Yona Deshommes

Yona Deshommes began her professional career in education as an Academic Coordinator at a residential treatment center, where she created and facilitated a number of cultural and educational programs for at risk youth from the juvenile justice and foster care systems. She was instrumental in the creation of a number of career immersion programs, dance workshops and assisted in the development of remedial educational programs and alternative evaluation tools for students who were two or more years behind academically.

Her love and passion for writing led her to a career in publicity in the book publishing industry where she currently serves as an Associate Director of Publicity at Atria Books, an imprint of one of the largest publishers in the world, Simon & Schuster. She has conceived and executed strategic publicity plans for a number of high profile clients that include New York Times best-selling authors Bishop TD Jakes, Taraji P. Henson, Zane, Charlie Wilson, George Clinton, Kevin Hart and a host of other literary/entertainment luminaries. Her current author list includes Alice Walker, rapper/actor Common, National Book Award Book longlister, Nafissa Thompson Spires and Susan Rice. Her area of expertise is the African American market and currently manages most of the publicity planning for 37INK a sub imprints of Atria Books.

Ms. Deshommes graduated Magna Cum Laude with a degree in Special Education and earned a Masters in Fine Arts Degree in Creative Writing from the City College of New York. She lives in Haverstraw, New York.