W. Jason Miller's "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood"

W. Jason Miller is a Distinguished Professor and public scholar who acts as a cultural detective, unearthing the hidden connections that reshape American history. From discovering a lost recording of MLK’s first "I Have a Dream" speech to his latest revelation of the secret mentorship between Langston Hughes and Nina Simone, Miller bridges the gap between rigorous archival research and compelling public narrative.

Here the author dreamcasts an adaptation of his new book, Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood: Nina Simone, Langston Hughes, and the Birth of Black Power:

Audra McDonald would portray Nina Simone— her singing in the movie even more powerful than her roles as Aretha Franklin or Billie Holiday. I can hear Audra’s voice now— capturing the power of “Mississippi Goddam,” the fire of “Sinnerman,” and the quiet elegance of “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood.” While I’m dream casting— she would also stun with Nina’s iconic upbeat celebration that is “Feeling Good.”

Giancarlo Esposito’s role as Gus Fring in Breaking Bad convinced me he has the look, magnetism, and gravitas to play poet Langston Hughes— Nina Simone’s dear friend, co-author, and mentor from 1960-67.

I’m already picturing these two backstage at the 1960 Newport Jazz Festival (or watching Little Richard perform together after midnight at Charles Mingus’ Rebel Festival just across town at the Cliff Walk Manor.)

Their most intimate scene might be based on a photograph I uncovered of Nina and Langston huddled side-by-side after her iconic 1964 performance at Carnegie Hall. They are standing together at the after party at New York’s Sheraton Hotel. Hughes sips a glass of Seagram’s gin. Nina is whispering something in his ear. Director Coleman Domingo refers Audra and Giancarlo to page 115 of my book, saying, “according to W. Jason Miller, Hughes has a cigarette in his left hand, and Nina seems to be telling him the full back story to how she wrote the song ‘Mississippi Goddam’ ... ACTION!”

Visit W. Jason Miller's website.

The Page 99 Test: Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood.

--Marshal Zeringue

Ryan Douglass's "Night of Madness"

Ryan Douglass is the author of young adult horror novel The Taking of Jake Livingston, a New York Times bestseller and an ALA Rainbow Book List Pick; The Great Disillusionment of Nick and Jay, a reimagining of The Great Gatsby set in 1920s Harlem; and Night of Madness, a collaboration with the company behind Clown in a Cornfield. His work explores the ways young people fight to survive in hostile worlds. He lives in Atlanta with his dog and spends his free time baking ambitious desserts and scoping out true crime documentaries.

Here Douglass dreamcasts an adaptation of Night of Madness:

What would happen if you took a group of social media influencers, dropped them inside an abandoned asylum full of real dangers, offered them $100,000 to survive the night?

Night of Madness is a book that is made for adaptation. If they make the book into a film, I would probably want to cast mostly unknown actors. The characters are eighteen or nineteen, and I love the idea of giving young performers the opportunity to breakout. So, these choices are less a literal wish list and more a way of showing you the people I pictured while writing.

Mara Jacobs — Anais Lee

Mara is the protagonist of the story—sharp, cynical, and obsessed with horror. She has the quiet confidence of someone who thinks she knows exactly what she's gotten herself into, until she doesn't. Anais has the kind of presence I imagine Mara having: understated, intelligent, and intense when she needs to be.

Storm Connors — Blake Cameron James

I first noticed Blake Cameron James in IT: Welcome to Derry, where he plays Will Hanlon. Storm is loyal, funny, and on trend, but with real softness and vulnerability underneath. He’s someone you want to spend time with. I think Blake could bring that combination of warmth, humor, and fear to Storm without making him feel like a stereotype.

Tanner Hoang — William Gao

Tanner is confident, competitive, and very aware of how he presents himself. William Gao has the kind of coolness I associate with him, along with the necessary sensitivity. Tanner spends a lot of the story taking the lead. I'd want an actor who could make that confidence compelling before slowly letting the audience see what it looks like when it cracks.

Victoria Welch — Isabela Merced

Victoria is beautiful, socially perceptive, and very image-conscious. She has an energy that feels light, but she can immediately understand the power dynamics in any room. Isabela Merced has the combination of glamour and emotional intelligence I'd want for Victoria. I think she'd be able to capture the version of Victoria who always knows a bit more than she's letting on.

