As a blogger, journalist, and essayist, Shani Gilchrist works through a lens of Midwestern resilience and Southern joie de vivre. During her younger years in Wisconsin her godfather, a celebrated magazine editor, encouraged her love of writing during his frequent visits from Chicago.

After moving to South Carolina with her family, Shani continued to avidly read and write. Her concentration and skill gained her acceptance in the South Carolina Governor's School for the Arts, where talented teachers such as George Singleton inspired her to continue honing her craft, which she did throughout college and beyond.

Shani's experiences in two culturally distinct parts of the country set her apart from other writers of her generation. While most thirty-somethings share memories of the excess of the 1980s experimentation of the 1990s, Shani adds an understanding of the movements that ultimately brought us to our the individualist mindset of today's creative culture.

In 2009, Shani founded CamilleMaurice.com, a blog that quickly gained acclaim for it's conversational style and honest analysis of happenings in the lifestyle realm. Her hope is that the blog inspires readers to focus on making their lives as beautiful and full as possible.

Shani has interviewed and profiled some of the best creative minds in the arts and design, including New York Times best selling author Jane Green, designer Tobi Fairley and jazz vocalist Dianne Reeves. Her interview style sets her subjects at ease as she brings their most relaxed and honest voices into her writing.