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.

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

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

--Marshal Zeringue

Barbara O’Neal's "A Thousand Painted Hours"

Barbara O’Neal is the author of more than a dozen award-winning, bestselling novels, including the runaway bestseller, When We Believed in Mermaids, which has been published in 21 countries and spent many months on both the most sold and most read Amazon Charts, as well as the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and Washington Post bestseller lists. O’Neal is an avid traveler and passionate cook, and discovered the Oregon coast on a pandemic-era trip with her husband. She now lives on that rocky, moody coast in a quirky beach house and writes her books from a room overlooking the sea. She lives with her British husband, who has promised to never lose his accent, and their cats and dogs.

Here O’Neal dreamcasts an adaptation of her new novel, A Thousand Painted Hours:

I would so dearly love to see this as a movie! It would be the kind of movie I'd watch ten times. It is a love story at its most elemental level, an epic story told over several decades about Elsie Turner, the daughter of an British civil servant in Nainital, India, and Elsie's friend Tanveer Singh, the son of a local Maharajah. It begins with the Blitz in London, a subject I never quite get enough of, and flashes back to the friendship, then love story of the two over time, and follows the pair as they fight for their ideals, not always in harmony, and for the lives they each wish to have. Tanveer is devoted to Indian Independence, while Elsie is trying to find her voice as an artist, and as they come together and are torn apart many times, they each have to grapple with the times and their class, and the very real, sustained connection they've found with each other.

Honestly, there are any number of actors who would play Tanveer beautifully. I love Riz Ahmed's soulful face. I also love Himesh Patel, and the wildly talented Dev Patel. Lately, I have been smitten by the Punjabi singer Diljit Dosanjh and he's done so much for the visibility of Sikhs that he'd be utterly perfect.

For Elsie, I imagined Rachel Weisz--she has the intelligence I'd like to see for this character.

As for directors, my dream person would be Mira Nair, but I would also be delighted with Sofia Coppola. I mean, why not dream big?

Visit Barbara O'Neal's website.

--Marshal Zeringue

Laura Jensen Walker's "The Postmistress of Puddlington"

Bestselling, award-winning author Laura Jensen Walker is the Agatha and Lefty-nominated author of more than 20 books including Murder Most Sweet, Hope, Faith & a Corpse, and Death of a Flying Nightingale.

A rabid Anglophile since being stationed at an RAF base with the USAF in her twenties, Walker lives in Northern California with her Renaissance-man husband and two rescue terriers, where she drinks tea and dreams of England.

Her new novel is The Postmistress of Puddlington.

Here Walker dreamcasts an adaptation of the new novel:

I’m a big movie buff, so when I began writing The Postmistress of Puddlington during lockdown, I cast the film in my head.

Middle-aged spinster postmistress Hester Smith who loves Dickens and Jane Eyre is a toss-up between Olivia Colman and Kate Winslet—without makeup. Both are excellent actresses and Kate has proven she can do plain as shown in Mare of Easttown. (Plus, her hair color is the same as Hester’s.) But. . . there’s something about Olivia Colman that gives her a slight edge.

For Minerva Winterbottom, the bohemian, aging lady of the manor who likes to jitterbug, I envisioned two of my favorite actresses, and found it impossible to choose between them. Sadly, since then Dame Judi Dench has gone blind and at ninety, has aged out of the sixty-something role of Minerva. Therefore, (drumroll) the only woman to play Lady Winterbottom is Dame Emma Thompson. Emma epitomizes bohemian and is a phenomenal actress. (That scene in Love, Actually where she realizes her husband—played by Alan Rickman—cheated on her, is a masterclass in acting.) Also, the divine Emma is absolutely hilarious and wrote the Academy Award-winning screenplay for Sense and Sensibility.) Enough said.

Then there’s Mary Robins, vicar’s wife and president of the local W.I. (Women’s Institute.) Initially, I thought of Rachel Weisz or perhaps Emily Blunt. Lately though I’ve been leaning toward Anna Madeley who does such a lovely job playing Mrs. Hall, the housekeeper, in All Creatures Great and Small.

