I want my book to be a movie one day. What author doesn’t? Of course, I want it done right, like Harry Potter, not horrifically awfully wrong, like Ella Enchanted. It’s not that Ella Enchanted the movie was bad, it’s just that it was nothing like the book. I don’t say that as a disgruntled reader complaining because some details were left out. The entire plot was changed! There was no evil Uncle, no snake, no war. The physics of her curse… yeah, I digress.

Anyway, if my book were made into a movie, I would cast Skyler Samuels as Persephone. She was Chloe in the Nine Lives of Chloe King. She’s exactly how I picture Persephone. She’s cute, and fluffy, but can also kick ass. She’s a great actress, and definitely has the range to play Persephone as her character develops.

Hades was much tougher to cast. In fact, I still don’t know. He’s in a weird age bracket. He’s too old to let any of the teenage boy actors play him, but he can’t be too old. Whoever plays him needs to be able to make out with a sixteen year old actress without the audience feeling uncomfortable.

If that wasn’t a factor, I’d like David Guintoli to play him. He’s the perfect Hades. There was a scene in the season finale of Grimm where he had this look on his face that was so Hades that I had to pause it, take a screen shot, then try to put it into words for this scene in my second book.

Grace Phillips (also from the nine lives of Chloe King) would make a good Cassandra. Demeter is tougher to cast. I haven’t seen Lee Lee Sobiesky in anything recently, but she’s the right age and is a great actress.

Of course, IF my book is ever made into a movie, I’d likely have no influence over casting, but it’s fun to think about.

Congrats Marlena!

This blog was origonally posted on Mera’s blog, YA novel reader here:

Five Questions:
1. Why did you choose to write a book in the Young Adult genre?

I love young adult books. About ninety percent of what I read is YA. I feel like the books require more plot and better character arcs than adult books, because adult books can fall back on sex and drama to up the tension. So when it came to writing my own stories, I knew YA was the way to go. You write what you read. It’s just what’s in my head.

2. Who is your favourite character you have written and why?

That changes just about daily. I love Cassandra and Melissa, because they both have such unique points of view in my story, and it can be a relief to see another perspective. Of course I love Persephone, but right now my favorite character is Hades. As it stands right now, book three is a joint pov between him and Persephone, and after two books of Persephone figuring out her limitations and experimenting with having powers, it’s kind of nice to write as someone who can just blast people away and knows it.

3. Describe a typical writing day for you?

I tend to think over my scenes during the day. Mostly when I’m driving, and then sit down and write it out at night. I write on my ipad because it’s the most portable thing I can actually efficiently write with. Throughout the day if I have a minute I’ll take it out of my purse and read over what I have, making improvements here and there. What really keeps me on the ball is my writers group. I have a weekly submission deadline if I want them to critique what I’ve got.

4. What are you reading at the moment?

Agamemnon by Aeschylus and Shakespeare’s Coriolanus. I’m studying for the GRE English Literature subject test, so I haven’t read anything fun and relaxing in a WHILE.

5. If you turned your ipod on now, what would be the song that is currently playing?

The best poems of all time volume 1 and 2 or Shakespeare’s sonnets. Again, for the GRE. Studying for that has pretty much consumed my reading a listening life. But after October 10th I’ll be able to listen to music again! Right now my favorite singer is Lorena McKennet because I can listen to an actual song and still be studying. Her rendition of The Highwayman is incredible.