A Saint in Graceland

Prior to writing her debut novel A Sinner in Paradise, Deborah Hining earned her BA and MA in journalism and theatre from the University of Tennessee before going on to earn her PhD in Theatre with a concentration in Dramatic Literary Criticism from Louisiana State University. Hining has taught writing and performance courses at Louisiana State University, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, and University of North Carolina Greensboro. Hining won the David Library American Freedom Award for All the Music We Played Here, which she co-authored with Charlie Vance. Hining later went on to earn multiple certifications as a financial planner, and though she recently sold her firm, she keeps in touch with most of her clients who affectionately call her their "Financial Fairy Godmother." Today, Hining resides with her husband Michael at Corinne's Orchard, her family farm in Durham, NC, where she spends her time writing and basking in the joyous laughter of her grandchildren.