, lethal storms, and loyal dogs. Given that, it would be great fun to make a movie version directed by Ang Lee, who directed two of my favorite films of all time: Sense and Sensibility and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Lee is as adept at directing classic female- centered stories as he is action-driven tales. He’s also known for directing women—from Michelle Yeoh to Emma Thompson.

The Night Woods is action-driven, but key to the series is my heroine Mercy Carr’s extended family, not only her husband and the dogs, but also most notably her mother and grandmother and the two young women she’s taken under her wing, her teenage cousin Tandie and the young mother Amy. In The Night Woods, my heroine Mercy Carr is heavily pregnant, and the women of the family gather around her like a female energy field. I can picture Rose Leslie as Mercy, with Carolyn Hennesy as her chic mother and Meryl Streep as her warm-hearted veterinarian grandmother. Millie Bobby Brown would make a great Amy, with T.J. McGibbon as Tandie. A powerhouse of strong women, just like Mercy et al.

Visit Paula Munier's website.

Coffee with a Canine: Paula Munier & Bear.

My Book, The Movie: A Borrowing of Bones.

The Page 69 Test: A Borrowing of Bones.

My Book, The Movie: Blind Search.

The Page 69 Test: Blind Search.

My Book, The Movie: The Hiding Place.

The Page 69 Test: The Hiding Place.

Q&A with Paula Munier.

My Book, The Movie: The Wedding Plot.

The Page 69 Test: The Wedding Plot.

My Book, The Movie: Home at Night.

The Page 69 Test: Home at Night.

--Marshal Zeringue

Samantha Greene Woodruff's "The Trade Off"

Samantha Greene Woodruff is the author of Amazon #1 bestseller The Lobotomist’s Wife. She studied history at Wesleyan University and continued her studies at NYU’s Stern School of Business, where she earned an MBA. Woodruff spent nearly two decades working on the business side of media, primarily at Viacom’s Nickelodeon, before leaving corporate life to become a full-time mom. In her newfound “free” time, she took classes at the Writing Institute at Sarah Lawrence College, where she accidentally found her calling as a historical fiction author. Her writing has appeared in Newsweek, Writer’s Digest, Female First, Read 650, and more.

Here Woodruff dreamcasts an adaptation of her new novel, The Trade Off:

Someone recently asked me for a one sentence, Hollywood-style pitch for The Trade Off and I said: “It’s The Great Gatsby meets The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel on Wall Street.” Not to compare myself for a single moment to Fitzgerald or Amy Sherman-Palladino, but my book is set in the roaring ‘20s and examines the “have and have nots” of the era. And, as I was writing my protagonist, Bea Abramovitz, I always had Rachel Brosnahan’s Midge Maisel in my mind. So, it might be a bit too on the nose, but it’s hard for me to envision anyone but her in the movie version of my book.

Bea is a first-generation American daughter of Russian Jews who immigrated to the US to flee the pogroms, losing everything along the way. Bea has a gift for numbers and, in the stock market boom of the 1920s, wants nothing more than to become a broker in the very male world of Wall Street. But she has three strikes against her: she’s female, she’s poor and she’s Jewish. Bea doesn’t share Midge’s background or career goals, but she has a similar spunk, likeability and determination that conjured Brosnahan’s Midge in my imagination.

For Bea’s friends, I pictured Christina Hendricks à la Mad Men for Henrietta, the dazzling rich Jewish secretary who wants to be a “modern gal” and make it on her own; Taylor Swift for Milly, the awkward girl who finds herself; and Dakota Fanning for Sophie, Bea’s Lower East Side Italian-immigrant best friend.

I pictured the women in the book more than I did the men, but if I were casting Jake, Bea’s alluring, handsome brother, I’d look for Justin Hartley crossed with Owen Wilson and a dash of Vince Vaughn (if age were no issue). Jake is a striking guy with incredible charisma, a natural salesman who can get anyone to do anything based on his good looks and charm. For Bea’s love interest, the kind, handsome and successful banker Nate, I see Glen Powell. He has the both magnetism and the ability to endear.

Visit Samantha Greene Woodruff's website.

My Book, The Movie: The Lobotomist's Wife.

