Serita Stevens

Pupperazzi Productions
Actor, Producer, Screenwriter, Script Consultant, Acting Teacher and Set / Production Medic

Sylmar, Los Angeles County, California

Member Since:
April 2012

Last online:
> 2 weeks ago

Invites sent:
0

About Serita

Pupperazzi Productions, Inc.
Serita Stevens
Award Winning Writer-Producer
11863 Hoyt Lane Sylmar, Ca 91342
Phone: 818.439.2730 Fax 818 899 1653

sswriter400@
Manager Italia Gandolfo ( 502 836 1201)

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 went on to become well known in the romance and mystery field.

Her first published book This Bitter Ecstasy, a historical romance from Pocket Books was her introduction to the film, 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 and finalist in the Geller foundation competition for best Jewish writing and Karios for best Christian writing.) She then turned her attention to mystery and suspense – The Bloodstone Inheritance, Unholy Alliance (a young adult mystery nominated for Best Book for the Reluctant Reader from the American Library Association,) Deceptive Desire (best western romantic suspense from Romance Writers of America – now in script form as Logan’s Land,) Red Sea, Dead Sea and Bagels For Tea (the Fanny Zindel novels) and many more, including ghosting and adaptations. . Her book, Cagney and Lacey, is the prequel for the successful TV series. Her award nominated short story, The Unborn, about an unborn child who experiences her mother’s murder and vows revenge on the killer – her father, has been produced as a short and now being written as a feature (An Unborn Witness.) . In all, she has published more than 33 books, articles, and short stories. Her newest book, based on years of teaching at universities, come s out from Motivational Press. It's The Ultimate Writer's Workbook for Books and Scripts. Written both for novice and established writers, it has exercises that have helped Serita through her many writings.
A frequent speaker at writing conferences she talks about characters, the difference between books and scripts, mystery writing, and other topics. Her blog can be found on linked in, Tumblr, and Google's blogspot.

Her two non fiction books are– The Book of Poisons – a how to book teaching writers on the art of killing off their victims correctly and written in plain English for those who do not understand medical terms -- and The Forensic Nurse – to educate the public how nurses help police solve crimes and if they are in need who they should ask for. The later book was optioned by Fox TV for as a TV drama.
Her publishers include Pocket Books,Random House, Fawcett, Zebra, Leisure, St Martin’s Press, Motivational Press, True North Press, Palm University, Dell, Writer’s Digest, Oak Tree Press, Hard Shell, Intrigue Press and others. She now working on the feature script of Promises Maid, one of the award winning shorts she recently did for the 168 Christian Film Festival. She just finished the feature version of the short Unborn Witness. The trailer for this can be seen at . The short, itself, is available on iTunes for a minimal price of $2.99. A % of proceeds will go to a domestic violence shelter.

Her first script was Murder Me Twice (a reincarnation thriller and winner at the Cinema City International Film Fest –CCIFF- as best script as well as other awards and has been optioned numerous times,) Mother In Law (a female driven buddy dramady with a supernatural twist – also a winner at CCIFF, finalist at Geller, and the Broad Humor Festival,) Mothe-inLaw (a dramady based on her Fanny Zindel character), .A Match Made in Heaven (a romantic comedy inspired by true events – winner at the Broad Humor Festival and finalist at Geller), Guilty Prey (you always thought your attorney’s were blood suckers and now they are,) Flip Kids a kids adventure ala Spy Kids, and Chasing Ghosts, a NASCAR film. Logan's Land (the book entitled Deceptive Desires ) is a western suspense from a female POV.
Recently, she was hired to write a historical true story of black rights before and during the Civil War.
She has several spec TV pilots as Gangsta (Southland meets Precious- which won the Writers Boot Camp Award and Talentville top honors), Golden Murders (The Nanny meets Murder She Wrote based in her Fanny Zindel mystery series), Yo Nun (a sitcom), Alex With A Z (sitcom- about a Romanian orphan raising her single mom) and is working on Discovery of Evidence, a true crime, based on a case, which, she worked on as a forensic nurse.

Her Hallmark story Saving Spirit, is in pre-production there.

Currently, she is working on several book/film deals -The Mark of the Dragon -with Amy Miles and Sean McNamara, directing the film, and Against Her Will, written with Jo Schaffer, a teenage coming of age story out with True North Press and soon to be at Lifetime, and The Heist: the Charles Allen Story, which was ghostwritten from the notes of one of the perpetrators of the FBI's biggest art theft and The Master's Will - a true historical Civil War story of three female African American slaves who inherit their master's plantation in a landmark decision for both women and blacks.

