In Which Founder Kristy Gets All Mushy

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What a delight to be invited back to The Debutante Ball. Nice place you got here, filled with interesting, brilliant, and gorgeous women. Thanks for having me, I shall try to recall some of my own dancing skills for my visit so I don’t embarrass anyone.

When the 2009 Debs asked if I’d like to do a guest blog they said I should tell you all about my new book, Matters of Faith, but I always did have a tough time sticking to the topics, didn’t I? I also wasn’t sure what I would tell you that you couldn’t already get at my website, or on Amazon, or at any of the hundreds of book sites that have sprung up like chantrelles in the forest.
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I could copy over the reviews (they were good), copy over the information on the back jacket (it’s about a Florida family dealing with a daughter with severe food allergies, and a son whose religious quest wreaks havoc when he brings home a girlfriend who doesn’t believe in medical intervention), and list a couple of great things that happened for the book (like being an IndieBound Notable Title and having Jacqulyn Mitchard give an endorsement), but it all seemed pretty dry.

So last night I logged onto the Ball, just to sort of immerse myself in it again, to maybe take a quick look at a few of my old posts, remember my blogging voice. But I wound up sitting on my sofa until almost midnight with my laptop on my…well, on my lap, and reading all of the Founders posts.

What fun we had! Wow, was that only a couple of years ago? I laughed (remember the week we had to write about bald men and everyone detested the topic and it wound up being our largest trafficked week ever?), and I cried (my iRobot – A Love Story features Niko The Beloved Troll, who we had to put to sleep in December, which I am still quite devastated over), and I shook my head in amusement at our collective nerves over our debuts coming out, oh, and I’d completely forgotten about Butter Daoe MacPherson! Watch for that debut in the future.

And then I read the posts in which we turned to Ball over to the Class of 2008, Danielle Younge-Ullman, Gail Konop No Hyphen Baker, Jenny Gardiner, Jess Riley, Lisa Daily, and, well, Eileen Cook, and was filled with pride at what we’d accomplished and handed over, and then was amazed at all the things that class accomplished!

I got so nostalgic that I e-mailed the founders– Tish Cohen, Anna David, Mia King, Eileen Cook, and Jennifer McMahon– and told them how delightful that time was for me.

So, yeah, do me a favor, go buy Matters of Faith, that’d be great. Because if you don’t buy the book I don’t get to write another one. You know that. Right? But you don’t need a pithy blog entry to convince you to buy the book. You already know if you want to read it or not. So, go do your thing.

No, I decided what I really wanted to say, and it’s to the class of 2009: Most of you don’t know me that well, and hey, why should you care what I think about you? But… I AM SO PROUD OF YOU. Your bravery inspires me all over again.

I know what it took to get here. I know how hard it was. I know how hard it is. I know how hard it continues to be. I know how things might change, how you will lose some friends, gain others, worry over sales and marketing and publicity, and over learning it all. I know how you will struggle to be heard, and, even more important, to be understood. I know you will develop facial tics over reviews, not just from the critics, but from the readers, the one-star, the two-star, even the three-star heart stoppers. And I know the joy coming from the four and five-stars, the fan mail, the signing requests.

I am filled with excitement and happiness for you all, Kris, Eve, Tiffany, Meredith, and Katie. And I am filled with certainty that if you are good to each other and embrace this year with gratitude that you will look back on this time as one of the most fulfilling of your life. Don’t be afraid to stop for a minute and be emotional over it. Nobody who doesn’t understand will know what a goofball you are, and those who do understand will feel all goofbally for you.

Hang in there, it’s worth it, and I’d do it all over again in a heartbeat.

My very best wishes to you, Debutantes of 2009.

Dance pretty.

And thanks for having me.

 

 

13 Replies to “In Which Founder Kristy Gets All Mushy”

  1. Thanks for coming back to the ball, Kristy! We’re so inspired by all you’ve done. I’m looking forward to reading Matters of Faith!

  2. Okay, so, what? I post and the site explodes? 😀

    Hey Danielle! See? Wasn’t it fun? And now you get to be all nostalgic too.

    Meredith, twas my pleasure, and I see that Posed For Murder is up for pre-order! I look forward to reading it.

    Kris, yep, it’s goofballery 24/7 here! Come on in, the water’s fine…

  3. Thanks, Kristy! I’ve been a follower of the Ball since just about the beginning, and you guys always made the readers feel like part of your “club”. I remember going to my bookstore on all the release dates and making them go get the books if they were still in the stock room!

    Thanks for nurturing the Debutante Ball into the kind of place that grows and welcomes new authors and new readers with every new year!

  4. Thanks for the words of wisdom, Kristy. It’s true that we should sit back and enjoy the ride every now and then. I’m sure we’ll look back on all this and shake our heads!

  5. Kristy wrote to the Debutantes of 2009: “Most of you don’t know me that well, and hey, why should you care what I think about you?”

    If you don’t know Kristy Kiernan, I urge you to read her posts, along with CATCHING GENIUS and MATTERS OF FAITH. Not only is she a natural storyteller and a sheer genius writer, The Founder of this Ball is the best cyber friend and supporter you could hope to have. And, without her, this venue wouldn’t exist.

    Katie, Danielle and a few others were here with me and shared the excitement of every debut in 2007. All those days and Deb posts changed my life as well…the joy of success can be most contagious. So may you enjoy the year, Debs, just as Kristy envisioned this part of the experience for you!

  6. Katie, of course I remember you from the olden days of yore 😀 Can’t wait to see Bad Girls on the shelf.

    Tiffany, I don’t know about words of wisdom. Words anyway. Little Giant is on my nightstand, and if I can ever get through For Whom the Bell Tolls (for a book club, gaaahhhhh) I look forward to reading it!

    Ahhh, Larramie! It wouldn’t be a ball without you! Thanks for your consistent support of the Debs. I’m sure we owe you some pearls by now.

  7. hey ho Kristy! Long time no talk! So sorry about your pooch ;-(. Always agonizing…
    Just had to stop by (sitting poolside on my laptop while on vacation!) to say thank you for what a wonderful thing you started here and really creating a terrific sisterhood of writers. I feel so very fortunate to have been given the chance to be part of this group, so thank you!

  8. Kristy!!!! I was in the Inaugural madness in DC when your post went up, so didn’t have a chance to comment then. But I got all choked up as I read it – then and now. For me, being a Debutante is like being in a sorority with the most talented, gorgeous and generous sorority sisters. I am new to the Ball this year (there, I’ve outed myself!). I didn’t even know such a thing existed until my agent encouraged me to apply. I couldn’t imagine that there were successful authors out there in cyberland who wanted to help the newbies get a leg up. And now here I am, not only so damn proud to be among you, but getting the benefit of so much wisdom from my “older” sisters and having a great time connecting with the 2009 Debs and meeting so many awesome readers.

    I want to thank you for creating this magical place for all of us. I will be sure to pay it forward when my year is up.

  9. Hey Jenny! Fun to come back and visit, isn’t it? And what are you doing online on vacation? Go have fun!

    Well, Eileen, you know I feel the same way about you. (((hugs)))

    Eve, thank YOU so much! I am so delighted that you’re having a good time, and I look forward to seeing you all succeed this year!

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