Shelley's mother is fond of saying that from the time Shelley learned to read, she always had her nose stuck in a book. She also had an active imagination, and was constantly daydreaming about people who led lives far different from her own. Those daydreams would often find themselves expressed in English papers that garnered much praise from teachers from grade school through college. Still, the last thing Shelley ever thought she would become was a writer. Shelley graduated from the Pennsylvania State University with a bachelor of science degree in accounting. While working as an auditor, a job (with apologies to all auditors out there) she truly hated, she began writing during her lunch hour as a means of salvaging her sanity. When she "retired" to become a stay-at-home mom, writing became a refuge during those rare moments when her children would nap or play contentedly at her feet. In 1997, Shelley's manuscript, Brady's Baby, was a Romance Writers of America Golden Heart finalist. She was delighted when the Silhouette Intimate Moments line purchased that manuscript and released it as Major Dad in 1998. Since then she has sold several more books to the Silhouette Intimate Moments series. Shelley married her college sweetheart, a wonderful man who claims (quite truthfully) to be the inspiration for all of her fictional heroes. They live in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with their two teenagers and an overly energetic golden retriever. While she still spends many an hour daydreaming about people who lead lives far different from her own, Shelley tries to spend an equal amount of time in the "real" world with her family. Shelley loves to hear from her readers. She can be reached at patpit@attbi.com.
