Author: Debbie

I'm a retired librarian and the award-winning author of the Cobble Cove, Buttercup Bend, and SOUP THE SUPERNATURAL KITTEN cozy mystery series and other novels, short stories, poems, articles, and a novella. My books include CLOUDY RAINBOW, REASON TO DIE, SEA SCOPE, MEMORY MAKERS, TIME'S RELATIVE, MEOWS AND PURRS, MEMORIES AND MEOWS, A MIXED BAG OF CAT TAILS, and A MYSTERY BOX OF CAT TAILS. My Cobble Cove cozy mystery series published by Solstice Publishing consist of 6 books: A STONE'S THROW, BETWEEN A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE, WRITTEN IN STONE, LOVE ON THE ROCKS, NO GRAVESTONE UNTURNED, and ROCK A BYE BYE BABY. My standalone short story collection featuring the Cobble Cove characters is SNEAKY'S SUPERNATURAL MYSTERY AND OTHER COBBLE COVE STORIES. My Buttercup Bend series published by Next Chapter Publishing includes THE CASE OF THE CAT CRAZY LADY, THE CASE OF THE PARROT LOVING PROFESSOR, THE CASE OF THE LLAMA RAISING LIBRARIAN, THE CASE OF THE WHALE WATCHING WEDDING PLANNER, THE CASE OF THE REPTILE RESCUING RESCEPTIONIST, and the forthcoming CASE OF THE BULLFIGHTING BUILDER. I've also written a paranormal romance, CLOUDY RAINBOW, and short stories of various genres published as eBooks and in anthologies published by the Red Penguin Collection. My poetry appears in the Nassau County Voices in Verse and the Bard's Annual. My latest book is SUITCASE STORIES, a collection of mostly mystery short stories. My forthcoming standalone gothic mystery is LOOKING FOR LUCY. I'm a member of Sisters-in-Crime, International Thriller Writers, and the Cat Writers' Association. I live in South Carolina with my husband, daughter, and 3 cats.
Posted in local author event

Meet Me and Other Local Authors This Fall at a Cat Cafe, Coffee House, and Church

Posted on by Debbie

If you live on or near Long Island, you might be interested in some of the upcoming author events at which I’ll be participating with other local authors.

My first event, on Saturday, October 19, is at A Kitten Kadoodle. Coffee Cafe  with three other members of the Coffee House Tours from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. If you like books, cats, coffee, and/or refreshments, come on down to see me and three other authors who will be happy to chat with you and autograph a copy of our books.

In November, I’ll be attending two author events. On Saturday, November 2, I will be at Mongo’s Coffee Roastery and Lounge with four other members of the Coffee House Tours from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. If you haven’t been to this coffee house in Syosset yet, you’re missing a wonderful experience. Unlike most coffee houses, Mongo’s is a large space that hosts many literary events and roasts their coffee on the premises. Come see for yourself and treat yourself to a cup of Joe with five authors.

On Saturday, November 16, I’ll be hosting the Local Author Fair at St. Stephen’s Lutheran Church from 2 to 5 p.m. The President of the Long Island Authors Group, Roland Allnach, will be a speaker, and there will be twelve authors of various genres signing books at tables. In addition, each author will talk about their writing, and there will be raffles for prizes. Admission is free, and raffle proceeds will be donated to a local charity. It should be a fun day and a great opportunity to purchase some autographed books for yourself or as gifts for the upcoming holiday season.

I hope you can join me at one or all of these events. Thanks for your support.

Posted in mystery, Reviews

Review of River Bones by Mary Deal

Posted on by Debbie

Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/2Mdk9Rm

5-star Review:

If you like mystery thrillers, you should enjoy this book. At one point, I felt goose bumps as Ms. Deal brought the reader into the mind of a serial killer. I liked the fact that her protagonist, Sara, had figured out who the murderer was but didn’t reveal it until the story’s climax. This had me sitting on edge. I also liked the romance subplot between Sara and Huxley. I found the ending satisfying and well executed. I also enjoyed learning about the Sacramento Delta area of which I was unfamiliar. I will definitely read more books by this talented author and highly recommend this one.

Posted in Cozy Series, Reviews

Review of Mrs. Morris and the Ghost, the first of a new cozy mystery series by Traci Wilton

Posted on by Debbie

Purchase Link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1496721519/

I picked up this paperback book because I thought it would make a nice Halloween read, but I think people would enjoy it any time of year. Taking place in Salem, Massachusetts, the main character is Charlene Morris, a recently widowed, fortyish lady who moves from Chicago to Salem to open a bed and breakfast in a Victorian mansion. There are a nice assortment of characters including a handsome ghost, the previous owner of the house who can’t move on until his murder is solved. Charlene decides to take on this task. It’s a charming book that will keep you guessing, and it also features a cat. The second book of the series is previewed at the back.

