Born and raised near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Susan received a bachelor's degree in Journalism from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and a master's in Interdisciplinary Studies at Capella University. Her master's thesis was a historical fiction novel based on an ancient Chinese story of palace intrigue and adventure as the story follows the pursuits of Wang ZhaoJun, a royal concubine. ZhaoJun is married off by the Emperor to a Mongolian prince in order to secure peace between China and Mongolia. Susan completed three years of research for the novel, and it was a culmination of her experiences while teaching in the Peoples' Republic of China from 1983 to 1986. Presently, Susan lives in Glendale, California, devoting whatever free time she has to her writing business. Always interested in culture and writing, she has recently enjoyed combining her interests in her first full-length screenplay, entitled “Mankai.” Mankai was awarded $25,000 through the McKnight Fellowship for Screenwriting. |