tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88626291787870277442024-08-30T08:15:31.380-07:00Virginia Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00590793841929997484noreply@blogger.comBlogger443125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8862629178787027744.post-85591979717282395452021-06-07T13:30:00.000-07:002021-06-07T13:30:02.839-07:00

 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 Zookeeper’s Daughter – Kelli is forced to work as a zookeeper to

Virginia Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00590793841929997484noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8862629178787027744.post-33811281782228428272021-05-08T07:30:00.001-07:002021-05-08T07:30:20.514-07:00

 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 Harvest House editor that I would

Virginia Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00590793841929997484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8862629178787027744.post-87382039254366988792021-03-17T07:33:00.006-07:002021-03-17T07:33:46.499-07:00

 My Latest Newsletter announcing two free kindle books and free audiobooks!March 2021Dear 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 free, but only for the next few days. Read on to find out about them.Can I

Virginia Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00590793841929997484noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8862629178787027744.post-17862908845328492312021-03-12T07:48:00.003-08:002021-03-12T07:48:31.200-08:00

 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 read The Last Christmas Cookie, so I wanted something that I could

Virginia Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00590793841929997484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8862629178787027744.post-91784149046874226402021-02-20T11:42:00.006-08:002021-02-20T11:42:54.111-08:00

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 called Raised for a Purpose: Talia's Story. That one is Biblical fiction

Virginia Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00590793841929997484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8862629178787027744.post-53476705331556303432020-07-19T10:35:00.003-07:002020-07-19T10:35:57.703-07:00

(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 attend World Fantasy Convention 1997,

Virginia Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00590793841929997484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8862629178787027744.post-42147719061541782712020-05-28T06:40:00.003-07:002020-05-28T06:40:36.428-07:00

Cross-posted from the World Fantasy Convention blog Review by Ginny Smith Four young men from the Blackfeet reservation head out to hunt elk. Their search is unsuccessful until they enter a restricted area where they find a small herd in a ravine with no avenue for escape. They open fire. The resulting massacre does provide meat for their families and others on the reservation—but at a

Virginia Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00590793841929997484noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8862629178787027744.post-65058199398158554092020-05-07T03:00:00.000-07:002020-05-07T03:00:05.299-07:00

Cross-posted from "A City of Salt and Fantasy" - www.WFC2020.org My first World Fantasy Convention was in 1981. That was number seven, held at the Claremont Hotel in Berkeley California. It was my third year selling professionally and 1981 had been particularly good with the publication of 13 short stories. I’d worked with a number of editors at that point, including Charlie Grant, Roy

Virginia Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00590793841929997484noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8862629178787027744.post-23681020654907808792020-04-30T03:00:00.000-07:002020-04-30T03:00:08.752-07:00

Cross-posted from "A City of Salt and Fantasy" www.WFC2020.org In recent years, there’s been an increasing awareness of the importance of diversity in fiction, including diversity in gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, disability, wealth, and age. Along with this has come a discussion of own voices, and the extent to which it matters whether a story about, for instance, a lesbian unicorn,

Virginia Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00590793841929997484noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8862629178787027744.post-18143663555364566252020-04-23T03:00:00.000-07:002020-04-23T03:00:06.554-07:00

Cross-posted from "A City of Salt and Fantasy" -  www.WFC2020.org Why are there a hundred people in line to get signatures from that guy? Who is he? Neil Gaiman you say? I haven’t heard anything about him. That was in 2002, when I attended my first World Fantasy Convention (WFC) in Minneapolis, Minnesota. I had no clue about most of the “famous” fantasy and sci-fi writers. I felt like

Virginia Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00590793841929997484noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8862629178787027744.post-22260782225415744392020-04-16T03:00:00.000-07:002020-04-16T03:00:10.735-07:00

Cross-posted from "A City of Salt and Fantasy" - www.WFC2020.org When my first novel, Transformation, was published in August 2000 and I discovered that the sky did not open and reveal a whole new dimension of existence, I asked my agent, “What do I do now?” “First, put up a website,” she said. “Done.” “And you could start going to conventions.” Visions of Galaxy Quest! In horror, I

Virginia Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00590793841929997484noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8862629178787027744.post-14315918492613569122020-04-09T03:00:00.000-07:002020-04-09T03:00:06.844-07:00

Cross-posted from "A City of Salt and Fantasy" www.WFC2020.org Today we’re talking with author and playwright Ann Chamberlin. Ann is a member of the World Fantasy Convention and is also serving as the Registration Committee Head for WFC 2020! Ann spent big blocks of time as a child in Europe where her father was professor of mathematics. She has traveled across North Africa, Turkey, Syria and

Virginia Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00590793841929997484noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8862629178787027744.post-69026115202259764822020-04-02T03:00:00.000-07:002020-04-02T03:00:05.548-07:00

Cross-posted from "A City of Salt and Fantasy" www.WFC2020.org My first World Fantasy Convention was way back in 1996. I was an aspiring writer with a bunch of short stories and stack of rejection letters under my belt. I wasn’t interested in costumes or games, so the well-known fan cons held little appeal. What I wanted were contacts in the publishing industry, the more the better. A friend

Virginia Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00590793841929997484noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8862629178787027744.post-18554015229851488752020-03-19T06:00:00.000-07:002020-03-19T06:00:10.745-07:00

Cross-posted from www.WFC2020.org Today we have the pleasure of chatting with Joe Haldeman, a legendary writer who is a mainstay at the World Fantasy Convention. Named a Grand Master by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, Joe Haldeman has earned steady awards over his 50-year career: his novels The Forever War and Forever Peace both made clean sweeps of the Hugo and Nebula

