Book Launch Q&A: Pattie Palmer-Baker, Author of MALL #Mall #booklaunch @pumpupyourbook

Pattie Palmer-Baker is a recognized award-winning artist and poet. Her artwork has been exhibited in galleries throughout the Pacific Northwest. Locally and nationally she has won numerous awards for her art and poetry.

An accomplished poet, Pattie had been nominated for the Pushcart Poetry Prize. Her work has appeared in many journals including Calyx, Voicecatcher, Military Experience the Arts, Minerva Rising and Phantom Drift. In 2017 she earned first prize in the Write to Publish contest, and in 2019 she won first, second, and the Bivona prize in the Ageless Poetry contest.  She has served as the poetry co-editor for VoiceCatcher: a journal of women's voices and visions.

Del Sol Press awarded MALL first prize for the most promising first novel in 2017.

Pattie lives in Portland, Oregon with her beloved husband and rescued dachshund.

Her website is www.pattiepalmerbaker.com/.

You can follow her at Facebook at https://tinyurl.com/yykrz36e.

A Novel by Pattie Palmer-Baker Winner of the Del Sol Most Promising Novel, 2017

MALL is a sparkling alternate world where everyone is beautiful, employed with enough income to consume and to experience a myriad of pleasures including drugs, gambling, theater, holographic adventures. No poverty and little or no crime. A lot of sex.

But what about the Mall Code? And what happens when Sara, a 21st century woman, accidentally finds her way into this alien yet familiar world? Nona, a MALL mental health practitioner treats Sara upon her arrival and goes against the Code to help her acclimate. Sara seems to be just what she needs, an antidote to Nona’s secret and growing boredom.

At first Sara desperately wants to get home, and, as she seeks a way out as well as answers about her new reality, Nona begins to see MALL in a new light. Is abundant gratification enough?

Things aren’t all beauty and pleasure. Sara experiences dancing in a dangerous orgiastic dance club on a lower level. She attends a gambling session where people bet on living more years when their “number’s up” and a “passing ceremony,” where Mallites are supposedly resurrected into a new life. 

Junkers, outsiders lurking on the fringes of MALL, have been fighting Mall Management’s control by creating increasingly dangerous disturbances. For years they have struggled to discover an exit, based on rumors of those who made it Outside and were never heard from again. Through them Sara and Nona meet someone who might help them escape. They both must make the choice that will change their lives forever.

Who will risk leaving and who will decide to stay?

MALL by Pattie Palmer-Baker was recently published by Del Sol Press and winner of the Del Sol Press Most Promising Book, 2017.

          ISBN: 978-0-9998425-5-3.

PRAISE:

What a suspenseful journey Mall was—a real "page-turner"-  imaginative with firm command of psychological expression and dialogue! Pattie Palmer-Baker captures some of the sexual contradictions, insecurities, and darker motivations of her female characters, and the complex relationships between women. The "surface" allusions to sex and violence throughout the story line work well with the superficial world she describes. Sex all the time—and yet, really, not much explicit writing about actual sexual encounters—the same for violence. This tension of content and form works well for me. What gives pleasure? What gives pain? The many hallways and mirrored rooms give the setting a creepy fun-house effect and increase the sense of a closed world and claustrophobic doom. Her descriptions of the Mallites' physical appearances and their individual choice of costume in this strange place is creative—a breath of lightness in this frank examination of our quandary about the meaning of freedom in an existential existence. What is real? I was "on the run" with Sara for the entire read! And what a turn at the end!

-- Cathy Cain, Portland poet and artist

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After your book was released, what was the first thing you did when getting ready for your book launch?

I researched sites for the launch.

After that, what was your next step?

I made a list of people to invite then used Paperless Post to send elegant invitations to the most important people. I sent emails to ones not on that list.

Did you do anything different to spice up your website in lieu of your upcoming book release?

I used placemats with part of the second chapter printed on both sides. I served homemade treats and champagne. I put one white rose in each of the dark gray vases on the tables to reflect the gray and white colors on the book cover. Pre-launch I very carefully chose the excerpt to read, and, although I prepared a few opening remarks, I instead spoke off the cuff and aimed at being light, humorous and personal. After I tried to answer each question honestly and briefly. I confessed that the sex in the book was very difficult to write. The audience responded to the whole presentation very positively.

Did you ever consider using a PR agency to help you promote your book or did you prefer the DIY route?

I never considered it because of the expense. Maybe I will look into it in the future.

Were finding reviews a top priority for you and, if yes, how did you approach that?

I sent emails to thank those present at the launch and asked them to write reviews on Amazon.

What are your views on social media for marketing your book?

I am not very good at social media. I did put news about my book on Facebook

What social media has worked best for you?

I’m not sure if my Facebook page motivated people to buy the book. I did receive a lot of likes and congratulations.

Did you write a press release and do you think it worked for you?

No

Did you revamp your author’s page at Amazon in any way to prepare for the launch (https://authorcentral.amazon.com/)?

No

Did you have other books you offered for free in order to help sell your present book?

No, this is my first book.

Did you set up book signings and, if so, how did that work for you?

Only at the book launch. The competition at local bookstores is really really stiff. I am still working at it.

Did you time your book launch around a certain holiday?

No

What was the best money you ever spent on your book launch?

On the site I used. It was perfect. Not too large, with lots of round tables for people to sit comfortably at and not expensive!

Any tips for those authors wanting to set up a successful book launch?

Find a good and welcoming venue. Serve food! Ask everyone you know.