Welcome to the Literary World of DeVa Gantt
We’re assuming you’re visiting our website because you’ve read either Colette’s Prayer or A Silent Ocean Away. Again, welcome, and thank you for “stopping by”.
If you’re here on the blind, or by recommendation, allow us to fill you in.
DeVa Gantt is a pseudonym for our names: Deb and Val Gantt. We became a writing-duo nearly 30 years ago, when Deb was still in college and Val, a new teacher.
Debra has a bachelor’s degree in French and a master’s degree in business; Valerie has a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and social sciences.
We were born and raised in New Jersey, where the Colette Trilogy (formerly entitled Colette’s Prayer) was conceived. Presently, we live in New York. We are married, have children, and maintain full-time careers. Deb is a manager in a major pharmaceutical company and Val, a teacher and artist. Though we began writing nearly 30 years ago, we completed the Colette Trilogy (commencing with A Silent Ocean Away) after a twenty-year hiatus.
We enjoy reading immensely. At the time we began writing, our preferred literary genre was historical/romantic fiction. Presently, we are eclectic readers; due to our hectic schedules, we usually read books recommended by friends.
So, how did we agree upon a catchy pen name? Simple: we trimmed our first names down to two letters and pasted them together. Thus “DeVa” was born and paired with our maiden name, Gantt. Writing is our escape from the mundane, the fictional Duvoisins our “other” family. If you haven’t done so already, we hope you will embark on a Duvoisin vessel and escape to Charmantes - the literary world we have created.
Above Photos:
Left: Deb and Val
Middle Top:
Deb and Val with John Grogan, author of Marley and Me. John introduced Deb & Val as guest speakers at a booksellers conference in Mobile, Alabama in September 2008
Middle Bottom:
Deb and Val with brothers Chris & Bob.
Right: Val & Deb displaying their first check from HarperCollins publishers.
To Our Readers
