The Debutante Ball

Seven debut authors. Seven books. One big dance toward publication.

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  • Melissa Chadburn
  • Jennifer Fawcett
  • Flora Collins
  • Sonya Singh
  • Cleyvis Natera
  • Sarah Grunder Ruiz
  • Carolyn Huynh

Author: Aya de Leon

Aya de Leon directs the Poetry for the People program in the African American Studies Department at UC Berkeley. Her work has appeared in Essence Magazine, xojane, Ebony, Guernica, Writers Digest, Mutha Magazine, Movement Strategy Center, My Brown Baby, KQED Pop, Bitch Magazine, Racialicious, Fusion, and she has been a guest on HuffPostLive. She is the author of the children's picture book PUFFY: PEOPLE WHOSE HAIR DEFIES GRAVITY. Kensington Books will be publishing her debut feminist heist novel, UPTOWN THIEF, in 2016. For more info, go to ayadeleon.wordpress.com.
  • Posted on Friday, July 1, 2016Friday, July 1, 2016
  • by Aya de Leon

Swirling My Launch Party

So my debut novel, UPTOWN THIEF, is a heist book with a romantic arc; it features women of color and…

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  • Posted on Friday, June 24, 2016Monday, June 27, 2016
  • by Aya de Leon

The Soundtrack to My Writer’s Life

As much as I love music, when it comes to playlists for my writing, I am utterly boring. I have only…

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  • Posted on Friday, June 17, 2016Thursday, June 16, 2016
  • by Aya de Leon

Adventures in Anxiety and Spirituality

In 2014, I installed a book altar in my home. I’m a clutterer with a young child in a small…

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  • Posted on Friday, June 10, 2016Thursday, June 9, 2016
  • by Aya de Leon

The Many Faces of Food in Fiction

In middle and high school, I was heavily into theater. We did tons of improvisational exercises, most of which I…

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  • Posted on Friday, June 3, 2016Wednesday, June 1, 2016
  • by Aya de Leon

Regrets and Reversals

This week, we’re talking about regrets. My definition of a regret would be an instance in which things are not…

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  • Posted on Saturday, May 28, 2016Thursday, May 26, 2016
  • by Aya de Leon

An Interview with Memoirist and Screenwriter Antonia Crane – Plus GIVEAWAY!

SPENT by Antonia Crane

Since having a kid, I have to confess that I haven’t read a single print book that wasn’t required for…

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  • Posted on Friday, May 27, 2016Thursday, May 26, 2016
  • by Aya de Leon

Writing While Female and The Big Freeze

So it finally happened to me last week—the big freeze. People often remark on my high level of productivity, and…

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  • Posted on Friday, May 20, 2016Thursday, May 19, 2016
  • by Aya de Leon

Putting One Shoe (or Book) In Front of the Other

My daughter is learning to tie her shoes as a kindergartner. This is because, up until now, all her shoes…

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  • Posted on Friday, May 13, 2016Thursday, May 12, 2016
  • by Aya de Leon

Urban Womens Fiction, Superheroes, and Power Accessories

This week on the Debutante Ball, we’re talking about superpowers. My main character, Marisol Rivera, is a superhero of sorts.…

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  • Posted on Friday, May 6, 2016Thursday, May 5, 2016
  • by Aya de Leon

Letting My Mom Read UPTOWN THIEF, Sex Scenes and All

I’m really glad that we were talking on the phone when my mom told me what she thought of my…

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About Us

Since 2007, the Debutante Ball has been celebrating first-time authors and their books. Learn more.

Blog Schedule

Current Topic: Welcoming the New Class

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Tues. 8/31: Lyn says good-bye from the 2021 Debs

Wed. 9/1: New Class Takes Over

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Fri. 9/3:  

 Sat. 9/4:

Sun. 9/5: Debutante News

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