Cupcakes, Sales, and Cocktails - The Novella

Hello Peeps:

It's been a long year. A long year of writing and marketing and working. It's been a year filled with rejections and overwhelming acceptance. Many people said no. But more people said yes. Cupcakes, Lies, and Dead Guys, which was published by Krill Press in 2010, continues to entertain readers. I'm hard at work writing the next novel in the Cupcakes mystery series - Cupcakes, Pies, and Hot Guys.

In 2010, after my agent vanished into the ethers, I wrote a YA historical fantasy novel. It's a time travel thriller with romantical elements. (Thanks Ramona DeFelice Long for that word.) Now I'm querying again, waiting to hear back from agents and publishers for this story that I love. And waiting and waiting...

This might be the craziest time in publishing history. Instead of spiraling down that rabbit hole while I wonder what's going to happen with my new YA novel and when, I decided to end 2011 on a high note. I wrote and am self-pubbing Cupcakes, Sales, and Cocktails - The Novella.

The story takes up where the novel ended. It follows the dilemmas and debacles of the ghost yakking heroine with a pinch of psychic ability and a penchant for trouble -- Annie Graceland.

I'm pricing it at 99 cents. A BARGAIN! 

Description of Cupcakes, Sales, and Cocktails - The Novella: Annie Graceland’s a midwestern baker with a pinch of psychic ability that’s surviving a divorce while navigating the mean clean streets of L.A. When stressed, Annie’s psychic gift/curse kicks into high gear. She’s empathic; feels other people’s lusts, urges and desires in her own body. Not a problem if that someone’s craving chocolate or Kettle Chips. Definitely a problem if she’s haunted by a pesky ghost to solve their murder.

Annie’s friends push her to jumpstart her wardrobe as she re-enters the dating world. At Snotsky's Department Store Annie meets the most obnoxious clerk imaginable: Edith Flowers. When Edith’s murdered and doesn’t pass to the After-Life, Annie agrees to investigate and find her killer. She infiltrates the crew of Snotsky’s suspects. Was it the new manager, the archrival in Cocktail attire, the bra fitter? Will Annie solve the murder and find anything new to wear that she can afford?

Bonus: 1st chapter excerpt from Cupcakes, Pies, and Hot Guys! 

The waiting is almost over. Let the mayhem begin. Thank you for your patience. I'll update you in the next couple of days with Amazon and Nook links.

~ Now go read a good book and tell someone you love about it! ~

xoxo,

Pamela DuMond

The Power of Pole Dancing

The other day my too cute for words and knows it cat, Lola, decided to try climbing up a lamp pole, stretch, and stick her head next to the light bulb.

Although I was on the phone with a friend at the time, I wasn't going to miss this opportunity, grabbed my flip camera and filmed the events. I couldn't narrate the video but instead, oh-so-delicately snorted in the background.

I posted it on youtube. In less than twelve hours I had 147 hits. Mind you, it took me a month to get 154 hits on my Book Trailer. (Although, nearly 500 Book Trailer hits were on another site.)

But here's the funniest part. Today I was followed on Twitter by....

The Pole Vault

@polevaultdenver Denver, CO

Workout with our professional pole dancers in their exclusive pole fitness classes or book a pole dancing party out of the studio.

http://polefitnessdenver.com/

And this my friends is The Power of Pole Dancing.

I have decided to skip the YA book, forgo the next book in the Cupcakes, LIes, and Dead Guys series, and instead concentrate all my efforts on the adventures of Lola, the Pole Dancing Cat.  (Yeah, I can spot a trend when I see it!)

Now go read a book and tell someone you love about it!

Pamela DuMond

Making Friends: Aggie Mae's Bakery

12/5/10

My first novel Cupcakes, Lies, and Dead Guys was published November, 2010 by Krill Press. This was pretty momentous for me as I've been writing forever and until recently, 'Rejection,' seemed to be my middle name.

In September it was time to rock and roll with some name recognition. So, I started a FB page under the cryptic name of "Cupcakes, Lies, and Dead Guys". I took videos of things that were "Cute as a Cupcake", and "Scarier than a Dead Guy". I sent the link to my FB friends and 40 brave people signed up the same day. As of today the Cupcakes' site has 476 fans. Wow!

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Cupcakes-Lies-and-Dead-Guys/145404255487900

People are bombarbed with information. I wanted to find a way to keep my small troops entertained, even though the first couple of months, there was no physical or electronic book to sell, yet. (There is now, hint.) My goal was to make Cupcakes Novel's fB site fresh, and fun, and interesting. That's when I started meeting Cupcake Bakers.

Trust me, you will not find a nicer, more friendly, sweet, generous group of people than Cupcake Bakers. (Stand up and take a bow, people!) I'll be blogging more about Cupcake Bakers, cupcake parties, cupcake everything in the future.  But today, I'd like to introduce you to one very cool baker.

Her name is Neva Marvin Austin. She's been contributing to Cupcakes, Lies, and Dead Guys the Novel's FB page almost from the get go.

