Debbie Kump

As a teen, I enjoyed writing and illustrating my own books. I'd spend hours pounding away (literally!) at the keys of my mother's archaic typewriter, dreaming of one day getting published. I put those dreams on hold to pursue my other love: teaching. After graduating from Cornell University with degrees in Biology and Education, I taught middle and high school science in Maui, Seattle, and the Twin Cities and worked as a marine naturalist aboard a whale watch and snorkel cruise. When my husband and I decided to start a family here in Minnesota, I resigned from my teaching job with the intention of returning to the classroom when our youngest son entered first grade. Yet a genetic autoimmune disease called iritis flared in my eye following the birth of our first son. The disease left me extremely light–sensitive, making my return to full–time teaching impossible (at least for the moment). To cope, I regularly wear mountaineering glacier glasses and a hat, even when indoors. Rather than dwelling on my limitations, I viewed this as a new opportunity to turn my childhood dream of writing into a reality—thanks to the continuing support of my family and friends. When I'm not working on my next novel, I enjoy coaching my sons' soccer, hockey, lacrosse, and baseball teams and dogsledding to school with our three Siberian huskies.