Cake Pops and Coffee: A New Conversation About Trauma - How to Laugh, Cry, and Love Your Whole Story

by Katie Maloney

CAKE POPS and COFFEE is the brave exploration of Katie Maloney’s survivor journey through extreme childhood abuse, but it’s also an invitation to readers to have a more relaxed and productive conversation about trauma. While on her own healing journey, Maloney desperately wanted a resource that didn’t feel so HEAVY. She wanted somewhere to be able to talk about her experiences and work through her feelings without slogging through the proverbial mud. When she couldn’t find what she needed, CAKE POPS and COFFEE was born. In her breakout debut, Maloney teaches readers how to work through their trauma, offers tangible tools that work, allows readers into her personal story, all while making sure we’re laughing and learning how to feel good along the way.

248 pages, Paperback

Published January 7, 2020

Reviews

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

Katie Maloney's voice shines through in an incredibly beautifully written book about conversations around trauma that are difficult to have. I mean right off the bat, the part from her dedication" And for anyone who mistakenly thought this was a cookbook, but kept reading anyway." Hilarious - who does that in a book about trauma? Katie does. That's what I mean about her voice shining through. This book from the very beginning feels like a real conversation between friends. Her ability to talk about trauma in such an open and real way is inspiring. I had the pleasure of also attending her book launch, and to see first hand how her work has grown her as a person and already helped others. She is the real deal... Can I say real one more time in this review? But it's just so true and worth repeating. If you are feeling lost or alone, I believe this book can help because of that realness.

I loved how Katie gave us the personal techniques and tools that have helped her and that they were so centered on knowing and connecting with ourselves. In this way this book becomes more than a tool for survivors. It can be for partners, friends, family members, those who want to be a better support system. It can be for those who want to reconnect with themselves. It's becomes a book for anyone. I highly recommend it.

[Madyson Cohen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had the pleasure of reading this book in preparation for an interview with the author, Katie. The book is profoundly vulnerable. The whole overarching premise of the book is to normalize conversations about trauma that include embracing your whole story - which is exactly what Katie does through the entirety of the book. She talks about relationships, meditation, healing your past self, triggers, voids, and much more. While this book is meant for people who have survived trauma, I would recommend it to anyone who has someone in their life who has survived a trauma, or anyone who is on any kind of emotional healing journey. The tips in here are gold, and you'll come away having a more solid foundation and trust in yourself and your ability to get through whatever you may be facing.

Follow this spotify link to listen to the interview: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2Wft...

[Sophie Tonet]

I picked up this book after hearing Katie’s episode of Turn Me On podcast and because for work-related endeavours I’m trying to read up on sexual health and trauma. This book was so readable and accessible for survivors of trauma and professionals. It offers lots of helpful tools for not only communicating trauma related needs but in the every day setting of boundaries, communicating clearly, and loving yourself first. It also helped me see trauma through the lens of a survivor and not through the lens of academics as a care provider, which can unsurprisingly be quite different. Thank you Katie!

[Nour Ziyadeh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having met this author, I knew this book would be special. It saddens me that Katie experienced situations to warrant writing this book but her experiences can show others how to heal and unlock their potential after living through trauma, of any degree. I will reread this often as it provides tools for navigating life's curve balls. Thanks Katie!!

[Kelsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve been able to give this book to a couple of my students who have been victims of SA and it made a big difference for them. I learned a lot from this book and journaled heavily while reading it. I appreciate the author’s openness and easy way of explaining things. She provides a great step by step process of thinking through things. She’s also funny.

[Whitney Menarcheck · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cake Pops and Coffee calls out society's unspoken message that discussing trauma is taboo and empowers survivors to own their story to heal rather than feel shame for what they endured. This is not a book by a professional about what worked for clients. It’s a book that says here’s my story from every angle - I'm owning it and taking control. From inhumane to downright inspirational, Katie shouts from the rooftops that it’s okay to speak your trauma and encourages it for healing and growth. The beginning of Katie’s story may have been written by despicable people, but it’s clear she has taken full control over the rest of her story. Katie is a living example that we are not the sum of what has happened to us and instead are the survivors who chose how to respond with dignity and empowerment.

As a professional counselor, I think this book can be life changing for clients addressing their trauma. I encourage anyone who personally connects to the topic to seek professional services while reading this book as it will likely trigger your own trauma experience. That being said, this book can be a powerful supplement to trauma counseling.

Thank you, Katie, for showing survivors they have nothing to be ashamed of and every reason to feel proud, loved and worthy.