name: Janet Elaine Smith
avg_rating: 3.54
ratings_count: 67
about: Janet Elaine Smith grew up in Spring Lake, Minnesota, in the middle of the Chippewa National Forest. Following her high school graduation, she attended Bethany College of the Bible in Minneapolis, MN and then went to Venezuela, South America, where she served as a missionary for nine years. It was there that she met her husband, Ivan. When she was beset by illness, they moved to Grand Forks, ND, where they lived for 35 years. They ran Mission Socorro, a charitable organization that gives "a hand up, not a hand out" to people in the Red River Valley from all walks of life. Following Ivan's death in Jan. 2008, Janet moved to Amberg, WI, where she lives next door to her good "writing buddy" Billie Williams.  Smith began writing for magazines 2 Janet Elaine Smith grew up in Spring Lake, Minnesota, in the middle of the Chippewa National Forest. Following her high school graduation, she attended Bethany College of the Bible in Minneapolis, MN and then went to Venezuela, South America, where she served as a missionary for nine years. It was there that she met her husband, Ivan. When she was beset by illness, they moved to Grand Forks, ND, where they lived for 35 years. They ran Mission Socorro, a charitable organization that gives "a hand up, not a hand out" to people in the Red River Valley from all walks of life. Following Ivan's death in Jan. 2008, Janet moved to Amberg, WI, where she lives next door to her good "writing buddy" Billie Williams.  Smith began writing for magazines 25 years ago, but her dream came true in June, 2000, when her first book, Dunnottar, was published . Both of Smith's time travels, House Call to the Past and Par for the Course, have won RIO (Reviewer International Organization) Awards of Excellence. Par for the Course was also chosen by Affaire de Coeur Magazine as "best time-travel of the year." She has based several of her books on her own genealogical finds. She has taught genealogy and written many columns and articles on the subject over the past 25 years.  Smith writes in many different genres, because, as she puts it, "I like to read a lot of different kind of books, so it just seems natural to write them, too."" ...more