Katie Holt's "The Last Page"

Katie Holt is a New York City resident but a Tennessee native. She studied English with a concentration in creative writing at NYU and fought with every professor to prove that romance novels were worthy of their time. She’s a Nora Ephron fanatic, Swiftie, and warm chocolate chip cookie enthusiast.

Holt is also the author of her highly-acclaimed debut Not in My Book.

Here she shares some ideas for the above-of-the-line talent for an adaptation of her new novel, The Last Page:

I never dreamcast before I write. I know lots of writers love to make boards on Pinterest for what their characters look like, but they come fully formed in my head. I have to get to learn their personalities, but I see what their hair or nose or eyes look like in my mind and I feel as if I were to be inspired by actors, I’d be too literal with it.

Whenever I try to think about it, though, I have difficulty naming someone for my heroines—probably because I’m so protective of them. If any of my books were to be turned into movies, though, I’d insist that a Peruvian woman be cast. I’d love to find someone who’s not already famous just to bring more Peruvian women to the forefront.

A reader recently tagged me in a fancast that had Leo Woodall as Henry and I totally see the vision. He’s got the kind of broadness that I envision with Henry and in glasses … it’d totally work.

I think Greta Gerwig would be a great director for this. She does such a great job at capturing the female gaze, which is pivotal for romance novels! It’s all about the lingering, small touches or the secret shared glances. I’d want someone who intimately understands that aspect of the genre.

Visit Katie Holt's website.

Writers Read: Katie Holt.

Q&A with Katie Holt.

--Marshal Zeringue

James L. Cambias's "The Ishtar Deception"

James L. Cambias is a writer, a game designer, and the cofounder of Zygote Games. He has been nominated for the James Tiptree Jr. Award and the 2001 John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer.

Here Cambias dreamcasts an adaptation of his new novel, The Ishtar Deception:

From the start I wanted The Ishtar Deception to be a James Bond adventure in the Tenth Millennium. So of course I daydreamed about the movie version.

The Cast: The main role is Sabbath Okada, the greatest secret agent in the Billion Worlds of the far-future Solar System. Sabbath, as I've mentioned before, is very hard to cast because he is genetically engineered to be the most average-looking, unmemorable person possible. Of course, 8000 years in the future, bland average looks would seem supernaturally attractive to us crude primitives, but that's kind of true about actors already — even the "ugly" ones are good-looking. I think I'd go with a Hispanic actor like Manuel Garcia-Rulfo or Hunter Gomez, to give a better sense of what an average human in the far future might look like.

Sabbath's deadliest enemy — and the love of his life — is Meili Tewa, a spy-for-hire. She can't be just an ornamental "Bond Girl." Meili's actress needs to be athletic, fearless, beautiful, and convey a sense of roguish amorality. I think I'll reach back 20 years and cast Angelina Jolie in her Lara Croft days as Meili. If the time machine isn't working, then the martial-arts actress Juju Chan would be good.

Another nemesis is Zoya Dukra, a private investigator in the city of Ishtar on Venus who is supposedly working with Sabbath to investigate a mysterious death, but who has a hidden agenda. Zoya needs an actress who can be both beautiful and uncanny. Alicia Vikander did that very well in Ex Machina, so I'll cast her as Zoya.

As one would expect in the year 10,000, several characters are "mechs" —digital intelligences. There are three major AI characters. Daslakh, my narrator, has been in all my other Billion Worlds novels, so I've discussed a number of possible voice actors for it. I've mostly defaulted to male actors, but perhaps Dame Judi Dench would be appropriate to voice Daslakh in this film.

The other two important AIs are Kappa, another colleague of Sabbath's who comes to a bad end, and Tiejiang Jian, a former human now uploaded into software who operates an immense mining operation on Venus. Kappa should sound just slightly wrong. It has a spindly disposable mechanical body, so I suggest giving it a rich baritone voice completely at odds with its appearance. As to Jian, they began as human so I expect they use their original voice. Ken Watanabe might be a good choice.

The Director: I'd like a director who actually adapts the book rather than doing a new story with the same title. Denis Villeneuve is the current champion of faithful adaptations. Christopher Nolan has famously pulled off the "deceptions within deceptions" nature of the story. Guy Ritchie can do good gritty portrayals of the kind of amoral characters that populate this book. If none of them are available, I'll take any competent action director, like Christopher McQuarrie or Dan Trachtenberg.

