Jonathan Janz's Blog, page 13

EXORCIST ROAD Chosen as The Mortuary’s Book of the Month

Howdy, friends! The excellent folks over at Dreadful Tales and The Mortuary have selected my brand-new novella EXORCIST ROAD as their September Book of the Month. Here’s the article/review about it on the Dreadful Tales website, and here’s the link to the forum thread in which the story will be examined/discussed/vivisected over the next several weeks. Here’s one of my favorite parts from the Dreadful Tales article:

“With Exorcist Road, Janz ushers in a new era of thrills and violence, the likes of which haven’t been seen since the old school paperback days. I would gladly stand this novella alongside lurid horror gems like Ketchum’s Off Season for its shock factor; the unbridled aggression of Laymon’s One Rainy Night; and the sexually charged nastiness of Tessier’s Rapture.”

One of My Very Favorite Writers

So a big thank you to Colum McKnight for writing the above words (words that are especially humbling and exciting because of the three authors referenced), and thank you to the rest of the folks at Dreadful Tales and The Mortuary for honoring my story by making it their September read.

And if you haven’t yet picked up your copy of EXORCIST ROAD, here’s one place where you can get it. It’s also available everywhere else ebooks are sold.

Another Humbling (and Exciting) Comparison

Second Review for EXORCIST ROAD: “A novella that will propel him to the top of the horror field”

Howdy, friends! My new Samhain Horror release EXORCIST ROAD is receiving an extremely positive welcome. There will be more news about this novella soon, but for now, let’s focus on its second review, this one from the “Not Too Terrible” review blog. Here is my favorite part:

“Riffing on the exorcism theme, newcomer Jonathan Janz delivers a novella that will propel him to the top of the horror field. What makes Exorcist Road stand out from your random run-of-the-mill horror novella is not just the quality of writing (which is superb) but also the creativity and addition of foreign elements to this story to take its intensity to the next level. This isn’t just a straight forward, priest-is-here-demon-is-exorcised story. Janz adds the “locked room” element and masterfully places Red Herrings throughout the entire book. Those will keep you guessing until the end.”

A Demon…and a Serial Killer

Before I forget, did I mention I’ll be doing a book signing this weekend at a major convention? More on that tomorrow…

The First EXORCIST ROAD Review: “You’ll be flying through the words and pages”

Hey, friends! My novella EXORCIST ROAD came out yesterday, and the first review is already here. Joe Hempel of Top of the Heap Reviews had this to say in his five-out-of-five star rave:

“Jonathan Janz works his magic once again by creating characters and situations you can relate to even within the realm of exorcism.”

And…

“It’s one of those books that you’ll have to stop and catch your breath while reading. The shots from the demon are so rapid fire, and so evil, that you’ll be flying through the words and pages.”

A Demon…and a Serial Killer

Gotta run now, but I’ll be posting tomorrow about another five-star review that was just posted at another review site. And if you haven’t taken the plunge yet, I urge you to do so. You can purchase EXORCIST ROAD here.

Have a safe night, friends.

Lock Your Doors. EXORCIST ROAD Drops at Midnight…

A Demon…and a Serial Killer

We’re a few short hours away, folks. I can’t wait for you to check this one out. Like my other three novellas (OLD ORDER, THE CLEARING OF TRAVIS COBLE, and WITCHING HOUR THEATRE), EXORCIST ROAD is told from a single point-of-view. Like those stories, this novella takes place over a very short period of time. But unlike them, this one very quickly crosses over into the realm of the supernatural.

The realm of demonic possession.

But like all my stories, I think you’re going to find some interesting characters in EXORCIST ROAD. They’ll have to face not just one, but two inexorable forces of evil: a uniquely monstrous demon and an unspeakably sadistic serial killer.

The story was inspired by my three favorite “possession” stories: William Peter Blatty’s THE EXORCIST and LEGION, as well as John Farris’s SON OF THE ENDLESS NIGHT. You can buy EXORCIST ROAD anywhere ebooks are sold, and at the moment it’s only $3.15 at the Samhain Horror online store.

Have a good night, friends. I’ll leave you with the below image…

 

The Exorcism Begins in Three Days…

EXORCIST ROAD is coming. If you haven’t heard about this brand-new plus-sized novella, here’s the description:

Possessed by a demon…or by the urge to kill?

