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…
Getting to Wear the Pearls is Worth It
One of the best decisions I made when I began my journey to publication for The Talking Drum was applying for a spot as a debutante. I had been following the Debutante Ball Blog for more than a year and marked my calendar so that I wouldn’t miss the application window. I was ecstatic when I got the email that I had been chosen as one of the five Debs….
[News Flash] May 24, 2020
We hope you enjoyed yesterday’s interview with A.H. Kim. RETWEET or SHARE for a chance to win an advance reader copy of A GOOD FAMILY. . Interview and ARC Giveaway with A.H. Kim, Author of A Good Family @DebutanteBall #ClassOf2020 #guest #author News from the Class of 2020 Debs: Lisa Braxton wants to invite you to her virtual book launch on Tuesday June 9th when she will be in conversation…
Interview and ARC Giveaway with A.H. Kim, Author of A Good Family
I’m so pleased to welcome A.H. Kim to the ball today! I met Ann in a Facebook group for debut authors, and I quickly became her Instagram fan. This month, she’s featuring a book recommendation per day in celebration of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. Check out her feed here, and get your TBR ready. Ann’s debut novel, A GOOD FAMILY, releases in July, but we’re teaming up for an…
Three Cheers for The Goddess Twins
When we Debutantes took up shop here last August, one of us was delayed in her arrival because of her storytelling obligations at the Burning Man Festival. Immediately, I knew that one of these women was not like the others. I mean, Burning Man?! My daily adventures consisted of Target runs and maybe, on a good day, a few episodes of The Office with the family after dinner. Meanwhile, Yodassa…
The Goddess Twins, OUT NOW, a Summer Vacation Read
As a kid, I absolutely adored reading for pleasure! When school was out during the summer, my very favorite thing would be getting a fat stack of books from the library and diving into new worlds like a solo adventurer. The phrase ‘summer reading’ brings up the fond memory of our local library’s annual summer reading contest. Each year, the Mt. Healthy library held a scavenger hunt style reading competition,…
Hooray for The Goddess Twins!
I love books with voice. Books where you can hear the characters talk in your head, where they’re serious and witty and believable and bold. The Goddess Twins has a lot going for it, but one of its major triumphs is the voices of its teenage protagonists. I had twin acquaintances in high school—twins who dressed differently, acted separately, took different classes, had divergent interests. One played sports. The other…
Drum roll please!! It’s launch week for Yodassa Williams
It’s finally time! Yodassa Williams is the next of this year’s Debs to step out onto the ballroom floor! The Goddess Twins launches for publication today, May 19th. Foreword Reviews calls the book “an impressive, commanding novel about black girl magic,” and “an emotive and powerful feminist novel that inspires the innate goddess in every girl.” Kirkus Reviews says, “Continuous revelations keep the optimistic tale humming, and the cast is…
Summer Vacation Reading in the Midst of a Pandemic
Because of the times we’re facing, many of us will have more room in our schedules for reading this summer than we normally do. Stay-at-home orders, social distancing requirements, and the financial hit many of us are weathering because of COVID-19 will mean that stay-cations will be more common than activity-crammed vacations. When people think of summer reading choices, beach reads—fun, light novels filled with adventure, drama, and romance that…
Interview with Nicole Kronzer, Author of Unscripted
It’s such a treat today to welcome Nicole Kronzer as our guest. I first met Nicole ten or twelve years ago at a teaching conference, and we reconnected last year when we realized via Twitter that we had debut novels coming out in the same season. She has quickly become one of my very best friends, and I wrote much of my second novel in her beautiful backyard studio, which…
Guest Post: Anika Scott on Managing Expectations in a Pandemic
I’m so happy to welcome a guest blogger today. Anika Scott, author of THE GERMAN HEIRESS (the same novel is called FINDING CLARA, in the UK), writes about the release of her highly anticipated and bestselling debut, which coincided with the global pandemic. I met Anika in an online group for debut writers. She’s generous, empathetic, and kind–overall, just the type of person I love to root for. I couldn’t…
