Suzanne Strempek Shea is the author of five novels, "Selling the Lite of Heaven," "Hoopi Shoopi Donna," "Lily of the Valley," "Around Again" and "Becoming Finola," all published by Washington Square Press. Winner of the 2000 New England Book Award, which recognizes a literary body of work's contribution to the region, she's also written two memoirs: "Songs From a Lead-lined Room: Notes - High and Low - From My Journey Through Breast Cancer and Radiation," and "Shelf Life: Romance, Mystery, Drama and Other Page-Turning Adventures From a Year in a Bookstore."

She also has freelanced for publications including Yankee magazine, The Boston Globe Magazine, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Organic Style and the former New England Monthly.

Suzanne is a member of the faculty at the University of Southern Maine's Stonecoast MFA program in creative writing. A native of Western Massachusetts, she still lives there, in the village of Bondsville.