Trish and Nancy Go Geeky

Over the Labor Day weekend, Nancy and I and and more than 40,000 of our geekiest friends converged on downtown Atlanta for Dragon*Con, a celebration of all things sci-fi, fantasy and general geekiness. Think ComicCon, just about a third of the size and not quite as many celebrities. Now, don't get me wrong, there are stars aplenty, along with panels, workshops, costumes both awesome and cringe-worthy, photo-taking opportunities, parties, concerts, and tons of other stuff to fill the four days to the brim. We thought we'd share some of our favorite highlights from this year's con.

Nancy: The costumes. They're always inspired and often amazing. The steampunk ones again seemed to be most elaborate and also the ones I'd least like to wear in Atlanta in late summer. I thought the various Lego people walking around were cute. As always, superheroes and stormtroopers wandered in great numbers. I didn't see as many Klingons or Rebel Alliance pilots this year as usual.

Trish: I think you could have a ton of fun at Dragon*Con just sitting in the lobby of one of the host hotels and watching all the costumes. Last year, I did a costume as Alice from Twilight, but it was basically real clothes so I didn't stand out much. This year, I had a costume made and went as Kahlen Amnell from Legend of the Seeker. That's me on the left sporting a long wig and without my glasses. Yes, I was the nearly blind Mother Confessor. :) A group of Legend of the Seeker fans got together on Friday night and did a group photo. Nancy mentioned how hot the steampunk costumes must be, but I've got to say the Mord Sith costumes (full-body leather) had to have been a million times worse. I only had on a leather bustier and I was sweating.

Nancy: The parade. It's such a gathering of enthusiastic people and so much fun. Every year, fantasy author and illustrator Janny Wurts leads off, marching down Peachtree Street and playing "Scotland the Brave" on her bagpipes. The boy was in the anime section but on the wrong side of the street, so I didn't get good photos of him. This year, a firetruck came down the street, slanted diagonally across the street but rolling forward (I have no idea how they do that) to clear it before the parade stepped off. Many cheers and loud applause greeted the fireman, who looked a bit bemused.

Kevin Sorbo rode in the parade. He comes to Dragon*Con almost every year, and I've never heard of his being less than gracious. A few years back, I looked ahead as I rode up the escalator and there, about ten feet in front of me, were Sorbo and Andromeda co-star Steve Bacic, just the two of them, no security, and nobody was bothering them.

Trish: I've yet to make it to the parade. I tend to always want to go to a panel or have my picture taken with someone more. This year at that time, I was having my photo taken with the lovely and very sweet Jewel Staite (Kaylee from Firefly/Serenity). I didn't do as many star photos this year, but I couldn't pass up ones with Jewel, Morena Baccarin (Inara from Firefly/Serenity and Anna on V), Sean Maher (Simon from Firefly/Serenity) -- yes, I'm a huge fan/Browncoat -- and Michael Shanks from Stargate SG-1.

It is fun and surreal to pass by stars in the hallways, on the escalators, and in the elevators. My roomie for the weekend, fellow author Tanya Michaels, and I were headed up some narrow back stairs to another level of the Hilton one of the days and met Sendhil Ramamurthy and Adrian Pasdar from Heroes going the other way. When we got to the next floor, I looked at Tanya and said, "Well, that doesn't happen every day."

Nancy: The art show. I love the art show. I always see many beautiful things I covet, especially paintings, but I have no room for any more, a result of many years of seeing beautiful pictures we coveted in a variety of settings. Still, I go and look. The work is so creative, not just paintings and drawings but sculptures, jewelry, chain mail, all kinds of things. I considered buying a small print we could surely squeeze in somewhere but ultimately resisted. I did get a Christmas gift, though.

Trish: I didn't make it to the art show this year. I started to one afternoon, but by the time I'd gotten through one of the dealer rooms, I had a splitting headache and went to my room instead. I did, however, stroll through the Walk of Fame where the stars meet fans and sign autographs. Tanya and I met James and Oliver Phelps, the Weasley twins from the Harry Potter movies, who were very nice, and talked with Mark Sheppard, who plays Crowley on Supernatural, about his character and the upcoming season. He's been in so many of our favorite shows (Firefly, Battlestar Galactica, Supernatural, etc.)

Nancy: The dealers' rooms. Talk about coveting--there are some beautiful things down there, weapons, costumes, jewelry, art work. I mostly resisted, though. I haven't worn the beautiful glass dragon necklace I got last year. I'd love to have a broadsword but not keep in the closet. There's that space thing again. It's narrow but long, takes up a lot of room on the wall. I did get an HMS Fearless, CL-56 shirt, commemorating the Royal Manticoran Navy light cruiser (Honor Harrington series, for those who care).

Trish: I told myself I was going to be good this year, and I suppose compared to last year I was. I added a couple of Firefly shirts to my collection, three Firefly-inspired necklaces, and one book Cold Magic by Kate Elliott).

Nancy: The programs. I went to one on "The Physics of Magic" that included Lair guest Laura Anne Gilman that had plenty of food for thought. I enjoyed "An Hour With Elizabeth Moon" on the Anne McCaffrey track. I love Moon's Vatta's War series--in which there will not be anything new for a while, alas--and enjoyed her Paksenarrion series, which she is now expanding.

I closed out my weekend at the "Shooting Science Fiction in Canada" panel with Alaina Huffman of Smallville (Black Canary) and Stargate Universe, Michael Shanks of Stargate SG-1 and Smallville (Hawkman), and Mark Sheppard of BSG, Supernatural (where he plays a "sexually ambivalent crossroads demon"), and lots of other sff series. They were laid back and funny. I'm always grateful to stars who stick around on Monday, when the thinning crowd means I can go to their panels without standing in a long line for 90 minutes.

