Deborah Foster's love of storytelling began in sixth grade when her Christmas story won the Holiday Writing Contest. Her writing continued through high school in the form of angsty poetry and song lyrics but with the birth of her first daughter, her love of writing took hold in the form of picture books. By trade Deborah is an architectural drafter and lives on a farm in rural Iowa with her husband, two girls, and a menagerie of animals. She has a deep-rooted love of the Midwest and hopes to share stories that highlight the rural community and the historical figures who also called the heartland "home". Her manuscript BECAUSE OF A DOG'S WHISKERS won the 2022 Ann Whitford Paul Award for Most Promising Picture Book (fiction category). She is represented by Lori Steel @ Red Fox Literary.