Elena Taylor's "The Haunting of Emily Grace"

Elena Taylor is the author of the Sheriff Bet Rivers Mysteries, dark and atmospheric police procedurals set in a small, rural mountain town in Washington State. As Elena Hartwell, she writes the Eddie Shoes Mysteries, about a quirky mother/daughter crime fighting duo.

Taylor is also a developmental editor with Allegory Editing, where she works one-on-one with writers to shape and polish their manuscripts. She also writes the Wait, Wait, Don't Query (Yet!) series of books on the writer's craft.

Her favorite place to be is home at Paradise, near Spokane, Washington. She lives with her hubby, their equines, dogs, and cats. Taylor holds degrees from the University of San Diego, the University of Washington, and the University of Georgia.

Here she dreamcasts an adaptation of her new novel, The Haunting of Emily Grace:

The Haunting of Emily Grace would make a great movie. I also think it would be very effective in one of those mini series we see on Netflix and Amazon Prime, with half a dozen episodes to binge all at once. Set in an isolated, unfinished mansion on a tiny island in the middle of a dark sea makes for the perfect imagery. With the rugged coastline of the San Juan Island chain up here in the Pacific Northwest as the backdrop, and the sweet, small town vibe in contrast to the cold, modern house, would give a director a location to love as much as the story and the characters. The directors of Harlan Coben's many streaming series or the series Justified would make excellent choices, as they all make location add to suspense.

Emily Grace should be played by an actress that can feel fragile, but also show a spine of steel when called upon. She has to come across as practical most of the time and have the physical strength to be a carpenter. Lili Taylor from her Mystic Pizza days is the first actress that comes to mind, but Jennifer Lawrence would definitely be able to play all those facets as well. Zendaya would be an interesting choice. She has such beautiful, delicate features, but can be stronger than she looks. Sandra Oh would be amazing as well. I would totally believe her capable of anything, but also able to show vulnerability and fear.

The wealthy but troubled owner of the mansion immediately makes me think of Nathan Fillion. He's an actor that can play serious, funny, and powerful—all at the same time. If he combined his roles from Serenity, Castle, and The Rookie, it would make the perfect Cameron Lang. Idris Elba is another actor that would be perfect for the part. He's handsome, but can also play the sensitive side that comes out as Cameron tries to navigate his challenging adult daughter Chloe.

Chloe might be the funnest role to cast. Manipulative, mercurial, charming. Christina Ricci would be perfect in that part. Sophie Nélisse from Yellowjackets would also be a lot of fun.

Now if only Hollywood would come knocking on my door!

Visit Elena Taylor's website.

Q&A with Elena Taylor.

The Page 69 Test: A Cold, Cold World.

My Book, The Movie: A Cold, Cold World.

Writers Read: Elena Taylor.

--Marshal Zeringue

Cara Black's "Huguette"

Cara Black is the author of twenty-one books in the New York Times bestselling Aimée Leduc series as well as the WWII thrillers Three Hours in Paris and Night Flight to Paris. She has won the Médaille de la Ville de Paris and the Médaille d’Or du Rayonnement Culturel and received multiple nominations for the Anthony and Macavity Awards; her books have been translated into German, Norwegian, Japanese, French, Spanish, Italian, and Hebrew.

Here Black shares some thoughts on who might direct and play the lead in an adaptation of her new novel, Huguette:

As I wrote Huguette I had no specific actress in mind. In thinking about this now, I'd want an actress who has frizzy hair she's constantly trying to tame, as Huguette does. An actress who can completely change her look, as Huguette does and probably all actresses can do with different make up and wardrobe. And an innocent face.

Director wise I'd like Martin Scorsese to direct Huguette. Granted he's more mob centric but he's also done unusual films like Kundun and The Last Temptation of Christ. Music threads through his films and I definitely feel 40's music would evoke Huguette's era like he's used it so effectively in Casino with 70's music. Of course, Marty, if I can call him that, only directs films he's passionate about and if he read Huguette, became impassioned to tell her story I'd love it. There's also lots of bad guys in the book, GI deserters, Paris black market gangs and collaborators in hiding so he could, if any director could, get into that!

Visit Cara Black's website and follow her on Instagram and Threads.

The Page 69 Test: Murder at the Lanterne Rouge.

My Book, the Movie: Murder at the Lanterne Rouge.

The Page 69 Test: Murder below Montparnasse.

The Page 69 Test: Murder in Pigalle.

My Book, The Movie: Murder in Pigalle.

My Book, The Movie: Murder on the Champ de Mars.

The Page 69 Test: Three Hours in Paris.

The Page 69 Test: Night Flight to Paris.

Writers Read: Cara Black (March 2023).

Writers Read: Cara Black (March 2024).

The Page 69 Test: Murder at la Villette.

--Marshal Zeringue

Paula Munier's "The Snow Lies Deep"

Paula Munier is the USA TODAY bestselling author of the Mercy Carr mysteries. A Borrowing of Bones, the first in the series, was nominated for the Mary Higgins Clark Award  and named the Dogwise Book of the Year. Blind Search also won a Dogwise Award. The Hiding Place and The Wedding Plot both appeared on several “Best Of” lists. Home at Night, the fifth book in the series, was inspired by her volunteer work as a Natural Resources Steward of New Hampshire.

Along with her love of nature, Munier credits the hero dogs of Mission K9 Rescue, her own rescue dogs, and a deep affection for New England as her series’ major influences.

A literary agent by day, she’s also written three popular books on writing: Plot Perfect, The Writer’s Guide to Beginnings, and Writing with Quiet Hands, as well as Happier Every Day and the memoir Fixing Freddie: The True Story of a Boy, a Mom, and a Very, Very Bad Beagle.

Here Munier shares some thoughts about the director for an adaptation of her new Mercy Carr mystery, The Snow Lies Deep:

The Snow Lies Deep, the seventh book in my Mercy Carr mystery series from Minotaur, takes place during the countdown to Christmas in the picture-perfect Vermont village of Northshire. Everyone is in the holiday spirit—local artisans and shopkeepers, kids and parents and grandparents, church choral singers and Druid drummers alike. But when the town Santa is found murdered, it’s up to Mercy and her husband Troy and their smart-as-heck working dogs to find the Yuletide Killer before he kills again—and ruins Christmas in Northshire forever.

So we’re talking Love Actually meets Die Hard, in New England. I think it would be great to have famed Barbie director Greta Gerwig write the screenplay and direct because, well, Barbie! Mercy is the anti-Barbie, and it would be fun to see Gerwig tackle that kind of character. We know she can do Christmas (she directed Little Women) and we know she could give all those male action-movie directors a run for their money. Move over, John McTiernan and James Cameron and John Woo, here comes Greta! She’s probably already signed on to do the next Wonder Woman movie (or whatever), but Mercy Carr is a wonder woman, too. I’m just saying.

Think about it, Greta. Seriously. Meanwhile, a girl can dream….

Visit Paula Munier's website.

Coffee with a Canine: Paula Munier & Bear.

My Book, The Movie: A Borrowing of Bones.

The Page 69 Test: A Borrowing of Bones.

Writers Read: Paula Munier (October 2019).

My Book, The Movie: Blind Search.

The Page 69 Test: Blind Search.

My Book, The Movie: The Hiding Place.

The Page 69 Test: The Hiding Place.

Q&A with Paula Munier.