Trish: There are so many great things to choose from. I've been to writer's track programs before, but this year I went to all TV-related things. The first panel Tanya and I went to was on V, and it ended up being the Morena Baccarin show since Laura Vandervoort and Joel Gretsch canceled their appearances, but she did a great job. We stood in line for more than 2 hours to get into the Firefly panel with Morena, Jewel, Sean and Summer Glau (River) on Saturday. The line literally wrapped around the entire block twice, so long that the Dragon*Con officials had to start counting back the line and when they got to the fire marshal limit for the ballroom, they had to tell everyone behind that they couldn't get in. Yes, this for a show that was canceled before it aired an entire season. Grrr, Fox! Sunday morning, we got great seats at the Warehouse 13 panel. I think it was less attended than the ones held on the previous days because everyone thought Eddie McClintock (Pete) was going to be gone already. Well, turns out he was having such a good time that he stuck around to do this panel with Saul Rubinek (Artie), Tia Carrere (Katie), and Mark Sheppard (Valda). It was a great panel! And I started following Eddie's hilarious tweets on Twitter.

Nancy: Pervading it all, of course, is the energy and enthusiasm of people who've come to celebrate things they love in the company of other people celebrating what THEY love. It was a great weekend.

Trish: Ditto what Nancy said. :)

Okay, now we're curious. If you were to go to Dragon*Con and dress up, who would you dress up as?Source URL: https://violeta-diario.blogspot.com/search/label/Nancy%20Northcott
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Casting Call, Round 2: Banditas!

by Jeanne Adams and Nancy Northcott


Taking a break from turning out new pages, Jeanne and Nancy descended on the Lair kitchen late one night. "Are we the only ones here?" Jeanne asked as she pulled a Diet Coke from the refrigerator.

"I think so, unless someone's down in the deadline cave. " Nancy dragged a stool up to the island. Popping the lid on the big cake server Sven had left by a stack of dessert plates, she asked, "Hey, can you grab me a Cherry Coke Zero?"

Jeanne grimaced. "As long as you don't expect me to taste it."

"More for me that way, and--ooh, look, cinnamon coffee cake." Nancy reached for the dessert plates. "Do you want some? I'm having some."

"With that drink--never mind. Yes, please. So what're you working on?" Jeanne swapped the soda can for coffee cake, and the two banditas nodded thanks to each other.

"I just finished a fight scene in the paranormal. What about you?"

"I'm working on proposals, a smorgasbord, really. Nice and murderous. But I've been at it all week, pretty steady. Have to say, I'm ready for a break from my characters. I need to let things percolate."

"Mmm. Me, too."

They munched in silence for a few minutes.

"You know," Jeanne said, "we could play with other people's characters for a while. We know the Bandit books pretty well."

"So do our buddies, I'd bet. What're you thinking--another casting call?"

Jeanne's eyes gleamed. "Exactly. Great minds, and so forth."

"Well, that's fun, so sure. You know the easiest one, of course."

"Anna Campbell. Claiming the Courtesan. Kylemore."

Grinning at each other, they simultaneously said, "Richard Armitage," then laughed.

"Okay, Armitage for Kylemore," Nancy said. "What about Verity?"

"Ohhh, it has to be someone who's all interesting angles, fab body and wicked smart. She'd have to be to play Verity, after all. What about Angelina Jolie, with those pouty lips and come hither ways?"

"I could see that. Or maybe Julia Roberts. Has to be somebody strong, like those two, or she won't be convincing in the last part of the story. We get to regress or advance people for this, make them the correct ages, right?"

"Absolutely." Jeanne nodded. "What about Donna? Should we go for Seduction of a Duke?"

"A nice, smokin' book, that one. For the heroine . . ." Nancy chewed thoughtfully, mulling it over. "I like Sandra Bullock, I think. Or maybe Sasha Alexander from NCIS." Nancy took a long pull of the drink Jeanne and other banditas called fake cherry stuff. "What about the hero, William, Duke of Bedford?

Munching, Jeanne looked into the distance. "Hmm. Brandon Routh? But he'd have to learn a British accent--maybe from Anna Sugden." She paused and raised her voice a bit. "That's British, not Irish." At Nancy's inquiring look, she added, "Had to say it, you know, in case the ever-delicious Russell Crowe is hanging out with the gladiators again tonight."

Nancy wiped crumbs off her fingers. "Very funny. I haven't seen Robin Hood, so I didn't notice the accent. Hard for anyone to compete with Errol Flynn in the role, I think. The guy buckled a mean swash. Last time Crowe was here, there was very nearly a riot. The Goddess Sangria had him reprising his gladiator role, and the guys got huffy."

Jeanne shook her head. "They said he had the costume wrong, not caring, of course, that he wasn't the one who came up with it. They liked Gerard Butler better, thanks to 300."

"Which is weird,considering that's Greece and Crowe's movie was Rome, but at least they're all making nice now. You know, Brandon would look amazing in period dress, and he has way more ability than he got to showcase in Superman Returns. But no, I'm not going off on that again."

"I promise we'll do a blog on superheros sometime soon. That should give us both plenty of airtime for our personal pet peeves - Superman for you and Daredevil for me!" Jeanne shook her head at the thought. "But enough about that. What about Christie Kelley's Every Time We Kiss? That one was a fabulous read. Her Jennette was so intense and Matthew, Earl of Blackburn, so guilt-ridden. Gotta love that. I'm thinking Jamie Bamber, of Battlestar Galactica fame, for Matthew, and perhaps, if I could grow her up a bit, Selina Gomez of Wizards of Waverly Place on Disney, for Jennette. Wonder what Christie would think?"

"We'll ask her when she comes out of the cave. Y'know, I'm liking that casting. Bamber can do tormented honor really well." Nancy paused for a moment. "Yep. That's good. She really tortured that pair."

Lars, the quietest of the cabana boys, strolled into the kitchen. "Everything all right, ladies? Need anything?"

The two banditas shook their heads, and Jeanne said, "We're good, thanks. Unless you know who should be cast as Christine's latest hero, Jardine from Sweetest Little Sin."

Lars frowned. "I don't pay attention to actors, but Jardine's wife, Louisa, is hot. And tough. How about Scarlett Johansson?"

Jeanne raised an eyebrow at Nancy. "I could go with that."

"Me, too. She was great as my favorite Marvel super-heroine, the Black Widow, in Iron Man 2, and Louisa does have to get physical in this book. Which I love, of course. And maybe Hugh Jackman, the perennial Lair favorite, for Jardine. Thanks, Lars."