 

Posted in Reviews

Review of Serious Writers Never Quit by Bryan Hutchinson

Posted on by Debbie

Purchase link: https://www.amazon.com/Serious-Writers-Never-Quit-They-ebook/dp/B07XT7BCXV/

I recently read a short ebook, Serious Writers Never Quit, by Bryan Hutchinson. I would recommend this book to other authors, especially those (most of us) who find ourselves losing faith in our careers. I know many fellow authors who are  having a difficult time believing in themselves and their work. Hutchinson addresses these fears and self-doubts in his ebook. He also outlines some tips on how to move forward when feeling uncertain about your writing. He recommends journaling and gives examples on how to make this form of writing a daily habit and how it can help an author brainstorm new ideas for writing projects. He also explains how first drafts are important but need not be perfect and offers tips on the ways to improve them during future rounds of editing.

If you’re an author who is looking for a simple read that will boost your feelings about writing or if you have always wanted to write but haven’t had the motivation to get started, this is the book for you.

Posted in Freebies and Special Offers, Mysteries, New Releases

3 Free Horror/Paranormal Stories, a New Time-Travel Mystery, and an Audio Offer

Posted on by Debbie

I’m proud to announce the release of The Mistaken Mission, my time-travel short story that’s a sequel to “Stitches in Time,” a story I wrote in 1999 for the anthology, Cat Crimes Through Time.

eBook & Kindle Unlimited:

mybook.to/mistakenmission

Nineteen years ago, Gina Garrett’s father disappeared into the past using a time-travel disk he and his partner created. The only person who believed Gina when she explained what happened was her father’s partner’s son. When he, now a detective, shows up at her door claiming that he needs her to help him prevent a murder that happened a year ago, she hopes they can find her father, too.


Excerpt

A few minutes after I hung up, there was a knock at my door. Checking the peephole with Stripey at my ankles, I saw a tall man with red hair and a matching beard. He wore a police uniform. I opened the door hesitantly.

“Gina Garrett. Sorry I came so late. I was just off my shift. Did your mother tell you I called?”

I swallowed a gulp of my own saliva and almost chocked. “Yes. She did. Come in, uh, Mr. Logan.”

“It’s Andy, remember?” He walked through the door.

“What’s wrong? Maybe that’s a silly question.” He paused. I was aware of him looking down at me. Even as a boy, he’d been taller than the tallest girl in the neighborhood.

“I know you must be surprised, even shocked to see me after all this time. When we moved away, I should’ve written or called you. I’m sorry.”

I turned around. “Have a seat. We can talk. I’ll make coffee, or maybe you’d like tea?” I led him into the small kitchen.

He straddled a chair, his long legs looping over it. “Nothing, thanks, but you can go ahead and make yourself a drink if you want.”

“I was about to have some champagne. I don’t drink often, but I was . . .”

“Celebrating your birthday,” he finished for me.

“You remember?”

“How could I forget? I was sorry for you when I heard what happened. Mother agreed that your father ran away with another woman. I never believed that.”

“Neither did I.” I sat across from him, and he turned his chair.

“Looking back, now that I’m a detective, I realize things didn’t make sense. Your dad took nothing with him – no wallet, money, or clothes.”

“They said he had another set of clothes and a fake ID, that he left the state or country with his mistress.”

The smile Andy had greeted me with faded. “Gina, I’m here for another reason than to dredge up old memories. I need your help with a case.”

“Why me? I have no police experience unless you count some of the stories I’ve covered.”

“I know you’re a reporter. I checked you out, but that’s not why I’m here.” He gazed at me through his blue eyes, and I saw images of him and me as kids riding our bikes around Boston Public Garden, playing softball in the street with a few other friends, taking walks through the neighborhood.

“I never doubted what you said all those years ago, about your going back in time. Recently, I may have found proof that you were right.”

OCTOBER FREEBIES

October 1-4: HAUNTED HONEYMOONmybook.to/hhoneymoon

Ghost Cat. Don’t honeymoon without one.

Francesco and Gina are not your typical engaged couple. They met in a cemetery and spent their dates watching horror movies. But when Francesco suggests they honeymoon in a haunted house in Venice, Gina is shocked when she learns the place may actually be Francesco’s childhood home where his parents were murdered.

