About the author
Shirley Kennett has published eight novels in print form so far, including the standalone Burning Rose and five in the PJ Gray series, in which a psychologist steps into virtual reality recreations of homicides, playing the role of the killer to decipher a deviant mind.
Shirley, writing under the pseudonym of Dakota Banks, writes the Mortal Path series of paranormal thrillers featuring Maliha Crayne. The books are based on a woman's battle for her soul amid ancient Sumerian myths that come to life in modern times. The Mortal Path books are published by Harper Voyager.
Shirley has published in novel, short story, and article formats. She has contributed chapters to books about writing and worked on a progressive mystery with a dozen other authors. She has taught workshops about writing online and in person and is a frequent speaker at conferences. She has judged short stories for a Mystery Writers of America anthology, and judged for the Edgar Awards several times (twice as committee chair). She is a founding member and past president of the St. Louis Chapter of Sisters in Crime, a member of the Mystery Writers of America, Horror Writers Association, the American Crime Writers League, Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, and International Thriller Writers (formerly Vice President of Membership). In her spare time, she manages to get some writing done.
Before beginning her writing career, Shirley wore a number of hats, including those of corporate analyst, clinical systems programmer, independent computer consultant, and pet store employee (the one who cleans the cages), but her writer's hat is by far the most comfortableand most satisfyingof them all. She has been a mystery/thriller fan as long as she can remember, probably a result of growing up in a converted turn-of-the-century funeral home.
With adopted sons from Peru and Ethiopia, she's experienced both the rewards and the difficulties of having a cross-cultural family. Shirley is a graduate of the Washington University School of Engineering in St. Louis, Missouri, and lives on the western fringe of St. Louis with her husband, two sons, and two cats.
