|
Feeling crabby lately? Lighten up with a Janet Elaine Smith book.
You can get them
|
| Click on cover to order |
Port Call to the Future, the long-awaited sequel to House Call to the Past, a wonderfully fun time
travel about the pirate Black Sam Bellamy, is nearly completed and will soon be on its way to Star Publish LLC. Please stay
tuned here for the release date.
Time has no barrier when you want to get someplace bad enough. In House Call to the Past, Doc Angus McPherson
made the strangest house call any doctor has ever made. Read an excerpt here.
Now, in Port Call to the Future, you won't want to miss what the ocean coughs up when they remember the demise
of Black Sam Bellamy and his ship, the Whydah. The last time he was seen was on that fateful day when he disappeared
and was never seen or heard from again, until... Well, you'll just have to wait to read the book.
Don't forget to watch my blog here
Or listen to my weekly radio program, "Marketing for Fun and Profit" here (just click on my name on the list of hosts)
EXPLORE ROADS LESS TRAVELED
IN A JANET ELAINE SMITH NOVEL
|
| Welcome to my house! |
At the stroke of midnight on New Year's Eve, we have the first chance at having a good year--or a bad one--depending
on how we decide to proceed with our life, our hopes, our dreams and our expectations. Do we control our own destiny?
There are lots of "firsts" in our lives. Our
when we shared that kiss with someone
special.
This year for the first time in many years, one of our kids was close enough that we got to do something together for
Christmas. It was early, as he had a heavy schedule with his catering work in Chicago. He came up to Amberg and got me on
Dec. 3 and we went to Chicago, with him promising to give me a "first" experience in something he knew I would love. He wouldn't
give me any hints.
On the trip down, he finally spilled the beans. He had gotten tickets to see La Boheme. Yes! My very first live opera!
It was at the old United Methodist Church, not at an opera house. The church in itself was beautiful. I won't bore you with
all of the details of the weekend, as you can read them here, on my blog. And thanks, Brad Garvin (my buddy from the NY Metropolitan Opera and fellow Star Publish author of the fantastic book, With the Voice of Angels), for increasing both my interest and my knowledge of the operatic world.
Ah, memories. I remember my very first blue ribbon.
It was for Snickerdoodle cookies. I was a member of the 4-H Club, and I smiled when I was presented with the blue ribbon.
I noticed that there were more of my cookies missing than there were from the other
plates. Obviously, the judges liked mine the best.
Winning first place (the gold medal) at the Olympics is a huge event, one that puts an athlete's name on the lips of
people around the world. I remember when Scott Hamilton won his first gold medal for figure skating. I always loved watching
skating. Little did I know that one day I would be a good friend (in Grand Forks ND) to a close relative of the woman Scott
married. Yes, Naomi Dunavan was lucky enough to attend their wedding! We watched and waited for word of the outcome of his
tests when he was diagnosed with cancer. But like the first-place champion he was, he beat that one too.
The thrill of my first book being published! When I got the phone call that it had been accepted, I thought, I have
arrived! I am an author. Somehow, it didn't seem real.
Then I got the contract in the mail, and I thought, I have arrived! I am an author. But it was still like I
was living in a fantasy world.
Then I got the first real copy of the book, one that I could hold in my hands, could smell the ink on the pages, and
I thought, Yes, at last, I am an author! But something was still missing.
Finally, the day arrived when I knew I was an author. I was at a bookstore and some man was looking at books,
reading the back cover blurbs. He had perused several different books, and then he pulled my book, Dunnottar, off
the shelf. He read the back cover copy, then he opened it and began to read it. He put all of the other books back on the
shelf and he walked up to the checkout counter with my book! I didn't even know the man. It was at that moment that
I knew that I was an author! If luck was with me, he might even turn into a fan!
Now, waiting for my 22nd book to come out, I know that I am an author. I hear from readers (yes, fans) every day.
The Bible talks about Christians who have lost their first love. That passion has subsided, as it does, sadly, in so
many marriages. They are called "lukewarm." The God I serve is a God of love, but even He can tolerate so much indifference.
In Revelation it says that God will "spew them out of His mouth." Does God condemn anyone to punishment? With so much evil
and suffering in the world, it might seem that way. However, in the final word, He does not condemn us; we do that all by
ourselves by our actions and our attitudes.
