Serita
Deborah Mendelson-Stevens, RN, BSN, MA, FNE
818 769 0842/ fax 769 0297
E-mail: serita_stevens@sbcglobal.net
Serita
Stevens
Biography
Born in Chicago, Serita (a registered nurse) came
out to Los Angles when offered a teaching job at USC.
With her master’s in writing (with honors) from Antioch
University in London, England, she spent hours researching the British
Museum Reading Room where she read original writings of Richard the
Lionhearted and William the Conqueror.
Her first published book This
Bitter Ecstasy, a historical romance from Pocket Books led to her
introduction to the film world when she was asked if she could write a
treatment of the book for possible adaptation.
She continued doing several historical romances including Tame
the Wild Heart – a story of James II’s foray into Ireland; Daughters
of Desire – about the daughter’s of the king in French Canada
, Lightning
and Fire – a dramatized biography of Judge Deborah, the prophet
(Judges 4/5- now in script form, as well) and then turned her attention
to mystery and suspense – The
Bloodstone Inheritance, Unholy
Alliance (a young adult mystery that won Best Book for the
Reluctant Reader from American Library Association,) Deceptive
Desire (best western romantic suspense from RWA – now in script
form as Logan’s
Land,) Red
Sea, Dead Sea and Bagels
For Tea (the Fanny Zindel novels) and many more, including ghosts
and adaptations.
In all, she has completed 32 books including two
non fiction – The
Book of Poisons – to instruct writers on killing off their
victims correctly and The
Forensic Nurse – how nurses help police solve crimes. .
Her Edgar award short story, The
Unborn, about an unborn child who experiences her mother’s
murder and vows revenge, has been adapted into a script short.
She turned her attention to scriptwriting with Murder
Me Twice (a reincarnation thriller and winner at Cinema City
International Film Fest as best script,) Mother
In Law (a female driven dramady with a supernatural twist –
also a winner at CCIFF,) Dragon
Seeds (a psychological horror written with director Sean
McNamara,) The
Presence (a psychological horror), and
Guilty Prey
(you always thought your attorney’s were blood suckers and now they
are.) She is currently
working on a TV pilot Gangsta
(about the cops who run the gang land stations) and A
Match Made in Heaven (a true romantic comedy.)
Serita was a board member for Film Industry Network
and is an active member of Women In Film and Alameda Writer’s Group,
as well as Hearts for Romania, helping Romanian orphans since she
adopted her daughter from that country.
For
WIF’s PSA
team, she wrote the piece for St. Joseph’s Care Center.
She still teaches writing to independent students and does
adaptations of her own and other’s works. Serita also does medical
consultations for writers wanting their stories to be correct.
Credits
Saving
Spirit, an original story for Larry Levinson/ Hallmark
The Forensic Nurse – pilot for CTV (Canadian TV) w/ Greg Ball (showrunner)
Representation
Agent: JoAnn Carol, Monterio Rose Dravis Agency, 818 501
1177
Publicist Debra Hayter 818-815-1508
Some
of Serita's books include:
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TAME
THE WILD HEART
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Pocket
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SHRIEKING
SHADOWS OF PENPORTH ISLAND
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Zebra
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BLOODSTONE
INHERITANCE
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Zebra
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THIS
BITTER ECSTASY
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Pocket
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UNHOLY
ALLIANCE
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Fawcett
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NIGHTHAWK
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Germany
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LIGHTING
AND FIRE
(judges 4/5)
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Leisure
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DAUGHTERS
OF DESIRE
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Leisure/Hard
Shell
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DECEPTIVE
DESIRE (A western suspense a.k.a. Shira Stevens)
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Leisure/Hard
Shell
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GATHERING
STORMS (ya)
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Harlequin
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A
DREAM FOREVER (ya
aka Megan MacDonnell)
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Fawcett
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ROMANTIC
HEROES
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Two
Star Video
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CHAMPAGNE
FOR TWO/created by Serita/screenplay by Julian Rothman
Lorimar Video*
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LILAC
DREAMS
created by Serita and screenplay by Julian Rothman
Lorimar Video*
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BUTTERCUP
LOVE created
by Serita/screenplay by Julian Rothman
Lorimar Video*
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RED
SEA, DEAD SEA
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St.
Martin's /Hard Shell E Books
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BAGELS
FOR TEA
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St.
Martin's /Hard Shell E books
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DEADLY
DOSES: A WRITER'S GUIDE TO POISONS
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Writer's
Digest
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CAGNEY
AND LACEY
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Dell
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SECRETS
AT SEVENTEEN (ya;
aka Jennifer Wolf)
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Bantam
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HEATHEN
HEART
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Starlog
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THE
FINE ART OF MURDER “Writing the Jewish mystery”
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Carroll
& Graff
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THE
NURSES (HEALERS #4) (Tyler Cortland)
NAL
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HEART
FAILURE –teaching patients
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Springhouse
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UNHOLY
ORDERS! Anthology of mystery short stories
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Intrigue
Press
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*
proceeds going to Hugs and Hopes- Romania
www.hugsandhopes.com
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BLONDES
IN TROUBLE
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Intrigue
Press
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CHARLIE
LONDON, RN. THE ADVENTURE BEGINS
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PALM
UNIV. PRESS
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THE
FORENSIC NURSE: the nurse and Law Enforcement
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St.
Martin’s Press
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The
Book of Poisons
– 2nd Ed
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Writer’s
Digest
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THE
GAME, West Coast Rapper
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Visionary
Entertainment
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THE
NOTORIOUS B.I.G. –gangsta rapper
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Visionary
Entertainment.
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LIGHTNING
AND FIRE script based on the above book
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MURDER
ME TWICE – thriller script
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-sci
fi romantic comedy
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GUILTY
PREY
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UNBORN
( short script) based
on my Edgar nominated short story
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WE
GOT CLASS (TV sitcom pilot)
finalist in the Cinema City International Film Fest
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MOTHER
IN LAW - dramady
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