Blog Posts

Inside the Literary Mind of . . . WHO? ME?!

6/4/2017

Author Caleb Pirtle III

Just about a year ago, a phenomenal, Texas-based author named Caleb Pirtle III, who I've never met, asked to interview me for his blog. I had won honorable mentions for my books in contests he conducted for the East Texas Writers Guild, and the interview was a gift from him to help me publicize my books. I'm more than slightly embarrassed that he titled the interview "Inside the Literary Mind of Janis Thornton." I didn't know I had a literary mind, but if he says so, I won't argue. He's the judge after all.

Anyway, I am grateful to him for picking my book for two awards AND for conducting this interview. (The interview is also available on his website here: https://calebandlindapirtle.com/

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Janis Thornton on Her First Novel: Dust Bunnies & Dead Bodies

5/14/2015

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We’ve been putting on our conference for 40+ years (only 30 spots left for July’s conference). We believe that part of our recipe for success is that we’re a conference for writers put on by writers. The planning committee is a team of volunteers and we choose to give back because the conference has given so much to us. We’re all on our own writing journeys, alone and together. Committee member Maye Ralston interviewed fellow committee member Janis Thornton about her latest book and her journey.

Janis Thornton is a freelance writer, personal historian, and award-winning journalist. She is the author of two local history books, Images of America: Tipton County and Images of America: Frankfort. She is a member of Sisters in Crime, the Indiana Writers Center, Association of Personal Historians, and the Midwest Writers Workshop Planning Committee. She lives in a small town in Indiana, not unlike Elmwood—the setting in her debut novel Dust Bunnies and Dead Bodies.

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6 Writing Books I Can't Live Without

11/3/2014

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You can tell a lot about people by the books that line their shelves. That’s why I’ve always found it fun to know what reference books my writer friends consider must-haves.

There are thousands of wonderful books available to help us hone our craft (and I probably own most of them), but … and I speak from experience … if you’re not careful, you’ll get caught up reading about writing rather than actually writing. That said, I want to share with you six books that have helped me to become a better mystery writer.

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Meet the Dust Bunnies & Dead Bodies Cast

10/27/2014

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When the casting call for my first cozy mystery novel, Dust Bunnies and Dead Bodies, was sounded, I was fortunate that so many wonderful, capable characters answered.

I’d like to take this opportunity to introduce four of them … the stars.

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Mission accomplished!

10/21/2014

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A couple weeks ago, as I was sorting through papers that have been piling up for years, I stumbled across the souvenir booklet given out at my high school class’s 30-year reunion. In it, each member of the class answered a set of questions, one of which was, “What is your goal for the next 30 years?”

Imagine my surprise when I read my own answer: “I want to be a published novelist and perhaps the next Mary Higgins Clark.”

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No Character Writes Itself, or Does It?

10/14/2014

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When I was casting the role of Crystal’s fantasy, movie star lover, Burt Reynolds was hands-down Crystal’s first and only choice. Although I also suggested Tom Selleck and Harrison Ford, she was adamant. It had to be Burt!

Burt has only a teeny-tiny part in Dust Bunnies and Dead Bodies, but you know the adage: There are no small parts; only small actors. Thus … selecting a mega superstar for what is essentially a cameo walk-on opens up an interesting conversation: What do writers consider as they fashion the perfect cast to populate their novel?

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On Tour and Out to Launch

10/7/2014

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Today I’m feeling all blogged out. You know the feeling: bloggy-eyed, overblogged, and blog-tired.

This sudden case of blogginess is due to having spent days cranking out six blog pieces as well as responding to three lengthy email Q&A’s, all of it for my very first “blog tour.”

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It’s Graphic, It’s Novel … a Window Opens

9/29/2014

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It’s a law of nature: Once you’re set free of the shackles that bind you to a miserable daily routine, good things start to happen for you.

One of the good things that happened for me early last year was an invitation from my friend Chip Mann to work with him and his brother Dan a few hours a week to help them make their dream a reality. They too had broken some shackles by forming their own company, KID DOMINO, and were well on their way to something good — launching Issue 1 of their multi-part graphic novel series, Forgotten City.

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Find Your Great Escape And Zen Happens

9/22/2014

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Who wouldn’t agree that a great writing escape is anywhere that frees your mind and the creative juices? Conventional wisdom dictates that such a place must be breathtakingly beautiful — if not cradled in the bosom of Mother Nature, then situated at the foot of some architectural wonder.

Such elements are part of the ideal great escape for many writers, especially those who contend that pinning thoughts to paper (or computer screen) is a lonely job requiring solitude and serenity, without distractions or outside pressures. When it’s just you, your thoughts, and your writing tools, Zen happens. … Or does it?

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From RIF'd & Miffed to Published Author

9/15/2014

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When your employer decides to RIF* your job, what are you going do?

Cry? Rant? Mope? Slump into depression? Get even?

I can’t tell you what to do, but I can tell you what I did. … I forged a new path and followed it to places I only dreamed were real.

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