Someone Stole my book, Sticks and Stones, from the Library

Hello friends! This month, Poetic Book Tours is celebrating Chelsea DeVries’ poetry collection, Sticks and Stones. Chelsea wanted to be a writer at the age of 7. Her first publishing credit came at the age of 14 with a poem in a student anthology. She then wrote nonstop while doing IB classes in high school. She published two YA novels while still in high school which after over 10 years she rewrote as a NA romance that she looks to put out as her next publication. When not writing she runs and does PR for authors and musicians with her bookish brand The Smart Cookie Philes.

Chelsea and I go back many years now, our relationship started when she reached out for me to review Loved Mars Hated the Food in my early days of reviewing. Since, she has featured on the blog in an interview about being a publicist and we have stayed connected on social media and for other features on the blog. It is pleasure of mine to be able to host her today for a guest about her poetry book and I’m sure you’ll enjoy it as much as I have.

Someone Stole my book from the Library

Guest post by Chelsea DeVries

At the end of the day during Mental Health Awareness Month, I held my first live poetry reading at Centennial Park Library, which is a library fifteen minutes south of me. I was honored that they asked me to read there. A small crowd gathered for the reading as it was my first one in my local community since I was sixteen years young. I was nervous, but I felt deep in my heart my time had finally come.

After the reading, I was so high I couldn’t wait to do it again. A few weeks later, the branch manager emailed me to tell me the book was available for check out. As an author, I make a lot of promotional reels and TikToks for my book to attract new readers. Well, for the past three months, I’ve ventured to each of the three libraries to check on my book baby on the shelf and also to film clips for the social media videos. 

When the librarian emailed me, I arranged for an Uber to come get me on one of my days off in order to see the book on the shelf in person and to film my footage for social media.

I arrived in the afternoon following the 15-20 minute Uber ride and walked in and over to the shelf it should be on. I stood there. I looked left and I looked right. No book in sight.

I went and checked the catalog to make sure I didn’t miss one dewy decimal. Nope, I had the right shelf, section, everything. I guess it was time to involve a librarian.

I go up to the desk and they had no clue I was the author so I just pretended I was a patron looking for a book. The librarian looked it up and when the librarian next to her heard my book mentioned, she introduced herself. This was the infamous branch manager I had never met, as she was out sick the day of my reading. 

Both librarians knowing I was the author looking for my own book and being unable to find it sent them both into panic mode.

I tried to smile and act like I wasn’t upset but I was. Someone actually stole my book from the library. Then, the librarians assured me that they would get to the bottom of this.

One month later, I received an email from the branch manager who came to the conclusion that someone indeed did steal my book from the library. They just walked off with it and no one even knows who it was. Despite the fun theories from my readers, most people have suspected two people. One was a guy who attended my reading who made the following comment when I announced I was selling books:

“I have no money so I’m going to just rip some pages out and run.”

The other suspect was unlikely to me but my readers really think it was him: the muse of the entire collection. None other than Mr. Suncoast.

My Nancy Drew heart has given up the search and instead inquired if the library would buy a new copy to replace the one that was stolen. When asked, they shared that they can’t order a new one for 3 months, but as the author I was more than happy to donate another copy.

The case of the stolen poetry collection will forever be this book’s greatest adventure and ironically greatest mystery.

About Sticks and Stone

In Sticks and Stones, DeVries paints a poetic picture of rising above toxicity, love found and love lost, and delves into what it means to find strength in the human spirit. Through poetry, the reader finds a voice of strength and the rebuilding of one’s heart a home with all the sticks and stones thrown upon it. Newly expanded with more full color photos, 41 new poems, and a rewrite of Drowning in An Ocean of No Tomorrows, DeVries shows a full poetic picture of turning pain into poetry in order so you can rise above whatever is pulling you under. Find the book on Goodreads.

Follow Chelsea on Instagram and Facebook at @chelsealynnpoetry, and her squad at @dasquad26.