OCTOBER 15-18:  DEADLINE

mybook.to/Deadline

When college student Susan Shaffer wakes up on the wrong side of the bed in her dorm room, strange things begin to happen. Time seems to shift and draw her into an imaginary deadline that would rival those of the stories she writes for the student paper. Unable to face horrible news that she can’t remember happening, she traces the events of the last few days. Discovering the awful truth of why these hours are a blank, she must meet a deadline that is truly deadly.

OCTOBER 29 – November 1: KNOWLEDGE IS POWER

getbook.at/Knowledge

On the one-month anniversary of the death of her beloved cat, Librarian Margaret Goodley, uses her excellent research skills to cast a spell to bring Bluebell back to life. Unfortunately, there are unexpected consequences when two other women who have lost their own loved ones on the same day interrupt the ceremony.

Also, my psychological mystery, Sea Scope, is now available on audio. I still have a few U.S. and U.K. free audible codes. Comment on this blog if you’d like one.

mybook.to/SeaScope

Author Bio

Debbie De Louise is an award-winning author and a reference librarian at a public library on Long Island. She is a member of Sisters-in-Crime, International Thriller Writers, the Long Island Authors Group, and the Cat Writer’s Association. She has a BA in English and an MLS in Library Science from Long Island University. Her novels include the four books of the Cobble Cove cozy mystery series: A Stone’s Throw, Between a Rock and a Hard Place, Written in Stone, and Love on the Rocks. Debbie has also written a romantic comedy novella, When Jack Trumps Ace, a paranormal romance, Cloudy Rainbow, and the standalone mystery, Reason to Die. She lives on Long Island with her husband, Anthony; daughter, Holly; and three cats, Stripey, Harry, and Hermione.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/debbie.delouise.author/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Deblibrarian

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2750133.Debbie_De_Louise

Amazon Author Page: http://amzn.to/2bIHdaQ

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/debbie-de-louise

Website/Blog/Newsletter Sign-Up: https://debbiedelouise.com

Posted in Cats, Kittens

Remembering Harry and Hermione’s Adoption on Remember Me Thursday

Posted on by Debbie

Since today, September 26, is Remember Me Thursday, I thought I’d share the story of my one-year-old cats, Harry and Hermione, who we adopted last October when they were three-month-old kittens. My 14-year-old daughter had never had a kitten. We had an older cat who passed away when she was four. Then we adopted our present cat, Stripey. He was almost a year old and full-grown. He didn’t hit it off well with Holly because she was a typical noisy toddler. When Oliver came along, the senior cat I took in after my mother could no longer care for him, Holly began to bond with him, but he attached himself to me. My husband promised Holly that she could have her own cat when Oliver passed away. Five years later, that happened. It was a heartbreak for all of us. We didn’t rush to get another cat, and Stripey seemed content to be an only cat again.

As the one-year mark approached that Oliver took his trip to Rainbow Bridge, a cat cafe opened up on Long Island called The Shabby Tabby Cat Cafe. I thought it would be fun to visit and see the cats. We took a trip there, and Holly fell in love with a kitten named Ringo. Unfortunately, someone else had already laid claim to him. Holly was upset, but her dad assured her that we would get a cat for her eventually, and I explained that Ringo was just not the one meant for her.

We took another trip to the cat cafe on October 21, three days before my daughter’s 14th birthday. There was a fall fair going on in town that day, and I thought we’d just drop into Shabby Tabby and see if they had any new cats. It turned out that they had several new kittens. My daughter spotted a black one right away and began playing with him. Although Ringo had been white and orange, she’d always said she wanted a black cat, but the main thing was one that connected with her.

All the cats at the cafe are named. I found out they come from the Golden Paws Society rescue in Huntington. After playing with Harry for a while, Holly told me she was in love with him. I could see why. He was a playful fellow who seemed affectionate and bright. When I asked if he was available, I was told he was but that he couldn’t be separated from his sister, Hermione, a calico kitten. I knew my husband wouldn’t like the idea of our taking two kittens when we already had another cat, but when I laid eye on Hermione, I was sold. It was like fate because I’d always wanted a calico cat after having so many other types of cats all my life. I also thought it would be great for the two kittens to be together as playmates. Eventually, I could introduce our older cat to them.