My Book, The Movie: The Wedding Plot.

The Page 69 Test: The Wedding Plot.

Writers Read: Paula Munier (July 2022).

Writers Read: Paula Munier (October 2023).

My Book, The Movie: Home at Night.

The Page 69 Test: Home at Night.

My Book, The Movie: The Night Woods.

The Page 69 Test: The Night Woods.

Writers Read: Paula Munier (October 2024).

--Marshal Zeringue

P.J. Nelson's "All My Bones"

P.J. Nelson is the pseudonym of an award-winning actor, dramatist, professor, and novelist (among other many other professions) who has done just about everything except run a bookstore. He lives in Decatur, Georgia.

Here he dreamcasts an adaptation of his new novel, All My Bones:

In All My Bones, the second of the Old Juniper Bookshop mystery series, we find Madeline Brimley, owner of the bookshop, and Gloria Coleman, an Episcopal priest and one of Madeline’s best friends, trying to plant azaleas in the shop’s front yard. Their efforts are hindered by rock-hard red Georgia clay and, they soon discover, human bones. The bones turn out to belong to Beatrice Glassie, one of two Glassie sisters, the richest women in the tiny town of Enigma, Georgia. It isn’t long before Bea’s sister Idell accuses Gloria of murdering Bea. Apparently, Bea and Gloria were constantly at odds over church business. Not to mention the fact that the Glassie sisters didn’t cotton to the idea of a female priest at all. And since Idell has lots of money, she also wields an unhealthy degree of influence, which she uses to pressure the local GBI to arrest Gloria for Bea’s murder. Madeline knows Gloria is innocent and sets out to prove it. She soon discovers that nearly everyone in Enigma had some sort of grudge against Beatrice Glassie. The plethora of suspects includes a local handyman whom Beatrice owed money and the owner of the town diner whom Bea tried to force out of business. But nearly everyone in town seems happy that Beatrice is dead. Madeline’s investigations even lead her to an allegedly haunted opera house in Hawkinsville, Georgia, and to wealthy Kelly Brady, Bea’s on-again-off-again beau who worked with Bea to restore the old opera house. Too many suspects and not enough time roil Madeline’s efforts to save her friend Gloria before it’s too late.

Thinking about what actors might play some of these characters is loads of fun. For Madeline Brimley, I like Holly Hunter around the age she was after she made Raising Arizona. Her understanding of southern idiomatic speech would be invaluable, and her demeanor of dogged determination seems just right for Madeline. As to Gloria Coleman, who is described in the books as being built more like a stevedore than a priest, I find the idea of casting Ronda Rousey, the mixed martial arts artist and actor, extremely amusing. I heard her say once that she only wanted to play herself in films because that way no one could tell her what she would or wouldn’t say in any given situation. And that’s exactly that the character of Gloria Coleman would think. And what if Sissy Spacek played Idell Glassie? Once again, Spacek’s understanding of “south-speak” would make her perfect for the role. I’m especially thinking of her dead-pan voiceover in Badlands, but also, of course, her understanding of Loretta Lynn in Coal Miner’s Daughter. And wouldn’t it be great if the film could be directed by the Coen Brothers? I love their sense of humor, the subtlety of their irony, and, again, their understanding of Southern culture in general. Finally, let’s get in touch with Randy Newman to score the film, and see if Rhiannon Giddens could be convinced to write a couple of songs—or ten.

Read more about All My Bones at the publisher's website.

--Marshal Zeringue

Brionni Nwosu's "The Wondrous Life and Loves of Nella Carter"

Brionni Nwosu is a writer, educator, and joyful creative based in the vibrant city of Nashville, where she lives with her husband and their three children. After more than a decade teaching students and mentoring teachers, she shifted her storytelling craft from a side passion to center stage. A 2021 We Need Diverse Books mentee under Rajani LaRocca, Nwosu writes bold, heartfelt fiction that explores connection, purpose, and what it means to live a life well.

Here she dreamcasts an adaptation of her debut novel, The Wondrous Lives and Loves of Nella Carter:

If The Wondrous Life and Loves of Nella Carter were ever adapted for the screen, I would love to see Laura Harrier play Nella. When I was drafting the book, I came across an image of her that immediately clicked for me — something about her poise, the directness of her gaze, and the period nature of her clothes that just felt like Nella. I kept that image nearby as I wrote, especially during the scenes where Nella steps into new eras and new identities.

The novel follows Nella, a woman who should have died young but instead gains immortality after making a bargain with Death, if she can continue to believe that life is worth saving. She moves through cities and centuries — from New Orleans to London to Paris — collecting evidence and writing stories to prove it, with Death testing her throughout time. Along the way, she finds love, community, and moments of wonder that she never imagined she would get to experience. Because the story spans so many eras and emotional tones, I think it would need a lead actress who can play both the grounded, everyday moments and the sweeping, epic ones. Harrier strikes that balance beautifully.

One thing I love about the idea of adapting this story is that Nella has several different loves over the course of her very long life, each in a different era and cultural context. It isn’t a single-love-story arc — it’s an entire rainbow. Because of that, the film or series would offer a great opportunity for multiple actors to shine. There’s her first love, who appears early in the book, but as she moves through time, we see relationships that reflect different backgrounds, identities, and emotional tones. Each love teaches her something new about herself and the world she’s walking through. I think that range would not only enrich the adaptation, but also create space for emerging actors — or established ones looking for something fresh — to step into these roles and really make them their own.

As far as directors, Ava DuVernay is at the top of my list. She brings such care and intention to stories about Black history, identity, and possibility. I can imagine her capturing the visual beauty of the book — the candlelit soirées, the Parisian streets, the quiet moments between characters — while also holding the emotional weight of Nella’s journey. I could also see the story finding a home as a Shondaland project. Shonda Rhimes has a way of creating character-driven dramas that feel both intimate and big, and the success of Bridgerton shows how well her team handles sweeping period pieces with modern flair, bringing them to a wider audience.

In my mind, the best adaptation would be one that blends romance, history, fantasy, and emotional depth — something lush and human and full of feeling. Whoever ends up involved (in my imaginary version of this!), I hope they’d honor what the book is really about and bring Nella and all her loves to the rest of the world.

Visit Brionni Nwosu's website.

Writers Read: Brionni Nwosu.

The Page 69 Test: The Wondrous Life and Loves of Nella Carter.

--Marshal Zeringue

Cindy Jiban's "The Probable Son"

Cindy Jiban lives in Minnesota, where she was awarded a 2023 emerging fiction writer fellowship through the Loft Literary Center. Jiban holds a Ph.D. in educational psychology; before writing novels, she was an educator and researcher who published frequently, particularly focusing on how students learn to read.

Like the main character in her debut novel The Probable Son, Jiban has taught in middle schools and is raising two sons. She was born and raised in the Seattle area but has now lived with her family in St. Paul for over twenty years.

Here Jiban dreamcasts an adaptation of The Probable Son:

Teacher Elsa Vargas has always suspected that the boy she is raising is the wrong child, accidentally switched at birth. But because of her deep love for Bird, Elsa has planned to keep her doubts buried forever.

Then one day, a student named Thomas in her middle school classroom is uncannily familiar. When she learns that he shares a birthday with Bird, she realizes: Thomas is probably her son.

If she’s right, what will that mean for Bird?