Serita is a past board member for Film Industry Network (FIN) and is an active member of Women In Film (WIF), the Caucus, and Alameda Writer’s Group (AWG.) She has taught writing at USC, UCLA, Loyola, Santa Monica City College, University of Illinois and Roosevelt University, as well as private consulting and currently teaches and mentors at AWG. She participated in the “Inside Out Writers Program,” writers teaching incarcerated gang members how to express themselves. She frequently lectures for Sandra Lord's Women Helping Women Writers Program and other events and been asked to join the Athena Film Festival.

After adopting her Romanian daughter, she helped found the non profit “Hearts for Romania,” supporting the Romanian orphans left behind.

As a member of the WIF’s PSA team, she wrote the Emmy nominated public service announcement for St. Joseph’s Care Center, Santa Monica, California. She mentors and teaches writing to independent students and does adaptations, both from her own material and others. As an RN, Serita also consults with writers and directors on their projects making sure they are medically correct.

She has judged for the SET awards - honoring films and shows with scientific correctness and on the Three Gates of the Dead filmmaking competition along with Michal Shane, Wendy Kram and others.

After adopting her Romanian daughter, she helped found the non-profit “Hearts for Romania,” supporting the Romanian orphans left behind. She has judged for the SET awards - honoring films and shows with scientific correctness and numerous other contests.

Her international fans urged her to join the Hollywood International Film Festival as a board member and she assists with that now. Recently, she joined the team of Vesuvian Media Group as VP of Special Projects - assisting with acquisitions and the foundation. A few months ago she was given an award from the group Millionaires for a Cause in honor of her humanitarian work with her mentoring young writers and using her talents to bring important issues to light.

In addition, she is a regular freelance journalist for Splash Magazines Worldwide () covering film, theatre, entertainment industry events, health topics, and travel.

As an expert witness specializing in forensic nursing, poisons, investigations and psychiatry issues, she has assisted numerous attorneys in their cases and often helps writers, directors and producers with medical, forensic, poison questions for their stories. She attends various seminars on such topics as “The Expert Witness From the Trial Lawyers Point of View,” and “Dauber and Other Challenges to Experts,” and “Getting Your Message to the Jury,” as well as helping to explain to juries what the medical terms really mean (since that is one major role a nurse plays.) Forensic nurses work in sexual assault, domestic, child and elder abuse, death investigations, MVA, arson, trauma and work accidents, prison, and legal cases, etc. As a result of her work with Cal. Arson Investigators and DMORT TEAM, she was asked to join the ATF Citizen Academy.

Her favorite proverb (from Pirkei Avot - a Jewish guide book) is - If I am for myself alone, who am I? If I am only for others, what am I? If not now, when? - To her, it means we always have to be available to help others, to make the world a win-win situation as much as we can, and not to expect any immediate return except the knowledge you are helping others.

Film Credits

Saving Spirit, an original script for Larry Levinson/ Hallmark - in pre-production
Champagne for Two – Warner Home Video
Lilac Dreams Warner Home Video
The Unborn Pupperazzi Productions (short)/*
Promises Maid Just Us Productions (short)
Awards
The Master's Will - historical true drama - PAGE AWARD FINALIST, 2017- #46/7,000 Capital Fund Screenplay Competition, Table Read
Dragon Seeds – Best screenplay the Cinema City International Film Fest soon to be Mark of the Dragon with Sean McNamara
Murder Me Twice – Finalist ISA award, Best Screenplay Cinema City International Film Festival, official selection of SF Film Festival, PAGE semi-finals; Table Read semi-finals, Circus Road Films - semi finalist
Mother in Law – Cinema City Film Fest; Best Dramady – Broad Humor Festival, Geller Festival Finalist, 2018 Stage32 Comedy Semi-finalist, PAGE AWARDS Quarter Finals 2018, Women Who Write Semi-Finals, Table Read
The Unborn – award nomination for short story; Talentville award for script; numerous festivals
Unholy Alliance – Best book for the Reluctant Reader by the American Library Association, 1990. 2017 Screencraft Family Semi-Finalist (top 25%)
Match Made in Heaven – Best Screenplay, Cinema City/ Best comedy Broad Humor Festival, Geller Festival finalist, Beverly Hills Film Festival Official selection, 2018 Screencraft Family finalist, 2018 PAGE AWARD quarter finals, Capitol Fund Semi-finals
Golden Murders - a TV spec dramady - based on her Fanny Zindel mystery series - Broad Humor Festival, Geller Festival
Deborah, Prophetess – Best Biblical Romance RWA (now a screenplay.); Geller Festival and Karios finalist, 2017 #26/7,000 Capital Fund Screenplay Competition
Deceptive Desires/Logan’s Land – Best Western Romantic Suspense (now Logan’s Land screenplay.) RWA; Creative Screenwriting Western Semi-finals 2019 top 25, 2020 – Montana Screenwriters Semi-Finalist
Promises Maid - finalist at the 168 Film Festival written for JustUs Productions
Unholy Orders – McCavity and Anthony Awards
Red Sea, Dead Sea – nominated for Anthony Award (now a TV pilot Golden Murders.)
Gangsta – TV Pilot - Writers Boot Camp Fellowship Award, Talentville Best of the week, Creative Screenwriting Semi Finals
Flip Kids/ Simon Sez- finalist - International Family Film Festival
The Unborn Witness – semi-finalist – Page Awards, semi-finalist Table Read My Screenplay.
Against Her Will – a YA problem story - semi-finals Table Read, 2019 Creative Screenwriting YA – top 25
Nursing The Evidence – (Forensic Nurses) –pilot-character driven serialized procedural– based on true cases I’ve worked, etc. (Also a forthcoming book series.) (Recently optioned

