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Jonathan Janz

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Jonathan Janz

Goodreads Author


Born
in Colorado Springs, The United States
October 27

Website

Twitter

Genre

Influences
Stephen King, Elmore Leonard, Joe R. Lansdale, Ray Bradbury, Brian Kee ...more

Member Since
October 2010

URL


Jonathan Janz is a husband, father, novelist, screenwriter, and public schoolteacher. He’s represented for film and television by Ryan Lewis (executive producer of Bird Box), and his literary agent is Priya Doraswamy. His ghost story The Siren and the Specter was selected as a Goodreads Choice nominee for Best Horror. Additionally, his novels Children of the Dark and The Dark Game were chosen by Booklist and Library Journal as Top Ten Horror Books of the Year. Jonathan’s main interests are his wonderful wife and his three amazing children. You can sign up for his newsletter (http://jonathanjanz.us12.list-manage....), and you can follow him on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Amazon, Threads, Bluesky, TikTok, and Goodreads. ...more

To ask Jonathan Janz questions, please sign up.

Popular Answered Questions

Jonathan Janz Hey, Perry! I'd say it's a combination of many things, the first of which being the fact that I'm doing my very best to write books that folks want to…moreHey, Perry! I'd say it's a combination of many things, the first of which being the fact that I'm doing my very best to write books that folks want to read. I don't say that sarcastically or immodestly; I simply mean that word-of-mouth is the most powerful force in the advertising universe, and people are telling other people about my work. There was a time when I'd go two weeks without a single rating. Now, I'm getting ratings and reviews every day. It's all due to a gradual word-of-mouth-fueled growth.

Aside from that, I'd guess that the way I approach Goodreads has something to do with that. I'm here as a reader first, and other readers sense, respect, and appreciate that. There's a vast forest of white noise generated by authors screaming "Look at me! Look at me!" and as a reader, that turns me off. Which means it undoubtedly turns off other readers too. So by being a reader, I share a love of books with other readers rather than treating them like potential marks.

Which leads me to the last thing--engagement. When people are nice enough to say kind things about me and my work, I appreciate that, and I make sure I let them know that. No, I don't go around responding to every positive review, but if someone reviews three of my books and says incredibly kind things about all of them, I think that deserves a thank you. I also never, ever respond to negative reviews because that will never go well.

Anyway, that was way more than you asked for, and being a writer yourself, I know that you already know most of these things. But for others who read this answer, I think these are good guidelines. (less)
Jonathan Janz Hey, Richard! I'm so sorry I missed this question until now.

My story ideas come from all over the place, but I'll give you a couple examples of "igni…more
Hey, Richard! I'm so sorry I missed this question until now.

My story ideas come from all over the place, but I'll give you a couple examples of "ignition points" (I love your verb "ignites").

My debut novel THE SORROWS grew out of a single image and a song. The image was a tower standing by itself, unattached to a castle. In the uppermost room of the tower, there was a piano. Then, for no apparent reason, the piano began playing Rachmaninoff's "Prelude in C Sharp Minor." The song is so shattering and ominous that, when coupled with the tower imagery, it was able to generate the entire backstory of my villain. Then, the rest of the narrative grew out of that.

In my upcoming novella EXORCIST ROAD, I thought of all the exorcism stories I'd seen and read. William Peter Blatty's LEGION did a great job of creating a mystery within the horror, and I wanted to do something exorcist-related that focused on the mystery as well. So when I thought of the idea for the Sweet Sixteen Killer, the mystery I was seeking began to grow.

This sort of answers your question, and it sort of doesn't, but it shows how diverse the sources can be.