Here’s my dream cast for The Probable Son:

Elsa, the mother

Casting Elsa well is critical. She is a warm and inherently funny mother and teacher who has to navigate the possibility of terrible loss. Still, her sometimes-clumsy search for the truth becomes a bit cringeworthy, at turns. Her yearning drives her forward, but her penchant for rattling the school parent community fills her path with obstacles.

I need an actress who can portray a layered Elsa: hilarious eyerolls but also escaped tears; clever planning but also moments of love-fueled but unhinged judgment.

 To give us a complex and lovable Elsa we can’t look away from, I trust Emily Blunt.

Bird and Thomas, the possibly-switched sons

The son Elsa has been mothering, Bird, is a quiet and serious optimist within a family of extroverted skeptics. Meanwhile, Thomas is a charismatic questioner of the world, someone much more like the rest of Elsa’s family. Both are eighth graders who turn fourteen years old in front of us, a fleeting and awkward in-between time where boys grow wide shoulders to go with their still-soft faces.

Casting a young fourteen-year-old requires magic, perhaps freezing time. Instead, I’ll point to magic moments from the past.

 As sweet and endangered Bird, I cast River Phoenix in the year of Stand by Me.

 As magnetic and eager Thomas, I cast a young Tom Holland, perhaps one year before his Peter Parker was first bitten by that spider.

More roles

If money is no object, then let’s pack this cast.

 As Elsa’s lovable and effortfully resilient husband: Jake Gyllenhaal.

 As the hot, single-mom president of the PTA, exasperated by Elsa: Reese Witherspoon.

 As the quiet mother raising Thomas instead of Bird: a mousey Carey Mulligan.

 As the perceptive teacher friend, one classroom over: Quinta Brunson.

 As Elsa’s snarkily over-honest sister: Anna Kendrick.

 And as the best friend, whose best might not be good enough: Ali Wong.

Meanwhile…

The film is… held up, currently. But the book comes out December 2nd . Given these facts, it seems fair to say: The book is better.

Visit Cindy Jiban's website.

--Marshal Zeringue

Marshall Fine's "Hemlock Lane"

Minneapolis native Marshall Fine’s career as an award-winning journalist, critic, and filmmaker has spanned fifty years. Before his bestselling 2024 fiction debut, The Autumn of Ruth Winters, Fine wrote biographies of filmmakers John Cassavetes and Sam Peckinpah, directed documentaries about film critic Rex Reed and comedian Robert Klein, conducted the Playboy interview with Howard Stern, and chaired the New York Film Critics Circle four times.

Here Fine dreamcasts an adaptation of his new novel, Hemlock Lane:

Hemlock Lane is a family drama that takes place over the course of four days, with each day told from the viewpoint of one of the four central characters—the perfect structure for a limited series on a streaming service, in case you’re a producer seeking a project.

The story is about a flashpoint weekend in the life of a suburban family in the summer of 1967. Secrets are both kept and revealed, building to a family showdown between a domineering mother and an independent- minded daughter, who is about to start a professional life that will put her beyond her mother’s reach.

The mother, Lillian—haughty, sharp-tongued, full of secret fears—would be perfect for an actress who can shift from warm to glacial with barely a movement of her eyebrow. I’d love to see someone like Cate Blanchett or Patricia Clarkson, actresses who combine steeliness with vulnerability.

The father, Sol, is a successful businessman whose secret shame is his inability to stand up to his wife to defend his daughters from her withering abuse. I see him as a likable, salt-of-the-earth type whose bluff good nature hides his fear of his spouse. Someone like Paul Giamatti or David Harbour would be perfect.

The daughter, Nora, is a blossoming second-wave feminist, fresh out of graduate school, who has always resisted her mother’s authority without openly defying it—until now. Her lively wit and sharp intellect would be perfect for an actress like Margaret Qualley or Saoirse Ronan.

Clara, the family housekeeper, is the story’s wild card. She’s someone who has figured prominently in the life of each family member in different ways for more than 25 years—and she’s the one who sees them all clearly, while maintaining an emotional agenda of her own. I would love to see an actress like Sarah Paulson or Judy Greer disappear into that role.

And for director? That poet of emotional repression, Ang Lee. Who better to illuminate the undercurrents of fear and insecurity that lurk just beneath the surface of the action?

Visit Marshall Fine's website, and follow him on Facebook and Instagram.

My Book, The Movie: The Autumn of Ruth Winters.

Q&A with Marshall Fine.

The Page 69 Test: Hemlock Lane.

--Marshal Zeringue

Jacinda Townsend's "Trigger Warning"

Jacinda Townsend is the author of Mother Country, winner of the Ernest Gaines Award for Literary Excellence, and Saint Monkey, winner of the Janet Heidinger Kafka Prize and the James Fenimore Cooper Prize. She teaches at Brown University.

Here Townsend dreamcasts an adaptation of her latest novel, Trigger Warning:

Trigger Warning’s protagonist, Ruth, is a middle-aged woman who is revisiting the trauma of her father’s murder after the passage of two decades. Ruth would be so well-acted by Jurnee Smollett, who was one of my favorite actresses as a kid. Jurnee is a brunette as an adult, but she still brings that fierce redhead energy to her roles, albeit in the same muted, smoldering aura that Ruth has settled into at the time of my novel’s opening. In attempting to navigate her previously disavowed grief, Ruth absconds with her trans kid, Enix, on a cross-country trip from Louisville to a fictional town in Northern California, and Enix must navigate their mother’s middle-aged attempt at magmic transformation at the same time they themselves are handling gender fluidity and plain old adolescence. I’d cast Storm Reid as Enix: Storm did such a great job on Euphoria, capturing a character’s struggle with a close family member’s dysfunction. The other major character in my novel is Ruth’s soon-to-be-ex-husband Myron, who is bombarded throughout the novel with explosive discoveries about his wife. Ruth has filed for divorce at the opening of the novel, but it is Myron who does the shattering: for Myron’s character, I’d cast Harold Perrineau, who plays earnest yet flawed characters. Harold is a bit dorky and comedic without trying to hard, and exudes a lovably awkward inner strength, just as Myron does.

The soundtrack of Trigger Warning the movie is mostly the soundtrack to Ruth and Enix’s roadtrip. It’s deliciously old school for Ruth’s benefit — there’s the Soft Cell song "Tainted Love" and Van Halen’s Greatest Hits — but Enix is listening to Melanie Martinez and Lil’ Peep. The mood of the soundtrack is everywhere, really, but what all the songs have in common is that they are deeply emotional for all of these characters, all of whom are undergoing their own intense and painful transformations.

Though the novel concerns about three decades’ worth of time, the actual road trip that forms the backbone of the novel takes only the better part of a week. That road trip spans the long stretch of America from Louisville to Northern California, with its terminus point being the fictional town of Rosalind, about twenty minutes south of Sacramento. The American Southwest, of course, is its own dream set; it needs no filtering, and it needs no CGI. I’d love for Trigger Warning the movie to be filmed on location, with the backdrop of wise mountains, and the quietude that allows Ruth to narrate her mind through so much of the novel. Tesla charging stations provide pivotal plot points in the movie, as Ruth picks up a hitchhiker, watches a man freebase in the Tesla next to hers, and meets the stranger who tries to teach Ruth a lasting lesson about love. I’ve never seen a movie filmed at a series of Tesla charging stations: it’d be neat if Trigger Warning the movie was the first!

