Keisha Bush's "No Heaven for Good Boys"

Keisha Bush was born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts. She received her MFA in creative writing from The New School, where she was a Riggio Honors Teaching Fellow and recipient of an NSPE Dean’s Scholarship. After a career in corporate finance and international development that brought her to live in Dakar, Senegal, she decided to focus full-time on her writing. She lives in East Harlem.

Here Bush dreamcasts an adaptation of her new novel, No Heaven For Good Boys:

No Heaven For Good Boys is an Oliver Twist like tale, but with a grittier City of God mixed with a bit of Beasts of No Nation.

Ten years ago, I wanted Fernando Meirelles and Kátia Lund, the directors of City of God to direct the film adaptation of No Heaven For Good Boys. I watched their film at the Angelica Film Center in SoHo and was entranced, it was so visceral and raw.

Now, in 2021, there are so many great American directors, not to mention great Senegalese directors, but to narrow it down, I’d be interested in either a Gina Prince-Bythwood film, or Cary Joji Fukunaga, or even perhaps a collaboration bringing their two styles together, like City of God.

I think in terms of actors, there are roles in the book for a diverse cast that includes Senegalese, Americans, French, and British actors. I think of Paula Patton or Gugu Mbatha-Raw as the young American mother who is married to a Senegalese ambassador, and they have a young son who befriends the main characters in the novel.

The main protagonists are children and I would actually like to see some of the talibé roles in the book cast with actual runaway and former talibé in the country, if possible. It would give the local talibé a way to earn income and experience a world outside of what they know. The child actors from Beasts of No Nation (and most definitely City of God) would be too old for the roles in No Heaven For Good Boys, as the main protagonist is 6 years old and his cousin is 11 years old, with none of the boys older than 13 years old, and because they are undernourished and abused they look younger and smaller than their actual ages.

Lupita would slam dunk the role of the main characters mother, and for the father perhaps Peter Mensah, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, or even Idris Elba - any of three have the skills to pull off the antagonist role of the religious teacher of the boys.

Visit Keisha Bush's website.

--Marshal Zeringue

Doug Engstrom's "Corporate Gunslinger"

Doug Engstrom has been a farmer's son, a US Air Force officer, a technical writer, a computer support specialist, and a business analyst, as well as being a writer of speculative fiction. He lives near Des Moines, Iowa with his wife, Catherine Engstrom.

Here Engstrom dreamcasts an adaptation of his 2020 novel, Corporate Gunslinger:

Corporate Gunslinger is set in a near-future United States where duels have become the last stop in the legal system. Companies are allowed to hire professionals to represent them; ordinary citizens must fight for themselves.

The duels are highly formal. A judge presides with the assistance of wards, who help prepare the combatants and enforce the rules. Combatants use identical single-shot pistols, and wear pants and tunics with no metal parts that might deflect a bullet. They start back-to-back, separated by an opaque hologram called the Wall. The Wall makes it impossible to get a clear shot until both combatants enter their respective “kill boxes,” a space about ten yards from the center. At that point, the Wall disappears, and the combatants are free to turn around and fire at each other. The last person to fall wins.

The story is told from the perspective of Kira Clark, a young woman who’s incurred huge debts for her education and secured them with a “lifetime services contract” that will make her property of her creditors if she fails to pay. She wards off foreclosure by training as a gunfighter for TKC insurance. We see her career from her first day as a trainee through a climactic match against another professional.

I’d like to see Emma Stone as Kira. Like Abigail, the character Ms. Stone plays in The Favourite, Kira has fallen from a relatively high social status, and is simultaneously an abused waif trying to make her way in a world she isn’t well-prepared to navigate and a relentless predator who’s determined to do whatever it takes to make herself safe. I think Ms. Stone could bring Kira’s dual nature to life on screen.

The key physical features of Diana Reynolds, Kira’s trainer, are that she’s tall, muscular, and intimidating. She’s also smart, cynical, and expert at manipulating the world around her to protect the people she cares about. Charlize Theron put those qualities on screen in a great way as the leader of a mercenary band in The Old Guard, and I’d love to see her do the same for Diana.

