Contact: Kathy Carlton Willis, 956-642-6319, WillisWay@aol.com; http://kcwcomm.blogspot.com/ 

SALT LAKE CITY, Sept. 8 /Christian Newswire/ -- Virginia (Ginny) Smith is feeling extremely blessed these days. With recent nominations, awards, speaking engagements and book releases, she's busier than ever.

Writer's Digest, the number one general market magazine for writers, recently picked Ginny's website as one of their Top 5 Picks for their October 2009 issue. The website, VirginiaSmith.org, is carefully designed with the public in mind. From personal information to links for media, the website gives browsers a comfortable and accurate glimpse into who Virginia is and what she's busy tackling now.

Along with Writer's Digest, other organizations have been paying attention and noticing Ginny Smith. She's been nominated for Book of the Year Award in the Long Contemporary Category by the American Christian Fiction Writers for her book, Stuck in the Middle. The winners will be announced at the annual ACFW conference in Denver on September 19th.

This summer she has also signed a contract for her twelfth book in four years. "Dive Into Danger" has no release date set, but plans are in the works to get this scuba diving manuscript written. Ginny shares, "I've got three books coming out next year, and one of them isn't written yet, so I've got my work cut out for me. Of course, I have to write 'Dive Into Danger,' so that's going to get my immediate attention. And since part of that book is set in Mexico, my husband and I are planning a trip to Cancun next month. But even when I'm writing a book, I'm always thinking of the next story, and even the one beyond that."

Over the next few months Ginny will be the keynote speaker at several writers conferences including the Utah Christian Writers Fellowship on September 12, and the Kentucky Christian Writers Conference in June 2010. She will also teach a workshop called "Stories that Sparkle" at the ACFW Conference in Denver, September 17-20, 2009 and Quad Cities Christian Writers Conference in Eldridge, IA, April 9-10, 2010. Regarding her upcoming speaking engagements Smith says, "I'm excited about the opportunity to share my heart with other writers, because I know what it's like to have a dream that feels unattainable at times. I wrote for twenty years before my first publication, and received 143 rejection letters. I plan to share some of the lessons I've learned along the way."

Now scheduling interviews.