Barbara Shafferman

American astrologer, teaching astrology from 1975 in adult education programs at two school districts and then lecturing at local libraries and high schools. After passing an AFA exam, she had the confidence to become a pro counselor. Formerly an advertising copywriter before retiring to raise a family, Barbara planned to go back to work when the children were school-age, but her mentally handicapped daughter needed a full-time mom at home, and she devoted her spare time to fighting for programs and facilities for the handicapped. In the summer of 1972, she took an astrology extension course at a local university - and was hooked! Since classes and teaching were primarily in the evening, it was easy to work them around her daughter's needs. Although astrology filled her life, Barbara's childhood dream of becoming a writer never died. In 1988, she saw her chart and her life mesh as the right time to attempt a writing career. Dell Horoscope accepted an article, and since then, she has written about 45 articles for Horoscope and American Astrology. She decided to combine her astrological knowledge with her desire to write fiction and came up with a political thriller, "The President's Astrologer," which was published in December 1998 by Llewellyn. Barbara writes, "I had always felt the importance of informing the general public about real astrology and had attempted to do this with my adult-ed courses and lectures. To my delight, "The President's Astrologer" seems to be accomplishing the same thing. I have gotten a lot of feedback from "civilian" readers at book signings, discussion groups and via e-mail, who say they had no idea astrology was so complicated and so interesting. I have since written a second novel--not about astrology--which is out with my agent right now, and still lecture locally to the general public."