The Debutante Ball, established in 2007, is a group blog for authors making their debut in the literary world. We are now in our twelfth season of celebrating up-and-coming authors. Former Debs include bestsellers in the genres of women’s fiction, mystery, literary fiction, nonfiction, young adult, and more. Click on any of the photos above to learn about The Debutante Ball Class of 2019 and their books. Read about the bestselling…
What My Writing Revealed About My Personality
I never realized that my personality influenced my writing until I had an agent take a look at an early version of The Talking Drum. The agent read it through several times and gave me an in-depth critique. One remark she made stands out from the others. She said that every time my characters came close to having a conflict I would have them retreat and resolve matters quietly. She…
[News Flash] February 23, 2020
We hope you have enjoyed yesterday’s interview with Leah Garriott. RETWEET or SHARE for a chance to win PROMISED. #giveaway #author #DebBallGiveaway @DebutanteBall #ClassOf2020 #guest #author Interview with Leah Garriott, author of Promised News from the Class of 2020 Debs: Lisa Braxton was thrilled to attend Deb Kathleen West’s author talk at Belmont Books in Belmont, Massachusetts during the East Coast portion of Kathleen’s book tour. Be sure to…
Interview with Leah Garriott, author of Promised
I am so happy to welcome Leah Garriott to the Deb ball this week! Although she earned degrees in math and statistics, Leah Garriott lives for a good love story. She’s resided in Hawaii and Italy, walked the countryside of England, and owns every mainstream movie version of Pride and Prejudice. She’s currently living her own happily ever after in Utah with her husband and three kids. We’ll be giving…
Where do I find the most inspiration?
I am so very into being inspired. I love being exposed to new experiences, ideas, art, stories, sounds, tastes. I used to feel I could only be inspired by things when I felt safe. I felt like I needed to shut out others to find inspiration from within. While this is still true, as I can find inspiration in quiet contemplation, I’ve also found I can be very inspired when…
Inspiration from everywhere
So, my book revisions are due today, so I’m hoping you–kind reader!–don’t mind if today’s entry is a little short. I get my sources of inspiration from everywhere. My stories and novels are magpie nests, full of shiny bits and dark corners, lit on fire by deadlines. Architects of Memory alone needed nearly twenty years to form; it includes a cast I originally thought up during a college exam week in…
Finding Inspiration Through the Work. Or, Kathleen’s Third (?!) Book.
It’s two weeks post-publication of Minor Dramas, and I’m writing from my bed at home, prepping for the second leg of my tour. (Are you in Texas?! I’m in Dallas tomorrow and Houston on Thursday and Friday, and I’d love to see you.) Anyway, It’s been a whirlwind, and the best advice about surviving publication I’ve gotten so far is from my friend Laura: “Spend at least one hour per…
The House That Inspired the House in My Novel
When I was beginning to write The Talking Drum, I knew that I wanted the fictional bookstore, where much of the action takes place, to be located in a Victorian home. I love Victorian houses—Italianate and Queen Anne—their tall windows and wraparound porches, pitched rooves, the detailed ornamentation, multiple floors, the ones that are boldly painted with contrasting trim and the more subdued. I didn’t have to look far to…
What Happens When Two Literary Debutantes Meet at a Bookstore?
When I found out that fellow Debutante Kathleen West was making a stop in the Boston area during her book tour, I knew I had to make plans to attend. Kathleen and I have been in touch since we became Debs in late summer of last year, but we’d never met. We Debs are in different parts of the country and our interactions have pretty much been through video conferencing,…
Interview with Humorist R. Eric Thomas
R. Eric Thomas may be the funniest current events writer around. In “Eric Reads the News” at Elle.com, he presents his unique take on pop culture and politics, like Watch Donald Trump Explain How a Dog Works or Once Again I Am Delighted To Spend My Entire Check On Oprah’s Favorite Things. I’m so excited for his memoir in essays, HERE FOR IT, or How to Save Your Soul in…
If The Goddess Twins was made into a movie…
Oooh, I love this game! If they made The Goddess Twins into a film, here’s my dream for who would work well with casting, directing and rating: Director – Ava DuVernay – I loved what she did with A Wrinkle in Time, and I feel confident she could reflect the goddess dynasty vibes from behind the lens through to the big screens. Rating – PG13 (it is YA after all!)…
