Class of 2k7: The Debut of the Debuts

I've joined up with a group of fellow debut authors of middle grade or young adult fiction. We come from all different places, write all different kinds of MG/YA books, and are getting published by lots of different publishers, but we've come together to help each other promote our upcoming books. We're calling ourselves the Class of 2k7 (because our books are all coming out in 2007). And as of this week, our class of debuts has officially debuted!

So, you may ask, what is this little group all about? Go ahead... ask... I'll wait... Thanks so much for asking! Well, whenever I want cold, hard, irrefutable facts, I head straight to Wikipedia. So maybe Wikipedia can help explain. According to Wikipedia, traditional debutante rituals include:

- Carrying or wearing feathers, usually ostrich
- Performing "the Texas Dip" curtsy, which involves leaning forward over an extended leg until your forehead (almost) whacks the floor
- Presenting 18 candles and 18 roses to friends and family
- Drinking to each letter of the debutante's name

Yeah... that's not at all what we're about... It's closer to this. The debut of the Class of 2k7 involves:

- The Class of 2k7 Website
- The Class of 2k7 Blog
- The Class of 2k7 Message Board
- Brochures, fliers, a newsletter, and even a little video (coming soon!)
- Joint appearances at conferences and readings
- Drinking to each letter of each debut author's name (Well, not so much this last one. But I like this idea. I think I'll bring it up at our next meeting...)

OK, what the Class of 2k7 is really all about is a group of really cool people who all happen to be outrageously talented debut MG/YA novelists. There are around forty of us in all, including:

- Three of us with books being published by Razorbill: Me plus C.G. Watson (QUAD) and Jay Asher (13 REASONS WHY)
- Five of us with books about faeries or fairy tales: Me plus Melissa Marr (WICKED LOVELY), Tiffany Trent (IN THE SERPENT'S COILS), Heather Tomlinson (SWAN MAID), and A.C.E. Bauer (NO CASTLES HERE)

Hey, and just a few days ago our group got some love from the very excellent Fuse #8 blog by Betsy Bird, librarian extraordinaire from the Donnell Library Children's Room in NYC. Thanks Betsy!

All we need now is a theme song and a class cheer... Any suggestions???