Meet Susy Flory.
New York Times–bestselling memoirist, mentor, and lifelong journalist — chasing down the true stories of unforgettable people living lives of courage, hope, and transformation.
A journalist who never got over true stories.
“I love stories about unforgettable people living lives of adventure, courage, hope, redemption, and transformation.”
Susy got her start at the Newhall Signal under the legendary Scotty Newhall — an ex-editor of the San Francisco Chronicle, a one-legged, cigar-smoking curmudgeon who ruled the newsroom from behind a dented metal desk and an Underwood typewriter. A newsroom is still one of her favorite places in the world.
Her runaway bestseller, Thunder Dog — the true story of a blind man, his guide dog, and the triumph of trust at Ground Zero, written with Michael Hingson — hit the New York Times list in its first week and has been translated into more than fifteen languages, adapted for the stage, and optioned for film. Her memoir Sanctuary, with Patrick Barrett, follows an Irish family whose rescue donkeys quietly rescued their son in return.
A graduate of UCLA and Northern Seminary, Susy is a member of The Authors Guild, preaches regularly in her local church, and loves mentoring writers. A breast cancer survivor of four surgeries, she celebrates life hiking the High Sierras, lives in the mountains with bobcats and bears for neighbors, and leads an annual Writers Adventure tour to the Emerald Isle.
The Unbreakable Boy, on screen
Her 2014 book became a Lionsgate feature (Kingdom Story Company, the Erwin Brothers), starring Zachary Levi and Patricia Heaton.
The Lost Writers
Her forthcoming 2027 book, Uncovering Women’s Voices in the Biblical Era and Beyond (InterVarsity Press).
Jesus Was
Not What We Expected But Better Than We Imagined, a collection of 31 essays from Kregel.
Holy Disruptor
Co-written with Amy Duggar King (Zondervan).
A doctorate in New Testament studies
Completing a doctoral degree at Houston Theological Seminary, with a dissertation on women writers in the ancient world.
If the bio felt a little too dry…
A few of the twenty-five random facts I keep on hand, for anyone who likes the person behind the books.
- 01
Books are my first language. I love how they feel, smell, and sound.
- 02
My dad was a Texas cowboy, and I grew up on the back of a horse.
- 03
I fell in love with my husband at eighteen, over a bottle of Fix beer at sunset on the Greek island of Santorini.
- 04
I live in the mountains now, with wild neighbors — bobcats, bears, and mountain lions.
- 05
Some winters it takes snowshoes to reach the car, and the groceries come home on a hunting sled.
- 06
I love birdwatching and treasure my marked-up copy of Peterson's Field Guide to Western Birds.
- 07
Someday I want a secret garden — walls, a hidden gate with an iron key, roses, foxgloves, and lots of birds.
- 08
I'd rather go to a U2 concert than do almost anything else.
- 09
I still have my Breyer model horses. I'm fairly sure they come alive at night and romp around my office.
Everyone has a story. I’m looking forward to hearing yours.
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