In the world of publishing, I have not lost that first excitement. Each new book is just as exciting as the first one.
If you are an author and you have gone into a slump, I would suggest that you go back to that first story you wrote and had
published, whether it was a newspaper article, a magazine article, or a book. Re-read it. Try to capture the thrill of the
chase that led you into this whole crazy path you have chosen.
If you are a reader and you have come to enjoy some particular author, help them get back to that day when they first
felt the joy of holding that first book in their hands. There is nothing that feels as good to an author (or an artist, musician,
etc.) than to know that they are bringing joy to someone by giving their best to the craft they are pursuing. And with
that, I must say a sincere "Thank you" to each of you who have taken the time to contact me because you have been touched
by some of my words, even if it was just to put a smile on your face.
| Click on cover to read an excerpt |
|
ESCAPE TO WARMER
LANDS
Just one year.
That was all the Foundation Dr. John Wesley Blackstone III (Dr. Juan) asked from a few doctors. He had set up four clinics
in Venezuela,
but he could no longer run them alone.
Dr. Rebecca Stanford
stuffed the letter of invitation into her pocket, until a young nurse trainee who had grown up as a “missionary kid”
in Venezuela convinced her to volunteer.
“The year
everything in the desert turns green” was a common Venezuelan expression that was eventually shortened to simply “The
Green Year” (El Aņo Verde). Rebecca soon learned to live her life by that philosophy.
With Rebecca
fighting the arrogance of Dr. Juan and mistreating missionary Kyle Parr, who seemed to show up exactly when he was needed,
the year passed too fast. She longed to stay in the land she had grown to love, but was she willing to accept God’s
answer for her? And would Dr. Juan possibly yield to the God both Rebecca and Kyle loved and served? Would he allow God to
answer their prayers for him?
Author info:
Best-selling author Janet Elaine
Smith’s memoirs, Rebel With a Cause, takes you on a trip to Venezuela,
where she and her late husband Ivan served as missionaries for 9 years. Now she revisits the same four areas in Venezuela
where they worked, but this time in a fun inspirational medical romance, reminiscent of the popular medical romances of the
1950s.
This is Janet’s 21st
book. She loves to delve into different countries, different times, and different genres. Check out her other books at http://janetesmithstarbooks.tripod.com or right here on her "My Books" page.
Read the first review here
Click here to order THE GREEN YEAR
Click on cover to take a visual tour through the book
Read an excerpt here
Click here to order NOW
* * * * *
* * * * *
SEE
YOUR NAME IN LIGHTS
|
| Click on picture to reach her website |
I belong to several writers' e-groups. They all fill various niches in the advice they offer and the support they give.
Last time we saluted Joyce Scarbrough, a fellow member of JWW2 (origainally Jay's Writers World). Today we will move to another
one of my favorite groups: Independent Authors' Guild (IAG).
IAG was first started as an outreach of a group of historical authors on Amazon.com. It has grown tremendously, and is
one of the more active groups I belong to. If you are an author who is debating about whether or not to publish your book
yourself, or through an independent publisher, please join the IAG group. The information you can find in their files is worth
the effort, if you gain nothing else from the group.
Recently Lloyd Lofthouse addressed the subject of authors doing radio interviews. He actually hired someone to set up
interviews for him, and he was quite pleased with the results. Another member, Charles(Chuck) Fetter, said that he couldn't
stand the thought of listening to himself, and besides, he had an echo when he talked on his phone. Others who have done quite
a bit of radio work tried to encourage Chuck to try it, telling him that he could do it from home, on his own phone, and it
was no big deal.
I host a weekly radio program on Internet Voices Radio, entitled "Marketing for Fun and Profit." From time to time I
send an invitation to various groups I belong to, inviting authors to contact me if they would like to be a guest. Chuck was
not biting!
