Susanna Kearsley studied politics and international development at university, and has worked as a museum curator.

Her first novel Mariana won the prestigious Catherine Cookson Literary Prize and launched her writing career. Susanna continued her mix of the historical and paranormal in novels The Splendour Falls , Named of the Dragon , Shadowy Horses and Season of Storms .

Susanna Kearsley also writes classic-style thrillers under the name of Emma Cole.