Shirley Damsgaard

I’ve read many bios that start with the words “I wanted to be a writer all of my life and wrote my first story at the age of five.” I honestly can’t say that’s true for me—at the age of five, as an only child growing up on a farm, my career goal was to be a princess. Unfortunately, all those positions happened to be filled, so I followed the path so many other women have traveled—marriage, children, a career outside of the home—in my case, with the United States Postal Service. It wasn’t until the tender of age of 48 that I really decided to try my hand at writing.

My first attempt was a disastrous romance novella, and I might have given up had it not been for my late husband’s suggestion that I give mysteries a try. He pointed out my knack at spoiling movies for him by deducing how they would end. (Hey, it’s no fun being clever if you can’t share, right?) I combined his suggestion with my life long interest in the paranormal, and Ophelia and Abby were born. And in the end, creating the series helped carry me through a very difficult time.

Now seven years later, I still live in the same small town that I have for over twenty years, still have a career as Postmaster, and my grown children, with their children, all live within driving distance. I still enjoy gardening, reading, and needlepoint, but my world is larger thanks to Ophelia and Abby. Becoming an author has been the ride of a lifetime, and one for which I’ll always be grateful.