Thanks, Richard! :-)(less)
Average rating: 3.92 · 13,623 ratings · 3,581 reviews · 47 distinct worksSimilar authors
Children of the Dark

3.93 avg rating — 2,135 ratings — published 2016 — 9 editions
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The Siren and the Specter

3.86 avg rating — 1,245 ratings — published 2018 — 13 editions
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The Dismembered

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3.96 avg rating — 884 ratings — published 2022 — 6 editions
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The Dark Game

3.80 avg rating — 820 ratings — published 2019 — 8 editions
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Witching Hour Theatre

3.64 avg rating — 676 ratings — published 2005 — 4 editions
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The Sorrows

3.66 avg rating — 661 ratings — published 2012 — 2 editions
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The Nightmare Girl

3.98 avg rating — 575 ratings — published 2015 — 2 editions
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Exorcist Falls

3.87 avg rating — 576 ratings — published 2017 — 4 editions
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House of Skin

3.75 avg rating — 471 ratings — published 2012 — 2 editions
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Exorcist Road

4.22 avg rating — 414 ratings — published 2014 — 3 editions
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More books by Jonathan Janz…

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Published on September 29, 2023 00:05
Children of the Dark Children of the Dark 2: The...
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3.97 avg rating — 2,343 ratings

Children of the Dark
(1 book)
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The Sorrows Castle of Sorrows
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4.17 avg rating — 370 ratings

More series by Jonathan Janz…
Pimp My Airship: ...
Jonathan Janz is currently reading
by Maurice Broaddus (Goodreads Author)
bookshelves: currently-reading
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Jonathan Janz Jonathan Janz said: " What a ride! As entertaining as it is incisive, Maurice Broaddus has crafted something wholly original here. It's crammed with awesome character work, immersive storytelling, and powerful thematic resonance. It's also set an hour south of me, which o ...more "

 
The Witch and the...
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Books of Blood: V...
Jonathan Janz is currently reading
by Clive Barker (Goodreads Author)
bookshelves: currently-reading
read in December 2016
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Jonathan Janz Jonathan Janz said: " Clive Barker is a master. Two areas, I think, distinguish him from other writers. One is the sheer breadth of his imagination. I cut my horror teeth on stories like "Dread," "Rawhead Rex," "The Midnight Meat Train," and the incomparable "In the Hills ...more "

 

Jonathan’s Recent Updates

Jonathan Janz is now friends with The Anxious Reader
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Jonathan Janz answered Chris's question: Jonathan Janz
Hey, Christine! MARLA was only published as a limited edition hardcover, so there are very few copies. However, my agent and I are working to find the right publisher to do a mass-market version of the novel. I hope I have news sooner rather than lat See Full Answer
Jonathan Janz rated a book it was amazing
Incidents Around the House by Josh Malerman
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"I don't believe Josh Malerman simply wrote INCIDENTS AROUND THE HOUSE. I believe he lit some candles, uttered an incantation in a forbidden arcane language, took parchment and quill in hand, slipped into a deep trance, and when he awoke, this book h ...more
" Denis (deez_bookish_adventures) wrote: "I finished this off yesterday and all I can say is Wow, such a great story! 🥰

I don't have a point of reference
...more "
Finders Keepers by Stephen King
" Gina wrote: "I LOVE your review!! Wow! Great writing....Kudos!"

Thank you, Gina!
...more "
Jonathan Janz rated a book it was amazing
Phantoms by Dean Koontz
Phantoms
by Dean Koontz (Goodreads Author)
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I'm fiercely competitive. Like, ridiculously competitive. To the point where I choose a favorite, and from that point on I'm squarely behind that favorite until the bitter end.

The Chicago Cubs.

Star Wars.

Stephen King.

You get the picture.

Problem i
...more
The Wolf's Hour by Robert McCammon
" Chris wrote: "I’m in the middle of The Wolf’s hour now. I do think that McCammon’s later works (espessially “Speaks the Nightbird”) have a bit more vo ...more "
" Michael wrote: "I ordered Blood Country last night."

Thank you, Michael! I appreciate it.
...more "
Jonathan Janz made a comment on his review of Phantoms
Phantoms by Dean Koontz
" Robin falbo wrote: "You’re not so much COMPETITIVE, as you are LOYAL!! I get it, I’m the same way … definitely a problem ;)"

Hahahahaha! I will go with
...more "
1186657
More of Jonathan's books…
Quotes by Jonathan Janz  (?)
Quotes are added by the Goodreads community and are not verified by Goodreads. (Learn more)

“watched after her sourly and considered correcting her grammar—it wasn’t could care less, it was couldn’t care less. It was an error that always irked me.”
Jonathan Janz, Children of the Dark

