Shirley Raye Redmond...Author

Shirley Raye Redmond knew she wanted to be a writer when she was only 12 years old.  After reading Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women, she made up her mind to be just like Jo March.  She even tried eating apples while she was writing her stories…just like Jo!

In high school, she joined the journalism club and worked on the student

newspaper. She went on to college and earned an M.A. in English from the University of Illinois-Springfield.

She wrote more than 400 magazine and newspaper articles before writing her first book for children.  She was inspired to do so after visiting with a classroom of third graders in Franklin, Illinois. 

The children in Miss Roscetti’s class asked many questions. Then Shirley Raye asked the kids a question. "Do you know what a ghost writer is?"

The children had wonderful answers…but they were all wrong.  Still, those wrong answers inspired Shirley Raye to write a book about a ghost…a  ghost who wants to be a writer!

Grampa and the Ghost was published in 1991 by Avon’s Camelot Books.  It became a Weekly Reader Book in 1993. It’s out of print now, but you may be able to find it in your library or at a used book store.

Now Shirley Raye writes full time.  She’s always working on a new book.  Check out the Books section of this of this website to find out what she’s been up to!