A lot of you have probably read Alden Bell's fabulous southern-gothic zombie novel THE REAPERS ARE THE ANGELS (and if you haven't, buy it now...seriously), but you might not have been aware that he wrote a prequel, EXIT KINGDOM, recently.

Unfortunately, EXIT KINGDOM never saw US distribution and so is available only as a UK hardcover at the moment. In fact, this author has had trouble finding a US publisher for a third book, too, SOMEWHERE I HAVE NEVER TRAVELED, about ghosts in New York City.

I wrote up the whole messy saga in an article recently, and conducted an interview with the author. Check it out here if you're interested.

Suffice it to say, this guy should have no problem getting published. What is American publishing coming to??

Great article. I always like to read something more than just a review of a book or some marketing hype. Your article touches on the writer, the behind-the-scenes part of making books, and of course, gets me interested in tracking down a UK first edition.

Sucks that his books aren't finding the love here in the States. I've heard more than once that if a publisher can't find a perfect way to market it, they'd rather not deal with the book at all. Even if the book is a great one.

I really enjoyed REAPERS, and I guess I can understand why the publisher would want to label it YA. Maybe. But the line between YA and everything else is certainly blurry these days, so why does it matter? For this reader, I'm not sure how it's labeled would even matter. With so many purchases happening online, it's not like I'm missing out because it's shelved with teen books instead of science fiction or horror, so who cares? Just publish the thing already.