News Flash: July 31, 2011 – Meet the 2012 Debutantes!

Congrats to Debra, Gayle and Jen who won Kate Ledger’s Remedies.

News

Deb Sarah is so excited to share that her second novel is coming out three months early! The pub date for The Bungalow has been moved up to December 27 (from March 27), which officially means that Sarah has had two books come out, and given birth to one baby, in one year. This makes her feel like taking a nap. Right now.

Deb Tawna would like to thank her fellow Debs for not telling her how chaotic the weeks surrounding a book release can be. Had she known, she might have canceled the book’s publication and done something more relaxing. Like water torture.

Deb Kim wants to say WELCOME to the 2012 Debs.  I’m clapping as hard as I can, but these darn gloves are so quiet!

Past Deb Eileen Cook is signing TODAY at the Young Adult Summer Extravaganza at Third Place Books in Lake Forest Park, WA at 4:00. Seattleites, that’s SIX YA authors in one place – go visit and send her all of our love!

Past Deb Jenny Gardiner says, “Hi,there!  I’ve recently released a few novels direct to Kindle, including my award-winning debut novel Sleeping with Ward Cleaver, which was a victim of the demise of Dorchester Publishing.  They’re all perfect summertime reads: Sleeping with Ward Cleaver, Slim to None (both on Kindle and in Print), House of Cards, and Over the Falls.

And some other big news, I have a funny story (“My Dog the Dominatrix”) in the upcoming dog anthology I’m Not the Biggest Bitch in This Relationship (spearheaded by our practically honorary Deb Wade Rouse) that is a fundraiser for the Humane Society and is getting a lot of early buzz (it got picked for the September Indie Next List and there’s going to be a big froo-froo launch at a fancy dog boutique in Manhattan 😉 and another in Chicago with Jen Lancaster. it’s going to be a hilarious book with a powerhouse list of contributors (including Chelsea Handler’s dog Chunk, as well as 11 NY Times bestsellers, 2 Emmy award-winners and a Tony award-winner).

Last but not least, my memoir Winging It: A Memoir of Caring for a Vengeful Parrot Who’s Determined to Kill Me is still doing well with the animal lovers!

Thanks for indulging me!  — Jenny”

Meet The Debutante Ball Class of 2012!

They’re here! They’re here! Well, almost. The class of 2011 will be sticking around for a few more weeks – and what a few weeks those will be: we’re celebrating the debuts of Deb Elise Allen’s Populazzi and Deb Tawna Fenske’s Making Waves!

But fear not, we’re not just celebrating – we’ve been hard at work selecting next year’s class of debut authors, who will take over at the end of August. So put on your tiara and welcome our 2012 Debutantes to the Ball…

2012 Debutante Joanne Levy

By day, Canadian Joanne Levy wrangles bank executives; by night, she wrangles her menagerie of pets while writing books for kids; her middle grade novel, Small Medium at Large, will hit shelves June 14, 2012.




Erika Marks


A native New Englander who now lives and writes in North Carolina, Erika Marks is the author of Little Gale Gumbo, which will be published by NAL in October.





2012 Debutante Linda Grimes


Virginia resident Linda Grimes is an ex-actress who used to support her theater habit by teaching English, and now channels her love of words and drama into writing light urban fantasy; her debut novel, In a Fix, will be released by Tor in July 2012.




2012 Debutante Rachel Bertsche


Rachel Bertsche lives in Chicago, where she spends her time writing (for magazines, websites and, now, books) and trying to make new friends; her memoir, MWF Seeking BFF, is due out in January 2012 from Ballantine Books.





2012 Debutante Molly Backes



M. Molly Backes teaches creative writing at StoryStudio Chicago; her young adult novel The Princesses of Iowa will be published by Candlewick Press in May 2012.



We’re so happy to have them here! Please give them a big Debutante Ball welcome in the comments!

34 Replies to “News Flash: July 31, 2011 – Meet the 2012 Debutantes!”

  1. OOH! OOH! I get to be the first to comment!!!! (That’s what a midnight pot of coffee does to you!) Joanne, Erika, Linda, Rachel, and Molly, I am SO EXCITED for you! (And that’s not just the coffee talking, though the beverage might be responsible for all the exclamation points.) While it’ll be bittersweet taking off our tiaras in a few weeks, there’s FAR more sweet than bitter, knowing they’ll be in such good hands… or on such good heads. I look forward to your posts, but even more than that, I look forward to your books!

