Character Casting
Gina/Regine Lambert—23, mixed blood from her mother (half Chinese’ half French) dark lush hair, creamy skin, large blue eyes, a generous mouth, and—her Mom says—a straight noble nose like Gwyneth Paltrow’s. A 5’7” body with curves in the right places. You wouldn’t call her voluptuous, though. She’s a cook at a haute cuisine restaurant and comes from a working class neighborhood, a little naïve but hopeful and quick to learn.
Brent Hansen— a tall man of about thirty, dark brown hair, gray and piercing but melancholic eyes, fills his jeans and jacket with palpable strength. He’s a homicide detective, has a law degree from a prestigious university, and a passion for truth and justice which he doesn’t want to complicate with a committed relationship.
Leon Barrett—29, a pair of very blue eyes on a well-tanned face crowned by bronze, wavy hair, tall, filthy rich, family of old money, polished, fussed over look. A playboy who enjoys the chase and has a need to win but never commits. Devoted to preserving his Barrett legacy, he works as his father’s right hand man.
Mrs. Lambert—Gina’s mother, oldest daughter of a Chinese mother and a French chef who was murdered in his artisanale delicatessen. Worked at fast food restaurants to help support her mother and sisters before she could finish high school. A great cook who taught Gina cooking is an act of love.
Marcia—Gina’s best friend, easy-going pastry chef in her early 30s, a little overweight. Frank, experienced, and smart.
Cristi—Gina’s childhood friend, red-brown hair and dark eyes, expertly accentuated, curvy. Shy and unsure of herself.
Laure—French woman in her thirties, chef de cuisine and owner of the restaurant Gina works for.
Sabine—Gina’s younger sister to whom she feels close
Mr. Lambert—Gina’s father, emotionally distant from his family
Maurice, Gerard and Bernie—Gina’s brothers
Top Ten List
Ten of my favorite things
Why do I love Paris? It has or does at least ten of my favorite things. I have “lived” as a transient in Paris a few times. That means I stay 2 to 6 months. It is:
- A vibrant city where la joie de vivre is often evident in so many ways and nearly every day; so, it is
- a shot in the arm, and an escape into a different kind of reality;
- A communion with history we can still relate with, a history boasting some of the greatest thinkers and great architecture spared from bombs that leveled other European cities;
- A veritable tableau where a gathering of people in a park reminds you of a Manet or Monet painting;
- An ode to light and colors celebrated in artistic revolutions that gave birth to gothic churches and modern art, starting with Impressionism;
- A lover of art and culture with world-class exhibits in its world-class museums as well as days or nights dedicated to celebrating the arts;
- Rich with world-class parks with beds and large vases of flowers massed in harmonious colors. They invite you to linger on benches and plentiful green metal chairs under sprawling shady trees;
- Where you needn’t go beyond your block (or two) to find a boulangerie where you can get a warm crusty baguette in late afternoon, great macarons or tasty tarts—fresh, everyday. And cheap, compared to pastries you buy in fancy bakeries in the US;
- In a country where cultivating food and wine and preparing them for consumption is considered part of the patrimoine—the French national heritage, and
- where mayonnaise and many other dishes and sauces that help make eating a pleasure were “invented”.
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