I have had such a ride this year in publishing The Goddess Twins! There’s no way I will ever forget this journey of launching my debut novel – it has stretched me more than I ever thought possible in a multitude of directions. Out of all the highs and lows, I feel most grateful for the reader feedback. After years of work and insecurity and secret hopes about what this…
The end of the line, the beginning of everything.
So, here we are. The end of the line. The beginning of everything. This has been a great year. It’s not the year I thought I would get on the tin, but it’s taught me a lot of lessons and kept me on my toes. I’m sure next year will be as… eventful. (I’m giving you the side-eye, next year. You’d better behave.) We’re supposed to finish off our tenure…
Farewell (and some unsolicited parting advice) from Kathleen
Wow — it occurred to me as I sat down to write this that it’s my last “real” post for The Debutante Ball. Next week, I’ll be introducing my successor, the great Denny Bryce, and then I’ll be back writing regularly at my own website. I’ve missed documenting the sillier aspects of my life there, but at the same time, I’m happy to have a weekly repository of thoughts, stories,…
5 Things I Learned Writing The Talking Drum
MARRIAGE THERAPY DOESN’T HAVE TO INVOLVE A THERAPIST, JUST THE RIGHT KIND OF DOCTOR My husband and I were having a tough time. I had been working on my novel for years, grinding out one draft after another, sending out sample pages to literary agents, getting no response, or getting the canned response email rejection or a few nibbles in which an agent asked to see additional pages and then…
Announcing the 2021 Debs!
The Class of 2020 is wrapping up our incredible, historic year, and we’re thrilled to announce that we’ve selected the new Debutante Ball Class of 2021! These debut authors and their books represent a variety of categories and genres, and most importantly, authors with clear, smart voices that will resonate with the Debutante Ball’s readers. Please welcome these fabulous writers and their equally fabulous books! We know the 2021 class…
Interview and Book Giveaway with Author Yaffa Santos!
It is my pleasure to welcome Yaffa S. Santos, author of A TASTE OF SAGE to The Debutante Ball! Let me tell you a little about her. Yaffa was born and raised in New Jersey. Her debut novel, A TASTE OF SAGE, combines her interests in the romance genre with her love of cooking and its singular ability to bring people together. Yaffa lives in Florida with her family. A…
What One Book Review Means to Me
I toiled on my first novel for years, endured years of rejection and even more years of rewriting. I wore down the soles of my shoes walking the aisles of book expos and conferences trying to generate interest in my manuscript from small presses, this after emailing every literary agent it made sense to contact to no avail. After so many “no’s” I finally get the one “yes” that I…
Guest Post: Barbara Conrey on Highs and Lows of the Debut Year
It’s my pleasure to introduce guest blogger Barbara Conrey today. Barbara is a top-notch writer and an A+ literary citizen. She goes out of her way to serve the greater good and has become a friend to many debuting authors during this unpredictable year. I’m thrilled that you’ll get to hear her voice, too. Read on to learn more about Barbara’s debut (at age 70!) and how she’s navigated the…
Debut year recap – highs, lows, and what I’ve learned
Phew, what a surprising adventure it has been to debut The Goddess Twins! Talk about ‘Lit in the time of Corona’. The path of writing, publishing, and now marketing this book has truly been its own hero’s journey for me. I am grateful for this blogging space and future opportunities to share what I have experienced and learned with others who may need it while embarking their own paths. Last…
Learning all the things you never thought you had to learn, or debuting in a pandemic.
I simply can’t believe it’s been a whole year. This week, we’re talking about what we learned as a Debutante. To be honest, this entry was hard to write, because my expectations about what I thought would happen this year debuting Architects of Memory and what actually did happen were so incredibly different. Like Pluto-versus-the-Sun different. When I applied to be a Deb, my release date was January. I was…