Kira rooms with another gunfighter, Chloe Rossi, who is also her best friend. Chloe is a short, red-haired Italian-American from a working class background. Her soft appearance and lack of self-confidence make her easy to underestimate. While Chloe isn’t anywhere near as cold as Arya Stark, I think Maisie Williams would be great in the role.

I’d love to see Lexi Alexander in the director’s chair. Although she’s probably best known for the big-canvas action movie Punisher: War Zone, I believe she could do some really interesting things with the smaller scale and more intimate violence of the corporate dueling field. Her background as a World Kickboxing Champion and Marine Close Combat instructor would also bring an important perspective to the story.

Visit Doug Engstrom's website.

The Page 69 Test: Corporate Gunslinger.

--Marshal Zeringue

Jeannie Mobley's "The Jewel Thief"

Jeannie Mobley has spent much of her life daydreaming herself into other centuries. This tendency has led her to multiple degrees in history and anthropology, and a passion for writing fiction. She is the author of three historical middle grade novels: Katerina’s Wish (2012), Searching for Silverheels (2014,), and Bobby Lee Claremont and the Criminal Element (201), which have received starred reviews from Booklist, Kirkus Reviews, Publishers Weekly, and Library Media Connection. Other honors include the Willa Award, Colorado Book Award, Junior Library Guild Selection, and inclusion on a number of notable lists, including the Amelia Bloomer List for Feminist Literature, Library of Congress 52 Great Reads List, the New York Public Library Notables, the Jefferson Cup List for Historical Fiction, as well as a variety of state lists. Her favorite stories are those of ordinary people who achieve the extraordinary. She is currently a professor of anthropology and department chair at a college in northern Colorado.

Here Mobley dreamcasts an adaptation of her 2020 novel, The Jewel Thief:

While I typically do see the scenes playing out in my head as I write them, I think the advantage to books over movies is their ability to dig deep inside the characters in their portrayal, so I don’t tend to focus on the outward appearances of characters as much. Of course, I would love to see my books made into movies, and I think The Jewel Thief would be an excellent choice right now, with the popularity of historic costume dramas, so it’s always worth thinking about.

When I hear Louis XIV speaking in my head, it is in that cool, smooth voice of Alan Rickman, so in my anything-is-possible dreamcast, I would bring back a young Alan Rickman and cast him as the king just for the luxurious voice.

Casting it with people who are actual possibilities, though, I think Aiden Turner would be a fascinating Louis XIV—he has the charisma for the role, and can project both the power and the arrogance necessary.

An excellent choice for René, the main love interest, would be Timothée Chalamet, who has René’s youth and sweetness, and is also quite nice to look at. He also has really interesting hands, so since Juliette fixates on his hands now and then, I think that’s a plus.

Strange as it sounds, Juliette would be the hardest for me to cast. Because I see the main character from the inside out when I write, as if I’m looking through her eyes at the world, I often don’t have a clear mental picture of what that person looks like so much as how they think. But I think Holliday Grainger might be a good choice—she has the right mix of innocence and determination in her face for Juliette.

Learn more about The Jewel Thief.

--Marshal Zeringue

Megan Chance's "A Splendid Ruin"

Megan Chance is the bestselling, critically acclaimed author of several novels. Her books have been picks for Amazon Book of the Month, IndieNext, and the Historical Novel Society Editors’ Choice. Booklist calls her writing “provocative and haunting.”

Chance lives in the Pacific Northwest.

Here she dreamcasts an adaptation of her new novel, A Splendid Ruin:

I always cast actors or models as my characters before I start to write. I find it really helpful because when I’m writing I see the scenes unfolding in my head like a movie. It’s all very cinematic, so the wrong actor can mess up everything. It becomes rather obsessive on my part, trying to find the perfect person to represent the character I see in my head.

This also means that I have pictures of actors taped up all over my office, so it looks like the bedroom of a 14-year old girl, which can be embarrassing when the cable guy comes to fix the modem.

