Local author David Dupuis is celebrating the release of his fifth book in his popular The Hildegard Prophecies series.
Born and raised in Penetanguishene, Dupuis will be at the Penetanguishene Arena Sports Hall of Fame Dec. 21 from 2 to 5 p.m. for a book signing ($25, cash only).
“When I started writing it, I really envisioned only one book, about a boy destined to be a priest and the last pope at the end of time, the last days, at Armageddon,” Dupuis said from his Tiny Township home on Penetanguishene Bay, that he shares with his fiancée, Susan.
“I had handwritten 2,000 pages in the late 1970s. A friend’s sister next typed it all out for me in the mid-1990s, but I put it away in a box, almost forgotten. I pulled it out occasionally, and would tinker with it, but work as a nurse, family, life and other writing projects soon got in the way.”
Besides the fifth book in the series titled The Beseiged, Dupuis has published numerous local, historical non-fiction books, as well as three NHL hockey biographies.
He wrote about Original Six hockey star Terry Sawchuk, and co-authored books on Pierre Pilote and Red Kelly. His Sawchuk story would be made into a 2019 movie and his Kelly tome would win the 2016 Ontario Speakers Book Award which he shared with local author Waxy Gregoire.
He said the Hildegard genre series explores his fascination with world history, papal history, prophecy and fiction.
Dupuis has said he likes to interweave real history with fiction to create something a wide range of readers will enjoy.
“I’m able to make a very churchy story, non-churchy,” Dupuis said during an earlier interview.
“It tugs at people, everybody is spiritual. And I believe, (they) are looking for a hero and looking for answers and some kind of inspiration. And if nothing else, The Seven Keys of Hildegarde series is inspirational.”
Using Hildegard as a catalyst for his story and inspired by the success of similar books such as The Thorn Birds, The Celestine Prophecy and The Da Vinci Code, he self-published book 1, The Seven Keys of Hildegard: Of Mercy and Of Death, in 2018.
Book 1 is set during World War Two and a few decades afterwards. Though it occurs mostly in Europe and New York City, the series has a very important local twist and setting which runs throughout the series.
“The subplot/locale eventually has Penetanguishene and Tiny Township written in it,” he said. “They’re very important, especially St. Anne’s Jesuit Memorial Church in Penetanguishene.
“That was always integral to the story. And each book’s timeline runs chronologically from the previous one."
Dupuis said the latest offering, which is set between 2005 and 2013, would make a Christmas present for the reader in the family or for one’s self.
“Growing as a writer, I believe this is my best work yet,” Dupuis said. “The series is gaining a loyal following. I have a solid fan base who are just waiting for this book. My readers tell me Hildegard’s better than The Da Vinci Code, so I’m really happy about that.”
Locally, Dupuis’ books are for sale at Penetang Home Hardware and in Midland at Georgian Bay Books and McCarthy’s Shell and online at all Amazon sites.
He will be hosting a January signing at Penetang Home Hardware on a date and time to be determined.
To learn more about Dupuis and his work, click here.
