Hannah Nordhaus's "The Beekeeper's Lament"

Award-winning journalist Hannah Nordhaus has written for the Los Angeles Times, the Financial Times, the Village Voice, Outside magazine, and other publications.

Here she shares some cast preferences for an adaptation of her new book, The Beekeeper's Lament: How One Man and Half a Billion Honey Bees Help Feed America:

I want Nicholson! Jack Nicholson and my main character, migratory beekeeper John Miller, have the same booming voice (though Miller doesn’t growl quite so much), a similar, eye-rolling sense of drama, a frenetic vibe, and a wicked sense of humor. They even have the same hairline. Sure, Nicholson’s older than my beekeeper-in-mid-career (and mid-life) crisis, but there’s hair dye for that, right? If Nicholson doesn’t work out, I’ll take Chris Cooper. I’d like Jack Lemmon, back from the dead, to play Miller’s best friend Larry Krause. And I only ask that someone beautiful play me, so I can bask in her reflected loveliness. She must have curly hair, so bees can get stuck in it.

Learn more about the book and author at Hannah Nordhaus's website and blog.

The Page 99 Test: The Beekeeper's Lament.

--Marshal Zeringue

Lynn Kiele Bonasia's "Countess Nobody"

Lynn Kiele Bonasia is the author of three novels. Released this June, Countess Nobody, her first novel for young adults, is about a teenage girl whose noble dreams are dashed when she learns she won’t inherit the family title. Summer Shift and Some Assembly Required are women’s fiction set on Cape Cod where Bonasia lives and writes.

Here she shares some ideas for casting a big screen adaptation of Countess Nobody:

I have no trouble imagining who might star in my two adult Cape novel fantasy film adaptations, but casting for my latest book, Countess Nobody, which happens to be a novel for young adults, left me in quandary. The last time I picked up a People Magazine, Scarlett Johansson was the “it” girl. Ok, maybe I’m not that bad but I did cheat a little for this exercise and tapped some of the kids in my publisher’s office, Egmont USA. Thanks to Sam, in particular, for these amazing recommendations.

Countess Nobody is about a young girl whose tiara dreams are dashed when she learns that, just because she’s a girl, she won’t inherit the family title. For my nobility-challenged heroine, Sophie, I choose Dakota Fanning. Aside from knowing that she has the acting chops, she’s also the right mix of smart and plucky to play a teenager who doesn’t roll over when faced with disappointment.

For Sam, Sophie’s charmingly clueless twin brother who has no idea how really good looking he is, my beefcake consultant at Egmont suggested Alex Pettyfer. Let’s assume, for the sake of my fantasy, that he’s one of those British actors who can fake an American accent like nobody’s business. Because he’s otherwise ridiculously appealing and I think he’d make a great Sam. And, at the very least, someone fun for girls to look at on a big screen for two hours.

Which brings me to the role of Spencer, Sophie’s beloved, for whom I choose dark, handsome heartthrob Colton Haynes, who tried out for Edward in Twilight but lost to Robert Pattinson. No worries, Colton. You’d make a perfect Spencer. And you won’t have to drink any animal blood-tinis.

While it’s fun to think who might play my characters in a movie, I truthfully don’t think about “casting” when I’m writing. For me, characters need to come about organically for me to be able to inhabit them. So, no matter how adeptly cast, the people in my head will never see the big screen and I’m fine with that.

Learn more about the book and author at Lynn Kiele Bonasia's website and blog.

Read--Coffee with a Canine: Lynn Kiele Bonasia & Kiele.

The Page 69 Test: Summer Shift.

Writers Read: Lynn Kiele Bonasia.

--Marshal Zeringue

David Hagberg's "Abyss"

David Hagberg is a former Air Force cryptographer who has traveled extensively in Europe, the Arctic, and the Caribbean and has spoken at CIA functions. He has published more than twenty novels of suspense, including the bestselling Allah's Scorpion, Dance With the Dragon, and The Expediter.

Here he shares some suggestions for director and stars for an adaptation of his latest thriller, Abyss:

My nasty little story telling secret concerns the age of Kirk McGarvey who has been the main character in fifteen novels and counting. Without Honor, the first story, he is hiding in plain sight in Switzerland with a live in girlfriend and his go to hell kit—cash, several passports, credit cards and his pistol a Walther PPK, suppressor and a couple extra magazines of ammunition. An assignment for the CIA that went bad in mid-stream ruined his marriage and forced him to go to ground.

