Hicksville Librarian Publishes Seventh Novel
“It’s just so immersive. It’s a break from your everyday life,” said Hicksville resident and librarian of nearly 30 years Debbie De Louise. “You can travel without really traveling. You meet people through your books. It’s like you’re living another life in some ways.”
De Louise always had a knack for writing and a passion for reading. In fact, the bibliophile can vividly remember one moment in particular from her childhood—sitting in her second-grade classroom, yearning to learn how to read.
Now, De Louise gives others the gift of fictional worlds; this past April, she penned her seventh full-length novel Sea Scope.
Described by De Louise as a psychological thriller, the mystery follows Sarah Collins, who returns to her childhood home of Sea Scope, where she and her brother found a body one summer day, 20 years ago. As she returns, Collins meets people from her past and becomes involved in solving the 20-year-old mystery about what really happened that summer.
“[Mysteries are] my favorite,” explained De Louise of why she writes almost exclusively in the mystery genre. Her previous six novels are also mysteries or include mysterious elements. “I find that people enjoy mysteries, they like solving puzzles, they like twists. I like mysteries where you have to guess until the end and maybe there’s a twist.”
To keep her creative juices flowing, De Louise participates in numerous writers groups, attends conferences throughout the year and speaks at author talks at local libraries. But memories and pop culture are what really help to spark her ideas.
“Writing is something where you watch a TV show, you read a book, you have your own experience, past experiences, dreams, memories—there’s everything that you can think of that inspires an author,” De Louise explained. “I know for me, I draw upon different things. It hits me, ‘this would make a good story.’ Or I just start to think about a story and these other options come in.”
While De Louise spent her early career at the Hicksville Library working part-time in the children’s department, she was also juggling her passion for writing with raising her daughter—a precious balance that left her stagnant where her writing hobby was concerned. But then a library patron pushed her to get back into the groove again, and while now working full-time and pursuing her hobby is not an easy balance, it was that nudge from a library-goer that keeps De Louise doing her thing. In fact, for those looking to be a writer one day, De Louise says that you need someone to push you.
“You have to be persistent,” offers De Louise to aspiring writers. “It should just be what you enjoy doing and you want to share with readers.”
Meet De Louise and hear more about her book and being an author when she hosts her author talk at the Hicksville Library on Thursday, Aug. 15, at 7 p.m.
All of De Louise’s novels are available through Amazon. To learn more, visit www.debbiedelouise.com.
