Contact Jo-Ann 'Jody' Wilhelm for Press Inquiries
"LETTERS TO STEPHANIE" Concept Video
LETTERS TO STEPHANIE
GENRE: Drama, Family, Inspirational
LOGLINE: True Story: Society forces a man and woman to release their daughter for adoption. They and a grieving grandmother are permitted to write letters without identifiable information for the adoption file. Believing in miracles, the grandmother writes clues.
SC AUTHOR DEBUTS 1st SCRIPT BASED ON HER TRUE STORY & WINS 11 TOP AND SEVEN FINALIST AND SELECTED AWARDS AT U.S. FILM FESTIVALS. NOW SCREENWRITER JO-ANN “JODY” BIERER WILHELM WANTS TO TURN HER STORY INTO A MOVIE!
MEDIA CONTACTS: Mary E. Regan, ProPublicist, Mary@ProPublicist.com, Cell (843) 730-1180
or Jo-Ann “Jody” Wilhelm, jodywilhelm9@gmail.com, Cell (843) 425-2724, www.LenoraLivingston.com
(Summerville, SC – Dec. 9, 2019): A Summerville, SC novelist’s adoption story is ready for Hollywood to make her incredible story into a feature length film, made-for-T.V. movie, or documentary. In fact, this screenwriter keeps winning “Best Screenplay” awards and recently won for Best Short Script/Any Genre at the South Carolina Underground Film Festival (“SCUFF”) on Nov. 10 in North Charleston (during November’s “National Adoption Awareness Month”).
Under the pen name, Lenora Livingston, Jody wrote, Where’s Stephanie? A Story of Love, Faith, and Courage, as a novella which revolves around Jody placing clues in Social Services files in the hopes her granddaughter--who was placed for adoption--will follow those clues and find her. Flashbacks of rape make her face her fears and follow the dreams the rapist stole from her.
Jody used her real name to write the screenplay first, Letters to Stephanie as she visualized the story like a movie in fast-forward. So far, she has won over 11 top and 7 Finalist and Selected “Best Screenplay” awards at various U.S. Film Festivals during this past year. A model since age 50, Wilhelm is represented by Millie Lewis Models & Talent. Jody says this proves it is never too late to follow one’s dreams. This unique, inspirational story teaches others how to be brave, stop being a victim, face one’s fears, follow your dreams, and be a survivor. She says she never dreamed she would become a writer, let alone win so many awards.
“It’s so exciting, seeing all of this come to fruition. Now all we need is for investors to complete it and make the film for T.V. or the big screen a reality.” Wilhelm added she always knew without a doubt that she was meant to write this story as both a book and a screenplay because when this “greatest miracle of my life” evolved before her eyes, she visualized it in a matter of seconds, like a movie in fast-forward.
Wilhelm recently produced a concept trailer to court the media, investors, and entertainment industry. Summerville Journal Scene Arts & Culture Columnist, Mary E. Regan, is on board as her Publicist. Jody’s longtime friend, Suzanne Manseau Green, Owner of Millie Lewis Models & Talent, serves as her Agent. Green will soon approach New York and Hollywood agents, investors, film production companies, directors, and actors to try to get this story produced as a film.
Suzanne is incredulous about this whole journey.
“Jody’s story is a real warm-your-heart, unforgettable tale. It’s the kind of award-winning script which ought to be on the screen right now!” Green said.
Jody’s former writing instructor at the Screen Actors Guild Conservatory in New York City, Playwright Mark Weston once wrote, “Betcha there’s a screenplay or a T.V. special in this one.”
Press Coverage includes:
12/4/19: WOLO-TV, Ch. 25 (ABC)/Columbia, SC: https://www.abccolumbia.com/2019/12/04/south-carolina-author-jo-ann-jody-bierer-wilhelm-stops-by-good-morning-columbia/?fbclid=IwAR2I81eLWkmoovKN5gz23vDGp5rJcG7PCoVd6vZqJGihFizUQy9Ryw9Mr-w
11/28/19: WWDBTV.com, Corey Taylor Talks show, Las Vegas, NV: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WI8QZfLA0vQ&feature=youtu.be
11/20/19 Fox 24 Charleston, SC: https://bit.ly/35GQsA3
11/15/19 Summerville Journal Scene: https://bit.ly/2sdjCsb
About the Author: Retired educator, Jody Wilhelm, earned her BA and MAT degrees from the University of South Carolina and continued post master’s studies at The Citadel. She previously wrote a history book. As a freelance writer, she has written numerous articles for various publications. For More Information (such as her Bio, headshot, synopsis, log line, concept trailer, Film Festival Awards & Nominations List, other photos, etc., see: www.LenoraLivingston.com. The book, Where’s Stephanie? A Story of Love, Faith, and Courage is available in paperback, in Kindle through Amazon, Audiotape through Audible, iTunes, and Amazon; in a First Edition/Limited hard copy with book jacket or in paperback via AbeBooks.com. Jody is both a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers and the South Carolina Writer’s Workshop. She and her husband Werner live in Summerville, SC.
Adoption Stats: Nationally, there are over 107,000 foster children eligible for and waiting to be adopted. In 2014, 50,644 foster kids were adopted — a number that has been consistent for the past five years. The average age of a waiting child is 7.7 years old and 29% of them will spend at least three years in foster care. FMI: https://adoptionnetwork.com/adoption-statistics - RE: Reunification--many adopted persons feel it is important for them to find out the answer to why their birth mother left them and what were the factors around their adoption. Many express the need to find that part of themselves that has, up until now, been denied to them. Adopted persons also have expressed that perhaps they do not “have the right” to upset their mother’s lives (but that) one has the right to seek one’s natural family as well as the right to know who you are.
Jo-Ann Wilhelm
Jo-Ann "Jody" Bierer Wilhelm
Jo-Ann studied writing for free under the original Brylcreem man, the late Playwright Mark Weston at the Screen Actors Guild Conservatory in New York City. His advice, "Write with feelings. If you feel it, your readers will feel it too," has really paid off. Her emotionally charged feature script/screenplay "Letters to Stephanie" and her short script "The Ultimate Gift", which is the first one-third of her feature script, together have won twenty awards at film festivals, including twelve top wins, plus eight Finalist, Semi-Finalist and Selected awards, of which the outcome of three of them will be determined at the festivals that have been postponed due to the COVID-19 virus.
Tara and her mother invite Anna to hold Stephanie before she is placed for adoption. To Anna, losing Stephanie is like a death without a funeral.
Ian was engaged when he finds out his former girlfriend,Tara, is pregnant with his child. He has to choose between his fiancee and his child. He is denied custody of his daughter Stephanie.
Anna asks to adopt Stephanie, but grandparents have no rights. She can put a letter without any identifiable information in it in Stephanie's file. She puts clues in it, hoping Stephanie will follow the clues and find her.
The Ultimate Gift - Claire and Mike, who wanted a baby for ten years, adopt a baby girl who they name Sadie. Sadie could not have been given a better home.
Anna's flashbacks of being raped as a child make her realize that all of her life's decisions were made because of the fear the rapist had instilled in her.
Separated by 100 miles, divine intervention often connects Anna and Sadie. One time, Anna watches children line dancing, not realizing one was Stephanie
Anna faces her fears and captures the dreams that the rapist stole from her 37 years earlier. At age fifty she follows her life long dream of being a model.
As Anna grows older, she writes Social Services to see if there is some way she can leave Stephanie something in her will.