--Marshal Zeringue

Emma Barry's "Bad Reputation"

Emma Barry is a novelist, college lecturer, and former political staffer. She lives with her high school sweetheart and a menagerie of pets and children in Virginia, where she occasionally finds time to read and write.

Here Barry dreamcasts an adaptation of her new novel, Bad Reputation:

Cole James’s reputation as Hollywood’s favorite himbo no longer suits him. His fans can’t separate the real man from the character he played on a soapy teen drama decades ago. But that’s going to change with Waverley, the hit streaming historical romance series.

Maggie Niven hates her own notoriety. Fired for directing a divisive play, Maggie takes her fight against censorship public. When Hollywood comes calling, she becomes the new intimacy coordinator for Waverley. But it’s harder than she imagined to focus on the job.

Cole isn’t what she expected—and Maggie is more than he dreamed of. As filming gets underway, the cast’s old traumas lead to real intimacy, and Cole and Maggie struggle with feelings they shouldn’t have. Having an affair on set could destroy his comeback and her new career. Falling in love would ruin everything.

So is there a Hollywood ending in store for them?

(Folks, it’s a romance. You do the math.)

I have to admit that I don’t normally fancast my books, but with Bad Reputation, I had to. It’s a book about making a television show for crying out loud! You better believe I have a cast list ready to go.

Cole has the soul of a Boy Scout or an elementary school crossing guard. Sure, he’s blond, muscular, and hot, but you have to like him, not just lust after him. I’d cast Chris Pine, largely based on the energy he brought to Wonder Woman 1984. That scene when he confuses the trash can with a work of art pretty much inspired the book.

Maggie is a former high school teacher who’s smart, quick talking, and just a little sarcastic and self-deprecating. The actor I had in mind was Anna Kendrick. I find her a lot of fun to watch, because even when she’s being tart, she’s always a touch vulnerable. That’s very much Maggie’s vibe.

There are two secondary romances in this book: one between Cole’s co-star and best friend, Tasha, who finally admits that she’s in love with Cole’s long-time stand-in and stuntman, Ryan. The other finds two journalists exposing a Hollywood predator (they end up in a “there’s only one cottage” situation, or at least that’s how it plays out in my head). I’d cast Florence Pugh and Glen Powell as Tasha and Ryan, and Danielle Galligan and Mark Ruffalo as Libby and Jack.

Waverley’s showrunner, Zoya, should be played by Adria Arjona, and Maggie’s best friend can be Billie Lourd.

Seriously, call me, Hollywood. I’ve done all the hard work for you.

Visit Emma Barry's website.

--Marshal Zeringue

Elom Akoto's "Blindspot in America"

Elom K. Akoto immigrated to the United States from Togo (West Africa). He earned a bachelor’s degree in Education and a master’s degree in TESOL (Teacher of English to Speakers of Other Languages). He is the founder of Learn and Care, a nonprofit organization that aims to promote Literacy and Adult Education, not only among immigrants but also among Native Americans who missed the opportunity to earn a high school diploma. The program offers ESL, literacy, GED preparation classes, and more. He self-published two ESL workbooks: Ideal Companion, ESL level 1 and Ideal Companion, ESL level 2. He teaches French in a high school and ESL at a community college in Omaha, Nebraska, where he lives with his family.

Here Akoto dreamcasts an adaptation of his debut novel, Blindspot in America:

Blindspot in America is a political novel that explores the narrative of immigrants' experiences in America in their quest for the American Dream. The novel tells the story of an African immigrant, Kamao, born into a prominent Ghanaian family, his father being the secretary of health, who becomes entangled in American politics. His relationship with Lindsey, the daughter of Brad McAdams, a wealthy, prominent, conservative, and anti-immigrant US senator, triggers a series of troubles for him.

While writing this novel, I enjoyed the story playing in my head as if it were a Hollywood movie. I imagine the book being adapted into a film or a series on Netflix or other platforms featuring some well-known skillful actors and actresses. Because there are so many talented actors who can play each of the novel's three main characters, Kamao, Lindsey, and Brad McAdams, it was challenging to come up with a finalist for each role.

