Janis is Tipton, Indiana’s home-grown author of history and mystery.

Too Good a Girl tells the story of Janis’ high school classmate, Olene Emberton, whose tragic, unsolved death in 1965 shocked their Tipton community. Now, some 50 years later, Janis has written Olene’s story to ensure it is never forgotten.  

Janis’ other works include two cozy mysteries in the “Elmwood Confidential” series — Dead Air and Double Dares, released in June 2017 and Dust Bunnies and Dead Bodies, published in 2014. 

Janis also is the author of two local history books, Images of America: Tipton County and Images of America: Frankfort, and she is a contributor to Undeniably Indiana, a bicentennial project from Indiana University Press.

In the works for a 2019 release is an Elwood, Indiana history book, Images of America: Elwood, and No Place Like Murder, a collection of 18 true crime stories that rocked Indiana between 1869 and 1950. 

She is a member of Sisters in Crime, Speed City Sisters in Crime, the Author’s Guild, the Indiana Writers Center, the Tipton County Historical Society, and the Tipton County Chamber of Commerce.

---

HONORS

• One of 25 authors featured at the 2016 Indy Author Fair at Indianapolis' Central Library
• One of 85 invited authors at the Indiana State Historical Societyʼs 2012 and 2014 Holiday Author Fairs
• Finalist in the East Texas Writers' Guild Book Awards Contest, 2015 and 2016
• Midwest Writers Workshop Fiction Writers Fellow, 2009
• Finalist in the 2009 Daphne du Maurier Kiss of Death Contest for unpublished paranormal romance, Dead Wait
• Winner of six first-place awards from the Hoosier State Press Association annual Better Newspaper Contest (2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2007); part of the Frankfort Times news team that won first-place awards for two continuing series (2007 and 2008)
• Received first-place award in journalism from Women in Communications, 2005
• Smiles Unlimited Founders Award, 2005