Author Description

After my first book "Appalachian Magic" was published, I received numerous e-mails from people wanting to know more about my childhood in Appalachia and how it shaped me into becoming a fortune teller. Even though I covered several areas in my first book, I will now go into depth about my childhood in my second book "Return to Appalachian Magic" and the many things I learned that were carried over into my adulthood. As stated in my first book, my given name was Janet, but my family and friends always called me by my nickname, Jany (pronounced Jan-eeee). Growing up in Appalachia was a lesson in itself. The unwritten laws were passed from generation to generation and everyone heeded and abided by these laws. There were no "maybes or ifs" or gray areas in the hill language. Everything was "straight talk"! It was either right or wrong and no one dared to step over the line. The ones who were bold enough to "thumb their nose" and venture over the line were shut out of society, shunned and talked about extensively. Forgiveness was a hard goal to achieve for those who had been cast out. As well as I can remember, the three unforgivables were lying, cheating and stealing. You were marked for a long time if you committed any of the "big three."