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

T. Greenwood's "Everything Has Happened"

T. Greenwood grew up in rural Vermont in the 1970s. She began writing stories at seven years old and wrote her first "novel" at nine on her dad's electric typewriter.

Since then, she has published sixteen novels. She has received grants from the Sherwood Anderson Foundation, the Christopher Isherwood Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Maryland State Arts Council. She has won three San Diego Book Awards. Five of her novels have been Indie Next picks. Bodies of Water was finalist for a Lambda Foundation award, and Keeping Lucy was a Target Book Club Pick.

Here Greenwood dreamcasts an adaptation of her new novel, Everything Has Happened:

I have been told before that my writing is cinematic, and I think that comes from my deep love of movies. (I often say that in another life, I would have studied film in college.) When I write a novel, I approach each scene like a cinematographer - with a keen eye for detail and physical nuance, with vivid descriptions that help place readers in the moment. I try to create work that provides a sensory experience for the reader rather than a cerebral one.

I don't "cast" my novels per se, but after the novel is done, I often dream about who would play the characters in a film version of the book.

Everything Has Happened is a dual timeline literary mystery about a little boy who goes missing in 1986. The story is narrated by his older sister, Edie, both in the months leading up to his disappearance and nearly forty years later when the cold case is reopened. But in addition to being a mystery, the novel is also a sapphic love story about two young women at the precipice of their lives, and how the secrets they keep change their respective trajectories forever.

Edie Marshall, the narrator, is seventeen in 1986. She's a runner and an aspiring poet obsessed with Sylvia Plath. She comes from a traditional, middle-class family, her mother a pediatric nurse, and her father a carpenter. Trillium Jenkins (Trill) is new to school their senior year, the daughter of counter-culture parents, now living with her mother and older brother, Jericho, on the grounds of a defunct commune. Trill cracks Edie's world wide-open. She is magic. But just as Edie is exploring who she is and who she might be outside the confines of this small town, her little brother disappears, and Trill's brother, Jericho, is the only suspect.

Here is my dream cast for the main roles:

Young Edie: Odessa A'zion

Adult Edie: Pamela Adlon (A'zion's real-life mom!)

Young Trill: Maya Hawke

Adult Trill: Uma Thurman (Hawke's real-life mom!)

Jericho Jenkins: Jesse Plemons (Maybe makeup could make him both young and older.)

Visit Tammy Greenwood's website.

My Book, The Movie: Rust and Stardust.

The Page 69 Test: Rust and Stardust.

Writers Read: T. Greenwood (August 2019).

The Page 69 Test: Keeping Lucy.

My Book, The Movie: Keeping Lucy.

Q&A with T. Greenwood.

The Page 69 Test: Such a Pretty Girl.

My Book, The Movie: The Still Point.

--Marshal Zeringue

Jennifer Pearson's "Drop Dead Famous"

Jennifer Pearson is a former teacher and author who lives in the northeast of England with two energetic boys and her somewhat energetic husband. She’s the author of several middle grade novels, writing as Jenny Pearson, and has been short-listed for the Costa Children’s Book Award and the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize, and was the winner of the Lollies (Laugh Out Loud Book Awards). When she’s not writing, Pearson can either be found doing something sporty or binge-watching true crime documentaries while eating astounding quantities of cheese.

Here Pearson dreamcasts an adaptation of her new novel, Drop Dead Famous:

In Drop Dead Famous, global popstar Blair Baker is murdered during her triumphant hometown show. The world is shaken but for her younger sister Stevie, it’s deeply personal. What starts as a search for answers pulls Stevie into the dark, toxic side of fame, where secrets, lies, and betrayal hit closer to home than she ever expected.

When I was writing Stevie, I had Emily Hampshire who plays Stevie Budd in Schitt’s Creek in my mind, but as she’s even older than me, so, unfortunately, I don’t think I can cast her in the role. Instead, I’d go for Jessica Barden. Stevie needs someone who can balance vulnerability with an offbeat edge, and Barden excels at exactly that. Known for her ability to portray complex, emotionally layered characters, shecould capture Stevie’s inner struggles and sharp wit effortlessly.

Colby brings the spark of fun and energy that keeps the story from getting too heavy. That’s why McKenna Grace is such a strong fit. She has a natural charm and quickness that would highlight Colby’s lighter, more playful side, while still grounding her in real emotion.

Blair needs star power and someone who understands fame, image, and the pressure that comes with it. While Drop Dead Famous was inspired by Taylor Swift’s Eras tour, I think Miley Cyrus would make a great Blair as she would bring a more rebellious, unpredictable energy, highlighting Blair’s chaotic or emotionally raw edges.

Ted McGinley’s recent work in Shrinking shows exactly why he’d be such a strong Frank. He excels as showing the protective, loving father. And Katie Lowes who recently played Jill in Hunting Wives would make a great Marnie. She nails that southern accent and would bring wit, warmth and a bit of edge to the Stevie’s mom.

Noah Jupe has built a reputation for delivering emotionally mature performances, and that makes him an ideal Oliver. Oliver’s role likely requires quiet strength, and Jupe could bring that in a way that feels natural and compelling.

Jharrel Jerome is a standout choice for Trent not just because of his acting ability, but because of his presence. He has a distinctive, expressive look that naturally draws attention on screen which is perfect for a character like Trent. Beyond that, Jerome’s background in music adds another layer to his casting.

For Blair’s manager, I’d choose Jon Hamm. He naturally gives off that smooth, powerful, industry-insider vibe, but can easily layer in arrogance and sleaze. He’d make Kirk feel like someone who’s been controlling careers for decades.

Visit Jenny Pearson's website.

--Marshal Zeringue

April Howells's "The Unforgettable Mailman"

With a background in magazine publishing, April Howells has built a career in global communications and employer branding. Raised in southern Ontario, she now resides on the west coast of Canada with her husband and a Greater Swiss Mountain Dog named Chief.

The Unforgettable Mailman is her debut novel.

Here Howells dreamcasts an adaptation of the new novel:

If The Unforgettable Mailman got optioned for a movie, I would cast Harrison Ford as Henry. (Please say yes, Harrison!) I can picture him bringing the humour and determination of Henry to the role, capturing hearts the same way he has in Shrinking and the Indiana Jones franchise.