"No problem. I'm off to give Ermingarde her midnight snack." He took a large beef joint from the walk-in freezer and sauntered out with it.

"At least he's not afraid of her," Nancy said. "Speaking of fear, have you seen Paolo lately?"

Grinning, Jeanne gestured toward the cabana boys' quarters. "He took the ARC of Money, Honey out of the library a while ago. It was all very furtive, I think he was hiding it under napkins on a tray." Making a face, Jeanne added, "I was hoping to get MY hands on it, you know? I'm dying to read it."

"Oh, geez. I had dibs after you. I know it'll have that funny Susan edge to it--and RT gave it 4 stars. Well, not having read it, I don't guess we can cast that one. Maybe Susan will pop in and do that. And Kirsten for Delcroix Academy. Kids with super-powers, gotta love it! That ARC's gone missing, too."

"It did? Rats! I was going for that next, in lieu of Money, Honey. I'm telling you, AC's Wild Irish Sea ARC better still be there. I know the book's out in 17 days, but still...Banditas first, right?"

Demetrius stalked into the kitchen wearing his gladiator rig, which meant he was on duty. "My sources tell me the cabana boys are reading in corners and hiding the books there. I'll roust them out if you like."

"Mayhem would ensue," Jeanne said, but pondered it anyway. "Attractive thought, but probably not worth the resulting fuss or clean up. Besides, it's always good to have new readers, and if the Cabana boys like them, and tell all our guests...yep. MORE readers." She grinned at Demetrius, as always enjoying the view and mentally thanking the Goddess Sangria for hauling all the gladiators to the Lair. "Thanks, though."

Fingering the hilt of his sword, Demetrius frowned. "I can handle cabana boy 'fuss.' I don't even need reinforcements."

"We know," Nancy assured him, exchanging amused glances with Jeanne. "Thanks. We just like it quiet for now."

"Well, then, if you change your minds . . ." Still frowning, Demetrius took a beer from the fridge and departed.

The two banditas grinned at each other. "Getting back to business," Jeanne said, "We don't even have an ARC for our "Just-Sold-Suz" yet. We've only been privileged to read that snippet from the book." Jeanne pantomimed fanning herself. "Talk about HAWT! Whew! Maybe she'll pop in, too and give us some good leading ladies for Lacy and leading men for...well...her men!"

"Let's hope. You know, National's coming up, and we have a RITA nominee in the Lair, Beth's A Not So Perfect Past. Which I absolutely loved. Both characters had such huge obstacles to overcome, both within themselves and with public perceptions. I think Taylor Kitsch, who played Gambit in the Wolverine movie--speaking of Jackman--would be great for Dillon. He can do scruffy and physical but chivalrous, too."

"And Drew Barrymore, maybe, for Nina, the heroine?" Jeanne said, considering. "She can do waifish but also tough, so she could morph the way the character does. She might have to stretch a bit as an actress even, to play Nina. That's a complex character, and a lot of ground to cover in a short time."

"While we're talking category books, what about Trish and Tawny?" Nancy set her fork aside, her plate, clean as a whistle.

"Wow, Tawny's men are going to be hard..." Raises an eyebrow at Nancy's immediate , snarky grin. "Ooops. Correction. Casting her CHARACTERS is going to be challenging, okay? Wow, your mind is SO in the gutter."

Nancy laughed. "Well, around here, that's just par for the course."

"True. I guess Tawny's Double Dare, one of my favorites, would be a good one to try. Her hunks are hothothot, though. Who's just too hot to handle?" Jeanne took the dessert plates to the sink.

"Thanks for taking the plates. Well, she'd like Johnny Depp, I think."

Grinning as she slid back onto her stool, Jeanne said, "Ya think? He's great anti-hero material, but he's just not...alpha-ish."

"Ha! Not like she pulled her Tawny-Depp nickname out of the ether. I can so see him as Jesse, but good point on the alpha thing. She might accept Nathan Fillion. He does bad boys so well."

"So true, on the nickname. I kinda could see Depp as Jesse," Jeanne closed her eyes, getting a visual. "Nathan would be better though. Yes, that would be good. And for his Audra, how about Cote de Pablo from NCIS? She's really awesome."

"I like her. She can do tough as well as vulnerable. Or Teri Hatcher from her Lois and Clark days, not the Desperate Housewives version. It's all about timing - and age. Speaking of ageless and timeless, you know AC just got back from another fabulous trip. She has such great locations - both in time and through the ages - in her books. And all that conflict."

"Umm, "Jeanne hesitated, sighing. "In the interest of full disclosure, I have to say I'm a weeeee bit jealous of all that wonderful travel. I love the way she described Venice in The Treasures of Venice." Looking into the distance, she added, "I'd cast David Conrad, from Ghost Whisperer, as Kiernan, the hero in that one. He's got that smoldery thing going."

"Plus he's really cute." Grinning, Nancy asked, "What about the Sam, the heroine?"

"Oooh, well...hmmm...tougher. Why are the heroines tougher?" Jeanne frowned into her Diet Coke.

Nancy squinted. "Because we don't fall in love with them but we do with the guys? I dunno."

"Well we don't LUST after the heroines, I guess. For Sam, I think I like Judy Greer. She's the sidekick in 27 Dresses and The Wedding Planner. I think she'd be a great leading lady and has the kind of strength of character Aunty Cindy writes into her heroines."

"I like it. Obviously, you see more movies than I do." Nancy shook her soda can and, judging it empty, tossed it into recycling. "For Trish, I'm partial to A Firefighter in the Family. The heroine needs to be somebody you could believe has the physical strength to be a firefighter. What about Anna Paquin? She was great in the X-Men movies and does a lot of physical stuff in True Blood."

"Oooh, good one. For Zac, what about Chris Pine? He can do physical as well as vulnerable. Or Ryan Reynolds?"

"I think Michael Trucco from Battlestar Galactica and Castle would be really good."

"Mmmmmm," Jeanne demurred. "Chris Pine, I think, for Zac. It's the eyes, you know." Jeanne two-pointed her can into the bin as well. "Want another fake cherry thingie?" At Nancy's nod, she got two more soft drinks from the fridge. "You know, I like Anna and Chris. That would be really a good match for them. I want Michael Trucco, for Dark and Deadly. I think he'd be a great Paul, don't you?"