“This thing shook me, Jason,” he said, his voice lower still. “Like every man, I’ve questioned my faith at times… especially after Ariana died. There are things I’m still not sure about. Like how can you hold it against somebody that he was born in a third-world country? If someone’s never heard of Jesus, how can we expect a person to believe in him? And then we…” He made a pained face, ran a palm over his stubbly cheeks. “…we put distance between ourselves and others. We pick out differences between people and we amplify them and act like they’re lost and we know the answers, and the truth is, we’re all lost. We’ve all sinned.”
Jonathan Janz, Exorcist Falls

“Nobody cared if you plagiarized in the third grade. All”
Jonathan Janz, Children of the Dark

“When nothing seems to help, I go and look at a stonecutter
hammering away at his rock, perhaps a hundred times without as
much as a crack showing in it. Yet at the hundred and first
blow it will split in two, and I know it was not that last
blow that did it, but all that had gone before.”
Jacob A. Riis

“If you don't have time to read, you don't have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that.”
Stephen King

“Books are the perfect entertainment: no commercials, no batteries, hours of enjoyment for each dollar spent. What I wonder is why everybody doesn't carry a book around for those inevitable dead spots in life.”
Stephen King

“Good books don't give up all their secrets at once.”
Stephen King

“Fiction is the truth inside the lie.”
Stephen King

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This book club is dedicated to horror and dark fantasy/sci-fi books. Icons such as Stephen King, Robert McCammon, Clive Barker, Richard Laymon, Bria ...more
1186657 Nightmares and Dreamscapes — 1518 members — last activity 7 hours, 44 min ago
Horror, Fantasy, and Science Fiction Even though our main themes are horror, fantasy, and science fiction we also love other genres too which are re ...more
199180 Castle Terror — 874 members — last activity Jul 05, 2024 08:31AM
Come for the Castle - Stay for the Terror! 🏰🐺💀🔥 This group is for everyone who loves vampires, werewolves, creatures and spooks. Horror, gothic, clas ...more
45884 Books Stephen King Recommends — 2273 members — last activity Feb 20, 2022 04:35AM
-------------------------------------------- Are you curious about the books and authors Stephen King has enjoyed reading in the last 40 years or so? ...more
13824 Literary Darkness — 4483 members — last activity 57 minutes ago
This group is dedicated to an appreciation of important works of literature, both classic and contemporary... that happen to fall into the category of ...more
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A place for all Stephen King fans to gather and discuss his work. Welcome Constant Readers!! EST 2007
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Chat all things literary with Bram Stoker Award-winning horror author Kealan Patrick Burke.
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Goodreads Librarians are volunteers who help ensure the accuracy of information about books and authors in the Goodreads' catalog. The Goodreads Libra ...more
19126 The Mystery, Crime, and Thriller Group — 28315 members — last activity 51 minutes ago
“It was a dark and stormy night. Lightning flashed and thunder rolled across the sky. Rain spattered a mysterious, hooded stranger who peered over the ...more
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Comments (showing 80-129)    post a comment »

message 129: by Jonathan

Jonathan Janz Jennifer wrote: "I am working my way through the works of Jonathan Janz.
I am a long time fan of John Saul and Richard Matheson and I am so glad to find an author I can enjoy as much as them.
The thing that strikes..."


Wow, thank you so much, Jennifer! I’m so happy you’re enjoying my work. I haven’t read John Saul yet, but Richard Matheson is one of my main influences and inspirations. Any time he gets mentioned, I light up.

Thanks again, Jennifer. This was very appreciated. :-)


message 128: by Jennifer (last edited Nov 21, 2018 05:04AM)

Jennifer I am working my way through the works of Jonathan Janz.
I am a long time fan of John Saul and Richard Matheson and I am so glad to find an author I can enjoy as much as them.
The thing that strikes me is that he writes horror that doesn't resolve into happy endings. The kind of endings where the evil is defeated and the heroes come through learning a lesson.
When the real monsters show up, no one gets away. That's a true horror novel.


message 127: by Jonathan

Jonathan Janz Mariℓina wrote: "Happy 2016, filled with love, happiness and a little bit of luck!
"


Happy New Year to you too, my friend! :-)

JJ


Mariℓina Happy 2016, filled with love, happiness and a little bit of luck!





message 125: by Scott

Scott Roberts Merry christmas


message 124: by Jonathan

Jonathan Janz Maria wrote: "

"


Thank you so much, Maria! I really appreciate the beautiful image! :-)


message 122: by Jonathan

Jonathan Janz Ashley wrote: "Hi Jonathan! I LOVED your review of Dark Places and how Gillian Flynn = Mike Trout (fellow baseball fanatic here, WOOHOO!!)"

