wayward ghosts, a bureaucratic afterlife, and a brand new world

Introducing the Department of Hauntings & Spirits.

About a year ago while I was in New York for a book event, I met up with my agent for lunch. We were talking about what projects I wanted to explore after the Lovelight series concluded, and I distinctly remember taking a bite of my burger and saying, “I think I want to write about ghosts.”

“Hm,” she said.

Reader, I took that ‘hm’ and ran with it.

I started drafting GOOD SPIRITS in the early spring of 2024. At the time, it was called IN GOOD SPIRITS, and my plan for the series was a book for the Ghost of Christmas PAST, PRESENT, and FUTURE to each have a book. But as I started building the world and my version of the afterlife began to take shape, I realized there was so much more I wanted to explore. And so, the Department of Hauntings and Spirits was born—the bureaucratic afterlife where our ghosts are employed, and where we’ll be spending our time for this series.

Holiday Spirits. Poltergeists. Grim Reapers. Possessions. These are some of the offices within the Department. In GOOD SPIRITS, we’ll get a peak at the office of Holiday Spirits, but we’ll see a few others, too.

(And if you haven’t yet realized that GOOD SPIRITS is a ghostly pun, well. Now feels like a good time to point that out to you.)

Nolan is a deeply lonely man, hardened by a century of haunting the very worst people. And Harriet, despite her circumstances, is the human embodiment of looking on the bright side. Writing a love story between a ghost and a mortal had it’s challenges (don’t worry, there is absolutely a happy ending), but it also allowed me a creative freedom I haven’t found within contemporary. I love these characters, and I hope you do, too.

Fun little things before I go:

- When you preorder GOOD SPIRITS from East City, you’ll get a bunch of fun things like character tarot cards and a stunning art print. You can check out the details on my Instagram, and place your preorder here.

- Barnes & Noble is currently hosting a 25% off sale on all preorders. Ordering a future book from the past version of yourself is something the Ghost of Christmas Past would really enjoy.

Talk soon, okay?

All my love.

Becs