Visit Jacinda Townsend's website.

My Book, The Movie: Mother Country.

--Marshal Zeringue

Brittany Amara's "The Bleeding Woods"

Brittany Amara is an author, screenwriter, actress, and model with a passion for science fiction and fantasy that ventures beyond space and time. She loves writing about curious aliens, morally gray protagonists, other dimensions, rifts in reality, and all things playfully wicked. When she’s not working on something new, Amara can be found stargazing, collecting stuffed animals, and baking pumpkin bread. She grew up in Bronx, New York, and graduated summa cum laude from SUNY New Paltz in 2021 with a degree in digital media production, creative writing, and theater arts. In 2024 she furthered her storytelling journey at Queen’s University Belfast. Since then, her work in various genres has been recognized by film festivals and writing competitions across the globe.

Here Amara dreamcasts an adaptation of her new novel, The Bleeding Woods:

The Bleeding Woods is part-botanical horror, part-speculative fiction, part-dark romance. Set within the eerie stretches of forestry in upstate New York, it pulls inspiration from the drives I’d take to visit my family when I was a little girl. They always seemed endless, and no matter what I did, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was… watching me. Something was studying me just as closely as I was studying it. As I grew, a fuller story took shape. Then, it served as a conduit through which I was able to turn horror into healing. Clara Lovecroft is a monster who craves to be human caught between two warring forces: a human family urging her toward complacency, and a monster so equally matched, it feels like fate.

Every time I write a novel, I can’t help but envision it for the screen. Alongside writing, I am deeply passionate about acting and filmmaking. I’ve seen magic happen when the three fall into perfect synergy. Crafting a story is delightfully solitary, but bringing that story to life on film is all about collaborative creative flow and connection. I like to believe that, should The Bleeding Woods find its way to the screen, I’ve been in connection with those destined to work on it from the start.

This novel did so much to help me alchemize struggles that I hadn’t found the bravery to say aloud at the time. When I dare to dream of a team who will lift it from its pages, I dream of people who need it now as much as I needed it then. I dream of an actress who might find a deeper sense of self-love through playing Clara and an actor who might learn to face his own demons by playing Jasper. I dream of a director who will see into the heart of the story, and consequently, into how my heart ached as I wrote it. Together, we’d create a piece as gory and horrifying as it is heartfelt and healing.

If I had to dreamcast and select a dream director, if only to help readers get a sense of how I see, hear and feel this world, I’m definitely happy to give it a shot!

In terms of directing, I deeply admire Guillermo Del Toro’s handling of horror. He is able to imbue even the goriest and most visceral scenes with such poetry. I recently watched his take on Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, and I was blown away by how uniquely gothic and vibrantly alive the world felt. I am also a big fan of Pan’s Labyrinth, The Shape of Water, and Pacific Rim. Each deals with monsters of profound complexity, and without fail, I end up caring about them. I’d like people to empathize with Clara and Jasper the same way.

In the role of Clara, I’ve always seen someone disarmingly dainty, someone the world might make the mistake of underestimating. The beautiful and bewitching Isabela Merced and Inde Navarette have always been inspirations to me. Also, as a young Hispanic woman learning to step into my own power, it would be incredible to work with women who so gracefully wield their own.

Jasper is meant to be unnervingly, hypnotically handsome in a way that seems impossible, a way that seems designed. Everything about him in his human form is meant to destroy Clara’s defenses, handsomeness woven with sinister intent. I think it would be lovely to have someone like Jacob Elordi or Bill Skarsgârd in the role. They know how to breathe life into monstrous characters in a way that helps us feel their human hearts.

As I said, no matter who finds their way to this story, and no matter who helps it come alive on screen, my only hope is that it brings as much healing to them as it’s brought me. To my future dream team, I am already endlessly grateful for you.

Visit Brittany Amara's website.

--Marshal Zeringue

Elle Marr's "The Lie She Wears"

Elle Marr is the #1 Amazon Charts bestselling author of Your Dark Secrets, The Alone Time, The Family Bones, Strangers We Know, Lies We Bury, and The Missing Sister. Originally from Sacramento, Marr graduated from UC San Diego before moving to France, where she earned a master’s degree from the Sorbonne University in Paris. She now lives and writes in Oregon with her family.

Here Marr dreamcasts an adaptation of her new novel, The Lie She Wears:

Set in Portland, Oregon, The Lie She Wears begins with museum curator and Asian-American Pearl receiving a letter from her recently deceased mother—confessing to murder. Pearl thinks she’s uncovered her mother’s darkest secret. But, when more letters surface, and new victims appear, Pearl realizes she’s caught in a deadly game of cat and mouse.

While I’m writing, I never think of what actor or filmmaker would be a fit for a screen adaptation of my book. However, it would be my dream to see this story brought to life by today’s talented variety of Asian-American creatives out there. First, and most importantly, I’d dreamcast Lana Condor as Pearl, as I think she’d bring the angsty innocence that Pearl exhibits through most of the book, and she’d also bring to life the heartbreak that characterizes Pearl at the beginning of the story.

As Pearl’s mother, and a deceased character at the outset of my book, Sally’s casting requires an actress who can exude exhaustion and disdain through the text of the hidden letters, as well as the deep-abiding love for her daughter that underlines each biting retort. Lucy Liu would be a fantastic Sally.

Liam, Pearl’s father and a man living with debilitating multiple sclerosis, needs an actor who can demonstrate the love and affection for Pearl that Sally was always unable to muster, while believably presenting the same strength and fierceness that protected Pearl when she was a child. Randall Park would be a great choice.

Finally, Sally’s in-home nurse and caregiver, Zelda should be brought to life by an actress who can bring the levity to the screen that Zelda provides on paper. Her life experiences contrast the Davis family’s, but also complements them due to her complicated history growing up in the foster system. Chloe Bennet could demonstrate that depth in a way that would round out my dream cast.

As for directors? I’m dreaming here, so let me say Olivia Munn, simply because I love her. She could make her directorial debut, and she’d get the inherent dark comedy to this story, as well as the cultural themes that The Lie She Wears highlights and explores. Olivia, slide into my DM’s and let’s figure this out together!

Visit Elle Marr's website.

The Page 69 Test: The Missing Sister.

The Page 69 Test: Lies We Bury.

--Marshal Zeringue

G. M. Malliet's "Death and the Final Cut"

G. M. Malliet is the Agatha Award–winning author of the St. Just mysteries. She lives on the East Coast of the U.S. but dreams of living in the U.K.

Here she dreamcasts an adaptation of her new novel, Death and the Final Cut: St. Just Mystery #7:

If Death and the Final Cut makes it to the screen, I can predict the opening shot: the ancient stones of Cambridge’s Round Church faintly glowing in nightlight, its peace about to be shattered by ambitious actors, a frazzled camera crew, and bloody murder.

Hollywood has descended on the University of Cambridge to film Viking Bride, starring once-famous actress Agnes Dermont in what’s meant to be her big comeback. But the project quickly dissolves into farce—an overworked script, an overwrought leading lady, and a general disregard for historical accuracy.

Then a prop Viking knife turns out to be real, and poor Agnes is found with it buried in her chest.

