Daniel SheleyDaniel Sheley has been telling stories since he was a teenager. Early on, stories were both refuge and apprenticeship, shaped by long hours with books, myth, and imagination. His first teachers were the stories themselves: the mythic weight of ThomasMalory, the human sharpness of Shakespeare, and the folkloric sense of wonder found in writers like Bruce Coville and Grace Chetwin. Those influences, combined with lived experience, formed a lasting fascination with people, belief, and consequence.He was born in Bradenton, Florida, on the rough side of the city, where each day brought its own challenges. Later, he moved to Westfield, New York, the first place he could truly call home. There he became involved in community and sports and discovered a love for music. That sense of rhythm and cadence would later find its way into his prose.After high school, Daniel attended college and joined the U.S. Navy, serving in both technical and leadership roles. Those years deepened his interest in systems, human behavior, and how pressure reveals character.He is the author of Heartcoil, Lux Mendacium, and For Scales Alone. His upcoming novel, The Soul-Sung, was named a finalist in the Writers' League of Texas Manuscript Contest and is the first book in The Vaeritas Saga.Daniel lives in Midland, Texas, with his wife and their blended family. When he is not writing, he is usually chasing children, managing four dogs, painting, or thinking about lakes and rivers. He continues to tell stories through words, art, and music, drawn to the space where myth, memory, and meaning meet. Read More Read Less