I’d also cast Morgan Freeman as Stan, Henry’s close friend and confidante. Morgan Freeman was a substitute letter carrier in San Francisco in 1965, and it would be amazing to have him revive that role on screen.

I didn’t have either actor in mind while writing. My characters are so fully themselves in my mind, I never see them as anyone else. But, if I’m allowed to dream, this is my all-star cast.

I often hear from readers that they think it would make a wonderful film and I wholeheartedly agree. Plus, the Old Chicago Post Office is a rentable building now! I wonder if Steven Spielberg is looking to take on another 60s film inspired by true events?

Visit April Howells's website.

Q&A with April Howells.

--Marshal Zeringue

Helen Benedict's "The Soldier's House"

Helen Benedict, a British-American professor of journalism at Columbia University, is the author of nine novels, six books of nonfiction, and a play.

Here she dreamcasts an adaptation of her new novel, The Soldier's House:

I've always imagined The Soldier's House as a play or a movie, set, as it is, in a house and community in upstate New York, with flashbacks to Iraq. The three main characters in the novel are Naema, an Iraqi widow; Khalil, her husband, who appears in flashbacks before he is killed; and Jimmy, an American soldier.

Even though Riz Ahmed isn't Iraqi, or even an Arab, he would be a perfect Khalil: handsome, charismatic, deeply kind and yet determined. I would also love to see the Irish actor Paul Macal play Jimmy Donnell, if he can do a good American accent. But most important of all would be who play Naema. My choice is the Moroccan actor, Oumaima Barid, whose beauty, intelligence and intensity match those of Naema.

But there is one more principal character, too: Tariq, Naema's little one-legged son, who is full of life, curiosity and bravado. I have no idea who could play him, but all suggestions welcome.

Visit Helen Benedict's website.

My Book, The Movie: Sand Queen.

The Page 69 Test: Sand Queen.

The Page 69 Test: Wolf Season.

Q&A with Helen Benedict.

The Page 69 Test: The Good Deed.

--Marshal Zeringue

Garrett Curbow's "Whispers of Ink and Starlight"

Garrett Curbow is the author of Whispers of Ink and Starlight and the Daughter of Light trilogy, which was short-listed for the Publishers Weekly Selfies Award. He lives in Savannah, Georgia.

Here Curbow dreamcasts an adaptation of Whispers of Ink and Starlight:

We have made it to the future and Whispers of Ink and Starlight is being adapted into a film! Yay! In this fictitious reality, I, the author, get total executive control over who will direct this adaptation and which actors will star in it.

Whispers of Ink and Starlight is a coming-of-age, literary romance with a heavy dash of magical realism. It follows Nelle, a young woman written into life, and her relationship with James, a young man from a small town in Georgia, as they juggle the independence of adulthood and Nelle’s magical drawbacks.

For the director, I would hire Greta Gerwig. Coming off the tails of Barbie (2023), Little Women (2019), and the upcoming The Chronicles of Narnia adaptation, I want her directorial vision more than anyone else’s. Whispers of Ink and Starlight is a dangerous novel to adapt because it travels fluidly between genres. If someone tries to make a romantic drama out of it, or if they ignore the romance in favor of the magic system, they will lose the heart of the book.

It’s important to hire a director that has illustrated in the past that they can execute a unique, singular vision. Barbie is a perfect example of this. While tonally different from Whispers of Ink and Starlight, if any other writer or director had tried to make Barbie, they would have failed. Gerwig is skilled at balancing writing that contradicts visuals, and does so in a style that makes both elements shine together. I trust her to understand the breath and life of this book, and to translate it from page to screen.

There are three main roles that I want to discuss. The first two, James and Nelle, are arguably the most important and, therefore, the most difficult to cast.

For Nelle, I would cast Mckenna Grace. She is a talented actor who has been working since she was a child, and as a young adult now, she would be the right age to play Nelle. More than any other actors in this age group, I think she would be able to pull off Nelle’s fire, her strength, and her thirst for life.

James is harder for me to cast. Ideally, I would find a time traveling device, go back to 2004, and hire a young Milo Ventimiglia, the actor who played Jess in Gilmore Girls. He has the perfect look for James, and he would bring a layer to the character that would be exciting to see on-screen. In reality, I would love to cast an unknown actor to play James.

The third role is Wallace Quill, Nelle’s father. For this role, I would cast none other than Penn Badgley (Dan from Gossip Girl, Joe Goldberg from You). No one else could switch between Quill’s bone-chilling stare and charismatic smile in the blink of an eye like him.

Now that we have a director and our lead actors locked down, I can’t wait for the world to see my book, the movie.

Visit Garrett Curbow's website.

Q&A with Garrett Curbow.

Writers Read: Garrett Curbow.

The Page 69 Test: Whispers of Ink and Starlight.

--Marshal Zeringue

Diana Awad's "As Far as She Knew"

Diana Awad is an Arab American who grew up all over the world as the daughter of a United States Foreign Service Officer. After college, she became a local television journalist and often covered stories about violent crimes and mysterious disappearances. She eventually decided to write her own stories with unexpected endings. Awad also writes historical romance as Diana Quincy and historical mystery as D. M. Quincy. She is now happily settled in Virginia but still gets the itch to explore far-off places. When she’s not bent over her laptop, Awad reads, devours streaming thriller series, and plots her next travel adventure.

Here the author dreamcasts an adaptation of her new novel, As Far as She Knew:

I didn’t have any particular actors in mind when I wrote As Far as She Knew but would love to dreamcast my novel. Because representation absolutely matters, I’d want the majority of Arab American characters in the novel to be played by actors of Arab descent. Unfortunately, there are so few Arab Americans working in American TV and film that it would be difficult to come up with a comprehensive list, but I do have some thoughts.

A younger version of the Palestinian-American actor Waleed Zuaiter would be perfect in the role of Ali, husband of the lead character, Amira. Ali dies off page in the first scene but features prominently in flashbacks throughout the novel. Zuaiter, who I last saw in the miniseries The Girlfriend with Robin Wright, could effectively capture Ali’s quiet strength, kindness and empathy. 