Sydney Rollins — Mia Talerico

Sydney comes across as someone who is harmless and keeps to herself, but may be a bit standoffish, in a weird way. I like Mia Talerico for her because she still has a youthful quality that would keep Sydney from feeling like a twenty-five-year-old pretending to be a teenager. More than anything, I'd want Sydney's casting to make the audience underestimate her and who she might become.

That said, I think the most exciting version of a Night of Madness movie would really lean into its conceit as a spin on Willy Wonka: five teenagers invited into an outrageous, seemingly impossible experience, only to discover that the person who created it has something much darker in mind. I’d want the movie to feel like we discovered five teenagers who somehow walked straight out of someone’s wacky imagination and then dropped them into a nightmare.

Follow Ryan Douglass on Instagram and Threads.

Q&A with Ryan Douglass.

The Page 69 Test: Night of Madness.

--Marshal Zeringue

Erin Cotter's "A Dangerous Bargain"

Erin Cotter writes young adult fiction. Originally from Buffalo, New York, she currently calls Austin home. When not writing she spends time with her partner and pets, eating tacos, and searching for Golden-cheeked Warblers in the Texas Hill Country.

Here Cotter dreamcasts an adaptation of her new novel, A Dangerous Bargain:

My story is about an artist who has bargained away most of his life for divine inspiration pairing up with fellow apprentice Leonardo da Vinci to infiltrate the Medici family and find out the truth about his missing brother. It’s a mystery set in Renaissance, Florence but there’s also a heavy romantic element as well. Because of Renaissance element, I’d love to see a director with a great style for atmospheric, historical settings take the lead—maybe someone like Ridley Scott! But I’ll be honest, I don’t think Ridley Scott has the chops to pull off the romantic plotline in the story, so be better call in Jacob Tierney as well.

Now that I’ve mentioned Jacob Tierney, I’m having a hard time not thinking about Heated Rivalry, which means I’m having a hard time not thinking about Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie, and I think they’d be great leads for these films. Having seen them pull off enemies to lovers already, I would die to see them cast in a historical piece together. Hudson Williams has perfected the soulful, broody glare that my protagonist Virgil wears for most of the book, and—weirdly enough!—the way I’ve written Leonardo da Vinci as a cocky, teasing flirt actually has a lot in common with Connor Storrie’s Ilya Rosanov already? I promise this was not on purpose. I had turned in the first draft of this book before Heated Rivalry came out. But after seeing how well Williams and Storrie play off each other on a hockey rink, I think we deserve to see them body-checking each other out of the way of the best easel space next.

Ridey and Jacob, Storrie and Williams, whenever y’all are feeling ready to get this started, call me!

Visit Erin Cotter's website.

Writers Read: Erin Cotter.

The Page 69 Test: A Dangerous Bargain.

--Marshal Zeringue

Jason Allison's "The Killing Yards"

Jason Allison is a writer and former detective who spent twenty years with the NYPD. His award winning fiction and has appeared in journals and anthologies. The Killing Yards is his first novel. Bronx born and raised, he now lives in Massachusetts with his wife and their judgmental Golden Retriever.

Here Allison dreamcasts an adaptation of The Killing Yards:

It’s been said—though I can’t find the quote—that after Alec Guinness played George Smiley in the 1979 BBC adaptation of Tinker, Tailor, Solider, Spy, John Le Carré could no longer envision his version of the character. Smiley became Sir Alec, and vice versa. This isn’t uncommon with screen adaptations of novels. In On Writing, Stephen King explains how he limits physical details in his character descriptions. That way, each reader can create their own version in their own head. To use James Ellroy as a reference, my Pete Bondurant is probably different from your Pete Bondurant, but Bud White will always be Russell Crowe.

I will now violate my essay’s opening paragraph by casting my debut novel, The Killing Yards. As a huge cinephile, it’s surprising that I haven’t already. Yards is a crime noir set in the early 1990s NYC nightclub scene, and its four main characters—Jimmy and Michelle Lettner, GM and owner of Abattoir; Serge Thanakis, Jimmy’s only friend; and Ben Hopkins, striving NYPD rookie—have existed only in my brain space. Until now.

