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 eight novels, all published with Orca Book Publishers.

Shelley lives in North Vancouver with the youngest of her three daughters and their menagerie of pets. When she's not writing she can be found hiking, snowshoeing, or hidden away with a book and some good music.