For Ayla, Amira and Ali’s college-age daughter, I’d turn to Josie Totah, an actress best known to me for her role in The Buccaneers. I think Totah, who is of Palestinian and Lebanese descent, could portray the character’s outward grit and strength, as well as her inner emotional turmoil. 

Alia Shawkat, an American actress of Iraqi descent, would be perfect for the role of Lulu, Amira’s thirtysomething, straight talking, former wild child younger sister. Skawkat has embodied some of those qualities in shows like Arrested Development and Severance. 

I also have an idea of who would do a masterful job directing a movie or miniseries version of As Far as She Knew, and that is Cherien Dabis, an acclaimed Palestinian- American actress and director who excels in Arab American storytelling. Her multi- generational Palestinian family drama, All That’s Left of You, was shortlisted for an Academy Award for best international feature. Dabis has also directed episodes of Only Murders in the Building, so she knows her way around producing compelling shows with mystery elements.

Mostly though, since As Far as She Knew is published by Mindy’s Book Studio, it would be a dream if Mindy Kaling wanted to develop this project for the screen. With her writing and producing talents, my novel could not be in more capable hands.

Visit Diana Awad's website.

--Marshal Zeringue

Pamela Steele's "In The Fields of Fatherless Children"

Pamela Steele holds an MFA in Poetry from Spalding University. Her books include Paper Bird: Poems and Greasewood Creek. She has been awarded residencies and fellowships by the Djerassi Resident Artists Program in Woodside, California; the Hindman Settlement School Oak Ledge, in Knott County, Kentucky; the Jentel Artist Residency in Banner, Wyoming; and Fishtrap’s Gathering of Writers in Joseph, Oregon. She lives on a ranch in the high desert of Eastern Oregon.

Here Steele dreamcasts an adaptation of her new novel, In the Fields of Fatherless Children:

June, sixteen and pregnant, lives with her mother and stepfather in the Appalachian mountains in the Vietnam Era. When her baby girl is born, Isom, her stepfather steals it and June sets off on a journey to find her.

The abundance of the novel's strong female characters calls for a female director. Greta Gerwig is my choice, hands down. She's amazing, especially with her direction of Lady Bird.

In the Fields of Fatherless Children is a polyphonic novel told in third person and the first person voices of Bethel and Granny, the main character’s mother and grandmother.

June, the main character, is seventeen, resourceful and resilient, but suffering a quiet rage.

June’s physical appearance harkens to her Scots-Irish-Cherokee ancestors. Sadie Sink, of Stranger Things, is 23 but looks seventeen and I have no trouble seeing her standing up to Isom, her step-father, or searching a flooded holler or scavenging for food and tools.

Tom, June’s older brother, is protective and tender and doesn’t want to spend his life digging coal. As I wrote the novel, Tom seemed dangerously fragile at times. Alas, Eddie Redmayne, perfect for the part, is too old. Youthful Ian Belcher (26) of Lost in Space can be trusted to portray Tom’s complexities.

Bethel, June’s mother, is hard-working, highly religious and a witness to Isom’s cruelties. I’ve imagined her to be lush, with a round, youthful face. Merritt Wever (46), of Nurse Jackie, will fit the bill.

June’s step-father, Isom, suffers from black lung disease. He’s stubborn, overbearing and not above doing people dirty. Recently, I watched James McAvoy (47), a favorite since Atonement, in the 2021 film My Son and marveled at his telegraphing of emotion using only the slightest movement of an eyebrow. As an experiment, every other actor in My Son except McAvoy worked from a script. He nailed it and would do a fine job of playing mercurial Isom.

While drafting the novel, I imagined Sol, the antagonist, being played by John Hawkes (66). I fell in love with Hawkes in Winter’s Bone. As Ree’s uncle Teardrop, he conveys a sense of justice and family loyalty. He’d be right at home in my novel.

The part of Ellis calls for a boy of eighteen with dark features. My lack of awareness about new, young actors sent me to IMDB. Liam Woodrum (22) of Geek Girl, seems fitting. Like Ellis, he emits a vulnerable and brooding vibe.

June Diane Raphael (47) of The Morning Show, is a natural for the role of Beauty. She’s lovely and elegant and grounded. Sorry, Amy Adams. You had your chance and blew it on that other movie.

I’ve paired Amy Lou Wood (32), exquisite in The White Lotus, who deserves higher visibility in a screenplay, and Lewis Pullman (33), of Thunderbolts to portray Rena, June’s older sister and Walk, her husband.

Granny Carrie is the local midwife, historian and advocate for women’s reproductive health. She’s progressive and empathetic. Jane Alexander (86), known for her role in Kramer vs. Kramer, is perfect to play Carrie, who won’t stop her work until she loses her command over the natural order of things.

Lastly, we cast Granny, the loving ghost who wants desperately to help June. Granny is pragmatic and wise, a caretaker of the cultural knowledge of the Southern Appalachian mountains. For this reason, I’ve chosen Amy Madigan (76), recent Oscar winner for her role in the terrifying film Weapons. I can’t wait to hear my native dialect in her mischievous, scritchy- scratchy voice.

One last thought: like my friend Willie Edward Taylor Carver Jr., previously featured on this blog, I feel that Walton Goggins is a must-have for any film peopled by Appalachian characters. I’ve loved him since I saw him in the role of Boyd Crowder in Justified. His Boyd reminded me so much of elder men I knew in childhood, who seemed slightly dangerous, but had a good heart in them. I’ll start working on a part just for Walton right away.

Follow Pamela Steele on Facebook, Instagram, and Threads.

--Marshal Zeringue

Rebecca Morrison's "The Blue Dress"

Rebecca Morrison is a lawyer and writer. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, TODAY, NBC News, Salon, HuffPost, and Newsweek, among others. She was born in Iran, and now lives in the Washington DC area with her husband and two kids.

