News Flash: April 17, 2011

From the 2011 Debs…

Deb Sarah’s book, The Violets of March, was featured as May book pick by Redbook magazine! They call it “engrossing”–wohoo!

Deb Kim read Deb Elise’s ARC of Populazzi on the flight from NY to LA. No fooling, no faking, no Deb to Deb pinky swear tell everyone you loved my book…. I LOVED THIS BOOK. It’s “yA, but baby oh baby it sure isn’t the YA of my Y! Great read for YA through MA (figure that one out) and beyond. Characters – I’m all about them and Elise draws a group you’ll love getting to know.

Deb Tawna says “ditto” to everything Deb Kim just said. Well, except the flight thing. She hasn’t yet resorted to stalking her fellow Debs on cross-country trips (though given the quality of their books, it’s a worthy consideration).

Deb Elise first has to give a huge OMG — THANK YOU to Deb Kim and Deb Tawna for the raves!  Second, Deb Elise got great news — her web series The Muppets’ Kitchen with Cat Cora is up for a Webby Award!  It needs your votes to win, so go here, register to vote, then go to Online Film and Video, Comedy: Long Form or Series (they make this process waaaaay too involved), and VOTE!  As Miss Piggy would say, “KISSY KISSY!”

Deb Dish — “The First Thing I Was Ever Proud of Writing Was…”

Deb Elise

I was in grade school — 4th or 6th, can’t remember.  I wrote a story about my cat, Sousa, except she was a hard boiled Private Eye.  The dumb but loyal dog next door was her partner, and the two solved neighborhood mysteries together.  It was like Moonlighting, but with fur.  The story was “published” in the end-of-year compilation of the best students’ work, and I got so many compliments that I considered making it a several-book series.  Somehow even then time got away from me and I didn’t do it, but that first story was awesome.

Deb Eleanor

In 6th grade, we were given an assignment to write a description of a place. I wrote a careful and vivid description of an empty dinner table after a meal. The next morning, I was struck by an image of a tiger in a forest clearing. I scrapped the original, wrote the second, and fell in love with writing.

Deb Kim

I wrote a letter to my Mom from my first sleep away camp. I think I was in 5th or 6th grade. It said, “If the letters are smeared it’s my tears on the paper. I want to come home.” She picked me up early. 🙂

Deb Sarah

My first book, “A Tug Boat’s Dream,” which won a young author competition in the first grade. I remember feeling so proud of my little story, much in the same way I’m feeling proud about The Violets of March (though I hope my writing’s improved a tad.)

Deb Tawna

I remember being particularly proud of a note I wrote to the tooth fairy. I spent a great many minutes nibbling the eraser on my Hello Kitty pencil as I grappled with the message I wanted to convey. I knew my parents were the Tooth Fairy. I also knew they’d been mumbling that money was tight. I didn’t know what that meant exactly, but figured I shouldn’t strain the family coffers by expecting a handout. On the other hand, I wanted that fifty cents. I can’t recall the precise wording of my note, except that I needed to choose between using the word “anyway” or “anyhow” in a sentence suggesting the Tooth Fairy didn’t have to leave me money. “Anyway” was casual and breezy, and carried a genuine sense of ambivalence about the cash. “Anyhow” had a forlorn tone, a hint of self-sacrifice. Was that what I wanted to express? Or did it sound melodramatic and manipulative? I don’t actually remember what I decided. Neither does my mom, who dug through all her old boxes in search of Tooth Fairy notes. But that exercise was the start of my lifelong obsession with word choice!