A tattoo on her left arm reads, “Live the life you imagine,” and at 70 years old, Deb is doing just that. She has been a Realtor for 19 years with the Full Sales Team of Northrop Realty, and in that role she learned about all the happenings and new developments in the area. In 2018, she launched “The Local Buzz,” an online monthly newsletter sharing all the buzz at the Delaware beaches. Her newsletter drew more than 20,000 readers before she began collaborating with VisitRehoboth.com, where it now runs as a column and reaches thousands more.
But Deb’s smile is brightest when she talks about her most recent endeavor – publishing “Love, Lewes,” her debut novel set right here in Lewes, Delaware (penned as D.J. Griffin). “This town inspired me to write a rom-com with a little bit of history, mystery, and a ghost,” she says. The cover illustrations were created by her son, Jason Griffin, an artist, illustrator, and Caldecott Award honoree. Inside illustrations are by her wife, Greer Maneval, also a local artist.
Deb has always loved writing – she even started a school newspaper at age 10. Through careers in nursing, recruiting, and real estate, she always returned to her first love. In 2014, her short story “The History Lesson” was published in “The Beach House” anthology and won Delaware Today’s Reader’s Choice Award. That lit the fire to finish her novel.
She calls herself a history nerd, foodie, and writer who loves to laugh – all of which shine through in her book. “If history was taught by comedians, you’d remember,” Deb says. “People remember when they’re laughing.” She wanted to create something bright and funny coming out of COVID, and that’s exactly what she did.
You can find her book at local bookstores, including Browseabout Books in Rehoboth Beach and Biblion in Lewes (where you might snag a signed copy). It’s also in stock at Station on Kings in Lewes and available on Amazon. “It’s been a year since the book came out and I’m just now getting comfortable signing them. It still feels so surreal,” she says.
Find more from Deb on Instagram @debgriffinwrites or at debgriffinwrites.com.
CRUSH QUESTIONS:
What is your favorite part about living in coastal Delaware?
Deb: “I have lived in teeny-tiny towns and downtown D.C., and this is the best of both worlds.”
Tell us something about yourself we wouldn’t otherwise know.
Deb: “I have the movie taste of a 15-year-old boy. I saw ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ six times in the theaters.”
By definition, a crush is a brief infatuation with something … what are you currently crushing on?
Deb: “Shorebreak cocktails! There’s a ginger one I love. The bartender is a chemist and a magician in the best way.”
