Alert! Abort mission! Danger stranger! The warnings bounced off each other as they rattled around in Annie’s brain. Traveling back to Oconomowoc during tornadoes, 99-degree weather with 99 percent humidity on a national holiday did not seem like good luck. More like a recipe for disaster.
“That’s seven days away, Mom. I can’t just pick up and leave for Wisconsin in seven days,” Annie said. “I have work. A life. A cat. I have…” A sizzling new boyfriend who needs a little, um, nurturing. “I have important things in L.A. I must attend to.”
Teddy, Annie’s longhaired blue-eyed cat wound around her legs, meowing loudly. She stepped into her kitchen, cracked open a can of cat food. Emptied it into his bowl and placed it on the floor. He pounced on it.
“Lost Angeles will always be there. Unfortunately. You need to come home and re-connect with your roots. The contest guaranteed first class travel accommodations and tons of media coverage. Maybe this will help you break out of that deli you’re slaving in. You could start your own business again. And bonus, you can bring one friend for free. As long as it’s not She-Who-Cannot-Keep-Her-Legs-Together.”
“Julia’s completely changed since high school.”
“And I’ve got beachfront property on sale for pennies on the dollar. You haven’t been home in almost a year. I could die tonight and you would never forgive yourself.”
How bad could a trip back home to judge a baking contest be? “Okay, Mom. I’ll do it. Tell the Wisconsin Hot Pies Contest people I’ll do it. Send me the info, the tickets and the itinerary.”
“I already accepted on your behalf. The package should be on your doorstep tomorrow. This will be your best trip back home ev - ” Nancy said.
Annie picked up the phone from the machine and put it to her ear. “Mom?” She smacked the phone with the palm of her hand. “Mom?” But the line was dead.
About the Author
Pamela DuMond was born and raised in the Midwest. She moved to Los Angeles for love. When that tanked, she stayed for the beautiful weather. She’s thrilled to publish Cupcakes, Sales, and Cocktails – A Novella that continues the characters’ stories introduced in Cupcakes, Lies, and Dead Guys, Pamela’s debut novel published by Krill Press in 2010. The Novella also includes the first chapter of the next novel in the series – Cupcakes, Pies, and Hot Guys. Pamela’s also contributed essays on intuition to Soul Moments: Marvelous Stories of Synchronicity - Meaningful Coincidences from a Seemingly Random World, edited by Phil Cousineau. And frankly, she’s edited more than her share of self-help books.
Pamela discovered Erin Brockovich’s life story, thought it would make a great movie and pitched it to a production company. Erin Brockovich the movie was nominated for four Academy Awards. Julia Roberts won her first Oscar for portraying Erin.
Pamela is a writer, chiropractor and cranio-sacral therapist. She loves reading, writing, the beach, yoga, movies, animals and her family. She lives in Venice Beach, California with her furballs. She’s currently writing the second novel in the Annie Graceland series, and seeking agent representation or a great publisher for The Messenger’s Handbook, her YA time travel historical romantic thriller.
Pamela loves appropriate questions and feedback from her readers. Feel free to contact her at [email protected]. Visit her website at www.pameladumond.com
Table of Contents
Cupcakes, Sales, and Cocktails
Copyright Page
Dedication
One The Divine Divorcee
Two Mission Sex-You-Up
Three Waste of Time
Four Her Golden Years
Five Game Changers
Six Lace Hankies
Seven Ladies’ Lingerie
Eight Smelling the Roses
Nine Killer Cocktails
Ten What a Feeling
Eleven The Time of Her Life
Acknowledgments
...An Excerpt From Cupcakes, Pies, and Hot Guys
About The Author
2 Cupcakes, Sales, and Cocktails Page 7
