Photo by: Robert Barbutti

Janet began her writing career at age twelve with the sci-fi screenplay “The Sounds of Quazon”. In this riveting drama—which consisted of about a page—two astronauts explored a planet and engaged in titillating dialogue like: “Did you hear that?” “What was that?”

Janet’s next writing project was at nineteen when she co-wrote a play for a real estate company’s Christmas party. The plot surrounded a real estate agent trying to sell a property owned by a group of high-end prostitutes to a group of nuns interested in turning the large mansion into a convent. Janet was paid fifty dollars for her work and the clients were very happy.

Her true passion for writing ignited when she took a playwriting class at UC Santa Cruz in 1988. After achieving her Bachelor’s Degree in Theatre Arts (with an emphasis in acting) in 1989, Janet developed and taught an after-school drama program at Pescadero High School, and wrote in her spare time. After four years, she quit teaching to write full-time.

In 1999, after completing ten novels, Janet started writing a monthly humor column for CoastViews magazine, a job she currently holds today. In 2000, she sold her first reprint to Funny Times and her work continues to appear in the national magazine.

In 2008, Janet started this website—and her Blog Thingy—and published two humor books, Confessions of a Pink-Haired Lunatic and How To Make Your Life Suck. In 2011, Janet published her first two novels, Caught, first in the Patriot series, and Cinderolda, an award-winning romance, and first of the Periat’s Fables series.

Since she began her career, Janet has written over forty-one books. Several will be published soon, and the rest she considers school.

For eighteen years, she performed as Master of Ceremonies for The Pescadero Arts and Fun Festival. She lives in Northern California and has been married since the dawn of civilization to her husband, Frank. In her spare time, Janet walks around her neighborhood and chats with the neighbors.

 

Fun Facts About Janet:

• Janet was awarded Most Improved Player in girl’s basketball from Pescadero High School in 1975. Her only award until Cinderolda’s first win in 2008. She seriously hopes that she doesn’t have to wait another 33 years for more awards.

• She has performed in over fifty plays. For her senior thesis, she performed a one-woman-show called Miss Margarida’s Way, a two-hour monologue, which was well received by local critics.

• Along with Theater Arts, Janet also majored in Business in junior college and was a bookkeeper for fifteen years. She worked at a dairy, and at El Teatro Campesino theater in San Juan Bautista.

• At one time Janet had six cats: Crunchy, 43, Doris, Norman Bates, Stimpy, and Spazmo (who eventually changed his name to Pooter). After Spazmo/Pooter joined the family, Janet discovered she was allergic to cats and had all six shaved. Kidding. She loved them all dearly until their eventual demises and contemplates daily whether to tolerate the sneezing and adopt more. She still has dreams about 43 and Crunchy, and wishes she had cloned them.