About

Born and raised in Portland Oregon, Susie Sweetland Garay has been a writer pretty much since she was old enough to write.

She received a Bachelor’s degree in English Literature from Brigham Young University, spent some years in the Ohio Appalachians and currently lives in the Willamette Valley with her husband, daughter and 2 cats where she works in the Vineyard industry.

She has been published online and in print at a variety of publications, including Analekta Anthology, Moon Hollow Press, Nightwing Publications, Lady Chaos Press, Silver Birch Press, Leaves of Ink, Vox Poetica, Solstice Initiative, Eunoia Review, Electric Windmill Press, The Camel Saloon and Hessler Street Poetry. A full list of publications can be found under the Poetry Publications tab above.

Her first full length poetry collection, Approximate Tuesday, was published by Blue Hour Press in September of 2013. Her book can be purchased by clicking its photo on the left sidebar.

She was also nominated for a Pushcart Prize in 2014 and has had her second poetry collection Strange Beauty accepted for publication through Aldrich Press in 2015. It will be published at the end of the year.

Susie also enjoys photography and has had her images featured in a number of publications including, The Poetry Jar, Outside In Literary Journal, Roadside Fiction, Vine Leaves Literary Journal, Deep Water Literary Journal, Front Porch Review, San Pedro River Review,  Stone Path Review, The Citron Review and Cactus Heart Literary Magazine.

Susie is a founding editor of an online literary and art magazine, The Blue Hour, found at thebluehourmagazine.com.  Susie also runs The Blue Hour Press which published its 6^th full length single author poetry collection as well as its 3^rd Anthology in 2014.  All Blue Hour Press books are available here http://bluehourpressbookstore.bigcartel.com/.

She spends her free time writing, growing plants and making art.  She enjoys finding beauty and meaning in the everyday.  Susie enjoys painting, book binding and metal smithing and enamel arts and maintains an online shops where she sells her wares. Handmade books, albums, ACEO’s, jewelry, photography prints and enamel art can be found at: studiorainwater.etsy.com.

Bio image by Kitta Bodmer.