Susanna Janssen

Susanna Janssen is a wordsmith, world explorer, and lifelong language enthusiast who believes that words and the comfort zone exit door are the passports to adventure. Early in her teaching career, she traveled throughout South America for four months—an experience that has shaped her life ever since. That odyssey is fully revealed in her new book, Once Upon a Continent.

A retired college professor turned dynamic language coach, she teaches Spanish and Italian, helping learners unlock fluency with flair. As the founder of Novelas en Espaņol, she creates immersive resource packages that turn reading authentic Spanish novels into accessible, engaging journeys for language learners.

A passionate advocate for reading as an ever-thrilling love affair, Susanna feeds the brain, warms the heart, and tickles the funny bone with her first book, Wordstruck! The Fun and Fascination of Language, winner of five national awards in Humor and Education. She honed her skills and delighted readers as a newspaper columnist, weaving stories of words, language quirks, cultural curiosities, and travel escapades.

When she’s not writing, teaching, or coaching, you’ll find Susanna planning her next exploration to destinations unknown. From her home in Northern California, Susanna continues to ignite a passion for words and cultures, knowing that learning never stops, and that adventure can be reading a good book in a comfy armchair or sailing a frigate on the high seas. It exists wherever you create it.