Biography

Janie Lynn Panagopoulos

Author@prodigy.net

http://www.newadventuresinwriting.com

Author Photo

 Janie Lynn Panagopoulos, historian, author, lecturer has worked in the field of historical research, interpretation, and writing for thirty-two years. Originally working in advertising as a freelance writer for newspapers and magazines, Panagopoulos has had over 1,000 articles published (1974-1992).  She also syndicated a history series that ran in fourteen Midwest newspapers (1985-1987).

Ms. Panagopoulos has taught courses in theater arts and playwriting (1986-1990) and has had several of her plays produced. She has also taught numerous writing courses and workshops at colleges and schools throughout the United States. Ms Panagopoulos has also served as an editor for Health Horizon magazine (1988-1990), and today she works with serious minded writing students from around the world as a writing mentor on the Internet and with Yahoo in the "Ask an Expert" program.

In 1989, Panagopoulos was a National Historical Grant recipient which “turned her on” to her love of historical research. In 1993, her first documentary historical fiction novel, Traders in Time was published by River Road Publications, a scholastic publishing house. Other novels followed including: Journey Back to Lumberjack Camp, Erie Trail West, North to Iron Country, Little Ship Under Full Sail, Train to Midnight, Runes of Isle Royale, Calling the Griffin, Madame Cadillac’s Ghost, A Place Called Home, Castle At the Straits, Mark of the Bear Claw, and A Faraway Home: An Orphan Train Story. Currently, Janie is working on her first adult novel and has several other new projects in the research stage.

 In the year 2000, Ms. Panagopoulos was awarded the prestigious “Michigan Authors Award”.  In 2001, she received the coveted “Read Michigan Award” granted by Michigan’s Governor Engler and Michigan’s Secretary of State Candace Miller, two of her books have also won the notable “Student Choice Award” and many of her books have been nominated for national, state, and regional awards and accolades.

In Ms. Panagopoulos’ historical research, she has canoed over 3,800 miles on the Great Lakes and along the Canadian waterways, studied and lived with traditional Native Americans, followed the Erie Canal from Albany to Buffalo, researched lumber and mining camps, participated in archaeological digs, dog-sled, snowshoe, traveled by wagon train, and continues to travel the trails of history and exploration in North America and Europe in search of our American roots.  Ms. Panagopoulos, generally, spends two-five years or more on historical research per project and takes her job as a historian seriously.

Janie Lynn Panagopoulos is also a lifetime member of Girl Scouts and lives the life of an explorer/researcher learning about the history of our nation, its diverse cultural background, and the stories of our ancestors.

Spending, on the average, three-six months a year on book tour, in the last fifteen years, she has spoken to over 1,000,000 students and educators throughout the United States sharing with them her stories of adventure, research and celebrating the great history of America.

Currently, Ms. Panagopoulos is using I.P. Videoconferencing to do writing workshops and classroom visits through the Distant Learning and A.S.K. Programs, both in the United States and Canada.  She also has several educational blog sites, some containing podcasts, to compliment to the reading experience of her books.

Ms. Panagopoulos currently lives in Illinois with her husband, Dennis.