Born in an army hospital in Munich, Germany in 1963, Suzanne spent most of her childhood on Bainbridge Island, WA. Her father, Conrad, taught middle school math and U.S. History and worked in Alaska during the summer fishing and crabbing. Her mother, Marilyn, was a stay-at-home mom until Suzanne's high school years when she started selling real estate. "I'm one of those oddballs who actually liked high school. I wasn't into sports, or clubs, but I did have one passion and that was the theatre. Performing in plays made those years very positive." At Bennington College, Suzanne studied dance and art. At Occidental College she graduated cum laude with a BA in Theatre and with Honors from the film department. At the University of WA she earned an MA in communications. Past jobs include prep cook, children's photographer, Nordstrom salesperson, receptionist, gardener, video producer, television station sales assistant, organic flower grower and marketing director. After all that running around, she finally found a job she loved most and did best--being a full-time mom. She began to write seriously in the fall of 2002. "Like most writers I always wanted to write. It started back in 4th grade when I wrote a play, then cast and directed it for my school. Throughout middle school and high school I wrote short stories and more plays. But I never pursued publication. After high school my desire to write faded away. Well, I thought it had faded away. Actually it was just hibernating, waiting for the right moment to wake up." That moment came on the first morning of school, 2002, when my youngest child stepped onto the school bus. As I walked back up the driveway I realized that I could actually claim a few hours a day to do something for myself. And what I suddenly wanted to do was to write. So, I registered for a writing class that very day. WORDS TO FUTURE WRITERS: "It takes courage to write. I'm not patting myself on the back by saying that, I'm just being honest. As soon as you share your words, others will judge them, and that can really sting. You have to develop a thicker-than-thick skin. You have to self-motivate, too. It's hard, hard work. Most non-writers don't realize that. It's lonely work, sometimes tedious work, sometimes exhilarating work. You should want it in a compulsive way. Talent helps but determination is mandatory." Contact Suzanne by email at mail@suzanneselfors.com or by mail at: P.O. Box 10414 Bainbridge Island, WA 98110