Julie E. Czerneda's "A Change of Place"

Julie E. Czerneda is a biologist and writer whose science fiction has received international acclaim, awards, and best-selling status. She is the author of the popular "Species Imperative" trilogy, the "Web Shifters" series, the "Trade Pact Universe" trilogy and her new "Stratification" novels. She was a finalist for the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer. Her stand-alone novel, In the Company of Others, won Canada's Prix Aurora Award and was a finalist for the Philip K. Dick Award for Distinguished SF.

Here Czerneda shares some ideas for an epic series adaptation of her new novel, A Change of Place:

A Change of Place continues from two previous books in my Night’s Edge fantasy series. The characters are the same, though more arrive, the focal setting—Marrowdell—is always present, but in each book, we visit dramatically different places and problems. It’s, well, big.

Making it not so much a movie prospect and very much an epic series.

Just typing that makes me tremble, a little. Wouldn’t that be something?

Oh I didn’t always think that way. When I first thought of Marrowdell, my dragon, my characters and the entire scope and tone of the story it was in response to what I wasn’t finding. I wanted fantasy where the magic was wondrous and wild. With families that were whole and loving and coped together with their troubles. Characters who weren’t victims but happy or hoping to be, engaged with their surroundings and each other. There’s a mill. Farms. Dancing.

A story that feels like warm cocoa and a blanket on a chilly day, with gleeful ahas!

In other words, no grim. No gore. Okay, maybe a touch of gore and smidge of risk, but countered by a great deal more pie and joy and laughter.

As there wasn’t anything like this in movie or series form—and so much the opposite ::coughs Game of Thrones ::coughs:: as I wrote I never thought a visual edition of my fantasy would be possible. After all, it has moments like this:

As the light of this world faded, the light of the Verge reached the bay, or rather, shone up through it to reveal treasure below.

Mimrol.

The magic that flowed as rivers and filled lakes in the Verge did the same here, in the depths beneath the dark water, its silver like some fantastic etching come to life. In Channen, the stuff had fallen as rain, greedily snapped up by the turtle-like nyim—what wasn’t collected by those who knew its value.

Suggesting she did, Nonny stood, calmly handed Jenn her cup, then shrugged off her rags. Beneath she wore nothing but a woven belt lined with compartments.

With one smooth motion, she stepped up on the gunnel and dove.

Now, however, we’ve a wealth of amazing film and shows with incredible special effects to ably portray beautiful moments, like this, as well as all those action things (which I adore as well, don’t get me wrong). Most recently, the Rings of Power on Prime, season 2 directed by Charlotte Brändström, comes to mind*. Watching lets me truly imagine Marrowdell coming to life on a screen at last, which would be epic--many of my family and friends are movie folks, not so much readers.

And I’d like it too.

*Confession: like every author I know who watched Lord of the Rings I dreamed Peter Jackson would “discover” my book and make it a spectacular umpteen hour movie but--at the time I was writing Species Imperative, a hard sf epic, and I didn’t think it his sort of thing. Peter? Maybe now?

Visit Julie E. Czerneda's website.

The Page 69 Test: To Guard Against the Dark.

The Page 69 Test: The Gossamer Mage.

The Page 69 Test: Mirage.

Q&A with Julie E. Czerneda.

The Page 69 Test: To Each This World.

My Book, The Movie: To Each This World.

--Marshal Zeringue

J.H. Markert's "Sleep Tight"

J. H. Markert, the author of The Nightmare Man, Mister Lullaby, and Sleep Tight, is the pen name for writer James Markert, an award-winning novelist of historical fiction. Markert is a produced screenwriter, husband, and father of two from Louisville, Kentucky, where he was also a tennis pro for 25 years, before hanging up the racquets for good in 2020. He graduated with a degree in History from the University of Louisville in 1997 and has been writing ever since. With a total of 10 published novels under his belt, Markert writes historical fiction under his name and horror/thriller under J.H. Markert. He has recently completed his next historical novel, Ransom Burning, a civil rights era family/crime drama that Markert calls “my best book yet!” He recently finished another horror novel called Dig, and is currently hard at work on his next novel, Spider to the Fly.

Here Markert dreamcasts an adaptation of Sleep Tight:

I always envision “movie” when writing my novels, which means I inevitably think of certain characters when I create my stories and Sleep Tight was no exception. No budget could afford this cast, but in the spirit of sleeping tight, and sleeping right, we can dream, right?

As a Louisvillian, for the main character, I could think of no one other than Louisville’s own Jennifer Lawrence as my Detective Tess Claiborne. I’d be lying if I didn’t admit, in part, writing the story one day hoping she could play Tess!

As far as her husband Justin, I’d go with Chris Pine.

For Detective Danny Gomes, I’d go with a serious Jack Black.

For the incredibly difficult task of playing Noah Nichols, I’d love to have Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and for Father Silence, Joaquin Phoenix.

And for Lisa Buchanon I’d like to cast Lady Gaga!

Visit J.H. Markert's website.

Q&A with J. H. Markert.

My Book, The Movie: The Nightmare Man.

The Page 69 Test: The Nightmare Man.

--Marshal Zeringue

Sofie Kelly's "Furever After"

New York Times bestselling author, Sofie Kelly, writes the Magical Cats mysteries, set in the small town of Mayville Heights, Minnesota. As Sofie Ryan, she is the author of the popular bestselling Second Chance Cat mysteries that feature repurpose shop owner, Sarah Grayson, a group of senior sleuths and the world's oldest computer hacker.

Kelly has been a late night disk jockey—which explains her love of coffee--and taught absolutely terrified adults how to swim. Like Kathleen Paulson in the Magical Cats books, she practices Wu style Tai Chi. Kelly is also a mixed-media artist and likes to prowl thrift shops looking for things to re-purpose in her art.

Here she dreamcasts an adaptation of her new novel, Furever After:

Librarian Kathleen Paulson lives in Mayville Heights, a small town in Minnesota. In the latest book in the series, Furever After, she’s about to marry Detective Marcus Gordon. Kathleen gets tangled up in quite a few of Marcus’s cases. She’s kind and empathic and people tell her things. Kathleen is also very good at figuring out when someone is lying. Her parents are actors—primarily in the theatre—and she’s learned a lot about human nature from watching them. She has excellent research skills as well. And she has a couple of furry helpers, her cats, Owen and Hercules.

Owen and Hercules are not ordinary felines. There’s a reason this series is called the Magical Cats Mysteries. The cats each have a very unique skill. Owen can become invisible, and being a cat he doesn’t always disappear when it’s convenient for Kathleen. Hercules can walk through walls.

So which actor do I picture playing Kathleen if Hollywood decided to turn the series into a movie? Sandra Bullock. She’s equally good at comedy and drama. She looks right physically for the part. And she’s an animal lover. But Sandra is a little older than Kathleen, who is in her late thirties. However, I’m actually thinking about Sandra Bullock from about 2006 when she was in the movie The Lake House. (Don’t tell me the movie is stupid because I will stuff my fingers in my ears and start humming loudly.)

So if Sandra Bullock was cast as Kathleen I’m thinking maybe…maybe Keanu Reeves for Marcus? Yes, I know his eye color and age are all wrong but again I’m picturing Keanu circa 2006, which does fix the age issue. And I could be flexible about Marcus’s beautiful blue eyes.

So what do you think?

Visit Sofie Kelly's website.

My Book, The Movie: Curiosity Thrilled the Cat.

Writers Read: Sofie Kelly (October 2015).

The Page 69 Test: Faux Pas.

Writers Read: Sofie Kelly (September 2022).

Writers Read: Sofie Kelly.

--Marshal Zeringue