Best of Year author Janet Syas Nitsick is the daughter of former Nebraska state Sen. George Syas, who served 26 years in the Unicameral and died Feb. 7, 1997. He was well-respected for his knowledge of the state's constitution. Janet is a former language-arts teacher and journalist.   Janet's passion for writing began as a child when she wrote to overcome her shyness. She earned her bachelor of arts degree from Omaha's College of Saint Mary in 1995 after returning to school as a nontraditional student. She and husband, Paul, a former postal employee, live in the Midwest. Janet is the mother of four sons, two are autistic and a spattering of accounts about their struggles and joys with raising these special-needs sons are included in Janet's Best of Year book, Seasons of the Soul, a book similar to Chicken Soup for the Soul books.   Lockets and Lanterns, Janet's first novel, received honorable mention from Christianstoryteller.com. The inspiring-historical romance is loosely-based on her grandfather who had red hair and grandmother but in no way does this story represent their true relationship. Best-selling author Ruth Ann Nordin said:  "It will tug at [your] heartstrings ... with its emotional depth ... but you'll also find yourself smiling."                

Janet's short story, "The Silver Lining," (available FREE on Smashwords.com and on Nook) received 10th place in the Writer's Digest Writing Competition in the mainstream/literary category.