To Have and to Hold, to Love and to Kill: An Agreement of Souls
GENRE
THRILLER
Core Theme
DESTINY, GUILT, ACCOUNTABILITY
TIME PERIOD
Contemporary
COMPARABLE TITLES
N/A
CHARACTER LIST
• NIKKI (F/20S) — LEAD. COMPASSIONATE, PERSEVERANT, HUMBLE.
• KEN (M/20S) — SUPPORTING. THE NOBLE, SELFLESS MENTOR TO NIKKI IN RECOVERY, LATER REVEALED TO BE THE VENGEFUL REINCARNATE OF AN ILL-FATED BOY IN A PAST LIFE.
• MELISSA (F/40S) — SUPPORTING. PSYCHIC SHOP OWNER WHO TAKES NIKKI IN UNDER HER WING
AND BECOMES A CLOSE ALLY AND TEACHER.
• WANDA (F/20S) — SUPPORTING. THE FORMER OWNER OF THE PSYCHIC SHOP WHOSE SPIRIT STILL REMAINS AND WHO IS LATER REVEALED TO BE THE REINCARNATED MOTHER OF THE AFOREMENTIONED ILL-FATED BOY.
• HADEON (M/20S) — SUPPORTING. A MENTALLY-DERANGED LONER AND DRIFTER WITH AN OVERWHELMING COMPULSION TO KILL NIKKI AS A RESULT OF A PACT MADE IN A PAST LIFE; THE REINCARNATED VERSION OF NIKKI’S SOULMATE.
• JANICE (F/50S) — SMALL SUPPORTING. NIKKI’S LOW-DWELLING MOTHER CURRENTLY IN PRISON.
Logline
What if you found out your entire life was predetermined by an agreement that you made on another plane of existence? What if you agreed to kill? This is a story of two soul mates who made an agreement out of desperation and have found themselves in a deadly game of cat and mouse.
Target Audiences
Age: 35-54
Target Gender: Female leaning
Setting
Any town/any city
Based on a True Story
No
Publishing Details
Status: Yes: with a Publisher
Publisher: Black Rose Writing
Year Published: 2023
Starting Description
In her past life, after causing the death of a little boy, Nikki was so devastated that her soul mate promised to murder her in their next life. Now an addict in recovery, Nikki finds out that someone is destined to kill her, and he is watching, his passion for killing her growing each day.
Ending Description
The author has not yet written this
Group Specific
Information not completed
Hard Copy Available
No
ISBN
9781685133429
Mature Audience Themes
Information not completed
Plot - Other Elements
Philosophical Questions, Twist
Plot - Premise
Internal Journey/Rebirth
Main Character Details
Name: Nikki
Age: 25
Gender: Female
Role: Emotional
Key Traits: Perseverance, Engaging, Desperate, Complex
Additional Character Details
Name: Hadeon
Age: 25
Gender: 25
Role: Antagonist
Key Traits: Complex, Educated, Manipulative, Leader, Outspoken
Additional Character Details
Name: Melissa
Age: 60
Gender: Female
Role: Sidekick
Key Traits: Adventurous, Confident, Empathetic, Gracious, Leader, Selfless, Extraordinary Powers and Abilities
Additional Character Details
Name: Ken
Age: 25
Gender: Male
Role: Antagonist
Key Traits: Complex, Educated, Manipulative, Leader, Outspoken
Genre
FANTASY, SUSPENSE
Brief
After Julie kills herself and a young boy in a car accident, she reunites with her soulmate and makes him promise to make her suffer in her next life. Nikki has lived a life filled with drugs, abuse and prostitution before she goes into recovery with the help of a new friend, Ken. After her mother is murdered in prison, her dreams lead her to learn that her soulmate is trying to kill her because of mistakes in a past life. Haedon, her reincarnated soulmate, and Nikki are killed by Ken, the reincarnated soul of the young boy Juliet killed in her past life.
Overall Rating
GOOD
Narrative Elements
Authors Writing Style: GOOD
Characterization: GOOD
Commerciality: GOOD
Franchise Potential: GOOD
Pace: EXCELLENT
Premise: GOOD
Structure: EXCELLENT
Theme: GOOD
Accuracy of Book Profile
The book profile is very accurate to the storyline.
Draw of Story
The story begins with a horrible accident that was explained with creative storytelling. It is a fatal accident which is explored from different viewpoints. There is an emotional start to the story because we see a young child has been killed, his mother blissfully unaware and then witness her reaction. While this is happening, Julie reunites with her soulmate as she watches the destruction she has caused. The audience is also able to see that the young boy reunites with his father, who died earlier. There are many heartbreaking moments that draw the audience in.
