Deb Alum Kristina Riggle on the Love of Debs!

We’re excited to welcome back Deb extraordinaire Kristina Riggle to the Ball today! Kristina’s new book, Things We Didn’t Say, is out next week, and we hope you’ve pre-ordered your copy! Take it away, Kristina:

You know what my writer fuel is? Other writers. Publishing is a subjective, sometimes arbitrary, thoroughly weird business. And though my husband does his level best to understand my life, it’s not the same as being around someone who has been in the foxhole with you. That’s why I’m so grateful for the whole Debutante Ball experience. I’m writing to you as a Graduate Deb, class of ’09. The 2009 Debs are to this day helping each other through the submission, writing and promotion of subsequent books. We soothe each other about the inevitable negative reviews, and even laugh about them. (Eventually).

Better yet than commiserating over email is getting to meet real, live Debs. I’ve met ’09 Debs Meredith Cole (POSED FOR MURDER and DEAD IN THE WATER) and Gail Konop Baker (CANCER IS A BITCH). I’ve met two members of the original Debs, Anna David (BOUGHT and PARTY GIRL) and Eileen Cook (UNPREDICTABLE and THE EDUCATION OF HAILEY KENDRICK) . I’ve met I-don’t-know-how-many guests of the Deb Ball, such as hilarious memoirist Wade Rouse and Kelly O’Connor McNees, whose LOST SUMMER OF LOUISA MAY ALCOTT just came out in paperback.

When I introduce myself as one of the Debutantes, it’s like meeting an old friend. Every time. I was lucky enough to meet current Deb Eleanor Brown at the Printers Row Lit Fest this month in Chicago.

I went to her panel discussion, had a fabulous time, and she went to mine. We had dinner, we had drinks, we had fun conversation and shared war stories. We’d been in the same foxhole after all. I came back to earth on Monday with my agents’ revision notes on Book Four. I could be exhausted and overwhelmed; I’m on a tight deadline. Yet I feel refueled and recharged by my experience meeting Debs, and loads of other excellent writers, not to mention the readers flooding Chicago all for the love of books. How can that be anything but exciting?

As I launch my third book (wow, third? Where did the last two years go?) I may be sitting alone on my couch trying to resist checking my online sales rankings and obsessing about whether my book is selling or neglected on the shelf… but I’m not alone, not really. Because of my writer friends and my Debs.

Yours in pearls and a tiara, Deb Kristina

11 Replies to “Deb Alum Kristina Riggle on the Love of Debs!”

  1. Good morning and welcome back! Agree – other writers have absolutely fueled my ability to keep going, make one more edit, crank out just a few more words. I’ve met a fantastic group of men and women through writing.

    1. And BIG name writers… Charlaine Harris took time to congratulate me on my book on FB. How kind is that? The ones on list who were big advance JERKS – and there were those – stuck out like sore thumbs in a world where kindness is the norm.

  2. Other writers are the best fuel there is — there’s nothing like talking things through with someone who’s been there/done that (or IS there/DOING that) to motivate you to stick it out through the rough patches. I’ve found the online writing community to be incredibly supportive. There seems to exist a real pay-it-forward mentality among authors that I find refreshing, as well as incredibly inspiring.

    Congratulations on the upcoming release of your third book, Kristina! THINGS WE DIDN’T SAY sounds like it will be a fantastic read. 🙂

  3. I completely agree – other authors have saved the last tattered shreds of my sanity this year. It’s the same for everyone, I think – we need peers who understand what we’re going through. When I was teaching, I needed other teachers. Runners need other runners. Cooks need other cooks.

    I’m so glad to have met you – you are a delight and I’m so happy for you. Congrats on THINGS WE DIDN’T SAY!

    Also, I have absolutely NO recollection of that photo being taken. Where were we?

  4. LOL Eleanor, this was at your signing table after your panel at Printers Row. Kelly O’Connor McNees took this photo with my shoddy phone camera…

    I’m going to be offline much of the day but I’ll come back to read comments!

    Thanks, Debs, for welcoming me home! It wouldn’t be a book launch without my pearls and tiara…

  8. Welcome back, Kristina!!!!

    I totally agree — I’ve been buoyed by other writers constantly in this process, and it’s always re-energizing.

    I’m so excited to read your book, and thrilled to be a part of the Deb community!

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