Exciting News! The Debutante Ball Class of 2014

I just discovered that I’ve been selected as one of five debut authors to join the popular writing blog, The Debutante Ball! *Snoopy dance* I’m thrilled to be among such talent! Every year five debut female writers are chosen to write weekly articles on the blog. We write about a new topic that links to a personal story and our writing journeys. We also interview some high-powered authors! It’s a competitive selection process and I’m over the moon to be among the new class!

THE CLASS OF 2014

1. DEB HEATHER WEBB: Author of Becoming Josephine(Plume/Penguin, December 2013)

Heather grew up a military brat and naturally became obsessed with travel, culture, and languages. She put her degrees to good use teaching high school French for nearly a decade before turning to full time writing and editing.

As a freelance editor, Heather spends oodles of time helping writers find their voice and hone their skills–something she adores. She may often be found Twittering helpful links, sharing writing advice and author interviews on her blog Between the Sheets, or teaching novel writing in her community. Other favorite haunts are RomanceUniversity.org, where she contributes to the Editor’s Posts and Writer Unboxed where she poses as Twitter mistress. Her first women’s historical novel, BECOMING JOSEPHINE: A NOVEL, releases from Plume/Penguin December 31, 2013.

 

2. DEB LISA ALBER, Author of Kilmoon (Muskrat Press, March 2014)

Lisa Alber received an Elizabeth George Foundation writing grant based on Kilmoon, A County Clare Mystery (Muskrat Press, March 2014), in addition to a Walden Fellowship. Her short story “Paddy O’Grady’s Thigh” appeared in Two of the Deadliest (HarperCollins), an anthology edited by New York Times bestseller Elizabeth George. In addition, Lisa was nominated for a Pushcart Prize for the story “Eileen and the Rock.”

A Californian with a penchant for travel, animal advocacy, and photography, Lisa worked in international finance and book publishing before exchanging the corporate ladder (no more business suits!) for storytelling. She currently lives in the Pacific Northwest with a one-eyed rescue spaniel and an accident-prone cat. You can find Lisa online at www.lisaalber.com.

 

3. DEB SUSAN GLOSS, Author of Vintage (William Morrow/HarperCollins, March 2014)

Susan Gloss is the author of the novel Vintage (William Morrow/HarperCollins, March 2014).  She is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame, where she majored in English and Spanish, and the University of Wisconsin Law School.  She lives on Lake Monona in Madison, Wisconsin, with her husband, young son, and a neurotic hound dog.  She balances–or attempts to, anyway–writing and family time with working as an attorney, curating an online vintage shop at Etsy.com, and writing about food for Edible Madison magazine.

 

 

4. DEB NATALIA SYLVESTER: Author of Chasing the Sun(New Harvest/Amazon Publishing, May 2014)

Born in Lima, Peru, Natalia Sylvester came to the U.S. at age four and grew up in South Florida, where she received a B.A. in Creative Writing from the University of Miami. A former magazine editor, she now works as a freelance journalist and copywriter. Her articles have appeared in Latina, Writer’s Digest, and The Writer magazines. Chasing the Sun, partially inspired by a family member’s kidnapping, will be published in May 2014 by New Harvest/Amazon Publishing. She lives in Austin, Texas, with her husband and two rescue dogs, Maggie and Pita.

 

5. DEB LORI RADER DAY: Author of The Black Hour(Seventh Street Books, July 2014)

Lori Rader Day is the author of The Black Hour, forthcoming in July 2014 from Seventh Street Books. She won Good Housekeeping’s first short story contest, chosen by bestselling author Jodi Picoult, and the Chris O’Malley Prize in Fiction from The Madison Review. Lori blogs atLoriRaderDay.com and muses on Twitter at @LoriRaderDay.

 

Congratulations, ladies!