Thank you so much, Ashley! It's great to meet you, and I love the double-threat of great book fan and baseball fan. That's a wonderful combination! :-)


Ashley Marie Hi Jonathan! I LOVED your review of Dark Places and how Gillian Flynn = Mike Trout (fellow baseball fanatic here, WOOHOO!!)


message 120: by Scott

Scott Roberts Merry christmas.


message 119: by Maggie

Maggie

Hope you have a wonderful day! : D


message 118: by Maria

Maria Donna wrote: "


Have a good one buddy :D"


Yours is perfect, Darling, just like you! XO.
I mean Donna, of course, but enjoy your birthday, JJ. : )


message 117: by Donna

Donna Maria wrote: "


: D"



This is soo cool Maria :D


message 116: by Donna

Donna  photo 960641fc0928369da9fa02a0d325ef8e_zpsnthldbsi.jpg
Have a good one buddy :D


message 115: by Maria

Maria  photo happybda_edit_1414368570339_zpsxkv9c02r.jpg
: D


message 114: by Carey

Carey Anderson Thanks for the add


message 113: by Rusty

Rusty Nugent Thanks for your friendship.


☆~Stephanie ~☆ Thanks for the friend request Jonathan! :->


OddModicum Rachel Hey there, Jonathan! Thanks for the friend request! So funny... I was just asking in another thread if anyone else thought that early exposure to good horror writers might have really been influential... made them horror lovers for life. Seems like a trend... more than other genres, even. Your mention of a childhood between a dark forest and a graveyard brought that to mind. ;) Your books look amazing. All the synopses sound intriguing. Do you have a fave, or a particular title you'd suggest starting with?


message 110: by Jonathan

Jonathan Janz Midu wrote: "Thanks for the invite!"

It's great to meet you, Midu! :-)


message 109: by Jonathan

Jonathan Janz Cheryl wrote: "Thanks for the friend request, Jonathan. Your books sound very intriguing! I've put "The Sorrows" on my wish-list."

Thank you so much, Cheryl! And sorry for the late response. I hope you check out The Sorrows, but no pressure--no promise! :-)

Thanks again, and I'll talk to you soon!

JJ


message 108: by Cheryl

Cheryl Landmark Thanks for the friend request, Jonathan. Your books sound very intriguing! I've put "The Sorrows" on my wish-list.


message 107: by Midu

Midu Hadi Thanks for the invite!


message 106: by Maria

Maria Jonathan wrote: "MARIA!!!!! I'm so sorry for the delayed response, but we JUST got back last night from our Virginia vacation (mostly in the boonies, way off the grid). Happy Independence Day! :-)"

No worries, Jonathan.
Hope you have a relaxing day today!!
Enjoy the fireworks. : )


message 105: by Jonathan

Jonathan Janz MARIA!!!!! I'm so sorry for the delayed response, but we JUST got back last night from our Virginia vacation (mostly in the boonies, way off the grid). Happy Independence Day! :-)


message 104: by Maria

Maria  photo fcd76be12dec22ff8420dfac2f00c159_zpshm2gb8bj.jpg
:D


message 103: by Jonathan

Jonathan Janz Maria wrote: "


Enjoy this special day with your family!! : )"


Thank you, Maria! You're fantastic! :-)


message 102: by Maria (last edited Jun 15, 2014 05:01AM)

Maria Photobucket Pictures, Images and Photos
Enjoy this special day with your family!! : )


message 101: by Jonathan

Jonathan Janz Alissa wrote: "Thank you for accepting my friend request. I'm looking forward to reading your work, a good friend of mine recommended them to me and I'm always up for a good book especially horror."

Thank you so much, Alissa! I'm glad your friend recommended my work to you, and I hope you find it worthwhile. Thanks again for friending me, and I look forward to interacting with you on here! :-)


message 100: by Alissa

Alissa Thank you for accepting my friend request. I'm looking forward to reading your work, a good friend of mine recommended them to me and I'm always up for a good book especially horror.


