Two Writers. Two Debut Novels. One Game-Changing Partnership

THE NOVEL LADIES

At similar stages of editing and submission, clocking approximately 100 agent rejections each, authors Brenda Haas and Susan Poole credit their critique partnership as a major reason they eventually published their award-winning debut novels (2025). 

The pair first met after a bit of online sleuthing. From Lakeside, Ohio, Brenda registered for the 2023 Women’s Fiction Writers Association (WFWA) Conference and searched the attendee list for other Ohio writers. Susan lived near Cleveland, not far from Brenda’s Lake Erie home. 

“I felt like Nancy Drew, vetting Susan for the role of writing buddy,” Brenda said. “I checked her socials and website to make sure she wasn’t raving mad. I discovered Susan was a finalist (and eventual winner) of WFWA’s Rising Star Award, so I knew she had writing chops.”

Susan’s manuscript was stuck in the query trenches… as was Brenda’s. Susan had a public relations and nonprofit background… just like Brenda. Plus, they were both blond(ish). Taking the similarities as a sign, Brenda private messaged Susan, and thankfully Susan never suspected Brenda was a serial killer. Their “blind date” included drinks, dry humor, and a pact to exchange manuscripts after the conference. They quickly learned that they shared similar writing styles, and their plots both centered around family baggage. The two became fast friends, critique partners, and writing confidants, swapping “final” manuscripts and giving each other the deep dive and substantial edits needed to help them achieve their dreams.  

Finding Sutton’s Choice (Haas) and Out of the Crash (Poole), received traditional contract offers from two different independent presses and were published within months of each other.

Now dubbed The Novel Ladies, they offer some nuggets about critique.

How did you gather feedback prior to meeting your critique partner?

Susan: It took years before I shared my writing with anyone. When I finally did, which is essential if your goal is to get published, I handed a manuscript to friends and family—experts in sugarcoating. Their feedback? “This is good.” “I liked it.” “You use lots of words.” Shocking, I know. Enter Brenda: honest, specific, and unafraid to wield her red pen. I trust her honesty to catch mistakes before anyone else can and to push me to keep growing as a writer.

Brenda: I was in a Pittsburgh critique group for decades, which thickened my skin. After moving to Ohio, I struggled to find new writing besties. Primary feedback, prior to Susan’s, came from online Beta readers comprised of former English teachers, medical professionals (my story addresses failing mental health), and many who love me and think everything I do is spectacular. It is not. Susan tells me the good, the bad, and the ugly.

How often do you swap drafts or do check-ins?                   

Susan: Not as often as I’d like. Life gets in the way. For a while, we met regularly, gathering monthly at a coffee shop to critique pages. Recently, we haven’t been as consistent, in part because we’re focusing more on marketing our published books than drafting our next projects. Still, we have each other on speed dial. If I need a pep talk or a quick answer when I’m struggling with something, I know I can text Brenda anytime. 

Brenda: When we can’t meet in person, we exchange works-in-progress and marketing suggestions via email. If we need to noodle through a problem, we schedule a lengthy Zoom meeting or phone call. We also do in-person events together whenever possible. It’s a chance to catch up and support each other. I’m not ready for Susan to critique book #2, just yet, but that time is fast approaching. 

How do The Novel Ladies help each other?

Brenda: Susan is a slightly similar, but more encouraging, version of my writing self. We fill each other’s gaps. They say two heads are better than one. What I learn, I share. What she learns, she shares. We also love to cheer each other on. No two stories are identical. Our readership may be similar, but we’re never in competition. I may have remained unpublished if it weren’t for Susan’s critique, so I take any chance I get to plug this simply stellar human who has blessed me with her knowledge and friendship. She does the same. 

Susan: In addition to serving as a confidence booster and accountability partner, Brenda is my go-to second set of eyes—everyone needs one. She regularly spots areas in my work that need clarification or reworking. For example, in my debut, there was a critical scene where a character went from the closet floor to his bed without transition. I’d glazed over it countless times, until Brenda flagged it. Her insights make my writing clearer, stronger, and less likely to confuse my readers. 

What if you disagree with your critique partner’s feedback?

Brenda: Never write in a vacuum! Every writer can benefit from critique. However, it must be honestly given and cautiously taken. Susan is, sometimes, painfully honest (No offense, Susan). Did I mention thick skin comes in handy? If I disagree, I first analyze why. Is it because the fix requires hard work and I’m being lazy? Did Susan misunderstand my goals? Is there something that requires clarity? I approach critique as a learning opportunity. Susan’s opinion is always worth considering, even if our ideas don’t align. 

Susan: Brenda’s feedback is always taken seriously, but it’s never the final word (No offense to you either, Brenda). My gut and my inner editor are equally important. I know if Brenda flags something, I owe it to myself to take a second look and compare her comments to what I was trying to achieve. Feedback is like glitter—take what sticks and sweep up the rest! 

What’s next for The Novel Ladies?

Brenda: I’m working on a sequel to my debut. Sutton’s Second Chance continues the story of the Sutton Clan 15 years in the future. About addiction and reconciliation, it will include plenty of new and familiar (still mostly redeemable) characters living their best lives in small-town America.

Susan: I have a Romantic Suspense novel, A Deadly Dose of Reality, releasing with The Wild Rose Press next year. It centers around the murder of a reality TV show contestant. I’m also working on another Women’s Fiction novel about an unlikely friendship between an older woman dealing with significant life changes and a young wannabe social media influencer. 

About the Authors

A Cleveland-area native, Susan Poole is a mother, lawyer, freelance writer, and nonprofit professional. She loves contemplating life’s moral grey areas through her writing and has had several essays featured on popular websites such as Grown and Flown and Scary Mommy. Susan’s award-winning debut novel, Out of the Crash, a work of women’s fiction exploring the complicated and surprising aftermath of a fatal hit-and-run, was released in July 2025 with The Wild Rose Press. Find her on susanpooleauthor.com. 

A feature writer for a Lake Erie magazine, Brenda Haas was a reporter and humor columnist for a Pittsburgh newspaper. Her personal essays — often about complicated relationships and family choices — have appeared in the Pittsburgh Post Gazette, Pittsburgh Tribune Review, and My Outer Banks Home magazine. Brenda’s debut novel, Finding Sutton’s Choice, won a 2025 Literary Titan Gold Book Award and two International Impact Book Awards. Exploring family secrets and second chances, it released May 2025 through Ten16 Press. For information, visit brendahaas.com.

The Novel Ladies look forward to facilitating joint workshops and speaking engagements, sharing their collective knowledge of the publishing industry with writers who might benefit from additional resources or fresh perspectives. Their experience with WFWA has been invaluable, and they are deeply grateful for the generosity and support received from the writing community. They consider this their turn to give back. Find them at thenovelladies.com.

Authors Brenda Haas and Susan Poole joined forces to become The Novel Ladies. Find us at thenovelladies.com.

 

Tags: featured, women writers

Category: On Writing