Brian M. Wiprud's "Ringer"

Brian M. Wiprud's novels include Feelers and Buy Back.Here he shares some ideas about casting the lead in an adaptation of his new novel, Ringer:This is a particularly pertinent question to my novel Ringer in as much as the book is written as an ad hoc movie treatment, complete with camera angles and suggestions by the protagonist Morty about who should play himself. Morty fancies himself a Latin lover, and in a cover letter to a film development company he posits that Jimmy Smits or Benjamin Bratt would be good choices, but that Antonio Banderas is probably too old. In a letter from the de

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Paul Malmont's "The Astounding, the Amazing, and the Unknown"

Paul Malmont is the author of The Astounding, the Amazing, and the Unknown, out this month from Simon & Schuster.Here he suggests some possible directors and actors for an adaptation of the new novel:Any discussion about the casting of my novel, The Astounding, the Amazing, and the Unknown, has to start with the director.Steven Spielberg. No one does WW2, light and dark, better than the master. Plus, who better to tell the origin story of the genre that has been so rewarding to him?Francis Ford Coppola. This guy invented the modern ensemble period epic. For all its scope, Amazing is r

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Christine Cody's "Bloodlands"

Christine Cody is the author of the new postapocalyptic supernatural Western Bloodlands series. The first book, Bloodlands, launched this week and will be followed by Blood Rules (August 30) and In Blood We Trust (September 27).Here she shares some ideas for casting a big screen adaptation of the Bloodlands story:In the near-distant future, there is a place called the New Badlands. It’s a desolate area in the West forged by the terrible events that altered the entire country. A place where a few frightened citizens retreated underground to shelter from the brutal weather ... and from a soc

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Will Lavender's "Dominance"

Will Lavender is a graduate of Centre College with an MFA from Bard College. His debut novel, Obedience, was a New York Times and international bestseller. His novels have been sold in 13 countries.Here he explains why a certain celebrated director might be perfect for an adaptation of his new novel, Dominance:I always have an idea of how I want my books to “feel.” Tone isn’t something your English 101 prof scribbles on the chalk board; I really believe in it. In fact, I take tone so seriously I rewrite only to create a kind of menacing hum beneath the story. I want my books to be creepy, ha

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Edie Meidav's "Lola, California"

Edie Meidav is the author of The Far Field: A Novel of Ceylon and Crawl Space.Winner of a Lannan Fellowship, a Howard Fellowship, the Kafka Prize for Fiction by an American Woman, and the Bard Fiction Prize, she teaches at Bard College.Here she proposes some suggestions for cast and director of an adaptation of her acclaimed new novel, Lola, California:Years ago I saw Robert Duvall in The Apostle and you could say that, if we were to freeze time, he would be the ideal lead for any movie based on any of my novels. For Lola, California, however, maybe Ed Harris would be a good latterday des

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Ellen Block's "The Definition of Wind"

Ellen Block is the award-winning, internationally published author of five books, and she is also the recipient of a fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts as well as the Michener-Copernicus Fellowship. Block lives in Los Angeles, where she is currently at work on a new novel.Here she shares some ideas for casting a big-screen adaptation of her latest novel, The Definition of Wind:As an author living in LA, I'm no stranger to playing the "who would you cast" game. In fact, I often find myself describing the characters via actors in order to bring them to life for people unfamili

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Steven Gould's "7th Sigma"

Steven Gould is the author of Jumper, Wildside, Helm, Blind Waves, Reflex, and Jumper: Griffin’s Story, as well as many short stories. He is the recipient of the Hal Clement Young Adult Award for Science Fiction and has been nominated for both the Hugo and the Nebula Awards.Here he shares some insights into adapting his new novel, 7th Sigma, for the big screen:Having already had a movie made out of one of my books, this one makes me wince. They're were several candidates for the role of Davy in my first novel Jumper, but we ended up with Young Darth Vader.The character in 7th Sigma, Kimbl

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Dawn Tripp's "Game of Secrets"

Dawn Tripp graduated from Harvard and lives in Massachusetts with her husband and two sons. She is the author of the novels Moon Tide and The Season of Open Water, which won the Massachusetts Book Award for Fiction.Here she shares some suggestions for cast and director of an adaptation of her new novel, Game of Secrets:Love this question. I am a bookworm, 100 percent geek, and I rarely have a character in my head pinned to a movie star, but oddly enough, as I was writing Game of Secrets, I did.Game of Secrets is a mystery, a small-town murder played out through a Scrabble game. And from the s

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Bill Crider's "The Wild Hog Murders"

Bill Crider is the winner of two Anthony Awards and is an Edgar Award finalist.Here he shares some ideas about the leading man--and the titular squealers--in an adaptation of his new novel, The Wild Hog Murders, the latest of the Sheriff Dan Rhodes Mysteries:I think that the last time I answered this question, I said I’d like to see Tommy Lee Jones play the part of Sheriff Dan Rhodes. That must have stuck with me because I wrote a joke about it into The Wild Hog Murders. I’d still love to see Jones in the part, but what I’m wondering about now is how they’d do the wild hogs if they made a m

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Hannah Nordhaus's "The Beekeeper's Lament"

Award-winning journalist Hannah Nordhaus has written for the Los Angeles Times, the Financial Times, the Village Voice, Outside magazine, and other publications.Here she shares some cast preferences for an adaptation of her new book, The Beekeeper's Lament: How One Man and Half a Billion Honey Bees Help Feed America:I want Nicholson! Jack Nicholson and my main character, migratory beekeeper John Miller, have the same booming voice (though Miller doesn’t growl quite so much), a similar, eye-rolling sense of drama, a frenetic vibe, and a wicked sense of humor. They even have the same hairline.

