When I was in my undergrad program for fashion, I took my very first writing gig blogging for a recently launched menswear site. I remember applying and being so excited when I was chosen! I felt so official with this, my first fashion writing gig. But I was super nervous upon accepting the position. I realized, my name would be “out there” and what if people didn’t like the content…
Do it. Apply for the 2021 Debutante Ball.
I’m going to be honest with you, 2021 debutantes. I almost didn’t apply for the Debutante Ball. I was working on my sequel, over a year away from going through the pre-publication shuffle that is copyediting and publicity and galley review. I felt like I wasn’t a “real author” at all. I remember staring at the Debutante Ball website, at blog entries from debutantes like Layne Fargo and K.A. Doore…
I Can Hardly Believe It’s That Time Again…
I remember last year when the application window opened here for the Debutante Class of 2020. I was finishing up my teaching job for the year, and the whole prospect of publishing a novel in the next twelve months still seemed like a surreal dream. I’d been a long-time reader of this site, and I’d fangirled over many of the previous writers in the days before I’d even queried an…
Submit Your Application to Become a Member of the Class of 2021 Debutante Ball!
Every year since 2007, five debut women authors have taken part in The Debutante Ball, a group blog for authors making their debut in the literary world. Former Debs include bestsellers in the genres of women’s fiction, mystery, literary fiction, nonfiction, young adult, and more. It’s time for the Class of 2020 to pass on our tiaras. We’re looking for female or non-binary writers who have not previously had a book…
Getting to Wear the Pearls is Worth It
One of the best decisions I made when I began my journey to publication for The Talking Drum was applying for a spot as a debutante. I had been following the Debutante Ball Blog for more than a year and marked my calendar so that I wouldn’t miss the application window. I was ecstatic when I got the email that I had been chosen as one of the five Debs….
Interview and ARC Giveaway with A.H. Kim, Author of A Good Family
I’m so pleased to welcome A.H. Kim to the ball today! I met Ann in a Facebook group for debut authors, and I quickly became her Instagram fan. This month, she’s featuring a book recommendation per day in celebration of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. Check out her feed here, and get your TBR ready. Ann’s debut novel, A GOOD FAMILY, releases in July, but we’re teaming up for an…
Three Cheers for The Goddess Twins
When we Debutantes took up shop here last August, one of us was delayed in her arrival because of her storytelling obligations at the Burning Man Festival. Immediately, I knew that one of these women was not like the others. I mean, Burning Man?! My daily adventures consisted of Target runs and maybe, on a good day, a few episodes of The Office with the family after dinner. Meanwhile, Yodassa…
The Goddess Twins, OUT NOW, a Summer Vacation Read
As a kid, I absolutely adored reading for pleasure! When school was out during the summer, my very favorite thing would be getting a fat stack of books from the library and diving into new worlds like a solo adventurer. The phrase ‘summer reading’ brings up the fond memory of our local library’s annual summer reading contest. Each year, the Mt. Healthy library held a scavenger hunt style reading competition,…
Hooray for The Goddess Twins!
I love books with voice. Books where you can hear the characters talk in your head, where they’re serious and witty and believable and bold. The Goddess Twins has a lot going for it, but one of its major triumphs is the voices of its teenage protagonists. I had twin acquaintances in high school—twins who dressed differently, acted separately, took different classes, had divergent interests. One played sports. The other…
Drum roll please!! It’s launch week for Yodassa Williams
It’s finally time! Yodassa Williams is the next of this year’s Debs to step out onto the ballroom floor! The Goddess Twins launches for publication today, May 19th. Foreword Reviews calls the book “an impressive, commanding novel about black girl magic,” and “an emotive and powerful feminist novel that inspires the innate goddess in every girl.” Kirkus Reviews says, “Continuous revelations keep the optimistic tale humming, and the cast is…
