The Jaunty Quills want to take this opportunity to welcome Steeple Hill author, Janet Tronstad.

Janet, one of five children, grew up on a family farm near Fort Shaw, Montana, a small town with a population less than 200.  This small town and the thriving church she attended have been an inspiration for her popular Dry Creek series of books published by Steeple Hill.

“People respond to the characters I have in my Dry Creek series,” says Janet.  “And a lot of that is because of the sense of community the characters in Dry Creek share, especially in the local church.  I think we all hunger to be in a place where people know us and accept us.”

Janet likes to write books that show people struggling with issues in their life and in their faith.  “We all struggle,” she says.  “That’s why we like to read about other people who are facing problems.”

Have you ever drooled over the handsome model on the cover of your favorite romance novel? My friend, Cindy Kirk, invited me to blog with you today and she’s had some hunks on the covers of her books (thanks Cindy for inviting me).

I usually think of hunks as being over five feet tall, but I lowered my height requirement when I recently heard from the cutie on the cover of my October romance, “Snowbound in Dry Creek.”

His name is Brandon and his mother wrote asking me if I’d sign a copy of the book for him so he’ll have it when he is older. I agreed, of course. I don’t know what Brandon’s dreams are for his future, but I hope when he looks at this cover he is encouraged by the fact that he helped make it. Who knows what dreams the experience will spark?

It reminded me of some of my early childhood experiences that encouraged me in my dream of growing up to be a writer. When I was about ten, I remember winning some jingle contest put on by the local radio station and receiving a six-pack of soda. You would have thought it was champagne the way I guarded it. A couple of years later, I won an essay contest on patriotism sponsored by our local VFW. It was absolutely thrilling. About that time I thought maybe I had a small nugget of talent and could actually become a writer someday.

One of my other writing friends remembers she first wanted to be a writer when she read a copy of Nancy Drew’s mystery, “The Secret in the Old Clock.”

How about you? Who or what encouraged you as a child to reach for your dreams (writing or otherwise)?