An extroverted introvert and creative left-brainer, Shawnta is no stranger to paradoxes. A lifelong Wisconsinite, she was born in The City, bussed to The Suburbs, and raised very much in both. Shawnta and her husband met in their teens, married in their 20s, and became parents in their 30s, and built a basement Nerd Cave in their 40s. After over a decade of collecting experience and credentials in human resources and professional development, Shawnta switched gears to spend the newborn to preschool years at home with their son. During this time, she started blogging, and eventually began writing, illustrating, and publishing a series of inclusive children’s picture books. When Shawnta did reenter the workforce, she chose to work with kids rather than return to her corporate roots. Though she may be Mom to an “Only,” her early childhood and school support work gifted her with worlds of backgrounds, lifestyles, challenges, and triumphs throughout countless communities, providing further inspiration for her work as an author. On the home front, when it’s Family Time for the Sayners, their greatest hits involve outdoor cooking, road tripping, watching and playing games of all sorts, and making their way through one epic movie franchise after another.