"I do, I do. Excellent! He has great screen presence. Though Trish might overrule us on Chris Pine in favor of Jensen Ackles from Supernatural. What about Paul's Torie? Who did you have in mind for her?"

"AJ Cook," Jeanne answered immediately. "I've been thinking about this since we did our other blog. She plays JJ Prentiss on Criminal Minds. Tough, but vulnerable, she could capture that inner core of sadness Torie carries."

"Oh, I can see that! Well done. You really used those characters' past to yank them in knots in the present. You know, there's another important one we've not gotten to."

Jeanne slugged back more Diet Coke, now that the pressure to cast her OWN book was off. "Who'd we miss, and how could we possibly miss anything?"

Nancy laughed, but tapped the new soda can in a staccatto beat. "One of our own superstars, you know. Let's not forget our NYT Bestseller, Kate Carlisle."

"Oh course! Bookbinder Brooklyn and the ever so yummy Derek."

"Great books, aren't they?" Nancy thought for a bit. "You know, I could see Catherine Heigl as Brooklyn. Or maybe Piper Perabo, who's starring in that new series on USA, Covert Operations. You know I love spies."

"I like that actress. She's got a great face. And you rock writing them. The spies, that is."

"Why thank you! I do so enjoy creating boom. What about Derek, though?"

"Let's see...Derek...British, able to do secret agent stunts. You know we like Clive Owen around here. What about Clive for Derek? All that intensity and brooding." Jeanne made a eyebrow-lowered face, immitating brooding.

"Funny. However, I can so see Clive as Derek. He does humor, too, which Derek also needs. You know, we have yet to use one of my favorites in here, Michael Biehn. He might be a more menacing bad boy for Tawny than Fillion. I'd like to use him even if he won't be at DragonCon this year, which is only 75 days away, you know."

"Not that you're counting or anything." Both women grinned again. "Seriously, I have to get down there one of these years."

"Down where?" Zack, the head hockey hunk, wandered into the kitchen. Noting his wet hair, the H3 t-shirt sticking to his broad shoulders, and the running shorts he wore, the two banditas exchanged a look.

"I'd say something really, really risque here, but I'm not sure I could do it with a straight face," Jeanne said, snorking a bit at the thought of saying down THERE to a hunky man, fresh in from an obviously strenuous jog. "We were actually talking about DragonCon in Atlanta."

Zack looked a bit alarmed as he opened a bottle of water. "You're not thinking of taking Ermingarde to Atlanta are you? I mean, didn't it already burn once?"

Both women laughed. "Yes, it did," Nancy said, "Burn that is. And no, Ermingarde would hate the crowds and costumes. Besides, talk about lawsuits. With her eyesight she'd be firing up everytime a Klingon walked by."

Now Zack looked really alarmed. "We can't have that."

"Relax, it's actually a convention, and we'll be sure to leave the dragon in the Lair. Anyway, I've been saying I wanted to go to DragonCon for years, and both Nancy and Trish go every year." Jeanne shrugged. "Now I'm on a campaign to actually DO it, and go next year."

With a gleam of mischief, Nancy asked, "So, Zack, if you were casting one of Tawny's books, would you put Nathan Fillion in the lead, or Jamie Bamber?"

Zack chugged the water and pitched the bottle, rattling it into the recycling bin. "That one with the cowboy, I'd put Edward Burns in that role--though he'd need dark hair, not light like he sometimes has."

"You read Going Down Hard?" Nancy asked, watching the blush color Zack's face.

"Yeah, that one."

"Good choice," Jeanne jumped in, trying to keep a straight face and failing. With a mumbled "Gotta shower" Zack hurried out of the kitchen. "I'm telling you, it never fails to amaze me that they all read our books. Gladiators and hockey hunks included. Pretty cool."

"It is pretty cool, isn't is?" Nancy's gaze followed Zack's retreating form. Her crooked smile was for the embarrassment, rather than the view, although that was nice too. Returning to the matter at hand, she added, "The Bandita Buddies read them all, too. It was such a blast to talk about all the JD Robb books the other week, and some hadn't even read them but joined in the fun. Knowing our crew, and how much of the Bandit books they DO read, this should be even more fun!"

"Let's let them all have a go, then, shall we?"

What do you say, Banditas and Buddies? Who gets to play whom if we were casting Bandita books as movies?

Who would you cast in some of the other Bandita Books, other than the ones we named?

If you had one favorite male actor to cast as a romantic lead, and one favorite female actor to cast as a romantic lead, whom would you pick?


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Casting Calll!!!

*It's several mornings after the long night of reading in the Lair. Bandita Nancy and Bandita Jeanne have convened in the Lair's cavernous, but immaculate kitchen, seeking coffee and a snack. As usual, the conversation starts with books.....*

Jeanne, contemplating Kathy Reichs' latest Temperance Brennan book: Why is it that it's so hard to cast people for books-to-movies or books-to-TV who actually resemble the characters? I mean, seriously. I look at who gets cast for stuff sometimes and just wince. Temperance Brennan on TV isn't at ALL like she's described in the book. And we won't even mention the comic-book heroes....

(Nancy rolls her eyes, having heard Jeanne's complaint that Karl Urban should have been chosen for Thor, rather than Chris Hemsworth.)

Nancy, stirring cream into her coffee and contemplating the tray of pastries Sven left out for the Banditas: Well, they got Iron Man right. Not too many people could play Iron Man any better than Robert Downey Jr. And Christopher Reeve was Superman to the life. Brandon Routh was fine but could've been better if he'd had a good script. And then there's Hugh Jackman as Wolverine.

Jeanne: *grudging concession* That's true. Bad choices aside, there are some books and comic books that are incredibly difficult to cast. Take the In Death series.

*Jeanne points to the copy in Nancy's "To Be Shelved - Keeper" cubby, over by the door.*

I noticed you caught up with all the J.D. Robb books, when you finished Fantasy in Death.

Nancy: Of all the Eve Dallas books, this is the one most perfect for me. It's got gaming, for cryin' out loud. And a convention. And Star Wars references. Right up my street, as Anna Sugden would say.

