Carmela Dutra's "Hot Wings and Homicide"

Carmela Dutra is a Bay Area–based author who writes cozy mysteries with sharp banter, strong sibling bonds, and the vibrant food culture of Northern California’s most eclectic region. Her Food Truck Mystery Series blends culinary competition, small-town secrets, and humor-forward sleuthing, all rooted in the distinctly diverse rhythms of the Bay Area.

Dutra's debut novel, A Murder Most Fowl, received praise from Kirkus Reviews for its “serious set of crimes leavened by plenty of amusing moments,” and from Criminal Element for the “juicy reasoning behind the sabotage [that] was almost as shocking as the murder itself.” New York Times bestselling author Ellery Adams called it “the perfect escapist read, brimming with banter and an extra helping of fun.” Dutra has also been featured in CrimeReads.

The second installment in the series, Hot Wings and Homicide, earned additional praise from Kirkus Reviews, which said, “Winner, winner, murder for dinner ... An entertaining mystery with amusing characters—including a pet chicken.” Further cementing the author’s voice in the cozy mystery space.

A frequent podcast guest and live-event panelist, Dutra has appeared on Bookish Flights, The Fiction Lounge, Cozy Crime Reads, and Bookshelf Odyssey, and has spoken at bookstores including Kepler’s Books & Magazines. She is known for her warm, engaging presence and her ability to connect with readers through humor, craft, and community.

Dutra lives in the Bay Area with her husband, two dinosaur-obsessed sons, and an assortment of over-cuddled pets. When she’s not writing, she can usually be found at a bookstore, a farmers’ market, or chasing the perfect chicken wing.

Here the author dreamcasts an adaptation of Hot Wings and Homicide:

Hot Wings and Homicide is the second book in my food truck cozy mystery series, set in the fictional Bay Area town of Clementine. Beth Lloyd and her twin brother Seth run a chicken food truck, Kluckin’ Good, that already attracts enough chaos on a normal day. Unfortunately, things escalate quickly when a local food festival ends in murder—and Beth’s ex-boyfriend, celebrity food critic Brad Dawson, winds up dead.

If the book were adapted into a movie or streaming series, I’d want it to fully lean into cozy chaos: colorful food festivals, quirky small-town personalities, fast-paced banter, and a mystery that unfolds somewhere between a fryer and a crime scene tape line. And, of course, one very opinionated, emotional-support chicken named Teriyaki.

The funny thing is, I didn’t write these characters with actors in mind. They existed fully formed in my imagination long before I ever considered casting them, which makes this both fun and slightly impossible. But after much consideration, there are a few actors who match the energy I picture on the page.

Beth, our fiercely loyal and perpetually in-over-her-head protagonist, immediately brings to mind Zoey Deutch. She has the perfect mix of comedic timing, warmth, and “trying desperately to hold it together while everything spirals out of control” energy. Beth is impulsive, stubborn, and just reckless enough to walk directly into situations she absolutely should avoid.

For Seth, Beth’s calmer (younger) twin and long-suffering business partner, I picture Will Poulter. Seth is practical, grounded, and constantly cleaning up Beth’s messes while pretending he isn’t invested in everything. Will Poulter brings exactly the dry humor and exasperated heart that fits him perfectly.

Rylie, Beth’s best friend and the fearless, chaotic heart of Kluckin’ Good, would absolutely be played by Molly Gordon. Rylie is equal parts chaos and loyalty, the type of person who would show up in a chicken costume at 7 a.m. without explanation and somehow still be the most emotionally stable person in the room. Molly Gordon’s natural, lived-in comedic energy makes her an ideal fit.

Detective Kane remains the hardest character for me to cast, which honestly feels appropriate for someone so controlled and hard to read. He’s stoic, observant, emotionally guarded, and not easily figured out by Beth, or anyone else. If I had to land somewhere, I’d say David Giuntoli comes closest to the tone I imagine. He seems grounded in intensity with a quiet, restrained presence. But Detective Kane still feels like a character who resists being neatly pinned down, even in casting.

And then there’s Brad Dawson, the ex-boyfriend, celebrity food critic, and walking example of charm curdling into arrogance. He needs to feel magnetic enough that you understand why Beth once dated him, but insufferable enough that his downfall doesn’t feel tragic so much as inevitable. Casting him comes down to a very specific energy: polished, handsome, and fully aware of it.

The two actors I keep circling are Jacob Elordi and Leo Woodall. Either could capture that slick, self-assured presence that makes Brad instantly compelling, and instantly exhausting. There’s also a hint of Glen Powell’s effortless charm in the mix, the kind of charisma that explains how Brad gets away with far too much for far too long.

