Ann Garvin's "There's No Coming Back from This"

Ann Garvin, Ph.D. is the USA Today bestselling author of five funny and sad novels. She writes about people who do too much in a world that asks too much from them.

Garvin worked as an RN and after receiving her Ph.D. taught Exercise Physiology, Sport Psychology Nutrition, Stress Management, and Global Health for thirty years in the University of Wisconsin system. She currently teaches creative writing at Drexel University in their low residency Masters of Fine Arts program and has held positions at Miami University and Southern New Hampshire in their Masters of Fine Arts Creative Writing programs.

Garvin is the founder of the multiple award-winning Tall Poppy Writers where she is committed to helping women writers succeed. She is a sought-after speaker on writing, leadership and health and has taught extensively in NY, San Francisco, LA, Boston, and at festivals across the country and in Europe.

Here she dreamcasts an adaptation of her new novel, There's No Coming Back from This:

Writing a novel set on the Backlot of Universal Studios in Los Angeles against the backdrop of the remake of When Harry Met Sally – but with dogs – is the perfect setup for this blog post.

There's No Coming Back From This – the movie – is just waiting to be made.

This is the story of Poppy Lively, who is on the verge of losing everything—think Tina Fey in Date Night. Like everyone, she is a hardworking woman trying to make it without going under.

Her old flame, a now hotshot producer, gives her a costume job on a Hollywood film set. I would want someone you almost trust, an actor who could go either way—good guy/bad guy like Bradley Cooper. A charismatic player who really likes the ladies.

Poppy is a single mother who is out of place in the fast and loose world of movie stars, iconic costumes, and backlot intrigue and runs into a young handsome Timothée Chalamet character who is good friends to the bratty Emilie who seems to be trying to take Poppy down. I love the idea of Millie Bobby Brown as Emilie because you never know what she is hiding behind her smile.

When Poppy stumbles upon corruption, she relies on everyone underestimating her in order to discover who is truly to blame. And that is precisely how Poppy plans to best the divas of TinselTown—if only she can stay employed and keep her plans a secret. One of those divas is a character that Steve Carell would perfectly play.

I may or may not have crushes on most of the movie stars, but it's unlikely I will meet any of them, so I won't make a fool of myself.

Visit Ann Garvin's website.

My Book, The Movie: The Dog Year.

Coffee with a Canine: Ann Garvin & Peanut.

--Marshal Zeringue