Janet Lee Carey
Encyclopedia
Janet Lee Carey is an award-winning American Author and College Professor. She writes fantasy fiction for children and young adults. Her novels The Dragon of Noor (2010) won a Teens Read Too Gold Star Award for Excellence, Dragon's Keep (2007) won an ALA Best Books for Young adults, and Wenny Has Wings (2002) helped her earn a Mark Twain Award (2005).
and was raised in Mill Valley, California
. Carey moved to Seattle, Washington
to be closer to her mother and stepfather, where she currently lives at Bellevue, Washington
just off Phantom Lake
with her husband and three sons. Carey is a very imaginative person and she finds herself daydreaming continuously throughout the day, which allows her to get into her fantasy land while writing. She considers herself a homebody who enjoys reading and spending time with family and friends.
Many of Carey’s novels involve an ordinary child doing heroic deeds. She believes courage is an important aspect in order for children to develop into successful adults, and she emphasizes this throughout her writing. Carey believes that courage requires: a sense of purpose, a belief that what I do matters, a willingness to sacrifice, and the strength to fail and keep going. She creates her characters in a way which all of these qualities are represented. Her novels are based upon children overcoming struggles and obstacles which eventually influence their development and growth as an individual.
She has taught at Lake Washington Technical college, and she leads professional seminars and workshops designed for children and adults. Carey is involved in many groups including The Diviners, The Artemis, as well as the Plant a Billion Tress Project. These groups cover all interests of her life and reflect upon her morals and values. The Diviners is a dynamic critique group which helped her progress as a writer, through the revision and analysis of her work. The Artemis is a support group for artists, made up of writers, photographers, painters, collage artists, sculptures and musicians. They meet to openly discuss their goals and successes as well as the difficulties and hardships of being an artist. The Plant a Billion trees project is an organization created in hopes to restore the native trees within endangered forests. She is also involved with readergirlz
and Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators
. Readergirlz is a online blog which supports reading for teenage girls. SCBWI is a non-profit organization specifically for those involved with children and young adult literature. Along with her interest in working with other writers, she is also a strong supporter of charitable organizations and environmental awareness. Carey demonstrates her support by linking each of her novels to a charitable organization, hoping to empower readers to make a difference in the world.
Between finding time for her group work and writing, Carey has also dedicated much of her time to hosting writing retreats for future authors. She tours across the United States and overseas presenting at schools and children’s book festivals and conferences. At home, Carey has a son with on-going medical problems. She has admitted that she finds it difficult to set aside time to write and it becomes more and more difficult to get into the imaginative zone. Once Carey is able to find the solitude to write, it is so much more of an escape from the complications at home.
, Juliet Marillier
, Patricia A. McKillip
, Shannon Hale
, Kristin Cashore
and many more constantly inspired her as a writer. The fantasy stories she read as a child “was the reason [she] wanted to grow up to be a writer.” She was also inspired by Grimms' Fairy Tales, and stories involving myths and fantasies. Carey's realization of her wild imagination began as a child when she strongly believed that trees whispered to her; telling her stories in a language she couldn’t understand. Her imagination allows her to create fantasy fiction novels as she is able to construct a realistic image of the story while writing. Carey’s determination to understand “things that haunt [her] and keep [her] awake at night,” also influenced her writing. She began writing Stealing Death when her mother was dying and she addresses the question “Why do we have to die” throughout the novel.
A fantasy novel based around a young boy named Kipp who has lost everything of value to him. He is left in charge of his younger sister as the rest of his family was killed in a fire. He is determined to keep those he holds close to him away from the soul sack.
A novel based around the question “is there life after death?” Will is involved in a near death experience which took the life of his sister. He is determined to try and find a connection between this world and the afterlife.
This novel is about a young girl who is denial about the fact that her father has died in World War 2, until she is given her father’s watch. Molly risks it all to find out the truth she is trying to avoid.
Rosalind is born with an unsightly dragon claw. Those who see the claw do not live long after to tell the story. Rosalind is faced with the realization that she will never find love or marry. She is captured by the Dragon Lord and her adventures begin.
Zoe’s family is thrown into troubled times, with her father losing his job and their rental house suddenly being sold. They are forced to move to find work and meanwhile live in the family van. To escape the sad reality, Zoe creates herself a “double life”, not mention her living situation, even to her best friend. It is a story of courage and hardships.