At its heart, Hot Wings and Homicide is more than a mystery; it’s about family. Both biological and chosen. The kind you build over shared disasters, food trucks, and questionable life decisions. If an adaptation could capture that balance of humor, heart, and chaos (and include at least one perfectly judgmental chicken), I’d call it a win.

Visit Carmela Dutra's website.

Q&A with Carmela Dutra.

Writers Read: Carmela Dutra.

--Marshal Zeringue

K.M. Colley's "The Roaring Ridleys"

K.M. Colley writes thrillers, contemporary mysteries, and cinematic stories that explore legacy and ambition. Her work often centers around powerful families, glamorous settings, and complex characters. Born in Mobile, Alabama, she’s currently based in Tampa and Philadelphia. When not writing or reading, Colley enjoys traveling, learning new languages, and building a creative legacy. She’s also passionate about raising her autistic daughter, who dreams of creating her own comic book one day.

Here Colley deamcasts an adaptation of her new novel, The Roaring Ridleys:

This is my dream question because, as an actress and author, I love blending these worlds together. I always have in mind who I would like to play my characters. So in The Roaring Ridleys, each sibling comes from a different part of the world, such as India, Egypt, Hong Kong, France, the UK, Argentina, and the USA. So I had to be incredibly visual when writing these characters.

Kavita would have to be Avantika. She was the first character I imagined with only her in mind. I don't know how I would go further if Avantika couldn't do it! She is absolutely perfect for this role.

Adesua was definitely me. So, getting to create my own worlds, I always saw myself playing her!

For Amelia, that was a tricky one for reasons the reader will know, but I eventually thought of Nico Parker. She is an absolutely accurate representation of Amelia’s character, and I feel she would give the same energy.

I have to start off strong with the brothers; Wei gives Simu Liu vibes, for sure.

Diego was one of the first characters I thought of, and Manu Ríos would be a perfect choice. He was phenomenal in Elite, a murder-mystery show.

Omar is still to this day the hardest one to choose, actor-wise, because of his height and frame. Mena Massoud and Adam Bakri would both be excellent in this role.

Henrik has the innocence of a younger brother, but is very quick on his feet and energetic. I can only see Rudy Pankow from Outerbanks playing him. Who knows though? There are so many amazing actors from which to choose!

For the director, I would love Ryan Murphy because of the fantastic job he did with the Netflix series, Hollywood. He was able to blend fiction with historical relevance, making it absolutely beautiful and glamorous for the era I am going for. I am also a huge Ryan Coogler fan since the beginning. I absolutely love his most recent work in Sinners because it was set in the city where I was raised, Clarksdale, Mississippi.

Visit K.M. Colley’s website.

--Marshal Zeringue

Susan McGuirk's "Dear Missing Friend"

Susan McGuirk posts about historical fiction heroines on her blog “The Storied Sisters Society” on Bluesky, Substack, and on her website. McGuirk worked at Anthology Film Archives, a historical film museum, where she received its Film Preservation Award and serves on the Board of Advisors. She honed her writing skills at HBO, composing hundreds of in-house film reviews. After running a media mentoring program at City College of New York, McGuirk accepted the President’s Award. She lives with her husband in New York City.

Here the author dreamcasts an adaptation of her debut novel, Dear Missing Friend:

I spent years working in film programming. I read a lot of scripts and felt comfortable with dramatic writing. I’m also a big theater fan, so dialogue and images are how I thought about stories. I’m also a visual person, so being able to see the characters faces in my mind’s eye was important to me. I found images on antique photo sites to use as mental illustrations of each character. I did the same with the settings to better imagine the characters’ dwelling places.

So, picking a dream director and cast for a movie adaption of Dear Missing Friend is my idea of fun!

To start here is a short version of the story:

Catherine McGuirk leaves Ireland and a shipboard suitor behind for a new life in Sag Harbor, New York. At the height of the 1840s whaling era, Cath marries a handsome sailor who promises to forsake the sea. Instead, he leaves for the gold rush, spurring her quest to become a governess in Manhattan. Cath continues to be torn between her ambition, her missing husband, and her former beau, now a wealthy speculator.

My dream director: Joe Wright. He directed one of the all-time great historical fiction films, the 2005 version of Pride and Prejudice. His 2017 Darkest Hour is one of the great Winston Churchill movies of all.

Here’s my dream team cast (culled from past and present).

Catherine McGuirk, protagonist who goes from teenager to bride to governess: Jesse Buckley

Michael Heffernan, husband who goes off whaling and then to the gold rush: Paul Mezcal (the pre-Gladiator physique)

Michael Lynch, unrequited former love of Catherine who hits it rich: Chris O’Dowd

Tor McGuirk, family patriarch and rule enforcer: a younger Liam Neeson

Frank McGuirk, ne’er do well but lovable scalawag of a brother: younger Gerard Butler

Susan Fee, bride of Tor and best friend of Catherine from home: a younger Kelly Macdonald

Jane Perdue, Catherine’s friend and neighbor who is half Native American and African American: Kali Reis, Emmy nominee in True Detective: Night Country with Jody Foster

Ellen Heffernan, Michael’s sister whom Catherine watches over: a younger Emily Watson

John McGuirk, young brother left behind in Ireland who gets caught in famine: Domhnall Gleeson or Jack Quaid

Visit Susan McGuirk's website.

