guest author – The Debutante Ball

Interview with Fran Dorricott and Giveaway for AFTER THE ECLIPSE

Saturday, June 15, 2019

This week we’re thrilled to welcome to the Ball Fran Dorricott, author of the debut psychological thriller After the Eclipse! Fran Dorricott is an author based in Derby, where she lives with her family, a cat, and three dogs (one of whom weighs more than she does). In 2013 she completed a degree in American Literature with Creative Writing from the University of East Anglia, and from there went on…

Interview with Lara Lillibridge and Giveaway for MAMA, MAMA, ONLY MAMA

I am so excited to welcome former Deb Lara Lillibridge back to the ball this week! I feel as though I’ve known Lara forever, although I suppose it’s been less than a year. She was the deb from last year who first emailed me to ask if I would like to be one of this year’s five, so let’s just say I’ve been fond of her ever since. She…

Saturday, June 8, 2019

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Interview with Lillian Li and Giveaway for NUMBER ONE CHINESE RESTAURANT

Saturday, June 1, 2019

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I’m so excited to be hosting author Lillian Li this week! Lillian Li is the author of the novel Number One Chinese Restaurant, which was longlisted for the Women’s Prize, the Center for Fiction’s First Novel Prize, and an NPR Best Book of 2018. Her work has been published in the New York Times, Granta, One Story, Bon Appetit, and Jezebel. Originally from the D.C. metro area, she lives…

Interview with Robyn Bennis

Saturday, May 18, 2019

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I’m so excited to welcome Robyn Bennis to the Ball this week – not only does she write some Damn Good books, she’s also my editor-cousin, and is as quick and hilarious in real life as her prose. After going through the traditional publishing route with two books, she’s dipping her toes into indie with a release next week (!!). Talk about a wild ride. Author of the well-acclaimed, thoroughly…

Interview with Claire Bartlett + Giveaway of WE RULE THE NIGHT!

Saturday, March 30, 2019

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This week, we are so thrilled to welcome amazing human and debut YA author Claire Bartlett to the Debutante Ball! Claire is my agent-sibling and our publishing journey has been in (mostly) parallel for the last year or so. I am so, so excited for the world to finally read her brilliant debut novel, We Rule the Night, a complex and kind-hearted take on female relationships and self-determination with magic!!…

Interview with Soniah Kamal

Saturday, March 16, 2019

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I’m so excited to welcome Soniah Kamal to the Debutante Ball this week! Her novel UNMARRIAGEABLE, has been described as a retelling of Pride and Prejudice set in modern-day Pakistan. It’s been an Amazon Best Books Pick, a Library Reads Pick, and featured in People Magazine. NPR said it’s “a fun, page-turning romp and a thought-provoking look at the class-obsessed strata of Pakistani society,” Publisher’s Weekly gave it a starred review…

Interview with Rae Theodore and Giveaway of MY MOTHER SAYS DRUMS ARE FOR BOYS

Saturday, February 9, 2019

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I am so pleased to welcome memoirist Rae Theodore to the debutante ball this week! Rae visited us last year to do an interview for her debut, Leaving Normal: Adventures in Gender, and now she’s back with more great stories in her latest release, My Mother Says Drums Are for Boys: True Stories for Gender Rebels. I’ve known Rae since I first walked into a little writing group in Collegeville, PA…

Reyna Grande on writing across genres + learning the business of publishing + GIVEAWAY of A DREAM CALLED HOME

Please welcome Reyna Grande to the Ball this week! Reyna is an award-winning author whose stunning memoir The Distance Between Us was a New York Times bestseller, and whose novels have been adapted as a common read selection in classrooms across the country. A Dream Called Home, which came out this year, is Reyna’s fourth book, and we are incredibly honored to have her as a guest. In A Dream Called Home,…

Saturday, December 22, 2018

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Interview with Cinelle Barnes + MONSOON MANSION giveaway

Saturday, November 24, 2018

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I’m so thrilled to welcome Cinelle Barnes to the Debutante Ball this week! Cinelle Barnes is an essayist, memoirist, and educator from Manila, Philippines, a recipient of fellowships and scholarships from Kundiman and Voices of Our Nations Arts (VONA), and is the writer-in-residence at the Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art. She received an MFA from Converse College. Her work has appeared in Catapult, Buzzfeed, Literary Hub, Hyphen, The Margins, and…