About Shelli...

Attorney — Author — Adventurer (wherever room service is available)

      An attorney by trade and a lifelong enthusiast of ancient Egypt by natural design, Shelli became the first woman to practice law in Portage, Indiana, where her law office still flourishes. A member of the Indiana Bar Association and other legal societies, Shelli is also a certified Family Law Mediator who has taught college level classes in Family Law and Bankruptcy and has presented at several continuing legal education seminars.  

      Introduced to Bes by renowned author/lecturer/documentarian John Anthony West on her first trip to Egypt more than two decades ago, Shelli immediately fell captive to the magic of this pint-sized hero.  John encouraged Shelli to put pen to paper and the first edition of The Story of Bes was published shortly after that initial visit, affording Shelli the opportunity to join the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) in 2000.  Falcon in the Nest, the next installment of the Story of Bes Adventures followed, providing an additional forum as a popular classroom speaker on the subject of ancient Egypt and Bes.  

      In 2005, Shelli began co-hosting “Bes Quest Tours” in association with Quest Travel (Egypt’s premier travel company) and internationally acclaimed artist Dawn Gaskill (dawndesigns.com).  The upcoming 2019 tour sold out in one day! 

Shelli launched “Bes Press” in 2017, joining forces with illustrator Scotty Roberts to publish her first picture book (Bes: Ancient Protector & Nightmare Deflector), soon followed by a Story of Bes redux (a greatly expanded anniversary edition with historically accurate illustrations and an extensive glossary).  The anniversary edition of Falcon in the Nest and other Bes adventures are currently in the works. 

     Shelli lives on the outskirts of Valparaiso, Indiana, where she and her husband Jim raised their three children, who co-star in some of the stories and consider Bes a member of the family. 

      A frequent visitor to Bes’s ancient homeland, Shelli also enjoys traveling to other parts of the world where Bes, or Bes-like anomalies, can be found – which is just about everywhere.  Follow her Living My ‘Bes’ Life blog as the adventure continues….