JANIS THORNTON
  • Home
  • Books
  • Janis
  • Pictures
  • Blog
  • Contact
    • Stay in the Loop!
  • Writer Resources
“My daughter was too good a girl
to have to face death this way.”

—  Roxie Emberton
Picture
​SCENES FROM THE AUGUST 4, 2018
​BOOK LAUNCH
AT THE TIPTON COUNTY LIBRARY


August 6, 2019 Anderson Herald Bulletin

August 13, 2018 Indianapolis Star
Feature Story by Will Higgins


August 10, 2018 Indianapolis Star Video
​By Michelle Pemberton

On Saturday, October 16, 1965, 17-year-old Tipton, Indiana, High School senior Olene Emberton dropped off a friend after a movie and headed for home, a journey of just six blocks. Inexplicably, she never arrived. Two days later, a farmer in northern Tipton County found her body discarded alongside a remote gravel road. How she died and who abandoned her was never known. Throughout the intervening 55+ years, many people in Tipton County thought they had the answers, but only one person truly knew, and that person wouldn't tell.

Part true crime, part oral history, and part memoir, “TOO GOOD A GIRL” tells the story of Olene’s mysterious death and how it affected all  who knew her.
​

                     > CLICK FOR PREVIEW        
             

                            To order a signed copy from Janis, click here:
Signed Copy
OR
CLICK TO ORDER FROM
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
eBook from Kindle

​  > BOOK CLUB QUESTIONS

​​
> ​MORE BOOK NEWS

The three following books are part of Arcadia Publishing's 'Images of America' series. Each book sells for $25, which includes shipping and handling. If you wish your copy signed, please email your request via the CONTACT page. Thanks!
Images of America
Picture
“Images of America: Tipton County,” published in late 2012, features more than 200 vintage photos depicting Tipton County life from the late 1800s through the present, most contributed by members of the Tipton County community and never before published. The book’s narrative begins with the county’s founding in 1844 and progresses to more recent years, highlighting several of the influential people and pivotal events that shaped the county.
Picture
“Images of America: Frankfort,” about Frankfort, Indiana’s long history, was published in late 2013. Four months after the Indiana General Assembly established Clinton County, long-time resident John Pence donated 60 acres of his centrally located farmland upon which the county seat would be built. Thanks to Pence, the city of Frankfort, named in honor of his ancestral German home, was born May 9, 1830. Today, the spirit of the early settlers still prevails.
​
Picture
“Images of America: Elwood,” published in 2019, tells the story of Elwood’s past — from its founding in 1852 through today. Thanks to the city’s rich past, today’s Elwood is characterized as “the Heart of Hoosierland,” and it has a long, bright future to look forward to. The book is intended to rekindle fond memories and spark poignant reflections, while helping readers experience what was, what is, and what is yet to come.
​
​

A Spirited Mystery with a Touch of Romance

A suspenseful, paranormal romantic mystery, awash in possibilities for second chances, righting old wrongs, and finding love that lasts forever.

​Available as paperback
or ebook @

Amazon

​            > ​CLICK FOR PREVIEW
​
            > Book Club Questions
Picture
FROM THE REVIEWERS:
“ ‘Love, Lies and Azure Eyes’ by Janis Thornton is spectacular.  I absolutely loved everything; seriously, this book has it all and more. This book is a must read, so I am super highly recommending it.”
> Baroness’ Book Trove

“I loved this engrossing and fast-paced suspense novel! ... ‘Love, Lies and Azure Eyes’ is worth each one of its five stars and I highly recommend it!”
​>
Brianne’s Book Reviews
​


BOOK 1 in the ELMWOOD CONFIDENTIAL Series
Picture
Amazon
Signed Copy
​“Dust Bunnies & Dead Bodies, 
is, without a doubt, one of the funniest and most endearing debut novels I’ve read in a very long time. If intrepid small-town newspaper editor Crystal Cropper doesn’t win you over, you’ve either got no heart or your sense of humor has flat-lined. Give this book a try. I guarantee you, it's a hoot.” 
     > WILLIAM KENT KRUEGER 
New York Times Best-selling author of the Cork O'Conner Mystery Series and winner of the 2014 Edgar Award for 'Ordinary Grace'

                                              *  *  *
“First-time author Janis Thornton is a skillful guide to small-town crime and corruption, and her protagonist, newspaper editor Crystal Cropper, is one intrepid investigator.”
     > TERENCE FAHERTY
Edgar Allan Poe Award finalist (Owen Keane mystery series), and two-time winner of the Shamus Award (Scott Elliott P.I. series)

    > CLICK FOR PREVIEW



And BOOK 2
Picture
Who killed Horace Q. Ogilvie, owner of the local radio station and most reviled man in Elmwood? The fun starts when Horace turns up dead, minutes before he is supposed to broadcast his next malicious editorial, designed to destroy yet another Elmwood luminary. As suspects abound, Crystal Cropper, the Elmwood Gazette's editor, dives in to nab the killer. Problem is, she's one
​of the suspects!


​> CLICK FOR A PREVIEW
Picture
“I love Small Town America, and nobody writes about the heart and soul of Small Town America any better than Janis Thornton.”
                                                                                  > ​CALEB PIRTLE III
Award-winning author of more than 30 books and recipient of a Texas Associated Press Award, Small Press Book Award, and a Discover America Award.
Available in ebook and print from:
Amazon
​
OR
Signed Copy

          Undeniably Indiana

An Indiana Bicentennial Project
​from Indiana University Press
 (Contributor)
Picture
Amazon
In this first crowd-sourced book about Indiana, ordinary Hoosiers from all corners of the state share the eclectic, wonderful, and sometimes wacky stories that are undeniably Indiana. These true tales highlight the variety of Hoosier life—fond recollections of hometowns, legendary anecdotes of the past, Indiana’s unpredictable weather, favorite foods (there’s more than corn!), and chance encounters with unforgettable and infamous people. Written for anyone who has ever called this great state home, Undeniably Indiana provides the answer to the widespread question, “What is a Hoosier?”

This Bicentennial Legacy Project contains two of Janis’ essays. The first is about the legendary "mummified Indian princess" that held a place of honor for 30 years at the Tipton County Courthouse—until the curators discovered they'd been duped. The second tells the story of Frankfort's Adrian Marks, the World War II pilot who pulled 56 of the 316 survivors of the USS Indianapolis disaster aboard his seaplane.


Picture
HOME
JANIS
PICTURES
BLOG
CONTACT
RESOURCES


​
Proudly powered by Weebly