About The Author

Shelly little

Shelly Little is a registered nurse, mother of two, and debut memoirist whose powerful story of survival has touched readers across the country. Born and raised in Hackberry, Louisiana, she spent 43 years immersed in the rich blend of Cajun, country, and rural culture that shaped her resilient spirit. From learning to bait hooks and catch crawfish to driving tractors and harvesting vegetables from the garden, Shelly’s upbringing taught her practical skills and deep appreciation for her Louisiana roots.

Living with achondroplasia and the lasting effects of multiple surgeries for a cleft palate, Shelly has navigated life’s challenges with remarkable determination. Standing 4’10” tall after hip replacements, she continues to work as a nurse while managing chronic pain from cervical spondylosis. Her physical limitations have never defined her strength or limited her compassion for others.

Once described as “short, sassy, and a little smart assy,” Shelly’s perspective shifted after experiencing trauma that taught her life’s hard lessons. She learned that healing requires facing pain honestly rather than trying to drink it away, pray it away, or medicate it away. Her journey through domestic abuse, family betrayal, and personal loss became the foundation for her memoir.

Shelly writes to show others that being broken doesn’t mean being defeated. She believes in setting boundaries, forgiving yourself, and finding peace in simple pleasures like the sun, wind, and kindness. Her goal is to help readers understand that survival is an act of courage and that it’s okay to be completely broken while still being comfortable in your own skin.

Currently, Shelly dreams of living peacefully on the beach with her dogs, Jolee and Zoey, in a travel trailer with a golf cart. Her ultimate aspiration is for someone to turn her writings into a song, sharing her message of hope and resilience through music.