KENNETT, Shirley 1951- (Morgan Avery)

PERSONAL: Born January 5, 1951, in St. Louis, MO; married Dennis Kennett (a director of information technology), April 5, 1968; children: Thomas, Timothy. Education: Washington University, St. Louis, MO, B.S., 1972. Hobbies and other interests: Photography, gardening, cats.

ADDRESSES: Agent—Eleanor Wood, Spectrum Literary Agency, 320 Central Park W, Suite 1-D, New York, NY 10025. E-mail—[email protected].

CAREER: Realistic Systems, St. Louis, MO, owner and information technology consultant.

MEMBER: Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, American Crime Writers League.

WRITINGS:

MYSTERY FICTION

Gray Matter, Kensington Books (New York, NY), 1996.

Fire Cracker, Kensington Books (New York, NY), 1997.

Chameleon, Kensington Books (New York, NY), 1998.

Cut Loose, Kensington Books (New York, NY), 1999.

(Under pseudonym Morgan Avery) Act of Betrayal, Kensington Books (New York, NY), 2000.

Burning Rose, Five Star (Waterville, ME), 2002.

SIDELIGHTS: Shirley Kennett told CA: "I've been writing since I was eight years old, when I wrote my first short story. At various points in my life I tried getting published, but got discouraged each time after accumulating a stack of rejection letters. When forty candles appeared on the birthday cake, I felt I needed a fire, not only on the cake, but under me. I wrote a manuscript that got me an agent but wasn't published right then. I developed a mystery series instead, and my agent sold it promptly. After four books under my belt, I went back to that first manuscript and looked at it with more experienced eyes. After revision, that manuscript became my fifth published book. I actually think it was more of a thrill to see that one on the bookstore shelf than the first one I published. Nowadays, I write by brainstorming, and then developing a synopsis for a novel. Only after I'm satisfied with the basic premise and characters do I start writing page one of the book, bringing the short synopsis to life. This technique has saved me many hours of revision! For any writers out there striving to get a first book published, I'd say: believe in yourself, and persist."