Born in Royal Oak, Michigan, Olasky attended the University of Michigan where her liberal beliefs found a home on the Impeach Nixon campaign. After graduation in 1976, Olasky married Marvin Olasky, moved to California and became an evangelical. In 1983, Olasky received an M.A. in Urban Affairs from the University of Delaware in Newark Delaware, where she was a volunteer counselor at a crisis pregnancy center.

Upon moving to Texas in 1983, Olasky founded the Austin Crisis Pregnancy Center and co-authored a number of articles opposing abortion as well as a book, More Than Kindness: A Compassionate Approach to Crisis Childbearing. Olasky also wrote a regular column for the West Austin News during this time period. In the 1990s, Olasky chaired the board of Care Net, a national network of more than 1,050 crisis pregnancy centers.

Olasky began writing for World in 1995 and in 1997, achieved notoriety for several cover stories reporting on a controversial gender-netural Bible translation.

In recent years, Olasky has served as World’s book editor, reviewing approximately 130 books each year. She has authored the Annie Henry and Will Northaway series of historical novels, in each case using a Revolutionary War setting.

On September 22, 2006, an $800 Jeopardy clue — “Susan Olasky has written a kids’ series about the adventures of Annie, daughter of this fiery Virginia orator” — was a triple stumper.