In A Splendid Ruin, I cast Rebecca Hall as May Kimble. I wanted someone attractive, but who wasn’t classically beautiful, and the look she had in The Prestige was exactly what I wanted for May. Capable and smart and vulnerable.

Margot Robbie was Goldie Sullivan. Gorgeous but with this edge that could make her either vulnerable or mean—that very Tonya Harding quality.

Domhnall Gleason was Jonathan Sullivan. I’m not sure why; he just popped into my head full bodied as Uncle Jonny. Pale and self-assured. Gleason always looks like he could be really kind but also could be hiding sinister secrets.

Ellis Farge was Gaspard Ulliel. I wanted someone who looked like he could have been arrogant once but then lost his way. Someone confused but also opportunistic. Also … handsome.

Dante LaRosa for me was Luke Pasqualino. Italian, charismatic, self-assured and confident. A little brash but also smart. I loved him in The Musketeers and Skins, and he’s great at being both charismatic and vulnerable.

Visit Megan Chance's website.

--Marshal Zeringue

Claire Booth's "Fatal Divisions"

Formerly a crime reporter for daily newspapers such as the Miami Herald and Philadelphia Inquirer, Claire Booth is the author of the Sheriff Hank Worth Mysteries: The Branson Beauty, Another Man's Ground, A Deadly Turn, and the newly released Fatal Divisions.

Here she dreamcasts an adaptation of Fatal Divisions:

Fatal Divisions is the fourth in my series featuring Sheriff Hank Worth of Branson, Missouri. He’s a guy in his late thirties who has a dry sense of humor and is pretty laid back. He also speaks fluent Spanish, courtesy of his Latinx mother. So, since this is dream casting, I’d love Oscar Isaac to play him.

In this book, I really dive into Hank’s family life. That means there’s a lot more of his father-in-law. Duncan McCleary moved in with the Worths after the death of his wife. Duncan is a blunt, cantankerous old man who frequently tries Hank’s patience. I think someone like Kurtwood Smith, the dad in That ’70s Show would be perfect for the role.

In this book, Duncan’s sister, Finella, is a prominent character. She’s a lot like her brother, but with flashes of maternal caring. I would love to see her played by Angela Lansbury, who I think has just that right combination.

Finella’s husband also plays a key role in Fatal Divisions. He’s a smooth talker and a consummate salesman. Hal Linden, with his suave style, would be perfect. Plus, who wouldn’t want to see him and Angela together?

Visit Claire Booth's website.

My Book, The Movie: Another Man's Ground.

The Page 69 Test: Another Man's Ground.

My Book, The Movie: A Deadly Turn.

The Page 69 Test: A Deadly Turn.

--Marshal Zeringue

Cass Morris's "Give Way to Night"

Cass Morris works as an educator in central Virginia and as a bookseller on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. She holds a Master of Letters from Mary Baldwin University and a BA in English with a minor in history from the College of William and Mary. She reads voraciously, wears corsets voluntarily, and will beat you at MarioKart.

Here Morris dreamcasts an adaptation of her new novel, Give Way to Night:

Give Way to Night is the second book of the Aven Cycle, an epic fantasy series set in an alternate ancient Rome where magic has shaped the course of nations every bit as much as law and warfare. Aven is on the brink, attempting to re-establish its ideals after a dictatorship. As if determining the philosophical soul of the nation weren’t enough, they’re also dealing with violent incursions in a province and the resurgence of a banished cult at home!

The Aven Cycle has a large cast of characters. I have strong ideas for actors I’d love to see play some of them and little-to-no idea for others. My biggest overall concern if someone were to cast the series, though, would be diversity. The ancient world was multicultural, and Rome thrived with populations from many nations and of many skin tones. I would want the cast to reflect that above all else.