I completed the adoption forms that had to be approved by Golden Paws and set a pickup date for that Wednesday night, October 24, which was the best day for us because I had the next two days off to watch the kittens while Holly was in school. It also happened to be her birthday. My husband wasn’t thrilled when we broke the news, but he finally agreed. To prepare for the new arrivals, I picked up some supplies including a similar pet playpen in which the kittens could stay when we weren’t around. We set it up in my daughter’s room because we wanted her to learn the responsibility of caring for her cats. She was able to fit a food and water bowl inside, a few safe toys, and a litter box. She also cleaned her room and made it cat friendly.

On October 24, we picked the kittens up from Golden Paws. When we got them home, they seemed to do fine in Holly’s room. They were accustomed to the playpen from the cat cafe, although my daughter kept them out after school while she was doing her homework. At night, Harry curled up and slept on her chest. We learned Hermione, despite being tinier and lighter than Harry, was a big jumper, so we had to be careful to keep the room closed when we entered and left. Stripey peeked in the “nursery,” and eyed the kittens. When they were old enough to be introduced to him, there was some hissing all around, but eventually they became accustomed to one another.

Harry and Hermione have grown into beautiful and loving cats. I’m convinced that they were meant for us, and we were meant for them.To help other pets find their forever homes and maybe win a prize for yourself and a rescue or shelter, visit the Remember Me Thursday website (https://remembermethursday.org/contest/) and share your rescue pet’s photo and story.

Posted in New Releases

Spotlight for Alex McKenna and The Geranium Deaths, a Young Adult Paranormal Novel by Vicki-Ann Bush

Posted on by Debbie

For Alex McKenna, high school is just a distraction from the love of his life, Margaret, with whom he can’t wait to spend more time once they get to college.

In many respects, Alex is just an average seventeen-year-old boy…except for the fact he’s a transgender medium born from a long line of Strega witches, possessing the ability to communicate with ghosts.

VAB_SellSheet_HIRES

Bio

Originally from New York, I currently reside in Nevada. Writing Young Adult paranormal, I find my inspiration from events that have been in my life for as long as I can remember. Inheriting my sensitivity to the supernatural from my family, they continue to be an endless source of vision.

Posted in New Releases

Spotlight for The Door to Forever by Doug Simpson

Posted on by Debbie

Book Blurb – The Door To Forever:

During his senior years, John – a retired high school English teacher – decided to finally write his memoirs.

His story begins at a young age, with his first visit from a spirit playmate his own age. To John, Jason is just an ordinary child like him, and John never gave much thought to where Jason came from – or where he disappeared.

As years passed by, more playmates followed, and as John got older, his playmates shared more and more information about the spirit world with him.

In The Door To Forever, John recounts the various encounters he, his family, and close friends experienced with spirits, spirit guides, earthbound spirits, haunted houses, and visits to Heaven, as well as soul groups and the purpose of their souls reincarnating together over many lifetimes to collectively advance their soul development in order to reacquire their original, perfect state when God created them.

Buy  The Door To Forever by Doug Simpson on Amazon now.

Teaser/excerpt:

“So, are you what is referred to in books as my Spirit Guide for this incarnation?”

“That’s me.”

“Figured as much. So, you don’t get to pop into bodies like the others have done?”

“Not this time around, or in proper terminology, not in this round of incarnations.”

“Explain, please.”

“You, I, Nancy, Jason, Crystal, your parents, your grandparents, Crystal’s parents and grandparents, and many, many others are currently part of the same soul group. The souls in a soul group reincarnate together throughout a number of different time periods, sometimes hundreds of years apart. They are seldom in the same relationship as they were in their previous incarnations, but they also could be. For example, in your previous incarnation, your grandpa might have been your son or brother, or even your mother or sister. Souls are sexless. It is the human bodies that are male and female. Most souls will experience lives as males at times and females at other times. They will also experience incarnations in different cultures, different races, different religions, and different geographical regions. I know that is a lot to digest at once, but you wanted more information. Now I hope you also understand why I could not tell you about this when you were younger, and I probably would not be telling you even now at nineteen either if it had not been for your soul’s vivid visits with your grandfather.”

“Wow! That definitely is a lot to digest.”

“Yep. I will stop there and let you think about all of this for quite some time before we take it to the next level.”