For the role of Kamao, I continue to struggle to choose between three finalists: Algee Smith, Khylin Rhambo, and Malachi Kirby. Kamao is described as an athletic, martial artist, and good-looking fellow who resembles, in some way, Thomas Sankara, the late charismatic, charming, and revolutionary president of Burkina Faso, a West African country, who was assassinated in 1987. All three actors mentioned can fit the description, except for the resemblance to Sankara. I would happily let every reader decide which of the three they would rather see play that role.

The character of Lindsey McAdams is described as a beautiful girl with blue eyes, a brunette, a down-to-earth attitude, and well-mannered. I’m leaning toward Josephine Langford, although she would have to fight for this role against Lily Reinhart. I chose those two actresses because of their looks and acting skills. In the After series, Josephine Langford has revealed her skills as a passionate lover with a tender but sharp romantic flare. I think that would fit her role as Lindsey McAdams, who usually doesn’t hold back her feelings for Kamao.

For the role of Brad McAdams, a white male in his sixties with prominent shoulders and imposing physical attributes and personality, I couldn’t find better actors than Brendan Gleeson and Jeff Daniels. Although Gleeson is my first choice, I wouldn’t be disappointed if Daniels is picked to play the role because of his more classy, political figure look.

Visit Elom Akoto's website.

--Marshal Zeringue

Tess Callahan's "Dawnland"

Tess Callahan is the author of the novels April & Oliver and Dawnland. Her essays and stories have appeared in the New York Times Magazine, Writer’s Digest, National Public Radio, Agni, Narrative Magazine, AWP Notebook, Newsday, The Common, the Best American Poetry blog, and elsewhere. Her TEDx talk on creativity is titled, “The Love Affair Between Creativity & Constraint.” Callahan is a graduate of Boston College and Bennington College Writing Seminars. A certified meditation teacher, she offers meditations on Heart Haven Meditations and Insight Timer. She curates Muse-feed.com, a toolbox for aspiring writers. A dual citizen of the United States and Ireland, she lives in Cape Cod and Northern New Jersey with her family and number one life coach, her dog.

Here Callahan dreamcasts an adaptation of Dawnland:

Because Dawnland is about love of all kinds—romantic, doomed, familial, fatalistic, erotic—it requires actors with a wide range and a director with an eye for subtlety. Set it in the spectacularly dynamic landscape of Cape Cod’s outermost beaches, the setting mirrors the inner life of the characters, who teeter on cliffs both literal and metaphorical. April and Oliver are in- laws with a tangled past. As their family reunion unfolds, their buried secret threatens to erupt like a rogue wave. Fault lines appear between spouses, siblings, parents and children in what becomes a summer of reckoning. Will the truth force deeper, more authentic relationships or destroy them irreparably? Anne Hathaway is a dead ringer for April, both physically and in terms of her personal zest and emotional range. In Dawnland, April’s husband Al says she has “Anne Hathaway eyes,”—dark, boundless, and full of mystery. From Brokeback Mountain to The Devil Wears Prada, Hathaway demonstrates the depth and versatility needed for a vibrant and often unpredictable character like April.

Although he is not (yet) an actor, the Irish musician Hozier is perfect for the role of Oliver. Not only are they both tall, lean, and quietly irreverent, they possess a rare blend of deep introspection and ferocious passion. Like Hozier, Oliver is a musician. They possess the same musical sensibility and vocal range. Hozier is mentioned in Dawnland as someone Oliver admires, and at one point Oliver and April dance to an iconic Hozier song, “Movement.” My confidence in Hozier’s acting ability lies in his music video, “Eat Your Young,” as well as his riveting performance on stage. His simmering passion perfectly suits the role of Oliver.

Hathaway and Hozier would melt any audience.

As for directing, Todd Haynes would be a natural. He has done compelling work exploring the inner life of musicians as well as family and societal dysfunction. Another great choice would be Marielle Heller, who has a deep understanding of teenage psychology and clearly grasps the consequences of long held lies.

Finally, I would go with Declan Baldwin as producer due to his wide range of experience and his highly nuanced films such as Manchester by the Sea and Still Alice.