Jonathan Janz M.C. wrote: "hi, thank you for adding me as a friend :)"

No problem, M.C.! It'll be fun interacting with you here.


Jonathan Janz Armina wrote: "Thanks for the friend request, Jonathan!"

Thanks for accepting it, Armina!


Cristina Sburlea hi, thank you for adding me as a friend :)


message 96: by Armina

Armina Thanks for the friend request, Jonathan!


message 95: by Maria

Maria Jonathan wrote: "Maria wrote: "Jonathan wrote: "Maria wrote: "Too late Jonathan, Donna & I saw your "fan" post before you deleted it.
We were enjoying ourselves, way to spoil our fun!! : ("

You two are EVIL!!!! ..."


JJ, what a nice way to say we're sneaky! : P
Have a great day!


message 94: by Donna

Donna Jonathan wrote: "Donna wrote: "No wait, what is it my girls say when I wont do or go along with them on something...Oh yeah, "FUN SUCKER!" That's you Jonathan :)"

Ah, when I do that, my wife sings the party pooper..."



Lol!!! Sounds like my kind of woman :)
For the record...you are a riot as well!
Enjoy the rest of you week Jonathan.


Jonathan Janz Donna wrote: "No wait, what is it my girls say when I wont do or go along with them on something...Oh yeah, "FUN SUCKER!" That's you Jonathan :)"

Ah, when I do that, my wife sings the party pooper song. I think you and she would get along. :-)


Jonathan Janz Maria wrote: "Jonathan wrote: "Maria wrote: "Too late Jonathan, Donna & I saw your "fan" post before you deleted it.
We were enjoying ourselves, way to spoil our fun!! : ("

You two are EVIL!!!! Hah! I thought..."


Yes. You two are masters of stealth. :-)


message 91: by Donna (last edited Apr 21, 2014 04:37PM)

Donna No wait, what is it my girls say when I wont do or go along with them on something...Oh yeah, "FUN SUCKER!" That's you Jonathan :)


message 90: by Donna

Donna Party pooper! We were having so much fun imaging you squirm. So what happened this time Jonathan? You did once say I was a sadistic woman...remember? LOL!


message 89: by Maria

Maria Jonathan wrote: "Maria wrote: "Too late Jonathan, Donna & I saw your "fan" post before you deleted it.
We were enjoying ourselves, way to spoil our fun!! : ("

You two are EVIL!!!! Hah! I thought of you two right..."


"Bring it"!!! LOL.
You shouldn't have warned us, a surprise attack is best. : )


Jonathan Janz Maria wrote: "Too late Jonathan, Donna & I saw your "fan" post before you deleted it.
We were enjoying ourselves, way to spoil our fun!! : ("


You two are EVIL!!!! Hah! I thought of you two right away when I saw I'd become a fan of myself.

I'll get you both back one of these days. :-)


message 87: by Maria

Maria Too late Jonathan, Donna & I saw your "fan" post before you deleted it.
We were enjoying ourselves, way to spoil our fun!! : (


Jonathan Janz MELISSA wrote: "Thanks for the friend vite Jonathan! :))"

Thank you for accepting it, Melissa! It'll be fun being friends on GR! :-)


MELISSA *Mel Reader* Thanks for the friend vite Jonathan! :))


Jonathan Janz Shari-amor wrote: "Thank you for the request, Jonathan. I just checked out a couple of your books and they look really good."

Thank you, Shari-amor! I really appreciate that, and I look forward to interacting with you. :-)

JJ


Shari-amor Thank you for the request, Jonathan. I just checked out a couple of your books and they look really good.


message 82: by Maria

Maria Hi JJ. HorrorHound Weekend sounds like scary fun! Enjoy!! : )


Jonathan Janz Maria wrote: "Just saw the cover for Castle of Sorrows by Jonathan Janz, I think it looks amazing!! : )"

I'm so happy you like it, Maria. I think it's amazing too. I'm very thankful to have Angela Waters as a cover artist. :-)


message 80: by Maria

Maria Just saw the cover for Castle of Sorrows by Jonathan Janz , I think it looks amazing!! : )


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