There’s nothing quite like a captivating opening sentence in a novel, and Grave Things Like Love by Sara Bennett Wealer has one that is sure to immediately capture your attention – “There’s a dead body in my house, and before the day is out there will be at least two more.” I haven’t stopped thinking about Grave Things Like Love since reading its first line, and I feel incredibly lucky I was asked to help reveal the book’s arresting cover exclusively on Pop! Goes The Reader today!
Please read on to learn more about Grave Things Like Love, including a special note from the author about the book’s origins and inspiration as well as an opportunity for three lucky readers to win copies of both Grave Things Like Love and Wealer’s previous novel, Now & When!
About Sara Bennett Wealer
I grew up in Manhattan, Kansas (the “Little Apple”), where I sang in all the choirs and wrote for my high school newspaper. I majored in voice performance at the University of Kansas before deciding I had no business making a career as an opera singer. I transferred to journalism school, where no one cares if you can hit a high C or convincingly play a Valkyrie, and became a reporter covering everything from house fires to Hollywood premieres.
These days, I write event scripts and marketing copy while the sun is out. By night, I write YA. My most recent book, Now & When is also available from Delacorte Press. I live in Cincinnati with my husband, two daughters, two dogs and four cats, and I still sing sometimes when my schedule allows. When I’m not writing, you’ll find me at the ballet, or obsessively watching ballet on Instagram and TikTok.
I got the idea for Grave Things Like Love on my very first job out of college. I was a newspaper reporter who loved writing features and had grown curious about a family-owned funeral home in one of the communities I covered. It was this beautiful big Victorian house, where the family lived above and the business ran on the lower floors. The owners were kind enough to let me hang out between covering city council meetings and other stories, and I’d planned to write a profile of them.
I wound up moving to a different city and job before I could accomplish that goal, but I always thought it would be fun to explore what being a teenager would be like in that kind of setting. I drafted the book in fits and starts over several years, until I finally found the voices of Elaine, Xander, Miles and their friends — as well as the voice of Flossie, the mysterious presence they discover during secret late-night ghost hunting sessions at Elaine’s family’s funeral home. Grave Things Like Love is a contemporary romance with a supernatural twist that explores how we find our own voices in a world that sometimes seems determined to speak for us.
Cover design by Angela Carlino, Cover art by David Seidman
Title Grave Things Like Love
Authors Sara Bennett Wealer
Target Audience Young Adult
Publication Date October 11th 2022 by Delacorte Press
Find It On Underlined
Elaine’s home is a bit…different. It’s a funeral home that has been in her family since the 1800s. Everyone assumes Elaine will take over the business someday — everybody except Elaine.
When Xander, a newcomer with a passion for ghost hunting, arrives in town, Elaine feels an instant spark. He’s daring and spontaneous. With Xander, she feels herself transforming from Funeral Girl to Fun Girl. But not everyone is thrilled to see her changing, least of all her childhood best friend, Miles.
After Xander convinces Elaine to ghost hunt at the funeral home, they discover a ghostly presence from the past. And this spirit has a message — one Elaine is certain can give her the advice she craves about what to do with her life and which boy deserves her heart.
As an exciting bonus, Sara has been kind enough to offer readers the chance to win one of three awesome prize packages featuring copies of both Now & When and Grave Things Like Love! This contest is limited to residents of the United States, and three winners will be chosen at random at the conclusion of the giveaway. Good luck!
One Response
Great looking cover. Can’t wait to read it!