Every great project starts with a script. Assuming Tony Gilroy has adapted my novel, let’s move to the director. Two names jump out straight away, but for different reasons. In a series of gritty, NYC-set crime dramas, James Gray has crafted brilliant character portraits of the city’s felonious demographic. His work is emotionally searing, if not quieter and more intimate than Michael Mann’s epics, which often depict driven men (usually criminals or cops) doing their jobs with monomaniacal precision. He’s all about depicting process cinematically; think Heat’s bank robbery shootout, or Collateral’s frenetic Koreatown nightclub assassination. Given The Killing Yards orbits Manhattan’s hottest nightspot, Mann’s flair for shooting packed dance floors soundtracked by thumping EDM gives him the lead.

Here’s where things get tricky. Casting the right actor elevates the entire project, like how Inde Navarette absolutely owned Obsession. Jimmy Lettner, recovering addict and Abattoir’s ex-con general manager, is physically unassuming and emotionally dishonest. He screams for Jeremy Strong, whose Kendall Roy epitomized misguided ambition. For his wife Michelle, who believes power moves quietly (and wears a D&G sweater), I’m torn between Rebecca Hall and Claire Danes. Hall crushed her role in The Town, and recently chewed all the scenery in Onslaught, but I’ve always thought Danes is tremendous, going all the way back to My So Called Life. This one’s a tie.

The only character I had an actor in mind for when I wrote him is Serge Thanakis, Jimmy’s right hand, a former (maybe?) narcotics trafficker, and Abattoir’s true protector. And that actor is Jude Law. Unfortunately, Jude is 53 now. Enter Theo James, who pairs style with menace in The Gentlemen. He brings a subtle physicality and looks great holding a gun.

Last we’ve got Ben Hopkins, the insecure, careerist NYPD undercover desperate to make a case (he’s got Daddy issues). I discovered Dominic Sessa in The Holdovers, but he really came into his own playing a young Anthony Bourdain as a lying, insecure jerk in this summer’s Tony. Sessa brings the right amount of arrogance and attitude, eyeing the camera sideways, wondering if you’ve figured him out yet.

There it is, my dream director and cast for The Killing Yards.

All I need now is $35-40 million, and we’re golden.

Visit Jason Allison's website.

--Marshal Zeringue

Beck Kubrick's "Dead Girls"

Beck Kubrick is an award-winning writer and cartoonist living in Manchester, UK. They like stories about terrible girls and thinking about the apocalypse. They have worked with Cartoon Network, Mad Cave Studios, Oni Press, and more.

Here Kubrick dreamcasts an adaptation of Dead Girls, their debut graphic novel as author-illustrator:

Dead Girls is a comedy-horror that plays with tropes and conventions and is obviously, very inspired by teen screams, slashers and the rise of good-for-her and coming of rage films. There are so many directors and filmmakers who inspire my work; I love any story that plays with the mundane, hyperreality and genre.

In anything and everything I make, I just want to put David Lynch, Bong Joon Ho, Katie Dippold, John Carpenter and Diablo Cody in a blender. Add a dash of Sofia Coppola, just for the scene in The Virgin Suicides (1999) in which Hanna Hall’s character says ‘Obviously, Doctor, you've never been a thirteen-year-old girl.’. Add a healthy dose of The Simpsons (1989), too. Also I want a Wilhelm scream, that’s non-negotiable.

There’s so many more filmmakers off the top of my head who I love and was inspired by when creating the book: The Kates, The Daniels, Jonathan Entwistle, Greg Jardin, Bill Watterson (not that one), Bronwen Hughes, Jane Schoenbrun and so many more.

Since I use lots of mediums for the art: ink, pencil, oil paint etc. so I think there’d have to be some animation. Pendleton Ward and Joe Bennet make great, animated shows. I’d also love for the fursuits to be done by the team behind Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared (2014) as they’d be perfectly unsettling.

For actors, I generally like the Heartstopper (2022) approach of casting real teens and relative unknowns but I don’t know many unknowns…because they’re unknown.