For Mary’s pretty daughter Violet, I kept seeing Anne Hathaway in my head as I wrote. In my opinion, Anne is one of the most beautiful, talented actresses in Hollywood. And she’s proven she can do an English accent. Unfortunately, she’s now in her forties, while Violet is eighteen at the start of the war and twenty-four when Puddlington ends in 1945. I racked my brain trying to think of beautiful, dark-haired young actresses and came up with Selena Gomez—though I don’t know if she can do a British accent. If not, then Rachel Shenton who plays James Herriott’s wife Helen in All Creatures Great and Small, would be perfect.

Nora Clarke, the final character in my quintet of English women was the easiest to cast. Violet’s best friend Nora moved to the U.S. at thirteen when her American dad had to return home to care for his parents. She returns to England at nineteen to do her bit by enlisting in the Royal Navy as a “Wren” in 1939. Emma Watson (Hermione from the Harry Potter movies) was hands down Nora from the get-go.

Lastly, Amos Brown, the hulking, middle-aged gardener who quotes Wordsworth is Ciarán Hinds all the way. I’ve loved the Irish Ciarán since he played Captain Wentworth in Persuasion. I also adored him in Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day and Belfast (for which he should have won the Oscar, in my opinion.) Runner ups: Colin Firth and Clive Owen, both now in their sixties, which is hard to believe. Colin Firth will always be Mr. Darcy to me.

Visit Laura Jensen Walker's website.

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Q&A with Laura Jensen Walker.

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--Marshal Zeringue

Katie Tallo's "Where Her Secrets Lie"

Katie Tallo has more than three decades of experience as an award-winning screenwriter and director. After winning an international novel contest, she began writing mystery thrillers. In 2020, her debut thriller, Dark August, was an instant bestseller, earning acclaim as a New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice and an Apple Book of the Month. It also made the Globe 100 list. Since then, Tallo has written two more novels in the critically acclaimed Gus Monet trilogy including Poison Lilies and Buried Road. Her first standalone crime thriller, Where Her Secrets Lie, comes out August 2026 and her next thriller, The Last Villa, comes out in June 2027. Tallo lives with her husband in Ottawa where she is currently cooking up her next novel.

Here the author dreamcasts the lead for an adaptation of Where Her Secrets Lie:

If they make my book, Where Her Secrets Lie, into a film, I’d love to see Helen Mirren play the fiesty, wild-haired, beer-drinking protagonist, Lenny Bird. Helen is ten years older than Lenny but she’s got the vibe, the look, the sexy energy and the agency to pull off this edgy grandmother who takes on a ruthless crime boss. Her work in Mobland — hell, all her work — proves she’s got the gritty chops to be the perfect Lenny Bird.

While writing the novel and developing the lead character, I was very much inspired by a photo of Helen taken when she turned 70. It’s a sexy, fierce image of a beautiful older woman in her prime. Every time I looked at the photo, I got a little closer to understanding Lenny. It would be hard to imagine anyone else in the role.

Visit Katie Tallo's website.

The Page 69 Test: Dark August.

Q&A with Katie Tallo.

Writers Read: Katie Tallo (June 2022).

The Page 69 Test: Buried Road.

Writers Read: Katie Tallo (December 2024).

--Marshal Zeringue

Rachel Peterson's "Killing Sadie"

Rachel Peterson graduated from Miami University of Ohio with a degree in English and Creative Writing. After starting her career as a copywriter, she made the shift to the technology space and spent nearly a decade in New York City leading marketing teams for international tech companies before stepping away from the corporate world and focusing full-time on her career as an author. Peterson now splits her time between NYC and the Midwest, where she lives with her husband Ken, their dog Olive, and horse Hope.

Here Peterson dreamcasts an adaptation of her new YA thriller, Killing Sadie:

As a Midwestern kid who spent her early days dreaming of becoming an actor or author, my mind is constantly buzzing with who would play my characters!

We have quite a few characters to cover for Killing Sadie, so let’s focus on our twins, Sadie and Jayne Cooper. Sadie is our Midwestern golden girl with the personality to match, while Jayne is far edgier. But like most twins, they share an unspoken bond and are two sides of the same coin.

My mind jumps instantly to Isabel Gravitt (Tori Cooper in Your Friends and Neighbors), or Sadie Sink to play our twins! These two actresses have range for days, and can flip from polite to sinister in a second. And who are we kidding, every character in Killing Sadie needs to have this attribute! For their parents, Jon Hamm and Reese Witherspoon is a combination the world simply needs more of, full stop.

