Articles tagged "Debut"

Earlier this week, I was lucky enough to steal a few minutes with debut author Amber Dermont whose novel, THE STARBOARD SEA, comes out this month! She opened our conversation with a word about what librarians mean to her.

"I grew up in a library," she said. "My parents are rare book dealers and our house was floor to ceiling bookshelves and first editions. To this day, I still feel most at home lost among the stacks. During high school and college, I worked as a library proctor and apprenticed myself to a series of world-class librarians. These super heroes taught me how to research my stories, check my facts and compile the necessary details that lead me to write my own novel. I am forever in their debt."

And now, on to the interview!

Ali: I would guess that every debut author takes inspiration from other artists, be they authors, musicians, painters, or, say, typographers. Does anyone stick out as a particularly important part of your process?

Amber: Great question! Writers are like magpies thieving for shiny objects, eager for any charm that will help build a better nest. As I began writing THE STARBOARD SEA, I sought inspiration from the painter John Currin and the photographers Tina Barney and Anthony Goicolea. All three of these artists helped me envision the physical and emotional landscapes of the novel: the listless suntanned faces, the splendor of Manhattan penthouses, the caprice of adolescence and the brutal beauty of youth. John Currin often paints society women in sexy, outlandish poses. His portrait of his wife, "Rachel in Fur," served as the muse for my character Brizzey and the redheaded starlet in his masterpiece, "Heartless," helped me bring Diana and Aidan to life. Currin's intimate depiction of two nude sailors, "Fishermen," became a touchstone for Jason's tender and fraught relationship with Cal.

Jason Webster's accomplished debut mystery is set in the high-stakes and decidedly murky world of bullfighting in Valencia, Spain and it's getting great reviews! First, a quick look at what you're getting into:

"Either you kill the bull, or the bull kills you."

Chief Inspector Max Cámara thinks in proverbs, and he hates one thing above all: bullfighting. One hot afternoon in Valencia, however, he has to stand in for his boss, judging a festival corrida starring Spain’s most famous young matador. That night, he is back in the bullring, and what he finds on the blood-stained sand rattles the city of Valencia to its core.

Cámara is roped into investigating a grisly murder while dealing with violent shadows from his own past, as well as confronting the suspiciousness of the bullfighting community and the stonewalling of local politicians in full electoral campaign.

Library Journal gave OR THE BULL KILLS YOU a starred review and named it Debut of the Month saying, "With its rapid pace and wonderfully flawed detective, this vibrant novel has tremendous appeal. Conor Fitzgerald would be a good read-alike; it also would appeal to new fans of Zen (Michael Dibdin’s Italian cop) thanks to the recent PBS Masterpiece Mystery! miniseries starring Rufus Sewell."

Publishers Weekly also gave it a starred review saying, "Webster makes the bullfighting integral to the plot rather than a mere backdrop, effortlessly conveying the role of the sport in Spanish society. The well-rounded lead–cynical, willing to bend the rules, emotionally wounded–should be more than capable of sustaining a long series."

Today we're featuring a unique and beautiful debut that revolves around questions of privilege, revenge, and forgiveness: THE DUBIOUS SALVATION OF JACK V..

Eleven-year-old Jack V. is the son of an English woman and a Afrikaans man and he grows up in a quiet domestic environment during the in the upheaval of apartheid. When their maid's fifteen-year-old son Percy comes to stay, Jack's life is turned upside-down. Percy is bored, idle, and full of rage. When Percy catches Jack in an indelibly shameful moment, Jack learns that the smallest act of revenge has consequences beyond his imagining.

"Yes, first novelist Strauss delivers a beautifully rendered coming-of-age story that simultaneously unfolds an understanding of life in apartheid South Africa, but what’s most remarkable here is the assured and fluid language. The ending is not melodrama but a quiet, brilliantly controlled bang." -Library Journal

"Teens will be caught by this story of a naive kid in South Africa whose personal experience of apartheid politics moves from oblivious to vicious." -Booklist, recommended to YA readers

Ten years after 9/11 former New York Times reporter Amy Waldman reimagines its aftermath in THE SUBMISSION.

Kirkus Reviews gave it a starred review and says, "This is a remarkably assured portrait of how a populace grows maddened and confused when ideology trumps empathy. A stellar debut. Waldman’s book reflects a much-needed understanding of American paranoia in the post-9/11 world.”

Booklist calls THE SUBMISSION “THE BONFIRE OF THE VANITIES for our time” in their starred review, and says, "Waldman brilliantly delineates the legacy of 9/11; the confluence of art, religion, and politics; the plexus between the individual and the group; and the glory of transcendent empathy."