Jeanne: Now THERE's a series that would be fun to cast. I hear our own Romance Champion, Nora, thinks that would be one of the hardest casting jobs of all time. I think I'd agree with her on that. What do you think, Nancy?

(Long, thoughtful, coffee-drinking pause)

Nancy: Bet we could come up with something.

Jeanne: *Grins* Ah, the gauntlet is cast. Let's do it. Starting at the top....Who would play Eve?

Nancy: Ohhhh, no, let's start with the minor characters first. That's easier!

Jeanne: Good plan. Okay, Summerset, the butler, factotem, and what the historical authors might have called the Reeve, for the most gorgeous Irish-American hero ever (barring Aunty Cindy's boys), Roarke. Who gets to play Summerset and sneer at Eve?

Nancy: Ralph Richardson would be perfect for Summerset, but alas, he's dead.

Jeanne: Let's do cast LIVE people, yes. *Grins* What about Michael Caine for Summerset. No one can do disdainful like Michael Caine. He was fabulous at it in Miss Congeniality.

Nancy: Either Michael Caine or perhaps David McCallum (NCIS Coroner) would be good for that. But I think Caine has the edge. You know, I think Dennis Haysbert from The Unit would be perfect for Tibble. And possibly my pal Teal'C of Stargate (Christopher Judge) would be perfect for Mavis's beau, Leonardo.

Jeanne: Oh, he would!! What about Samuel L. Jackson for Whitney? He'd be great as Whitney. And perhaps Michael Clarke Duncan for Crack, from the Down and Dirty Club.

Nancy: Samuel L. Jackson is perfect as pretty much anything. I can see Michael Clarke Duncan for Crack.

Jeanne: What about Mavis?

Nancy: Katherine Heigel or Amy Adams might do for Mavis, or maybe Helena Bonham Carter, she's got that curly hair and sort of flighty sensibility that Mavis has.

Jeanne: Excellent. I think James Marsden (27 Dresses) would be great for Baxter, and maybe Eddie Cibrian from CSI Miami for Webster.

Nancy: You know James Marsden was fabulous as my favorite guy X-Man, Cyclops, just as an aside, and he can sing, too. I can see Cibrian as Webster. I think Ewan McGregor has to play McNabb. Or maybe Michael Cera from Juno.

Jeanne: Good ones!! I've got the perfect actor for Troy Trueheart. He's on Disney Channel's Aaron Stone, and his name is Kelly Blatz. He's just that "perfect" all-American boy-type. Or maybe Casper Van Dein, from Starship Troopers. He's got that "Lettered-in-every-sport" kind of Troy-Trueheart look too.

Nancy: Good choices there, either one. On the female side, I think Sasha Alexander (NCIS) or maybe Emily Proctor (CSI - Miami), who's a North Carolina native, just to confess my bias, for Assistant ADA Cher Rio. That would be good.

Jeanne: It would! And I'm partial to those NC actors too, as you know! Now for the harder ones...Delia Peabody. She's going to be a toughie.

Nancy: *hmmmm* Zoey Deschanel? Pauley Perrette (NCIS)?

Jeanne, munching a pastry to buy thinking time: Perrette's got the chuzpah for it. May be Leighton Meester from Gossip Girl. Body-type wise, she's more the Peabody type.

Nancy: Hmmm, yes, but it's all about the attitude. That's what makes it hard to consider casting Eve. She's not classically beautiful, she's interesting. She's tall. She's whipcord rather than brawn, and she's no lightweight in terms of her abilities. Not just any frou-frou actress can pull that off.

Jeanne: Okay brainstorming for Eve....Jessica Alba has the chops (too pretty?)

Nancy: Lena Headey from the Terminator TV series (too short?) Maybe Mary MacCormack from West Wing and In Plain Sight. She's got an interesting face and is a take-no-prisoners kind of actress no matter what she's wearing. Heeeeeey, Stana Katic from Castle would be excellent!

Jeanne: Ooh, good one. I'm considering Daniela Ruah, from NCIS - LA. She's got that same attitude as Mary, with a little more interest in the face. Grins.

Nancy: I haven't seen that show yet. I'm still not satisfied with the choices here, and we forgot one of the most important people! Charlotte Mira! Oh, and Head Lab Tech, Dickie "Dickhead" Berenski, and of all things, YOU forgot the lead Coroner, Morris! Maybe the Bandita Buddies who've read the series can help.

Jeanne: Capital idea! (Can't believe I forgot Mira AND Morris...gotta think on that!) I think we're going to need help for Roarke too. He's got so many well-described attributes that you have to be verrrrry picky. I thought about Dermot Mulrooney (The Wedding Date), or Eddie Cahill (CSI-NY) But neither have that certain Je nais ce quoi that Roarke needs.

Nancy: So true! I did the same thing. Roarke is an action hero, but he has lots and lots of layers, darkness and light. Doing him justice requires real acting chops. Eve, too, for that matter.

Returning to Roarke, though, Milo Ventimiglia's too short, but otherwise has the right looks. Brandon Routh doesn't have blue eyes. Clive Owen is too greyhound lean, and Hugh Grant's too associated with Romantic Comedy. Matt Bomer from the new series White Collar is good, looks-wise, but he's too short and too young.

Jeanne: Yep, gotta have some acting chops to do Roarke. Christian Bale? David Conrad from Ghost Whisperer? Pierce Brosnan from 25 years ago would be good, but we can't regress him in time. Too bad about that. Charles Durning's a bit too old now, but he would have made a great Feeney.

Nancy: You're digressing again! Focus! Neeson's also too old for Roarke, and Colin Farrell's too short and too...something. Karl Urban and Hugh Jackman could do it, but they're so famous. Deservedly because they're so good, but it's sometimes hard to overlook who they are when they're onscreen. Though I have to say Urban did a great job of disappearing into Dr. McCoy in Star Trek. And Jackman was great in a role very different for him in Australia. Did I tell you how many times I watched Australia on HBO?