Putting my producer hat on, the mood for Killing Sadie leans camp and nostalgia, so if we can convince Sabrina Carpenter to return to acting, she might be my top spot for Liz! Or maybe India Lillie Davies from the AGGGTM universe, who played Andie Bell, a perfect comp for our party girl with hidden secrets.

Oh, and Jessica Beal or Simone Ashley as Detective Sloane, anyone? I could just die.

Visit Rachel Peterson's website.

--Marshal Zeringue

D. E. Carr's "When Squirrels Fly"

D. E. Carr has a career that spans the fields of neuropsychology, community health, and recreation management. She has a distance runner’s appreciation for the outdoors and thoroughly enjoys the humor and the brilliance of the residents of her adopted hometown of Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Here she dreamcasts an adaptation of her new novel, When Squirrels Fly:

When Mel Caldwell makes an animated, middle of the night phone call to her niece, Allie, but hangs up before explaining herself, Allie initially shrugs it off. Her aunt has always been a little eccentric. But when Aunt Mel disappears from her home less than 24 hours later, Allie drops everything and travels to Michigan to search for her. Shortly after her arrival in Ann Arbor, Allie meets her aunt’s enigmatic next-door neighbor, George Bennet. She reluctantly accepts help from George unaware he hides a dangerous secret that will complicate the search. The duo becomes a trio when Allie’s affable, but annoyingly irreverent younger brother, Nick, arrives to help. To find Aunt Mel, they’ll need to work together to determine how a neighborhood trellis, virtual reality goggles, migraine research, and an itinerant chihuahua, are all connected to the case.

When Squirrels Fly blends the popular genres of Cozy Mystery and light Science Fiction, both of which transition well to the screen. Although Ann Arbor, Michigan is a bit bigger than the typical small town cozy mystery setting, the action is mostly contained in a two-mile radius encompassing the historic Old West Side. The movie could be filmed on location in Ann Arbor where the somewhat quirky ambience allows the characters an easy backdrop for comic relief. There will be no shortage of extras with a wonderfully diverse population to choose from.

To imagine this cozy mystery-sci fi movie, think Hallmark Mysteries blended with a toned-down version of Everything, Everywhere, All At Once - Mystery 101 meets Something, Somewhere, Once in a While. This will be the vibe of When Squirrels Fly, the movie. I can already picture some entertaining special effects.

True to the cozy mystery genre, Allie Caldwell is an amateur sleuth; also, an accomplished associate professor of neuroscience from Colorado. I see her being played by Jennifer Lawrence whose characters are typically strong, clever, intuitive, witty and a tiny bit clumsy. She also has great chemistry with Bradley Cooper who I see as George Bennet. George is a sympathetic neighbor, but he’s complicated. The banter will flow easily between these two actors, just as it does in the book.

Allie has a playful, chaotic relationship with her younger brother Nick, whose world view is at opposite ends of the spectrum from hers. I think Chris Pratt – the one seen in television’s Parks & Recreation and not the raptor-whispering hero in Jurassic World – has the demeanor, comedic timing, and charisma to be a good Nick.

Mrs. Oakley, the spirited 85-year-old ballet instructor who doesn’t look a day over 65, lives across the street from Mel and knows a lot more than she lets on. I see her being played by Jamie Lee Curtis.

Finally, the floppy-eared, 8-pound, roving Chihuahua, Chidi, can only be played by my dog Cheech. He’ll need to lose a few pounds to fit the role, but he’ll think he owns the set by week two.

In order to maintain production deadlines, the film will need a director that can handle Chihuahua obstinacy. Wes Anderson is my ideal choice.

Visit D. E. Carr's website.

--Marshal Zeringue

Elizabeth H. Winthrop's "Conviction"

Elizabeth Hartley Winthrop was born and raised in New York City. She earned her B.A. from Harvard University and her M.F.A. in fiction from the UC Irvine, where she was the recipient of the Schaeffer Writing Fellowship. She is the author of the novels Fireworks, December, The Why of Things, and The Mercy Seat. She lives in Massachusetts with her husband and daughter and is Associate Professor of English/Creative Writing at Endicott College.

Here Winthrop dreamcasts an adaptation of her new novel, Conviction:

I honestly didn’t have any cinematic notions in mind when I wrote Conviction, but in answering the question of who I’d want to star in a movie adaptation was fun, and when I stumbled across the “right” actor for each role, I knew it immediately.

Saoirse Ronan could play Maggie; she has that quality of fierce interiority, and she's believable as someone whose idealism could harden into something dangerous without ever losing your sympathy.