Dawnland is highly cinematic novel begging for a movie. Who’s onboard?

Learn more about the novel and author at Tess Callahan's website.

The Page 69 Test: April and Oliver.

The Page 69 Test: Dawnland.

--Marshal Zeringue

Asha Greyling's "The Vampire of Kings Street"

Asha Greyling lives in Maryland with her furry four-footed muses, Gwin the terrier and a guinea pig who thinks she’s a cat. She likes nothing more than swinging in the playground (unless the local children scare her off), collecting acorns, or sitting down with a good book.

Here Greyling dreamcasts an adaptation of her new novel, The Vampire of Kings Street:

When I write, I visualize everything. It helps me set up a scene if I can see it in my mind’s eye as a movie. Sometimes I’m describing what I see, not at all what I’ve planned!

My dreamcast for The Vampire of Kings Street would be the following:

Simone Ashley – Simone Ashley has just the kind of flair, style, and attitude that I would imagine for Radhika Dhingra. Radhika is the descent of South Indian immigrants and now an aspiring lawyer in 19th century New York. There is a lot of colorism in India (and the world as a whole), so I deliberately made Radhika darker skinned than most of the Indian actresses you see in film, like Simone Ashley herself. I'd love to see Simone in this role!

Freddy Carter – For the vampire-accused-of-murder, Evelyn More, I think Freddy Carter would fit the role excellently. He’s great at playing ambiguous characters with both a dark and light side, which fits Evelyn exactly – characters who you could imagine being villainous but equally capable of heroism. And after all, maybe Evelyn More is the murderer – read to find out!

Florence Pugh – Florence Pugh’s spunky and no-nonsense performance would fit the character of daring reporter Jane Beverly to a “T.” Jane Beverly is an ambitious, free-spirited character—one of Radhika Dhingra’s few friends—who never lets society’s norms hold her back from her goals.

Visit Asha Greyling's website.

The Page 69 Test: The Vampire of Kings Street.

--Marshal Zeringue

Julie E. Czerneda's "A Change of Place"

Julie E. Czerneda is a biologist and writer whose science fiction has received international acclaim, awards, and best-selling status. She is the author of the popular "Species Imperative" trilogy, the "Web Shifters" series, the "Trade Pact Universe" trilogy and her new "Stratification" novels. She was a finalist for the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer. Her stand-alone novel, In the Company of Others, won Canada's Prix Aurora Award and was a finalist for the Philip K. Dick Award for Distinguished SF.

Here Czerneda shares some ideas for an epic series adaptation of her new novel, A Change of Place:

A Change of Place continues from two previous books in my Night’s Edge fantasy series. The characters are the same, though more arrive, the focal setting—Marrowdell—is always present, but in each book, we visit dramatically different places and problems. It’s, well, big.

Making it not so much a movie prospect and very much an epic series.

Just typing that makes me tremble, a little. Wouldn’t that be something?

Oh I didn’t always think that way. When I first thought of Marrowdell, my dragon, my characters and the entire scope and tone of the story it was in response to what I wasn’t finding. I wanted fantasy where the magic was wondrous and wild. With families that were whole and loving and coped together with their troubles. Characters who weren’t victims but happy or hoping to be, engaged with their surroundings and each other. There’s a mill. Farms. Dancing.

A story that feels like warm cocoa and a blanket on a chilly day, with gleeful ahas!

In other words, no grim. No gore. Okay, maybe a touch of gore and smidge of risk, but countered by a great deal more pie and joy and laughter.

As there wasn’t anything like this in movie or series form—and so much the opposite ::coughs Game of Thrones ::coughs:: as I wrote I never thought a visual edition of my fantasy would be possible. After all, it has moments like this:

As the light of this world faded, the light of the Verge reached the bay, or rather, shone up through it to reveal treasure below.

Mimrol.

The magic that flowed as rivers and filled lakes in the Verge did the same here, in the depths beneath the dark water, its silver like some fantastic etching come to life. In Channen, the stuff had fallen as rain, greedily snapped up by the turtle-like nyim—what wasn’t collected by those who knew its value.

