Susan Hughes is a writer and editor, specializing in children's materials. Susan has loved reading and writing since she was a child. When she was in grade five and six, she and several friends had a writing club. "We'd gather with our most recent poems and stories and read them aloud to one another. We always tried to say one thing that was positive, along with a more critical but constructive comment." After finishing high school, Susan studied English literature at Queen's University and then the University of Toronto. Before her final year of university, she was fortunate to get a summer job working for a children's publishing company. There, along with other students, she wrote, researched, proofread, and edited manuscripts -- and loved it.  Upon graduation, she worked in-house at a publishing company for one year and then began a freelance career, which she continues to this day. Susan offers critiques and edits of children's, YA, and adult manuscripts, enjoying assisting all levels of writers, from first-time dabblers to experienced published authors; she also offers her services as an experienced story coach. As well Susan writes commissioned fiction and non-fiction, and she is proud to be the author of over 30 traditionally published children's books -- board books, picture books, chapter books series, MG, nonfiction (including a graphic nonfiction book), and YA. She enjoys the variety of writing from her imagination, as well as finding creative ways to share facts and ideas. Susan lives in Toronto in a big house with a red door. She works at home in her living room.