Enter Detective Chief Inspector Arthur St. Just. A stalwart, quietly decent policeman in his forties, St. Just tries to apply a steady moral compass to a world gone mad. Assisted (and sometimes challenged) by his fiancée, criminologist Portia De’Ath, he navigates a minefield of jealousies and tabloid-worthy secrets as he searches for the truth. Though set in present-day Cambridge, the tone is Golden Age / Agatha Christie whodunit.

My Dream Cast

St. Just should be easy to cast, as I’ve described him vaguely as a large policeman with a head full of dark hair! While my choices have had to change over the years, Chris Evans might now make a good St. Just. He has that rare mix of intelligence, restraint, and quiet wit—a man whose stillness makes people underestimate him.

For Portia, I picture Emily Blunt—graceful, sharp-eyed, and capable of tenderness and patience—the sort of vast patience required of any woman betrothed to a policeman. (Their wedding date keeps getting pushed forward.)

Emily will, however, have to cut her hair short for the part.

The ill-fated actress Agnes Dermont calls for someone who can play fading glamour with heartbreaking accuracy. Cate Blanchett (although not that old!) could capture Agnes’s brittle charm, her lingering vanity, and the slight madness of a woman watching her fame slip away.

The film’s handsome director—in over his head with this film—could be played by any of a dozen too-handsome Hollywood actors, while Jodie Comer could play the too-perfect ingénue a bit too eager to step into Agnes’s shoes.

My Dream Director

For director, I’d love to see Rian Johnson (Knives Out, Glass Onion) bringing a witty, contemporary spin to the classic whodunit form, balancing humor with tension. And for a Brideshead element, Julian Fellowes of Gosford Park fame, of course. (That is still one of my favorite films—I’ve viewed it a dozen times.) At its heart, Death and the Final Cut is—above all the other books in the series—about performance and pretense. Everyone in this story is acting for their lives, because there’s just so much money and reputation riding on the outcome.

Visit G. M. Malliet's website, Facebook page, and Instagram home.

The Page 69 Test: A Fatal Winter.

The Page 69 Test: The Haunted Season.

Writers Read: G.M. Malliet (April 2017).

Q&A with G. M. Malliet.

--Marshal Zeringue

Mirta Ojito's "Deeper than the Ocean"

Born in Havana, Mirta Ojito is a journalist, professor, and author who has worked at the Miami Herald, El Nuevo Herald, and the New York Times. The recipient of an Emmy for the documentary Harvest of Misery as well as a shared Pulitzer for national reporting in 2001 for a series of articles about race in America for the New York Times, Ojito was an assistant professor of journalism at Columbia University for almost nine years. She is the author of two award-winning nonfiction books: Finding Mañana: A Memoir of a Cuban Exodus and Hunting Season: Immigration and Murder in an All-American Town. Currently, Ojito is a senior director on the NBC News Standards team working at Telemundo Network.

Here she dreamcasts an adaptation of Deeper than the Ocean, her debut novel:

Oooh, I love this question! I’m a huge movie fan.

I didn’t think about actors when I was writing the book, but I did have images that inspired me. For example, for the two protagonists — Mara Denis and Catalina Quintana — I had pictures of what I wanted them to look like. With the picture of Mara, I cheated a bit. I used a photo of me circa 1992 that a friend took during a trip to Mexico. I was much younger then than the character I was writing about -a slightly cynical, deeply wounded journalist, who lost the love of her life at young age and was left alone caring for their child, a boy named Dylan. What I liked about the picture was that, in it, I look pensive and troubled, just like I imagined Mara to be.

The perfect actress for this role would be Juliette Binoche. Few actresses can convey as much inner turmoil as she does with the muscles of her face. It is a face that telegraphs pain and acceptance equally. And that is the Mara I created, a woman intent on unearthing a family secret so that she can understand her own life and conquer her fears.

The other protagonist is more complicated because she ages in the book. She is Catalina Quintana, the great grandmother Mara is looking for, and the keeper of a secret that haunted her family for generations. For inspiration I found a picture of a young woman with flowing red curly hair, which fit the description of the character, and kept it on my desk during the long years of writing. Two actresses would have to play her.

For the young, easily impressed, impulsive and stubborn Catalina, I’d say someone like Emma Stone, who looks far younger than her 36 years. For the older, resilient, strong but profoundly damaged Catalina, I’d cast Susan Sarandon, who can portray strength and vulnerability at the same time with one of her languorous gazes.

As director, I’d pick Sergio Leone because I loved Once Upon a Time in America, and my book, like this movie, spans decades and the bulk of it transpires in the same time period. The score would be by Ennio Morricone, of course. Because, really, who can forget the music of that film? And the cinematographer would be Nestor Almendros, known for his work in films such as Sophie’s Choice and Days of Heaven. Sadly, they are no longer with us, but since this question asked me to dream, I’m dreaming.

Visit Mirta Ojito's website.

--Marshal Zeringue

Martin Edwards's "Miss Winter in the Library with a Knife"

Martin Edwards has been described by Richard Osman as "a true master of British crime writing." His novels include the eight Lake District Mysteries and four books featuring Rachel Savernake, including the Dagger-nominated The Puzzle of Blackstone Lodge. He is also the author of two multi-award-winning histories of crime fiction, The Life of Crime and The Golden Age of Murder. He has received three Daggers, including the CWA Diamond Dagger (the highest honour in UK crime writing) and two Edgars from the Mystery Writers of America. He has received four lifetime achievement awards: for his fiction, short fiction, non-fiction, and scholarship. He is consultant to the British Library’s Crime Classics and since 2015 has been President of the Detection Club.

Here Edwards dreamcasts an adaptation of his newest novel, Miss Winter in the Library with a Knife:

Over the years, I’ve had several dreamcasts for the TV version of my crime novels. The only problem is that the TV scripts that people have written were never made, let alone shown on the screen. Three years ago I wrote an audio drama that was recorded by some terrific actors, but that won’t be released until 2027, so I can’t say anything about it yet. All rather frustrating, but one can still dream…

When I’m writing, I never think about possible film or TV adaptation, because that would be a distraction. Besides, a story will inevitably be changed when adapted for the screen.

Miss Winter in the Library with a Knife begins with six guests (all of them linked to the book world, and all of them down on their luck) invited to the remote village of Midwinter by six hosts from the shadowy Midwinter Trust. Because the book is an intricate mystery with lots of twists and turns, I’d like Rian Johnson, of Knives Out and Poker Face fame to direct. He’d be able to get the best out of the story, and I’d like Anthony Horowitz – with whom I shared a dinner table a couple of years back, the night we both won Edgar awards – to write the screenplay, because he is a brilliant adapter.

The nature of the story means that it would justify a great ensemble cast, but let me focus on some of the key players.

The British actor Steve Coogan would be great as Harry Crystal, the failed crime writer. His wry persona is ideal for the character. Anna Friel, an actor I’ve admired for a long time, would be good in a sardonic role as the book editor Grace Kinsella. For the unsuccessful and seemingly innocent publicist, Poppy de Lisle, I’d go for Imogen Poots, and for the podcaster Baz Frederick, I’d look no further than Idris Elba.

Keira Knightley could handle the role of enigmatic and earnest Bernadette Corrigan to perfection, while her boss Andrew Vandervell would be a nice part for the incredible Gary Oldman. I’m a big fan of Lucy Liu from Elementary, so I’d love to see her as Daisy Wu, and Ben Whishaw would make a good, self- doubting Ethan Swift.

Learn more about the book and author at Martin Edwards’s website.

