Interview: The Messenger by Pamela DuMond

Happy Monday, everyone! Hope you all enjoyed your weekend, and for our American readers, hope you had a great Thanksgiving. Today we're featuring The Messenger by Pamela DuMond. Check out this young adult time travel novel.

The Messenger by Pamela DuMond
(Mortal Beloved #1)
Publication date: December 26th 2013
Genres: Time-Travel, Young Adult

“All the excitement of OUTLANDER if it was a YA series.”

THE MESSENGER is optioned for film/TV.

Hello, Pamela! Welcome to We Do Write. Tell us a bit about yourself.

Thanks for having me here!

I’m originally from the Midwest, moved to California to marry the wrong guy, and when my marriage tanked, I stayed for the beautiful weather. I miss autumn in the Midwest and NFC Central football, but I don’t minus forty degrees in the winter and scraping ice off my car’s windshield while my hands burn from the bitter cold. I like cats, dogs, reading, my friends, movies, TV, and working out. I live in Venice, CA with my two fur-babies.

How long have you been writing?

I’ve been writing since I was a kid, but honestly I never thought it could be a profession. I went to school to become a chiropractor, but I always had something artistic going on the side: designing and creating jewelry, art, decorative furniture painting and non-fiction book projects. But writing fiction hooked me, and I’ve never looked back.

Tell us about THE MESSENGER. What’s the story about?

Madeline’s a sixteen-year-old girl from present day Chicago, who suffers from anxiety and panic attacks stemming from a car accident she was in with her mom. Her mom’s body was never found and it was assumed she abandoned her family. On the anniversary of the accident, Madeline’s dad gives her a mysterious handbook made by her mom filled with grave etchings, photos, memorabilia, and family trees. But she wants nothing to do with it.

The next day she’s out with her friends waiting on the el train, when she’s pushed onto the tracks in front of an oncoming train. She blacks out and wakes up—bloody and battered—wearing colonial clothes: she’s the sole survivor of a Native attack on a colonial settlement. When she spots Samuel— a beautiful, mixed-race, young man tear around the burning buildings and disappear into the forest. Except for the hot guy—this has to be a nightmare—right?

Wrong. Madeline’s time-travelled to 1675, during King Philip’s War between the Native Americans and the colonists. She’s here to be mentored by the Medicine Woman and claim her birthright—to be a MESSENGER—a person who can slip between the folds of time delivering messages that could save the life of one person, or perhaps, many. She tries to live as a young colonial woman, falls into a forbidden love with Samuel, and soon discovers there is another breed of time travelers—dark-souled, deadly Hunters who crave Madeline’s new powers and seek to seduce or kill her.

Can Madeline find her way back to the future in time to save herself and Samuel?

How did the idea of the story come to you?

I loved The Hunger Games, but I quickly drew tired of reading all the dystopian novels that were published after that. I wanted to write a YA time travel series with a heroine who had a lot to learn. Instead of creating a new fantasy world, I thought it would be fun to set this series at different places and dramatic times in history.

Do you have a critique group/partner or beta readers, or do you self-edit?

I’ve never been part of a critique group. I’ve worked with a variety of beta readers and I hire editors for all my books.

Are you a plotter or a pantser?

More of a panster ( which just auto-corrected to try and tell me I was a panther. I can tell you with certainty that I am definitely not —a panther.)

That said, for The Assassin, which is the sequel to The Messenger, I wrote a detailed synopsis for my manager to include in our film/TV pitch package. That’s the ONLY book I have plotted in advance.

What’s the hardest part of writing for you?

Pounding out the pages. I keep thinking that I can’t write the next book, or that writing the next book will never end. And yet, somehow, they always get done.

What do you absolutely have to have nearby when writing?

Internet access for Google. Water. A back massager device.

If you could have any super power, what would it be?

Does time travel count as a super power? Because I’d pick that. I’d go back and visit relatives who have passed. I’d go to fascinating moments in time.

What's the weirdest thing you've googled?

Finish this sentence: If I'm not writing, I'm probably ... 

talking on the phone, or exercising.

And finally, where can people find you and your books online?

