On July 4, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Deborah McTiernan was born into a family of avid readers. At the age of 4, she spent hours in her grandmother's attic typing on the portable, baby-blue Smith-Corona typewriter she'd discovered in an old steamer trunk. While pretending to write about the exciting adventures of heroes and heroines set in faraway lands, the keys of that typewriter ignited her imagination.
Her family was transferred from the East Coast to the Midwest. They eventually left the city and settled in the rural community of Orion, Illinois (thinly disguised as Archer's Bow, Illinois in her story, "Lilly Noble & Actual Magic"). It was while living in Orion, Deborah became a life long fan of fairy-tales, myth, and magic. Summers off from school gave her plenty of time to haunt the town library, read her favorite stories on the front porch, and hone her skills as a storyteller.
Deborah lives in Florida.
Favorite color: Orange
Favorite holiday: Halloween
Favorite sound: Thunderstorm
Least favorite sound: Cat yacking up a hairball.
Favorite place to write: On a beach, in my bathing suit, under an umbrella, covered with sunblock.
Favorite candy: Skittles, I eat them by color, the yellow ones first.
Favorite food: Cold turkey sandwich with mayo and lettuce for lunch the day after Thanksgiving, right before we go out Christmas shopping.
Favorite Christmas song to sing: Handel's Hallelujah Chorus.
Favorite Christmas song to listen to: Silent Night.
Least favorite thing to do: Go shopping for anything. This is why I absolutely love Amazon.com.
Favorite thing to do on a stormy day: Read a book in front of a crackling fireplace.
Favorite fashion statement: Bunny slippers. Anyone who wears them is just plain cool!
Favorite character in her story: Lilly Noble, she's my heroine.
Least favorite character in her story: I don't have one. I love all of them.
