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Teenage Novelist Signs Copies Of Debut

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By JESSICA BAIR, The Suncoast News

Published: October 25, 2007

HUDSON - While many other 16-year-olds are just happy to get their driver's licenses, Chelsea DeVries is a published romance writer who wants to be an accountant.

The Gulf High School junior signed copies of her debut novel, 'Dream Girl,' during a meet and greet last week at Hudson Regional Library.

The book, which came out in September, tells the tale of Jessica Cortez, who is torn between two crushes, and the sparks - or is it fists? - that fly when she invites both guys to days of fun at Disney World.

Chelsea, who is enrolled in the International Baccalaureate program, says the novel developed from a short story she wrote for a class as a freshman.

'I just kept writing because I thought it was unfinished,' she said. Chelsea admits she completed the manuscript in class while she was supposed to be taking notes.

The teen then shopped her book without success to several publishers. So instead, she invested her savings and self-published 'Dream Girl' with Colorado-based Outskirts Press.

'I am proud that she did it on her own,' said Karen De Vries, who taught her daughter early how to save money. 'It wasn't much to lose, so I told her go for it.'

The three-month publishing process produced a 72-page paperback with a purple (her favorite color) and white cover.

During the library event, Chelsea answered questions about how she writes and from where she draws her inspiration. She fancies the writing styles of Nicholas Sparks, whose numerous love stories include 'Dear John' and 'The Notebook,' and of Francine Pascal, best known for the Sweet Valley High series and also for such novels as 'Hanging Out with Cici,' about a teenager who, thanks to a time warp, realizes her mother was young once, too.

Chelsea is now set to promote her book and shop it to bigger publishing houses. She's also working on two more novels and plans to write six total, with most of her characters based on people she knows.

Along with pursuing writing as a hobby, she wants to study accounting in college.

Chelsea offers this advice to other prospective authors: 'If you have an idea, put it down on paper because you never know if it could be published.'

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