Ash, my protagonist, is grunge-y with bleached, fried hair she cut in herself. She’s angsty and a fighter but is hurting deep down and trapped in other people’s expectations; so someone who can play a detached, cool girl like Sophie Thatcher (Yellowjackets) or Lizzie Broadway (Gen V). Maybe even a Lachlan Watson (Chuckie) or Jack Haven (I saw the TV Glow) for the way they play with expectations and identity.

Cassie is Ash’s hyper femme, terminally delightful foster sister. She’s all rainbow and fairies but will save the day with a mascara wand and a dream, like Elle Woods. Amy Lou Wood (White Lotus) would be great.

Jamie, Ash’s best friend is Korean-American and has hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (like me!). I’m not sure of many actresses with the condition, but I think Aubrey Anderson- Emmons (Modern Family) or Ella Jay Baso (Bird of Prey) would do a great job with Jamie’s usually dry, sarcastic wit and delivery.

Ernie, Ash’s-inherited-from-her-mum-friend/ surrogate-uncle, falls somewhere between Harvey Guillén and Colman Domino. Does such a man exist?

Amandla Stenberg would be perfect as Heather, the girl Ash is sort-of seeing, who is sort-of missing. Pariah Ferguson would be great as Naomi, super smart, but socially oblivious, true crime streamer investigating the murders who’s willing to do whatever it takes to get the truth.

I don’t have specific actors in mind, but Ash’s Filipino foster (grand)parents have the energy of Jeff Goldblum and Dale Dickey. Helen, Heather’s mum who hates Ash, would be played perfectly by Kate O'Flynn or Tilda Swinton. Mostly, because I want to see Tilda Swinton in a brown, bob wig.

Follow Beck Kubrick on Instagram.

--Marshal Zeringue

Suzanne Redfearn's "The Wonder of One"

Suzanne Redfearn is the #1 Amazon and USA Today bestselling author of nine novels: The Wonder of One, Call of the Camino, Two Good Men, Where Butterflies Wander, Moment In Time, Hadley & Grace, In an Instant, No Ordinary Life, and Hush Little Baby. Her books have been translated into twenty-seven languages and have been recognized by RT Reviews, Target Recommends, Goodreads, Publisher’s Marketplace, and Kirkus Reviews. She has been awarded Best New Fiction from Best Book Awards and has been a Goodreads Choice Awards Finalist.

Born and raised on the east coast, Redfearn moved to California when she was fifteen. Currently, she lives in Laguna Beach with her husband where they own Lumberyard Restaurant. In addition to being an author, Redfearn is an architect specializing in residential and commercial design. When not writing, she enjoys doing anything and everything with her family—skiing, golf, tennis, pickleball, hiking, board games, and watching reality TV. She is an avid baseball fan. Her team is the Angels.

Here Redfearn dreamcasts an adaptation of The Wonder of One:

If they make The Wonder of One into a movie, here’s who I imagine playing the roles:

For Vivien, the main protagonist of the story, when she's little (the story begins when she is six), I think an actress like Abigail Breslin when she acted in Signs would work well. She’s small, cute, and wise beyond her years. Adult Vivien (the story spans twenty-two years, ending when Vivien is twenty-eight) should be played by someone like Emilia Clarke (Daenerys in Game of Thrones), a diminutive spark plug, who is tough, determined, brilliant, and who possesses a radiant smile capable of melting hearts.

For the sheriff, who is the second primary character, I envision a young Shaun Johnston, (Jack from the series Heartland)—earnest, tough, and no-nonsense. I’ve always loved him, the guy who always makes the right choice even if it’s not the easy one.

Visit Suzanne Redfearn's website, and follow her on Facebook, Instagram, and Threads.

Coffee with a Canine: Suzanne Redfearn and Cooper.

My Book, The Movie: Hush Little Baby.

The Page 69 Test: Hush Little Baby.

The Page 69 Test: No Ordinary Life.

Writers Read: Suzanne Redfearn (February 2016).

My Book, The Movie: No Ordinary Life.

My Book, The Movie: In an Instant.

The Page 69 Test: In an Instant.

Q&A with Suzanne Redfearn.

My Book, The Movie: Hadley and Grace.

The Page 69 Test: Hadley & Grace.

