Hi readers! So glad you stopped by. Since you’re here, apparently you want to get to know me better. So… what deep, dark secrets should I share?
I write adult general fiction. It took me a long time to figure that out. I kept trying to force my novels into one genre, and guess what? It didn’t work. Readers may find romance, mystery, historical fiction, and even magical realism mixed into any of my stories.
I love to write about things I’m curious about. For my first novel, LIGHTHOUSE LANE, I researched lighthouses and Prohibition. For my second novel, FINDING FOREVER, I researched an extinct Florida indigenous group, the Calusa, as well as historical information on the search for the Fountain of Youth.
I’ve learned something about myself. I don’t like to take chances in life, at least with the big things. I always wanted a writing career, but I was afraid it wouldn’t pay the bills. So I took a safer route. I became a high school English teacher. Diving into a novel with students meant I had to study the story closely – the techniques and nuances. And teaching writing meant honing my own craft. It’s one thing to use your own skills. It’s a whole different world teaching those skills to others. Time as a teacher was a gift that strengthened my talents. If you know how much grading a high school English teacher does, you know I had little spare time. Still, I kept writing and researching the business of publishing.
I’ve always loved movies, probably because it’s just another way to tell stories. When I write, I see my stories play out in my head like a movie, including background music. So, when I got the chance to run my school’s video department, I grabbed it! I taught news writing, news production, and video production, but I was most proud of starting our annual student film festival, The Riverside Reel.
Now I’m in a new stage of life. I’ve retired from teaching, and I’ve jumped into the career I left behind years ago. Since my first book, LIGHTHOUSE LANE, has not yet gained literary agent representation, I moved on to writing a new novel, FINDING FOREVER. It is now complete, edited and ready to go. I’m looking for an agent who believes in either or both of these stories as much as I do.
So today I have a new career. I am a writer. And I’ll confess my secrets aren’t really dark at all. I’ve stepped out of the shadows and am ready to publish! Years of experience and training have prepared me.
My name is Robin Shelley, and I’m an author.
Member of Great Lakes Fiction Writers –
NetGalley Professional Reader