Born in Nebraska, raised in Iowa, and educated in Missouri, Quillen deBruney’s life was a veritable tour of the Midwest until she moved to Baltimore, Maryland in 2005. She grew up with dreams of being a professional musician but, realizing she had neither the talent to make a living as a performer nor the grit to endure the life of a starving artist, she set her sights on a different kind of performance: politics.
In 2022, Quillen decided to leave government service to begin building a second career. Child of June, Quillen's first novel, was the fruit of that decision. She currently works in the non-profit sector, helping other creators share their stories with the world.
When not working or writing, Quillen is an avid adventurer who has visited more than 20 countries on six continents. She’s climbed mountains in South America, dodged tuk-tuks in Old Delhi, toughed windstorms in the Arabian desert, and had the ultimate Australian bush hiking experience: nearly colliding with a wallaby.
Quillen currently lives in Alexandria, Virginia, with her highly uncoordinated hound dog.
