Shelley claims that she decided to write short stories because she has a short attention span. Else, it is because she moved a lot when she was younger: thirty moves by the time she was thirty years old. Things have settled down for Shelley since those early days and now she calls in Townsend, Montana her forever home. Indeed, she has lived there for the last 28 years (and counting).

Having retired from the Forest Service after 33 years in 2011, Shelley now explores and travels with her furry sidekicks: Maizy and Tank, her Corgis, and Little Zoe and Joseph, her kitties. Retirement hobbies include whitewater rafting, hiking, camping off the grid, and learning new things like geology and history.

Shelley has one daughter and two stepchildren. All of them, she says, "are labors of love." Also, she has three grandchildren whom she describes as "perfect in every way that matters."