Jonathan Janz's Blog, page 4

Update City

Hey, friends. Lots happening. Here are just a few items in which you might be interested…

–Thunderstorm Books nearly sold out of the first volume (THE SORROWS) in my line (Shadow Side) before the book officially went on sale. There still might be a stray copy you can snag, so you can check right here for availability.

–The SECOND book in the Shadow Side limited edition hardcover series is coming very soon. It’s called HOUSE OF SKIN, which Edward Lee called “The Quintessential Haunted House Novel” and the Library Journal likened to Peter Straub’s GHOST STORY and Shirley Jackson’s THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE. I think you’ll want to grab a copy.

–The announcement hasn’t been made yet, but it looks like I’ll be in Virginia twice this year, once for my annual visit to Scares That Care (an amazing event you should attend at any cost) and again for something incredible happening in late October. More info on this soon, but you might reserve October 27th (my birthday, coincidentally).

–I’ve been working on the two best books I’ve ever done. They both represent my most ambitious undertakings to date (one a single novel, the other the first book in a major series), and I couldn’t be excited about how they’re going. More on these soon, but here’s one of the stories that inspired one of my works-in-progress:

–New reviews of CHILDREN OF THE DARK, my latest release, continue to pour in steadily. Here’s an excellent one from Dead End Follies.

–Author Tim Meyer interviewed me on his blog, and the results were pretty cool. Check it out here. Thanks to Tim for doing such an awesome job.

Much more to talk about, but several obligations call. Talk to you soon, friends!

 

“The Ascent of Jonathan Janz”

Even though the title of this post is the name of someone else’s article, I felt a little weird typing it myself. So…yeah. Those are the writer’s–the awesome Mark Sieber’s–words, not mine. Which only makes me sort of a tool for making it the title of this post.

But Mark is far from a tool. Mark is one of the brightest and coolest people in horror. Few know the genre like he does. So for him to say the things he said in this Horror Drive-In article was incredibly humbling. And awesome.

My favorite parts? Here are a couple:

“I knew almost from the very start that he would be one of the big ones, and not just one of the good ones.”

And…

“I have sort of a litmus test for horror novels. While reading one, I will ask myself if I would be interesting in reading it if there were no horrific elements to the story. In the case of Children of the Dark, the answer is a resounding yes. The youthful characters in the novel are likable and I’d be more than happy to read about them indulging in the usual proclivities of average kids.”

Here’s the whole article.

Thank you, Mark, for creating this article. It means more than you know.

The Library Journal and CHILDREN OF THE DARK

Howdy, friends! The Library Journal has just published an outstanding article featuring six big 2016 horror releases. Included in that lineup are Brian Keene’s PRESSURE and Joe Hill’s THE FIREMAN. The article also talks about my new novel CHILDREN OF THE DARK, calling it “a perfect choice for those missing old-school Stephen King.” Which is just about the nicest thing anyone could say about my work, especially in light of my recent blog post about how much I appreciate my favorite writer of all time.

Huge thanks to Becky Spratford for writing such an excellent article, and thanks to The Library Journal for publishing it.

Peace, friends.

Stephen King: What We Can’t Say Enough

I saw an article on Facebook the other day about why some individual can’t like/respect/support Stephen King. I didn’t read it because it was clearly incendiary clickbait. Not that one can’t dislike King and have legitimate reasons for doing so. One of my favorite readers and horror friends actively dislikes King’s work, but he has well-articulated reasons for his stance. Granted, I totally disagree with him, but I respect his right to avoid my favorite author and acknowledge that his opinion is as valid as mine.

But I’m entitled to my opinion too.

Calling King my favorite author isn’t going far enough. He’s the person who singlehandedly made me a reader. He’s the writer who determined my career path.

He’s the man who restored my adolescent self-esteem by convincing me that I wasn’t stupid. With his words, he showed me what was inside of me. He resurrected my imagination. He reawakened the innocent magic in my heart that had been buried under a landslide of self-doubt and self-consciousness.

Stephen King taught me to dream again.

Let me share a theory with you: There is no such thing as a non-reader. There are only people who haven’t yet found the right books.

The right books, of course, vary from person to person, but I truly believe that everyone could be a reader if only he or she could hit on that one story that speaks to them on a personal level.

King was that writer for me.

Prior to the summer before my freshman year in high school, I was convinced I was an idiot. I had never read a book from cover to cover and considered this a symptom of an inferior intellect. What I know now is I was simply trying the wrong books.

