An alumna of Texas Western College in her hometown of El Paso, Texas, she spent 20 years as a civilian public information officer for the Department of Defense in Texas and California. She chose early retirement and moved to Pahrump, Nevada. There, on impulse, she took a full-time job as madam at a legal brothel. She has discussed her fascinating adventures on numerous TV and radio programs and Madam has been covered in national magazines, such as Penthouse, Bikini, and Harper’s. Shaner now operates a public relations and advertising agency in Pahrump.