Jonathan Janz
Jonathan Janz | |
|---|---|
 Jonathan Janz with his wife at Scares That Care in Williamsburg, VA on March 31, 2023 | |
| Born | October 27, 1973 Colorado Springs, Colorado, U.S. |
| Occupation | Author, teacher |
| Period | 2010–present |
| Genre | |
| Children | 3 |
| Website | |
| jonathanjanz | |
Jonathan Janz (born October 27, 1973) is the pen name of Craig Shaeffer, an American horror author of sixteen novels and one collection of short fiction.
Early life[edit]
Jonathan Janz grew up in Colorado Springs, Colorado. He was raised by his mother near a graveyard, where she would check out books on albums from the library. Early influences during this time include The Twilight Zone, In Search Of..., the works of Edgar Allan Poe,[1] as well as the audio version of The Signal-Man by Charles Dickens.[2] During childhood, he was prone to sleepwalking, and describes a time when he woke up in a pitch-black room of a friend's house, navigating his way through a maze of boxes because the family had just moved in.[3]
Career[edit]
In 2011, Janz published his debut novel, The Sorrows. The book received praise from author Brian Keene, who called it "the best horror novel of 2012."[4] Keene would also describe Janz as "One of the best writers in modern horror to come along in the last decade."[5]
Between 2011 and 2016, eight of Janz's novels were released by Samhain Publishing. After this, Janz signed a deal with Flame Tree Publishing, which published four more novels as well as reprintings of his earlier works.[6] Other novels have been released through Sinister Grin Press, Earthling Publications, and Cemetery Dance.
His manager, Ryan Lewis, also works with Josh Malerman.[7]
Janz cites multiple influences on his career, including Stephen King, Joe R. Lansdale, Brian Keene, Richard Matheson, among many others.[8][9]
His latest novel, The Dismembered, was released in November 2022.[10]
In March of 2023, Janz won the Wilburn-Thomas Award at the Scares That Care event in Williamsburg, Virginia.[11] This is a charity event organized by author Brian Keene and the award is given to authors who have helped other writers and their community.
Personal life[edit]
Jonathan Janz is the pen name for Craig Shaeffer.[12] Janz teaches high school English, film literature, and creative writing at West Lafayette Junior-Senior High School.[12][13] He currently resides in Indiana with his wife and three children.[14]
Bibliography[edit]
- The Sorrows (2011, Samhain Publishing)
- House of Skin (2012, Samhain Publishing)
- The Darkest Lullaby (2013, Samhain Publishing)
- Savage Species (2013, Samhain Publishing)
- Bloodshot: Kingdom of Shadows (2013, Kindle Direct Publishing)
- Dust Devils (2014, Samhain Publishing)
- Castle of Sorrows (2014, Samhain Publishing)
- The Nightmare Girl (2015, Samhain Publishing)
- Wolf Land (2016, Samhain Publishing)
- Children of the Dark (2016, Sinister Grin Press)
- Exorcist Falls (2017, Sinister Grin Press)
- The Siren and the Specter (2018, Flame Tree Publishing)
- Tales From the Shadow Side (2019, Thunderstorm Books) (containing the novellas Witching Hour Theatre, Old Order, The Clearing of Travis Coble, and A Southern Evening)
- The Dark Game (2019, Flame Tree Publishing)
- The Raven (The Raven Book 1) (2020, Flame Tree Publishing)
- Blood Country (The Raven Book 2) (2022, Flame Tree Publishing)
- Marla (2022, Earthling Publishing)
- The Dismembered (2022, Cemetery Dance)
References[edit]
- ^ "Interview with one of my FAVOURITE US Horror writers – Jonathan JANZ". WordPress. Retrieved April 29, 2023.
- ^ "AUTHOR INTERVIEW: JONATHAN JANZ". Tim Meyer Author. Retrieved April 29, 2023.
- ^ "AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Jonathan Janz". Meghan's House of Books. Retrieved April 29, 2023.
- ^ "Jonathan Janz". Ginger Nuts of Horror. Retrieved April 29, 2023.
- ^ "How Acclaimed Horror Author Jonathan Janz Writes: Part One". Podglomerate. Retrieved April 29, 2023.
- ^ "Quoth 'The Raven' An interview with horror writer Jonathan Janz". Book & Film Globe. Retrieved April 29, 2023.
- ^ "Quoth 'The Raven' An interview with horror writer Jonathan Janz". Book & Film Globe. Retrieved April 29, 2023.
- ^ "Modern Horror's Shining Light: Kendall Reviews talks to the brilliant Jonathan Janz". Kendall Reviews. Retrieved April 29, 2023.
- ^ "[Interview] Jonathan Janz Talks Earliest Writings, Horror Favorites and the Future". Horror Novel Reviews. Retrieved April 29, 2023.
- ^ "Look Out For … The Dismembered by Jonathan Janz". This Is Horror. Retrieved April 29, 2023.
- ^ "AuthorCon Recap". TRANSMISSIONS FROM BLACK HOLE PLANET 3. Retrieved April 29, 2023.
- ^ a b Harris, Hadassah (February 6, 2024). "Local high school teacher reveals his secret career as an author". WLFI News 18. Retrieved February 9, 2024.
- ^ "AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Jonathan Janz". Meghan's House of Books. Retrieved April 29, 2023.
- ^ "Modern Horror's Shining Light: Kendall Reviews talks to the brilliant Jonathan Janz". Kendall Reviews. Retrieved April 29, 2023.
External links[edit]
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