The Score: Get Michael Giacchino to channel the spirit of John Barry. Or maybe just have Hans Zimmer read the book and turn him loose to see what happens.

Visit James L. Cambias's website.

My Book, The Movie: A Darkling Sea.

Writers Read: James L. Cambias (January 2019).

My Book, The Movie: Arkad's World.

The Page 69 Test: Arkad's World.

My Book, The Movie: The Godel Operation.

Q&A with James L. Cambias.

The Page 69 Test: The Godel Operation.

The Page 69 Test: The Miranda Conspiracy.

My Book, The Movie: The Miranda Conspiracy.

Writers Read: James L. Cambias (February 2025).

The Page 69 Test: The Ishtar Deception.

--Marshal Zeringue

John Katzenbach's "The Architect"

John Katzenbach is the New York Times bestselling author of such novels as the Edgar Award-nominated In the Heat of the Summer, which was adapted for the screen as The Mean Season; The Traveler; Day of Reckoning; Just Cause and Hart's War, which were also made into movies; The Shadow Man, another Edgar nominee; State of Mind; The Analyst; and The Madman's Tale. Katzenbach has been a criminal court reporter for the Miami Herald and Miami News and a featured writer for the Herald's Tropic magazine.

Here he shares some ideas for the team to adapt his new novel, The Architect, for the big screen:

This is intriguing for me. I have had four of my novels filmed, so I’m well versed with the movie-making process, which frequently contains more twists, turns, ups, downs and off-the-wall moments/disasters than a Stephen King tome. There are many cooks – writers, producers, executives, directors, actors, designers, cameramen -- making the stew of a film, which, as any lonely author knows, is not necessarily a good recipe. Too many opinions often result in the folks making the film forgetting why they wanted to adapt the story in the first place.

But – all that acknowledged – let’s really indulge when it comes to The Architect.

The plot is this: A young woman graduating at the very top of her architecture school class at a moment of great personal turmoil (possibly suicidal and disappeared mother, stalking ex-boyfriend) is given a potentially life-altering job by a mysterious anonymous wealthy man, who wants her to design a memorial for six people he claims influenced him greatly. As my main character, Sloane Connolly investigates, she discovers that none of these six were admirable. Each represented some evil – whether it was betrayal or bullying and other misdeeds. As she travels into the discovery of who her benefactor is and who these people are – she is thrust into mysteries of her own past. The plot spans many years. The past influences the present.

Not the easiest adaptation.

The good: Plenty of action. Guns. Confrontations. Violence. And... Great locations. (Harvard Square. The 9/11 Museum in lower Manhattan. San Diego. Miami. Rural Maine. Isolated Martha’s Vineyard...)

The bad: The novel’s plot is often advanced by internal observation and interpretation – the hardest elements to capture in a film.

Who could write this screenplay?

I think we should resurrect two famous guys, both sadly gone now: William Goldman or Robert Towne. Both were incredibly skilled at evoking subtleties of personality in their scripts. Classics and classy. Dialogue that soars.

Let’s hire to direct...

The young James Cameron. When he made Aliens. Action and emotions in equal parts up on the screen. He knows how to make characters psychologically sophisticated and eminently memorable even while they are chambering a round in an automatic weapon.

And let’s give him a good cast...

Four main roles:

The lead – the young architect.

Easy... Monica Barbaro. Immensely talented and the daughter of one of my frequent fly-fishing companions. Casting her would give us something to talk about when not catching fish.

Her anonymous employer. Not so easy. Needs to be able to play young and old. Could we bring back Sir Laurence Olivier from the great theater beyond? In much of the book he’s late 50’s, early 60’s. So, I’d lean towards Cillian Murphy, Ethan Hawke or Colin Farrell. George Clooney – if he wants to play a truly bad guy. (Unlikely, but who knows?) But the younger version? I’m less sure. Can’t believe I’m suggesting this but: AI?

The attorney who gives the architect her commission. This is a rich, provocative character. Hugo Weaving might work – although I’d wonder whether he has the necessary insouciance. Perhaps John Hawkes, because who is better at playing eyebrow-raised wryness?

