Local Author and Screenwriter Launches Film
A crowd of family, friends and production members celebrate at the red-carpet ribbon cutting ceremony for Debbie Seagle’s up-coming movie, “Coffee Cups & Wine Glasses,” to be filmed in the NRV. Seagle, who grew up in Dublin says she wants to help with tourism and building revenue locally. (Danielle Reid/Patriot Publishing)
By DANIELLE REID
Patriot Publishing
With great enthusiasm, fun and a ribbon cutting red carpet ceremony, local author and screenwriter Debbie Seagle announced the film adaptation of her best selling book, “Coffee Cups & Wine Glasses: Hilarious Secrets to Heal a Broken Heart & Get Your Life Back!”
The event took place on Thursday, June 4th at the Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce in Christiansburg. Seagle’s book is listed as #1 Best Seller in 18 categories including Amazon and Goodreads.
Many locals may remember her as Debbie Craig, who grew up in Dublin and graduated from Dublin High School. Now, as an award-winning author and screenwriter, she plans to produce her movie in the New River Valley.
“I grew up here and the story is based in the NRV. People here are nice…real…my people – and I want to showcase that,” explained Seagle. Her award-winning screenplay is based on her friends and true-to-life experiences.
“Coffee Cups & Wine Glasses” is a heartfelt comedy about a jilted, optimistic divorcee who struggles to adapt to rural life after leaving a prestigious lifestyle and career. But the script is far from tragic. Instead, Seagle blends humor, high-spirited shenanigans, hilarious mischief and unshakable optimism to bring about healing.”
Some might call it “joie de vivre,” which is French for “a feeling of great happiness and enjoyment of life; a delight in being alive.”
Seagle’s screenplay has already won seven prestigious awards in 2025 at film festivals worldwide. Additionally, she has received nine nominations and finalist designations for her screenplay. Among the accolades are Best Comedy 2025 from Indie House; New York Independent Cinema Awards Best Script; Tokyo Film & Screenplay Awards Best Characters; Winner Lit Laughs International Comedy Film Festival.
As a perfect military wife married to a Marine from her hometown, Seagle and her family of three sons, lived in many places around the world. Some of her accolades were playing darts with diplomats, working as an airshow marketing and events director, writing a Sunday newspaper column, and serving as editor and publisher of a U.S. Embassy newsletter.
Her career eventually brought her to Washington, D.C. writing technical proposals and top secret documents. At one heavily guarded facility, she had to go through seven different gauntlets to get into the building.
“Even so, once I smuggled a ChapStick in my bra,” she joked.
Seagle’s life drastically changed after a devastating marriage break-up. Seagle said she left her top secret career in D.C., found herself jilted, suddenly single, and living in a cabin in the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Alone.
“I was devastated but found out that the being alone thing could be great. It was the first time I was totally alone, but I decided ‘I’m okay.’ I don’t need someone to make me happy. I was fine with myself but didn’t realize it until then,” she recalled.
One of her first decisions was to decorate her bathroom in daisies.
“It looked like a child’s playroom,” laughed Seagle.
While living alone in her Lost Horizon Cabin, Seagle started journaling. Her unshakable optimism, sense of humor and hilarious intervention by her three childhood friends, helped her recover and thrive.
After a couple of years, she began making chapters out of her journal entries.
“It was like just talking to my reader – a woman who felt like she didn’t know where to go after personal tragedy.”
The book is full of encouragement, enlightenment, fun facts, recipes, humor and life hacks to help bring healing and clarity. She made it funny and added life hacks at the end of each chapter – which she calls Life-Back DOiT’s. Some of the Life-Backs contain a wealth of knowledge, some are to build confidence and some are just absurdity.
For example, she says to take noisy snacks on the airplane and if you have an annoying passenger sitting next to you, take out a bag of potato chips or an apple or carrot and start crunching on it.
Seagle says her personal writing is pure joy. She enjoys creating the characters and hilarious situations they encounter based on her life. The first night alone in Lost Horizon Cabin finds her character frightened, huddling between kitchen cabinet doors and attempting to sleep on a beanbag; covered up in a blanket, except for her eyes. In another scene, Seagle’s character accidently locks herself out of the cabin and has to rappel from the second floor deck to regain entry into the cabin.
For a woman who has traveled the world, had amazing experiences, then returns to her rural hometown after 30 years, is remarkable. But even more remarkable is the fact that she intends to film her upcoming movie in rural Virginia.
“I want to showcase the NRV and help bring tourism and revenue to our community. I would love to have everyone involved in some way. Don’t just watch the filming of ‘Coffee Cups & Wine Glasses.’ Own it. Be part of it while we’re making it. It belongs to the whole community,” exclaimed Seagle.
There are many ways businesses and the community can become involved. There is fundraising of course, but in addition to investors and business sponsorships, the production crew is also looking for background actors, movie props and supplies, production services such as catering, donation of filming locations, host committee, even a field of cows, a horse, a stuffed bear and two stuffed squirrels. There are so many other ways everyone can be a partner in something this unforgettable.
For a list of how you can become involved with the filming of “Coffee Cups & Wine Glasses,” visit www.lifebackdoit.com
Debbie Seagle has authored two other books: “10 Steps to Get Over Dick Head” and “Appalachian Holidays.” She has established her own publishing company, DOIT Publishing.