Here Morrison shares some ideas for the above the line talent for an adaptation of The Blue Dress, her debut novel:

I didn’t have any actors in mind when I was writing The Blue Dress, but if it were ever made into a film, I would hope they cast Iranian-American actors. The story is based on my life and follows a 13-year-old Iranian girl who comes to America. She has a deep yearning to belong, a crush on a boy, and is navigating a complicated and heartbreaking relationship with her mother, who pushes her to lose weight. There's an actress in the new reboot of Scrubs, Layla Mohammadi, who’d be wonderful as the mother in my story. The mom is a complex character that we judge harshly at first, but then empathise and maybe even root for at the end.

And this might sound a little crazy, but I’d want Jacob Tierney, the director of Heated Rivalry to do the movie. I love the way he handles the tension of a crush. When you’re thirteen, those feelings are enormous. I think he would do such a beautiful job capturing Yasmin’s experiences, some of which are so dark, painful, and full of shame. Even though that show was made for adults, so much of it is about emotional intensity. And that fits so well with the feelings of adolescence, the angst, the longing, the rivalries, the pain, the feeling that everything matters so much. He could bring Yasmin’s experience to life: her first serious conflict with her mom, first time she hurts her body with her eating disorder, first time being vilified for her ethnicity, her first crush and nemesis, all the big emotional stakes of trying to figure out who she is in a new world.

Visit Rebecca Morrison's website.

--Marshal Zeringue

Albertine Clarke's "The Body Builders"

Albertine Clarke received an MFA in fiction from the University of Florida and studied English Literature at the University of Edinburgh where she won the Lewis Edwards Memorial prize for creative writing. Raised in London, she now lives in Brooklyn, NY.

Here Clarke dreamcasts an adaptation of The Body Builders, her debut novel:

The Body Builders follows an alienated young woman, Ada, who believes her body has been replaced with an identical synthetic copy. Her relationship with Atticus, an older, married man, and the breakdown of her relationship with her mother, are the triggers which send her spiralling out of reality and into a self-directed dream-space designed especially for her.

I watch a lot of movies, and I wrote the book with cinematography always in the back of my mind. Even before I started writing I knew who I would want to direct it: Yorgos Lanthimos, with his uncanny ability to walk the line between tragedy and farce. Yorgos, if you’re reading, I’m waiting for you.

So, if Yorgos is our director, who would play Ada? Emma Stone, Yorgos’s longtime collaborator, wouldn’t be quite right. Ada is cold and detached, tormented by her feelings of unreality, the lack of connection between her and the world around her. I imagine somebody somewhat stormy and androgynous. Emma D’Arcy, who I recently saw in Alexander Zeldin’s play The Other Place, would be ideal.

In the first part of the novel, Ada spends time primarily with her cousin Francesca, and her friend and occasional love interest Patrick. Francesca is manic, performative, sexually chaotic – everything that Ada’s not. Sydney Sweeney, with her talent for playing women who are desperate to be wanted, seems like a good fit, but could she nail the British accent? Patrick is robust, attractive, grounded. He is the connection between Ada and the world around her, even if ultimately he fails to reach her. Leo Woodall has the right type of charisma, or Daniel Kalyuua.

Ada’s mother and father are the other two major characters in the first half. Arnold Schwarzneggar unquestionably is the father, who is a body builder with German heritage (making him Austrian felt too on-the-nose). I watched Pumping Iron more than once while I was writing the novel. Ada’s mother would be played by whoever Yorgos felt was best.

In the second part of the novel, things get weirder. Ada moves from the “real world” to The Facility, a supernatural environment where her thoughts and feelings manifest externally. The Facility is ruled over by Don, an extraterrestrial being wearing the face of a middle-aged man, dressed in a doctor’s white coat. Who walks the line between unsettling and strangely comforting? Tramell Tillman, or Jon Hamm.

Finally, there’s Atticus, charismatic, sensitive, slippery, attractive in a way that is not immediately obvious. He’s also the only American character, heralding from Los Angeles. There are many men who could play this role, but for me, it could only be Al Pacino in his Michael Mann-directed era of Heat or The Insider. Since those days are long past, I would settle for Bradley Cooper or Matthew McConaughey, both icons of American masculinity who both look like they occasionally dip into Russian literature.

Follow Albertine Clarke on Instagram.

Q&A with Albertine Clarke.

--Marshal Zeringue

Megan Jauregui Eccles's "Sing the Night"

Megan Jauregui Eccles lives in the foothills of San Diego and is a writer, poet, and professor at John Paul the Great Catholic University. Her gothic fantasy novel, Sing the Night, explores the ambition and grief of being an artist. When she’s not writing or rehoming rattlesnakes, she plays Dungeons and Dragons with her husband and six kids. She holds an MFA in Fiction from UCR—Palm Desert.

Here Eccles shares some thoughts on the artist who may be best suited to adapt her new novel for the big screen:

Since Sing the Night is a Phantom of the Opera inspired gothic fantasy, the obvious choice, the only choice is the great Guillermo del Toro. He is the king of atmosphere, of gothic symbolism, of nuance. I have been inspired by his use of color for metaphor and have integrated that into my own work. I also find his casting to be thoughtful and would defer to him on all of that, hoping that he would highlight lesser-known actors and actresses.

One aspect of Sing the Night that makes it interesting for adaptation is the music. I have some of the motifs for magic in my mind but would not want to stand in the way of a composer with a vision. I love adaptation that captures the spirit of the work, not necessarily relying on direct source material. I am a firm believer that for the literature, the book will always be the same and a great screenwriter and director can transport an adaptation into a new and engaging form of art.

Guillermo del Toro, call me.

Visit Megan Jauregui Eccles's website.

--Marshal Zeringue

Willie Edward Taylor Carver, Jr.'s "Tore All to Pieces"

Willie Edward Taylor Carver, Jr. is an advocate, educator, author, and Kentucky Teacher of the Year. His work is focused on advocating for LGBTQ+ rights and creating inclusive spaces for students, especially within the context of Appalachia. He is the author of Tore All to Pieces, a fragmented novel about a small town in Appalachia and the interconnectedness of our identities, as well as Gay Poems for Red States, a bestselling collection of narrative poetry about his childhood growing up queer in Appalachia.