The Wilde Island is in a difficult situation, with the trust between the fairies, dragons and humans, being testing with the death of the king. The island is looking for a hero and young Tess, a blacksmith’s daughter, is thrown into the crossfire, perhaps by faith.
The village of Noor has a secret beast, the Shriker. After being betrayed by its owner, it has now turned into a terrorizing threat to the people of Noor. While the rest of the village has forgotten the story of the Shriker, Miles and Hanna can never forget.
Trouble is stirring in the village of Noor. After centuries-long exile, the dragons are uneasy and about to return. A strange wind has been blowing, sweeping up the children of Noor. Among the missing is the younger brother of Hannah and Miles. They find themselves alongside the dragons in a life altering revolution.
Personal Life and Background
Carey was born in New YorkNew York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and was raised in Mill Valley, California
Mill Valley, California
Mill Valley is a city in Marin County, California, United States located about north of San Francisco via the Golden Gate Bridge. The population was 13,903 at the 2010 census.Mill Valley is located on the western and northern shores of Richardson Bay...
. Carey moved to Seattle, Washington
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
to be closer to her mother and stepfather, where she currently lives at Bellevue, Washington
Bellevue, Washington
Bellevue is a city in the Eastside region of King County, Washington, United States, across Lake Washington from Seattle. Long known as a suburb or satellite city of Seattle, it is now categorized as an edge city or a boomburb. The population was 122,363 at the 2010 census.Downtown Bellevue is...
just off Phantom Lake
Phantom Lake
Phantom Lake is a small lake inside the city limits of Bellevue, Washington. A 2.6 mile long pedestrian trail circles the lake, and according to Bellevue city government, the city's oldest and largest trees can be seen there....
with her husband and three sons. Carey is a very imaginative person and she finds herself daydreaming continuously throughout the day, which allows her to get into her fantasy land while writing. She considers herself a homebody who enjoys reading and spending time with family and friends.
Many of Carey’s novels involve an ordinary child doing heroic deeds. She believes courage is an important aspect in order for children to develop into successful adults, and she emphasizes this throughout her writing. Carey believes that courage requires: a sense of purpose, a belief that what I do matters, a willingness to sacrifice, and the strength to fail and keep going. She creates her characters in a way which all of these qualities are represented. Her novels are based upon children overcoming struggles and obstacles which eventually influence their development and growth as an individual.
Career
Janet Lee Carey is a successful children’s literature author as well as a teacher. Her desire to become a writer began at a very young age as she was able to daydream and fantasize with a creative mind. Although at first she was unable to progress from inspiration to publication, she eventually became a successful writer through her dedication and passion towards writing. Carey faced many challenges due to continuous rejection; however, she believes that the joys far outweigh the struggles with writing.She has taught at Lake Washington Technical college, and she leads professional seminars and workshops designed for children and adults. Carey is involved in many groups including The Diviners, The Artemis, as well as the Plant a Billion Tress Project. These groups cover all interests of her life and reflect upon her morals and values. The Diviners is a dynamic critique group which helped her progress as a writer, through the revision and analysis of her work. The Artemis is a support group for artists, made up of writers, photographers, painters, collage artists, sculptures and musicians. They meet to openly discuss their goals and successes as well as the difficulties and hardships of being an artist. The Plant a Billion trees project is an organization created in hopes to restore the native trees within endangered forests. She is also involved with readergirlz
Readergirlz
Readergirlz is an online book community that is an advocate for literacy in teenage girls. The site was founded on March 1, 2007 by Dia Calhoun, Janet Lee Carey, Lorie Ann Grover, and Justina Chen Headley. The site is a partner of the Young Adult Library Services Association...
and Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators
Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators
The Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators is a nonprofit, 5013 organization that acts as a network for the exchange of knowledge between writers, illustrators, editors, publishers, agents, librarians, educators, booksellers and others involved with literature for young people.The...
. Readergirlz is a online blog which supports reading for teenage girls. SCBWI is a non-profit organization specifically for those involved with children and young adult literature. Along with her interest in working with other writers, she is also a strong supporter of charitable organizations and environmental awareness. Carey demonstrates her support by linking each of her novels to a charitable organization, hoping to empower readers to make a difference in the world.
