About Me
Backstory
- Before Aiden Ashlyn (Darcee Douglas) ever put pen to page, her life was already a story — a winding, road of athletics, social exploration, artistic expression, creativity and academics.
- Raised in the heartland of Missouri and Kansas, Darcee learned early the art of reinvention. A scholarship swimmer at Arizona State University, a top 25 World-ranked freestyler and U.S. Olympic Trials qualifier (1976 and 1980), she lived for the rhythm of breath and water. This discipline later shaped her approach to both carpentry and writing. When academics slipped away, creativity stepped in. Music took over. So did hard work and curiosity.
- Darcee became a professional musician, recording, and briefly touring through Austin’s vibrant music scene, while channeling that same energy into craftsmanship — founding a construction business that flourished for over three decades. Between hammer strikes and chord progressions came a love for building things that last: homes, melodies, and ultimately, meaning.
- Life threw its share of detours — injuries, rediscovery, a return to academia — yet each one deepened the story. Darcee earned a degree in Physical Geography from Texas State University, blending science and art into a lifelong fascination with the natural world. Scuba diving at TSU opened a new frontier beneath the waves. The underwater worlds she experienced rekindled an enduring sense of wonder. By the time writing called in 2023, Darcee had already lived several lifetimes. The author, mentor, and creator readers now know emerged from that journey — forged in water, tempered by work, and inspired by the restless belief that it’s never too late to evolve who you are - and become who you want to be. Her hopes are to help build and restore coral reef in her new chapter of life.