Meet Michelle
Learn more about Michelle Janene.
About the Early Years
Michelle grew up in Northern California. She struggled in reading and English class in early elementary. By high school she was a strong follower of Christ and discovered a love for reading and medieval fiction through author Stephen Lawhead’s books.
Writing
Michelle felt very shy and awkward growing up. She had few friends and found the world outside my home intimidating and confusing. She escaped in books and started writing a superhero story on one of the first word processors—a typewriter with a screen.
Writing as a Career
A career in writing never seemed like a path for Michelle. She received a teaching credential and dabbled with her superhero story in her free time, but never thought it would come to anything.
Around 2011, Michelle started writing other stories to escape feelings of depression. To learn more about the rules and craft of writing, she attended an adult extended learning course, quickly joined Inspire Christian Writers, and a critique group. While attending workshops, critique meetings, writing conferences, and creating several more manuscripts, Michelle learned three important things about herself:
1. She is not shy but extremely introverted.
2. She writes faster than most writers she know s– producing 2-3 books a year.
3. She saw herself as more than a teacher and became a published author and small business owner.
Michelle’s first published book
She published Mission: Mistaken Identity, in 2015. It’s a light-hearted action adventure novella.
How many books has Michelle published?
She currently has 11 novels/novels and a created Bible curriculum for middle school students on the book of Genesis. Her next book The King’s Vengeance is set to release late spring 2022. Check them out here.
In 2017 she started Strong Tower Press to help other indie authors fulfill their dreams of becoming published authors. Four authors have used STP to prepare their books.
Genres
She writes Christian fantasy, historical fiction, YA, and women’s fiction. Many of her stories intertwine elements of medieval history with fictional characters. No matter the genre, all my characters are in need of God’s love and guidance.
Hopes for her readers
Michelle hopes readers will come to love God more for their time spent with her characters. She writes to others like herself who are lonely, hurting, and feel invisible. Michelle wants you to realize you are never truly alone.
Final thoughts
She would love to connect with you.
Free Short Story
Join my email list and get a free short story.
I love the medieval period. I have created a couple of full outfits in medieval garb.
Fun Facts:
- I love to attend Renaissance Faires
- I have 2 crazy Chihuahua mixes to make life interesting
- I have visited all 50 states.
- I have travelled the world.
Never Alone
Loneliness. It is a profound word and can be a debilitating feeling. But we are never truly alone. God is omnipresent–everywhere at all times. But most times we want someone with skin on them to be with us. We are meant to be in community. God as the Trinity (God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit) have always been together. And we as the human race were created to live in communion with Him and with each other. But in the craziness of 2020, the fear-mongering over how to stay healthy, and forces dividing us by skin color, we are more separated and lonely than ever in our history. This is the enemy at work to separate us from the love and support we need to stay sane, to be truly human.
God sees you. You are not, and have never been, alone. And I see you, dear reader. Let us travel together along this dark path. We will find strength together.