Between finding time for her group work and writing, Carey has also dedicated much of her time to hosting writing retreats for future authors. She tours across the United States and overseas presenting at schools and children’s book festivals and conferences. At home, Carey has a son with on-going medical problems. She has admitted that she finds it difficult to set aside time to write and it becomes more and more difficult to get into the imaginative zone. Once Carey is able to find the solitude to write, it is so much more of an escape from the complications at home.
Influences
Carey’s career as a writer was influenced by many different authors, books, her imagination, and personal struggles. Authors such as Ursula K. Le GuinUrsula K. Le Guin
Ursula Kroeber Le Guin is an American author. She has written novels, poetry, children's books, essays, and short stories, notably in fantasy and science fiction...
, Juliet Marillier
Juliet Marillier
Juliet Marillier is a New Zealand-born writer of fantasy, especially historical fantasy. She currently lives in Western Australia. While Marillier writes mostly for adults, her recent books have included Cybele's Secret, a sequel to her novel for young adults Wildwood Dancing. Cybele's Secret won...
, Patricia A. McKillip
Patricia A. McKillip
Patricia Anne McKillip is an American author of fantasy and science fiction novels. Her novels have been winners of the World Fantasy Award, Locus Award and Mythopoeic Award. In 2008, she was a recipient of the World Fantasy Award for Life Achievement...
, Shannon Hale
Shannon Hale
Shannon Hale is an American author of young adult fantasy and adult fiction.-Biography:Shannon Hale is the author of ten novels, including the best-selling Newbery Honor book Princess Academy, the "Books of Bayern" series, two adult novels, and two graphic novels that she and her husband co-wrote...
, Kristin Cashore
Kristin Cashore
Kristin Cashore is an American fantasy author, whose debut novel, Graceling, was published in October 2008. The book has been nominated for the Andre Norton and William C. Morris awards, and is held in over 1000 libraries. Her second book, Fire, came out in October 2009, and is described as being a...
and many more constantly inspired her as a writer. The fantasy stories she read as a child “was the reason [she] wanted to grow up to be a writer.” She was also inspired by Grimms' Fairy Tales, and stories involving myths and fantasies. Carey's realization of her wild imagination began as a child when she strongly believed that trees whispered to her; telling her stories in a language she couldn’t understand. Her imagination allows her to create fantasy fiction novels as she is able to construct a realistic image of the story while writing. Carey’s determination to understand “things that haunt [her] and keep [her] awake at night,” also influenced her writing. She began writing Stealing Death when her mother was dying and she addresses the question “Why do we have to die” throughout the novel.
Stealing Death
A fantasy novel based around a young boy named Kipp who has lost everything of value to him. He is left in charge of his younger sister as the rest of his family was killed in a fire. He is determined to keep those he holds close to him away from the soul sack.
Wenny has Wings
A novel based around the question “is there life after death?” Will is involved in a near death experience which took the life of his sister. He is determined to try and find a connection between this world and the afterlife.
Molly's Fire
This novel is about a young girl who is denial about the fact that her father has died in World War 2, until she is given her father’s watch. Molly risks it all to find out the truth she is trying to avoid.
Dragon's Keep
Rosalind is born with an unsightly dragon claw. Those who see the claw do not live long after to tell the story. Rosalind is faced with the realization that she will never find love or marry. She is captured by the Dragon Lord and her adventures begin.
The Double Life of Zoe Flynn
Zoe’s family is thrown into troubled times, with her father losing his job and their rental house suddenly being sold. They are forced to move to find work and meanwhile live in the family van. To escape the sad reality, Zoe creates herself a “double life”, not mention her living situation, even to her best friend. It is a story of courage and hardships.
Dragonswood
The Wilde Island is in a difficult situation, with the trust between the fairies, dragons and humans, being testing with the death of the king. The island is looking for a hero and young Tess, a blacksmith’s daughter, is thrown into the crossfire, perhaps by faith.
The Beast of Noor
The village of Noor has a secret beast, the Shriker. After being betrayed by its owner, it has now turned into a terrorizing threat to the people of Noor. While the rest of the village has forgotten the story of the Shriker, Miles and Hanna can never forget.
Dragons of Noor
Trouble is stirring in the village of Noor. After centuries-long exile, the dragons are uneasy and about to return. A strange wind has been blowing, sweeping up the children of Noor. Among the missing is the younger brother of Hannah and Miles. They find themselves alongside the dragons in a life altering revolution.