Howard Jay Smith spent over a dozen years in the entertainment industry working on numerous film, television, radio, and commercial projects, during which time he was an executive at ABC Television and Embassy TV.  He taught for five years at the UCLA Extension and has lectured nationally. A frequent Op Ed contributor to magazine and newspapers, his articles and photographs have appeared in the Washington Post, Horizon Magazine, The VCEDA News, The Journal of the Writers Guild of America, The Ojai Quarterly, and numerous trade publications. His book Opening the Doors to Hollywood was published by Random House. Smith is a member of the board of directors of the Santa Barbara Symphony and is a member of The American Beethoven Society. Beethoven in Love; Opus 139 is his first novel.