Humanity is going to Hell.
Steven Winkelstein · Book 1 of a planned trilogy
The Pitch, Before the Coffee Gets Cold
When God is knocked into a coma by a giant box of frosted cornflakes, all Hell literally breaks loose. In the spiritually over-caffeinated bubble of Boulder, Colorado, an atheist barista named Slinger finds himself at the center of a demonic invasion. With the help of his coffee shop friends and his hippie crush, he’s dragged into a divine mess involving ancient forces, heavenly bureaucratic dysfunction, and the alarming possibility that, unless he does something, humanity is going to Hell.
The story splits between two worlds: upstairs, the celestial bureaucracy of Heaven scrambling without its CEO; downstairs, a Boulder coffee shop where the apocalypse is starting between espresso pulls. Both sides are a complete mess.
100% human-written. No AI was consulted, harmed, or even politely asked. Every joke in this book was typed by actual fingers, most of them Steven’s.
Paperback $15.99 (ISBN 979-8-9947925-1-3)
Ebook $3.99 (ASIN B0H7Q353F2)
Steven Winkelstein
Steven Winkelstein is the award-winning author of ten children’s books, including a Kirkus-recommended Amazon bestseller. The Day God Got Amnesia is his adult fiction debut. He lives in Chicago.
Steven Winkelstein is a writer and product designer originally from New Jersey, now based in Chicago. In a past life, he wrote ten children’s books, including an award-winning title and a Kirkus-recommended book. These days, he writes fiction that weaponizes absurdity, heart, and humor of questionable morality. As a gay writer who has traveled the world in search of inspiration, adventure, and a decent cup of coffee, he now channels those experiences into stories about strange people, stranger forces, and the beautifully unhinged experience of being alive.
Five Ways Into the Story (Choose Your Door)
Questions Steven Is Good At Answering
- 1.God gets knocked out by a giant box of frosted cornflakes on page one. Where did that image come from?
- 2.Your last acclaimed book was about Holocaust survival. This one is a profane comedy about the apocalypse. What happened?
- 3.The book splits between Heaven’s bureaucracy and a Boulder coffee shop. Why those two worlds?
- 4.You started this book in a Boulder coffee shop almost twenty years ago. Why did this story refuse to let go?
- 5.Slinger is a gay atheist barista, and you wrote him years before you came out. What did the character know that you didn’t?
- 6.Heaven in this book runs like a dysfunctional office. Which celestial coworker was the most fun to write?
- 7.The book makes fun of religion, but you call yourself deeply spiritual. Where is the line?
- 8.How does Jewish humor shape the comedy in this book?
- 9.In the novel, a sixth Flatiron appears above Boulder and it is bad news. What is it about Boulder?
- 10.This is Book 1 of a trilogy and it ends on a cliffhanger. What can you tell us about what’s next?
The complete advance reader copy, and a one-chapter preview, are available to press and reviewers on request. Contact Kyle Ankney at kyle@kyleankney.com.
What the Reviewers Said
Launch Night in Boulder
High-resolution cover art, author headshots, and the Sarcastic Crow Press logo are available for download.
