Plus, two of the most outrageous requests he’s had from clients.
The Afterlife Confessional touches on the things you experienced as the Coffin Confessor. What thoughts and emotions were you experiencing while you crashed your first funeral?
On the way to the funeral I’d try and rehearse something as an opening line given I hadn’t come up with the name Coffin Confessor at that point in time, but when I sat with mourners my attention focused on the time as I was engaged to interrupt the funeral two minutes in after the best mate's eulogy had begun. By then I was sweating but once I stood up and started to speak, I was empowered by the deceased.
What is the most outrageous request you’ve had from a client?
There are two I can say off the top of my head. The first one was where I was engaged to pinprick the deceased body at a viewing as my client was petrified of being cremated alive. The other was to remove a sex dungeon from an 88-year-old man’s house as he was mortified his sons may find it and think the worst of him.
What have you learnt about life and death since becoming the Coffin Confessor?
To prepare for my death and the death of a loved one, and I don’t mean a funeral payment plan. I mean to discuss with those I love. What I want and what they may want when the time comes. And secondly to live and love life like there’s no tomorrow.
How has your life changed since your first book?
Whilst my life hasn’t changed dramatically, I’m delighted to read that it’s responsible for changing the lives of so many.
What is your biggest piece of life advice in light of your experiences?
Don’t live dying, die living.
We asked Michelle See-Tho 25 questions to learn more about her and her new book, Jade and Emerald.
We caught up with Sandie Docker, author and founder of the Northern Beaches Readers Festival, to learn about the event and what readers can expect.
We caught up with bestselling New Zealand authors Gareth and Louise Ward about their new book, The Bookshop Detectives.
Plus, find out which fictional world she’d like to live in and why you should befriend fellow writers.
Learn what a day in the life of a publicist at Penguin Random House looks like.
We caught up with Stephanie Wood to learn what it was like to watch her memoir become a series, plus her advice for creating healthy relationships.
Planet Ark’s new book, Now for the Good News, focuses on positive environmental initiatives to inspire future action.
Plus, why healthy habits require a whole-family approach.
Author Kirsty Greenwood shares why she wanted to write about the challenges of making friends as an adult, which parts of writing were most challenging, and what she hopes readers take away from the book.
Brooke Robinson shares her secrets to crafting an intriguing plotline, her love of research and how she winds down after a day of writing about high-stakes scenarios.
We caught up with the author to learn about her upcoming book, Only The Astronauts, why she chose to write about space and her unique narrative perspective.
Learn about Alex Michaelides’s new book, the real-life people who inspired his characters and how growing up in Cyprus contributed to the setting.