Inspiration is difficult to pin down. At least, that’s the position I’m sticking with. So, I decided to go back in time, not literally (not a time traveler :), but I started thinking about what has inspired me to write—and my answer is writing. Now, I’m not talking about my writing. Although, I wrote my first story when I was seven years old, inspired by Charlie’s Angels, which is not…
[News Flash] December 6, 2020
Thank you so much to Denise Williams for joining us this week. Read her interview with Ehsaneh about her fabulous debut, HOW TO FAIL AT FLIRTING! And congratulations to Denny: Susanne Dunlap, host of the It’s Just Historical podcast named WILD WOMEN AND THE BLUES one of the historical fiction books she can’t wait to read in 2021. Listen to the episode here. Way to go, Denny! Elizabeth Gonzalez James…
Ignoring the Masters
Today’s topic is about the books and authors that have inspired me to write. But the authors I most admire never inspire me to write. Mostly they inspire me to keep turning the pages of their wondrous, luminous books. And then, when I dive back into my own work, I’m paralyzed by waves of shame and insecurity as I know I’ll never produce anything so perfect. Writing is hard! There’s…
Interview with Denise Williams, author of HOW TO FAIL AT FLIRTING
I’m absolutely thrilled to be doing this week’s interview with Denise Williams, author of the much anticipated HOW TO FAIL AT FLIRTING, which is romance at its swooning, heart-pounding, toe-curling best! Below, Denise shares what she’s most looking forward to with the release of her book, tells us about the story behind her title, and explains why a future novel will definitely include a haunted house. Enjoy! ABOUT DENISE…
Ode to Liane Moriarty
My family moved to the United States from Taiwan when I was seven. To help us learn English, my mom used to take my sister and I to the library and that’s where my love of reading started. I couldn’t get enough of books. I read any and everything, regardless of subject matter or genre. I plowed through books like the Cam Jansen series, Encyclopedia Brown, and then eventually the…
[News Flash] November 30, 2020
Lyn Liao Butler recorded her first podcast interview with Not As Crazy As You Think. Releasing December 2nd, she and host Jennifer Gaita Siciliano talk about THE TIGER MOM’S TALE, and lots more! Greta Kelly will be in conversation with Sasha Laurens TODAY at 3pm CST at our Instagram channel. Laurens is the author of A WICKED MAGIC, and the two women will talk witches, magic, writing, and more! Ehsaneh…
Interview with Heather Chaves, author of NO BAD DEED
This week’s interview is with Heather Chavez, whose thriller NO BAD DEED tells the suspenseful story of a woman who’s husband has gone missing and who is trying desperately to protect her family from a deadly stalker. Below, Heather shares secrets about her main character, her proudest writing moments, her daughter’s sweet reaction to her book deal, and about that time she went on Oprah! Thanks for joining us Heather!…
Tips for Navigating the NaNo Blues
We’re sharing our best writing tips this month here on The Debutante Ball, and since this happens to coincide with National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo or NaNo for short), I thought I’d tailor my advice for the NaNo folks out there. November is quickly running out and for many writers it’s make or break time. So what do you do if you still have 10-20k left on your word count…
[News Flash] November 22, 2020
Jody A. Forrester joined us this week to talk about her memoir, GUNS UNDER THE BED. Read the full interview here. Thank you to Eliza Nellums who took over our Instagram on Monday and shared a little about her debut novel, ALL THAT’S BRIGHT AND GONE. And Tor.com shared an excerpt (as well as the map) from Greta Kelly’s fantasy novel, THE FROZEN CROWN on their website. Read Denny…
Finding Your People: A guide for new writers
A funny consequence of having a book coming out is that friends and family (and the occasional stranger on the internet) now come to me for advice on writing and publishing. It’s weird to give advice because I feel like I’m still learning these things myself. I don’t have an MFA – I literally just learned about the concept of negative capability this summer! But when I’m asked…