Suggesting she did, Nonny stood, calmly handed Jenn her cup, then shrugged off her rags. Beneath she wore nothing but a woven belt lined with compartments.

With one smooth motion, she stepped up on the gunnel and dove.

Now, however, we’ve a wealth of amazing film and shows with incredible special effects to ably portray beautiful moments, like this, as well as all those action things (which I adore as well, don’t get me wrong). Most recently, the Rings of Power on Prime, season 2 directed by Charlotte Brändström, comes to mind*. Watching lets me truly imagine Marrowdell coming to life on a screen at last, which would be epic--many of my family and friends are movie folks, not so much readers.

And I’d like it too.

*Confession: like every author I know who watched Lord of the Rings I dreamed Peter Jackson would “discover” my book and make it a spectacular umpteen hour movie but--at the time I was writing Species Imperative, a hard sf epic, and I didn’t think it his sort of thing. Peter? Maybe now?

Visit Julie E. Czerneda's website.

The Page 69 Test: To Guard Against the Dark.

The Page 69 Test: The Gossamer Mage.

The Page 69 Test: Mirage.

Q&A with Julie E. Czerneda.

The Page 69 Test: To Each This World.

My Book, The Movie: To Each This World.

--Marshal Zeringue

J.H. Markert's "Sleep Tight"

J. H. Markert, the author of The Nightmare Man, Mister Lullaby, and Sleep Tight, is the pen name for writer James Markert, an award-winning novelist of historical fiction. Markert is a produced screenwriter, husband, and father of two from Louisville, Kentucky, where he was also a tennis pro for 25 years, before hanging up the racquets for good in 2020. He graduated with a degree in History from the University of Louisville in 1997 and has been writing ever since. With a total of 10 published novels under his belt, Markert writes historical fiction under his name and horror/thriller under J.H. Markert. He has recently completed his next historical novel, Ransom Burning, a civil rights era family/crime drama that Markert calls “my best book yet!” He recently finished another horror novel called Dig, and is currently hard at work on his next novel, Spider to the Fly.

Here Markert dreamcasts an adaptation of Sleep Tight:

I always envision “movie” when writing my novels, which means I inevitably think of certain characters when I create my stories and Sleep Tight was no exception. No budget could afford this cast, but in the spirit of sleeping tight, and sleeping right, we can dream, right?

As a Louisvillian, for the main character, I could think of no one other than Louisville’s own Jennifer Lawrence as my Detective Tess Claiborne. I’d be lying if I didn’t admit, in part, writing the story one day hoping she could play Tess!

As far as her husband Justin, I’d go with Chris Pine.

For Detective Danny Gomes, I’d go with a serious Jack Black.

For the incredibly difficult task of playing Noah Nichols, I’d love to have Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and for Father Silence, Joaquin Phoenix.

And for Lisa Buchanon I’d like to cast Lady Gaga!

Visit J.H. Markert's website.

Q&A with J. H. Markert.

My Book, The Movie: The Nightmare Man.

The Page 69 Test: The Nightmare Man.

--Marshal Zeringue

Sofie Kelly's "Furever After"

New York Times bestselling author, Sofie Kelly, writes the Magical Cats mysteries, set in the small town of Mayville Heights, Minnesota. As Sofie Ryan, she is the author of the popular bestselling Second Chance Cat mysteries that feature repurpose shop owner, Sarah Grayson, a group of senior sleuths and the world's oldest computer hacker.

Kelly has been a late night disk jockey—which explains her love of coffee--and taught absolutely terrified adults how to swim. Like Kathleen Paulson in the Magical Cats books, she practices Wu style Tai Chi. Kelly is also a mixed-media artist and likes to prowl thrift shops looking for things to re-purpose in her art.

Here she dreamcasts an adaptation of her new novel, Furever After:

Librarian Kathleen Paulson lives in Mayville Heights, a small town in Minnesota. In the latest book in the series, Furever After, she’s about to marry Detective Marcus Gordon. Kathleen gets tangled up in quite a few of Marcus’s cases. She’s kind and empathic and people tell her things. Kathleen is also very good at figuring out when someone is lying. Her parents are actors—primarily in the theatre—and she’s learned a lot about human nature from watching them. She has excellent research skills as well. And she has a couple of furry helpers, her cats, Owen and Hercules.

