Bio—Terry Shames

Raised in the wild state of Texas, at age six, Terry Shames began a life of crime, stealing money from her grandmother to buy what--Candy? Nail polish? A comic book? No. A notebook—beautiful blank pages, so she could write a story. A terrible liar, when her mother grilled her, she confessed and the notebook was confiscated. Although her criminal career was short-lived, her life of crime writing was launched.

Terry financed her BA from the University of Texas and her MA from San Francisco State University with numerous jobs--waitress, maid, assistant to a notorious law professor, computer programmer/analyst and real estate agent. Meanwhile, she kept writing, dreaming of the day she could live on the proceeds from her books.

With her son off to college in 2005, Terry redoubled her effort to find success as a writer. In August of 2012, her perseverance paid off with a two-book contract from Seventh Street Books/Prometheus for her series set in the fictional town of Jarrett Creek, Texas, featuring ex-Chief of Police Samuel Craddock. The first book, A KILLING AT COTTON HILL, will be released in July, 2013.