A (Dead) Thing Like Me

A (Dead) Thing Like Me is a lyrical, genre-bending YA novel that blends horror, fantasy and dark comedy. 

Meet Hot Dog, a teenage ghost in love with life — especially junk food. When a grieving, 18-year-old artist accidentally summons her via Ouija board, Hot Dog thinks she has her chance to become a real, living human girl. But she isn’t the only creature haunting the teen’s house, whose secret room can barely contain an entity that threatens to unmake them both. 

Mark your calendars for August 18, 2026, when A (Dead) Thing Like Me releases from Holiday House! 

What you’ll find in A (Dead) Thing Like Me:

  • a hungry ghost who just wants a hot dog

  • hot dogs (but will our ghost ever get one?) 

  • magical memories in bottles 

  • a hot demon 

  • art as an outlet for grief

  • a demon snake that wishes he was a horse

  • best friendships

  • offbeat humor

  • scary moments with Needle Finger Ghost Eater

  • yearning for life

How I write with my voice

I have hypermobile spectrum disorder, which means typing, or even writing by hand, can be painful.

But Hot Dog kept showing up for me. She was so insistent — and so much fun to spend time with —  I figured out new ways to write. I taught myself dictation (speech to text software) and literally spoke a first draft into existence. Now this is how I write all my books, and I actually think writing by voice has made my style stronger.