Ask the Author: Jonathan Janz
Answered Questions (56)
Jonathan Janz
It is! It's a winter horror novel billed as THE THING meets 10 CLOVERFIELD LANE.
Jonathan Janz
Hello, Aaron. There will be a COTD3! I'm currently tied up with several projects, but when I get through everything I need to write and edit, I'll begin work on the third installment of this series. I'm guessing it will come out...in 2026 or 2027? That's just a guess though.
Jonathan Janz
Hello! Sorry about the very late reply. Thank you for your kind words!
1. Give yourself permission to suck. Don't worry about anything in that first draft but pouring out the words. You can always shape things/rewrite during the editing process. Write with the door closed; edit with the door open.
2. No experience with self-publishing, so can't help there.
3. I'll be in Knox, IN on 9/7, Brownsville, PA on 9/13, St. Louis from 10/4 to 10/6, Delphi, IN on 10/11, and Las Vegas from 10/24 to 10/27. There'll be MANY more events in 2025.
Thanks again for your questions, and have a good one!
1. Give yourself permission to suck. Don't worry about anything in that first draft but pouring out the words. You can always shape things/rewrite during the editing process. Write with the door closed; edit with the door open.
2. No experience with self-publishing, so can't help there.
3. I'll be in Knox, IN on 9/7, Brownsville, PA on 9/13, St. Louis from 10/4 to 10/6, Delphi, IN on 10/11, and Las Vegas from 10/24 to 10/27. There'll be MANY more events in 2025.
Thanks again for your questions, and have a good one!
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 later.
Thanks for asking about it, and I'll talk to you soon!
JJ
Thanks for asking about it, and I'll talk to you soon!
JJ
Jonathan Janz
Oh my. Well, I do love the book, and it's done, but it's still not where I want it to be. I hate to say this, but it'll likely be awhile before my agent sends it out. I've got about four other big projects in the queue first. But EVENTUALLY I do think I'll get AMITY where I want it to be. Thank you for asking about it!
:-)
:-)
Jonathan Janz
Hello, Austin, and thank you! Here's the new link to reorder. It has been a difficult day with that inexplicable cancellation, but hopefully everyone will reorder! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D2JMHGLZ/
Jonathan Janz
Hey, thank you! I really appreciate. There's been some movie interest but no deal yet. I wrote a screenplay for it, so there's that. :-)
I'm not sure about a sequel, but if I decide to do one, I already have a title and a concept.
Thanks again, and I'll talk to you soon!
I'm not sure about a sequel, but if I decide to do one, I already have a title and a concept.
Thanks again, and I'll talk to you soon!
Jonathan Janz
Great question! I didn't wrestle. I was definitely more the basketball build, so that was my sport. I did have friends who wrestled, however, so I drew a bit on stuff they'd say. And as a teacher, I've had several colleagues who coach wrestling, so that influenced COS too.
Thank you for reading it, Dez!
Thank you for reading it, Dez!
Jonathan Janz
Thank you so much for your kind words! I really appreciate them.
I hope to have a firm release date in the next week or so. Cemetery Dance had an editor change not long ago, and I'm sure that had some impact on the release schedule for the sequel. My best guess is that it's released sometime in April, but it could be the end of March or beginning of May. I hope to have a firmer date for you very soon. I'm so excited for folks to finally read this book! Thanks again!
I hope to have a firm release date in the next week or so. Cemetery Dance had an editor change not long ago, and I'm sure that had some impact on the release schedule for the sequel. My best guess is that it's released sometime in April, but it could be the end of March or beginning of May. I hope to have a firmer date for you very soon. I'm so excited for folks to finally read this book! Thanks again!
Jonathan Janz
Thank you so much for this question and your kind words, Andi! I'm so glad you enjoyed it. My inspiration was probably all the classic horror I read (particularly Shelley and Poe), as well as many of the classic horror films I watched. This story really flowed easily onto the page, so I figure the seeds were in me a good while.
