[close] Jennie Shortridge (born September 23, 1959) is a best-selling novelist and off-and-on musician. Born in Grand Forks, North Dakota Shortridge grew up in Maryland and Colorado before relocating to the Pacific Northwest. She now resides in Seattle, Washington with her Australian husband, Matt Gani.

Citing an unhappy home life with a mentally ill mother, Shortridge ventured out on her own at the age of seventeen and began to support herself through a series of office jobs, cooking jobs, and a stint as a plumber, all the while also performing in bands as a lead singer. A job with a small advertising firm began her marketing career, leading to a position as director of sales and marketing for a Denver visual imaging firm during the 1980s and early 1990s. In 1995, Shortridge “decided to climb back down,” the corporate ladder as she says, and began to write full-time as a freelance magazine features writer. Her work appeared in local, regional, and national publications including Natural Home, Mademoiselle, and Glamour.

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