This Case and My Life: Ana Braunstein Turns Her Award-Winning Short Film Into a Book Series

Where did This Case and My Life come from?

This Case and My Life began as a screenplay. Ana Braunstein, author, screenwriter, filmmaker, and SAG-AFTRA actress, wrote, directed, and produced a short drama by that name in 2021, also taking one of its lead roles. According to Rich Books Magazine, the film won more than 80 festival awards. Braunstein later adapted the story into prose, expanding it into a four-book series.

The story

The central figure is Chris Roberts, a successful attorney who is used to controlling every room he walks into, including his marriage to Stacey and his affair with Bridget. In a single bad day his arrangement falls apart: his wife files for divorce and his girlfriend tells him she is pregnant. The rest of the first book follows the fallout from several points of view, so the women around Chris, including his longtime assistant Kathy, get arcs of their own instead of serving as background to his crisis.

Literary Titan reviewed the first book in July 2026 and gave it four stars. Its reviewer singled out the cinematic construction, built from phone calls, entrances and confrontations, and found Stacey's move toward independence the most satisfying thread. That screen DNA is no surprise given the source. The first volume is short, listed at 64 pages, which makes it closer to a novella that can be read in a sitting.

The series

Braunstein has continued the story in three more books:

1. This Case and My Life
2. This Case and My Life: A Novel Sequel Two, independently published on August 9, 2026 and filed as romantic comedy (listing)
3. This Case and My Life: A Walk in the Park
4. This Case and My Life: Christmas Is Here, the fourth book, out in October 2026

With the fourth title released, the full sequence can now be read from start to finish. The shift in labeling from drama to romantic comedy across the series suggests the tone lightens as the characters rebuild, though readers should check each book's description before buying.

Why this path matters for indie creators

Film-to-book adaptations usually run the other way, with a novel optioned for the screen. Braunstein's route, taking a festival short with a proven audience and expanding it into serialized fiction, is a useful model for screenwriters who own their material outright. A short film has a limited run; a book series can stay on sale indefinitely, and festival laurels give a debut author something concrete to put in front of readers. The film's cast list, with Mark Karten as Chris, Claire Waterhouse as Bridget and Monica Phillips as Stacey, also gives readers faces to attach to the characters if they seek out the short.

Who it suits

Readers who like relationship dramas told quickly, stories about starting over after betrayal, and fiction with the rhythm of a screenplay are the natural audience. Readers who prefer long, slow literary novels may find the first volume brief.

Book details

• Series: This Case and My Life (four books)
• Author: Ana Braunstein
• Publisher: independently published
• Book two ISBN: 9798190846584
• First book ASIN: B0GZ6DVDVB