Writers Read: Martin Edwards (April 2013).

The Page 69 Test: The Frozen Shroud.

The Page 69 Test: Dancing for the Hangman.

The Page 99 Test: The Arsenic Labyrinth.

The Page 99 Test: Waterloo Sunset.

--Marshal Zeringue

Jaime Parker Stickle's "Vicious Cycle"

Jaime Parker Stickle is a writer, actor, podcaster, and professor of film and television at Montclair State University. She’s also the creator and host of the true crime investigative podcast The Girl with the Same Name, as well as the hilarious podcast about side hustles, Make That Paper. Stickle lives in Los Angeles with her husband, son, and fur babies.

Here she dreamcasts an adaptation of her new novel, Vicious Cycle:

I love to think about casting once I am deeply into the characters. I hold back in the beginning, mostly because the characters must form themselves. Once they have become a second language to me, I begin to hear them in my dreams, in music (lyrics become conversations between all my characters) then I can start to think about the dream cast. As a screenwriter and actor myself who has done a bit of casting for projects, I wouldn’t for a second dismiss the possibility of a series or film. I think it would be an incredible feat.

For my protagonist, Corey, who is a new mom in her late thirties, I really thought about someone who had the confidence, life experience, and vulnerability it would take to play a character that suffers from severe postpartum anxiety and panic attacks while caring for her newborn and solving a murder and immediately thought Christina Hendricks based on her role in Good Girls. It was a slam dunk for me and I often picture her delivering the lines while I write. Today, I think a lot about Brianne Howey from Ginny and Georgia. She definitely has the hutzpah and attitude to embrace a character as complex as Corey.

Corey’s husband, Evan, is already based on many of the men I dated before I married my husband. Each trait of Evan, even some of the dialog is absolutely bits and pieces of things the men I dated had said or done to me. Which made the soundtrack quite easy, but picturing all the male actors in my head that I would play him, only one made the cut so far, Jamie Dornan. He is deeply unapologetic in his roles and that is exactly Evan—he’s unapologetic, lives by his rules and wants his wife to fall in line. It’s a hard role, because Evan isn’t all bad, he’s specific and buttoned up and needs to control his environment to maintain a sense of security and Jamie Dornan fits the picture.

Visit Jaime Parker Stickle's website.

--Marshal Zeringue

Heather Aimee O’Neill's "The Irish Goodbye"

Heather Aimee O’Neill is the author of two poetry collections: Memory Future (winner of the University of Southern California’s Gold Line Press Award) and Obliterations (co-authored with Jessica Piazza, published by Red Hen).

The Irish Goodbye is her debut novel.

As a developmental editor and assistant director of the Sackett Street Writers’ Workshop, O’Neill has worked with hundreds of writers who have gone on to publish with major publishing houses.

She lives in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn, with her beautiful wife, two sons, and—she hopes, one day—a dog.

Here O’Neill dreamcasts an adaptation of The Irish Goodbye:

While I didn’t have these actors in mind while writing—I wouldn’t have dared dream that far ahead—as soon as the book was acquired, people started asking me who I’d cast if the story were adapted for the screen. The Ryans aren’t based on my family, but my mother looks like Meryl Streep, so I’d cast her in the role of Nora.

Recently, while my wife and I were fantasizing about casting the rest of the Ryan family, we looked up Streep’s daughters and were gobsmacked to discover that they’re all currently the exact same ages as the Ryan sisters. Accordingly, I’d cast Meryl Streep as the mother, Nora; Mamie Gummer as the oldest sister, Cait; Grace Gummer as the middle sister, Alice; and Louisa Jacobson Gummer as the youngest, Maggie. I’d have Jodie Foster direct. And my son is an actor so maybe he could play a younger Topher. I mean, what a dream!

Visit Heather Aimee O'Neill's website.

--Marshal Zeringue

Randee Dawn's "Leave No Trace"

Randee Dawn is a Brooklyn-based author and journalist who writes speculative fiction at night and entertainment and lifestyle stories during the day for publications like the New York Times, NBCNews.com, Variety, The Los Angeles Times, and Emmy Magazine. Her debut novel, Tune in Tomorrow, was published by Solaris. Publishers Weekly said of Tune in Tomorrow: "Dawn balances over-the-top drama and comedy with genuine intrigue to create a fun story with plenty of heart." Lightspeed praised it as "an excellent read if you're looking for something to make you smile... well worth your time."

Here Dawn shares some ideas for the above-the-line talent for an adaptation of her new novel, Leave No Trace:

Leave No Trace began as a movie. Well, it began from a movie. I was pretty young when I saw the New Zealand film Smash Palace, which is largely about an ugly divorce. But there was one scene where the father, who's gone off the deep end a bit, kidnaps his young daughter and decides they'll live off the grid, in the New Zealand bush. It's lush and tropical there, and this kind of thing actually happens in real life from time to time. The kidnapping is short-lived – the daughter gets a cold, and they're both rounded up when dad goes to get medicine at a local pharmacy – but that idea stuck with me: What if they'd never left?

That was the birth of Leave No Trace, so I would have to ask Roger Donaldson, who is both from Down Under and the director of Smash Palace (as well as classic other films like Sleeping Dogs, The Bounty, and Cocktail) to take on the job. He knows the territory and he knows the concept already. Kind of. But at 79, he might not be up for the gig, which means I'd turn to fellow New Zealander Taika Waititi, who aside from being a handsome genius who could definitely play Tony, is known for (among other films) Jojo Rabbit and Hunt for the Wilderpeople – another film that uses the New Zealand bush to great effect.

Adaptations are difficult things, though. Doing a literal translation of a full novel into a movie means both tend to get short-shrifted; it's a different medium than a book, and so needs to be told in a way that works best visually. Some adaptations do best with only portraying part of the book – and, of course, then there are books that do really well when they're a miniseries on streaming. I think Leave No Trace would work better as the latter, because there is a lot going on in this plot, in the back and foreground alike.

But when it comes to casting, other than feeling perfectly fine with Waititi as Tony – I don't have a lot of strong notions about actors. When I saw Kimberley Wilson smile on The Great British Baking Show (or Bake-Off, depending where you watch it) for the first time, she was exactly how I picture the joyful, talented songwriter Stephanie Holliday. Spoiled, self-centered, but not irredeemable T.J. Furey was modeled off of Justin Bieber, but again – don't think I'd cast him. I have no idea if he could act, and besides, he'd be far too old to play the role now. Human exile Lexi? Green Man of the Forest Gil/Gillie? Fae queen Clíodhna? They are who they are in my mind, but I'd leave their final castings up to the director.

Though I would be available for consultation….

Visit Randee Dawn's website.

The Page 69 Test: Tune in Tomorrow.

Q&A with Randee Dawn.

My Book, The Movie: Tune in Tomorrow.

Writers Read: Randee Dawn.

--Marshal Zeringue

Skyla Arndt's "House of Hearts"

Skyla Arndt has always loved the creepy, crawly side of life. When she was younger, she thought that love might translate to hunting Bigfoot, but luckily for him, writing proved easier. These days, you can catch her writing stories by candlelight, splurging on candles for her office, and continuing to keep an eye out for Bigfoot (because you never know). She lives with her husband and three cats by the perpetually frozen Great Lakes.

Arndt's new novel is House of Hearts.