--Marshal Zeringue

Cynthia Swanson's "This Isn’t New"

Cynthia Swanson is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the psychological suspense novels The Bookseller, The Glass Forest, and Anyone But Her, and the new short story collection This Isn’t New: Women’s Historical Stories. Swanson was named 2025 Indie Author of the Year by the Indie Author Project, has received the Colorado Book Award (twice) and the WILLA Literary Award, won the Indie Author Project contest, and been a finalist for the High Plains Book Award, the WILLA Literary Award, and the CAL Award. She is also the editor of the award-winning anthology Denver Noir. She lives with her family in Denver.

Here Swanson dreamcasts an adaptation of one of the stories in This Isn’t New:

Because This Isn’t New: Women’s Historical Stories is a short story collection, I’m focusing on a singular story as I think about the book as a movie. This is something we’ve seen Hollywood do: the movies Brokeback Mountain, based on Annie Proulx’s story of the same title, and Hitchcock’s Rear Window, based on Cornell Woolrich’s story “It Had to Be Murder,” are but two examples.

There’s potential for quite a few of the stories in This Isn’t New to be expanded into movies, but one story that stands out to me as a possibility is, ironically, titled “A Possibility Nonetheless.” It’s 1965, and the main character, Caro, is an aspiring musician who has just spent several weeks cold turkey detoxing from heroin as she and her boyfriend, Gene, drive cross-country to relocate from New York City to San Diego. In this place of hippies on the beach and surfers in the waves, Caro feels like her soul has come home. Gene is less enamored, especially when, as an unemployed college dropout, he’s confronted with the sight of transport ships filled with draftees headed to Vietnam. When Gene flees San Diego, Caro must grapple head-on with a potential slide back into addiction.

So who would play Caro? I can absolutely see Sadie Sink in this role. I wrote a draft of this story years ago, and Sadie Sink wasn’t on my radar then, but I’ve always pictured Caro as a redhead, and it’s easy for me to envision Sadie in the role. I loved her as a badass teenager in Stranger Things, and I’d enjoy seeing her in a more adult role, taking on Caro’s challenges in “A Possibility Nonetheless.” I also think it would be fun to see Sadie in a period piece like “A Possibility Nonetheless.” She’d be an excellent choice for free-spirited yet conflicted Caro.

Visit Cynthia Swanson's website.

The Page 69 Test: The Bookseller.

The Page 69 Test: The Glass Forest.

Writers Read: Cynthia Swanson (February 2018).

Q&A with Cynthia Swanson.

The Page 69 Test: Anyone But Her.

--Marshal Zeringue

Kayla Hardy's "The Quarter Queen"

Kayla Hardy is a mythology expert and multi-hyphenate author and screenwriter of Louisiana Creole descent. She earned her PhD in creative writing and African American literature from SUNY Binghamton University. Hardy is an adjunct professor at SUNY Binghamton University and is an accomplished scholar of Black folklore, mythology, and Voodoo.

Here she dreamcasts an adaptation of The Quarter Queen, her first novel:

The Quarter Queen is the story of New Orleans’ infamous Voodoo Queen, Marie Laveau and her daughter, Marie Laveau II set within a morally gray fantasy that tackles magical factional politics within a racialized 19th century context. At its heart, it is a tumultuous mother-daughter story where Marie’s rebellious daughter must retrace her mother’s past to find answers to very real circling threats in the present. Secretive and filled with awe-inspiring magic, Marie is a figure few can truly know, even her own daughter.

For me, because The Quarter Queen began as a television pilot in its original form, there was always only one actress I pictured capable of tackling Marie’s complex dual nature—and that is Thandiwe Newton. With a take-no-prisoners ferocity and an almost ethereal sensitivity, she remains the immediate choice for Marie’s fiery power and spiritual sageness. Naturally the next question became, but who would play Marie “Ree” Laveau II? And I have to admit that my agent had a pretty great idea that Thandiwe’s actual daughter, Nico Parker, should play Ree. It would be iconic to see an actual mother-daughter duo take on the Maries, an endeavor I can only imagine would lend itself to an authentic dynamic it would be hard to recreate otherwise.

Visit Kayla Hardy's website.

The Page 69 Test: The Quarter Queen.

Q&A with Kayla Hardy.

--Marshal Zeringue