March 3, 2010 — Carter County might soon enjoy a television mystery series based on books by Olive Hill native Stephanie Bond.
The daughter of Willis and Bonnie Bond of Olive Hill, Stephanie lives in Atlanta and is the author of more than 50 books including her newest creation “Body Movers.”
Body Movers, a humorous mystery sequence has been opted by Sony Pictures Television to possibly be developed for a series.
A pilot script is presently being adapted and will soon be pitched to networks.
Stephanie Bond isn’t a stranger to most in the area, as she graduated from West Carter High School in 1983. From 1985 to 1987 she owned a retail business in Olive Hill called “Boots and Britches.”
“I think the experience of growing up in a small town where entertainment was scarce pushed me toward reading, which was the basis for my future as a writer,” Bond commented recently during an interview with a Journal-Times reporter. “Of all my novels, the Body Movers series have been my favorite projects because I enjoy the chance of combining dark humor with mystery and a touch of romance, while revisiting my community of characters from book to book.”
Bond attended Morehead State University on a presidential scholarship. Upon graduation, she worked for Ashland Inc. in Lexington as a systems engineer for seven years before transferring to their Atlanta division.
While working for Ashland Inc. she received her MBA from Eastern Kentucky University. It was an instructor at EKU who told her she had a “flare for writing.” The passing comment inspired her to pursue a writing career that changed the trajectory of her life. “Being a avid reader in my youth while growing up on a farm instilled in me a rhythm of storytelling. And my business background and computer skills helped me to break into the publishing industry and now the film industry.”
In 1997, she walked away from her corporate career to become a full-time writer. Today Bond is the author of over 50 mystery and romance novels by four New York publishers.
The Body Movers series of humorous mystery novels features Atlanta protagonist Carlotta Wren and her brother Wesley, who enjoy a privileged existence before their parents’ went on a lam for white-collar crimes. Carlotta works at Neiman Marcus by day and helps Wesley move bodies from crime scenes at night. Their quirky body-moving profession lands them in the middle of murder mysteries that they use their combined talent to solve.
The series was optioned for television over the winter, with Laura Ziskin signing on as producer. Ziskin became the first woman to produce the Academy Awards telecast alone in 2002. She repeated the job in 2007. Among many of her successful films, Ziskin has produced such films as, “Pretty Woman,” “Spider Man 2,” “What About Bob?” “To Die For,” “Courage Under Fire,” “One Fine Day,” and “As Good As It Get,” “D.O.A.” and “No Way Out.”
“Like most writers, I’ve dreamed about this kind of opportunity my entire career,” she said. “I couldn’t be more thrilled at the prospect of Carlotta and Wesley and the entire Body Movers gang being brought to life and into the living rooms of viewers everywhere.”
Bond writes mostly from her midtown home, but considers all of Atlanta to be her “office,” often taking her laptop to work at Piedmont Park, in coffee shops and even on Marta (Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority).
She is also a member at a co-working warehouse space where other freelancers gather for a change of scenery.
“Writing is such a solitary occupation,” she added. “It’s nice to get out, tap into the vibe of the city and draw on the energy of other people.”
The Body Movers series consists of six books to date with numbers seven and eight under present development.
The Body Movers collection is published by Mira Books and is available at bookstores and online. For more information visit www.stephaniebond.com.
Local News
Related Photos
Bond’s book sequence opted for TV series
Famous film producer to oversee production of Olive Hill native’s mystery series
- Local News
-
-
Olive Hill man dead after KSP standoff
Kenneth Douglas Dyer, 55, was shot and killed Wednesday afternoon in a standoff with Kentucky State Police just hours after his release from jail.
-
Wine label honors Olive Hill
Olive Hill is the latest of 36 Kentucky cities east of Frankfort to be featured on bottles of the award-winning “Kentucky Chambourcin,” a red table wine produced by CCC Trail Vineyard of Rowan County.
The collectors label shows an Olive Hill street scene featuring the historic depot. Like the other city labels, it was painted by Morehead artist Brenda Salyers.
-
Regional jail debate takes shape
The prospect of a regional jail has been a widely discussed topic in Carter County since Judge-executive Charles Wallace first unveiled the initiative in last week's Fiscal Court meeting. The idea was met with much opposition, but Wallace defends the regional jail as a need for the overall health of both the county's roads and its' pocketbook.
-
Community reacts to regional jail authority
The Kentucky Department of Local Government has advised the Carter County Fiscal Court that the first reading of two ordinances passed last week concerning a regional jail authority must be redone. According to DLG Commissioner Tony Wilder, the meeting held last Tuesday was a special meeting because the regular meeting set for May 8 had been cancelled.
-
Grayson Gallery celebrates first anniversary
Memory Days will be a time of great joy and celebration for many citizens of Carter County, but for Dan and Mindy Click, the visionary couple behind the Grayson Gallery and Art Center, this year’s festivities will mean a great deal more. That’s because the Grayson Gallery will be celebrating its one-year anniversary this weekend, a milestone that the Clicks weren’t sure would ever come to fruition.
-
School board approves staff pay raise, wish list for high schools, no consolidation
Monday night was a busy time for the Carter County Board of Education. One of the biggest items addressed was a report from the survey that addressed the question of consolidation of the county’s two high schools.
-
Board makes heavy budget cuts
With funds set to expire from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), the Carter County Board of Education finds itself forced to make tough financial decisions for the upcoming year. Immediate impact can be felt upon first glance at the financial documents. The beginning balance for last year's budget was just over $2.9M, but the upcoming year will only see the county begin with $1.4M in educational funds.
-
Olive Hill City Council discusses water project
Fiinal steps were taken toward beginning the upgrade of the city's water system at Tuesday's meeting of the Olive Hill City Council. The project will be conducted in three phases, with a total bid cost of approximately $500,000. The project will be completely funded by two separate grants from the Kentucky Infrastructure Authority.
-
Smokey Valley Truck Stop back in business
It’s not actually located in Smokey Valley and hasn’t been a real truck stop for years but the Smokey Valley Truck Stop has become a national icon. And much to the relief of its customers who love the home style food in its now famous restaurant, Smokey Valley Truck Stop reopened last Friday after being closed a week.
-
City lawsuits appear in Circuit Court
Lawsuits concerning both Carter County cities appeared in Carter Circuit Court on Monday afternoon. In the case of 4th Leaf LLC vs. the City of Grayson, a motion to intervene was filed by attorney Will Wilhoit on behalf of Johnson and Goebel. Wilhoit argued that his clients own property that will be affected by the outcome of the case.
- More Local News Headlines
-
Olive Hill man dead after KSP standoff
