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Susan I. Spieth
Former Army Officer, Ordained clergywoman, and published author. Although my favorite roles are wife and mother.
Gray Girl Series
Long before the "Me Too" movement, I entered West Point on July 1, 1981--a day that will live in infamy in my mind. The first class with women graduated in 1980, so we were still very much a novelty. Even then, I knew that I would someday write about those experiences of being in the largest fraternity in the world. We had no idea we were trailblazers. We just wanted to survive. We just wanted to thrive.
Some thirty years later, I finally finished (for now) writing those stories. I've fictionalized them so that I could include more experiences from my classmates and friends. What I've discovered in the process, is that many of us still struggle with the events of our time at the United States Military Academy. My peers continue to shed tears of anger, frustration and joy about those Gray Girl years. My books contain many authentic situations we faced as cadets--with a bit of mystery and suspense thrown in. They are fictional stories, based on truth. Because sometimes truth is stranger than fiction.
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Gray Girl-Honor Isn't Always Black and White​
2014 Eric Hoffer First Horizon Award WINNER! 2014 Eric Hoffer e-book fiction WINNER! 2015 Kindle Book Award semi-finalist!
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Ten men for every one woman.
Those odds are stacked against Jan Wishart as a freshman at West Point. The first year at the military academy is harsh, with exhausting physical and mental demands which beat everyone down. But the women cadets also endure body shaming, sexual harassment and contempt from those who want to see them fail. Charged with an honor violation, Jan must also defend herself before an all-male cadet jury. She's convinced that her accuser is also the predator who violated a friend. The battle for justice will rage, not only for Jan, but for the victims of a predatory cadet. And one night will change everything--for better or worse.
The grayness of West Point is not only in its buildings and uniforms. Even honor isn’t always black and white. Relying on her wits and a few friends in the hostile environment of the U.S. Military Academy, Jan discovers the value of friendship, the genuine marks of leadership and her own inner warrior.
Area Bird-Duty Doesn't Always Follow the Rules
2020 Top Shelf Book Award Finalist, 5-Star review and Silver Medal WINNER from Readers' Favorite Review Book Contest, 2015 KINDLE BOOK AWARD semi-finalist!
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Change is coming to West Point!
One drives off a cliff. An alarming number of others resign. Something at the military academy is causing the unusually high attrition of women cadets. Jan Wishart aims to find out before she's the next statistic at West Point. Her second year at the formerly all male citadel should be the fun year. But when one friend shows signs of abuse and another friend suddenly resigns, Jan's coming of age year becomes anything but enjoyable. The culture of hazing and harassment must be addressed, but it's almost impossible to get results through the chain of command. In a closed academy environment, sometimes the best way to call attention to an issue is to leak it the press.
In order to fulfill her duty, Jan must break with tradition and the longstanding culture of the United States Military Academy. Yet not everything is as it seems. Once again Jan's worldview is about to be upended by the secrets of West Point.
Witch Heart-Leadership Always Requires Sacrifice
5-star review and Honorable Mention from Reader's Favorite Review Book Contest, March 2017 GOLD AWARD WINNER-Literary Titan!
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Meanness only makes her stronger!
What does a witch, a night stalker and a recurring nightmare all have in common? After a deadly accident in Airborne School, Jan Wishart returns to West Point under a cloud of suspicion. Branded a "witch" by some at the military academy, she becomes the recipient of creepy markings and objects. Jan also loses the precious commodity of sleep due to a masked nighttime intruder. Or is that just another one of her nightmares? Furthermore, she's trying to save a freshman woman from the influences of her classmate, a bad seed. But he's not the only threat. There's another, more deadly foe who's trying to take her out.
Events escalate to the point of no return for Jan and her two best friends. When they swear an oath of loyalty to each other, they have no idea how much it will cost to fulfill that vow. Leadership always requires sacrifice. So does loyalty. And sometimes, one virtue must yield to the other.
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Fall Out-Courage Always Stands its Ground
2020 ERIC HOFFER GRAND PRIZE short list and 1st Runner up e-book fiction! 2020 AMERICAN FICTION AWARDS finalist! B.R.A.G. Medallion Honoree!
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She's in over her head this time...
She wears a saber, a red sash and the infamous "crass mass of brass and glass," the United States Military Academy ring. The Army/Navy Game, the 100th Night celebrations, spring leave, and the highest of all cadet days, graduation, await Jan Wishart's final year at West Point. It should be the best one in her notable cadet experience. But graduation and commissioning as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army may never happen for Jan. Instead, she might be sent to the Consolidated Brig, for female military convicts.
Her friendship with Dimitri Petrov, a diplomat's son and a rising star in the Soviet Army, may derail everything she's fought so hard to achieve. When their relationship takes a dark turn, Jan becomes embroiled in something that will test her stamina, her faith and her friendships, as never before. But like honor, duty and leadership, courage always stands its ground.