Susan Specht Oram is writing novels and essays. Her recently completed novel, Shore Lodge, was inspired by her experiences working in a locked psychiatric unit. She has worked in corporate communications for biotechnology companies and as an artist. Her essays were published in Mothering Magazine, Twins Magazine and Utne Reader. Susan grew up near Detroit, Michigan and received a BFA with Honors from University of Oregon and a MBA in Marketing from Seattle University. She’s a member of the Pacific Northwest Writers Association and Women's Fiction Writers Association. Susan lives in a windy part of the Pacific Northwest with her trumpet-playing husband and their rescue dog.