Writers Read: Suzanne Redfearn (March 2022).

The Page 69 Test: Moment in Time.

My Book, The Movie: Moment in Time.

Writers Read: Suzanne Redfearn (February 2024).

Writers Read: S. E. Redfearn (October 2024).

The Page 69 Test: Two Good Men.

Writers Read: Suzanne Redfearn (October 2025).

My Book, The Movie: Call of the Camino.

The Page 69 Test: Call of the Camino.

--Marshal Zeringue

Vikki VanSickle's "The Mystic and the Missing Girl"

Vikki VanSickle has worked as a bookseller, a menstrual health educator, a creative writing instructor and publishing professional with Penguin Random House Canada. Currently, she lives and writes in Toronto and hosts a book segment on CTV Your Morning.

Here VanSickle dreamcasts an adaptation of her new novel, The Mystic and the Missing Girl:

The Mystic and the Missing Girl takes place in a small, lakeside town that seems charming on the surface, but is hiding some murky secrets—including the truth about seventeen-year-old Ginny Evans, who went missing in 1998. This is an ensemble piece that plays with small town stereotypes, dabbles in the supernatural, and offers numerous opportunities for character actors to shine. Think a cozy mystery in the hands of a screenwriter like Diablo Cody. Here are some of the main players:

Our hero is Drew Benson— a reluctant psychic and tarot reader turned sleuth. A former teenage Goth, Drew is a little messy with a quick wit and a vulnerable side. She is unsure of her path or where she belongs. I would cast a quirky, fast-talking brunette like Cristin Miliotti or Kat Dennings in the role.

Nick Campbell is Drew’s high school nemesis—top of the class, valedictorian, he is what Drew calls a ‘type A Virgo.’ These days he’s had quite the glow-up, transitioning from nerd to sexy nerd thanks to a careful diet and cross fit. Described as a dead ringer for Clark Kent (but blond!) I think Wentworth Miller could pull off slightly prim, beefy nerd very well.

Gloria “Gigi” Gong is not just a sidekick. She is a sarcastic, whip-smart Scorpio who runs the local pub and used to front an all-girl punk band called The Poor Clares. Drew describes her vibe as “hot, grumpy, Asian witch.” This is a role I could see Greta Lee absolutely killing.

Foster Banks is Drew’s “most handsome and least favorite mistake.” Tall, lanky, and dark-haired, he has the sleazy appeal of a bass player in a Brit pop band, even when all cleaned up for his job as a lawyer. He is the kind of man who smirks instead of smiles and can make any comment seem suggestive. This is a role the charismatic Francois Arnaud was born to play.

Amanda MacKinnon is the haunted best friend of the missing Ginny Evans. She hides away, working in a crusty old hair salon, unable to leave town because of her heavy memories of Ginny. Despite her work as a hair stylist, her own look is a little off the mark, stuck in the early 2000s with chipped burgundy nails and matching dye job. This is a perfect role for a millennial icon like Julia Stiles or Clea Duvall.

Charlene Wilson is a twice divorced career waitress who has seen it all and doesn’t suffer fools gladly. She has the raspy voice of a lifelong smoker and despite a wary, world-weary demeanor, knows how to land a joke. I would love to see formidable character actress Dale Dickey in this role.

Visit Vikki VanSickle's website.

Writers Read: Vikki VanSickle.

--Marshal Zeringue

Linda Kass's "World News from Waverley High"

Linda Kass began her career as a magazine journalist and correspondent for regional and national publications. Along with her forthcoming novel, World News from Waverley High (September 2026), she is the author of three previous works of historical fiction: Tasa’s Song (2016), A Ritchie Boy (2020), and Bessie (2023). A longtime civic leader, she is the founder and owner of Gramercy Books, an independent bookstore in Central Ohio. Kass lives in Columbus with her husband, Frank; they have four children, six grandchildren, and a labradoodle named Wally.

The set-up for World News from Waverley High:

1969. Lena Rosen is an intelligent, observant teenager torn between spontaneity and self-consciousness. During her junior year, she becomes attuned to the pulse of her times in her first-period Current History class, where rebellion, social change, and musical innovation of the 1960s dominate discussion. When Lena becomes the associate editor of the school newspaper The Beacon, she is drawn into the swirling discourse surrounding the Vietnam War, civil rights, environmental disasters, and campus protests—while also grappling with her growing attraction to Jack Stone, the paper’s editor.

