Valarie was born in Camden, South Carolina. She attended Columbia College and the University of South Carolina where she studied in Liberal Arts with a concentration in writing. Valarie moved to New York, then Los Angeles, supporting herself with acting roles, national commercial campaigns and exercising horses, while pursuing her writing career. Her first original screenplay, Have Mercy, led to working opportunities with Rob Reiner, Shirley MacLaine and Peter Bogdanovich when it was optioned by Barry Spikings at Castle Rock Entertainment. Her second original screenplay, _Virginia's Run_ , is a story based on her own horse-obsessed youth and titled in honor of her maternal grandmother, Virginia. The film was shot in Nova Scotia, starring Gabriel Byrne and Joanne Whalley. Virginia's Run is a recipient of the 2002 Crystal Heart Award for Best Dramatic Feature Film. Shoelace Productions and Disney hired Valarie to adapt two novels by autistic author Donna Williams into a screenplay titled Nobody Nowhere for Julia Roberts. Also, she adapted the Joyce Carol Oates play, 'The Eclipse', into a television movie for Cherry Alley Productions, Allianc Atlantis and CBS. Valarie wrote an original screenplay for Salma Hayek and Catch 23 Entertainment titled _Murphy's Law (2004)_ . And, is finishing her first novel, a "being-your-age" dark comedy, 'Dixie Youth'. She resides in California and South Carolina with her dogs, Mr. Spit and Possum.
|
