She tried so hard not to become a writer that she went to graduate school in sociology and got a Ph.D. Then she worked as a researcher for ten years. After that she succumbed to her muse and now writes the Shaker mystery series, set in northern Kentucky. Her protagonist is Rose, a Shaker Eldress who always seems to find herself on the trail of a killer and trying to bring her village back to peace, worship and hard work. The last remaining Shakers, pacifists all, live and work in Sabbathday Lake, Maine. They claim to enjoy Deborah's books, despite the bodies strewn about. Deborah's Killing Gifts won the Barry Award for Best Paperback Original of 2001. Visit Deborah's web site for more information on her books.