Here Carver dreamcasts an adaptation of Tore All to Pieces:

Tore All to Pieces is a fragmented novel set in the imaginary town of Mosely, Kentucky. It has no single main character. And I’ll be damned if the first name out of my mouth for the film adaptation isn’t a sophisticated French twink: Timothée Chalamet.

My first casting thought goes to Patrick, and it’s obvious to me I’d choose that Call Me by Your Name pretty boy. Patrick is young, queer, opening up, full of vibrato and hope. He thinks he’s beautiful, despite being conditioned to believe otherwise, and finally realizes he is worth something. Chalamet shows us passion for life in Call Me by Your Name, and he most recently proved to us all in Marty Supreme that he can get into the head of a character and find human DNA in conversational dialogue. I imagine him under a railroad bridge, pulse flying as trains shake the world like thunder. I can see his swaggering, drunken 3:00 a.m. calls for affirmation, swimming nude in a lake surrounded by hills and trees.

There are a lot of older women in Tore All to Pieces because I want to center people whose stories don’t get told. One of my favorites is a lunchroom cook named Wanda. She is no-nonsense, hard-working, and longs to be needed on her terms. Hollywood rarely builds movies around women who look like Wanda—so I went in a different direction from the bespectacled owl of a woman I imagine. I choose Kathy Bates. She isn’t how I picture Wanda, but she has the strength and love for other women this role needs. She can remake Wanda in a new form—with the transformative energy she gave us in Fried Green Tomatoes and the stoic endurance of Dolores Claiborne. Bates will translate the unspoken dignity. She could show you her soul while stirring up gravy.

If we’re honest, I don’t know how many American actors could pull off an eastern Kentucky accent. Luckily, Helena Bonham Carter isn’t American. I’d love to see her play Joyce, the Sunday School teacher. It doesn’t seem obvious, because Joyce would need to be played as earnest, devout, even sanctimonious. But inside is the constant threat of unraveling, one she avoids. Helena Bonham Carter has a gift for portraying women who are composed on the surface and volcanic underneath. She brought such tension to Princess Margaret in The Crown, and such frothing madness to so many other roles. She could find the unarticulated, but ever-present tick inside Joyce—in small glances, in airy movements, in muscles tightening.

The last one would be the most fun. I’d have to get Walton Goggins to play Jamie, my hair-brushing, drug-dealing character who is a savior of sorts. Jamie is a country femme and rolls hard, and Goggins could do that with his eyes closed. I mean, Vice Principals? The Righteous Gemstones? This is his bread and butter. He knows these men and he plays them with a flamboyant dignity. On top of the fun, he’s deadly serious when he needs to be. He just has this way of making you love every character even at their worst. Jamie is, at times, at his worst. But he deserves love, too.

The only hiccup is that we’d need to see Jamie played as a teenager, too. Whether they use computers, makeup, or get a teenage actor is something I won’t sweat. I wrote the book—my work is done. I’ll leave the aging tricks to the director. I just want Goggins in the role—and whatever they decide, he’s going to make it sing. In the right accent.

Visit Willie Edward Taylor Carver, Jr.'s website.

Q&A with Willie Edward Taylor Carver, Jr.

--Marshal Zeringue

Jennifer Murphy's “The Ghost Women”

Jennifer Murphy holds an MFA in painting from the University of Denver and an MFA in creative writing from the University of Washington. She is the recipient of the 2013 Loren D. Milliman Fellowship for creative writing and was a contributor at the Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference from 2008 through 2012. Her first novel, I Love You More, won the Nancy Pearl Award for fiction. Her second novel, Scarlet in Blue, was a Michigan Notable Book.

Her recently released novel, The Ghost Women, follows a series of deaths at a mysterious art academy in the woods, a deck of ancient tarot cards, and a centuries-old secret. On a hot August morning in 1972, the body of Abel Montague, a student at St. Luke’s Institute of the Arts, is found hanging from a tree in the forest. His body has been positioned into the exact pose illustrated on the Hanged Man tarot card found in his pocket. When Detective Lola Germany arrives at St. Luke’s, she believes they are dealing with a ritualistic murder. When more students are found dead, each body arranged like a tarot card, Lola realizes she is trapped in a web of power and ambition that spans centuries.

Here Murphy dreamcasts an adaptation of The Ghost Women:

I often consider directors while I’m writing a novel. For me, the director shapes a movie’s entire ambiance and tone. In contrast, I rarely dreamcast characters. I have a picture of each character in my mind before I start writing. I suppose you could say that I write a novel inside out. I know the characters, the setting and the general story itself before I create the actual plot. In this way, the characters I’ve imagined walk into a place that is fully formed and, in this story at least, feels like it has been there for centuries. So for this exercise, I specifically considered directors that could build an eerie, dark, and forested landscape, complete with rituals and magic, that includes a secret art academy located in an ancient monastery and centers on a series of student murders. And I searched for actors that fit the images of the characters I imagined in my mind.

Director

Given the current caliber of TV mini-series, I considered how The Ghost Women might be adapted into either a movie or a mini-series. If a movie, Guillermo del Toro, is the perfect fit for director. Known for his mastery of dark, atmospheric Gothic fairy tales, del Toro would excel at creating a deep, scary, emotional, and mystical world while also capturing a sense of fairy tale magic. His ability to blend beauty with decay fits the story’s ghostly ambiance. Additionally, del Toro has a personal history with tarot cards, having learned to read them from his mother as a child. He uses tarot symbolism to inform the visual design and narrative structure of his films. He also authored the forward and oversaw design of his own tarot deck called Tarot del Toro.

While I believe del Toro could also direct a fine mini-series, there are a few other directors whose artistic approaches I admire and believe could capture TGW’s world.

These include Cary Joji Fukunaga (True Detective Season 1), Karyn Kusama (Yellowjackets), and Ryan Murphy (American Horror Story: Coven)

Actors

These actors come closest to matching the look, feel, and attitude of the characters I created in my mind:

Lola Germany (Waverly Island’s lead detective, previously danced for the New York City Ballet) – Elisabeth Moss

The Weird Sisters (a group of students that engage in witchery):

Pearl Calhoun – Emma Laird

Karla Gardyn – Anya Taylor-Joy

Esme Li – Lana Condor

Hazel Donovan – Sadie Sink

Abel Montague (the first victim, but present through flashbacks) – Harris Dickinson

Colin (Lola’s sidekick) – George MacKay

Alice Landry (the art academy dean) – Ana de Armas

Monty Montague (Abel’s father and the school founder) – Cillian Murphy

Visit Jennifer Murphy's website.

