Biography
Shelley Dawn
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I grew up in Derby, Kansas, the younger of two
children and the dreaded little sister to my brother Jeff and all his
friends. Derby was a small, slow
paced town then—the kind where everyone seemed to know everyone else,
and their families. It was a
safe place and my childhood was picture-perfect. Because my mother shared her love of reading with
me, I in turn fell in love with books.
The places I went in all the stories I read as a child ignited my
imagination and I began making up people in my mind and creating problems and
obstacles, pleasures and rewards, for those characters. I remember sneaking out of my room in
the middle of the night to get a snack I would have been denied before
bedtime. The thoughts that ran
through my head read like a book; ÔShe twisted the doorknob and hoped it
wouldnÕt squeakÕ, she tiptoed down the dark hallway, avoiding the places in
the floor that creakedÕ, etc. Tragedy struck when I was fifteen and lost my mother
in a car accident. Although it
was a truly horrific time, I had family and friends who helped me adjust to
not having the mother I was so close to. It took years, as the loss struck deep, but my life went
on—as life is supposed to.
It still helps soothe me to know my mother would be proud of me and
completely in love with my husband and the grandchildren she never got to
meet. She used to tell me the
most important thing we could do in this life was make good memories with
those we love. I believe that,
and am thankful to have a lot of truly wonderful memories of my family and
friends. Mainly because of her,
I try to concentrate on the good times and not turn little problems and minor
differences into big deals. I
did say I try—IÕm not always successful. The love affair IÕve always had with stories
continued, and rages still. At
twenty-three, I began writing a tale of love and conflict and desire that I
could not get out of my mind. It
was like an addiction. I
couldnÕt sleep because of these people.
Their problems buzzed through my mind constantly—regardless of
what I was doing. After that first manuscript, other stories bloomed
to life. All of them have
grabbed me by the throat as hard as that first one. Now there are more than a dozen of them—all filled
with characters I love, and hate, and situations that make me mad, scare me
or make me laugh. Some of these
tales are not quite finished. I
learned early in my studies of writing that great books arenÕt written, theyÕre
rewritten. I edit like a demon
until IÕm satisfied with the story I want to tell, until I have a story IÕll
be proud to share. Between being a wife, raising five young and
incredibly energetic (and messy) boys, and managing a household often full of
chaos—always with at least two dogs thrown into the mix—getting
the stories I have written out there for people to read has been slow
going. Now, the boys are older
and I have some spare time. Now,
IÕm able to make my tales of love and conflict available for people who enjoy
curling up with, and losing themselves in, a good, sexy story. Some of my tales are scary, some
include violence, but each and every one has a healthy dose of sexy. ItÕs vitally important to mention that I wouldnÕt be
able to market any of my works without my husband ToddÕs strong and steady
support, or my dadÕs endless help and patience. Both men have been instrumental in my life and given me
unconditional love—which is priceless and means the world to me. Neither of them ever asks for
recognition for all the things they give me and do for me, which I guess is
what puts their love in the unconditional category. The same way my mother introduced me to reading, my
dad and brother infected me with a love of sports, especially football, as a
young girl. I am a huge fan of
the NFL and compete, fiercely, with my dad and brother, my husband and sons,
and some long time friends, weekly during the football season in a pix league
to see who can pick more winning teams.
(I held my own this season.) IÕm blessed with a truly awesome family. Everyone should be as lucky as IÕve
been. From remarkable in-laws,
to aunts and uncles—on both sides of the family—nephews and
nieces, and of course our wonderful boys who always keep life interesting for
everyone around them. My family
and ToddÕs have melded together quite nicely, allowing both sides to
celebrate birthdays and holidays together, often with family friends from all
facets of our family included.
ItÕs not unusual for thirty of us, or more, to share special events
together. My family always had Boston Terriers as pets as I
grew up. (They were always females and named Tina.) IÕve not only continued that tradition but have expanded
it. WeÕre currently enjoying the
5th Tina, who is eleven years old, and the Queen of the house, and have a
goofy young male—the prince we call Sampson. We are looking for a little girl so we can breed beautiful,
silly, loyal and loving Bostons so other people can have their lives enriched
by their company and hilarious antics.
Since our boys are older, it seems like we need a little more chaos in
our lives so why not toss another dog and future puppies into the fire? Add in the cat that has apparently
chosen to stay with us (she wonÕt go away and I canÕt bring myself to take
her to a shelter) and things should be ridiculously lively. We are also huge fans of the majestic
Greyhound. WeÕve adopted three
of them and have enjoyed each of them.
If youÕre thinking about adding a dog to your household, please
consider saving a retired racing Greyhound. YouÕll be rewarded many times over for your generosity. Their love, affection, and loyalty are
humbling. Thanks for visiting my website. Please take a few minutes to check
out my available books and the books that are Ôcoming soonÕ. Keep reading, and making good memories with the
people you love. Sincerely yours, Shelley Dawn |