Unique traits: forensic nurse, can help your script with medical terms, scenes, etc

Gender:
Female

Height:
5' 2"

Weight:
151

Body type:
Average

Hair:
Short

Hair color:
Red

Eyes:
Hazel

Ethnicity:
Caucasian

Badges

Photos

Loglines

The Master's Will Historical My historical true drama The Master's Will is being given an award next month at the Hollywood and Vine Festival. 3 African American slaves are bought pre Civil war by a lonely SC plantation owner. When he is murdered by the Klan, they inherit the majority of their master/husband's property. Growing past the obstacles, they must fight the family -who had expected to inherit - and Reconstructionist South to win a landmark decision in 1878 for Blacks and Women.
Murder Me Twice Thriller You die once; you can’t die twice. When her car stalls in a small Southern town, nightmares of rape and murder haunt Andrea. Were they real? Could this White Ann Hawthaway type really have been a Black plantation worker in this small southern town? Finding clues that the events really happened, Ann knows she must the killer find her before he kills her, again.
A Match Made In Heaven Comedy A romantic comedy with a supernatural twist where a debonair Elliot Gould-type dies on the same day as an acerbic, noisy, worried about her daughter, Barbara Streisand-type. The pair take the same train to heaven and decide to defy heaven's rules and match their dysfunctional kids - Mila Kunis type, the uptight campaign manager and in love with a sleazy politician is pushed to spy on the competition, only to realize that he's the right man for the job - in more ways than one -- as the older couple fight their own attraction for each other.
Mother In Law Other Action buddy dramady, it's based on the Fanny Zindel novels from St. Martin's Press. In life, your Bette Midler type mother in law is difficult; in death, she’s impossible. Newly promoted, Detective Sara Zindel - a Hillary Duff type - hates her mother in law, but when, in an attempt to stop her investigations into a new case, her husband is kidnapped and her mother in law killed, she must partner with the ghost of her mother in law to save her husband and solve the case - police corruption and all.
Against Her Will Other A Young Aduilt - When a rebellious teen is thrown into a psychiatric hospital because her manipulative parents can't handle her, she experiences that not everyone survives the system. Based on the book out now from True North Press
Flip Kids Action Teen Adventure -In the tone of Spy Kids meets Iron Eagle Official Selection at the International Family Film Festival -- A teen gymnast and her friends defy the military to rescue her father from terrorists
Red Sea, Dead Sea Adventure Based on the book from St. Martin's Press -- Traveling to Israel for the first time, Fanny Zindel, a 50ish grandmother, is prepared for anything...except murder. Getting involved with Mosad as she searches the countryside for her missing granddaughter, she uses gimicks from her "everything bag" including rope, from her suitcase, to jump down the second story.
Forensic Nurse: Law Enforcement's Secret New Weapon Crime Based on the book from St. Martin's Press, nurses now help the police solve crimes - not just sexual assault, but elder and domestic abuse, and, of course, murder.
Logan's Land Western Based on the book Deceptive Desires, Logan's Land is a female Shane. Elisa Edwards, a Rachel McAdams type, single and alone, must defy the Cattle Barons of Montana to help save a town while falling in love with the man whom she thinks murdered her brother.
An Unborn Witness Thriller Based on the award nominated short story "The Unborn." The Truth Is Only A Heart Beat Away. While in utero, a young girl experiences her mother's abuse and murder. She vows revenge on the killer -- her father.
Habital Swag aka Yo Nun Comedy an urban comedy – Reluctant and questioning novice Monica, along with her Lucy-like side kick Anise discover an ancient habit. Discovering she's been turned into a priest being seduced by a congregant, Monica must talk her way out of the sticky situation while saving the convent. - spec sitcom pilot. Sister Act meets Quantum Leap.
Gangsta Crime A spec pilot - Southland meets Precious. A character driven police procedural about life with the gangs. Based on work done with the gangs in prison. When newbie cop Joel discovers a drive by shooting that kills a step-father, he realizes that emotionally he's not as far from the gang kids as he would like to think. Won Talentville competition and Writers Boot Camp Fellowship.
Lightning and Fire Drama ⋄ Historical Young Deborah (Judges 4 & 5) must convince the stubborn Hebrews to follow her into battle against the powerful King Jabin, the Canaanite while fighting for the love of Barak, her captain, against the feelings he has for Yael, the wife of Heber, who, with her tent pin, destroys the Canaanite general, Sisera.