Q&A with Jennifer Murphy.

--Marshal Zeringue

Lyla Lane's "The Best Little Motel in Texas"

Sonia Hartl (AKA Lyla Lane) is the author of YA, romance, and cozy mysteries. Her books have received starred reviews from BookPage and Booklist, and earned nominations for the Georgia Peach Book Award, YALSA’s Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers, Bank Street College of Education’s Best Children’s Books of the Year, ALA’s Rise: A Feminist Book Project List, and ALA’s Rainbow Booklist, and was named an Amazon Editors’ Pick for Best Young Adult. When she’s not writing she enjoys board games with her family, attempting to keep her garden alive, or looking up craft projects she’ll never get around to completing on Pinterest.

Here Hartl/Lane dreamcasts an adaptation of her new novel, The Best Little Motel in Texas:

Since I got the inspiration for The Best Little Motel in Texas from the Dolly Parton/Burt Reynolds movie The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, I would absolutely want Colin Higgins to direct if he were still alive. He was bold and unafraid of taking chances, and I think my book would be the right kind of bonkers to appeal to him.

Since my book is about a reserved 30-year-old librarian inheriting a brothel for senior sex workers and trying to solve a murder that happened at her place of business, I’d want to cast someone known for more prim and proper roles for my main character, Cordelia. Probably Emily Blunt because I think she plays that role so well.

For the chicks, the 60-year-old sex workers, I’d cast Dolly Parton (obviously) as Daisy for her sweet and bubbly personality. Jennifer Coolidge as Arline, the quiet one who knows the floor plans of buildings she absolutely shouldn’t have access to and who drops killer one-liners, because she would nail the comedic timing. And if she were still alive, I’d want Bea Arthur as my resident dominatrix, Belinda Sue, because who else could pull off that kind of a role better?

Visit Lyla Lane's website.

--Marshal Zeringue

Isabel Booth's "Then He Was Gone"

Isabel Booth is the pen name of Karen Jewell, a former trial attorney and now a writer. She holds an undergraduate degree in English, a Master’s in Business Administration, and a Juris Doctorate degree. When she’s not writing she loves to read, travel, and cook dinner for friends. She lives in Houston, Texas, with her husband.

Here Booth dreamcasts an adaptation of her new novel, Then He Was Gone:

In Then He Was Gone, six-year-old Henry English goes missing at the end of a family hike in Rocky Mountain National Park. Park ranger Hollis Monroe, a well-worn, gritty, former Montana sheriff, leads the search for Henry and teams up with a local detective to investigate the possibility that he was kidnapped. Monroe is the only character in the book for which I had an actor in mind while writing it: Robert Taylor, who played the role of Walt Longmire, sheriff of Absaroka County, Wyoming, in the series Longmire. He was brilliant in the show: an old-time lawman in the present day, good at his job, and wise in his ways. He would be my first choice for Monroe.

I would love to see Kate Winslet in the role of Elizabeth English, Henry’s mom. There were so many layers to her performance as small-town cop Mare Sheehan in Mare of Easttown. It would be wonderful to see what she would do with Elizabeth’s relentless focus on finding her son and the grief of losing him.

Alexis LaDay is Elizabeth’s best friend and Henry’s godmother – a hard-driving corporate lawyer, cigarette-smoking former beauty queen, going through life with a swagger and a deep love for the English family. Kelly Reilly would be perfect. She was masterful as Beth Dutton in Yellowstone.

Eddie Marsh is an odious ex-con, obsessed with Elizabeth English for her part in sending him to prison, and relishing her pain in the disappearance of her son. I would pick Gary Oldman for that role. As Jackson Lamb in Slow Horses, he looks like Eddie Marsh to me.

Paul English, Henry’s dad, is complicated. He’s a poet, a loving father, but a bit of a jerk. I’d like to see Sebastian Stan as Paul.

I leave it to the director to round out my dream cast with adorable, precocious boys to play Henry and his older brother Nick.

Visit Isabel Booth's website.

--Marshal Zeringue

Ahmad Saber's "Ramin Abbas Has MAJOR Questions"

Ahmad Saber is a young adult author who grew up on an all-girls college campus next to a massive fort in Pakistan. He now lives in Canada, and loves Broadway (favorite show = Phantom), travel (favorite place = 4-way tie between NYC, Seoul, Paris, and Melbourne), and Taylor Swift (favorite album = folklore) He's also a self-professed Chocolate Chip Cookie Connoisseur and has crowned New York's Culture Espresso’s as the best in the world.

Ramin Abbas has MAJOR Questions is his debut novel and is based in part on his own lived experience, exploring the inherent challenges of being queer and Muslim, and the struggle to reconcile faith with sexuality.

Saber is also a medical doctor specializing in rheumatology.

Here he dreamcasts an adaptation of Ramin Abbas has MAJOR Questions:

This is an incredibly fun exercise! I haven’t thought about my book as a movie before this, so I didn’t have any particular actors and actresses in mind when writing the story. Secondly, my book’s character cast is mostly male and basically all South Asian/Desi, so this exercise is a bit tougher due to the relative paucity of brown people of color in Hollywood. Add to that the challenge of casting teenagers, and you have a mammoth task ahead.

That being said, I do have a few names in mind as below.

But first, a quick synopsis of the book for context: Ramin Abbas Has MAJOR Questions tells the story of Ramin Abbas, a closeted gay senior at Hikma High, an all-Muslim school in Toronto. All he wants to do is be a devout Muslim and delay the “gay problem” until he makes it to college in New York City. But when it’s discovered that his grad portfolio is missing mandatory physical activity hours, the principal decides there’s only one solution: Ramin must join the soccer team. Except there’s a problem. Fahad, the captain of the soccer team, is way too hot and Ramin’s crush on him refuses to die. Which is just about the worst thing that could’ve happened because Ramin really does not want to enter a love triangle with Allah and a boy. Leaving Ramin with one of many major questions that may be impossible to answer: stay loyal to Allah, or take a shot at first love?

