'Tea Master' press release March 17 2009

For Immediate Release

Moncton writer Camille Dumas takes Second Prize with her book 'The Tea Master' in Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award contest

Moncton, NB - March 17 - Beating 9,500 other competitors to do so, Moncton writer Camille Dumas has seen her novel 'The Tea Master' take a Second Prize and advance to the quarter finals of the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award. To make it to the top, she needs your support. Visit fille.camilledumas.com before April 14 to download an excerpt and post your reviews of 'The Tea Master', a fairy tale of the power of art and revenge, and, of course, tea.

"Revenge is a Dumas literary tradition," said Ms. Dumas, "which we see in books like 'The Count of Monte Cristo' and 'Three Musketeers'. But I am probably the first Dumas to get revenge on the book itself. My father named me after 'Camille', which is a romance about a dying woman, and since I have been ill myself since I was a young girl I always felt it was my name that caused my sickness. So I got revenge by hating all Dumas writing, including my own! It was years before I realized he named me for the book, not the dying girl - whose name is actually Marguerite - because he wanted me to have the whole world, not just to be part of it. Suddenly I connected to my heritage as a Dumas, and myself as a writer. In 'The Tea Master' Warren has to find himself, and his route takes him a long time too, but it has more ninjas and explosions."

'The Tea Master' is about the death of Warren's mother, who was killed by the greatest movie ever made by the world's greatest living filmmaker, Victor Fishfire. Warren travels the world, swordfighting and buying up tea leaves with Bollywood/Hong-Kong movie star Mira Manchu - his wife - until his constant adultery drives her away.

"But when Mira marries again, to Victor Fishfire himself," Ms. Dumas said, "Warren's shell finally cracks, and he is forced to learn who he truly is, just as I did."

An excerpt of 'The Tea Master' is available online at fille.camilledumas.com.

Ms. Dumas, head writer for animated series 'The Wizard Circuit', is an alumna of Mount Allison University, Carleton University, and the University of Leicester. She studied creative writing with Tom Henighan, photography with Thaddeus Holownia, and painting with Gordon Smith.

The Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award is an opportunity for emerging fiction writers to join a community of authors on Amazon.com, showcase their work, and compete for a chance to get published. The semi-finals begin April 15, 2009, and public voting for the top 3 finalists will be open from May 15 to 22nd.

Sponsored in partnership with Penguin Group (USA), Publishers Weekly and CreateSpace, this year's expert panel will be lead by mega-bestselling authors Sue Monk Kidd and Sue Grafton, kicking off the Breakthrough Novel Award finalist round with their reviews of the top three manuscripts. A-list literary agent Barney Karpfinger and Penguin Press Editor-in-Chief Eamon Dolan will also join them to provide careful critiques of the finalists' novels.

Contact:
J. A. Nickles
john at camilledumas.com