Doug Simpson is a retired high school teacher who has turned his talents to writing. He has nine published books, two non-fiction and seven fiction. The two non-fictions are uniquely historical and are titled, We Lived in Atlantis and The Soul of Jesus. His most recent fictional presentation is narrated by John, as he shares his life story discovering his spirit guide, invisible but not imaginary playmates, visits with his deceased grandfather in Heaven, earthbound spirits, soul groups and the reason why souls need to reincarnate over and over. The Deja Vu House is the story of a young woman and her fiancé discovering an older house they wish to purchase but before the young lady even enters the house, she knows that she has lived there before. The Dacque Chronicles includes five books outlining how Dacque discovers his past lives and introduces others to the ease with which they can discover their past lives as well. Doug’s magazine and website articles have been published in Australia, Canada, France, India, Mexico, Russia, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States. His articles can be accessed through his website at http://dougsimpsonauthor.com/.

Follow Doug on these sites:

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/doug.simpson.902

Facebook Author Page – https://www.facebook.com/Doug-Simpson-161378310622999/

Author Website – www.dougsimpsonauthor.com

Twitter – https://twitter.com/1DougSimpson

BookBub – https://partners.bookbub.com/authors/83016/edit

Amazon Author Page – https://www.amazon.com/Doug-Simpson/e/B006GDWTQI?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_4&qid=1568045462&sr=1-4

Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5822173.Doug_Simpson

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/1dougsimpson/

Pinterest – https://www.pinterest.ca/jesuscayce/

Posted in Freebies and Special Offers, Sea Scope

99 Cent Sale for PSYCHOLOGICAL MYSTERY – September 17-19

Posted on by Debbie

Sea Scope, featuring a murder by a lighthouse is on sale for 99 cents from Tuesday, September 17 to September 19.  Don’t miss the chance to get a great fall read for less than a dollar. Get your here book here from September 17 to September 19: mybook.to/SeaScope

mybook.to/SeaScope

Sarah Collins needs an escape. Mourning her brother’s death and the impending breakup of her marriage, she accepts an invitation to return to her childhood home in South Carolina, where her family operated an inn.

She hasn’t been back to Sea Scope for twenty years; not since she and her brother Glen discovered a body by the nearby lighthouse. She never understood why her parents left Sea Scope so suddenly, or the reasons behind her father’s suicide.

After Sarah returns to the inn, she faces long-buried memories, text messages and strange clues. Something is not right in Sea Scope.

Reunited with people from her past, she tries to figure out what’s going on in her childhood home. As the past and present collide, she must face truths about her family, and what happened that summer day by the lighthouse. But will she survive to tell the tale?

Check out the booktrailer:

Check out my other books and stories on my Amazon Author Page 

If you’re a Kindle Unlimited subscriber, all my eBooks are free.

Posted in Cozy Mysteries, holidays

Happy Cozy Mystery Day!

Posted on by Debbie

We celebrate International Cozy Mystery day on September 15, the birthday of Agatha Christie. For those who don’t know what a cozy mystery is, it’s the type of writing that Ms. Christie was famous for. It involves murder of the less gory kind and an absence of explicit sex and violence. It usually takes place in a small town. There can be recipes or pets as central themes in the mystery along with an off-scene murder to solve and a cast of quirky characters with interesting professions.

I write a cozy mystery series called. Cobble Cove mysteries, for the name of the fictional town in which they are set. It includes a librarian and a library cat. A reviewer of the first book of the series, A Stone’s Throw, termed the story, “Agatha Christie meets a small town librarian.”


My recent standalone mystery, Sea Scope, was reviewed as “Imagine Agatha Christie Writing a Psychological Thriller.”

People enjoy reading cozy mysteries because they become familiar with the characters and like the settings. Some of my favorite cozies feature cats, as do mine. I’ve enjoyed fellow Cat Writer’s Association members books such as Carole Nelson Douglas‘ Midnight Louis series, Shirley Rousseau’s Joe Grey tales, and, Mollie Hunt’s Crazy Cat Lady series. For food-related mysteries, I like Joanne Fluke’s Hannah Swenson mysteries. Mary Feliz, who provided some of the graphics included in this post, is a fellow Sisters-in-Crime member, and also a cozy mystery author who writes the Maggie McDonald series that features a Golden Retriever. Another SINC member, Marilyn Levinson who writes as Allison Brook writes a cozy that features a librarian and a ghost. Her latest in the Haunted Library series, Buried in the Stacks, was just released. A fellow author from Next Chapter, James J. Cudney IV, writes mysteries taking place on college campuses. The fifth book in his Braxton Campus mysteries, Haunted House Ghost, was also just released.

Do you have a favorite cozy mystery author or series, or haven’t you read a cozy mystery yet? Have you read any of mine? I’d love to hear your comments.