Okay, now to the dream cast!

Director: Kabir Akhtar. As the key director on Never Have I Ever, and as a person of color himself, Kabir would likely capture the heart and the humor of the story the best.

Production Studio: Without a doubt, See-Saw films (with the wisdom of Euros Lyn shared with Kabir!) I loved what they did with Season 1 of Heartstopper.

Ramin Abbas (titular protagonist): I couldn’t come up with anyone existing - I really think this one would have to be an open casting call! (And I know our Ramin would just walk in one day)

Fahad Khan (“Captain Handsome” from the soccer team): Anirudh Pisharody (“Des” in Never Have I Ever) - he captures the “dreamy Desi jock” look immaculately

Ramin’s Mom: Zarna Garg (A Nice Indian Boy) - she could bring the clueless Desi parent vibe in a humorous way

Mr. Jamal (Hikma High Principal): Raymond Ablack - I think he would capture the sarcastic side of the character very well

Layla Luscious (Muslim drag queen): The one and only, Priyanka! (Mark Suknanan)

Zayn (Ramin’s little brother): Moosa Mostafa (“Eugene” in Wednesday)

Omar Saleh (Ramin’s soccer friend): Zac Kara (Doin’ It, Grand Army)

Assim Qureshi (Le Méchant): Karan Soni (A Nice Indian Boy, Deadpool) - this one is purely out of fun because I’d love to see Karan Soni in a villainous role! I know he has the bad guy side hidden in there somewhere. Can’t be all innocence.

Visit Ahmad Saber's website.

The Page 69 Test: Ramin Abbas Has MAJOR Questions.

--Marshal Zeringue

Caitlin Rother's "Hooked"

Caitlin Rother has written or co-authored 16 books, ranging from true crime to thrillers and memoir. A New York Times-bestselling author and investigative journalist, Rother worked nearly 20 years for daily newspapers. Writing books full-time since 2006, she draws from decades of watchdog reporting on topics from addiction to suicide, mental illness, murder, government, political corruption and the criminal justice system. A popular speaker, she has appeared more than 250 times on TV, radio, and podcasts as a crime expert. After teaching writing workshops for more than 10 years, she now coaches a limited number of authors. In her spare time, she enjoys ocean swimming, and sings and plays keyboards with In the Lounge, a jazzy, bluesy trio.

Here Rother dreamcasts an adaptation of her new novel, Hooked:

I started writing Hooked almost 20 years ago, when I was younger, and so were the actors and actresses that could be cast to play my two lead characters--investigative reporter Katrina Chopin and surfing homicide detective Ken Goode.

The book opens with the two characters meeting at a bar in La Jolla, being immediately drawn to each other not just because they are both attractive, but because they start talking about trauma and tragedy they both share from their past. Goode gets called away to respond to a death scene before Katrina gets a chance to tell him she's a reporter, so when he sees her again the next morning after the news conference, he is disappointed to find out that she is a reporter covering his suspicious death case, because now it means they can't date. It also means that they will be competing professionally to solve the case from either side of a very bright line that separates reporters and their sources. So when I write my first drafts of this book, I would have cast Ryan Gosling as Ken Goode, because he's good at playing smart and sarcastic, and he's tall and athletic, and he was even cast as Ken in Barbie many years after I thought about him for this part in my movie. So apparently others saw him that way too. However, I think he's a bit too old now to play this character, who is 37, so the closest I could come is Glen Powell, for all the same reasons. Although he usually stars in rom-coms, and doesn't play brooding characters, perhaps he could stretch a little. If not, I'm open to suggestions. Bottom line, he's got to be smart and witty and sexy.

I would also suggest Natalie Portman to play Katrina Chopin, because she, too, is good at playing smart, tough, and sarcastic, because I think she's probably both of those in real life. Plus, she's very pretty. She's been cast as a reporter in several roles already, so again, Hollywood agrees with me. On a side note, I see myself in some of her characters, so I actually had suggested casting her to play me recently when we were discussing a dramatized limited series based on another one of my books, Death on Ocean Boulevard (which was optioned by Untitled Entertainment at the time), in which I would have possibly appeared as a character.

Visit Caitlin Rother's website.

--Marshal Zeringue

Marina Evans's "The Cheerleader"

Marina Evans is a former Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader who graduated from Southern Methodist University with degrees in English Literature and Creative Writing. During her time with the Cowboys, she cheered under her maiden name/nickname, Rena Morelli. She lives in Arizona now but thinks about her days in short-shorts often. Death of a Cheerleader (UK title) and The Cheerleader (U.S. title) is her debut thriller.

Here Evans dreamcasts an adaptation of the new novel:

Every author dreams of what a “movie” cast for her book would look like, so this is so much fun! First off, The Cheerleader is a campy, splashy whodunit about fame, ambition, and a gameday murder. We meet Jentry Rae Randall in the prologue—the cheer captain of the Dallas Lonestars who is brutally killed in the locker room moments after she dances on the field. She is blonde, gorgeous, spunky, and positive, and I’m picturing Michelle Randolph of Landman fame for the part.

Then, in the book we have Royce Holt, the upcoming quarterback for the Lonestars. He’s fit, charming, and driven, so I think Austin Butler would be amazing. Then there is Nikki Keegan, an ambitious documentarian who conducts her own under-the-radar investigation of the murder. However, on the side, she is also collecting footage for an unauthorized true crime series. She’s no nonsense, natural, and smart, and I believe Riley Keough would be sensational in this role. Finally, we have our second female protagonist, Shaunette Simmons. She’s a rookie Dallas Lonestars Cheerleader who was best friends with the deceased cheer captain before their horrendous falling out. Jenna Ortega or Rachel Zegler would fit the part perfectly.

As far as a director, I would love to have Greta Gerwig of Barbie fame! She is tuned into the goal of female empowerment, and she’s also an advocate for the struggles of being front-and-center in the digital age. I can always dream!

Visit Marina Evans's website.

