"Perfect Housewife" Kit

I have a thing about sending mail. I love it. I know where this quirk comes from. I grew up on a lonely stretch of road in a house that was equal parts terrifying and nurturing. My mom was a great cook, both parents encouraged my love of reading and my brain, my sister was the best companion, and at night, the monster came out. If you've read Unspeakable Things, you know a version of this story. Some nights, I was so scared I slept under my bed.

The thing that consistently soothed me growing up was getting mail: joy buzzers ordered from the back of Archie comics, Publishers Clearinghouse sweepstakes packets full of stamps that needed to be licked, Mad magazine, it didn't matter. When I saw the cloud of dust coming down the road telling me the mail carrier was coming, I felt relief. Mail meant someone knew I was out there. It meant there was a wider world, a place I could escape to when I grew up.

Escape I did, but to this day, I still feel that goofy, childhood relief when I receive packages. It turns out I feel even better when I send them. Shipping boxes of fun makes me feel connected, like I'm tossing out lifelines. Crazy, I know, but there you have it. And that's why I started sending out surprise grab bags every few months to newsletter subscribers. I put everything in them. Spam, books, candy, jewelry, a garlic peeler. It delights me. That delight inspired me to send out a 1980s kit with early copies of Unspeakable Things. It included '80s lipgloss, bracelets, scented pencils, and candy, all tucked inside an authentic 1980s Trapper Keeper. WOOT.

Well, now I'm obviously hooked. My next book, Bloodline, releases January 1. Publisher Weekly says, “Lourey ratchets up the suspense...[f]ans of Rosemary’s Baby will relish this,” and Kirkus Reviews writes, “Based on a true story, this is a sinister, suspenseful thriller full of creeping horror.” Guess what else? It's set in 1968. You know what that means! A "Perfect Housewife" kit! Yep, it's exactly as screwed up as it sounds. I've sent out over 60 of them and have five left (minus the early copy of the book), and maybe one of them has your name on it? To be entered to win, forward a copy of your Bloodline preorder receipt to jessicalourey@gmail.com before December 1, 2020.

p.s. As always, if you want to order a signed (and/or personalized) copy of any of my books, reach out to Once Upon a Crime, my fabulous local bookstore, and let them know. Preordering from them gets you two entries to win the "Perfect Housewife" kit.
p.s.s. Be well, please.

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