Henrico Small Business Spotlight: DG Books

“I really just want to spread the love of reading.”

That’s the simple, yet powerful, message from local author and school counselor David Gorman. As the man behind DG Books, he’s hoping “The Waldameer Mystery Files” and his speaking engagements can do exactly that.

Born and raised in Erie, Pennsylvania, Gorman grew up spending his summers at Waldameer & Water World – one of the country’s oldest amusement parks that’s been in his family for more than half a century.

“I grew up at the park,” Gorman said. “I started working there when I was 12, putting wristbands on guests and serving food and doing lots of different things. . . that was like my second home.”

Now a 34-year-old Henrico resident and school counselor at Robious Middle School in Midlothian, Gorman stays connected to those childhood memories through his work as an author and public speaker. His children’s book series “The Waldameer Mystery Files” is both a love letter to that special place and the manifestation of Gorman’s passion to share the joys of reading.

“It's such a fun place to be a kid, and it's such a fun setting to write about now as an adult,” Gorman said. “The one sentence pitch is that the series is about kids solving mysteries at the park. . . Each book is a different mystery, usually about a different ride or different part of the park.”

The series was created with the intent of keeping readers aged 8 to 12 engaged and excited about reading. It centers around Seth and Julia, but the two siblings always have friends to help them on their adventures. The books are stand-alone, but kids who read the whole series will see some of the same friends return to help Seth and Julia with their thrilling investigations.

“At the end of every chapter, my goal is to kind of hint toward what's going to happen next and make them want to keep reading,” he said. “I just absolutely loved books and reading as a kid, I loved being transported to a different world. . . So I'm trying to kind of spread that experience for my readers.”

Gorman says his books are wholesome and exciting. They weave in themes like teamwork and doing the right thing, “but it's not like hitting kids over the head with a moral lesson.”

Inspired by his time teaching English in Vietnam after undergraduate school, Gorman also wants his books to show the beauty in diversity. That’s why he’s made a point to include characters of different racial and ethnic backgrounds.

“The world is a big, beautiful place, and I want to represent that on the page,” he said.

A journey that's 'a lot of fun'

Gorman knows his audience well. He works with children in his target demographic every week, and he’s not afraid to get their input. Just last year, he had 10 of his students at Robious volunteer to be beta readers for “The Ferris Wheel Fright,” the latest installment in his eight-book series. They read a copy well before it was published, and Gorman made some tweaks based on their feedback. Earlier this month, he got the kids back together.

“Now they're in seventh grade, and I was like, ‘Hey, remember when you read that book? Well, here it is.’” Gorman said. “I published it, and I gave them a copy, so that was cool.”

This latest story may be an all-boys mystery novel, but his sixth book, “The Jumbled Jewels,” is an all-girls mystery that holds a special place in Gorman’s heart. The idea for that novel came to Gorman after he met a young girl at a book signing event and asked her about ideas for new mysteries.

“She said, ‘You know, I would like to read an all-girls mystery,’ Gorman said. 

His response? “Okay, I'll write one.”

Fast forward to early 2024, and “The Jumbled Jewels” was published, dedicated to the little girl and later presented to her.

DG Books, as a company, is a brand that encompasses Gorman’s speaking engagements, as well as his books. He does author visits to schools where he inspires kids to read and write and offers his books at a discount.

“Usually, kids are super excited to meet an author,” Gorman said. “I try to be engaging, I ask them a lot of questions. . . I tell them about my books and my journey, and it's a lot of fun.”

If you’re interested in booking Gorman for one of his speaking engagements, you can check out this link for his various offerings and prices.

You can also find Gorman at other types of events. He attends local farmers markets, makers markets, conferences and library events. If you want to see Gorman in action at his next event, head to Book People (10464 Ridgefield Parkway) on Saturday, March 21, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.. The event, called Welcome to Waldameer with David Gorman, will give readers the chance to learn more about “The Ferris Wheel Fright” and get Gorman’s signature.

Gorman is committed to writing 10 books in “The Waldameer Mystery Files” series. In fact, he already has the ninth book written and plans to introduce it to the public early next year. He’ll likely release his tenth book in early 2028 before transitioning to writing books that explore a new setting but stick with the same readership.

“I'm gonna keep writing for this age, 8 to 12 years old,” Gorman said. “I really like that age, and I think reading is just super special at that age – very, very magical.”

Gorman has big goals for DG Books. For starters, he’d love to get better established in Henrico and Greater Richmond. He’s determined to be the go-to author and speaker for elementary schools in the area. He also wants educators to use his books as learning opportunities. Each of Gorman’s books has discussion questions in the back, and there are lesson plans and other teacher resources on his website.

But most of all, he’s hoping to continue making meaningful connections with young readers.

“That's really the most fun,” he said. “Meeting readers who are excited, who liked my books, and we can talk about it or are maybe excited to try writing themselves. . . It's just such a wholesome thing to do to get kids excited about reading.”

Want to keep up with Gorman’s events and upcoming book releases? Consider signing up for his bi-weekly newsletter – you might even get some sneak peaks of Gorman’s unreleased titles. Otherwise, you can follow DG Books on Facebook and Instagram and check out the DG Books website.

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