Author Links:

Website  Mailing List  Facebook  Twitter  Goodreads  Pinterest  Blog  Cupcakes Book Trailer

Grab Pamela's books on Amazon  B&N  Kobo  Audible  Ibooks

AUTHOR BIO
Pamela DuMond is the author who discovered Erin Brockovich’s life story, thought it would make a great movie and pitched it to ‘Hollywood’.

She writes romantic comedic mysteries, romantic YA time travel and New Adult romance.

Her book The Story of You and Me was a Quarterfinalist in the Amazon Breakout Novel Award (ABNA) 2014 in Romance.

Cupcakes, Pies, and Hot Guys was a Quarterfinalist in ABNA 2013 in Mystery .

She’s addicted to TV shows — The Voice and Reign. The movies Love Actually and The Bourne trilogy (with Matt Damon — not that other actor guy,) make her cry ever time she watches them. (Like — a thousand.)

When she’s not writing Pamela’s also a chiropractor and cat wrangler. She loves reading, the beach, working out, movies, TV, animals, her family and friends. She lives in Venice, California with her fur-babies.

She likes her coffee strong, her cabernet hearty, her chocolate dark, her foods non-GMO and she lives for a good giggle.

Author links:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4430293.Pamela_DuMond
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Pamela-DuMond-Books/694104930620682
https://twitter.com/Pamela_DuMond
http://www.pameladumond.com/



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Author Update: Pamela DuMond

I love it when writers I've interviewed have new developments to share. Today we welcome back the fabulous Pamela DuMond who has a new release.

Welcome back, Pamela! 

Hey thanks for having me here, Dorothy. I love your blog!

Thank you! Tell us all about your new book. What’s it called and what's the story about?

The Messenger's Handbook is a Young Adult romantic thriller, first novel in a series.  The story is about Madeline, a 16 year old girl, who discovers her soul mate lives three centuries before she was even born.

When Madeline's pushed off the train tracks, she wakes in 1675, the sole survivor of a Native massacre on a colonial settlement in a brutal war. Rescued and taken back to a garrison, she discovers she is a Messenger, a traveler who can slip through time's fabric at will, bringing messages that could change one life or many. Rumors of witchcraft and spying arise. But falling into a forbidden love with her soul mate Samuel, a mixed blood boy, could get them both killed.

The only way Madeline can save both their lives is to train with Samuel and the Medicine Woman, confront her deepest fears and fulfill her destiny as a Messenger. But jealous Hunters, dark-souled predators as well as skilled time travelers crave her powers and try to seduce her to join them. Can Madeline find the way back to her future? And will that future include her one true love, Samuel.

How did the idea of the story come to you?

I've been in love with Last of the Mohicans - the movie - ever since a buffed out hot Daniel Day Lewis told Madeline Stowe's character that he would 'find her.' (Sigh.) I thought it  would be fun to do a twist on this story for the Young Adult genre. An epic romance mashed with a thriller.

There are a lot of YA heroines now but two seem to be on opposite ends of the spectrum. Bella from Twilight and Katniss in The Hunger Games. 

I knew my heroine could not be as passive as Bella or as skilled as Katniss. It was incredibly important to me that Madeline arc over the course of this story. She could be scared and incredibly flawed but she would still have to build her courage and confront her fears in order to fall in love, let alone survive.

 Are you a planner or a pantser?

Definitely a pantser. I read a post the other day by an agent who insisted the story had to be thoroughly outlined, because otherwise how could a writer know where the story was going? I disagree, and paraphrase author Ian Rankin, 'If I knew what was going to happen, why would I write the book.'

If you could give aspiring writers one tip, what would it be?

Let me throw in two tips: 1. Perseverance. 2. "No" is not an answer. Turn all those "Nos" into your own personal "Yes." 

Great advice! What's the weirdest thing you've googled?

Besides the obligatory cyber-stalking a few ex-boyfriends? Hmm. Fake facelifts involving paperclips and rubber bands. Research for my first novel. I swear!

Time for the writing test! Use the following words in a sentence: rave, misfortune, and report card.

When Stella suffered the misfortune of spotting her history teacher making out with a woman who wasn't his wife at the rave, she realized she wouldn't be scoring an easy A on her next report card.

And finally, where can people find your new book online?

