Lisa Braxton

Submit Your Application to Become a Member of the Class of 2021 Debutante Ball!

Monday, May 25, 2020
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Every year since 2007, five debut women authors have taken part in The Debutante Ball, a group blog for authors making their debut in the literary world. Former Debs include bestsellers in the genres of women’s fiction, mystery, literary fiction, nonfiction, young adult, and more. It’s time for the Class of 2020 to pass on our tiaras. We’re looking for female or non-binary writers who have not previously had a book…

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Getting to Wear the Pearls is Worth It

Monday, May 25, 2020
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One of the best decisions I made when I began my journey to publication for The Talking Drum was applying for a spot as a debutante. I had been following the Debutante Ball Blog for more than a year and marked my calendar so that I wouldn’t miss the application window. I was ecstatic when I got the email that I had been chosen as one of the five Debs….

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[News Flash] May 24, 2020

Sunday, May 24, 2020
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We hope you enjoyed yesterday’s interview with A.H. Kim. RETWEET or SHARE for a chance to win an advance reader copy of A GOOD FAMILY. . Interview and ARC Giveaway with A.H. Kim, Author of A Good Family @DebutanteBall #ClassOf2020 #guest #author   News from the Class of 2020 Debs: Lisa Braxton wants to invite you to her virtual book launch on Tuesday June 9th when she will be in conversation…

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Summer Vacation Reading in the Midst of a Pandemic

Monday, May 18, 2020
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Because of the times we’re facing, many of us will have more room in our schedules for reading this summer than we normally do. Stay-at-home orders, social distancing requirements, and the financial hit many of us are weathering because of COVID-19 will mean that stay-cations will be more common than activity-crammed vacations. When people think of summer reading choices, beach reads—fun, light novels filled with adventure, drama, and romance that…

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The Writer’s Education—MFA versus NYC

Monday, May 11, 2020
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In a widely read essay entitled “MFA vs NYC,” bestselling novelist Chad Harbach (The Art of Fielding) argued that the American literary scene has split into two cultures: New York publishing versus university MFA programs. His book brings together established writers, MFA professors and students, and New York editors, publicists, and agents to talk about these overlapping worlds, and the ways writers make (or fail to make) a living within…

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Hidden Secrets in The Talking Drum

Monday, April 27, 2020
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I’ve hidden a few secrets in The Talking Drum that close family members and friends will probably be able to identify. The character, Percy, a Vietnam veteran, owns a German shepherd named Bridgette. Percy is never seen without his dog and the two are regulars in the community. Coincidentally, or not so coincidentally, growing up we had a German shepherd in my household named Bridget. She was very protective of…

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My Favorite Independent Bookstore is a Booklover’s Paradise

Monday, April 20, 2020
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I met up with Santa Claus in the fiction section of R J Julia Booksellers in Madison, Connecticut. This was a few years’ back, the weekend of Thanksgiving and I was on my way home to Massachusetts after visiting my parents in Bridgeport. My timing was perfect because Ol’ St. Nick was making his rounds to find out who among us bibliophiles had been naughty or nice. He regaled us…

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Lending authenticity to my novel, one succulent morsel at a time

Monday, March 30, 2020
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One of the more appetizing parts of my research for The Talking Drum involved trying dishes I’d never heard of that were served at one of the toniest restaurants in the city of Boston. A few years into my writing process I knew that I wanted to create the character, Uncle Mustapha, a Senegalese restaurant owner. Uncle Mustapha operates one of the most popular restaurants in his neighborhood, Petite Africa,…

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In the face of the pandemic, bookstores find a way to keep the engine running

Monday, March 23, 2020
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Ever since you were a child you knew you wanted to write a novel. But as the years went by, life and career kept you from pursuing your dream. Finally, in your 40s, you crafted your story, the one that had been stuck in your head for more than a decade. You spent years fine tuning it as best you could before submitting it for publication. However, after a while,…

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My Perfect Day

Monday, March 16, 2020
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My perfect day wouldn’t be spent at my home. In fact, it wouldn’t be spent in my town, my state or my country. My perfect day would probably be spent on a tropical island in the Caribbean in a beautiful home with lots of views facing the ocean. I would share this home with other writers because the home would be part of a writers’ retreat. I would get up…

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