Debbie Russell is a lawyer turned award winning author. She spent twenty-five years as an Assistant County Attorney in Minneapolis, prosecuting numerous high-profile cases—specializing in those involving domestic and child abuse. At age fifty-five, Debbie took early retirement, giving up a full pension for the freedom of time. She now spends that precious time writing, restoring her property to native prairie and wetlands, and training her rambunctious retrievers. Debbie's award-winning book, Crossing Fifty-One: Not Quite a Memoir, was released in June of 2023, and tracks three generations of midlife crises which all set the stage for one dream to come true.