Ramy Youssef could play Ahmet. He has enormous charm, quiet intelligence, and a genuine spiritual seriousness.

As for Ann, I think Laura Linney. She has that quality of holding enormous pain very tidily, and then it breaks through in unexpected moments. She's also believable as someone who gardens, who bakes a cake for no occasion, who sleeps on a futon since her husband died. Grounded and devastating.

Edward Norton could play Josh. There's something in him that suggests a person who acts from quiet conviction rather than performance, and he can play genuine goodness without it being boring. He has interior complexity, which matters for a character the audience only gets in memory and absence. And he's believable as a carpenter, a father, someone who spends ten hours in a barn.

Hiam Abbass would be perfect as Nour, who is novel’s moral center-- aged, physically worn but inwardly fierce. Hiam Abbass has exactly that quality of power held very quietly.

Finally, Ali Suliman could play Sirvan. He actually looks how I imagined Sirvan to look—and Sirvan is the only character I imagined. And as an actor Suliman is perfect; he has gravitas and a profound sadness he can access without effort.

Visit Elizabeth H. Winthrop's website.

--Marshal Zeringue

"Sisterhood Above All" by Kathleen Barber with Amayah Shaienne

Kathleen Barber is the author of Truth Be Told, which was adapted by Reese Witherspoon's Hello Sunshine as a series on AppleTV+, Follow Me, and Both Things Are True. A certified book coach and former attorney, she lives in Washington, DC, with her family.

Amayah Shaienne is a lifestyle content creator and student at the University of Alabama who quickly grew a following during Bama Rush. To date, she has garnered a following of nearly 200K across TikTok and Instagram and has her audience obsessed with all parts of her college life. She is excited to continue bringing her loyal followers along as she attends key college moments such as sorority rush, football games, and more.

Here Barber dreamcasts an adaptation of their new novel, Sisterhood Above All:

Like many authors, I love to imagine my work translated for the screen—but I always struggle with dreamcasting because I have such specific ideas of what my characters look like and how they behave. I’ve done my best, though, to dreamcast the three point-of-view characters in Sisterhood Above All:

Ava Nichols is a potential new member going through sorority rush who is desperate to join the Gammas. She’s blonde and conventionally pretty, but she’s anxious and unsure of herself. I’d cast Grace Van Patten as Ava based on appearance, but there’s a longing to fit in that reminds me of Maude Apatow’s performance as Lexi in Euphoria.

Madison Archer is the president of the Gammas. She’s intimidatingly beautiful—and intimidating, full stop. She’s cruel and calculating but knows how to put on a smile to get what she wants. If Madelaine Petsch were blonde, she’d be perfect—I loved her as Cheryl Blossom on Riverdale. I also see hints of Emma Roberts in her iconic roles as Chanel Oberlin in Scream Queens and Madison Montgomery in American Horror Story: Coven.

Shay Wright is the president of the Thetas. Smart, successful, and pretty, Shay is Type-A and driven to a fault. Her ambition threatens to push her beyond her physical limits, but she doesn’t know how to slow down. I’d cast Lovie Simone as Shay for her appearance, but there’s an anxious quality in Shay that reminds of Shay Mitchell’s Emily on Pretty Little Liars. (The character name is pure coincidence!)

While I’m at it, I’m going to dreamcast Christian Drake, Madison’s degenerate not-boyfriend. I definitely named him after Christian Slater for his role as Jason Dean in Heathers, but current Christian Slater is too old to play my Christian. My collaborator Amayah said she sees Christian as having Nate-from-Euphoria vibes, and I totally agree with her (seasons 1 and 2 Nate, of course, not whatever happened to Nate in season 3), so let’s cast Jacob Elordi.

Visit Kathleen Barber's website.

The Page 69 Test: Follow Me.

Writers Read: Kathleen Barber (March 2020).

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Q&A with Kathleen Barber.

Writers Read: Kathleen Barber (September 2025).

--Marshal Zeringue

Bryan Gruley's "River Deep"

Bryan Gruley is the Edgar-nominated author of seven novels and one award-winning work of nonfiction. A lifelong journalist, he shared in The Wall Street Journal's Pulitzer Prize for coverage of the September 11 terrorist attacks. A longtime Chicago resident, he now lives in northern lower Michigan with his wife, Pamela.

