Perfect Place to Die

Coming Up with a Character: Behind the Scenes on The Perfect Place to Die

We’re coming up on a month to go until THE PERFECT PLACE TO DIE comes out. Yesterday I got my author copies, and the book looks fantastic. The cover really pops, and the illustrations I commissioned turned out really nicely, as well. (They’re floor plans of the infamous Murder Castle.) Seeing the starred review from Booklist on there definitely gives me warm fuzzies. It’s in paperback, not hardcover, so it’ll be gentle on your wallet, as well. Now I need to figure out what to do with 25 copies of the book. I imagine I’ll hold onto them to give

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THE PERFECT PLACE TO DIE is a Junior Library Guild Pick

I got some good news last week when I heard the Junior Library Guild selected THE PERFECT PLACE TO DIE as one of their gold standard selections. Of course, I can already hear the question coming (What’s the Junior Library Guild?”), so allow me to explain. Think of the Junior Library Guild as a sort of book club for librarians. Each year, they read through a slew of books sent to them by publishers. Something along the lines of more than 5,000 each year. Of those, their team selects the books they feel are the best in a variety of

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The Perfect Place to Die: Cover Reveal!

When does it start to feel like publishing a book is going to become a reality? Definitely when the book finally has a cover. Before that, it all feels like a big abstract exercise. You work on editing and bounce ideas back and forth, but there’s something about seeing the cover all come together that makes everything click into place, right? People, I have a book coming out in August. How do I know? Because I’ve got a cover to prove it! THE PERFECT PLACE TO DIE is YA horror/thriller. So this is definitely not in the same vein as

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Revision Complete!

Yesterday I finished the sixth draft of THE PERFECT PLACE TO DIE. There was much rejoicing. It wasn’t a huge revision in the grand scheme of things, but it came at a very difficult time. Between the kids’ school starting back up, the university getting in gear again, the puppy, and general anxiety, it’s a tough time to force yourself to get creative. But I did, and I’m happy with how it turned out. (Now here’s hoping my editor is also happy . . .) Of course, I also realize that when I say “wasn’t a huge revision,” it might

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Writing Update

It’s been a while since I’ve posted an update on my various writing projects. No time like the present, right? Writing during social distancing was difficult for me. Not because it was trickier to write, but because it was a rough patch mentally. It’s hard to push through and get creative when I’m stressed about other things. That isn’t to say I didn’t write. I did, but there was more wheel spinning involved than I would have liked. However, I feel like I’m getting back in gear now that I’m returning to my normal work routine. (Though things at work

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