View all 13 loglines

Credits

Against Her Will (2015)
TV Movie by True North Press writer A rebellious teen is thrown into a psychiatric ward by her manipulative parents and her struggle to overcome -- based on my experiences as a psych nurse.
Schoooled (2013)
Television by Robert J. Locke (Comedy) Writer
Where You Are (2013)
Film (short) by Hannah Lux Davis (Adventure, Comedy, Music and Romance) Actress
Safer Sex for Seniors (2012)
Film (short) by Chris Riess Actress Video dramatizing the need for condom use among seniors.
The Book of Poisons (2012)
Documentary by Writer's Digest writer Poison help for writers who want to kill their victims properly by an RN
Promises Maid (2012)
Film (short) by Just Us Productions writer
The Unborn (2011)
Film (short) by Pupperazzi Productions/Sam Benavides writer/producer/actor
Suit Coat (2006)
Film (short) by Tom Madigan (Drama and Thriller) Producer A homesick young man is so lonely he accepts an invitation to lunch from a quirky stranger and finds himself locked in the house with a mad man.
The Forensic Nruse (2004)
Documentary by St Martin's Press writer Law enforcement's new helper - the forensic nurse - true cases - basis for the spec series The Silent Language
Champagne For Two (2002)
Video by Warner Home Video wirter
Cagney & Lacey Prequel (2001)
Drama by Dell Publishing writer Who were Cagney and Lacey before they became detectives on the famous show? This is the prequel to their stories where I was hired by the studio to create it
Red Sea, Dead Sea (1990)
Series by St Martin's Press writer She's everyone's favorite grandmother -but she rides a Harley, carries an iron in her suitcase to steam open letters, rope to slide down from a 2nd story escape - and she solves crimes at the same time. Part of a book series - The spec pilot Golden Murders is the basis
Shades of Love: Moonlight Flight (1988)
TV Movie by Jim Kaufman Writer The story of a woman lured from the dullness and predictability of her career by a man of strength and vision.
Shades of Love: Lilac Dream (1987)
Video by Marc F. Voizard (Drama and Romance) Writer The story of a young woman alone on an island and a young man washed ashore from a shipwreck. She nurses him back to health, falling in love with him along the way.
books - too many to mention all (1983)
Series by many publishers writer
The Ultimate Writers Workbook For Books and Scripts
Documentary by Motivational Press writer A workbook for writers on major aspects of story and the difference between books and scripts based on my teaching at various universities and awards

View all 16 credits

Awards

The Master's Will - script/book writer - historical - Hollywood &Vine Festival
(2015)
Gangsta - Urban TV spec pilot - Talentville Top and Writer's Boot Camp Award
(2014)
Match Made In Heaven - Beverly Hills Film Festival - Script award
(2013)
Univ of Ill College of Nursing - for contribution to nursing in form of book Forensic Nurse
(2013)
Lightning and Fire - book/script - Geller and Kairos - semi finailist
(2013)
Flip Kids - finalist International Family Film Festival Script
(2013)
Remi Award - Houston Film Fest - Best Social Consciousness Award for Unborn
(2012)
Shorts International for The Unborn
(2012)
Match Made In Heaven- official script selection of the Beverly Hills Film Festival for
(2012)
Murder Me Twice - official selection of SF Film Festival, best at Cinema City International Film Fest (2009)
(2012)
Golden Murders -spec pilot - Geller and Broad Humor - based on her Fanny Zindel mystery series
(2012)
Mother In Law - Finalist Geller, Broad Humor Festival, Cinema Citiy
(2010)
Guilty Prey - a vampire romantic comedy writer
(2006)
Unholy Alliance - Best Book for the Reluctant Reader - Amer Lib Assoc
(2004)
The Big - writer - short on Biggie, the rapper
(2001)