During her years in Connecticut, Shirley Butler pursued her creative writing interest incorporating a variety of sources including the Institute of Children's Literature. The idea for the Flat Freddie series originated from her grandson's school assignment, which was a request for her to write an adventure story about a flat character. In addition to that series are: "Kelly's Song" and "A Treasury of Tantalizing Mini-Tales," which is a collection of six short stories. Retired, she resides in Chuckey, Tennessee.