Debs Past and Present

Introducing Kathleen West: Author of MINOR DRAMAS & OTHER CATASTROPHES

Tuesday, August 27, 2019
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I’m delighted to introduce the new social media maven for the Debutante Ball, Class of 2020! Please welcome and meet Kathleen West, whose debut novel Minor Dramas & Other Catastrophes will be out from Berkley (Penguin Random House) on February 4, 2020. Kathleen is a writer, teacher, reader, and semi-professional minivan driver. A life-long Minnesotan, she holds degrees from Macalester College and the University of Minnesota. She currently lives in Minneapolis…

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Year’s End

Friday, August 23, 2019
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  In many ways my debut year was full of surprises. I received so many wonderful gifts that I hadn’t planned on—a blurb from one of the writers I most admire, positive reviews in outlets that still terrify me (can you say Kirkus, anyone?), pictures of my book purchased by friends old and new, near and far. I was truly surprised by how many friends not only bought the book…

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A Tale of Two Launches

Tuesday, August 14, 2018
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I had two launch parties for Girlish—one in my hometown of Rochester, NY, and one in my current town, Cleveland. Old Hometown Launch Venue: Writers and Books (a writing center) Food: Beautiful appetizer and dessert trays, which remained largely uneaten. Two kinds of wine + bottled water, most of which remained largely undrank. Agenda: chatting, signing, and general milling about. I did a 10-minute reading from Girlish. Takeways: People don’t care…

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The Writer Lara Lillibridge is Currently Fangirling Over

Tuesday, May 29, 2018
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Writers are my movie stars. There are the writers who got me through childhood, and writers who changed the way I thought about writing, and others whose names I chanted to give me courage in the months leading up to the release of my memoir, Girlish: Growing Up in a Lesbian Home. I can’t forget my writing mentors in grad school or the yet-unpublished writers I am dying to see emerge…

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Missteps in Representation and Appropriation

Tuesday, January 23, 2018
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I listened to a woman read a chapter from her romance novel about gay male truck drivers. Within a few minutes, it became glaringly obvious that she knew nothing about gay men or truck drivers. I was incensed—this was my community she was writing about so badly—but  I was also chagrined. I was reminded of my own 300-page gay romance novel I had written several years before. Like the author…

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Lara’s 8 Favorite Books of 2017

Tuesday, December 26, 2017
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I decided to limit myself to eight books, because eight is my lucky number. Besides, many of us have a short attention span and ten books seems like too many. I selected three novels, two Young Adult, and three memoir.  Here are my Eight favorite books that came into print in 2017:   The novels: Beartown  by Fredrick Backman. This story could take place in any small town in any…

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[News Flash] October 29, 2017

Latest News
Sunday, October 29, 2017
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Congratulations to Lee Elliott, winner of our #DebBallGiveaway of SEVEN DAYS OF US, by Francesca Hornak.   Thank you so much to yesterday’s guest, Kellye Garrett, author of the DETECTIVE BY DAY series! Thanks, @kellyekell, author of the DETECTIVE BY DAY series, for visiting with us this week! Take a look! https://t.co/EWBRnOHcGN pic.twitter.com/8miQIhzDm0 — The Debutante Ball (@DebutanteBall) October 29, 2017 Former Debutantes in the News: Former Deb Sarah Pekkanen has some…

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News Flash: Announcing the 2018 Debs!

Sunday, August 6, 2017
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BIG NEWS! The 2017 Debs are thrilled to announce The Debutante Ball Class of 2018! We will be doing a detailed introduction soon, but we are so excited to share the names of next year’s Debs. Please join us in welcoming: Julie Clark Kimmery Martin Cass Morris Lara Lillibridge Please join us in welcoming these wonderful writers to the Deb Ball family! ******** Congratulations to Cora Hannold, winner of our #DebBallGiveaway…

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Interview with former Deb Aya De Leon + #DebBallGiveaway of THE BOSS

Saturday, June 3, 2017
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It is with great pleasure that we welcome back former Deb Aya De Leon to The Debutante Ball for our Saturday interview! Aya, author of UPTOWN THIEF, has a brand new book that came out last week – Congratulations, Aya!!! Want to know more about Aya and THE BOSS? Here’s the scoop! Justice Hustlers Book #2 THE BOSS (2017): Tyesha Couvillier seems to have escaped her disastrous past on Chicago’s South Side. She’s…

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News Flash: Some past Deb excitement and present Deb updates!

Sunday, December 18, 2016
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Congratulations to Laurice McClung for winning a copy of Elizabeth Brundage’s book ALL THINGS CEASE TO APPEAR. We send our thanks to Breeana Shields for being our guest on The Debutante Ball yesterday! If you haven’t already, please pick up a copy of POISON’S KISS or enter to win a signed hardcover by retweeting: Enter the #DebBallGiveaway to win @BreeanaShields‘ #PoisonsKiss! RT to Enter, Ends 12/23 https://t.co/kmjqtgOXy1 — The Debutante Ball (@DebutanteBall) December 17,…

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