My two chief protagonists are Latona of the Vitelliae and Sempronius Tarren. Sempronius is an ambitious senator with a divinely-inspired vision: he wants to see Aven the center of a coalition of nations that spans the known world, the beating heart of a vibrant federation. He’ll do whatever necessary to reach that goal -- including breaking the laws of the nation he loves so much. Sempronius is a mage, granted elemental power by the gods, and Aven’s laws bar such men from high office. He thinks the gods know better than the men who write laws, though, and so he keeps his gift a secret while he reaches for the power to shape the world of his dreams.

Latona is also a mage, and her powers have brought her a lot of trouble in life, to the point where she began suppressing them and denying her true strength. In Give Way to Night, however, she’s tired of making herself small for others’ comfort; she’s decided instead to use her gifts to protect and defend Aven. That determination puts her in conflict with a mysterious opponent using dark magic to foment chaos and terror in the already-fragile city.

An actor I’ve long had in my head for Latona is Sarah Gadon. I first saw her in Amma Asante’s Belle, but it was her performance in Alias Grace that convinced me she would be perfect for Latona’s haunted intensity, able to shift between carefully-constructed poise and explosively fierce emotions. She also has the angular beauty I think of when I picture Latona: graceful and even a little vulnerable, but with fire behind the eyes.

Sempronius is harder. He must be absolutely charismatic, but I’d actually prefer an actor who isn’t too good-looking! I describe him in the books as being average-looking; not unattractive, but not swoon-worthy. His personal magnetism is much more important: his way of talking to people, his way with words, his vigor. I concede that a film or tv series would likely lean into the “tall, dark, and handsome” trope, however, so someone like Henry Cavill, Diego Luna, or Emun Elliott, but a bit younger. Sempronius should be early 30s.

Overall, I’d want a film or series to have an immersive feel, making both the world and the magic feel viscerally real. I took a lot of inspiration from HBO’s Rome, so I imagine that kind of art direction and attention to detail.

Visit Cass Morris's website.

--Marshal Zeringue

Layne Fargo's "They Never Learn"

Layne Fargo is the author of the thrillers Temper and They Never Learn. She’s a Pitch Wars mentor, Vice President of the Chicagoland chapter of Sisters in Crime, and the cocreator of the podcast Unlikeable Female Characters. Fargo lives in Chicago with her partner and their pets.

Here she dreamcasts an adaptation of They Never Learn:

I always “cast” every character in my novels before I start writing them, and I have secret Pinterest boards full of pictures of all my inspirations (like, so many pictures it’s creepy).

Here are some of the main actors I pictured while writing my latest novel, the feminist serial killer thriller They Never Learn:

Christina Hendricks as English professor/murderer of bad men Scarlett Clark. Scarlett is a bombshell redhead who will ruin your life, and Christina basically invented that archetype as Joan Holloway on Mad Men.

Morena Baccarin as Scarlett’s love interest, psychology professor Dr. Mina Pierce. I originally pictured a different actress as Mina, but the character didn’t quite come together in my mind until I thought of Morena.

Bill Skarsgård as Scarlett’s creepy-hot graduate assistant Jasper Prior. Bill has inspired characters in several other projects of mine too; you do not want to know how many pictures of him I have saved…

Ewan McGregor as Dr. Alexander Kinnear, Scarlett’s smarmy boss she can’t wait to kill (although a lot of people tell me they pictured Greg Kinnear instead, because of the last name, and that works too).

Amandla Stenberg as Scarlett’s favorite student Mikayla Atwell.

Joel de la Fuente as Scarlett’s friend and fellow English professor Drew Torres.

They Never Learn is currently being developed for television, and I’m so interested to see whether the actual cast will match my mental images!

Visit Layne Fargo's website.

--Marshal Zeringue

Tessa Wegert's "The Dead Season"

Tessa Wegert is a freelance writer whose work has appeared in Forbes, The Huffington Post, Adweek, and The Economist. She grew up in Quebec near the border of Vermont and now lives with her husband and children in a hundred- year-old house in Coastal Connecticut. Wegert writes mysteries set in Upstate New York while studying martial arts and dance, and is the author of the Shana Merchant series, beginning with Death in the Family.