Here Kass dreamcasts an adaptation:

Here are some age-appropriate-looking, older-teen-playing actors and actresses who are commonly cast as 16- or 17-year-olds, including performers who may be a bit older but still pass convincingly:

For Rita Fields: Maddie Ziegler — good for the popular girl, social media girl, or slightly aloof “everyone knows her” type; often cast in teen roles and can read as 16–17.

For Caroline Brown: Chloe Coleman — works well as the smart, cool, socially aware popular girl; has a strong “older teen” look on screen.

For Lena Rosen: Sunny Sandler — can fit the bubbly popular girl or well-liked campus-cool character; can read as a 16–17-year-old with the right styling.

For Abby Hackman: Mia Talerico — better for sweet, recognizable, younger-looking popular teen roles; still reads very young but can fit younger teen roles; or Julia Butters — youthful but can plausibly play slightly older teens.

For Rich Kohn: Mason Thames — very strong for the popular boy, athlete, or romantic lead type; very strong fit for 16–17 roles.

For Jack Stone: Jacob Tremblay — can work as the sensitive popular guy or the unexpectedly central friend; often casts well into teen parts despite a youthful look, could be popular boy/heartthrob.

For Kerry Ross: Walker Scobell — can play younger or older teen depending on styling.

For Mike Jones: Caleb McLaughlin, Jaden Smith, or Michael Rainey.

For Derek Wright, Stephen Long: Marcus Scirbner or Miles Brown.

Directors who fit 1969 high school:

Richard Linklater – He’s masterful with period detail and ensemble young casts, and he has already done late‑60s/70s milieu in films like Dazed and Confused and Everybody Wants Some!!, both praised for their lived‑in authenticity rather than nostalgia gloss. He’d be ideal if you want the feel of students’ everyday lives, hanging out in corridors and parking lots, with history simmering in the background rather than front and center.

Kelly Fremon Craig – Her films, The Edge of Seventeen and Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret, show a keen ear for adolescent dialogue and inner life, plus an ability to adapt period material (the latter is set in the 1970s) without making it feel like a dress‑up exercise. She’d be a strong choice if you want a deeply character‑driven, intimate story about one or two students navigating 1969’s social shifts.

Greta Gerwig – With Lady Bird and Little Women, she’s shown she can blend coming‑of‑age, social context, and a precise sense of time and place, and she’s very attuned to young women’s interiority. If your story centers on a girl or a group of girls in 1969, especially with an undercurrent of feminist awakening, her sensibility could suit it beautifully.

Jeff Nichols – He often works in specific American historical moments with a quiet, observant tone, and his work with teens in Mud shows he can capture young characters against a larger cultural backdrop. He’d tilt the project toward an understated, mood‑driven Southern/Midwestern Americana feel.

A practical example: if your novel’s tonal center is something like The Learning Tree or Kes—grounded, observant portraits of young people with social tensions in the background—a Linklater or Nichols type makes sense. If you’re closer to a Judy Blume–meets‑political‑awakening story in a Midwest or Northeastern high school, someone in the Gerwig/Fremon Craig vein is closer to the bull’s‑eye.

Visit Linda Kass's website.

Writers Read: Linda Kass (June 2026).

Writers Read: Linda Kass (July 2026).

Writers Read: Linda Kass (August 2026).

--Marshal Zeringue

Sara Cooper's "Ravenous"

Sara Cooper is a novelist and an award-winning playwright-lyricist. She lives in New York with her husband John and their son Theo. Major awards include Richard Rodgers Award, American Academy of Arts and Letters (2022); ASCAP Foundation Lucille and Jack Yellen Award (2021); Grand Jury Prize, Barnstorm Media (2020); Jonathan Larson Grant, American Theatre Wing (2014).

Ravenous, her debut novel, was a Finalist for the 2025 Tucson Festival of Books Literary Awards.

Here Cooper dreamcasts the lead for an adaptation of Ravenous:

Okay, so, as a playwright, I love dreamcasting. I hadn't actually thought about who would play Breigh in a movie, but I got super excited when I saw this prompt.