The architect’s mother, Maeve O’Connor: A role that needs toughness and compassion in equal measures. Also, needs to play young and old.

Again, difficult – but I think I’d lean towards Jamie Lee Curtis or Michelle Pfeiffer. As above, I’m not sure who would play their younger version.

So, action, cut, print. Then distribute around the world. Not IMAX, because nothing in the movie takes place in outer space. But not Art Theaters either. Maybe we should be thinking streaming on HBO or Netflix or FX. Numerous episodes to get into plot intricacies. Think Prime Suspect or Mare of Easttown. That would be nice...

Visit John Katzenbach's website.

My Book, The Movie: Red 1-2-3.

Writers Read: John Katzenbach (January 2014).

The Page 69 Test: Red 1-2-3.

Writers Read: John Katzenbach.

Q&A with John Katzenbach.

The Page 69 Test: The Architect.

--Marshal Zeringue

David Hirshberg's "Crossing the Bronx"

David Hirshberg is the pseudonym for a biotech executive who prefers to keep his business activities separate from his writing endeavors. He adopted the first name of his father-in-law and the last name of his maternal grandfather as a tribute to their impact on his life.He is the author of two previous novels, My Mother's Son and Jacobo's Rainbow, each of which has won multiple awards. In addition, he has published four short stories and written the introduction for a nonfiction book. Hirshberg holds an undergraduate degree from Dartmouth College and a master's degree from the University of Pennsylvania. He lives with his wife and two dogs in Westchester County, New York.

Here Hirshberg shares his thoughts on the ideal director for an adaptation of his new novel, Crossing the Bronx:

The fascinating thing about this is that I have written the screenplay for Crossing the Bronx, and it is with my rep on Hollywood! In ‘Movieland’, the pitch has to start with what is known as the ‘Log Line’, and here is the log line for my screenplay:

Returning to the gritty working-class streets of his childhood in 1955, army vet Jay deVenezia discovers his father Ike and brother Eric are involved in a scheme to bribe NYC officials to build an expressway that will destroy the heart of The Bronx.

Jay and his girlfriend’s valiant efforts—that include illegal wiretapping and a well-planned neighborhood uprising—don’t win this battle, but do succeed in the war by rousing public opinion against future community-destroying building projects.

The brothers’ fractious relationship speaks to the issues of how families split apart, and whether or not the pieces can ever be put back together. The dynamics of Jay’s relationship with his girlfriend Francesca Casterella—who comes from a completely different background—plays out against the tumultuous events of the day.

Four smart, savvy women (Jay's girlfriend, mother. and therapist, as well as Francesca’s grandmother, provide a strong counterbalance to the lies, thefts, beatings, concealments, murders, and prejudice evidenced by some of the men.

Ultimately, the Cross Bronx Expressway is built, but Jay and Francesca take solace in the fact that their opposition sparked other protests against City Hall and double-dealing, with the result that the community-destroying projects including the Cross Manhattan Expressway, the Rye-Oyster Bay Bridge, and a new stadium for the New York Giants baseball team in Manhattan’s Ft. Tryon Park are not built.

The screenplay can be summarized as the crime, corruption, and love story of On the Waterfront meet the intrigue and intensity of Reservoir Dogs, written and directed by Quentin Tarantino, who would be the ideal director for Crossing the Bronx. Tarantino is a master of interweaving multiple story arcs that appear at the outset to be independent of each other, yet are woven into a fabric that encompasses all of them at the end (note especially how he directed Pulp Fiction in this manner). He would be able to knit together the strands of the criminal conspiracies, the corrupted politics, the destruction of the neighborhood, the love story, and the family relationships in a way that allows the narrative to dig down to give a full picture of the complexity of behaviors, and how the decisions—that have both intended and unintended consequences—are made by those who are powerful and connected, as well as by those who are just ‘regular folks’.

Tarantino is the director who could illustrate persuasively how the world really works, thus enabling Crossing The Bronx to capture the essence of what drives us forward under the most daunting of circumstances in tension-filled action by allowing the characters to come to life in a realistic fashion to illustrate who we are, how we behave, and what causes us to change.

Visit David Hirshberg's website.

The Page 69 Test: Crossing the Bronx.

--Marshal Zeringue

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