Neva owns a bakery in Lansing, Michigan called Aggie Mae's.

I hear from some amazing people, (like yoga instructor and great gal, Marsha Boyer), that Aggie Mae's rocks.

Pam: Why did you decide to become a baker, Neva?

Neva: I have always had a passion for baking, especially the visual appeal that baked goods have... you know we eat with our eyes first!

Pam: Tell us a little about your shop, please.

Neva: Aggie Mae's Bakery is located in the Lansing City Market in Lansing, MI. We specialize in Artisan breads, cupcakes and deserts. We make and bake everything on site. Aggie Mae's is always coming out with new flavors and products so you won't ever get tired of the same old thing! I named Aggie Mae's after my mother Aggie Mae Marvin who is a fabulous baker and some of my fondest memories of childhood is of my mom baking bread and sweet treats for the family.

Pam: Do you have a favorite baker story you'd like to share with us?  

Neva: Probably one of the most memorable stories is about one of our youngest fans, a little girl who had to have one of her shots at the doctor's office. Her parents told her that they would go to the market after the Dr.'s so she could have one of Aggie Mae's Strawberry cupcakes...... when she arrived we were sold out! The little girl started crying.... so now we always try to keep our strawberry cupcakes in the case so not to disappoint anyone.

Pam: That's an awesome policy! Tell me, Neva, what's your 'favorite' cupcake right now?

Neva: There are several. In, "The Strawberry", we use real strawberries in the batter as well as the frosting so they have such a "fresh" strawberry taste. Also our Keylime is incredible. We use a lot of natural flavorings to give our cupcakes a wow taste!

http://www.aggiemaesbakery.com/

Pam: In the future, would you be interested in designing an Aggie Mae's cupcake specifically for 'Cupcakes, Lies, and Dead Guys' novel? 

Neva: I would love to.

BREAKING NEWS!!! Coming very soon to Aggie Mae's in Lansing, Michigan. A Cupcake Book contest. One lucky Aggie Mae's customer will win an autographed copy of Cupcakes, Lies, and Dead Guys the Novel. Details to follow shortly.

Pam: You are awesome, Neva and Aggie Mae's! Thank you so much for letting me interview you on my Author Blog. 

Happy Holidays! Go buy a Cupcake, read a good book and tell everyone you love about it! 

xo,

Pam DuMond

P.S. If you're a baker, cupcake fan and would like to be feature on Cupcakes' page, blog or upcoming website, please drop me a line. 

Greetings from The Hereafter

Recently I went to see Clint Eastwood's new movie, The Hereafter. It moved me for all the right reasons. After my dad passed in 1993, I too went to see mediums and psychics, looking for a message, comfort or a little piece of hope.

One guy I went to was a hostile medium. He "channeled" messages, supposedly from my dad, that were all about anger. Dad was pissed off and I had to do something to make things right. Hostile Medium rambled on in a strange Scottish accent, (Why do so many channelers have strange Scottish accents? Do all channeled entities have to take a Berlitz course to perfect their Scottish accents?) I felt like my head was splitting open, but I figured out what I needed to do. Take four Advil, have a glass of wine and go to a different medium.

The next medium I went to was James Van Praagh. Anyone who knows anything about live people who talk to dead people, knows that Van Praagh is the real deal. James knew details about my dad, his death, his messages, the will and our family dynamics. Yes, this was before Google and James had no time to research who I was. His message from my dad was one of hope and love and reaching out to one person in particular he felt he had wronged. (Not me.) James encouraged me to be open to signs from my dad. So I was. And I got one.

My dad would gleefully approach every tourist taking a photo of their significant other, and offer to take their picture, together. Afterwards he'd say, "Hah! If they only knew this is how I acquired my expensive camera collection."

Soon after dad died, my ex walked out on me. The combination of death and abandonment was too much, and I was struck by anxiety and panic attacks. I prayed for help. I prayed for guidance. I prayed for a message from my dad.

One day I ventured to the local outdoor mall just to try and get out of the house. Not succumb to agoraphobia. When a tourist rushed up to me, thrust his camera in my face and asked in broken English if I would take a picture of he and his wife, together. Thanks for the message, dad.

I wrote about that experience. My article was called, "Camera Moments" and was published in an anthology entitled Soul Moments: Marvelous Stories of Synchronicity-Meaningful Coincidences from a Seemingly  Random World edited by Phil Cousineau.

Seventeen years after my dad died, my first novel was just published by Krill Press. Cupcakes, Lies, and Dead Guys is a comedic mystery that features, hmm... a protagonist with empathic ability who ends up being haunted by the know-it-all ghost of the guy who ruined her marriage.

So here's to the funny guy who always inspired me. Thanks, Dad. I will always love you. You're in my book's dedication. I can't think of a better way to start my new blog. Tag, you're it.

With love,

Pamela DuMond

John Lewis DuMond
August 9, 1924 - June 9, 1993.

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=Pamela+DuMond&x=10&y=14