Here she dreamcasts an adaptation of her new novel, The Dead Season:

I don’t typically pin photos of actors on my wall or picture celebrities while writing, but with The Dead Season, the sequel to Death in the Family, I did have a few in mind.

In The Dead Season, Thousand Islands-based Senior Investigator Shana Merchant returns to her hometown in Vermont upon learning that her estranged uncle has been murdered. Shana’s immediate and extended family both play a major role in her informal investigation of a homicide that hits close to home. When she receives word that a child has been abducted back in Upstate New York, her partner Tim Wellington and local Sheriff Maureen McIntyre factor in as well. Of course there’s also Blake Bram, the serial killer from Shana’s hometown whom she’s been hunting, and who she believes could be involved in both crimes.

That said, here’s the casting scenario that plays out in my mind.

Shana Merchant: Emma Stone. I know she’d portray Shana as the shrewd and plucky investigator that she is.

Tim Wellington: Adam Driver. Driver may be an unconventional choice to play small-town Tim, but I love the unexpectedness of having him depict an Everyman type.

Maureen “Mac” McIntyre: Jane Lynch. As Shana’s friend and mentor, Mac is equal parts cerebral and feisty, and Jane Lynch fits the part.

Blake Bram: Jeremy Renner. I can’t explain it, but he’s been my Bram from the start.

Della Merchant (Shana’s mother): Jodie Foster. What a dream that would be!

Wally Merchant (Shana’s father): John Slattery, if he’d be willing to adopt a British accent.

Doug Merchant (Shana’s brother): Seth Rogen. Something about Seth Rogen as Shana’s older brother just makes me smile.

Brett Skilton (Shana’s uncle): Breckin Meyer, with platinum blond hair.

Felicia “Aunt Fee” Skilton: Helen Hunt. I’ve always thought she and Jodie Foster look like they could be sisters.

Crissy Skilton (Shana’s cousin): Scarlett Johansson. I’d get a kick out of seeing her play a character that’s unkempt and a bit uncouth.

Suzuka “Suze” Weppler (Shana’s childhood friend): Vanessa Hudgens would be great here.

Robbie Copely (Suze’s husband): Jake Gyllenhaal. It’s all about the eyes with Robbie.

Cheryl Copely (Robbie’s mother): Kristin Chenoweth. I’m a huge fan of hers, and her spirit and diminutive stature would make her ideal for this role.

Visit Tessa Wegert's website.

--Marshal Zeringue

Karen Brooks's "The Lady Brewer of London"

Australian-born Karen Brooks is the author of numerous novels, an academic, a newspaper columnist and social commentator, and has appeared regularly on national TV and radio. Before turning to academia, she was an army officer, and dabbled in acting. She lives in Hobart, Tasmania.

Here Brooks dreamcasts an adaptation of her novel, The Lady Brewer of London:

If The Lady Brewer of London was made into a movie, I know exactly who I’d like to play Anneke Sheldrake. When I first started writing, I imagined a young Ann Margaret. She looks so right for the part with her gorgeous red hair, the shape of her eyes and height. Anneke is eighteen when the book opens, and is immediately put in a situation where she has to shoulder incredible responsibilities for someone so young. Basically, make a living in order to support her younger siblings and family servants and not be evicted from their home. Undaunted (except to those who really know her), she makes what some in that time would have considered an indecent proposal to her landlord to help her family not only survive, but thrive. She pays the price for her chutzpah, but at the same time refuses to be beaten. I could see Ann Margaret filling the role beautifully.

But then I saw Eleanor Tomlinson as Demelza in the BBC adaptation of Poldark and knew this was the actor I wanted. Like Anneke, Eleanor/Demelza is tall, and her character is feisty, strong, but also able to project a vulnerability on screen which I believe is needed. You root for her so hard, which is what I want people to do for Anneke.

It would be easy then to cast Demelza’s onscreen husband from Poldark, Aidan Turner as Leander, the male lead in the story and certainly, he ticks many boxes. But, right from the beginning, I saw Goran Visnjic (a Croatian-American actor) as Leander. Dark, brooding, very tall (essential) but with a kind face too, he manages to be both mischievous and mysterious – a wonderful combination and which Leander also exudes.

