
I imagine most authors picture their books being bought by Hollywood and turned into a movie or a TV
series, and daydream about which actors would play their characters. I certainly do, and I’ve got some
very clear ideas about who I’d cast if it were left to me.
Keep in mind a couple of things as you read on. First, the initial book of the series was written in 2012,
so that influences my choices. Second, the books cover 25 years in the life of Sara and her family and
friends, so I tried to pick actors who could play both the college-age versions of the characters we meet
in the prequel novel, DREAM STUDENT, and also the more mature, adult versions we see in the later
books of the series.
For Sara Barnes (later Alderson), the heroine of the series, and a woman who leads a double life – she’s
both a medical doctor (well, by the time we get to the second book, anyway), and also a “psychic
detective” (her brother’s description, which she hates) who solves the mysteries she sees when visiting
other people’s dreams, I think that Danielle Panabaker would be the ideal choice. Danielle stars on The
Flash as Dr. Caitlin Snow, so she can obviously play both a scientist, and also someone surrounded by
weirdness.
For her boyfriend (later husband) Brian, I picked Grant Gustin, who plays Barry Allen/The Flash on The
Flash. He plays a great combination of heroic, earnest and goofy that suits Brian’s character perfectly.
Sara’s best friend, Beth, is funny, compassionate, outgoing and sexy, and I went back to the superhero
world of the CW to cast her. Emily Bett Rickards, who plays Felicity on Arrow, would be perfect.
Sara’s parents, Betty and Howard, were easy to cast, although at first glance it might seem odd that I
chose British actors to play Betty. But all good British actors are masters of accents and can sound
American without much trouble (the reverse, as we all know, is not always true!), so I’m not worried
about that. Nicola Bryant of Doctor Who fame is the perfect Betty (and she actually narrated the short
story Betty & Howard’s Excellent Adventure for Audible!), while I again tapped the cast of The Flash for
Howard. Tom Cavanaugh seems like a great choice, doesn’t he?
There’s one other character I should mention, and it took me until the third book of the series to realize
I’d been unconsciously modeling her on this actress all along. The character is Helen Alderson, Sara’s
mother-in-law, and the actress is Kelly Bishop, who today is probably best known for playing Emily
Gilmore in Gilmore Girls.
So there you have it! If you’ve read any of the books, please feel free to suggest alternate ideas if you
think other actors might be a better fit for any of the roles in the series!

From Dream Student (book 0 prequel) – Sara realizes her dreams are real
I glance at the front page, and then I look again. There’s a photo there. I grab the paper out of his
hands, completely ignoring his protest, and I look closely at it.
I’ve seen her before.
No.
No. It can’t be. It’s not possible. The girl in the picture looks exactly like the girl in my dreams. It’s not
possible, except that I’m seeing it with my own eyes. I start reading the story. “Seventeen-year-old
Amelia Morgan–high school senior–found murdered–body discovered on Old Tree Road…” No, no, no.
I read it again, and the words don’t change. Of course they don’t.
No.
Yes.
I just start wailing, shouting nonsense. I’m standing in the middle of the room screaming my head off.
Ray comes out to me, puts his hand on my shoulder, starts to tell me to calm down and I push him away,
shove the newspaper in his face. “It’s her! It’s her! It’s her, and she’s dead!”
She’s dead, she’s dead. She’s dead and I saw it and she’s dead and–and–that’s all I know. She’s dead
and I saw it and it’s all real and–and what?
I don’t know, so I keep on screaming.
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