Chicago is gripped by terror. “The Sweet Sixteen Killer” is brutally murdering sixteen-year-old girls, and the authorities are baffled.

A seemingly normal fourteen-year-old boy has attacked his entire family and had to be chained to his bed. His uncle, police officer Danny Hartman, is convinced his nephew is possessed by a demon. Danny has sent his partner, Jack, to fetch the only priest in Chicago who has ever performed an exorcism.

But Jack has other plans tonight. He believes the boy isn’t possessed by a demon, but instead by an insatiable homicidal urge. Jack believes the boy is the Sweet Sixteen Killer. And he aims to end the reign of terror before another girl dies.

A Demon…and a Serial Killer

This story combines the ferocity of the demonic possession sub-genre with the mysteriousness of a classic whodunit. I think you’re really going to enjoy this one, folks.

Get it here for only $3.15.

Sweet dreams.

 

 

 

 

 

On the Eve of EXORCIST ROAD’s Release, Pope Francis Approves Exorcisms

THE EXORCIST. LEGION. SON OF THE ENDLESS NIGHT.

Some of the best horror novels of the past half-century have examined demonic possession and the rites of exorcism. The topic itself is extremely complicated and even more controversial. Clearly, however, the concept of exorcism is a fascinating one that continues to enthrall readers and moviegoers everywhere.

As the title of this post mentions, Pope Francis has just reinstituted exorcism, calling it “a form of charity that benefits the sufferer.” Whether demonic possession is real or not, and whether or not exorcism is “a form of charity” are fiercely debated questions.

In my very-soon-to-be-released novella EXORCIST ROAD, two priests attempt to exorcise a fearsome demon inhabiting a fourteen-year-old boy. If you enjoy a spine-tingling tale and have ever enjoyed a story about demonic possession or exorcism, I hope you check out EXORCIST ROAD. And even if you haven’t read or seen an exorcism story, now is a great time to pick one up.

A Demon…and a Serial Killer

I have to go now. I’m editing one novel and writing another. I’ll be telling you about both of them soon…

Classic

EXORCIST ROAD: The Serial Killer and the Possession

Have you heard about my new novella? Even though I’m primarily a novelist, there are readers who actually prefer my novellas to my novels. They’re crazy, of course, because I’m awesome in either length. But yeah, some folks dig the novellas more.

But seriously.

Wait a minute…There aren’t any butter churns in this one?

There have been three novellas thus far: WITCHING HOUR THEATRE (which I’ll post some news about soonish), OLD ORDER (which you’ll enjoy unless you’re looking for an Amish romance, in which case you’ll leave me a one-star review on Amazon or Barnes & Noble and chastise me for not writing a wholesome story that features the Plain People doing, well, plain things, I guess), and THE CLEARING OF TRAVIS COBLE (which has an ending that once caused a co-worker to look at me like I was the lovechild of Ted Bundy and the Devil himself).

And now there’s a fourth. EXORCIST ROAD is the longest novella I’ve written, clocking in at well over a hundred pages. It’s also the first story I’ve written entirely from the first-person point-of-view. It’s also the first time I’ve dealt with demonic possession (in my fiction, not real life, though I sometimes wonder about my wife when she’s sleep-deprived—KIDDING, LOVEY! Don’t throw anything at me! You’re always sweet and loving and—*flees into another room*). Lastly, it’s my first Chicago story, which is sort of exciting. I love that place.

The Possessed Novella

Here’s what it’s about:

Possessed by a demon…or by the urge to kill?

Chicago is gripped by terror. “The Sweet Sixteen Killer” is brutally murdering sixteen-year-old girls, and the authorities are baffled.

A seemingly normal fourteen-year-old boy has attacked his entire family and had to be chained to his bed. His uncle, police officer Danny Hartman, is convinced his nephew is possessed by a demon. Danny has sent his partner, Jack, to fetch the only priest in Chicago who has ever performed an exorcism.

But Jack has other plans tonight. He believes the boy isn’t possessed by a demon, but instead by an insatiable homicidal urge. Jack believes the boy is the Sweet Sixteen Killer. And he aims to end the reign of terror before another girl dies.

Cut!

