Suzy Spencer is an American author and journalist who made the New York Times Best Seller list in 1998 with her first true crime book Wasted.
Suzy Spencer | |
|---|---|
 Suzy Spencer at the 2012 Texas Book Festival | |
| Born | |
| Alma mater | Baylor University |
| Occupation | Writer |
| Years active | 1977–present |
| Website | http://www.suzyspencer.com |
Since then, she has written three additional true-crime books. Her book about alternative sex, Secret Sex Lives: A Year on the Fringes of American Sexuality, was released in 2012.[1]
Early life and education
editSpencer was born in Lufkin, Texas, where she graduated from Lufkin High School in 1972. She received a degree in journalism from Baylor University in Waco, Texas.
Career
editShe moved to New York City and worked as a reporter/researcher for Fortune magazine. Two years later, Spencer was in Los Angeles freelance writing and completing an MBA in finance and marketing and a master's in professional writing from the University of Southern California.[2]
Spencer has appeared on Good Morning America, ABC World News, Primetime, Dateline NBC, Fox News, CNN, MSNBC, Court TV, Oxygen, E! Channel, and Katie on ABC.[3]
Books
editHer book Wasted about the 1995 murder of Regina Hartwell in Austin, Texas,[4] made the New York Times Best Seller list in 1998.
In February 2002, St. Martin's Press released Spencer's book, Breaking Point, about the Andrea Yates murders of her five children.[5] After the book's release, Spencer's press credentials to cover the Yates trial was revoked by the court and she sued.[6] The court denied her request, so she stood in line each day with the general public for a daily spectator pass.[6]
Spencer's memoir, Secret Sex Lives, released by Berkley Books in 2012, was featured at that year's Texas Book Festival.[7]
Her book The Fortune Hunter was the basis of the 2021 Lifetime movie Secrets of a Gold Digger Killer starring Julie Benz.[8]
Reception
editSpencer was called by ABC's PRIMETIME LIVE program Austin, Texas' best-known true crime writer. Her first four books each earned awards:
- Wasted was a New York Times bestseller and Violet Crown Book Award finalist;
- Wages of Sin was reissued by Kensington Books in December 2010, 10th anniversary of the book's publication;
- Breaking Point was a Book of the Month Club, Doubleday Book Club, Literary Guild and Mystery Guild selection;
- The Fortune Hunter was called "riveting" and "blockbuster" by the Globe[2]
References
edit- ^ Wiginton, Keri. "As 'Fifty Shades of Grey' hits theaters, consider these books". Chicago Tribune.
- ^ a b "Suzy Spencer: Books, Biography, Blog, Audiobooks, Kindle". Amazon.com. Retrieved 2013-02-23.
- ^ "About". Suzy Spencer. 7 July 2009. Retrieved 2013-02-23.
- ^ burnham, wil gerken, nathan hendler, doug floyd, amy. "Books: Friends in Low Places (Austin Chronicle . 11-02-98)". Weekly Wire.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ "What we learned, and didn't, from Andrea Yates' case". Houston Chronicle. 20 June 2016. Retrieved 2017-01-01.
- ^ a b "A Q&A With Suzy Spencer". Texas Monthly. 1 November 2002.
- ^ Spencer, Suzy (19 January 2016). "Breaking Point: Exclusive Q&A with Author Suzy Spencer". CriminalElement.com.
- ^ Rosario, Alexandra Del (2021-04-01). "Lifetime Unveils Six Original Titles For Summer Of Secrets Slate With Annabeth Gish, Jennie Garth, More". Deadline. Retrieved 2021-11-30.