Sun Signs

Shelley discovered her love for children's literature while teaching elementary school in the eighties. Then, while on a parenting leave, she began writing children's stories. It took ten years, but she eventually decided to focus on juvenile and young adult fiction and is now the author of six award winning novels, all published with Orca Book Publishers. Shelley lives in North Vancouver with her husband, three daughters and menagerie of pets. When she's not writing she can be found hiking, sailing, snowshoeing, or hidden away with a book and some good music. Shelley focuses her school and library presentations on the value of perseverance. She describes the pitfalls she encountered on her path to becoming a published author. She discusses where ideas come from using examples from her books and how they change and develop. She touches on numerous literary devices, depending on the age of the audience. Shelley also reads from some of her many rejection letters - the part of the presentation that students seem to like most. She is also available for Writing Workshops.