The Messenger's Handbook is currently available as an e-book on sale on Kindle and available in their KDP Lending Library. The paperback version will be released late June 2012.  It will be available on Nook later this summer.

http://tinyurl.com/6rfl3rn  

Awesome! Thanks so much for chatting with us today, Pamela. And best of luck with your new book!

Thank you, Dorothy!

Interview with Pamela DuMond

Today we're chatting with a wonderful lady and excellent author. Her book CUPCAKES, LIES, AND DEAD GUYS is available now! Let's get to know her.

Welcome, Pamela. Tell us a bit about yourself.

I grew up in the suburbs of Chicago. As a kid I loved going to the pool in the summer, rolling in the leaves in the fall, (yes I was a dork,) and building snow forts in the winter. I did not enjoy eating liver that was cooked hard enough to be used as a weapon, or trying to figure out if the fruit-like thingies embedded in the jello du jour were edible.


One day when I was in college my Dad declared I had to stop dallying around with Spanish, Psychology, cute boys and pick a profession. Dad was old school, first person in his family to put himself through college and start his own business. Therefore, I wasn’t allowed to pick something namby-pamby like Artist, Musician, or Secret Spy as a career. My choices were limited to doctor, lawyer, or Indian Chief. I hated blood and guts, had never been on the debate team and certainly wasn’t cool enough to be an Indian Chief. So that left chiropractic.

How long have you been writing?

As a kid I stuttered badly, so I did a lot more reading and writing than talking. Any kid who is considered a little ‘different’ knows: the bullies zone in on you. By the time I could actually talk without stuttering, I was beyond shy and didn’t. When I turned 22 I started yakking. My brother commented that I haven’t shut up, since. Since it’s relatively boring talking to oneself all day long, I started writing a lot more then, as well.

Tell us about this fabulously-titled book Cupcakes, Lies, and Dead Guys.

Annie is a baker with a pinch of psychic ability. Her married life is perfect until a famous self-help author, Dr. Fuller, ruins everything. When Fuller ends up poisoned with one of Annie's cupcakes, she's a murder suspect. When Fuller doesn't pass to the After-Life, he recruits/haunts Annie to find his killer. Now Annie's stuck with the world's most irritating ghost while investigating the wackos who wanted him dead. Can she solve the crime before she is whacked by the real killer?

Sounds absolutely awesome. How did the idea of the story come to you?

I was working on scripts that were going nowhere. Three authors inspired me to try writing novels: Jacqueline Carey, Lisa Lutz, and Toni McGee Causey. Their characters are rich and their worlds are intriguing.


I’ve had enough experiences that convinced me it is possible to communicate with people who have passed on. I wrote several non-fiction articles about those moments that were published in Soul Moments: Marvelous Stories of Synchronicity – Meaningful Coincidences from a Seemingly Random World, edited by Phil Cousineau. I’ve always loved mysteries, as well as comedies. I started to think about the comedic possibilities of being stuck with the ghost of the person you hated most in the entire world. That situation seemed pretty funny.

Sounds hysterical. I can't wait to read it. What’s the hardest part of writing for you?

When I’m in the middle of writing a story, I’m hoping that there is a pony at the bottom of the heap, and praying that I can dig my way through to her. Then, I hope that my readers will love that pony as much as I do.

Let’s get to know you on a deeper level. What do you absolutely have to have nearby when writing?

A notepad, a pen, a highlighter, research materials, my super-duper abdominal belt that exercises my abs while I write, (weird, I know,) and sometimes a cat on my chair.

If you could have any super power, what would it be?

I already have the super-duper abdominal belt. Okay. My super power would be the ability to get to the pony more quickly.

Quick writing test! Use the following words in a sentence: jujitsu, summer house, and ambidextrous.

I discovered the only survivors of the summer house were ambidextrous middle aged women with jujitsu skills: just like me.

Love it! Here’s the part where you thank the people who are supporting you. Let's hear your shout outs.

Krill Press, Ramona DeFelice Long, my family, my friends, my furballs, writers, readers, bloggers like yourself, Dorothy. The list is endless. I am blessed.

And finally, where can people find you online?

Facebook at Cupcakes, Lies, and Dead Guys.


My website should be up this week: www.Pamela.DuMond.com

Thank you so much for chatting with us, Pamela. I just know your book will be a big hit.

Thank you Dorothy!