Susan VanHecke | Author

Susan VanHecke
Author of books for children and adults

Featured Works

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PUBLISHED: Apr.01.2011

Raggin' Jazzin' Rockin': A History of American Musical Instrument Makers

Take a behind-the-scenes-tour of some of America's best-known musical instrument manufacturers, from Zildjian cymbals and Fender guitars to Steinway pianos, Ludwig drums, Moog synthesizers, and more. Packed with exciting photos and fascinating info, Raggin' Jazzin' Rockin' offers a backstage look at the enterprising individuals – many of whom weren't even musicians themselves – who...

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PUBLISHED: Sep.01.2009

Rock 'N' Roll Soldier: A Memoir

For Dean Kohler, a teenage soldier in Vietnam, the best way to shield himself from the horrors of combat is to play some rock and roll. So, right there, in-country, Dean and three of his fellow khaki-clad musicians-in-arms form a fully functional, touring rock combo that entertains thousands of U.S. troops during the darkest moments of the war. Rock 'N' Roll Soldier: A Memoir is...

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PUBLISHED: Aug.20.2009

An Apple Pie For Dinner

Picture book retelling of an English folk tale in which kind old Granny Smith swaps her way from plums to apples for a delicious pie. Includes kid-friendly apple pie recipe. Illustrated in 3-D mixed-media art by Carol Baicker-McKee.

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PUBLISHED: Feb.23.2009

Raising Hell On The Rock 'n' Roll Highway

As a friend and cohort of some of rock music's biggest legends - The Who, Rod Stewart and The Faces, The Rolling Stones, The Eagles, Joe Walsh and many others - photographer Tom Wright was given unparalleled access to almost every aspect of the musicians' lives, on and off stage. With a foreword by The Who's Pete Townshend, Raising Hell is a compilation of Wright's groundbreaking...

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PUBLISHED: Jul.15.2007

Roadwork: Rock & Roll Turned Inside Out

As a friend and cohort of some of rock music's biggest legends - the Who, Rod Stewart and the Faces, the Rolling Stones, the Eagles, Joe Walsh and the James Gang, and many others- photographer Tom Wright was given unparalleled access to almost every aspect of the musicians' lives, on- and offstage. Roadwork, co-written with Susan VanHecke and with a foreword by the Who's Pete...

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PUBLISHED: Dec.01.2006

Colonial Place and Riverview: 100 Years of History

Since their early 20th-century beginnings as streetcar suburbs of Norfolk, Virginia, the adjoining historic neighborhoods of Colonial Place and Riverview have evolved into a vibrant, active community that a diverse citizenry now calls home. Colonial Place and Riverview: One Hundred Years of History, an elegant hardcover volume, beautifully captures the neighborhoods' fascinating...

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PUBLISHED: Mar.10.2003

Three Steps To Heaven: The Eddie Cochran Story

Outrageously talented, remarkably handsome, internationally renowned, and dead at the age of 21. More than 40 years after the tragic car crash that killed him, Eddie Cochran remains one of rock 'n' roll's most lamented what ifs. A trailblazing guitarist, gifted vocalist, hit-making composer and arranger, and budding whiz-kid producer, Cochran quickly ascended from Midwestern...

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PUBLISHED: Aug.19.2000

Race With The Devil: Gene Vincent's Life In The Fast Lane

Gene Vincent - most famous for his classic 1956 single "Be-Bop-A-Lula" - is one of the most influential rock 'n' roll artists of all time. Race With The Devil is the first American biography of this musical pioneer, and the most comprehensive survey ever written of Vincent's groundbreaking career and turbulent personal life. Penned with a novelistic intensity, Race With...

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Susan's Latest Blogs

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May.17.2013 - 2:41 pm

UNDER THE FREEDOM TREE Cover Reveal

Drum roll please... At long last, I can share the beautiful cover of Under the Freedom Tree! Gorgeous art by London Ladd—acrylic, pastel, and colored pencil on primed...

May.15.2013 - 3:06 pm

FREEDOM TREE Sneak Peek in Publishers Weekly

Under the Freedom Tree, my free-verse picture book on the contraband slaves of the Civil War, doesn't hit bookstores until February. But Publishers Weekly offered a...

May.04.2013 - 4:09 pm

RJR Raises Nearly $1K and Counting for NAMM Foundation

RJR readers, you rock! Here's why: A portion of the proceeds of every sale of Raggin' Jazzin' Rockin': A History of American Musical Instrument Makers goes...

May.02.2013 - 5:22 am

Tanya Anderson and TILLIE PIERCE: TEEN EYEWITNESS TO THE BATTLE OF GETTYSBURG

You’re fifteen—and your town has just become a war zone. Your teacher tells you to run home as quickly as you can. Enemy soldiers loot and plunder, even stealing your...

Comments from Susan

Nov.13.2008 - 8:00 am

In response to: FLAK JACKET ROCK To Copyediting – Finally!

Thanks, Max

I'll keep everybody posted!

Published Reviews

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Race With The Devil: Gene Vincent's Life In The Fast Lane

Published by Goldmine

Using a bit of artistic license, VanHecke – a strong researcher – paints no pretty picture of 'Be-Bop-A-Lula's' self-destructive auteur.

Audio & Video

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Video: An Apple Pie for Dinner book trailer

Video: Rock 'N' Roll Soldier: A Memoir book trailer

About Susan

Susan VanHecke is an author of biographies, memoirs, and history for children and adults. Her books for young people include the teen war memoir Rock 'N' Roll Soldier (HarperCollins, 2009), written with Vietnam veteran Dean Ellis Kohler, foreword by Graham...

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Connections

Causes Susan VanHecke Supports

Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators

National Trust For Historic Preservation

Heifer International

Intrepid Fallen...