Here the author dreamcasts an adaptation of the novel:

While Hollywood has yet to give me a call, a girl can still dream! In fact, half my shower routine involves me vividly hallucinating red carpet premieres… Anyway, if I won the author lottery and managed to get House of Hearts on screen, I would love to see it adapted as a limited TV series.

House of Hearts takes place in a darkly atmospheric boarding school and features a romantic duo similar to Maxton Hall (if James and Ruby were doomed soulmates and had a vengeful ghost chasing after them). I don’t have a specific director in mind, but I imagine House of Heart’s adaptation to land in-between Wednesday and Haunting of Hill House on the horror scale–a few ghostly scares like the latter with the campy boarding school fun of the former. As for the casting itself: for my platinum-haired brainiac MC, I envision her as a teenaged Anya Taylor-Joy; and for my flirtatious, playboy love interest, it would have to be Damian Hardung (another Maxton Hall shoutout)!

Visit Skyla Arndt's website.

Writers Read: Skyla Arndt.

Q&A with Skyla Arndt.

--Marshal Zeringue

Kathleen S. Allen's "The Resurrectionist"

Kathleen S. Allen is a young adult writer of gothic horror, historical, fantasy, and speculative fiction. She has published poems, short stories, novellas, and novels. She prefers dark to light, salty to sweet, and tea to coffee. She is a fan of K-Pop, classic rock, and British detective shows. She loves gray, foggy, cool, rainy days; unfortunately she lives in Los Angeles which is usually sunny and warm.

Here Allen shares a suggestion for the director of an adaptation of her new novel, The Resurrectionist:

In writing The Resurrectionist, a young adult gothic horror reimagining of Frankenstein, I didn’t think of actors who might play the characters but I did imagine Guillermo del Toro as the director. I’m a big fan of his movies, and I’m looking forward to seeing his adaptation of Frankenstein coming out October 17th in theaters and streaming on Netflix on November 7th (my birthday!). I’ve seen most of his films, The Shape of Water, Pan’s Labyrinth, and Crimson Peak to name a few. His style of blending creepy horror with dark fantasy would work well with The Resurrectionist and I like that the monster in his movies is not necessarily a monster.

So yes, Guillermo del Toro would be my choice to direct The Resurrectionist.

Visit Kathleen S. Allen's website.

The Page 69 Test: The Resurrectionist.

--Marshal Zeringue

Suzanne Redfearn's "Call of the Camino"

Suzanne Redfearn is the #1 Amazon and USA Today bestselling author of eight novels: Call of the Camino, Two Good Men, Where Butterflies Wander, Moment In Time, Hadley & Grace, In an Instant, No Ordinary Life, and Hush Little Baby. Her books have been translated into twenty-seven languages and have been recognized by RT Reviews, Target Recommends, Goodreads, Publisher’s Marketplace, and Kirkus Reviews. She has been awarded Best New Fiction from Best Book Awards and has been a Goodreads Choice Awards Finalist.

Born and raised on the east coast, Redfearn moved to California when she was fifteen. Currently, she lives in Laguna Beach with her husband where they own Lumberyard Restaurant. In addition to being an author, Redfearn is an architect specializing in residential and commercial design. When not writing, she enjoys doing anything and everything with her family—skiing, golf, tennis, pickleball, hiking, board games, and watching reality TV. She is an avid baseball fan. Her team is the Angels.

Here Redfearn dreamcasts an adaptation of Call of the Camino:

For my last few novels, early in the process, I have created a character sheet for the story, a single page with photos of how I envision my main characters. The irksome nickname for Reina, one of the two protagonists in Call of the Camino, is Velma, so the first photo I put on my character sheet was a cartoon image of the adorable bespectacled teenage sleuth from Scooby Doo. So I think an actress like Linda Cardellini, who played Velma in the Scooby Doo movie might be a good fit for Reina if the story were ever made into a movie.

Reina’s nemesis, Matt, the one who irritatingly nicknamed her Velma, is an arrogant heartthrob competing against Reina for a feature article on the Camino de Santiago—a contest that will determine each of their futures. A young Ryan Reynolds with his ability to be a charming devil would work.

The other protagonist, Isabelle, is a spirited seventeen-year-old Andorran beauty with copper hair. A young Penelope Cruz with her charm, sultry looks, and wonderful accent would fit the bill.

Peter, the man Isabelle meets on the trail and falls in love with, is a shy, unassuming hero. I envision someone like a twenty-something Adrian Grenier playing him.

Visit Suzanne Redfearn's website, and follow her on Facebook, Instagram, and Threads.

Coffee with a Canine: Suzanne Redfearn and Cooper.

My Book, The Movie: Hush Little Baby.

The Page 69 Test: Hush Little Baby.

The Page 69 Test: No Ordinary Life.

Writers Read: Suzanne Redfearn (February 2016).

My Book, The Movie: No Ordinary Life.

My Book, The Movie: In an Instant.

The Page 69 Test: In an Instant.

Q&A with Suzanne Redfearn.

My Book, The Movie: Hadley and Grace.

The Page 69 Test: Hadley & Grace.

Writers Read: Suzanne Redfearn (March 2022).

The Page 69 Test: Moment in Time.

My Book, The Movie: Moment in Time.

Writers Read: Suzanne Redfearn (February 2024).

Writers Read: S. E. Redfearn (October 2024).

The Page 69 Test: Two Good Men.

Writers Read: Suzanne Redfearn.

--Marshal Zeringue

Tony Wirt's "Silent Creek"

Tony Wirt was born in Lake Mills, IA, and got his first taste of publication in first grade, when his essay on Airplane II: The Sequel appeared in the Lake Mills Elementary School’s Creative Courier.

He's a graduate of the University of Iowa and spent nine years doing media relations in the Hawkeye Athletic Department. He's also been a sportswriter, movie ticket taker and Dairy Queen ice cream slinger who can still do the little curly thing on top of a soft serve cone.

He currently lives in Rochester, MN, with his wife and two daughters.

Here Wirt dreamcasts an adaptation of his new novel, Silent Creek:

Jim McCann was a high school basketball star destined for the NBA. Then an injury shattered his knee and his dreams. Disillusioned, he cut ties with his stifling hometown.

Years later, he returns for his father’s funeral. Finding that his mother has dementia, he reluctantly takes over the family propane business. But there’s a silver lining: reconnecting with Kyle, his childhood best friend, and meeting Kelli, the only one who understands his struggle to fill his own big shoes.

There’s a dark cloud too. Colton Reid, a troubled former classmate, still holds an old basketball grudge. And after Kyle convinces Jim to fire him, the disturbing incidents begin. Nothing too serious at first—until the stalking hits Jim where he lives, unleashing a cascade of grave revelations.

Considering my main character Jim McCann is a 6-8 former basketball player, actor options are limited. I’m going with the guy I had in the back of my mind when writing Jim…former Creighton University star Doug “Dougie McBuckets” McDermott. I don’t know if he can act, but he’s the right age and 6-6 so he’ll look the part.

For our female lead, Kelli, I’m going with Aubrey Plaza. Like Jim, Kelli a former basketball player and Plaza is a huge hoops fan who still plays in a rec league. Or, if we want to stick with ballplayers…give me Kayla McBride of the Lynx, who’s nickname is also McBuckets.

I think Jesse Plemons is phenomenal, so I’d make him Jim’s best friend Kyle. It’s a nuanced roll I think he’d kill.