At that point he was a man of fifty or so, with a background in Air Force intel in Vietnam.

Move forward to my new novel Abyss, set right now, and Mac is still about fifty or so, and I no longer mention any Vietnam connection, because that would put him in his late sixties. I’ve never aged him, and I blame it all on Mickey Spillane, who early in my career gave me two pieces of advice: If you have a character you like, don’t age them, your readers won’t care. And, if your plot sags kill someone important.

With all that in mind Bruce Willis has always been in my head as McGarvey. The actor is so goddamned versatile. The problem of course is that Willis has aged, where Mac has not. Right now I’m seeing Russell Crowe, one of my favorites, as Mac.

So in Abyss which is basically an ecological thriller (global warming and all that) Mac goes up against Brian DeCamp, a highly trained former South African Self Defense Force mercenary who has been hired to sabotage a nuclear power plant. Of course he’s Matt Damon.

DeCamp has been hired by Anne Marie Marinaccio who is a multi-billionaire hedge fund/derivatives manager doing business in Dubai because she’s wanted for financial crimes in the U.S This woman is evil, manipulative and as driven to continue making money as she is brilliant. I can’t see anyone else in the role except for Meryl Streep.

But driving the entire story is the NOAA ocean scientist Dr. Eve Larsen—think a bronzed, outdoorsy Hilary Swank —who has devised a system to take limitless energy out of the Gulf Stream and other ocean currents, not only generating cheap electricity from a non-polluting resource, but actually having the potential to change the weather planet wide. Dr.Larsen will win the Nobel Peace Prize for her science, but just about everyone who makes money from fossil fuels and nuclear energy will come gunning for her.

And how about Ridley Scott or  James Cameron to direct?

Ah, I can see myself sitting back now with a bottle Veuve Clicquot, my feet up, watching the opening credits.

Learn more about the book and author at David Hagberg's website.

Writers Read: David Hagberg.

--Marshal Zeringue

Chevy Stevens's "Still Missing"

Chevy Stevens grew up on a ranch on Vancouver Island and still calls the island home. For most of her adult life she worked in sales, first as a rep for a giftware company and then as a Realtor. At open houses, waiting between potential buyers, she spent hours scaring herself with thoughts of horrible things that could happen to her. Her most terrifying scenario, which began with being abducted, was the inspiration for Still Missing. After six months Stevens sold her house and left real estate so she could finish the book. She enjoys writing thrillers that allow her to blend her interest in family dynamics with her love of the west coast lifestyle. When she’s not working on her next book, she’s hiking with her husband and dog in the local mountains. Her new novel is Never Knowing.

Here Stevens shares some ideas for the principal cast of a Still Missing adaptation:

When I first started writing Still Missing, which has now been optioned for a movie, I used to imagine Gary Kincaid, the lead detective, as George Clooney and Annie, the main character, as Angelina Jolie, how she was in the movie Girl, Interrupted. But since it took a few years to finish the book, and it might take a couple of more before it’s ever made into a movie, I don’t think either of them would be age appropriate anymore.

These days, I’d love to see Natalie Portman as the lead actress, playing Annie. She’s very talented and also gorgeous in a vulnerable but tough way. For The Freak, I often thought of Owen Wilson when I was writing and I used his mannerisms and way of moving and speaking as inspiration. If he ever wanted to break away from comedies, this would be the movie for him! Funny enough, I had a fan on my Facebook comment that for some reason she kept thinking of Owen Wilson when she was reading The Freak, so I thought that was really interesting. The other actor that I think would be perfect is Neal McDonough. There’s something very arresting about him, but in a scary fascinating kind of way.

Visit the official Chevy Stevens website and blog.

Read--Coffee with a Canine: Chevy Stevens and Annie.

Writers Read: Chevy Stevens.

--Marshal Zeringue

Roger Smith's "Dust Devils"

Roger Smith was born in Johannesburg and now lives in Cape Town. His debut thriller, Mixed Blood (2009), was published in six countries and won the Deutscher Krimi Preis (German Crime Prize). His second book, Wake Up Dead (2010), was a 10 best pick of the Philadelphia Enquirer, Times (South Africa) and Krimiwelt (Germany) and was nominated for the German Krimi-Blitz Reader’s Award. Mixed Blood and Wake Up Dead were nominated for Spinetingler Magazine New Voice Awards in the U.S. and both books are in development as feature films.