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Lynn Kiele Bonasia's "Countess Nobody"

Lynn Kiele Bonasia is the author of three novels. Released this June, Countess Nobody, her first novel for young adults, is about a teenage girl whose noble dreams are dashed when she learns she won’t inherit the family title. Summer Shift and Some Assembly Required are women’s fiction set on Cape Cod where Bonasia lives and writes.Here she shares some ideas for casting a big screen adaptation of Countess Nobody: I have no trouble imagining who might star in my two adult Cape novel fantasy film adaptations, but casting for my latest book, Countess Nobody, which happens to be a novel for you

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David Hagberg's "Abyss"

David Hagberg is a former Air Force cryptographer who has traveled extensively in Europe, the Arctic, and the Caribbean and has spoken at CIA functions. He has published more than twenty novels of suspense, including the bestselling Allah's Scorpion, Dance With the Dragon, and The Expediter.Here he shares some suggestions for director and stars for an adaptation of his latest thriller, Abyss:My nasty little story telling secret concerns the age of Kirk McGarvey who has been the main character in fifteen novels and counting. Without Honor, the first story, he is hiding in plain sight in S

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Chevy Stevens's "Still Missing"

Chevy Stevens grew up on a ranch on Vancouver Island and still calls the island home. For most of her adult life she worked in sales, first as a rep for a giftware company and then as a Realtor. At open houses, waiting between potential buyers, she spent hours scaring herself with thoughts of horrible things that could happen to her. Her most terrifying scenario, which began with being abducted, was the inspiration for Still Missing. After six months Stevens sold her house and left real estate so she could finish the book. She enjoys writing thrillers that allow her to blend he

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Roger Smith's "Dust Devils"

Roger Smith was born in Johannesburg and now lives in Cape Town. His debut thriller, Mixed Blood (2009), was published in six countries and won the Deutscher Krimi Preis (German Crime Prize). His second book, Wake Up Dead (2010), was a 10 best pick of the Philadelphia Enquirer, Times (South Africa) and Krimiwelt (Germany) and was nominated for the German Krimi-Blitz Reader’s Award. Mixed Blood and Wake Up Dead were nominated for Spinetingler Magazine New Voice Awards in the U.S. and both books are in development as feature films.Here he shares his take on the stars of an adaptation of his

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D.B. Henson's "Deed to Death"

D.B. Henson was born and raised in the southern United States. Her love of reading began at age six when she was given the first book in the Trixie Belden Mystery series. Shortly thereafter, she began writing stories of her own.A former real estate agent, Henson most recently worked as the director of marketing for a construction company. During a slump in the housing market, she made the decision to leave the construction industry and pursue her life-long dream of writing.Here she shares her casting suggestions for an adaptation of her novel, Deed to Death:Every author dreams of watch

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Bernadette Pajer's "A Spark of Death"

Bernadette Pajer's A Spark of Death is the first book in the Professor Bradshaw Mysteries.Here she provides some perspective on casting an adaptation of the series:Who would play Professor Benjamin Bradshaw in the movie A Spark of Death? Well ... the story is in tight third-person POV, and I never actually describe Bradshaw. His age, 35, is known, his dour, plodding personality that's breaking free, his intelligence and dislike of society. A few remarks are made by other characters. An assistant professor says Bradshaw is almost handsome when he smiles. Physically, though, he's whoever the re

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Phil Rickman's "The Bones of Avalon"

Phil Rickman has worked as a BBC radio and TV reporter, and he currently writes and presents the book program “Phil the Shelf’ on BBC Radio Wales. He is also the author of the internationally bestselling crime series featuring Merrily Watkins.Here he shares some suggestions for casting the lead character in a cinematic adaptation of his latest novel, The Bones of Avalon:The Bones of Avalon is about Dr John Dee, astrologer-royal to Queen Elizabeth I. The only existing portraits of Dee are as an old man. But In the book he's only 32, so I asked a friend, artist and graphic designer Bev Craven i

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Kamala Nair's "The Girl in the Garden"

Kamala Nair was born in London and grew up in the United States. A graduate of Wellesley College, she studied literature at Oxford University and received an M.Phil in Creative Writing from Trinity College Dublin in 2005.Her she shares some ideas for lead and director of an adaptation of her new novel, The Girl in the Garden:If The Girl in the Garden were to be made into a movie, I would be interested to see what Alfonso Cuarón would do as director. I’m a huge fan of his work, and in particular, I love how he captures the dark magic of beloved novels, such as A Little Princess and Harry Po

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