VBT: Guest Blogger Meredith Schorr

Casting of A State of Jane

As I write a book, unlike many authors, I do not picture actors as my characters. I picture real people. That’s not to suggest that actors aren’t “real” people, although I’m not entirely certain of that either. I digress. When I refer to “real” people, I mean people I actually know; sometimes they are friends, other times acquaintances and sometimes people I’ve just seen around. Although my characters are completely fictitious, since I try to write stories about regular folks and not movie stars, it helps me to picture regular folks while writing to keep it real. (I’m pretty sure I’m going to get phone calls from some friends wondering if I pictured them in any of the roles.)

For shits and giggles, however, let’s pretend that a big shot screen writer wanted to adapt A State of Jane into a screenplay and it got picked up by a big time Hollywood movie studio. I’ve given it some thought and these are the actors and actresses I would most like to see in the main and secondary roles:

Jane Frank –

In my mind, Jane Frank is supposed to be sweet looking and cute but not gorgeous and not overly sexy. She wouldn’t necessarily be noticed first in a room full of women but there’s definitely something appealing about her and she has a latent naughty side. My pick is Ashley Williams, probably best known for her role as Victoria, one of Ted’s girlfriends in How I Met Your Mother. I think she possesses just the right amount of softness and spice to make Jane come to life.

Claire Frank Williamson – Jane’s sister

Michelle Monaghan – My first choice in this role is Ashley William’s real sister, Kimberly Williams Paisley but I fear she is too old. When I saw Michelle Monaghan in Maid of Honor with Patrick Dempsey, I was shocked by how similar she looked to Kimberly Williams (who coincidentally also starred in movie with Patrick Dempsey, Lucky 7). I think she’d be perfect to play Claire Frank Williamson.

Lainie – Jane’s roommate

Lainie is a fun character. Jane complains that Lainie is too promiscuous and Lainie thinks Jane should take advantage of being single while she still can. I definitely picture Lainie looking like Rachelle Lefevre. (An interesting fact is that I also cast Rachelle in my first book, Just Friends with Benefits as Jess, one of Stephanie’s best girlfriends.)

Marissa – Jane’s best friend

Marissa is very unassuming and not particularly aware of her looks. According to Jane’s ex-boyfriend, Marissa is the type of girl you might not notice right away but once you do, you realize how pretty she is. I picture her with dark hair, doe eyes and full lips. Casting her was tricky for me because I love Marissa and yet I do not particularly like the actress I chose to play her in the movie because I saw her in an episode of Punk’d and she was quite the diva. For the sake of the movie, however, I have cast Emma Roberts in the role.

Andrew – Jane’s officemate and friend

Andrew is flirty, mischievous, lives by the motto, “Nail ‘em and Leave ‘em” and has reddish hair. Who better to play him than my favorite member of the royal family, Prince Harry, though I hope he takes acting lessons first.

Bob – Jane’s ex-boyfriend of nine years

I picture Bob with a full head of messy hair and a lazy smile. I like Matt Long in the role. Matt is best known for his role on Jack & Bobby but I discovered him on the God awful legal drama, The Deep End.

Trish – Bob’s new girlfriend

Trish is petite with a pixie style haircut. I cast Ginnifer Goodwin in the role because what’s a romantic comedy these days without Ginnifer Goodwin? (Another tidbit, Ginnifer and Ashley Williams also worked together in the movie version of Emily Giffin’s Something Borrowed.)

Jane’s mother

Jane’s mom, according to Jane’s brother-in-law, is a MILF. Jane also complains that her mother wears a size 2. Hello Michelle Pfeiffer!

Jane’s dad

Jane is a daddy’s girl to the nth degree. I picture Jane’s father, a partner in a law firm, as handsome but not the handsome that turns young girl’s heads, but the dad you can tell was probably cute back in the day but is now just a dad. I chose Bryan Cranston.

And there you have them! I’ll let you know when Hollywood comes-a-calling whether they agree to my choices.

A State of Jane     

Blurb: Jane Frank is ready to fall in love.

It's been a year since her long term relationship ended and far too long since the last time she was kissed. With the LSAT coming up she needs to find a long term boyfriend (or husband) before acing law school and becoming a partner at her father's law firm.

There's just one problem: All the guys in New York are flakes. They seemingly drop off the face of the earth with no warning and no explanation.

Should she join her best friend Marissa in singlehood, making cupcakes and watching True Blood? Or should she follow her co-worker Andrew's advice and turn the game back on those who've scorned her? As Jane attempts to juggle her own responsibilities and put up with the problems of everyone around her, she starts to realize that the dating life isn't as easy as she originally thought.

Review Rating: 4 LIGHTNING BOLTS

Review:  If you've ever been determined to get over your fears and doubts to start over again, you've got to read A State of Jane.  A year after her ended relationship with an ex, Jane is ready for dating again.

The book follows Jane in her trials and tribulations of finding Mr Right. Instead, what she finds is a bit of a mess. Through it may be funny to readers, Jane's encounters are not quite so.  But it's a time of learning and living, and that's exactly what Jane is doing.

Written with humor and fun, a State of Jane is a great women's fiction about finding love. i could easily relate to Jane, which made her likable to me. I enjoyed the author's voice, which made for a great, fun read. 

Author Bio:   



A born and bred New Yorker, Meredith Schorr discovered her passion for writing when she began to enjoy drafting work-related emails way more than she was probably supposed to, and was famous among her friends for writing witty birthday cards. After dabbling in children’s stories and blogging her personal experiences, Meredith found her calling writing “real chick lit for real chicks." When Meredith is not hard at work on her current work in progress, she spends her days as a trademark paralegal at a law firm in New York City. Meredith is a loyal New York Yankees fan and an avid runner. She also loves to read and is always on the lookout for her new favorite author. A State of Jane is her second novel.

Buy the Book!

B&N :http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-state-of-jane-meredith-schorr/1112799844?ean=9781935961697

iTunes :

https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/a-state-of-jane/id562887940?mt=11