Hello
I’m glad to have the opportunity to introduce myself in my own words. I take pride in the person I am becoming, and I try to bring honesty, respect, and steady effort into everything I do. I believe that the way we show up matters, so I make it a point to lead with a positive attitude, stay open to learning, and give my best whether I’m working with others, facing a challenge, or stepping into something new.
I’m confident in what I have to offer, but I also understand the value of growth, listening, and earning trust through action. I want people to know that I am dependable, motivated, and willing to put in the work to make a meaningful impact. My hope is that this hello gives you a genuine sense of who I am: someone who is ready to connect, contribute, and move forward with purpose.
Brett Shayler
Author | Novelist | Screenwriter | Storyteller
Brett Shayler is an American author, novelist, screenwriter, and lifelong storyteller whose work blends compelling characters, cinematic pacing, and emotionally driven suspense across multiple genres. Raised on a ranch and shaped by a lifelong connection to horses, working dogs, open country, and the natural world, Brett developed an early respect for animals, disciplined horsemanship, ranch life, and the bond between people and the creatures in their care. Those experiences give his fiction a strong sense of place, emotional authenticity, and an enduring focus on loyalty, trust, resilience, respect for the land, and the relationships among people, animals, land, and memory.
Inspired by his family’s acreage, the horses that move across it, and his time outdoors observing wildlife and landscape, Brett writes with appreciation for the beauty, instinct, resilience, and mystery of the animal world. His stories honor courage, compassion, close observation, and the responsibility that comes with living alongside nature.
A proud member of both the National Cutting Horse Association and the American Quarter Horse Association, Brett brings firsthand experience showing cutting horses and competing in NCHA Non-Pro and Amateur classes. That lived connection to cutting horse culture gives his work an insider’s appreciation for the discipline, partnership, tradition, and emotional intensity of the sport.
Brett’s connection to horses also runs through his family. His parents, Bill and Billie Aylesworth, own Diamond B Quarter Horses, a part of his upbringing that helped shape his respect for horsemanship, dedication, and the traditions of the equestrian world. Billie Aylesworth has spent over 34 years showing cutting horses and earning multiple awards in the sport, demonstrating the skill, patience, and commitment that define successful cutting horse competition. That family legacy continues to influence Brett’s appreciation for the partnership between horse and rider and the values carried through generations of horsemen and horsewomen.
Brett’s wife, Karen Shayler, is an important part of the life that grounds and inspires his writing. A published and award-winning artist and photographer, Karen brings her own creative vision, attention to detail, and appreciation for the natural world to their shared life. Married for over 14 years, Brett and Karen share experiences, support, and a deep connection to the world around them that help shape the values appearing throughout his stories, including loyalty, perseverance, compassion, and the quiet strength found in everyday commitment.
Beyond horses and ranch life, Brett has served as a volunteer Search and Rescue K9 handler, an experience that deepened his understanding of discipline, trust, patience, and partnership under pressure. Working with search dogs requires communication that goes beyond words, strengthening his appreciation for the courage, intelligence, and devotion that define the bond between human handlers and their K9 partners.
Brett is also a Fellow of the Royal Geological Society and a National Member of The Explorers Club, affiliations that reflect his lifelong curiosity about the natural world, exploration, science, landscape, and discovery. These connections further inform the sense of adventure, observation, and respect for place that runs through his writing.
As a screenwriter, Brett brings cinematic pacing, suspense, and character-focused storytelling to visual media. Across both books and screenplays, his work centers on loyalty, courage, mystery, adventure, and the bonds that shape people under pressure.
Brett’s published and forthcoming work spans romance, young adult adventure, mystery, science fiction, and screen storytelling, with recurring themes of courage, loyalty, discovery, horsemanship, the natural world, and the emotional bonds that connect people, animals, and places.
Books
• Kickapoo Creek — Romance
• I Want to Be an Explorer — Young Adult
• Nationals — Young Adult
• The Perfect Score — Young Adult
• I Want to Be a Veterinarian — Young Adult
• High School Finals — Young Adult
• I Want That Dog... — Young Adult
• Holloway Mountain — Romance
• Murder in the Santini — Murder Mystery
• The Unlikely Saint — Young Adult
• Project Chimera — Pending Science Fiction Murder Mystery
• Raven Response Mysteries — Pending Eight-Part Young Adult Series
• Cross Diving Adventures — Pending Twelve-Part Youth Series
Screenplays
• Cutting for Love — Television romance
• Murder in the Santini — Movie murder mystery
• Mountain of Love — Television romance
• The Terror of the Gulf — Movie adventure mystery
• Blood on the Reins — Television murder mystery
• Project Chimera— Pending Television Miniseries; Science Fiction Murder Mystery
