Text-in-Meter Poetry Collection
A romantic poetry collection arriving just in time for Valentine’s Day, the poems follow the romance between a grocery store cheese clerk and an Army captain who pulls a vanishing act, leaving her wondering about second chances and what really matters.
The Fire Painter, A Novel
A literary novel with commercial appeal, The Fire Painter is about a 30-something woman who tries to recover the things she lost to a fire through thrifting but finds something better: art. Plus, she sparks a love interest with a band’s hot lead singer.
50 Tips for First- Time Authors
Get 50 Writing and Editing Tips in this concise, practical guide designed to help new writers navigate the journey from a blank page to a publication-ready manuscript. Learn about genre differences, craft and mechanics, and best editing practices.
Access Key Writing and Editing Tips
Shelley Widhalm offers a monthly newsletter, CHASING SPARKS, with useful, fun writing and editing tips and a glimpse into the life of a writer. She is giving away the prequel to her debut novel, The Fire Painter, that tells the story behind the secret skeleton key. Just sign up at the button below. You also can join her on her Patreon page, coming out in November 2026.
Besides her creative writing ventures, Shelley has been writing professionally for 20-plus years as a journalist and freelance writer. She writes novels, short stories, and poems and has written a few flash fiction stories of 1,000 words or less. Her style is mainstream with a literary flair, and she writes both young adult and adult fiction.
Shelley also offers line and content editing and proofreading for new and established authors and provides consultations and workshops on writing and editing at Shell’s Ink Services.
Discover the Secrets…
Sign up for Shelley’s Patreon account (coming soon!) to access her digital workshop. It’s where she pulls back the curtain on The Fire Painter and her “Text in Meter” writing process, sharing the raw, beautiful and messy pieces of creation that usually stay hidden in her desk drawers. For now, get your spark at the CHASING SPARKS newsletter.