--Marshal Zeringue

Verlin Darrow's "The Brighter the Light, the Darker the Shadow"

Verlin Darrow is a psychotherapist who lives with his psychotherapist wife in the woods near the Monterey Bay in northern California. They diagnose each other as necessary. Darrow is a former professional volleyball player (in Italy), unsuccessful country-western singer/songwriter, import store owner, and assistant guru in a small, benign spiritual organization.

Here he dreamcasts an adaptation of his new novel, The Brighter the Light, the Darker the Shadow:

Since the protagonist of The Brighter the Light, the Darker the Shadow—Kade Tobin—is the leader of a spiritual community who may or may not have a sketchy background, casting would be challenging. On the one hand, an actor would need to have enough gravitas to make it believable that seekers would follow him and respect his teachings. On the other hand, he’d need to be able to at least hint that there was more to him than just the beneficent guy he seems to be at first. In other words, the part would call for someone who could project complexity—be a bit of a mystery in and of himself. After all, this is a story of murder, and everyone’s a suspect.

I suppose a classically trained English actor well-versed in an American accent would work. Forgetting ages, I’m thinking of people like Anthony Hopkins, Jeremy Irons, Patrick Stewart, and Peter O’Toole. Each of their voices has a commanding or self- assured element, and I respect their abilities to play diverse roles.

The detective who works with Kade—Bill Cullen—could be played by a number of people, including Walton Goggins, Colin Farrell, Vincent D’Onofrio, or Jon Tenney (he was on The Closer, and usually isn’t the main character in films. I picked him because we grew up four houses apart and he has a generic look to him.) I wouldn’t want the detective role played in a distracting, powerhouse fashion, so the actor would need to rein in his performance. Cullen is a slow and steady guy who’s easy to underestimate.

The prosecutor in the extended trail scenes could be played by Rhea Seehorn. It’s easy to settle on just one choice with this one. She portrayed just the right proportions of competence, vulnerability, and showmanship in Better Call Saul.

I’m not sure about the defense attorney. Like Detective Cullen, he’s not impressive at first, but he turns out to be an excellent trial lawyer. We only know him as a member of Kade’s flock for most of the book, complicating the casting. Who could appear to be both spiritual-minded and good at arguing? Beats me.

In The Brighter the Light, the Darker the Shadow, a lot of quirky community members are questioned as suspects. Some examples: an illegal Basque immigrant, an African-American former Buddhist nun, a fugitive hiding out as the community’s chef, and the prosecutor’s daughter. Of course, the details about these folks aren’t known at the outset. I can picture the faces of various character actors who would be right for many of these characters, but I don’t know their names or how to find out.

Visit Verlin Darrow's website.

Writers Read: Verlin Darrow (May 2023).

My Book, The Movie: Murder for Liar.

The Page 69 Test: Murder for Liar.

The Page 69 Test: The Not Quite Enlightened Sleuth.

Writers Read: Verlin Darrow (April 2024).

My Book, The Movie: The Not Quite Enlightened Sleuth.

--Marshal Zeringue

Sherry Rankin's "The Dark Below"

Sherry Rankin grew up in New Jersey where she became an early and avid reader of mystery fiction. She earned undergraduate and graduate degrees in English and currently lives in Abilene, Texas where she has taught writing and literature at a local university for twenty years.

Her novel, Strange Fire, was shortlisted for the 2017 Daniel Goldsmith First Novel Prize and won the 2017 CWA Debut Dagger Award.

Her debut thriller, The Killing Plains, was published by Thomas & Mercer as a super lead title in February 2025.

Here Rankin dreamcasts an adaptation of her new novel, The Dark Below:

The Dark Below is set in a small West Texas town on the northern rim of the Concho Valley—an austere landscape of scrub and cattle, scattered with abandoned Cold War infrastructure and the kinds of memories that never quite stay buried. The body of Chase Loudermilk, a student at the local community college, is discovered in a derelict, flooded missile silo on his family’s property. His death appears to be a suicide, but Teddy Drummond, his criminology professor, is unconvinced.

A former detective with a complicated home life, Teddy quit the force five years ago after a hostage negotiation ended in tragedy. Since then, she’s tried to live quietly—to be a good mother to her two children, to maintain an uneasy truce with her ex-husband, and to avoid the ethical and emotional quagmires she once navigated daily. But she also misses the excitement and sense of purpose police work once gave her.

Chase’s death doesn’t sit right with Teddy, and she allows herself to be drawn into an investigation that forces her to confront old guilt and divided loyalties—and to work alongside the woman who hates her most.

Teddy carries her own deep reservoir of personal grief, which she keeps carefully contained, throwing herself into work at the expense of her relationships. She has sharp professional instincts but feels profoundly uncertain as a mother and a friend. My dream casting for Teddy would be Emily Blunt. She has a rare ability to project intelligence and resolve without hardness, and she excels at conveying inner conflict through stillness and restraint. She could play Teddy as I imagine her—weary, capable, and quietly relentless.

Opposite her is Raina Bragg, Teddy’s former best friend turned bitter adversary. I can easily imagine her played by Kim Dickens—someone who can embody toughness, resentment, and the need to assert authority over a woman she both distrusts and feels eclipsed by, while still carrying a deep undercurrent of moral outrage and private grief.

I’d love to see Paul Dano as Pastor Mark McKissick, and Thomasin McKenzie as Teddy’s strong-willed daughter, Julia. Aaron Eckhart would be a perfect fit for Alan, Teddy’s ex-husband—a man who prides himself on being the “reasonable” parent. And Gary Oldman would do a masterful job as Teddy’s manipulative and alcoholic father, Milton.

Lorraine Toussaint would be ideal in the role of Berna Robles, the town veterinarian and Teddy’s mentor and confidante. She carries authority and restraint effortlessly, and could depict Berna as someone with a deep interior life who rarely feels the need to explain herself. Finally, I’d love to see Teddy’s love interest, Rick Castillo, played by Michael Peña, who could bring a strong, quiet decency to the role.

Visit Sherry Rankin's website.

My Book, The Movie: The Killing Plains.

The Page 69 Test: The Killing Plains.

Q&A with Sherry Rankin.

--Marshal Zeringue