HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE SWEET DEAD LIFE

So once upon a time, my editor emailed my agent and said, "I have an idea."

And then he emailed me and said, "I have an idea."

And I said, "Yay!"

And he said, "Could you write a novel about a down on his family luck stoner dude who returns from a fatal car accident as his dying sister's guardian angel and solves a vast family mystery?"

And I said, "YES!"

And then I said, "I think this story takes place in Houston, Texas. In the suburbs. Where you can eat things like this:

And also kolaches, which look like this:

And then we both decided we would pitch this project as FALLEN meets VERONICA MARS meets PINEAPPLE EXPRESS.

Which was cool.

And eventually there was a cover and a title looked like this:

All from a brilliant and nimble publisher (headed by a brilliant woman named Bronwen Hruska) to whom I am very thankful-- called Soho Press, with a new imprint that looks like this:

And the story got bigger and fuller and became a paranormal mystery about love and family and siblings and poison and blackmail and things we do for the people we care about and the sometimes wasteland that is the suburbs and the battle between good and evil. And it was a Texas makeover of the angel story with a full and wonderful world that did not adhere to any particular faith tradition. Its angels were flawed and kinda cranky. Its narrator was a fourteen year old girl named Jenna whose brother became an A-word even if she didn't want him to. She was funny and smart and loving and sometimes bitter. She occasionally used colorful but justified language. And thought that people really shouldn't wear Crocs. Like ever. Plus there were cowboy boots and breakfast tacos. And kolaches.

And then my editor said, "Would you write the sequel, too?" Which I did. It's called THE A WORD. It also has a kick ass cover (to be revealed soon) and will be out in May 2014!

And people began reading early copies. After which they said things like this:

https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/joy-preble/sweet-dead-life/

And this:

http://foreveryoungadult.com/2013/05/13/my-so-called-dead-life

And this:

http://jakiblue.com.au/the-sweet-dead-life-joy-preble/

And then it was TODAY!

May 14th, 2013!

When I was finally able to say, HAPPY BIRTHDAY to THE SWEET DEAD LIFE!!