Susan Jane McLeod has been writing since she was seven years old. At age eleven she won a county-wide essay contest and her professional career was launched. By the time she was nineteen, her poetry had appeared in several magazines, including American Girl and Seventeen.
She also won an honorable mention in The Writer.
She grew up in Rochester, New York, with her three sisters and one brother. In her early thirties she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and given a 50-50 chance to live. She survived only to have the cancer recur, necessitating more surgery and an aggressive course of chemotherapy. Today she is cancer free.
The best job she ever had was managing a bookstore, surrounded by her passion: literature.
Susan has published several short stories and two novels. The first, Soul and Shadow, is an award-winning paranormal historical romance. The second, Fire and Shadow, is classified as paranormal suspense. Both have garnered impressive reviews.
Susan believes strongly in several causes and has raised money for the American Cancer Society, Foodlink, and the House of Mercy homeless shelter.
She still resides in Rochester and will always call it home.
She works for the PG Family Foundation, a non-profit organization which supports, among other efforts, Zara's Center for Aids-Impacted
orphans in Zimbabwe.

Reviewed by Joy H. for Readers' Favorite

Soul and Shadow is the story of Amisihathor, a songstress in the temple of Hathor who, though she was buried along with her husband in his tomb, was in love with another. As Lily Evans, a research assistant views the exhibit of Amisihathor, she meets an older lady, Dame Ursula Allingham, and has the most interesting, but somewhat strange, conversation with her. Ursula tells Lily the story of Amisihathor and wants Lily to help solve the mystery of something that happened so very long ago. Follow Lily on her journey as this exciting, and sometimes dangerous, mystery unfolds. The author wonderfully blends the past and present, love and romance, mystery and history to give us a most intriguing story that will keep you on the edge of you seat until the mystery is solved. The surprising twists and turns as the story comes closer to an end will make this a most fascinating read.

This book is not my usual kind of reading, but I did find it a pretty fast-paced, interesting mystery and love story. Being the author's debut book, I was impressed by her ability to tell a story as a seasoned writer. The characters and dialogue were interesting enough to keep the book flowing nicely. I will have to say I didn't find the cover very appealing. A more striking cover designed more to fit the story would capture the interest of readers. Both young and older readers who enjoy ancient Egyptian cultures will enjoy this book.