Deborah is a nationally recognized psychologist and diversity thought leader with almost 30 years of professional experience. She currently serves as Vice Chancellor for Diversity and Inclusion at University of Massachusetts Medical School and is a Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Quantitative Health Sciences. She is the editor of the Handbook of Diversity Management (Rowman and Littlefield) and author of award-winning Racing Across the Lines: Changing Race Relations through Friendships (Pilgrim Press). She is also a contributing writer for the Huffington Post and has written for Diversity Executive and Boston Globe Magazine.  Deborah is a proud and active member of GrubStreet’s board.

One of her fondest childhood memories was visiting the county library located at the end of her street. In those days, when television only had three channels and absent video games, Xboxes, and iPads, she spent a lot of time at the library checking out book after book. Her parents challenged her to read more than the ten books for the library’s summer reading club. It always an easy contest and she remains an enthusiastic reader today.

Familiar with both traditional publishing and self-publishing, Deborah realized that the essential component of book sales—beyond good writing and a good story—was authors who could promote their work. She learned a great deal about self-publishing when she began to write fiction and created Half Dozen Publications as a way to bring “Sister Nun Psycho-Social Mysteries” to her readers. She also found that she enjoy helping other self-published authors have the thrill of getting their books successfully promoted.  Authors in the House® was created as a way to multiply that thrill.