Strange Highways Music & Publishing

Tag: Starr Search

  • Revealing My Dream Cast for Starr Love

    Revealing My Dream Cast for Starr Love

    When I started Starr Search, it wasn’t really a contest or a vote so much as a playful way to let readers peek inside my head. These characters have lived with me, and so have the actors I’ve pictured playing them. Starr Search simply gave me a fun framework to share those mental snapshots — the faces, voices, and energies that shaped how I wrote each scene.

    Now that the series is wrapped, it feels like the right moment to reveal the full dream cast that has been with me since the beginning.

    ⭐ The Starr Love Dream Cast

    • Stu Starr — Frankie Grande
    • Mariel Starr — Barbara Bel Geddes
    • Steve Starr — Kyle Chandler
    • Sterling Vaughn — Simon Le Bon
    • Rowdy Ranger — Joe Exotic
    • The President — Alec Baldwin
    • Lance Robb — Trae Crowder
    • Stu’s Attorney — Jon Hamm
    • Stacy Perry — Heidi Gardner
    • Judge — Sam Waterston
    • Prosecuting Attorney — Angela Bassett
    • Sherri — Ricki Lake
    • Julian Rainwater — John Waters
    • Vicky — Gabourey Sidibe

    How These Faces Shaped the Story

    Every writer has their own way of building a world. For me, seeing the characters as real people — with specific expressions, mannerisms, and emotional textures — helps me develop how they move through the story. If you read my post on Substack, you’d know that the actual characters weren’t inspired by these actors. But it is a great way to get a visual of what was going on in my mind with them.

    • Frankie Grande has Stu’s chaotic sparkle and delusional charm.
    • Simon Le Bon embodies Sterling’s effortless cool.
    • Joe Exotic captures Rowdy’s unhinged devotion.
    • Trae Crowder grounds Lance with humor, heart and handsomeness.
    • Angela Bassett and Sam Waterston bring weight to the courtroom.
    • Barbara Bel Geddes and Kyle Chandler shaped the Starr family’s emotional core and, come on, if Barbara could handle JR Ewing as a son, Stu would be a breeze.
    • John Waters as Julian Rainwater? That one explains itself.

    These weren’t random choices — they were emotional anchors based on the characters’ personalities.

    Now I’m Curious…

    When you read the book, did any of these actors match the versions you saw in your mind? Or did your imagination cast someone completely different?

    I’d love to hear who you pictured.

    Jeff

  • Starr Search – Round Two – Rowdy Ranger

    Starr Search – Round Two – Rowdy Ranger

    ⭐ THIS WEEK’S CHARACTER: Rowdy Ranger

    A flamboyant media personality with a flair for chaos and self-promotion. Rowdy lives for the spotlight — whether it’s earned, borrowed, or stolen. He’s the kind of man who calls himself a visionary while livestreaming from a hot tub, who sees fame not as a reward but as a birthright. In Starr Love, Rowdy becomes Stu Starr’s loudest fan and most unpredictable ally, blurring the line between hype man, stalker, and self-appointed celebrity guru. He doesn’t just chase attention — he weaponizes it. Who do YOU see as Rowdy? John Waters, Joe Exotic, Russell Brand, Carrot Top, someone else?

    [ays_poll id=”6″]

    Cast your vote above — and check back Thursday for the reveal.
    If you want updates first, follow my page on my Facebook page.

  • Starr Search – Week 4 – Sterling Vaughn

    Starr Search – Week 4 – Sterling Vaughn

    ⭐ THIS WEEK’S CHARACTER: Sterling Vaughn

    A rising pop star whose shine cuts straight through Stu Starr’s ego. Sterling is everything Stu tells himself he should have been — talented, adored, and effortlessly magnetic. Beneath the polished charm is a man who knows exactly how bright he burns and how people bend toward that light. In Starr Love, Sterling becomes the living embodiment of Stu’s deepest insecurities: a rival, a mirror, and a reminder that fame doesn’t just crown someone — it chooses them. Sterling’s presence tilts every room, every conversation, every memory, leaving Stu chasing a spotlight that was never his to begin with.

    [ays_poll id=”5″]

    Cast your vote above — and check back Thursday for the reveal.
    If you want updates first, follow my page on my Facebook page.

    Pre‑Release Prize

    Everyone who votes in any of the four pre‑release weeks is entered into a drawing for one autographed paperback of Starr Love.
    (The more weeks you vote, the more entries you get – enter your email address if you want to be entered.)

  • Starr Search – Week 3 – Steve Starr

    Starr Search – Week 3 – Steve Starr

    ⭐ THIS WEEK’S CHARACTER: Steve Starr

    Stu Starr’s father. A handsome, quietly charismatic man whose charm once filled every room he walked into, Steve carries the weight of choices he never fully owned. He’s the kind of dad who means well but leaves emotional debris in his wake — a man stitched together from good intentions, half-truths, and the kind of silence that shapes a family for decades. In Starr Love, Steve represents the legacy Stu can’t outrun: a father who loved deeply, failed quietly, and left shadows long enough for his son to grow up inside them.

    [ays_poll id=”4″]

    Cast your vote above — and check back Thursday for the reveal.
    If you want updates first, follow my page on my Facebook page.

    Pre‑Release Prize

    Everyone who votes in any of the four pre‑release weeks is entered into a drawing for one autographed paperback of Starr Love.
    (The more weeks you vote, the more entries you get – enter your email address if you want to be entered.)

  • Starr Search – Week 2 – Mariel Starr

    Starr Search – Week 2 – Mariel Starr

    ⭐ THIS WEEK’S CHARACTER: Mariel Starr

    Stu Starr’s mother. A quiet force in the background of his chaotic life, Mariel embodies patience, worry, and unspoken disappointment. Her steady presence anchors the emotional undercurrent of Starr Love, revealing the roots of Stu’s lifelong need for validation. She’s the kind of woman who folds laundry while listening for sirens, who knows more than she says, and who carries the weight of family history in her posture.

    [ays_poll id=”3″]

    Cast your vote above — and check back Thursday for the reveal.
    If you want updates first, follow my page on my Facebook page.

    Pre‑Release Prize

    Everyone who votes in any of the four pre‑release weeks is entered into a drawing for one autographed paperback of Starr Love.
    (The more weeks you vote, the more entries you get – enter your email address if you want to be entered.)

  • Starr Search – Week 1 – Stu Starr

    Starr Search – Week 1 – Stu Starr

    ⭐ THIS WEEK’S CHARACTER: Stu Starr

    The man, the myth, the meltdown. Stu is a walking cocktail of ambition, delusion, charm, and catastrophic decision‑making. He’s the kind of guy who thinks the universe is sending him secret messages — and he’s absolutely the star of them.

    [ays_poll id=”2″]

    Cast your vote above — and check back Thursday for the reveal.
    If you want updates first, follow my page on my Facebook page.

    Pre‑Release Prize

    Everyone who votes in any of the four pre‑release weeks is entered into a drawing for one autographed paperback of Starr Love.
    (The more weeks you vote, the more entries you get – enter your email address if you want to be entered.)