Finally, for our antagonist Colton Reid, I’ll take Jon Berthal. He can definitely pull off the big, menacing hulk we need. Scruff him up and he’s perfect.

Visit Tony Wirt's website.

The Page 69 Test: Pike Island.

Q&A with Tony Wirt.

My Book, The Movie: Pike Island.

--Marshal Zeringue

Mariah Fredericks's "The Girl in the Green Dress"

Mariah Fredericks was born, raised, and still lives in New York City. She graduated from Vassar College with a degree in history. She is the author of the Jane Prescott mystery series, which has twice been nominated for the Mary Higgins Clark Award, as well as several YA novels. The Lindbergh Nanny, her first standalone novel, was nominated for the Agatha and Anthony Awards.

Here Fredericks dreamcasts the lead for an adaptation of her new novel, The Girl in the Green Dress:

Who should play Zelda Fitzgerald?

I am reliably informed that no one in Hollywood wants to make period movies these days. So the chances of someone playing Zelda Fitzgerald as she’s depicted in The Girl in the Green Dress, are slim to none. But let’s take a page from Zelda’s book and not let boring reality stand in our way.

A surprising number of actresses have played Zelda, from Natasha Richardson to Christina Ricci. Richardson was a feminine, fluttery Zelda. Ricci more pert than provocative, although she only got one season and might have evolved. (It’s usually a mistake to make a famously dark actress blonde. Edgy deadpan is Ricci’s hallmark and I kept waiting for her to cut David Hoflin’s fratboy Scott to pieces with the raise of an eyebrow.) There are reportedly several Zeldas in the works: Jennifer Lawrence, Keira Knightley, Scarlett Johansson.

Before I knew much about Zelda Sayre Fitzgerald, I would have said she was easy to cast. Find a flapper type, a little manic, a little pixie, throw in a Southern accent and you’re there. Pretty and sexy, of course. But the real Zelda wasn’t obviously pretty. Her voice seems to change over time. Her first letters to Scott are by extravagant and blase. Her articles for McCall’s witty, mischievous, serious about not taking things seriously. I felt I heard her adult voice for the first time in the therapy sessions as she cuts through Scott’s nonsense. One feels she has spent a lot of time with men impressed by their own eloquence, and she’s fed up.

My Zelda is 20, just married and taking her first steps into the world’s consciousness. She was a star in her hometown: rule breaking, fearless, and with illegal levels of baby-of-the family charm. I took my cue for her voice from those McCall’s articles. Also from contemporaries’ observation that her conversation could be hard to follow. Most of all, I took Scott’s reference to her courage and “flaming self-respect” as a baseline.

To me, the ideal Zelda has a touch of the tomboy. She was brave and athletic and just as there’s a touch of the feminine in Scott’s appearance, there’s a touch of the masculine in hers. Jennifer Lawrence has that. She also has Zelda’s broad, full cheeked face. She is from Kentucky, which is not Alabama, but it’s better than New York or California. Part of Zelda’s allure was her southerness, which was exoticized and eroticized by Scott’s friends. Images of Lawrence at the Reaping in The Hunger Games come the closest to a celluloid match for Zelda at 20—and argue she would be a persuasive Zelda at any age.

Alison Pill is a startlingly successful Zelda in just a few short scenes in Woody Allen’s Midnight in Paris, partly because she is allowed wit and charisma. Tom Hiddleston’s Scott is in awe of her and that feels right. I’d love to see what Florence Pugh would do with a good Zelda script. But any time I had to conjure full Zelda, my imagination went to the woman who has disgracefully never played her: Jessica Lange. The minute she wrapped on Frances, someone should have been putting a Zelda project together. She is from Minnesota, but if you’ve seen Blue Sky, for which she won her Best Actress Oscar, you know she can play Southern and bi-polar. She can be both fully herself and a woman who inspires worship. A woman who might put you through hell—but you’d never leave because you know after her, heaven would be…well, boring.

Visit Mariah Fredericks's website.

My Book, The Movie: The Girl in the Park.

The Page 69 Test: A Death of No Importance.

My Book, The Movie: Death of an American Beauty.

The Page 69 Test: Death of an American Beauty.

Q&A with Mariah Fredericks.

The Page 69 Test: The Lindbergh Nanny.

--Marshal Zeringue

Jerome Charyn's "Maria La Divina"

Jerome Charyn is the author of more than fifty works of fiction and nonfiction, including Maria La Divina; Ravage & Son; Sergeant Salinger; Cesare: A Novel of War-Torn Berlin; In the Shadow of King Saul: Essays on Silence and Song; Jerzy: A Novel; and A Loaded Gun: Emily Dickinson for the 21st Century. Among other honors, his work has been longlisted for the Mark Twain American Voice in Literature Award and PEN Award for Biography, shortlisted for the Phi Beta Kappa Christian Gauss Award, and selected as a finalist for the Firecracker Award and PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction. Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Film Culture at the American University of Paris, Charyn has also been named a Commander of Arts and Letters by the French Minister of Culture and received a Guggenheim Fellowship and the Rosenthal Family Foundation Award for Fiction from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. He lives in Manhattan.

Here Charyn dreamcasts an adaptation of Maria La Divina:

I’ve had one of my books turned into a movie and it was not a great experience. I handed over my crime novel The Good Policeman to a showrunner and lost all my power. The film played in Europe but not in the United States and frankly, I was at peace with that outcome.

But with my Maria La Divina film I would not make the same mistakes. I want my Maria to sing, to act, to be a strong powerful woman worthy of the name Greatest Diva of All Time.

So, the first star I want my producers to talk to is – The Lady herself, Lady Gaga. I’ve watched every film she’s made and every performance I could get to. Lady Gaga is everything Maria was in her prime – the greatest singer, a talented actress, an exotic beauty and fashion icon, with a genius understanding of her times.

Lady Gaga is the Maria Callas of the 21st Century.

Maria gave it all up for love, for the love of Aristotle Onassis, a strange sort of superman who tossed her aside and lived to regret it. Both of their lives came to an end when their affair did – although neither one knew it then.

I worry about the casting of Onassis. He certainly did not look like the magician he was, in business and – it seems – in the bedroom. I think Anthony Quinn would be the perfect choice to play Ari. Manly and charismatic, Quinn would be able to portray the love of Maria’s life beautifully (and much more accurately than the actor chosen to play him in the recent failed feature film, Maria.)

The last and perhaps most difficult casting decision must be Maria’s husband, mentor and shaman, Giovanni Battista Meneghini. Among his family of ten brothers, one of them a general, Meneghini had the only success on the world stage as the Svengali who helped make Maria Callas an international celebrity and the greatest opera diva of her time. He loved her, worshiped her, pushed and championed her, supported her and followed her around like a puppy, all the while grifting most of her money.

I believe Oliver Platt would have the talent to bring Meneghini to life onscreen - and with his casting, my film is complete.

As for the film’s branding and poster – I, who have built my life on words, dream of an artist who would create magic from the letters of MARIA’s name, which contain the two things she loved more than her own life – ARIA and ARI – her own unique monolith.

Visit Jerome Charyn's website.

The Page 69 Test: Under the Eye of God.

My Book, The Movie: Big Red.

Q&A with Jerome Charyn.

The Page 69 Test: Ravage & Son.

Writers Read: Jerome Charyn (August 2023).

--Marshal Zeringue