Author Laurie Van Dermark resides outside Birmingham, Alabama. Her story follows the dynamics within a wealthy Southern family.
Synopsis
According to the author, the story is about a gut-wrenching tragedy that sets family members on a collision course for reconciliation. As it turns out, nothing worth having comes easy.
Film Option
Chase Chenowith, under his company label Back Fence Productions, optioned Van Dermark’s novel ‘The Battered Heiress Blues’ for a future feature film. With this Indiegogo project around the corner, the future is almost a reality!
Chenowith’s Background
Chase Chenowith is a multiple award-winning producer and screenwriter who has been in the film and television industry for over 25 years. With 14 film credits under his belt and 10 more in the works, he has produced and written feature films, television series, reality television, commercials, and documentaries. Chenowith has worked with Anthony Hopkins, Naomi Watts, Christopher Walken, and Alec Baldwin. His film “Beautiful Dreamer” made the cover of “Variety Magazine.”
Van Dermark’s Background
More about author Laurie Van Dermark includes being a medical professional who has lived abroad and traveled extensively which has served to foster her awareness of social inequities. These issues are richly woven into her storytelling. She is also an adoptive mom to two children from Guatemala and serves at OLPH Mission in Chimbote, Peru.
Graphic Designer
Another talented artist involved with this project is Caitlin Carroll. Carroll is an independent graphic designer and owner/operator of Caitlin Carroll Graphic Design. She is also a full-time mother of two and an undergraduate majoring in graphic design. Caitlin began her career as a commercial graphic designer at 16, where she guided the creative direction of her family’s sign business ultimately leading to her creation of Caitlin Carroll Graphic Design in 2005.
Caitlin was visiting her sister, Jesi Godwin of Godwin Photography, when Jesi asked her to model for the new cover of “The Battered Heiress Blues.” Caitlin’s intense gaze brings the book’s heroin, Julia Spencer, to life. Soon after modeling, Caitlin learned of the need for a graphic designer to create the new cover art for the book and stepped in to offer her expertise.
With direction from the book’s author (Van Dermark), Caitlin was able to design the book’s new cover art as well as the design and layout of the Indiegogo campaign page, movie t-shirts, and social media graphics.
Photography
“Weak by the Lake” image includes Caitlin Carroll, Jesi Godwin (shot by Craig Godwin) and Laurie Van Dermark. One can also find Zachary Meyers on Facebook.
