Susan Brearley

Susan Brearley was given a terminal cancer diagnosis thirty years ago. She's still here. The doctors aren't.

A mystery and suspense writer, Susan draws on a lifetime that includes surviving what should have killed her, building a six-figure business from scratch, and growing up in Pennsylvania Dutch country—where she learned early that the quietest communities hide the darkest secrets. That knowledge runs through everything she writes.

Now based in New York's Hudson Valley, Susan crafts what she calls grandmother noir: stories featuring protagonists who've lived long enough to recognize evil when they see it, and aren't afraid to act. Her work explores what lurks beneath ordinary facades—the lies families tell themselves, the violence that simmers under politeness, and the particular clarity that comes from knowing your time is borrowed.

Susan is also a two-time cancer survivor, a practicing Buddhist, a grandmother, and the Editor-in-Chief of multiple publications. She teaches writing workshops, hosts a free weekly craft session for writers, and is working on a mystery series she intends to finish by age 140.

She's not kidding.

FROM THE AUTHOR

Susan is the founder and Executive Director of the Garden of Neuro Institute, a nonprofit dedicated to neuroplasticity and creative development. Through the Institute, she curates the Emergent anthology series and leads the Write Like Stephen King workshop and the Wordsmiths' Weekly writing community.

Her work has appeared in Chronogram magazine, and she is a Top Writer in more than twenty categories on Medium, where she serves as Editor-in-Chief for twelve publications. She has contributed to The Talk, Safe and Brave Space, Fine Lines, and I Am From anthologies, and is the author of Battlefield Hope and Wordsmiths' Weekly Writing Prompts.

She believes every writer deserves a seat at the table—and a reader who takes them seriously.