Today I am happy to have Susan Wroble on the blog. She’s a local author friend who serves as one of our SCBWI (Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators) Rocky Mountain Chapter Regional Advisors and has been a supporter of this blog from the beginning. I’m grateful for so many ways she contributes to the writing community and was thrilled to spend most of Saturday with her when we celebrated books at Second Star to the Right, an adorable indie bookstore in Denver that hosted a wonderful event which I’ll be writing about later this week.
Susan writes nonfiction including writing for the education market. As you’ll see, her writing and her beliefs are beautifully aligned and work together to make help make the planet a better place for future generations. She is offering one lucky winner a paperback copy of ENERGY FROM THE EARTH.
What were you like at the age of your target audience?
As a child, I was incredibly quiet and shy, one of those students who almost never spoke in school. But I loved exploring the woods by my grandparent’s home in northern Virginia. I searched for rocks and arrowheads, and learned the trees and animals. During elementary school, my dad, who was in the Marine Corps, was in training to be a diplomat to represent our country overseas. He would take some of the skills he learned and turned them into games we played at dinner—like building a palace in our minds as a way to remember a long list of things, or suddenly being asked to stand up and giving a speech on something silly, like all the uses for toothpaste. One game took longer. I loved memorizing a poem each week and then performing it on Saturday. Then, in the summer after 4th grade, we moved to Bangkok, Thailand, where we spent the next three wonderful years. Bangkok was built around a network of canals. During the rainy season, everything flooded, and I would wade to the bus stop past fish swimming in our driveway (they were even swimming in our kitchen!)
What inspires you?
I am most inspired by people—and animals—who do things to help our planet and its people. Climate activist Greta Thunberg is one hero. I try to help others by volunteering. One of the places I volunteer is at Children’s Hospital Colorado. My husband and I visit there every two weeks with our therapy dog Nella. She snuggles with sick children in their hospital beds and we watch as some of their worries and anxieties melt away. So Nella is another of my heroes!
What’s something you hope readers take away from your books?
I’m an optimist. I hope that after reading one of my books, readers feel better about the future of the world. I would like them to come away knowing that we each can work to make the earth a cleaner, safer, better place. Each of us, no matter our age, can make a difference. Whenever possible, I try to include a call to action in my books, with ideas for ways to make change.
What’s next for you?
I love research, and love the nights where I dive into an exciting new idea. My problem is knowing when to stop reading scientific papers and start writing! At the moment, I am writing a work-for-hire (WFH) book on living with depression. One of the ways I volunteer is to lead a support group for parents of twice-exceptional children (kids who are highly gifted and who also have learning differences). Every month there is a discussion about anxiety or depression, so I welcomed the opportunity to research this topic and learn more.
I also volunteer by serving as Co-Regional Advisor for the Rocky Mountain Chapter of SCBWI (the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators). It’s a lot of work, but I am keeping up my creative side in a year-long nonfiction class. In that class, I am working on a proposal for a MG NF book about volcanic eruptions that caused global cooling and led to the downfall of civilizations. It’s important because these eruptions prove that spraying the stratosphere with dust or chemicals cools the planet. If global temperatures keep rising, we may be forced to mimic this effect—but we need to understand the repercussions.
Thus far, my published work has been in the magazine market and for WFH publishers, but I have a 2023 goal to send out my trade manuscripts and my volcano proposal to agents and editors. Fingers crossed!
Readers can find out more about Susan’s writing:
- Website: https://susanwroble.com
- Twitter: @Susan_Wroble
- Instagram: susanwroble
Laura Roettiger Books 
Susan is my hero for many reasons, and it was great to learn more about her 🙂 I have my fingers crossed for that MG NF…!
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Oh, thank you, Fleur. That comment means so much to me!
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Fleur, thank you for reading and being such a wonderful supporter of the blog. I have always admired Susan but the more I learn about her, the more I have to admire! Wonderful to see both of you on Saturday and thank you for sharing the photo of my story time group in your newsletter. Good luck in the giveaway.
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Thank you for the interview and chance to get to know Susan. I enjoyed learning about her childhood and the games she played with her dad and time spent in Thailand. Thank you also for the chance to win a copy of her book.
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You are so welcome, Danielle. I am grateful to Laura for this opportunity to share!
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Susan, I’m so grateful for so many things you do. You are such an inspiration and of course hearing about Nella is always a treat. I’m happy to host you on the blog and look forward to reading more of your writing.
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Danielle, thank you for reading and Susan is one of our local treasures. We are so lucky in our SCBWI chapter to have wonderful leadership and amazing authors and illustrators.
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Wow! Fish swimming in the kitchen! Not sure if I could take that in stride. But I really love the games at the dinner table and memorizing poems to perform. What wonderful ways to be creative!
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I was fortunate to have two parents who loved to find teachable moments and use them well. And the kitchen had all the appliances well propped up to stay dry from the floods, although it made using them a little harder!
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Jilanne, memorizing poems took me back to my own childhood and reciting things to my family that I had read and learned during the day. I loved reading about this, too! Good luck in the giveaway.
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I just remembered that I would read two of Frost’s poems to my son every night before bedtime. (“Stopping By the Woods…” and “Road Less Traveled”) He soon had them memorized, and still does. It’s fun to recite them together. Kind of a bonding moment.
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I loved learning more about you, Susan, and I so admire all the ways you give back to our community! I’m crossing my fingers for the MG volcano NF book!!
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Thanks for reading, Jolene! We really are a lucky region. Good luck in the giveaway.
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Susan! How did I not know you lived in Thailand?! I need to hear more stories. Fingers crossed for your next book!
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Marianne, thanks for stopping by the blog and I’m sure Susan’s next book will be out in the world in the future. Publishing is a long game and I just read this morning about a manuscript that won a conference award several years ago and will be announced for publication soon which means it will be out in a few years. Good luck in the giveaway.
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Susan, I have a hard time feeling I live up to sharing Co-RA leadership with you, and this just goes to prove it.
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Stan, you two are a fantastic pair! It is so much fun learning about everyone through these interviews. Good luck in the giveaway.
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I think you’re both superheroes!
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Exactly, maybe Dow can whip up some capes for them! 😉
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Great interview, Susan! So interesting to read about the games you played with your dad. Possible picture book???? ❤️
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Rondi, wasn’t this a wonderful interview? I love how many things I didn’t know about Susan that make her even more admirable! Good luck in the giveaway.
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Loved learning more about Susan! Susan, you are such a gift, not only to the writing community, but also to so many more. You inspire me! Onward to 2023 and your submissions!!
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Beth, you’ve summed up Susan so well! We are all so lucky for her gifts and she’s the perfect interview for Thanksgiving because I’m so grateful! Good luck in the giveaway.
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So much to love in this interview, Susan. And this goal is wonderful: “I hope that after reading one of my books, readers feel better about the future of the world.”
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Dea, thank you for reading and you’ve chosen a beautiful quote to hold onto. Good luck in the giveaway.
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Great to learn more about Susan! We are suuuuuuper lucky to have her as Co-Regional Advisor for our SCBWI chapter. I see a number of details in this interview that are ripe for the plucking of picture book ideas! Fish swimming in the kitchen! Gah!
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Thanks for reading and yes, we are so lucky! Good luck in the giveaway.
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Great article as always!
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