Here he shares his take on the stars of an adaptation of his third book, Dust Devils:

It’s ironic that you ask me this about Dust Devils, because it is my only book not to be in development as a feature film (although, happily, there is real interest.) Mixed Blood and Wake Up Dead are destined for the big screen, and as Dust Devils shares a character with Mixed Blood, Zulu investigator Disaster Zondi who’ll be played by Samuel L. Jackson in that movie, let’s cast Mr Jackson in Dust Devils, too.

Zondi is an urban sophisticate, living in the sprawling metropolis of Johannesburg, an enclave of privilege surrounded by encroaching ghettoes, very far from his birthplace, the rural Zulu valley he fled as a youth. Zondi’s boss and mentor made the mistake of investigating the corrupt minister of justice, and his investigative unit has been disbanded and Zondi is on the loose – and when a mysterious wedding invite is faxed to him, he is drawn back to his birthplace and the ghosts of his past. Samuel L. would lay his trademark veneer of cool over the already chilly Zondi.

In a parallel-narrative, ex-political activist Robert Dell’s wife and children are murdered and he is framed for their killing – sending him on the run. Viggo Mortensen would be perfect to play the one-time pacifist who picks up a gun, becoming everything he hates to avenge what he loves.

Dell’s only ally is his oldest enemy: his father, an ex-CIA hitman. Bobby Goodbread, a Texan who married a South African, has just been released from prison for crimes he committed in the employ of the apartheid regime. Dying of cancer and desperate for redemption, Goodbread leads his son into the heart of darkness, hunting the real killer. Kris Kristofferson, with his gravely voice and the roadmap of wrinkles around those flinty eyes, would be the man to play Goodbread. He’d have to crop his hair short, though. I wonder if he’d oblige?

The toxic glue binding Dust Devils is Inja “Dog” Mazibuko, a Zulu warlord in the employ of the minister of justice, who killed Dell’s family at the command of his master. Inja is about to take his third wife in a traditional marriage, a teenage girl who may or may not be Disaster Zondi’s daughter. Surprisingly, the British actor, Chiwetel Ejiofor, comes to mind to play Inja. Ejiofor is a handsome, urbane, man, but I’d love to see him play Inja Mazibuko, as nasty a character as I have ever written: a killer of women and children who rules his dusty fiefdom with an AK-47 in his hand.

Watch the Dust Devils trailer, and learn more about the book and author at Roger Smith's website.

Read about Roger Smith's top 10 crime novels.

The Page 69 Test: Mixed Blood.

The Page 69 Test: Wake Up Dead.

Writers Read: Roger Smith.

--Marshal Zeringue

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

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

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

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

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

Evangeline Lilly as Toni Matthews:

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

Kate Hudson as Jill Shore:

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

Ashton Kutcher as Mark Ross:

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

Josh Duhamel as Brian Chadwick:

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

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

Writers Read: D.B. Henson.

The Page 69 Test: Deed to Death.

--Marshal Zeringue

Bernadette Pajer's "A Spark of Death"

Bernadette Pajer's A Spark of Death is the first book in the Professor Bradshaw Mysteries.

Here she provides some perspective on casting an adaptation of the series:

Who would play Professor Benjamin Bradshaw in the movie A Spark of Death? Well ... the story is in tight third-person POV, and I never actually describe Bradshaw. His age, 35, is known, his dour, plodding personality that's breaking free, his intelligence and dislike of society. A few remarks are made by other characters. An assistant professor says Bradshaw is almost handsome when he smiles. Physically, though, he's whoever the reader sees him as. I know what he looks like to me, but I hesitate to say because I don't want to contrast with an image in a reader's mind. Two of my friends read the book in manuscript form. When talking about it afterward, one believed Bradshaw was short, fair, and had a mustache. The other was positive he was tall, dark, and clean-shaven. Both were certain they saw him as I described him. I did mention once that he "shaved" but gave no specifics. A man with a mustache shaves, so does a man without one.

It's a matter of getting the feel of the character right, not so much the looks, of course. The British do such a great job with mystery series, like the new Sherlock. They somehow nailed the mood and personality of an historical character in a contemporary setting. Brilliant! I wonder who that director would choose to play Bradshaw? I'd love to see the whole Professor Bradshaw Mystery Series filmed for Masterpiece Mystery on PBS. Dare to dream, what? (Sorry, I've been reading Sayers).

Learn more about the book and author at Bernadette Pajer's website.

The Page 69 Test: A Spark of Death.

Writers Read: Bernadette Pajer.