Jeanne (snorking): Yes! Yes you did. *grins* (About as many times as I've watched Star Trek, I'll bet.) Getting back to the point, as much as I perv over Karl Urban, you're right there. One of my other favorites, Adrian Paul is too short, too old, and doesn't have blue eyes. He's got the smoldering, smirky capacity, but not the other stuff. I'm going to digress again and say that Jon Voight would make an absolutely perfect Senator DeBlass from the first book, with Kevin Bacon as his smarmy aide-de-camp.

Nancy: Darn it, we need to get the main characters, not go haring off into side trips. Remember, we still don't have Morris or Mira! On balance, among our current choices, I'd go with Jackman for Roarke and Katic for Eve. She's just a shade on the young side, but I think she'd be good.

Jeanne: Okay, okay! *Grins* Not that we're taking this seriously or anything. I guess I'd go Christian Bale for Roarke and Daniella Ruah for Eve.

Nancy: Way too early in the morning for serious. I can see Bale, though, and I'll take your word that Ruah'd be good. But I think it's time to get some help from people who watch either more TV and Movies that you and I do, or who watch different shows than you and I do. There's a lot of BOOM movies and Crime shows represented in our lists. Maybe something else?

Jeanne: You know Anna Campbell's going to suggest Richard Armitage, don't you?

Nancy: Yep. She's like you are with Karl Urban.

Jeanne: Heehee. Well, we all have our favorites....

So what about it, Banditas and Bandit Buddies? Who would you cast as Eve, Roarke, and Co. from J.D. Robb's famous In Death series?

Do you have a favorite series or book (not bandita books this time, please, 'cause we're doing those on June 19) for which you'd like to cast the characters?

Let's talk CASTING, People!!
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Undiscovered Gems of The Lair

Whew! Another long day in the writing cave, thought Jeanne, Duchess de Snorkville as she closed out the latest Deadly file. Rolling her shoulders, she grabbed her bottle of Diet Coke and headed for the door.

Click, click, click…*&^$$$%^

What was that noise? It was pretty late. Even the Aussies should be in bed..or in their pool or off on an exotic Japanese vacation.


“Stop it! I don’t want you two making out right now! We have conflict to resolve!” a frustrated voice growled.

Curious, the Duchesse followed the sounds of plotting out the corridor, turned right and headed down the auxiliary tunnel. Funny, she thought, this was the secret passage to the cabana boys locker room but the noises coming from behind the golden door at the end were not the usual…um, noise one heard.

Ever the RS author, she grasped her Coke bottle by the neck. Hey, it wasn’t C4 but it could do some damage…and with less calories. Slowly she opened the door and stared.

Eight Banditas sat hunched over keyboards. The clacking was deafening, the only light in the room shone from their computer screens. “Hey guys,” she said, strolling in “What’s up?”

Eight Bandita heads shot up. “You scared us, Duchesse,” said Caren, “And that’s not easy to do with with KJ and Cassondra and their arsenal.”

“Sorry,” she answered, abashed. “But it’s late. What are you doing up?

“We’re creating brilliant novels,” replied Suz, stroking the bunny in her lap.

“Yeah,” piped up Joanie T, signaling to Demetrius to bring her another glass of sangria, “We’re AYU-As Yet Unpublished-but we’re working our butts off to get there.”

Jeanne, frowned, pulls up a chair and sat down. “Yeah, I don’t get that. Ya’ll are great writers. We should be seeing your book covers on the sidebar.”

“Perseverance,” said Anna S. tossing Nancy a hockey puck. “Keep at it till the right editor and agent recognize what they…and the publishing world... have been missing. We are the next best thing!”

“It’s hard to hang in there,” admitted Jo aka JoMama, grabbing a dark chocolate kiss from a jar marked ‘Perseverance’ “but there’s an old saying “Don’t give up. Don’t ever give up.”

Nancy tossed the puck to the dragon who chased it like a dog. “Adding boom helps a lot,”

“It does,” agreed Cassondra, molding a lump of C4 into a tiny cabana boy, “And staying in the chair on track does too.”

“Research,” added KJ, “Lots of trips and top notch conferences fuel our determination."

Jeanne nodded. “We’ve all been there, done that. What's the first story you ever wrote?"

Caren: My first story was about a Highlander-obsessed sword-wielding Wal-Mart worker who lived on her parents' screened-in porch. It had less than no chance in New York, but it was hilarious.

Suz: Mine was REFUGE. My writing wasn't bad, but over the years I've improved my craft, so a few years back I went back to this story, because I loved it so much, rewrote it and am now featuring it on my blog as a serial book...one chapter a week! (Talk about torturing your readers!!)

Anna: My first romance was ‘Paws for Love’, about an ex-business woman who runs a cattery and who has to go back to work in business to save it. The hero is a customer and the owner of the business she joins. Very Special Edition , complete with nasty ex-girlfriend, an even nastier ex-husband, a pair of cute old ladies and some fun cats.

Nancy: If we're moving beyond the crayon stage, the first
story I remember writing was science fiction about a girl who saved a Mars colony from alien attack by building a giant space mirror. Highly improbable, dreadfully flawed science, and a definite wish fulfillment heroine, but I enjoyed writing it. My first complete book-length fantasy was about mages saving a kingdom threatened by dark magic.

Jo: When I was fourteen I wrote a story about a high school reunion. Of course, the heroine had turned from ugly duckling to beautiful swan and the hero was immediately attracted to her, wondering how he’d missed her clever wit and graceful beauty ten years ago!

KJ I’ve always loved books that can make me laugh, so I tried my hand at a romantic comedy about a flagging furniture company headed by an feisty wheelchair-bound octogenarian. A romance bloomed between his designer granddaughter and a Greek marketing guru they hired to rescue the bottom line. Needless to say, that novel will never see daylight—too many references to Cleopatra couches and tiger-striped lamps. Also, Grandpa completely stole the show! But the experience of writing was so much fun that I was hooked.

Joan: Does a parody of “The Little Matchstick Girl” called “The Little Flashlight Girl count”? No? Ok, well my first focused manuscript was my 2006 GH entry Roman historical, “The Patrician’s Desire.” It was my learning manuscript and it took a while to get it molded into shape. I had to…the hero Jared wouldn’t LET me put him under the bed :-)

Cassondra: The first story? Oh, man…I dunno if I can remember back that far. I remember one in the sixth grade. It was based on one of the color plates in my Literature textbook. A couple of guys from pre-Revolutionary War days. They were in a canoe and it looked like they were running trap lines (for fur trade) and I wrote a story about them. After that, there were too many to count. Focused, book-length fiction? It was the story which, after a whole bunch of incarnations, became the manuscript that finaled in the Golden Heart.

