It is an exciting week here at the Debutante Ball. It is the time in which we 2020 Debs “pass the tiaras” onto our successors. I am delighted to introduce from The Class of 2021 Greta Kelly, who will take on the role of Contest Maven that I have managed for the past Debutante season. Her debut novel, The Frozen Crown, is forthcoming from Harper Voyager. She currently lives in…
We hope you enjoyed yesterday’s interview and book giveaway with Carole Stivers. RETWEET OR SHARE for a chance to win a copy of THE MOTHER CODE. #DebBallGiveaway #giveaway #author We are so excited to host Carole Stivers. RT for a chance to win THE MOTHER CODE. #DebBallGiveawy #giveaway #authors #writing #writingcommmunity #readers https://t.co/3wn0pOYlTs pic.twitter.com/Fup2W86VGx — The Debutante Ball (@DebutanteBall) August 22, 2020 Interview with Carole Stivers, author of The Mother…
I am new to the publishing world, my debut novel, The Talking Drum was published at the end of May, and I didn’t have a sense of the publishing landscape in terms of the value placed on works by black versus non-black authors. That is, until the arrival of the hashtag #PublishingPaidMe. The hashtag was created by the fantasy novelist L.L. McKinney to highlight the disparities. I now know that…
Wow — it occurred to me as I sat down to write this that it’s my last “real” post for The Debutante Ball. Next week, I’ll be introducing my successor, the great Denny Bryce, and then I’ll be back writing regularly at my own website. I’ve missed documenting the sillier aspects of my life there, but at the same time, I’m happy to have a weekly repository of thoughts, stories,…
MARRIAGE THERAPY DOESN’T HAVE TO INVOLVE A THERAPIST, JUST THE RIGHT KIND OF DOCTOR My husband and I were having a tough time. I had been working on my novel for years, grinding out one draft after another, sending out sample pages to literary agents, getting no response, or getting the canned response email rejection or a few nibbles in which an agent asked to see additional pages and then…
Greetings and salutations and welcome to the Debutante Ball! I was so excited when I read the first words of the email I received on a Sunday morning in early August of 2019 informing me that I’d been chosen as one of the 5 debut authors who would chronicle her “big dance” toward publication. I had been following the Debutante Ball blog for more than a year and eagerly…
For Immediate Release: August 6, 2020—Debutante Lisa Braxton, author of the debut novel, The Talking Drum, is a recipient of an Outstanding Literary Award from the National Association of Black Journalists. The award was announced today at the organization’s virtual convention where she was interviewed about her book during The Author Showcase. The Showcase selection committee considered The Talking Drum compelling and socially relevant and notable for its inclusion of…
Now that The Talking Drum has launched with great fanfare, I’ve been able to spend some noodling with the draft of my second novel, a historical piece taking place in Boston in the mid-1800s, but I’m not quite ready to make a full pivot to Manuscript Number 2. The Talking Drum only hit the virtual bookshelves on May 29th. I’m hoping to generate additional attention for the book in the…
We are excited to welcome to The Debutante Ball Ava Homa, who is the critically-acclaimed of the novel DAUGHTERS OF SMOKE AND FIRE which is hailed by the Independent in the UK, the Globe and Mail in Canada, and the Reader’s Digest as one of the best new fictions. Her collection of short stories ECHOES FROM THE OTHER LAND was nominated for the Frank O’Connor International Prize. She holds a…
Television news is a young person’s game. I first heard that assertion from my broadcast journalism professors and class advisors, and then later from workshop presenters at national industry conferences. The statement was an undercurrent that gradually grew into a drumbeat for us who toiled as young reporters at stations in small town America. We were encouraged by our colleagues and mentors to keep our resumes and news clips up…
