Dear Friends,

And now for some news about the film option of The Bronze Horseman. Things have not worked out quite as I hoped, but that’s only because I can’t see the future and don’t know what’s still ahead. 

At the moment, though, the 18-month option with Andy Tennant’s production company has unfortunately come to an end. After months of no activity at all, we tried to extend the option at deadline time (plus 30 days grace), but we could not resolve the most important issue, and that is whose script to use, mine or Ross’s. I strongly felt and continue to feel that Ross’s vision for the story and adaptation of the book were diametrically opposed to my own. So reluctantly we parted ways, and the rights to the book have reverted back to me. The difference between 2009 and now is that now I have a finished script. Which means that we can now seek and find someone else who gets the story, loves the characters, and perhaps can put his/her passion behind the project to get the film off the ground, so to speak, and onto the big screen, but this time with my script as a condition of development.

I know you are disappointed by this and let down, as you can imagine I am, but don’t be disheartened. Because I remain hopeful and optimistic that great things are just around the corner for our two crazy kids. We have a couple of intriguing prospects we are working on and I will keep you posted as soon as I know something more concrete. In the meantime, you know that Tania and Shura live on inside my heart, especially these days, as I immerse myself in the young doomed life of the two people who once loved each other and who made Alexander.

I leave you for now with a photograph of the actual River Kama and one devoted reader’s painting of the Urals and the Lazarevo clearing despite never having seen either, and also below Richard Tucker’s version of Puccini’s E Lucevan Le Stelle, a song I listened to on infinite repeat when I wrote the entire Part I in TBH.

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1. ILARIA Zombie by Cranberries

2. AMANDA None but the Lonely Heart by Tchaikovsky

3. ALYSSA Grace by Kate Havenik

4. LIBBY Beautiful History by Plumb

5. AMIRA My Lovely Valentine by Sara Storer

6. MARIEL Across the River by Peter Gabriel

7. MICHAELA In the Afternoon by Van Morrison

8. ALANA Eastern Glow by Album Leaf

9. SARA I’ll be Seeing You by Billie Holliday

10. ANNA Iris by the Googoo Dolls

CONGRATULATIONS! And to everyone else, thank you so much for participating. I loved exploring and listening to your musical choices.

Here is one of mine:

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Thank you! What a plethora of music! As many songs as there were entrees, very few repeats. I loved it. And such an international collection too: 

Ci Sei Sempre Stata, Luciano Lugabue

Ich Bereue Nichts, Silbermond

One, U2

Glitter in the Air, Pink

A Little Too Much, Natasha Bedingfield

And look at the variety of music: There was Say When by the Fray, Day by Day by Frank Sinatra, Acts of Courage by X-ray Dog, The Story by Brandi Carlisle, I Go to Sleep by Sia (though I know this great song as it was sung by the Pretenders), Rooster by Alice in Chains (!), Endless Love by Diana Ross, Bliss by Vanessa Paradis (is this Captain Jack Sparrow’s squeeze?), Marry Me by Train (was recently introduced to this song and love it), Cold Shoulder by the awesome Adele, Maybe I’m Amazed by Wings, Open Arms by Journey, My One and Only Love by Louis Armstrong, She by Elvis Costello, Lonely Nights by the Scorpions, Unintended by Muse.

Okay, the names of songs and the girls who chose them have been printed, cut out into strips of paper, put into a big red Santa stocking, and all that’s missing is the 9 year old on the way home from school who will reach her little hand in and choose ten names. I’m hoping in twenty or so minutes. Back shortly…and I’ll also share with  you some of the songs I listened to when I wrote about Tatiana and Alexander. But I’m not putting my own name into a hat.

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