Suzanne Redfearn's "Hush Little Baby"

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Suzanne Redfearn, like her protagonist, is an architect. She is an avid surfer, golfer, skier, and Angels fan. She and her husband own Lumberyard Restaurant in Laguna Beach, California.

Here Redfearn dreamcasts an adaptation of her new novel, Hush Little Baby:

Hush Little Baby tells the story of Jillian Kane, a woman who appears to have it all—a successful career, a gorgeous home, a loving husband, and two wonderful children. The reality behind closed doors is something else entirely. For nine years she has hid the bruises and the truth of her abusive marriage in order to protect Addie and Drew, knowing, if she left, Gordon would destroy her—destroy them.

When, in an act of desperation, she flees, her worst nightmare is realized and she finds herself on the run with her two young children, no money, and no plan. With Gordon in hot pursuit, there is only one inescapable certainty: No matter where she goes, he will find her. Kill her. And take her children.

A riveting page-turner, Hush Little Baby exposes the shame and terror of domestic violence as well as the disturbing role manipulation and sabotage can play in the high-stakes game of child custody. It is a novel about the unbreakable bonds of family and the astounding, terrifying devotion of a mother’s love.

Publishers Weekly described Hush Little Baby as "cinematic," which certainly got me fantasizing about a big screen adaptation, and the cast in my dreams is amazing.

Jillian, the narrator and protagonist, was easy, Reese Witherspoon. She's the right age and has that wonderful feminine strength, that seems both fragile and invincible. She's a little quirky and totally loveable. Physically she fits the bill, petite and pretty but not extravagantly gorgeous. A real person who seems both smart and tenacious enough to be a high-powered architect, yet soft and sensitive enough to be a devoted mother. She's also a mom of three kids and is fierce about protecting them and their privacy, so she would relate to Jillian and her struggles.

Kevin McKidd (Owen Hunt on Grey’s Anatomy) would be my choice for Gordon. He's handsome, tall and strong, and has a good guy face, but he can turn ugly. Kevin McKidd's portrayal of post-traumatic stress disorder when he first came to the cast of Grey’s Anatomy was amazing, a true Jekyll and Hyde transformation that would be perfect for the heroic Gordon, who behind closed doors is an abusive dangerous man.

Jillian's dad would be Robert Duvall, because I would totally want Robert Duvall to be my dad. He's tough but also sweet in a rascally sort of way. Nick Cancelleiri is one of my favorite characters in the book, Jillian's broken hero.

Diane Keaton would play Jillian's mom, because I'd love to see her lock horns with Robert Duvall. Plus she brings amazing emotional range to every part she plays, the drama always believable as well as the humor.

I'm in love with the half-Native American, half-white Paul who jumps in the river to save four-year-old Addie then offers Jillian and her kids a safe-haven where they can hide from Gordon. I'm also in love with Keith Urban. Both Paul and Keith have kindred spirits, a soulfulness that is both mystical and tragic, sensitive and spiritual, yet irreverent and self-destructive like they are not made to live within the confines of this world. Keith Urban's rugged handsomeness, sinewy toughness, and tattoos fit the role perfectly.

Reese Witherspoon, Kevin McKidd, Robert Duvall, Diane Keaton, and Keith Urban—how's that for an all-star lineup? What a wonderful dream!

Learn more about Hush Little Baby at Suzanne Redfearn's website, Facebook page, and Twitter perch.

Read--Coffee with a Canine: Suzanne Redfearn and Cooper.

--Marshal Zeringue