Jeanne picked up the mimosa that had suddenly appeared in front of her. Man, those cabana boys could be sneaky. “Wow, those all sound great! Hmm…since it’s late and I have a mimosa and you’re all taking a break, let me give you another question. Let’s talk about the really yummy stuff. Who is your favorite hero, in film and why?

Caren: My favorite film hero is Brendan Fraser's Rick O'Connell in the Mummy movies. He's smart, funny, handsome and swashbuckling PLUS he loves a strong woman. How could I resist?

Suz: My favorite hero in films would be Clive Owen as King Arthur. Oh mama. Makes you want to go all medieval, doesn't he? Strong, handsome, honorable...and boy can he wield a mean sword!

Anna: Oooh tricky question – my instinctive answer is Cary Grant in pretty much any movie. But, I think it should be Kurt Russell as Wyatt Earp in ‘Tombstone’. A great flawed hero, who tries to do the right thing, even when the odds are against him. I love all the different facets we see of him – brother, family man, husband, gun-slinger, marshall, boy in love. .

Nancy That's a toughie. Clive Owen as King Arthur, Viggo
Mortensen as Aragorn, Christopher Reeve as Superman, Errol Flynn as Robin Hood. I can't really pick. For me, a hero has to buckle a mean swash, as it were, and all of them do. The one exception to the swashbuckling mode would be Gregory Peck as Atticus Finch. Fits all other criteria and was a fabulous dad. And a crack shot when the need arose.

Jo: Way too many to list, but among the top ones are George Clooney (a classy and classic media presence), Gerard Butler (when he’s fit and trim not carrying fifteen extra pounds), and Shia Labeouf (okay I just want to pinch his cheeks and feed him cookies).

KJ: Harrison Ford as Richard Kimball in THE FUGITIVE. The hero had to conquer unbelievable odds (who’d believe that a one-armed man killed his wife???) and he used his ingenuity and intelligence to solve the mystery of the killer. Brilliant writing and plotting coupled with stellar acting from Harrison.

Joan: There are a LOT of heroes from big screen (and little screen) who are favs but when you think about the genre I write in it would have to be Daniel Day Lewis in LOTM. He had everything and the buckskins too, to make a woman fall at his feet….or jump over his shoulder to be carried away from danger…or to his lair :-)

Cassondra: It depends on the day. Today it’s probably Viggo as Aragorn. I like Bill Pullman in “While You Were Sleeping” too. He’s kind of earthy in that movie. Most heroes I fall for are that way. Tomorrow I’ll like somebody else though. I’m like Joanie in that Daniel Day Lewis in LOTM always comes out in the top two. Always. On any day. I don’t much like him in any other films, but he rocked that role.

“Wow, those are all great picks,” Jeanne sighed as Sven came out of the shadows and started massaging her shoulders. “Thank you Sven, that right shoulder...ahhhh, yes. Oh, sorry. Okay, new question, same vein. If you had to cast a current or past star as the hero of your WIP, who would you pick and why?”

Caren: The hero of my WIP (which is more a Mess In Progress now) would be perfectly portrayed by Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. Oh, yes, I DID go there!

Suz: The hero for my current MIP is Shemar Moore. In fact the moment I thought of this hero, I knew Shemar was my inspiration. Love him on Criminal Minds and he can so bring Gabe Danville to life.

Anna: I’m battling with that at the moment. Normally, I have the hunk all picked out. This time, it’s more difficult. My heroine has been likened to Detective Beckett in ‘Castle’. I think I see my hero as kind of Eastern European in looks – like Viggo or Travis Fimmel from The Beast or one of my fave footie players – Nemanja Vidic.

Nancy Also a tough question for me, as I don't ordinarily do this. The hero of my WIP exists in my head, and I don't generally put anyone else's face onto him or onto the heroine. That actually interferes with my vision of the character since the face tends to bring with it the tendencies of the last character I saw that actor portray. However, for purposes of this one blog, I'd pick Christopher Reeve, who's closest in appearance, though not a twin by any means, to the hero I'm working on now.

Jo: Actually, I had my middle son in mind when I wrote Tucker Gage, the haunted Marshal in my historical suspense-thriller WEAK FLESH. Take a look at Tyler with his son Barett and you’ll see why!

KJ Clive Owen. He’s action-oriented, rugged, yet sensitive—and that accent! Do men like him really exist???

Joan: Well, my current WIP is a paranormal and Matt Bomer fits the bill nicely for my image of Ruarc. Mischievous, sensual and ……sigh...magical.

Cassondra: Hmmm. I’m writing in a new-to-me genre right now, and I guess Viggo would fit best, but he really doesn’t look completely like the hero. Nobody does. I don’t know who would look like the hero…he’s sort of a combination of Viggo’s scruffiness mixed with a young Harrison Ford mixed with Brendan Fraser mixed with a 30-year-old Jon Bon Jovi. But way more heroic than any of them. (grin) But I DID find a guy who looks like the hero of the second book in my romantic suspense series. Saulo Melo with about three days worth of beard and longer hair. Slurp.

Jeanne, blinked her eyes, back from the happy place she’d gone to thinking about heroes “Yes, I can see alllll of that. Hmmm. Okay, next question. I think I know the answer, but ya’ll always surprise me. What genre do you say you write, and if there's more than one, what are the others? What genre would you never want to write?”

Caren: Um...I write humorous contemporary romance and some women's fiction. I would love to write mysteries, but I don't think I'm clever enough. I could never, ever write my all-time favorites - Regency- and Victorian-set historical romance. Too much historical detail required!

Suz: I write several genres, American Historical, Western Historical Eroticas (The Surrender of Lacy Morgan has won two erotica contests), Contemporary, Romantic Suspense (both KIDNAPPED and HUNTED finaled in the Golden Heart). Lately I've been playing with a series about nurses and another book for a Contemporary Christmas Fantasy. I don't write Paranormals or YA books. Only because I don't think I could world build for fantasy that well.