--Marshal Zeringue

Phil Rickman's "The Bones of Avalon"

Phil Rickman has worked as a BBC radio and TV reporter, and he currently writes and presents the book program “Phil the Shelf’ on BBC Radio Wales. He is also the author of the internationally bestselling crime series featuring Merrily Watkins.

Here he shares some suggestions for casting the lead character in a cinematic adaptation of his latest novel, The Bones of Avalon:

The Bones of Avalon is about Dr John Dee, astrologer-royal to Queen Elizabeth I. The only existing portraits of Dee are as an old man. But In the book he's only 32, so I asked a friend, artist and graphic designer Bev Craven if he could digitally rejuvenate Dee from one of these portraits. Interestingly, the result reveals young Dee looking very much like the actor Laurence Fox (if you get the cop-show Inspector Lewis over there, Fox plays Lewis's sidekick, Hathaway). He's such a good actor that I'd love him to play Dee. Maybe it's, you know, meant to be....

Learn more about the book and author at Phil Rickman's website.

--Marshal Zeringue

Kamala Nair's "The Girl in the Garden"

Kamala Nair was born in London and grew up in the United States. A graduate of Wellesley College, she studied literature at Oxford University and received an M.Phil in Creative Writing from Trinity College Dublin in 2005.

Her she shares some ideas for lead and director of an adaptation of her new novel, The Girl in the Garden:

If The Girl in the Garden were to be made into a movie, I would be interested to see what Alfonso Cuarón would do as director. I’m a huge fan of his work, and in particular, I love how he captures the dark magic of beloved novels, such as A Little Princess and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. In A Little Princess in particular, Cuarón beautifully conveys the emotions of childhood, and the juxtaposition of the wild beauty of India, where Sara Crewe is surrounded by love and joy, with the drab world of New York where she is cruelly treated, is perfectly rendered. In terms of casting, I loved Nandita Das’s performance as the Ayah in Deepa Mehta’s film, Earth. Her portrayal of the character and the quality of her beauty reminds me of Amma.

Learn more about the book and author at Kamala Nair's website and blog.

The Page 69 Test: The Girl in the Garden.

Writers Read: Kamala Nair.

--Marshal Zeringue

Dean Bakopoulos's "My American Unhappiness"

Dean Bakopoulos's is the author of the novel Please Don't Come Back from the Moon, a New York Times Notable Book, and the recipient of fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Guggenheim Foundation. He is a professor in the MFA Program in Creative Writing & Environment at Iowa State University, and the former director of both the Wisconsin Book Festival and the Wisconsin Humanities Council.

Here he shares some casting suggestions for the leads in an adaptation of his new novel, My American Unhappiness:

The most difficult challenge of writing My American Unhappiness was creating a protagonist, Zeke Pappas, who has so buried his own pain with manic intellectual pursuits, that he can no longer function with any sort of steadiness. His emotional core is fried by years of bad luck and over-thinking, and the only time Zeke feels alive is when it is struggling to make a connection, often sexual, with a beautiful woman. It’s a thrill for him to feel anything authentic, and in pursuit of such a thrill he allows much of his life to spin out of control—jobs, friendships, familial relationships.

It’s a novel about a big-hearted but hard-to-like guy on the verge of a crack-up. Perhaps it’s too easy to say I’d like James Franco to play Zeke, but I’m an admirer of his performances and also of his rather manic zealousness as an artist too. He understands both the power of restraint and the excitement of post-modern pyrotechnics. He’s serious, but not afraid of playfulness as an actor and artist. It’d be a more comedic role for him, with a dark subtext, and I’d think he’d understand this character.

Zeke has four love interests in the book, including a delusional preoccupation with Sofia Coppola, but his main love interest is Minn, the only one whom he might actually stand a chance with, and she must be a happy counterpoint to Zeke’s unbalanced exuberance and moodiness. Perhaps Zooey Deschanel, whom I like a great deal, could play Minn.

The whole novel is structured in the three-act format of a screenplay, and so I think there’s something to the idea of My American Unhappiness as a film. Unlike my first novel, Please Don’t Come Back from the Moon, which has been optioned up by American Zoetrope, Universal, and Lionsgate at various stages in its shelf life, this is a novel that would be a straightforward adaptation. It is the story of delusion, both the lies we tell ourselves to make ourselves feel relevant, and about the lies our country tells itself in order to feel sustainable. And it’s funnier too.

Learn more about the book and author at Dean Bakopoulos's website and Facebook page.

--Marshal Zeringue