Interviews

To: karenfindoutaboutnewbooks@yahoogroups.com
From: "karen simpson"
Date: Sat, 03 Jan 2004 23:29:33 -0000
Subject: [karennewbooks] This month we are talking with Janet Elaine Smith!

This month we are talking with Janet Elaine Smith!

Hi Janet,
Welcome to Karen Find Out About New Books, I'd like to thank you for
taking the time out of your schedule to answer a few questions.

How Long did it take you to get your first book published?

25 years. I got the best darn rejection letters you ever saw. I
even "made it" into a Berkley series, got the contract and
everything. Then they canceled the whole imprint! Just my luck. In
the meantime, I kept writing--more books, and lots of magazine work.
I still make more money on my magazine writing than I do on my books,
but at least that way when my books came out people knew who I was!

How did you feel the day your book was released?

My first book out was DUNNOTTAR, a Scottish historical romance. When
I got the phone call I thought I had arrived. Then when I got the
contract, I was sure I had arrived. Then I got the proofs, and I
thought "This is it!" It was, until I got the first copy of the book.
I knew that was success. But the REAL proof came the day I was in a
local bookstore and somebody that I didn't know at all came in, asked
for my book and bought it! The clerk motioned for me to come over to
autograph it. That's the day I KNEW I WAS AN AUTHOR!

Do you have a writing schedule?

Yeah, I make sure I write on my books or magazines at least an hour
in the morning and an hour at night. On the weekends I do quite a bit
more than that. I also have to spend a lot of time on marketing,
something I had never done before and didn't know you had to do, but
it is paying off.

What are some of your hobbies?

Not as many as I used to have. I guess my primary one any more
is "talking" with all of you on the internet and e-groups. I spend
way more time on that than I should. I also play the piano, organ,
and the accordion. I played the accordion for weddings and funerals
during the 9 years we were missionaries in Venezuela. I used to carry
it on top of my head.

Have you ever had writer's block? If so, what have you done to get
through it?

Fortunately, no. My brain keeps writing at night when I should be
sleeping. I have about 50 books in my head, just waiting to be
written. It doesn't allow for writers block. I think if I ever did
have trouble with it, I would probably find it helpful to go back and
read some of my previous books to see what had worked.

Are you working on any projects right now?

Oh, man! That makes me tired just thinking about it. I write
regularly for 9 magazine and/or newspaper columns--for every issue.
The trouble with magazine writing is that as soon as you finish with
one issue, it's time to start over for the next issue. Fortunately,
most of them are bi-monthlies. That helps a lot.

As far as my books, I am working on TUESDAY NOLAN, the second book in
my Women of the Week Series. MONDAY KNIGHT was the first one, and it
has done very well. Each of the 7 women will be named for the day of
the week on which they were born, and their entire life will revolve
around that line from the old poem, "Monday's child is fair of
face..." So, Tuesday Nolan is a real Southern Belle who runs a
finishing school for young girls in Charleston, SC. "Tuesday's child
is full of grace..." At least she is until a very unexpected "bum"
shows up--and he has more than just a little mystery to him.

What stories do you have out now?

I have 11 books out. DUNNOTTAR, MARYLEBONE, PAR FOR THE COURSE, IN
ST. PATRICK'S CUSTODY, RECIPE FOR MURDER, HOUSE CALL TO THE PAST, MY
DEAR PHEBE, AND THEY CALLED HER GENERAL LEIGH, MONDAY KNIGHT, A
CHRISTMAS DREAM and A LUMBERJACK CHRISTMAS. I hope to have 4 more out
this year.

How can your readers contact you?

janetelainesmith@yahoo.com . I love to hear from readers. It is
almost as good as a royalty check--sometimes even better!

What is your web site addy?

www.janetelainesmith.com

Who are your favorite authors?

That's impossible to answer, there are so many. Of course there are
the long-time favorites like Mary Higgins Clark, Bertrice Small, Deb
Stover, Millie Criswell, oh, so many. What is amazing is that I have
gotten to "know" all of them through this wonderful machine. Bertrice
even sends me marital advice! LOL

But there are so many new ones out, too. Kristie Leigh Maguire is
fantastic, as is Melissa James, and I am reading Denise Fleischer's
first book--and it's great. It seems like there somebody new and good
popping up almost every day.

How long have you been writing?

I started writing in 1971, when we came back from Venezuela. I wanted
to write all the things that had happened to us so I wouldn't forget
them. By the time I finished that, I was "hooked."

Do you have any thing to add?

I guess the question I get asked the most is why I write in so many
different genres. I do historical, contemporary and time travel
romances, "cozy" mystery, and I have one historical young adult book
out. I love to read all different types of books, so it just seems
natural to me to write them, too.

If anybody asked me what is the best--and the worst part of being an
author, the best part is hearing from people whose lives you have
touched with your words. The worst is the marketing, but I am
learning to have fun with that even.

Basically, if you want to write, don't do it to get rich and famous;
do it because you love to do it. I never imagined it was possible to
have as much fun as I'm having. If life keeps getting better, hey,
count me in for the ride!

Janet thank you so much!
Karen
Karen Find Out About New Books!
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/karenfindoutaboutnewbooks