Boomer Author featured for achieving a dream deferred for most of her lifetime

Thibodaux, LA, resident June Shaw has had her first novel published (from the Daily Comet)

Shaw, whose first novel has been published, said that has been a goal of hers since the ninth grade.

When she was in the ninth grade, her English teacher sparked her desire to be a published writer. This month, almost 50 years later, the first copy of her first novel arrived from her publisher. Finally, Shaw said, she felt like an author.

Shaw’s romantic mystery “Relative Danger,” the first of a planned series, is available now. The protagonist is Cealie Gunther, a businesswoman and “sexy grandma” who gets drawn into mysteries by her extended family and her ex-lover, restaurateur Gil Thurman.

In the first installment, she visits Chicago for her granddaughter’s graduation and finds out there’s been a death at the school.

Gunther gets involved and “sticks her nose in everybody’s business,” which only makes things worse, Shaw said. Eventually, she finds her granddaughter might be involved in the death.

Shaw said Gunther isn’t exactly based on her. “She’s who I want to be,” Shaw said.