Owen and Hercules are not ordinary felines. There’s a reason this series is called the Magical Cats Mysteries. The cats each have a very unique skill. Owen can become invisible, and being a cat he doesn’t always disappear when it’s convenient for Kathleen. Hercules can walk through walls.

So which actor do I picture playing Kathleen if Hollywood decided to turn the series into a movie? Sandra Bullock. She’s equally good at comedy and drama. She looks right physically for the part. And she’s an animal lover. But Sandra is a little older than Kathleen, who is in her late thirties. However, I’m actually thinking about Sandra Bullock from about 2006 when she was in the movie The Lake House. (Don’t tell me the movie is stupid because I will stuff my fingers in my ears and start humming loudly.)

So if Sandra Bullock was cast as Kathleen I’m thinking maybe…maybe Keanu Reeves for Marcus? Yes, I know his eye color and age are all wrong but again I’m picturing Keanu circa 2006, which does fix the age issue. And I could be flexible about Marcus’s beautiful blue eyes.

So what do you think?

Visit Sofie Kelly's website.

My Book, The Movie: Curiosity Thrilled the Cat.

Writers Read: Sofie Kelly (October 2015).

The Page 69 Test: Faux Pas.

Writers Read: Sofie Kelly (September 2022).

Writers Read: Sofie Kelly.

--Marshal Zeringue

Bryn Turnbull's "The Berlin Apartment"

Bryn Turnbull is an internationally bestselling author of historical fiction. Equipped with a Master of Letters in Creative Writing from the University of St. Andrews, a Master of Professional Communication from Toronto Metropolitan University and a Bachelor's degree in English Literature from McGill University, Turnbull focuses on finding stories of women lost within the cracks of the historical record.

Her debut novel, The Woman Before Wallis, was named one of the top ten bestselling works of Canadian fiction for 2020 and became an international bestseller. Her second, The Last Grand Duchess, came out in February 2022 and spent eight weeks on the Globe & Mail and Toronto Star bestseller lists. It was followed by The Paris Deception, which came out in May 2023.

Here Turnbull dreamcasts an adaptation of her new novel, The Berlin Apartment:

The Berlin Apartment is a historical love story set in Cold War Berlin on both sides of the Berlin Wall. It’s a story of intrigue, passion and betrayal that spans decades, opening in the tense and sunlit summer days just before the Wall goes up – but within pages, we find friends, families and lovers separated overnight by circumstances far beyond their control.

At the start of the novel, Lise remarks that Uli resembles Buddy Holly, with narrow shoulders, a wide smile and heavy glasses – a classic ‘sixties university student, who, we later find out, will gain a certain familiarity with claustrophobic spaces. In terms of contemporary actors who might fit the bill, Uli would slide into the “Hot Rodent Men” trend fairly easily: someone like Mike Faist or Timothée Chalamet would, I think, carry off his guileless optimism and determination very well.

For Lise – Uli’s pregnant fiancée, trapped in East Berlin and searching desperately for a way out – we need someone who can play tough and soft at the same time: someone who can embody Lise’s seething, steely fury, simmering beneath a downtrodden exterior. Saiorse Ronan would be brilliant in the role – but then, she’s brilliant in every role.

As Inge, Lise’s best friend who becomes Uli’s second-in-command during the long and back-breaking process of working to free Lise from East Berlin, I always saw Elle Fanning, who would be able to capture her steady charm and pragmatism while also carrying off her glacial beauty.

Paul’s a trickier beast: in the novel, he’s described as blindingly handsome and charismatic, and loyal to a fault – a trait which lands him in situations where he’s forced to test the strengths of those loyalties, time and again. Will Poulter would make an ideal Paul: he’s got a certain ruthlessness that would come in handy.

Finally, I can’t leave Jurgen and Wolf, my second set of star-crossed lovers who help Uli in his quest to free Lise from East Berlin, out of my dream casting. I see Edward Bluemel as Jurgen and Regé-Jean Page as Wolf: two actors who could handle a love story worthy of its own novel.

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--Marshal Zeringue