Around the Fire New Release Spotlight with Pamela Kyel.

Charm City Crab Puff
by 
​Pamela Kyel
A Cozy Mystery Coming in 2024 
From
The Wild Rose Press

The smell of humidity, trash, and car exhaust greeted me the second I stepped outside. The Baltimore Harbor was a quick drive away, and with it, the Chesapeake Bay, which meant humidity was abundant here. July and August found us perspiring faster than a Pimlico racehorse the second we went outside, so I didn’t go outside. 
Hopping into my car, I congratulated myself again for stopping by the local convenience store and grabbing their second-largest cup. I snagged my drug of choice from the cup holder and slurped down a hefty dose of sweet tea. The sugar rushed in and eased the tight chest and stomach I got from seeing Zach on the table. I would need a pitcher to deal with seeing Desio. Nothing prepared me for seeing Zach this morning. I knew coming in, there was a good chance it was him, but still—dude, I was not ready. When Colonel Waters couldn’t reach Zach once the Air Force notified us, I knew something was up. We even tried Zach’s current duty station, but no one there had seen him—at least, that’s what they said. 
I wrestled into my place in line on I-95 and thought about what brought me back to Baltimore. This was my first assignment to bring me home—which I fought for six months. There was nothing but painful memories here, but after I spoke to Colonel Waters, I knew this was what I needed to bring closure. I just wasn’t expecting to be confronted with it so soon. 

From the Author
Three years ago, in the middle of Covid, I decided it would be fun to write a novel while trying to manage my sanity and teach my then-six-year-old her remote school lessons. I was reading a cozy series then and thought, I can do this. 
I finished my first novel in a matter of months, and through research, I learned the next step on the journey would be querying. I was sooo not ready for the reality check that came next. I joined Mystery Writers of America and signed up for their beta reader option. The feedback was startling. Didn’t my friend and beta reader tell me how great my book was? Who was this person, and who did she think she was to tell me how much I needed to fix? Oh, how much I had to learn. 
I queried around eighty agents, and every single one laughed in my face. Well, not really, but they may as well have. My naiveté was as evident as my ignorance. I had no clue what I was doing. It was an incredibly humbling experience. However, it didn’t diminish my desire for writing. Instead, I chalked it up as a learning adventure and moved on to another project. I was a woman on a mission now—a mission to get my book published. 
Fast forward two years and countless queries later, I realized it’s okay if my end goal changes. I went from dreaming of an agent to simply wishing to hold my book in my hand. I knew in my heart, though, that if I didn’t try the agent route, I would always wonder. 
My book, Charm City Crab Puff, drops in 2024. I will post more information on my webpage and Facebook page, so be sure to join me there.
Heat level:
PG/PG13 for occasional language.

About the Author
I am Baltimore (pronounced “Bawlmer”), Maryland, born and raised. Life has taken me from Maryland to Montana to Italy and points in between, courtesy of the US Air Force. Being a military spouse, I have had a front-row seat to the workings of the military, and I use that in my Charm City series.
Follow Pamela at
www.PamelaKyel.com
www.Facebook.com/PamelaKyel