Quick summary of the book: Ravenous is about a pregnant influencer who specializes in unboxing and takes things way, way too far. It's very stream-of-consciousness and is kind of a super intense feminist horror anticapitalist fever dream.

First of all, if I was casting for a theatre piece (which I feel I must include here, because, like I said, I'm also a playwright!), I'd cast Sherz Aletaha. She's a brilliant actress and plays comedy and tragedy with insane nuance. She's also incredibly smart, and I think she would do amazing things in this role because she would really dig into the big philosophical and sociopolitical questions asked by the book. I've been very fortunate to have worked with Sherz on a few projects and she is an absolute genius. I think she'd be the perfect Breigh Marie because she'd be hilarious but she'd also play her with compassion, which is important to me.

I also would cast Sherz in the movie, but, since she mostly does theatre, I'm going to dreamcast a film-specific actor, too. Stephanie Beatriz would be amazing as Breigh. She is so incredibly funny and also brilliant at playing intense and smart, and she's got such great charisma and on-screen presence that you love her even when a character acts badly (which Breigh definitely does).

Visit Sara Cooper's website.

--Marshal Zeringue

E. J. Copperman's "Where There’s Smoke…"

E.J. Copperman is the nom de plume for Jeff Cohen, writer of intentionally funny murder mysteries. As E.J., he is the author of the Haunted Guest house series, the Agent to the Paws series and the Jersey Girl Legal mysteries, as well as the Fran and Ken Stein mysteries. As Jeff, he is the author of the Double Feature and Aaron Tucker series; and he collaborates with himself on the Samuel Hoenig Asperger's mysteries.

Here Copperman shares some notes for the casting agent on an adaptation of his new novel, Where There’s Smoke…:

The fact is, I don’t know what my characters look like.

That’s been true in every novel I’ve written (and there have been a bunch). I don’t picture the character beyond a very general type unless their appearance will be important to the story, and it almost never is.

So trying to (mentally) cast a movie of Where There’s Smoke… the second Haunted Paint Store mystery, I have to go with attitude rather than resemblance. I believe the reader will form a mental picture of the character and no matter what they imagine, they’ll be right. So no physical descriptions for me.

Laura Meehan, is a woman knocking on the door of middle age, but not walking over the threshold yet. She make self-deprecating comments about the way she looks, but I don’t think those are to be taken seriously. Certainly her husband Roy doesn’t think she’s lacking in any department. She’s not a girl-next-door type, but probably a girl-two-doors down woman.

Her deceased father, Amos Meehan, is an ex-police detective and ex-owner of the paint store Laura now owns and operates. He has a wry outlook, likes to prod people just a bit, and thinks all of his opinions are indisputable facts. He’s going to be in his late sixties or early seventies forever, and luckily he can’t see himself in a mirror. When I’m writing Roy I’m probably thinking about my own dad, but more assertive. And I don’t think he looks like my father at all: Amos isn’t nearly Jewish enough for my dad.

Roy isn’t the most handsome man in New Jersey, but he’s no slouch, and that’s all I know about what he looks like. He’s a computer whiz but not the stereotypical geek/immature adolescent you might be used to. He’s very good at his job and he can be an enormous help to Laura when she’s investigating a crime. As all paint store owners do. He has a sense of humor that isn’t New Jersey-bred but he still communicates perfectly with his Jersey girl wife. But he worries more about her poking into things outside her own realm than Laura does.

If you’re a producer and want to turn Where There’s Smoke… into a movie, television series or YouTube sensation, feel free to cast whomever you like. Just email and I’ll give you my agent’s contact information.

Visit E. J. Copperman's website and Facebook page.

My Book, The Movie: The Thrill of the Haunt.

Writers Read: E. J. Copperman (November 2013).

The Page 69 Test: The Thrill of the Haunt.

My Book, The Movie: Ukulele of Death.

The Page 69 Test: Ukulele of Death.

Q&A with E. J. Copperman.

The Page 69 Test: Same Difference.

Writers Read: E. J. Copperman (February 2025).

The Page 69 Test: Where There's Smoke....

--Marshal Zeringue