Good Ole Boys' Characters Visualized

With my new addiction to Pinterest, and my Dream House topic maybe, kinda, sorta, almost covered, I was going to start working on more author-related boards:  pictures of faces of (nameless?) men and women who are just yelling at me to write a book about them, plus the fancy destinations where their particular story will play out and all those interesting careers they can don and I can experience vicariously through them.

But . . . the only downside to Pinterest--from an author's point of view--is the total emphasis on pictures and not words.

So this post is to picture-fy my cast from my debut novel, Good Ole Boys, using only text.

If I can narrow down my cast of characters to one actor for each, I may be able to create a Pinterest board, as well.

This idea may or may not be a good thing.  I know I've read many a book with my visualizations of the characters anchored in my mind only to go to a movie based on the novel and wonder why the director or casting agent chose those people to play those parts.

Yes, we all have our own takes on those nebulous folks that inhabit our favorite readings.  Like Eve and Roarke in J.D. Robb's In Death series--with movie deals bought and paid for, but none in production (that I know of).  I have a dead-certain image of both and will likely be disappointed by the two chosen to play the roles.  However, if the physical fails to align with my vision, hopefully the inner character of both resolves that.

Now, on with my particular persuasion as to my main couple in Good Ole Boys.

For Holt Seville, he is described to look like Sawyer from Lost.  However, I hope he reads and acts like a gentleman rogue--think Cary Grant in Charade or Keith Michell or more probably Len Cariou (right side of the law, mostly) both of Murder, She Wrote. 

For Geneva "Neva" Tate, she's exotic looking but the hard-working American entrepreneur.  With looks and smarts, but hardly cognizant of her beauty and diligently using those brains of hers.  A Megan Fox or Olivia Wilde stop-traffic face and build, with a serious and subdued underbelly, like Jordana Brewster.  In fact, Jordana--or Ashley Greene--would serve well on all accounts if induced to wear vivid blue contacts.

For the others, Pops and Diana and several minor characters, I'd need study time to contemplate who best embodies these individuals.  Pops would be the hardest because I have very distinct renderings of him personality-wise and not so much physically.  Will think on that.

Anyway, I almost did a roster of my characters matched up with the actor most attuned to my imagination and put the cross-reference in the front matter of my debut novel, Good Ole Boys.  Then I nixed the idea.  As a reader myself, I like conjuring up my own version of the people I am reading about.  And thought my own readership might want first crack at it, too.

With this post, I can indulge my whims and sally forth with my idea.  Add the words here where Pinterest prefers pixels.

I love it!  I can do both . . . .

P.S.  Ooh, I just thought of Claire Forlani, which her exotic looks and blue eyes, would work perfectly for Neva.

One for the Money Movie, Book by Janet Evanovich

LOVED IT!  Both the movie and the book.  It has been a while since I've read the first installment in the Stephanie Plum, Bounty Hunter, series by Janet Evanovich but I'd say the screenplay stuck pretty well to the original book version.  And the cast, all wore their characters well.  The on-screen chemistry between Stephanie (Katherine Heigl) and Morelli (Jason O'Mara) comes across really well.  And Lula!  What a home run outta the park!

I understand Sherri Shepherd made a vision board about three years ago staking her claim to play the part of Lula whenever a movie was made from One for the Money.  She was great.  Grandma Mazur, Stephanie's mom, Ranger, Vinnie, Connie--all were plum perfect.  (Sorry, I couldn't resist.)

Several months ago, over books in my local big-box store, I ran into a fellow Janet Evanovich fan.  She shared with me how she has a summer ritual where she rereads the entire Stephanie Plum series, from book one to the current episode.  Sounds like a grand plan to me.

As an author, I'm ecstatic to see movies made out of some of my favorite authors' books.  I'm open to my own becoming movies too, down the line.  Like the J.D. Robb series, so looking forward to seeing those up on the big screen--and hopefully with such charismatic casting fortune as I witnessed today in One for the Money.

AMC was handing out One for the Money bookmarks--a good marketing strategy.  I'm anxious to see what the movie brought in this first weekend.  And I'm proud to have placed my vote with my purchase of a ticket today.  My particular theater was not full by any means, but I purposely picked the first showing and it was during church so that may account for the empty seats.

Still, the box office revenues will tell . . . .

My Age Should Not Determine My Reading Demographic

I am an author, a freelance copy editor, an Indie publisher of my own works with a never-want-to-be-cured-from addiction to movies and books.  I am also female and a Baby Boomer.  Yet I love James Bond stories (whether on film or on paper), the TV show Burn Notice, the Twilight saga, Jane Austen books and J.D. Robb’s In Death series.  I also never miss an episode of House, M.D. or Lie to Me.

To reiterate:

I am not a man or a spy regardless of the timeframe.

I am not a teenager or a vampire or a werewolf.

I am not a woman living in the early 1800s whose highest vocation is to marry.  And marry rich.

I am not a female detective living in the future world of the 2050s and beyond.

I am not a doctor, male or otherwise, with a crass bedside manner—if you can get him by your bedside.

I am not a human lie detector disguised as an adult male with an adorable teenaged daughter who is truly the parent.

What do all these things share? 

ESCAPISM.

I like to escape when I read or watch movies.  I also like to learn something, whether from fiction, nonfiction or film.  I hope all my soon-to-published novels accomplish both for my readers.

Maybe that erroneous “reader demographic” model is why J.K. Rowland received her initial rejection letters for her Harry Potter books, supposedly written for boys aged nine to twelve (or that’s what I remember from a bio on her).

Therefore, all you authors out there, don’t worry that your “target audience” is small, say for boys aged nine to twelve.  If the story is universal, it will appeal to all age groups.