As for returning to gothic horror, that's a resounding yes! I plan on doing another novella in this vein (not with the same characters, but with many of the same characteristics, like a gothic setting, time period, and voice). I just have to find the time to write it. :-)
Thanks again, and have a great night!
As for returning to gothic horror, that's a resounding yes! I plan on doing another novella in this vein (not with the same characters, but with many of the same characteristics, like a gothic setting, time period, and voice). I just have to find the time to write it. :-)
Thanks again, and have a great night!
Jonathan Janz
I am on a bit of a sci-fi/horror kick right now. I wrote one called VEIL, and I have high hopes for it. I can't give you specific dates/publisher yet, but I hope to have news soon. I'm also working on another book called THE STARS HAVE LEFT THE SKIES that has sci-fi elements (though it's firmly rooted in horror...the closest comp would be THE THING).
I definitely love sci-fi. One recent one I read and loved was George R.R. Martin's THE NIGHTFLYERS. That book was fantastic!
I definitely love sci-fi. One recent one I read and loved was George R.R. Martin's THE NIGHTFLYERS. That book was fantastic!
Jonathan Janz
It did! Jack Ketchum/Dallas Mayr and I had that exact conversation at Scares That Care, and it's still one of the most transformative moments I've had as a writer. He was the kind of person who's irreplaceable. Just a fantastic human.
Jonathan Janz
Thank you for the question, Steve. No plans yet, but my agent and I are looking for the right mass market publisher. Hopefully I'll have news soon!
Jonathan Janz
Hello, Mahesh! Marla was only published as a limited edition hardcover (500 copies) by a specialty press named Earthling. I retained all other rights to the book, and my agent plans on selling those when we find the right publisher(s). Hopefully, there will be an ebook, a paperback, an audiobook, and maybe even a film version of Marla eventually. There's a great deal of interest around it, so we'll keep our fingers crossed!
Jonathan Janz
Hello, Kyle! Thanks for the question. I am delighted to report that Children of the Dark will be available in ebook and paperback in November from Cemetery Dance, and the sequel will be coming in February. So I'm guessing that will include Canada.
I can't wait for you to read it! :-)
JJ
I can't wait for you to read it! :-)
JJ
Jonathan Janz
Hello, my friend! My favorite horror novel changes all the time, but here are a few of them:
IT, 'SALEM'S LOT, THE STAND, DUMA KEY, and others by Stephen King
GHOST STORY by Peter Straub
HELL HOUSE by Richard Matheson
THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE by Shirley Jackson
Those are just some off the top of my head. :-)
IT, 'SALEM'S LOT, THE STAND, DUMA KEY, and others by Stephen King
GHOST STORY by Peter Straub
HELL HOUSE by Richard Matheson
THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE by Shirley Jackson
Those are just some off the top of my head. :-)
Jonathan Janz
Thank you so much, Liam! As luck would have it, the novel will be re-released (with only minor changes) in October, and the sequel is coming in February. They'll both be published by Cemetery Dance. :-)
Jonathan Janz
That's a great question! I'm pretty sure he's fictional. If I'm remembering correctly, for that character I think I researched old serial killer stories, but I think the name might have come from one of my favorite short stories, Arthur Machen's "The Great God Pan." The evil woman in that story is named Helen Vaughan, so I might have combined the author's first name with that since that story had a profound impact on The Sorrows and many other books I've written.
Thank you for the question, Rounak!
Thank you for the question, Rounak!
Jonathan Janz
That is an excellent question. I hope that will happen in the next couple of years. I would LOVE for that to happen sooner rather than later. Thank you for this question!
Jonathan Janz
Hey, Dallas! So great to hear from you. I have NOT read Darcy Coates, but she's long been on my radar. Which book would you suggest to start with her? And lastly, naw, I don't worry about the errors in questions. I'm just grateful folks take the time to interact. I'll talk to you soon! :-)
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