Life & Work with Janet Fichter of Lakewood

Today we’d like to introduce you to Janet Fichter

Hi Janet, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
As a child, you’d often find me in my bedroom writing a poem about God or nature. As a teen, poetry writing continued, but journaling my thoughts and concerns about the world took center stage. My motto is: “If you’re looking for me, you’ll find me in my writing”. True to that statement, my favorite place to be was on my bed surrounded by a growing pile of spiral notebooks where I’d jot down my thoughts, plan my essays, and craft my stories.

My favorite subjects in high school and college were composition, history, music and political science. These disciplines fed the need to think deeply and helped me see the value of broadening my perspective about current events and worldwide issues. Never one for chit-chat or small talk, I even organized study groups where society’s most challenging issues were discussed.

It took me a while to find my niche, career-wise; but as I was searching, I participated in three international Habitat for Humanity home-building trips (to Mexico, Nicaragua and Guatemala). These were life-changing and perspective broadening experiences which also fed my love for travel. One becomes a better human having seen the depths of poverty in developing nations.

Fast forward to a later-in-life career in public education where I finally found my niche. I knew enough Spanish to be hired as a fifth grade teacher by a dual-language school. On my very first day, I fell in love with a classroom full of brown-eyed beauties whose home langauge was not English. After six years as a classroom teacher and with a Master’s degree in Culturally and Linguistically Diverse education, I became an instructional coach. Here, my purpose involved guiding classroom teachers in best practices for instruction of second language learners. Supporting teachers, parents and students to nurture the joy of learning filled my bucket. Afterall, every learner benefits from taking a few steps away from the day to day grind of spelling lists, phonics drills, grammar exercises and timed math facts quizzes. To help them realize that facts and figures are best retained when anchored in thematic learning brought me much satisfaction.

The yearning to see the bigger picture has nurtured and directed my choices and involvements most of my life. Currently, it weaves its way into everything I write. Now, retired from the active workforce, I’m living my dream of writing which is further explained in the category about my work.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
While my list of writing projects keeps me engaged and enthralled, the list of marketing “to do”s is one that is difficult to check off. Self-promotion is uncomfortable for me. Because of this, I endeavor to view efforts at “spreading the word” more like ways I can faithfully steward the gift of writing God has instilled. I sincerely appreciate all opportunities, such as this one with VoyageDenver, to help me steward the message of wisdom’s perspective and the glorious reality of the unseen spiritual realm.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Retired for four years now, I’ve returned to that comfy place where I write surrounded by a plethora of notebooks and journals. With an active blog and author newsletter, I’ve also published three books. Whether a young adult fantasy book, a spiritual reflection guide, or an essay that tackles societal’s most controversial issues, I write with the intention of helping my readers see the bigger picture. I like to think the encouragement to step away from the tension of life’s controversies weaves its way through every piece I write. Afterall, while we should always endeavor to nurture the individual tree in the forest because they are each cherished and fragile, we can tend to them with greater wisdom if we study the entire forest first.

My author bio reads: I write to inspire readers to gain a broader, more spiritual perspective of life’s events. I am the author of a spiritual reflection guide, The Ministry of the Unveiled Face (published by Ambassador, International), and two young adult fantasies, Princess Tiara and the Crown of Virtues, and Princess Tiara and the Battle for Fruitful (both published by At Jesus Feet Publishing). I also maintain an active blog/newsletter (www.atjesusfeet.com) which contains my favorite non-fiction and poetry pieces. I even have a Facebook page on prayer, Prayer Vigil, Jesus’ Sacre Coeur, which offers written prayers for those called to intercede.

Most recently, I’ve developed a few gift items to complement my writing pieces. I currently offer two boxed message card sets as gift items.

Grains of Sand Identity Messages (see images) brings assurance to those who need to know how much God loves them. With so many seeking to understand their purpose and identity, my hope is to assure them they are deeply loved and fully known by God.

Morning, Noon, and Night I Pray, Prayers for Any Time of Day is a set of prayers based on scriptures. Since many struggle to find words to pray, these cards help bring words to their heart cries.

Both sets of boxed message cards are available on my website: www.atjesusfeet.com.

What was your favorite childhood memory?
My parents were both public school teachers who ensured their children had every opportunity to experience and be involved in community service opportunities as well as travel. A favorite memory I have is of our many summer vacations.

Each summer, they piled all four of their children into an old Rambler station wagon, and we’d drive to many important sites in America, especially the Midwest and Rocky Mountain regions. After a full day of siteseeing, my father would pull out his old reel-to-reel tape recorder and interview each one of us about what we learned that day. I had a small speech impediment as a child, and I was the youngest, so my answers were nothing profound, but quite amusing to listen to. We still have those old tapes. They capture and preserve precious memories.

Pricing:

• The Ministry of the Unveiled Face book $9.99 (available on Amazon)
• Princess Tiara and the Crown of Virtues book, $9.99, paperback; $12.99, hardcover; ebook, $3.99 (available on Amazon)
• Princess Tiara and the Battle for Fruitful, $12.99, paperback, $16.99, hardcover; $5.99 , ebook (available on Amazon)
• Grains of Sand Identity Messages, boxed message cards, $12.00 plus shipping (available through my website: www.atjesusfeet.com
• Morning, Noon and Night I Pray, boxed message cards, $12.00 plus shipping (available through my webiste: www.atjesusfeet.com

Contact Info:

• Website: https://atjesusfeet.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/janetfichterauthor/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JanetFichterAuthor
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/atjesusfeet-janet-fichter-249639303/
• Twitter: https://x.com/JFichterAuthor/
• Youtube: https://studio.youtube.com/channel/UC77McI6p277AyrfzKNUP6bQ
• Other: email: maggiedalene@aol.com