Here Gruley dreamcasts an adaptation of his new novel, River Deep:

If River Deep was a movie or, my preference, a streamed series, I would hope for Vince Gilligan, creator of my favorite series ever, Breaking Bad, to direct this cast:

Isa Briones, the prickly young doctor in TV’s The Pitt, as our courtroom hero, Devyn Payne. She’s attractive enough, tough enough, saucy enough. Different from my pick in Bitterfrost (the young agent from hit TV series Slow Horses), but I’d never seen Briones before.

Fiona Dourif, also from The Pitt, as the accused murderer Catriona Dulaney (OK, my wife and I love that series, but so does everybody else). Dourif's character in The Pitt wears an ankle monitor—just like Catriona. And she’s a tough redhead.

Jeff Daniels, Michigan guy, as Detective Garth Klimmek. This was my pick for Bitterfrost and I’m sticking with it. Like Klimmek, Daniels is great at playing a semi-grumpy but honest character.

Billy Bob Thornton—hell, yeah—as Hooper. He looks like I imagine Hooper would look, and could easily adopt Hooper’s near-cynical view of humanity—minus the southern accent.

Kyle Chandler as Jimmy Baker. Jimmy doesn’t have a point-of-view role in River Deep, but he’s still an important character. Last time I chose Timothy Olyphant, which would work too, but Chandler has the rugged looks of a good guy like Jimmy.

Jodie Foster as Circuit Judge Darlene Esper. Foster would be great at delivering the judge’s comic skepticism and dominance of her little world. Kate Winslet would work just fine, too.

Jack Lowden as Sammy Hardt. The Slow Horses heartthrob would draw viewers into Sammy’s character and then—sorry, no spoilers. Jesse Plemons of Breaking Bad or even Daniel Radcliffe could step into Sammy’s shoes.

Visit Bryan Gruley's website.

The Page 69 Test: Starvation Lake.

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The Page 69 Test: Purgatory Bay.

The Page 69 Test: Bitterfrost.

Q&A with Bryan Gruley.

My Book, The Movie: Bitterfrost.

--Marshal Zeringue

Peter Colt's "The Driftwood Bones"

Peter Colt is the author of Cold Island in the Detective Tommy Kelly series and the Andy Roark Mysteries. He was born in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1973 and is a graduate of the University of Rhode Island. Colt spent twenty-four years in the army reserve, with deployments to Kosovo in 2000 and Iraq in 2003 and 2008. He is currently a police officer in Providence, Rhode Island, where he lives with his family and two perpetually feuding cats. Colt’s hobbies include cooking, camping, and kayaking.

Here Colt dreamcasts an adaptation of his new novel, The Driftwood Bones, the second title featuring Detective Tommy Kelly:

If my book were a movie there are several characters I would like to see cast.

The protagonist Tommy Kelly is State Police Detective, who is a hot mess. His marriage is over, his love life is a mess, his career is on the ropes and he's been exiled to Nantucket Island by the State Police. I want an actor who can portray Kelly and his problems without turning it into the cliched "divorced, alcoholic" cop performance. I can see two potential leading men playing Kelly, Alexander Skarsgård, who gives outstanding performances in Generation Kill and Murderbot. Or Milo Ventimiglia whose performance in the series This Is Us shows the range he is capable of. Both actors could convincingly play a troubled police detective without turning it into a cliche.

The second character I want to see cast is Detective Jo Harris. Jo is neither a sidekick nor a typical film love interest. She is smart, tough and where Kelly is a hot mess Jo is the one who keeps the investigation on track. In many ways she's the real hero of the story. In my mind she looks like Florence Pugh. I think that Pugh has the chops to deliver a performance that would avoid all the stereotypes and tropes that the film industry often falls back on when portraying female cops. Pugh has shown us through a range of film roles that she can be tough, vulnerable, alluring and most importantly deliver a captivating performance.

Visit Peter Colt's website.

My Book, The Movie: Back Bay Blues.

The Page 69 Test: Back Bay Blues.

Q&A with Peter Colt.

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My Book, The Movie: Death at Fort Devens.

Writers Read: Peter Colt (June 2022).

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Writers Read: Peter Colt (March 2025).

My Book, The Movie: The Banker.

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The Page 69 Test: Cold Island.

Writers Read: Peter Colt (September 2025).

My Book, The Movie: Cold Island.

--Marshal Zeringue