Deborah Kelsey Lazaroff Alpi was born in Berkeley, California USA and raised in Orinda, California; Columbo, Ceylon (now Sri Lanka); and New Delhi, India. During her childhood she traveled throughout Asia and Europe, as well as throughout the USA with her family. She has been writing professionally since 1978, mostly as a copywriter for advertising, marketing and public relations, She is divorced and has an adult son. She now lives in Southern California,