Author Spotlight: Susan Poole

Susan Poole is a mother, lawyer, freelance writer, and nonprofit professional. She was awarded the 2023 Rising Star Award from the Women’s Fiction Writers Association (WFWA) for her debut novel, Out of the Crash. Susan’s essays have been featured on popular parenting websites such as Grown and Flown and Scary Mommy. Additionally, she has published two nonfiction pieces: a memoir in Neighborhood Voices and an article about her experience as a wrestling mom in Grapple Alley.

A little bit about Author Susan Poole…

After graduating from Baldwin Wallace University outside of Cleveland, Ohio, where I intended to major in English but switched to Psychology at the end of my freshman year, I worked in the nonprofit sector before enrolling at the University of Buffalo School of Law. I practiced real estate law for a hot second before becoming a stay-at-home mom. My husband and I were blessed with two daughters and one son, all of whom are grown and doing their own thing.

Many of my earlier career goals took a back seat to raising our family, but empty nesting (and a flexible consulting business) allowed me to revisit a longstanding dream—becoming a published novelist.

As a chronic overthinker, I spent too much time deliberating whether I have enough time or talent to dedicate myself to something I’ve pondered for as long as I can remember. I finally swallowed my self-doubt and wrote a rough draft of my first manuscript. The satisfaction I felt after hitting that milestone carried me through two more unpublished novels, hundreds of rejections from literary agents, and bottomless disappointment over whether I would ever see my dreams come to fruition.

But disappointment can breed motivation and strength. I’m committed to becoming the best writer I can be—learning through workshops, critique partners, networking with other authors, and reading as much as possible. My story can’t be one of defeat. It has the potential to serve as an example of how hard work and perseverance can eventually reap reward.

I am excited to say that my fourth manuscript became my debut novel. OUT OF THE CRASH released in July 2025 with The Wild Rose Press. It is a work of women’s fiction that delves into the complex and unexpected aftermath of a fatal hit-and-run.

 

This is Author Susan Poole’s writing and publication journey in her own words…

Inspiration to start writing…

I’ve always loved to write. I can remember wanting to publish a book ever since my fifth grade Language Arts teacher told me she loved the pop-book I wrote about a family of mice visiting an amusement park. It was called the Whiskers Family. And while I’ve written in some way, shape, or form throughout my professional career, creative writing is my passion. I especially love to write Women’s/Book Club Fiction because it gives me the opportunity to explore life’s moral grey areas and spark discussion about issues where there’s often no clear-cut right or wrong answer.

My debut novel was actually inspired by two separate but similar tragedies that occurred in my hometown. I watched the aftermath of each incident unfold and read comments on social media in awe of how bold (and cruel) people could be. As quickly as the local media reported on the stories, people formed conclusions about the alleged offenders. What they were doing at the time of the accident. What kind of people they were. And what type of punishment they should endure. Despite a legal system built on the principle of innocent until proven guilty, the drivers of each car became targets of public scrutiny. Ultimately, some of those conclusions had merit; others did not. But it made me sad how easily people jumped to the worst-case scenario. I felt compelled to speak out but didn’t know how.

I also couldn’t help peppering myself with questions about how I would feel if wrapped up in similar circumstances. What if someone I love had sustained injuries in one of those crashes? Or someone close to me had been behind the wheel of one of those cars?

As a mom, I pictured myself trying to defend one of my kids if they’d been responsible for someone else’s grave injuries or even their death. Would I wholeheartedly support my child’s actions under any circumstance? Would I accept the truth even if it destroyed the future I’d foreseen for my family? And how much consideration would I give to the pain suffered by the victim and the victim’s loved ones? This last question generated further reflection.

I pondered the countless contexts where I see people taking unyielding sides. It’s black or white. Right or wrong. Us versus them. Life doesn’t seem that clear-cut to me. I wanted to give voice to those who might be misrepresented or misunderstood.

That’s when Out of the Crash truly began to take shape. I set out to convey how multi-faceted the human experience can be. To debunk any suggestion that there’s ever only one side to a story. In a time when the media bombards us with compelling headlines and summary talking points—typically just scratching the surface of a news event—it’s more important than ever to at least avoid passing judgment until the whole story becomes clear.

Out of the Crash released by The Wild Rose Press on July 28, 2025.

https://www.amazon.com/author/susanpoole

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/out-of-the-crash-susan-poole/1147395104?ean=9781509260515

https://www.target.com/p/out-of-the-crash-by-susan-poole-paperback/-/A-1004471312#lnk=sametab

Out of the Crash Blurb

“A mother can forgive her child for just about anything, but Kyle needed more than that. She hoped he wasn’t clinging to false hope. Even if the justice system took mercy on him, he may never be able to move forward after crashing into Amy and failing to do the right thing by stopping to check on her. A guilty conscience could be far worse than a guilty verdict.”