His reaction reminded me of a friend of mine (Mike Brue) from Grand Forks ND. He had worked for the Grand Forks Herald
for many years. Due to cutbacks, he lost his job. He tried out for a job at a local radio station. Before long, the local
ABC TV affiliate, WDAZ, contacted him about the job as the news director. As we talked about this one day, he said, "Janet,
I have a radio face and a newspaper voice." He ultimately accepted the job at the TV station, but he told me that he would
be working behind the scenes. Again, with his wit in place, he told me, "If you ever see this mug on the TV screen, you will
know Grand Forks is in serious trouble." It wasn't too long after that, when the Great Flood of 1997 hit Grand Forks, that
we were evacuated to the Grand Forks Air Force Base. One afternoon, Ivan, my late husband, looked up at the TV. He poked me
and said, pointing to the screen, "We must be in really deep trouble. Mike is on TV!" And yes, it was not long before the
entire towns of Grand Forks ND and East Grand Forks MN were under water.
But back to the IAG discussion on radio. Joan Szechtman, the author of a wonderful time travel book, Loyalty Binds Me, entered into the conversation. Joan had been a guest on my program when her book first came out. Joan said, "I speak
from experience when I say that an interview with Janet is like a one on one phone call and she's a genius at putting people
at ease."
So thank you, Joan, for your kind words. I do my best. I never concentrate on the thousands of people who are listening
to us. As far as I am concerned, when I'm on the air, the guest and I are the only ones there. Now, if I could just learn
to quit laughing! I really don't like the way I sound when I laugh. I can't understand why I get e-mails from listeners who
say things like, "I tune in every week to hear you laugh. You always make me feel like everything in the world is going to
be okay."
Riding into the modern world
As promised, here are the links to my new videos trailers. No more
horse and buggy days; we're in the techno-world. I hope you will enjoy your ride with me to take a closer look at some of
my favorite books. You can find more information on all of my books here, and one small click on the covers will make it easy for you to order them. I'd love to share my fun with all of you!
Don't forget to check out my video trailers by clicking on the links below.
A Lumberjack Christmas at
ONE-STOP SHOPPING
To make it easier for you, please just click here to get the low-down on all of my books.
Just jump on (click on) the train to escape to the
land of your dreams. When our northern friends fly south, they are called "snowbirds." You can join them, even if you thought
you had to save all of your money for the IRS. Bon Voyage!
HERE'S YOUR PASSPORT TO FUN!
IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME COMING
...and the price is right! Yes, IT'S FREE!
What is it? It's my "Sampler." It has the first chapter of each of my now-available books,
plus a sneak peek at three new ones that will be out this year. It's all together in one volume, which I will send to you
as an e-mail attachment.
In the first week it was out, I sent out over 400 copies of the Sampler. Women copied
it off to take to the laundromat. Doctors copied it off to put in their waiting rooms; it beats those year-old magazines!
Over 100 people wrote to tell me which of the book/s they had ordered. People wrote to ask me when the future ones would be
available.
How can you get it? Just send an e-mail to janetelainesmith@yahoo.com and it will be on its way to you in a matter of a few hours. It's a good way to have some fun!
When you have finished reading the Sampler, if you have printed it off, give it to someone
else. If you want to copy it to a disk for your friends, go right ahead. If you want to e-mail it to someone, be my guest.
It is a Biblical principle: give and it shall be given onto you. This one is yours to give freely to anyone you want to share
it with. Spread the word!
| WALLACE MEMORIAL |
|
| Edinburgh, Scotland |
The Keith Trilogy still outsells all of my other novels. If I can find a few thousand extra hours,
one day I will bring them to America. Our first Keith, Rev. James, arrived in Bridgewater Massachusetts in 1662. It was just
after the British Civil War, and (in my head) there are 7 books that will follow the next 7 generations of American Keiths,
ending with the close of the US Civil War. As my best friend from Grand Forks always says, "But not today." Still, it is something
to tease you just a wee bit.
| More pics from a "cousin" |
|
| Thanks, Ellie Keith |
Exciting new pictures added.
Just click on the gate below to enjoy them.
| COME ON IN TO WHERE IT ALL BEGAN |
|
| Click on the opening to gain passage to the castle |
Click here for your personal Road Map to Dunnottar Castle (through a description of the books and ordering information).
IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR A WAY TO HELP SOMEONE LESS FORTUNATE THAN
YOURSELF AND TO BE SURE YOUR MONEY WILL GET TO THE PEOPLE WHO NEED IT, PLEASE COME TAKE A LOOK HERE.
|