That’s all for now. I really think you’ll enjoy this one. So check it out. And read about the Sweet Sixteen Killer, the Chicago cops, the conflicted priests, the pretty mother on whom one of the priests has a crush, and the boy who just might be possessed.

Peace, friends. And stay off those Ouija boards.

“And you’re SURE you don’t cut people into small pieces before eating them?”

 

EXORCIST ROAD Available for Pre-Order

Howdy, all! Great news. My upcoming Samhain Horror release EXORCIST ROAD is now available for pre-order!

I guess I said that in the title, huh?

But that doesn’t make it any less true, people. Because it is. Available. Now. For pre-order, that is.

And it’s discounted! For only $3.15, you get over a hundred pages of supernatural (and serial killer) horror. But I’ll let the cover and the synopsis do the convincing…

Terror Comes to Chicago

Possessed by a demon…or by the urge to kill?

Chicago is gripped by terror. “The Sweet Sixteen Killer” is brutally murdering sixteen-year-old girls, and the authorities are baffled.

A seemingly normal fourteen-year-old boy has attacked his entire family and had to be chained to his bed. His uncle, police officer Danny Hartman, is convinced his nephew is possessed by a demon. Danny has sent his partner, Jack, to fetch the only priest in Chicago who has ever performed an exorcism.

But Jack has other plans tonight. He believes the boy isn’t possessed by a demon, but instead by an insatiable homicidal urge. Jack believes the boy is the Sweet Sixteen Killer. And he aims to end the reign of terror before another girl dies.

♦

And…cut! You ready to take the plunge yet? Don’t make me send the crazy thing on the cover over to your house!

Castle of Ambition: Walking the Halls of Darkness with Author Jonathan Janz

Howdy, friends! Here’s a new interview with me that discuss all sorts of things, including some seriously exciting stuff…

Castle of Ambition: Walking the Halls of Darkness with Author Jonathan Janz.

The Beast Returns

 

 

 

 

Leisure Horror Fans Rejoice! Samhain Horror Is HERE!

How many of you remember how awesome it used to be to be able to count on two Leisure Horror titles every month? I remember discovering names like Jack Ketchum, Richard Laymon, Brian Keene, Bryan Smith, John Everson, Tim Waggoner, and too many others to mention through Leisure. I also remembering, many years ago, deciding I wanted to be published by Leisure and edited by the man behind the line, Don D’Auria.

Don D’Auria. Suspected of Vampirism.
*If anyone has proof that Mr. D’Auria has aged in the past two decades, please contact the CIA.

Then Leisure and its parent company, Dorchester Publishing, went under, and Don began a horror line at a different company (Don, by the way, had nothing to do with the company’s financial woes and always treated his authors with the utmost respect).

Enter Samhain Publishing. Already a red-hot seller of romance titles, Samhain was ready to begin a new line of books in a different genre, and when Don D’Auria became available, they snatched him up and created Samhain Horror.

Erotic Horror

What’s my point?

Before everything went bad at Leisure, you could count on two awesome horror novels every month. Now, at Samhain Horror, you can count on (at least) two awesome horror novels every month, plus at least one or two novellas.

Leisure’s book were affordable. You could grab a paperback for about eight bucks. Now, by clicking on this link and buying directly from the Samhain Horror website (and using the PAPERBACK50 code at checkout), you can buy a paperback for about eight bucks. The ebooks are reasonably priced as well, often selling for under four bucks in the first month of release.

Tim Waggoner. Rock Star.

Same editor. Same quality. Same affordability. Heck, Samhain even features some of the same authors (including the aforementioned Bryan Smith, John Everson, and Tim Waggoner). And I dare say you’ll love many of the new authors Samhain Horror has midwifed into existence (including Brian Moreland, Hunter Shea, Kristopher Rufty, a ton of other fantastic writers, and….*whistles politely*….*pauses out of respect for other authors or maybe just to add drama to his own name’s unveiling*…Jonathan Janz).

Bryan Smith Mayhem

So if you were one of the orphaned Leisure Horror fans left in the lurch when that company—well, let’s just say it wasn’t pretty, you can rejoice. Samhain Horror has your fix. Monthly. For a good price.

That is all.

Oh, and buy the book pictured below. It’s a great place to start reading Samhain Horror.

A Wild Vampire Western