We hope you have enjoyed yesterday’s interview with author DJ Lee. RETWEET or SHARE the interview for a chance to win a copy of REMOTE: FINDING HOME IN THE BITTERROOTS. @DebutanteBall #ClassOf2020 #guest #author Interview with Guest Author DJ Lee News from the Class of 2020 Debs: Lisa Braxton was thrilled to receive a glowing review of The Talking Drum from Foreword magazine, a reference publication for booksellers and…
When her friend vanishes in the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness of Idaho and Montana, DJ Lee travels there to find answers. The journey ends her fifteen-year quest to uncover her family’s troubled history in this remote place. In Finding Home in the Bitterroots (Oregon State University Press), Lee struggles with wild animal encounters, dangerous river crossings, bush plane flights in fog, and strange characters who come to the mountains to seek or…
As someone who dealt with many complications getting pregnant, I was excited to talk to Sarah DiGregorio, who writes about premature birth in her book EARLY: An Intimate History of Premature Birth and What It Teaches Us About Being Human (Harper). In this reported memoir, the freelance journalist, who covers both healthcare and food for many publications (including The New York Times, The Washington Post, Slate, The Wall Street Journal, and Catapult)…
My novel follows steps along the classic ‘hero’s journey’ and one of my favorite scenes to write was when Arden and Aurora meet their Gran Gran, who acts as a prophet for the perils and twists of their adventure to come. I love all my characters, but I have a very special spot for Gran Gran. She is just so tangible to me, the eternal matriarch, a Caribbean goddess and…
I grew up very introverted, completely over sensitized to the world on a daily basis and retreating inside my head to cope. From ‘Baby Yoda’ me, till I was around 17, my personality type could be very easily summed up by the words “bookworm”. Books were my escape, my safety blanket, and my deepest friends. Looking back, it was my own form of obsessive coping mechanism. I was a depressed…
I am so very into being inspired. I love being exposed to new experiences, ideas, art, stories, sounds, tastes. I used to feel I could only be inspired by things when I felt safe. I felt like I needed to shut out others to find inspiration from within. While this is still true, as I can find inspiration in quiet contemplation, I’ve also found I can be very inspired when…
R. Eric Thomas may be the funniest current events writer around. In “Eric Reads the News” at Elle.com, he presents his unique take on pop culture and politics, like Watch Donald Trump Explain How a Dog Works or Once Again I Am Delighted To Spend My Entire Check On Oprah’s Favorite Things. I’m so excited for his memoir in essays, HERE FOR IT, or How to Save Your Soul in…
There’s something you should know: I have absolutely no chill when it comes to books I love. This is why I never tried to be a reviewer—because I enjoy nothing more than to get completely lost in a book. So I’m going to spend the Deb release weeks less reviewing my colleagues’ fabulous works than losing my chill over them, because—wow. These are seriously good books. So you can guess…
Dreams are boring. That’s a rule in fiction. Also in life. No one wants to hear about your dreams. Not your night dreams, or nightmares, and not even your regular life dreams or goals: The former lacks narrative structure (“and then you were flying? Wait, I thought you were a shark?”) the latter makes people nervous because they may not be in touch with their own naked ambition. I don’t want…
I am thrilled to welcome Molly Greeley to the Ball this week! I met Molly virtually in an online group for debut authors, and she strikes me as kind, genuine, and hardworking. Follow her on Instagram for a sneak peek at the writing life alongside three children, a couple of cats, and whole lotta Jane Austen enthusiasm. Her novel, THE CLERGYMAN’S WIFE has many rave reviews, but I especially like…
