About Jeff Shelby

Born in Torrance, California, a suburb of Los Angeles, but we settled in San Diego just in time for me to finish kindergarten. After being mocked for wearing an LA Dodgers hat, I immediately dropped my allegiance to the team from the city of angels and devoted my fervent support to the San Diego Padres.

I wrote my first short story in the second grade. It was a paragraph long. It was about Snoopy playing tennis. Talent was evident early.

After eight years of Catholic education, I attended Mission Bay High School. It was a little confusing, having to choose a new outfit every day rather than putting on the same dignity impaired uniform that I'd worn for so long, but eventually I got used to the freedom. After an unremarkable athletic career, a string of average grades, figuring out how to use blue slips to skip school in order to spend time at the beach and an indoctrination to Tijuana night life ("Dude, we can get beer without begging people to buy it for us!"), I graduated.

College. Hmmm. Took me eight and a half years, with credits from numerous different schools, before finally earning a B.A. in English from the University of California, Irvine. I like to refer to that time as "finding myself." My parents like to refer to that time as "spending all our damn money, you immature flake." Regardless, really started concentrating on writing and reading the likes of Robert B. Parker, John D. MacDonald, Pat Conroy, Sue Grafton, Robert Crais, Sara Paretsky, et al.

Got married. Most folks seem shocked at my being able to find someone who will tolerate me for life. Myself included.

Moved to Colorado. I have heard rumors that Major League Baseball exists in Colorado, but I have yet to find any evidence.

Had to find a job after moving to Colorado. Previous job experience: office flunkie, front desk of health club flunkie and cleaning hospital mattresses and wheelchairs flunkie. (Do NOT ask.) Land job with YMCA running youth sports programs. Learn that the proper response to a parent asking "Do you think my five year old is good enough to get a college scholarship?" is not rolling your eyes. Move on to administrative position at a high school in the athletic department and coaching girls high school basketball.

Had baby. (Actually, wife did that.) We decide that since I've never shown any indication of earning an adult's salary, I am the better suited parent to staying home full-time with baby daughter. Have not dropped child, nor lost her in a crowded place. Yet.

One month to the day that I quit my job, my agent calls and tells me we have a deal with Dutton. Lots of screaming, dancing, shouting, drinking…

Currently living happily ever after…