Jane Cleland's "Josie Prescott Antiques Mysteries"

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Jane K. Cleland is the author of the Josie Prescott Antiques Mysteries.

Here she offers a fresh twist to the blog's approach to having the author imagine her novels adapted for the big screen:

I love the idea of thinking about casting the Josie Prescott Antiques Mysteries: Consigned to Death, Deadly Appraisal, and Antiques to Die For. It’s fun—and it’s relevant because I wrote Josie with one of two actresses in mind. But I’m not going to tell you who they are because I want to know the picture in your head.

Here’s my thinking: I’ll tell you about some of the repeating characters in the Josie Prescott Antiques Mysteries, and you tell me which actors should play them. You submit your entries to me by July 4, 2008, and I’ll select the winners randomly from all the entries that align with my vision. The winner for each character gets a pair of Josie’s martini glasses and an autographed copy of one of the books in the series. Worth playing for? You bet!

Josie Prescott is an antiques appraiser who uses her knowledge of antiques to solve crimes. She’s a good girl, a nice young woman who’s overcome several bad breaks. Josie’s in her thirties. She grew up in Boston. Her degree is in Art History. She was the whistle blower in a major antiques scandal that occurred a few years ago in New York City, and as a result, she moved to New Hampshire to start her own business. She was shocked that she was shunned by her friends. It never occurred to her that the people she admires wouldn’t appreciate and support her efforts—after all, she did the right thing, and by her standards, that’s all that matters. Who should play Josie?

Josie’s boyfriend is Ty Alverez, formerly the Rocky Point, New Hampshire police chief, and now a regional director for Homeland Security. Ty is tall. He loved his aunt, and when she was dying, he went to California to be with her and help her navigate the medical system. He drives an SUV. We know nothing else about him. Who should play Ty?

Josie’s neighbor, landlady, and friend is Zöe, an Italian firecracker, quick to anger and quick to atone. She’s a single mom of two youngins. Zöe left her no-good-nik husband in Oregon when she inherited her uncle’s estate. She and Josie share martinis and a view of the world. To Zöe, there’s little gray in life; to Josie, there’s plenty of gray, and the fact that they discuss it all the time is what makes them dear friends: they don’t have to agree—they just have to talk. Who should play Zöe?

Sasha is Josie’s chief appraiser. She’s shy and insecure—except when discussing art. She has a Ph.D. in art history and thinks that Josie is the smartest woman she knows. She twirls her lank brown hair when she’s nervous. Who should play Sasha?

Fred is brat pack cool. He’s another appraiser. He works for Sasha. He’s an intellectual snob when it comes to antiques, condemning collectibles, wishing he could only deal with the best objects. Who should play Fred?

Gretchen is Josie’s assistant. She’s 25. She has copper-color hair that cascades below her shoulders and emerald eyes. She’s addicted to celebrity gossip. She’s boy-crazy. She’s also an innate caretaker and as honest as the day is long, and she has a mysterious past. Who should play Gretchen?

Eric is Josie’s back-room guy, a twig-thin high school grad, glad to be done with school. He lives with his mom and his two dogs. He’s an uneasy leader, more prepared to fail than succeed, but determined to do his all to justify Josie’s trust in him. Who should play Eric?

Now it’s in your hands. I look forward to hearing from you.

Visit Jane Cleland's website and her blog.

Watch the Antiques to Die For trailer.

The Page 69 Test: Deadly Appraisal.

--Marshal Zeringue