Virginia Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00590793841929997484noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8862629178787027744.post-84095511087314388062020-03-12T06:00:00.000-07:002020-03-12T06:00:06.779-07:00

Cross-posted from www.WFC2020.org Until a couple of years ago I thought of Stephen Gallagher, author Guest of Honor at WFC 2020, primarily as a screenwriter. He’s been instrumental in many creepy-and-fascinating shows, some of which you can read about on his Guest of Honor bio page posted on the WFC 2020 website and in even more detail at www.stephengallagher.com. Being a confirmed Whovian, I

Virginia Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00590793841929997484noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8862629178787027744.post-30819874828463538862020-03-05T06:00:00.000-08:002020-03-05T06:00:06.983-08:00

Cross-posted from www.wfc2020.org Unlike most of today’s fantasy writers, I didn’t attend any conventions until more than ten years after my first story was published. My first World Fantasy Convention didn’t occur until twenty-five years after I sold that first story… and that was in 1997.  The 1997 WFC was held in London at the International Hotel in the Docklands, which back then was

Virginia Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00590793841929997484noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8862629178787027744.post-72253628547962843062020-03-03T06:00:00.000-08:002020-03-03T06:00:11.321-08:00

As many of you know, I wear many hats. I'm one of the co-chairpersons running the 2020 World Fantasy Convention. WFC2020 has recently launched a blog dedicated to this year's convention, its guests, and members. The blog is called A City of Salt and Fantasy. I plan to cross-post the content here because I think you'll enjoy hearing from a variety of fantasy enthusiasts as much as I do. You can

Virginia Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00590793841929997484noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8862629178787027744.post-77236975105127256812020-01-19T15:38:00.003-08:002020-01-19T15:38:57.573-08:00

I took over 400 photos on our recent Panama Canal cruise! I selected some of my favorites and put together a video. Watch it here:

Virginia Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00590793841929997484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8862629178787027744.post-91239281189250574532019-11-21T08:20:00.000-08:002019-11-21T08:20:06.440-08:00

I'm pleased to announce a new book release! Well, it's not exactly new. It's a book that came out waaaaay back in 2011, but she's had a makeover and now she's ready for her second public appearance. Introducing... (Cheers! Balloons going up! Confetti fills the air!) This book was previously published as A Daughter's Legacy, but in my mind the title has always been The Zookeeper's

Virginia Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00590793841929997484noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8862629178787027744.post-49188211740263877882019-11-19T08:35:00.002-08:002019-11-19T08:39:46.258-08:00

For my friends who celebrate Christmas as a Christian holiday, I've put together a devotional booklet. Each year, thousands of Christians celebrate the season of advent. The weeks leading up to Christmas are a time of expectation and preparation for the day we celebrate the birth of the Christ Child. Join me on a personal prayer journey using the candles of the Advent wreath as a guide. Daily

Virginia Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00590793841929997484noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8862629178787027744.post-82614456591185472642019-11-17T09:50:00.002-08:002019-11-17T09:50:56.196-08:00

The Kentucky Book Festival was Saturday, November 16. The event is held each year in November, and it's one of my favorites. Almost 200 authors gathered at the Alltech Arena at the Kentucky Horse Park to meet readers, sign books, and enjoy a day full of literary fun! I first attended KBF in 2006, the year Just As I Am was released, and I've only missed one year since then. This year I shared a

Virginia Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00590793841929997484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8862629178787027744.post-57413409721272809592019-10-29T13:15:00.000-07:002019-10-29T13:15:13.049-07:00

I love a bargain, and I love books. It's an exciting day when I can get a bargain on books! One of my publishers recently informed me they're running a Virginia Smith eBook Sale. Woo hoo! If you've missed some of my books, now's your chance to catch up without breaking the bank. Click on a title below to hop over to the book's Amazon page. (But all eBook versions are on sale, so if you read on

Virginia Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00590793841929997484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8862629178787027744.post-33589470898176709202019-09-30T11:03:00.000-07:002019-09-30T11:34:41.665-07:00

I recently participated in a fun interview on a blog called The Christian Writers World. The blogger is a lovely writer I've known for many years, but haven't caught up with in a while, so it was a pleasure being a guest on her blog. I thought you'd enjoy reading the interview. Tell us how much of yourself you write into your characters. In my 36 (so far) books, there have been very few

Virginia Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00590793841929997484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8862629178787027744.post-41409838669673977022019-02-04T18:21:00.000-08:002019-02-04T18:21:09.388-08:00

I admit it. I'm addicted to numbers. That's a pretty drastic admission for a novelist, a person who makes her living with words, but it's true. I love analyzing the statistics behind the writing. My latest book is a perfect example. I just typed The End on my thirty-sixth novel, a cozy mystery with the working title As the Bee Stings. I worked hard on this book, and as always, I kept a

Virginia Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00590793841929997484noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8862629178787027744.post-84242867166357484232019-02-01T18:01:00.002-08:002019-02-01T18:27:51.873-08:00

Writers are always talking about 'branding,' or establishing your place in readers' minds and hearts with one particular style of book. For instance, if you pick up a Stephen King novel you expect a chilling, supernatural horror story. You know Nora Roberts is going to deliver a satisfying romance. John Grisham will take you into the deep south and a legal thriller, while C.J. Cherryh

Virginia Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00590793841929997484noreply@blogger.com6