Possible Drawbacks
The writing towards the end of the book was not as strong as the beginning. It felt rushed as did the plot. There was a twist towards the end after the supposed resolution between Haedon and Nikki where Ken is revealed to be the actual killer and reincarnation of the child Nikki killed in her past life. Theresa’s involvement in the final reveal feels like an afterthought to incorporate that character. This did not feel cohesive with the rest of the story.
Use of Special Effects
THE STORY RELIES A LITTLE BIT ON SPECIAL EFFECTS
Primary Hook of Story
The hook is Nikki has to contend with the decisions she made during her past life so that she isn’t murdered in her current life. I would watch this movie because the plot is creative and interesting. This story would work best as a television show.
Fanbase Potential
This could have a decent sized fanbase, perhaps not large because of the paranormal topic. Sometimes the paranormal is considered kitschy and melodramatic. There is room to make the story darker, edgier and more modern.
Awards Potential
I do not see this having awards potential with any major film or television awards.
Envisioned Budget
MEDIUM BUDGET
Similar Films/TV Series
THE MOVIES OR TV SHOWS THAT ARE SIMILAR ARE ALTERED CARBON, GHOST WHISPERER, OA AND DEAD AGAIN.
What’s New About the Story
The story is original because it deals with reincarnation in a more interactive way. The characters have a working knowledge of their past lives at certain points which drives the plot forward. A part of the story that could be made more unique is how Nikki becomes aware of her past life. She begins working at a psychic shop that is a bit stereotypical. This is very kitschy ,but could be modernized for audiences possibly with the addition of technology and science.
Lead Characters
Nikki isn’t a very unique character. Her personality, circumstances and actions aren’t anything the audience hasn’t seen before.
Uniqueness of Story
This is not a rare gem but does have enough unique qualities to make it a compelling story. It feels like a small town story that could easily tip into the wholesome category of Hallmark/ Lifetime movies which doesn’t always appeal to wider audiences. Since this can be categorized as science fiction, it definitely has room to be edgier and more sophisticated with a time period change with a connection to technology.
Possible Formats
TV Series: Network, Cable, Limited Run / Mini-Series, Streaming
Analyst Recommendation
CONSIDER
Justification
This is a consideration because as is, the story has enough material to move forward. The story does have room to be developed in a more commercial way that will appeal to a wider audience. Even though it is a drama, the stakes don’t feel high. The relationship between the soulmates could be explored through flashbacks. They, briefly, speak on the many lifetimes they have lived together and the many experiences. There could be a stunning love story in there if developed that can run through many seasons of a show, similar to Outlander.
Brief
Guilt-stricken after a tragic accident, a woman forces her soulmate to vow to kill her after they are reincarnated into their next life. Years later, we meet NIKKI, a recovering drug addict trying her best to begin a new life. However, she soon finds herself hunted by a menacing stranger. With the help of a benevolent psychic, Nikki becomes privy to her past life. With that, she must confront her guilt, while bracing for the imminent attack from a bloodthirsty killer.
What We Liked
TO HAVE AND TO HOLD, TO LOVE AND TO KILL stands out for its unique take on reincarnation and spirituality— The author weaves fascinating metaphysical concepts into her narrative while at the same time wielding them as powerful storytelling devices in service of classic, pulse-pounding, edge-of-you-seat style thrills. This work is anchored by its highly sympathetic lead— Nikki is down-and-out while still embodying a sense of humility and grace and good will. Conversely, starring opposite Nikki is a terrifying predator, Hadeon, who is almost just as much a creature as he is a man. This dynamic brings to mind THE TERMINATOR, in the sense that the lead is so scrappy and vulnerable while the antagonist is so terrifying and indomitable. This is a formidable one-two punch that demands to be seen on the big screen.
Film: This would be a superb candidate for adaptation to the big screen in that it contains many of the hallmarks of a classic big screen thriller. Featuring a highly endearing lead, a truly skin-crawling predator of a villain, and a unique mythology, this work has a number of different elements that bode well for its adaptation to the big screen. With a well-rounded supporting cast and a certain pressure-cooker of a build-up, this work promises to titillate its audience, while still being able to deliver its payoffs in spades.
TV: As much as I’d like to answer this question directly, one has to admit that this work would be much better as a feature film adaptation in that the author employs a less-is- more approach to her narrative construct. TO HAVE AND TO HOLD, TO LOVE AND TO KILL is a kind of knockout punch, single-sitting novella— Less than 200 pages with a gigantic text size, to boot. To expand this work into a season of TV would in some ways be a disservice to the author’s commitment to economy of word and time. If anything, as far as the small screen goes, it would only make sense to adapt this as TV movie. But more on this works bells and whistles and big screen prospects to come—
Key points:
The Villain — Hadeon is astoundingly creepy and intimidating, a terrifying force of nature hounding after our hero(es).
The Metaphysics — An interesting experience to learn and to awaken alongside Nikki.
