YA – The Debutante Ball

The worlds my parents gave me

Wednesday, June 24, 2020

One of the most exciting things about becoming a mom was buying all the books. Seriously! Other people might concentrate on things like onesies, baby wipes, bouncers and cribs. I did enjoy putting all of that together—my daughter’s nursery is outer space-themed, because I’m just that predictable. For me, though, good parenting also involved making sure that my daughter had the proper reading material. Like I said. I’m predictable. My…

Get ready. I’m adding to your TBR today.

Wednesday, June 3, 2020

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I’m writing this entry on #blackouttuesday, when white artists are asked to stop centering themselves and make space as possible for black artists, writers and musicians in the community. So I’m going to get on with doing just that. Here’s a list of brilliant recent YA and adult speculative fiction by some of the best in the business. Go! Purchase! Get reading! The Lesson by Cadwell Turnbull For five years the…

Hooray for The Goddess Twins!

Wednesday, May 20, 2020

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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…

Let’s Talk About THE DIMINISHED

Tuesday, April 10, 2018

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Let’s talk about THE DIMINISHED by Kaitlyn Sage Patterson. I’ve been screaming with anticipation for this book to come out now it is finally here! In a world populated by twins, Vi is “diminished” meaning the sole surviving twin of her pair, and the world waits for her to succumb to grief or murderous rage. Meanwhile, Bo, as single-born, is preparing to take the throne. There are sun ships…

THE DIMINISHED: It’s What You’re Looking For

Monday, April 9, 2018

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The Diminished scratches so. many. itches. Kaitlyn’s book is the one of my fellow 2018 Debs’ that is closest to being in the world I know. YA SFF and adult SFF do not live that far apart, and sometimes the distinguishment is really down to where any given bookstore feels like shelving things. Many authors of one also write the other (I don’t know if I ever will, being over-fond…

Interview with Zoraida Córdova

Saturday, April 7, 2018

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This week, I am so excited to introduce Zoraida Córdova to the ball! Zoraida has written adult, YA, and short fiction; Labyrinth Lost was a fantastically inventive YA fantasy novel, and it’s one of the most exciting books I read last year. Zoraida’s also a fantastic public speaker. Her keynote at last year’s Sirens Conference was thoroughly entertaining and thought-provoking. The second book in her Brooklyn Brujas series comes out in June,…

Speaking of Distractions…

Friday, January 12, 2018

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I totally forgot to write my blog post yesterday. This isn’t a bit. I was distracted by life and day job and eight million other things and totally freaking spaced. So definitely listen to what I’m about to tell you. Writing has never been an act of perfection for me. I write messy first drafts and carve moments out of my life wherever I can find them to get words…

Interview with Katherine Locke + Giveaway of THE GIRL WITH THE RED BALLOON

Saturday, January 6, 2018

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I am delighted to introduce YA & NA author Katherine Locke to the Debutante Ball! Katherine and I have been Twitter-friends for quite some time now, and our publishing journeys started around the same time. I’ve long admired Katherine for how outspoken, tenacious, and brave they are on the social and political matters that are important to them. In addition to writing, Katherine also offers editing services, which you can learn…

Winter Writing Zones

Friday, December 22, 2017

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I’m writing this on day 3 of a fever, so please excuse me if it’s super loopy. I get stir crazy being quarantined for this long, but I’d hate to get anyone else sick. I love my office. It’s a tiny room at the top of the stairs that I painted navy blue just before we moved into this house. I have a bitsy green velvet sofa and a phrenology…

Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda… or Not.

Sometimes I like to sit down and think about all the parallel universes where other Kaitlyns are going about their daily lives having walked down paths wildly divergent from my own. Here’s a peek at a few of those other universes. Before I (TO THE ENDLESS DISAPPOINTMENT OF ADULT KAITLYN) Decided I Hated Science: Kaitlyn Sage Patterson is an equine veterinarian. She lives on a sprawling farm tucked up against…

Friday, November 10, 2017

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