Wed
Dec 21 2011 6:11pm

Favorite Debut Author of 2011?

First Grave on the Right by Darynda Jones Last week, Natasha Carty, our Facebook liaison, asked our Facebook friends “Who has been your favorite debut author of 2011?” (even though she wrote “favourite,” because she’s Canadian).

And our Facebook friends replied! See what they said, and agree or add yours in comments:

—Thea Harrison
—E.L. James
—Darynda Jones
—Alma Katsu
—Kristen Painter. Her House of Comarre series is made of awesome.
—Kevin Hearne. Nice guy in person, too.
—Alexandra Hawkins and Beverley Kendall
—Heather Lynn Rigaud & Gabrielle Zevin.
—Lia Habel. She wrote Dearly, Departed. Its a lovely steampunk, zombie, young adult romance. Might sound like too much, but it really is just right.
—Grace Burrowes

Do you like any of these? Who’s on your list?

paranormal

1. Arlene Hittle

Wednesday December 21, 2011 05:49pm EST

I loved Darynda Jones' first novel (and her second is on my TBR pile). I also enjoyed the debut novel of her Ruby Slippered Sister Anne Marie Becker (Only Fear, romantic suspense).

2. John (Dreaming in Books)

Wednesday December 21, 2011 05:55pm EST

If you are talking about the same Gabrielle Zevin, then she's not a debut author. Her book All These Things I've Done DID come out this year, but in actuality she's had two books published beforehand (Elsewhere and Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac.)

On a different note: Thea Harrison is a treasure and writes just the best paranormal I've read in a long time.

YA authors like Veronica Roth (Divergent) and Rae Carson (Girl of Fire and Thorns) have really blew me away this year as well. I've been meaning to try a few of the authors on the list so far, too, so it's good to know people enjoy them. :)

3. mar sommerville

Wednesday December 21, 2011 07:18pm EST

Grace Burrowes rocked, lots of new to me authors, but having a menopause brain freeze moment.
Sooo when it floats back to me I'll post.
cheers

4. bungluna

view all by bungluna | Wednesday December 21, 2011 08:49pm EST

I loved Thea Harrison, and liked Darynda Jones and Kevin Hearne. I also discovered Gini Koch, Deborah Coonts and several other authors that may not be new this year but are new-to-me.

5. Lege Artis

Thursday December 22, 2011 06:33am EST

My favorite debute author is Jenn Bennett (''Kindling the Moon''). I was blown away with her characters...

6. lynnemargaretconnolly

view all by lynnemargaretconnolly | Thursday December 22, 2011 10:39am EST

Very few of those authors are debut authors for 2011. Thea Harrison has been writing since the '90's, for instance. (as Amanda Carpenter).
Kristen Painter has been writing for at least 10 years, as have Alexandra Hawkins and Beverley Kendall. Some of the authors have changed genre, pen name or publisher, so maybe that's where the debut bit comes in. I'm not being fussy, honest, but some of the authors listed above have been around an awful long time to be considered debut!
So maybe you mean new to the reader authors?
My favorite new-to-me of 2011 was Miranda Neville, but of course she's been writing for a few years now, as well.

7. Aestas

Friday December 23, 2011 01:54am EST

E.L. James is by FAR my favourite of this year - I honestly don't think any book character will ever ever top Fifty!!