Anna: I write contemporary category romance – Special Edition/Supers – like my two GH finalists ‘Love by Bequest’ and ‘Mortgaged Hearts’. I have written a contemporary single title – ‘Gay by Day’ – which did really well in contest, but sadly was a casualty of a changing marketplace and the demise of Queer Eye. I’d planned the second book, ‘Going Straight’ too, which would have been a lot of fun and involved one of my fave progs, Trick my Truck. I also write category romantic suspense/Intrigue and am keeping my fingers crossed for In Safe Hands, which is under editor review. My latest, Past, Imperfect, is more likely to be single title romantic suspense with a time travel element. I would never want to write Inspirationals or erotica, and I’d be uncomfortable with a dark paranormal. I’m unlikely to write anything Scottish or Irish I wish I could write romantic comedies – but I’m not funny!

Nancy: I write romantic suspense, historical and paranormal
romance, and genre fantasy. They're all heavy on boom of some kind or other, and I like action. If we're talking romance alone, I don't have the right mindset for inspirational. I wouldn't want to write literary fiction because it seems to me more focused on beautiful words and sentences and artistic structure than on plot and story and because the endings are so very often dismal. And I'd never want to write horror.
Again, not the right mindset! The current WIP skates the paranormal romance/urban fantasy line.

Jo: I write historical, romantic and mainstream suspense, I’m thinking of dabbling in young adult, and I’d never, EVER want to write sci-fi.

KJ: I write international thrillers. My father worked in telecommunications and I moved a lot while growing up and every country was a different adventure. The travel bug bit and I still love exploring new parts of the world. The combination of intrigue and exotic locales fires me up!

Joan: Historicals are my first love and yes, I bucked convention and dared to set them in Rome. I think there is a great amount of interest among readers for a variety of historical settings. My newest venture, and one that I’m very excited about is a paranormal series with yes, you guessed it, an Irish flavor. I don’t see me writing RS…boom scares me as do maniacal villains…and inspirational.


Cassondra: Until recently I’ve always written romantic suspense, which for me, actually tends more toward the thriller in some manuscripts. But last fall I plotted one historical that I’ve had percolating on the back burner for a long time. I’m now writing a futuristic series. I could absolutely not write romantic comedy because I’m just not funny in that way. Nor could I write inspirational because I can’t keep my characters from doing the nightly naked two-step before the end of the manuscript. I’ve tried. They just won’t cooperate.

An evil grin creased Jeanne’s face.” Of all the research you've done for your writing, which research is most likely to get you in trouble with the FBI? (Or your mother?)”

Caren: I go down a lot of rabbit trails when researching. I was doing a lot of research on the war in Afghanistan and skirmishes the US Marines have had with terrorist combatants. I'm sure I'm on a bunch of watch lists now!

Suz: In my second Romantic Suspense book, HUNTED, I had a scene where the heroine has to know how to field strip a Glock, recognize a shotgun behind a door ambush for the hero and be capable of assembling bombs. Between the online research and my conversation with a local police officer, I'm pretty sure the local and federal law enforcement groups are watching me closely!

Anna: LOL – they’re probably watching me right now! I’m researching murder, poisons, forensics and security devices. I’ve previously researched hockey (up close and personal - oh yeah!), domestic violence and abuse, identity theft and fake identities. I had a lot of fun researching the New York Marble Cemeteries, which will feature in Past, Imperfect, using Google Earth.

Nancy The research most likely to get me into
trouble with the government would probably be the blogs I read on terrorism and the Google searches on various types of weaponry and explosives, but I try not to visit websites where the actual bad guys gather. My mom's dead, so I don't need to worry about her opinion, but I don't think she'd like the weaponry and terrorism research either. When I earned my yellow belt in karate, her response was, "Well, you be careful." So she might worry about these interests.

Jo: Oh, nothing I wrote would get me in trouble with my mother. She was as game for something quirky as anyone. The FBI, hmmm, I really want to stay clear of three-letter acronymic government organizations – IRS, FBI, CIA, DHS – those fellows can really make your life miserable, so I fly very low under the radar in my research.

KJ I wouldn’t be surprised if I have been red flagged for my intensive research on sniper rifles, the French Foreign Legion, and anything that goes boom—in another life, I would have loved to have been a spy!

Joan: Well, I have no idea what the FBI would think about it but my mother would be horrified to know I’ve, er….(sorry Mom) researched …um, stuff in the Kama Sutra. Hey! Just trying to get a er, grasp on things :-)

Cassondra: Hmmm. This is a tough one. All the government agencies have already looked up my fanny with a microscope a few times and I think they’ve determined that I’m not a threat. Except the IRS. I do not want their attention, so I behave myself and do regular sacrificial ceremonies in worship of my accountant.

I will say that I’ve recently begun trying to find out how to poison somebody and how much of a given drug it would take to commit suicide or kill someone, and I’m having trouble because I can’t get any pharmacists to cooperate with that, and I really do need to know this stuff. Honestly now. Look at me. Do I look the least bit untrustworthy?
I’ve interviewed everybody from the head of the regional drug task force to the doc in charge of a drug rehab to the FBI’s expert on gangs and occult practices. I sleep with my own resource for weapons, explosives, and black ops, so anybody who makes a list already knows me well. If I ever disappear, y’all send help. And three or four good lawyers.

“Banditas,” Jeanne said, draining her third mimosa, “It’s got to happen soon! You’ve got great stories, industry smarts and the drive to get it done. Not to mention the considerable support of the rest of the Bandits and the BB’s!”

“Thanks, Duchesse!” Joanie said, Googling Irish male models. “Now, we gotta get back to work.”

“Right,” replied Jeanne, weaving out of the room.

A loud boom sounded as she closed the door. “Shite, will ye get that blathering mess out of here!” Shouted an Irish accented voice. Another yelled “Rabbit! Somebody catch that rabbit!”

Jeanne smiled. Man, she couldn’t wait for these books to come out!

What about you? What questions would you like to ask the AYU Banditas? About their work, their stories?


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