Susan Helene Gottfried is the heavy-metal-loving, not-disabled enough divorced Jewish mother of two. A freelance line editor to authors of fiction by day, her select roster of clients tend to hit bestseller lists, and more than a few have quit their day jobs. It's not entirely her doing, but like does attract like. As an author, she focuses on contemporary fiction, loving the challenge of creating great characters who find themselves in situations that force them to grow and change.Susan holds a BA (University of Pittsburgh) and MFA (Bowling Green State University) in English Writing and Fiction, respectively. She lives with a couple cats in the Pittsburgh suburbs, just West of Mars. She's a member of the Editorial Freelancers Association and Pennwriters and is the recipient of a 2024 Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council Creative Entrepreneur Accelerator grant. Visit her at westofmars.com.