As for directors, it would be hard to go past either Scott Frank (Queen’s Gambit) or Amy Sherman-Palladino (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel). Both these directors not only get their aesthetic perfect, but they have fantastic shades of light and dark in their story-telling and allow the camera to draw out the characters as well, not just dialogue or costuming and setting (though they’re important too). They also tell women’s stories so powerfully but without sacrificing men to the female narrative, but making them an intrinsic part of it while still allowing the women to shine. Anneke shines so bright, she’s dazzling. At least, I hope so.

Visit Karen Brooks's website.

--Marshal Zeringue

Linda Keir's "The Three Mrs. Wrights"

Linda Keir is the pen name for the writing team of Linda Joffe Hull and Keir Graff.

Here the authors of Drowning with Others and The Swing of Things dreamcast an adaptation of their new novel, The Three Mrs. Wrights:

As coauthors writing under the pen name Linda Keir, our entire process—from idea generation to outlining to drafting—is collaborative. When it comes to characters, we divide and conquer, with each one of us tackling different points of view. Whoever is writing a character decides what he or she looks like and then describes them well enough that we can both visualize age, appearance, and identifying characteristics. So far, we’ve operated on the perhaps mistaken belief that our conversations and descriptive abilities leave us picturing our characters in exactly the same way.

With a few notable exceptions (such as Andi Bloom in Drowning with Others, for whom we jointly chose a photo of a representative brunette) we’ve rarely discussed celebrity counterparts for our characters. Because of this, we thought it would be fun to compare our dream casts for our latest novel, The Three Mrs. Wrights, which is the story of three smart, successful women who discover they’ve been taken in by the very same successful entrepreneur and serial womanizer.

Lark Robinson

Biracial Lark is beautiful, bright, and unconventional. In her mid-twenties and every bit the Millennial, she’s determined to succeed with the board game she has designed for budding girl scientists.

Linda: Definitely Zoe Kravitz or Gugu Mbatha-Raw. They are both exceptionally striking and sexy in the same way I picture Lark to be.

Keir: I never had anybody in mind, but I have to say that Vanessa Hudgens comes closest to the person I imagined.

Jessica Meyers

Jessica is a newly minted pediatric oncologist in her early thirties. She is slim and attractive with long brown hair. She defines herself much more by her intelligence than looks.

Linda: From the very start, I pictured her as looking like Emmy Rossum, known for her roles in the TV show Shameless and the film version of Phantom of the Opera.

Keir: I’m picturing Alison Brie, who I think could perfectly portray the necessary blend of wholesome, down-to-earth, spunky, smart, and just a little bit offbeat.

Holly Wright

In her mid-forties, Holly is patrician, blond, classically attractive, and the mother of three children from grade school through high school. She is a pediatrician by profession with a passion for horses and philanthropy.

Linda: I picture Naomi Watts or Michelle Williams.

Keir: Ding! Ding! Ding! We have a winner—I think Michelle Williams in the present stage of her career would be absolutely perfect!

Jonathan Wright AKA Jack Wright AKA Trip Mitchell

Jonathan Mitchell Wright, MD, physician turned wildly successful med-tech millionaire, is handsome, sexy, and eminently charming. Healthy and fit, with a full head of graying dark hair, he, like his (first) wife, Holly, is in his mid-forties.

Linda: George Clooney is an obvious choice, but I could see Chris Evans or even Patrick Dempsey as Jon.

Keir: Hollywood has any number of handsome, silvering foxes who could play our smooth-talking, sociopathic bad guy, but I’m feeling Ryan Reynolds for this one. That face—charming but potentially hiding secrets . . .

The Verdict

Even though we may have visualized our characters differently, both of us would be more than happy with any of them. We’ll just bookmark this page until the inevitable feature-film sale of The Three Mrs. Wrights. (Well ... fingers crossed!)

Visit the websites of Linda Joffe Hull and Keir Graff.

--Marshal Zeringue