Cover of A Good Goodbye: Funeral Planning for Those Who Don't Plan to DieAlbuquerque, NM, November 20, 2011 — A Good Goodbye: Funeral Planning for Those Who Don’t Plan to Die by Gail Rubin (Light Tree Press, Albuquerque, NM) was recognized with the 2011 Best of Show Award by the New Mexico Book Awards. The book also won in the Family Issues category and was a finalist in four other categories.

“It was such a thrill to be recognized as Best of Show in a room full of New Mexico literary luminaries such as Max Evans, Rudolfo Anaya, Anne Hillerman, and so many other great writers,” said Rubin. “This award will help draw attention to the importance of having a conversation about the party that no one wants to plan.”

There were 37 New Mexico Book Award categories, with more than 200 entries from throughout the state and beyond.

A Good Goodbye was also a finalist in the Family & Relationships category of the 2010 national Book of the Year Awards from ForeWord Reviews.

With chapters named Over My Dead Body, I Got It At Costco, and It’s My Party and I’ll Die If I Want To, Rubin has overcome society’s last taboo with a book like no other – a great resource minus the morbidity! A Good Goodbye provides the information, inspiration and tools to plan and implement creative, meaningful and memorable end-of-life rituals for people and pets while taking the fear out of the subject of death.

Given the fact that only 24% of us pre-plan a funeral and less than 46% tell our family our final wishes – it’s evident we plan our finances, families and retirement, but rarely plan our funerals. Without end-of-life planning, all of life’s other plans can come undone.

A Good Goodbye: Funeral Planning for Those Who Don’t Plan to Die provides resources to help reduce family conflict, avoid stress at a time of grief, prepare directives, obituaries, eulogies, ethical wills, cards and thank-you notes, and save readers thousands of dollars in the process. Rubin also presents background on many religious traditions and creative non-religious rituals – especially helpful for interfaith families.

Rubin, a.k.a. “The Doyenne of Death,” speaks to groups on funeral planning issues using comedy films to lighten the conversation. A Certified Celebrant and event planner, Rubin has been interviewed on television affiliates of ABC, NBC, CBS and Fox, as well as on public radio. To arrange an interview, contact her at 505-265-7215 or email [email protected].

The print book is available on Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com, and AGoodGoodbye.com. It is also available as an e-book for Kindle, Nook, Sony Reader and iPad.

A Good Goodbye