Sweta Patel teaches high schoolers who face challenges including chronic absences and substance use. She has a master’s degree in English education from Florida State University. Connecting with and re-engaging students who have experienced school failure brings her joy. She hopes Rory’s story will surprise and touch readers the same way it did her students. She lives in Rochester, Minnesota, with her husband and two children. Should’ve Been Dead is her first book. Rory Londer felt the flip of a switch inside when he tried crack cocaine for the first time. He knew he needed more. For nearly two decades, he chased after this love. Even if it meant couch hopping, living out of motels and his car, or worse, wandering the streets. When he was ready to turn things around, feelings of failure and shame weighed him down. He encountered people in his life who lifted him and gave him a sense of worth. He has given back to the recovery community ever since. ​He's real, raw, honest, and straight-forward. His words will echo loudly if you're affected by addiction, sitting in self-pity, or paralyzed by fear. His words will move you to act.