COVID definitely put a damper on travel for all of us. That, and in January of this year I got a puppy – a second deterrent for travel. But now that I’ve been vaccinated, I’ve started to venture out a bit. I had not seen my Aunt Patti for a year and a half, so I recently flew out to …
Things I Like – Bookends
If you know anything at all about me, you know I love books. I love to write them, read them, buy them, borrow them, and I love to check them out at the library. So it probably won’t come as a surprise that I like to display them, and in order to do that creatively, I need bookends. I love bookends. I …
Looking for a Feel-Good Fantasy Novel?
I don’t typically post book reviews on my blog, but I’m always looking for a good book so I figured you might appreciate a recommendation. The Midnight Library by Matt Haig is one I can recommend without hesitation. The premise is fascinating – what if you could have a re-do of your life? Say Yes instead of No to that guy who …
Researching Fiction
When I first started writing, I was told many times, “Write what you know.” Wise advice, and I’ve taken it to heart. But how do you write a story about scuba diving if you’ve never been scuba diving? The answer – you research! I’m something of a fanatic about research. Here are some of my most memorable research activities: The …
A New Book and a Great eBook Sale
June 2021 Dear Friends, I’m happy to announce that my website, VirginiaSmith.org, has been revamped, revised, and basically received a major facelift! If you have a minute or two, I’d like to show you around. I’ve recorded a short walk-through video to show you some of the features I like about the site. You can watch the video here. …
Not A Typical Amish Book – and On Sale
The Amish Widower was my 21st or 22nd novel, and my 4th Amish book with Harvest House Publishers. The first three were a humorous romantic series, co-authored with Lori Copeland, about Amish in the Old West, which was different from the typical bonnet fiction that had become so popular. Even though my brother-in-law was raised Amish, I’d always told my …
Free Kindle and Audiobooks
My Latest Newsletter announcing two free kindle books and free audiobooks! March 2021 Dear Friends, Two newsletters in one month? This has got to be some kind of record for me! I had a couple of last-minute things pop up that I wanted to make sure you’re aware of because who doesn’t love free stuff? Two of my books are …
New Children’s Illustrated Book
It’s always a good day when I can celebrate the release of a new book, and this one is especially fun. I love speaking to kids at school, but since I write books for adults, grade school students aren’t too interested. During the month of December I’m often invited to speak to students about being an author and I can …
Typing The End
There are fewer things more satisfying to a writer than typing The End on a manuscript. Well, okay, getting a box of her latest books is even better, but finishing the first draft of a book is pretty awesome. So far 2021 has been stellar for me in terms of that kind of awesomeness. In January I finished a book …
How Salt Lake City Won the Bid to Host the World Fantasy Convention – And How We Lost It
(cross posted from World Fantasy Convention 2020’s blog) The year was 2015. World Fantasy Convention was held in Saratoga Springs, NY that year. As always, the attendees list was a Who’s Who of fantasy authors, editors, artists, and agents. I attended the convention with my long-time friend, Dee Ann Larsen. Dee Ann and I had traveled to London, England to …