Shelly Von West

I've always been drawn to a good, suspenseful mystery. As a young girl, my mother and I would lose ourselves in the aisles of dusty used bookstores, searching for old gothic romances-stories where shadows held secrets, and danger lurked behind evey creaking door.

These novels were filled with brooding men guarding crumbling estates on windswept cliffs, and young heroines unknowingly stepping into webs of deception. That sense of suspense and intrigue has stayed with me ever since.

Storytelling has been my lifelong passion, and after life's many twists and turns, I've found my way back to writing romance and mysteries-the kind that keep you turning pages late into the night.

Now, I live aboard a boat on the Gulf Coast of Florida with my husband and three kids. When I'm not writing, you'll find me exploring hidden beaches, experimenting in the kitchen, tackling endless boat projects, or chasing our next adventure.