The Lead — Nikki is easy to care about and root for thanks to her humility and instinct to do the right thing.
The Allies — This work has a series of strong supporting characters, effectively forming a team around Nikki.
The Build-Up — Watching Hadeon get closer and closer to his prey is prime edge-of- your-seat style storytelling.
Synopsis
We open on the scene of a horrific car accident-- Alcoholic schoolteacher Julietta "JULIE" Viola strikes her student JIMMY, sending his small body flying. Kenny's mother VICKY is not far, and she is quick to recover his body, quickly realizing he's dead. As an enraged Vicky is pulled away from Julie by first responders, Julie is visited by her soulmate JAMES, in a blast of blinding light. They are soulmates across all time, being reincarnated over and over again in tandem across the ages. Overwhelmed with guilt, Julie condemns herself to be punished in her next life, forcing James to promise to kill her in their next life...
Years later, we meet NIKKI, a down-and-out, former sex worker in her 20s. With the guidance and support of kind-hearted KEN, Nikki is just beginning her sobriety journey, attending NA meetings and all. Nikki comes from a difficult past and home life-- Her father is dead, while her mother JANICE is in prison. Nikki visits her mother there, and she always feels guilty about the past, blaming herself for her mother's incarceration.
On the way out, Nikki has a peculiar encounter, locking eyes with a strange man with golden-colored eyes. Soon, Nikki gets a job at a psychic shop, working under the owner MELISSA, who inherited the shop from a sage woman named WANDA. As Nikki establishes a routine, she is haunted by terrifying nightmares where a stranger is stalking and seeking to murder her. Soon, Nikki gets a call-- Something has happened to her mother. She races to the prison, where the warden breaks the news that her mother has been murdered, her neck broken and her dead body stuffed into a laundry machine. Nikki continues to have horrible nightmares, including one where a stranger tells her: "You can't hide from me forever." We soon meet HADEON, a mentally-deranged drifter and prowler who murdered Nikki's mother and who is hell-bent on one mission: To kill Nikki.
In the psychic shop, Melissa teaches Nikki about auras and metaphysics. Soon, Melissa reveals that the former owner Wanda is still with them, in a way, and Wanda's spirit soon takes over Melissa's body in order to commune with Nikki-- Wanda teaches Nikki about the cycles of life and encourages her that her third eye is waking up. Wanda insists that Nikki is holding onto something from the past and that she needs to forgive herself in order to heal and let go. All the while, Nikki and THERESA, an ally from the prison, further develop a rapport and friendship. While Hadeon continues his prowl, even sniffing the air like some kind of feral beast, Nikki begins to remember her past life: Indeed, Nikki was Julie in her past life, and Nikki becomes privy to the horrible accident that killed the young boy. Nikki struggles with guilt over the tragic events in her past life, and she becomes wise to the contract-- That her soulmate must kill her in this new life as a form of misguided penance. Nikki clues in her allies-- Ken, Melissa, and Theresa to the looming threat. Together, they brace for the turbulent future to come, as Hadeon continues his encroachment, even visiting the psychic shop in disguise.
Nikki and co. devise a plan to trap Hadeon and convince him to abandon his mission to kill Nikki. However, Hadeon is able to kidnap Nikki before they can get to him. Almost salivating as he prepares to kill her, Hadeon tells of his horrible nightmare visions that compel him to kill her. However, none other than Wanda intervenes-- An invisible force knocking Hadeon off his feet. Soon after, Ken and Melissa arrive with a gun and take control of Hadeon. Soon, Wanda takes possession of Melissa's body, and the elder is able to convince Hadeon of the truth of the reincarnation and the misguided contract.
Eventually, Hadeon is convinced to stand down. He leaves them, ashamed...
Time passes, and Hadeon and Nikki pass each other in the street. Hadeon's mind is totally clear and calm now, and Nikki confesses to wanting to be with him-- Despite what they've been through, they are soulmates after all. But Hadeon's shame prevents him from accepting her. All the while, Theresa is overcome with a compulsion to kill Nikki, and Melissa realizes that Theresa is Hadeon's twin flame, a soul that was split in two, meaning Theresa is the backup plan if Hadeon was able to be called off of his mission!
However, before Theresa can shoot Nikki with Ken's gun, Wanda intervenes once again, delivering a fierce and ultimately fatal blow to Theresa, causing her to hit her head. Her soul leaves her body. With that, Ken reveals himself to have been wicked all along-- He is the reincarnated spirit of Kenny, the ill-fated boy in the past life, and he wants revenge! Ken also reveals that Wanda is his mom, reincarnated, all along! As Nikki and Hadeon hug, she shoots them, killing them both with the same bullet before disappearing into the night. A weary Melissa is left alone in the aftermath, petting her cat, wiping her tears, and bracing for whatever else the future will bring.