  3. Congratulations new Debs! Loved reading your applications and your mix of genres and themes is top drawer for 2012! I adore middle grade and was thrilled to see Joanne’s application. We met at Backspace many years ago. We Debs had to make some tough decisions as we had a slew of strong applicants and we’re excited for the debuts for everyone who applied. I’m partial to memoirs, of course and Rachel’s reminded me a bit of Julie & Julia. YA is such a big crossover category, Molly’s book looks to be a hit for our readers for sure. Erika’s Little Gale Gumbo starts with a great title and she hails from New England – we can talk lobster! We delighted in seeing a light urban fantasy book too – so thank you to Linda.

    2012 looks to be a unique year for the ball with this eclectic mix of genres – fantastic!

  4. Thank you so much for the warm welcome! I couldn’t be prouder or more thrilled to be a part of this awesome group. I’ve coveted a spot with the Debs for a long time and now being invited to the ball is another wonderful and exciting (and slightly terrifying) thing that comes along with the book deal. I can’t wait to start dancing!

  5. Wow! I guess it IS real. Thank you all so much for including me in such a great group of ladies — I know this year will be a hundred different kinds of fun. Can’t wait to fill up my dance card!

    Anyone mind if I kick off these shoes? Oh, and is the Bump acceptable for ballroom dancing? (Does anyone even remember the Bump, or have I just dated myself? I, er, studied about it in a History of Dance class once…) Never mind. I’m sure I’ll get the hang of the waltz eventually. Can’t go wrong with the classics. 😉

  6. Jenny, I’m so glad you dropped in with such good news!

    And congratulations, new Debs! Joanne, Erika, Linda, Rachel, and Molly, I know you are all going to be fabulous additions to the Ball, and we’re all so looking forward to your books.

  9. Whooo hoo!!! Congrats ladies, and welcome to the sisterhood! You’ll have a great year and be so glad to have this group to lean on. If you ever need any help you can always count on us! (And yay Joanne! So happy you’re here, and I already had Little Gale Gumbo on pre-order so what a pleasant surprise to see you here!)

  11. Welcome to the new Debs!!! I look forward to getting to know each of you and reading your upcoming books. Based on past debs and my great friends Sarah Jio and Eleanor Brown, you are all in for a wonderful year!!!

  12. Oh, this warm welcome is just the best! I am beyond excited to be a part of this wonderful group of readers and writers. To the Debs of 2011, you’ve set the bar quite high–it’s been a pleasure getting to know you and thank you for this opportunity.

    (And Linda, kick off those shoes, indeed. I’m already pouring the mimosas. Who’s in?!)

  14. Yaaaay, new Debs! I was so impressed with the applications this season, and thrilled to pieces at what a great Deb class we got to help assemble. You ladies are going to totally rock the ball. Welcome!

    Deb Tawna

  15. Thanks so much for the warm welcome! I’m so excited for the year ahead and to be a part of the Debs. I know I have a lot to learn from all of you–both Debs of past and present and the blog’s fabulous readers–and I can’t wait to kick off the journey. Happy Sunday!

  18. What a fabulous welcome! Thanks everyone! We have some big (sparkly, high-heeled) shoes to fill, but I think we’re up for the challenge — we’ll do you proud! Hugs to Joanne, Erika, Linda, & Rachel!

  22. I can feel my adding list growing! So excited to see so many great new authors take the dance floor. Be sure to let us past debs know how we can help!

  25. Welcome to the Deb family! Congratulations on all your upcoming releases, these books sound terrific. Joanne I remember in particular being a loyal cheerleader for Debs Past. Happy to see you getting a turn on the dance floor!

    And Molly, we just met at Printers Row! You may not remember because you probably met six thousand people… Anyway, hello again!

    Congratulations to all!

    Kristina, The Monday Deb of 2009

  26. Welcome all! What an exciting group–of books and authors. Have a wonderful debut year and enjoy every second, even when you’re in the middle of stressing out, because there’s nothing like it.

Comments are closed.