Debutante Ball

[News Flash] January 26, 2020

Sunday, January 26, 2020
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Thank you to everyone who entered the #DebBallGiveaway to win a copy of TROVE: A WOMAN’S SEARCH FOR TRUTH AND BURIED TREASURE BY Sandra A. Miller @writerSandraM! A winner has been chosen! This week we hope you’ll enjoy a classic interview featuring the wildly popular international bestselling author Liane Moriarty! Classic Interview with Bestseller Liane Moriarty @DebutanteBall #ClassOf2020 #guest #author    News from the Class of 2020 Debs: Lisa Braxton was…

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Writing Dreams — Dreams of Writing

Friday, January 17, 2020
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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…

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Interview and book giveaway: Molly Greeley, Author of The Clergyman’s Wife

Saturday, January 4, 2020
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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…

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New Years Resolution from Oshun

Thursday, January 2, 2020
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Happy New Years, Dears! This New Year, yes, I do have dreams related to my novel launch (more on that in a few weeks, I promise). But one of my most personal New Year’s Resolutions is to become more open hearted to love. I have been on a steady ‘single lady’ streak for the last 6 years. It’s been a stretch in the solo lane, but I genuinely value that…

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I Don’t Set New Year’s Resolutions. I Do This Instead

Monday, December 30, 2019
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I’ve never been interested in making New Year’s resolutions, resolving at the end of the year to change an undesirable behavior or characteristic beginning on January 1st. I’d much rather review goals and accomplishments that are ongoing and tweak and fine tune them where needed. My writing goals for the upcoming months include: Spending extensive time working on my second novel. Life was so busy for me this year with…

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Favorite book of 2019 – Becoming by Michelle Obama

Thursday, December 26, 2019
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Happy Holidays! Every once in a while a book comes around that gives you water in the middle of the desert. For me, and others I’ve spoken with, in 2019, Becoming by Michelle Obama was that book. Though it technically came out at the end of 2018, in 2019, this book was everywhere. When I read it at the beginning of the year, I felt like it was the black…

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The importance of NOT writing

Thursday, December 19, 2019
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One of the blessings/curses of being a writer is that there really is no clear off switch to the creative mind. I am completely passionate about making compelling art, and that passion never leaves me. Like, even when I am out dancing with friends and very in the moment, there’s still that second mind that’s open to inspiration and actively sending out feelers. I love challenging my mind to craft…

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Interview and book giveaway: Author Lisa de Nikolits

Saturday, December 14, 2019
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I am so excited to welcome Lisa de Nikolits to The Debutante Ball. Lisa’s latest novel is The Occult Persuasion and the Anarchist’s Solution. It is a serio-comedic thriller about a couple who embark on an unintentionally life-changing around-the-world adventure, The Occult Persuasion and the Anarchist’s Solution is about the meaning of life, healing from old wounds, romantic love at all ages, and how love and passion can make a…

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Favorite Writing Craft Book, Bird by Bird

Thursday, December 12, 2019
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My very favorite writing craft book is one recommended to me by several people when I first voiced that I wanted to write a novel. Anne Lemott’s Bird by Bird is a uniquely styled writing manual that stole my heart. I loved the playfulness, the sense of humanity and forgiveness that she injected into the advice and challenges for growth as a writer. Bird by Bird was the book that…

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Best Writing Advice Ever On Your Worst Enemy

Friday, December 6, 2019
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“What should I do?” I began my session with my mentor. See, I was in a low-residence MFA, where we had two weeks in school (then the rest of the semester remote.) “I mean, I kind of like this beginning,” I said, showing her a printout of an essay I began, “but maybe this one makes more sense,” I said, whipping a different version out of my backpack. I often…

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