The right book for me, it turned out, was THE TOMMYKNOCKERS. I’ve talked at length about this transformative experience elsewhere, but suffice to say that reading King’s weird tale transported me like no book ever had. I proceeded to read everything by King I could get my hands on, and over the next four years, he made me love reading. He also kindled in me a desire to write stories of my own, but let’s set that aside for now, as this post isn’t about my writing.

It’s about the gift of Stephen King.

That’s right, I called him a gift. The problem with a gift is that it’s only new for so long, and once the thrill of its newness is gone, we tend to take for granted how wonderful it is, whether it’s a year old, a decade old, or in this case, nearly forty-two years old.

Do you realize that Carrie turns forty-two this April? Do you realize that Stephen King wrote ‘Salem’s Lot, The Shining, The Dead Zone, Night Shift, and The Stand over the first five years of his career? Or that over the next ten years he wrote It, Cujo, Different Seasons, Misery, Pet Sematary, Skeleton Crew, and the first two Dark Tower novels? Or that he followed that amazing decade by producing two more Dark Tower books, The Green Mile, Desperation, Four Past Midnight, Needful Things, and the spellbinding tale I’m reading now, Bag of Bones? More on that one later…

Did I mention that King nearly died in 1999?

Which would have meant he never would have written Black House, the next four Dark Tower books (I’m including The Wind through the Keyhole, which I absolutely loved), Under the Dome, Everything’s Eventual, 11/22/63, Full Dark, No Stars, Mr. Mercedes, Joyland, and…

…and the list of books I haven’t mentioned is longer than the list of ones I have, and you could throw a dart at that other list and hit a book that would make nearly every other author in the world seethe with jealousy. How many authors, for instance, write a story as gripping as Firestarter? As creepy as N.? As intense as Christine?

Most authors go their entire careers without sniffing a novel as engrossing as The Dark Half, yet it hardly rates a mention. How can it when it’s vying with so many freaking classics?

And I say all this to you, and you nod your heads and answer, “Yeah, he’s great. I mean, he’s the man, right? There’s no one like King,” and we go on with our lives and don’t really stop to appreciate the magnitude of what he has accomplished, what he’s still accomplishing, nor do we sing his praises frequently enough or take the time to marvel at his abilities.

About those abilities…

If you look hard at his early work and his current work, you’ll find something remarkable:

He’s still improving.

Oh, that’s not to say his early work is wanting in any way–it’s not. ‘Salem’s Lot and The Stand are two of my top five horror novels of all time; I’m as devout an admirer of early King as anyone.

Yet studying his later work, reveling in Joyland and Mr. Mercedes and basking in the wonders of Under the Dome and Full Dark, No Stars, I can say with no hesitation that King’s recent writing possesses a deeper emotional resonance than it ever has, that his mastery of language is stronger than it has ever been, that his unparalleled talent for inhabiting his characters on a soul-deep level has never been stronger.

There. I said it. Impossibly, King is still getting better, and he was already the best horror author of all time by a sizable margin. Hell, I consider him the best writer of all time, regardless of genre.

We say we admire King’s work. We say he’s a great writer. We know his accomplishments are unparalleled.

But we need to say more, and we need to say it with greater frequency. Because King is with us now. He’s writing classic stories right now. And somewhere, someone is slapping away at a keyboard in an attempt to tear him down. Clickbait, hits, views, advertising, those things matter more to some people than great writing.

Just remember this: Standing up for Stephen King is standing up for great writing.

So I’ll close by saying this: The world has never seen a writer like Stephen King. I doubt the world will ever see one like him again. On a personal level, he showed me that reading can be even more immersive than a movie can be. More importantly, he showed me that I wasn’t stupid after all–I was just picking the wrong books. When a kid feels good about himself, his whole world improves. King made me feel smart, and prior to that epiphany, I had been convinced of the opposite.

 

So thank you, Stephen King, for helping me to like myself.

Thank you for helping me to believe in myself.

Thank you for entertaining me.

Thank you for stirring my emotions.

Thank you for making me love words. By kindling that passion, you made me love reading, which in turn made me want to become a teacher (incidentally, I currently teach English, Creative Writing, and Film Literature).

Mr. King, you’re the reason I’m a writer.

So thank you. Though I can never say it enough, I appreciate all you’ve done for me. I appreciate you.

Now, if you’ll all excuse me, I have a Stephen King novel awaiting me.

As a proud Constant Reader, I’m going to keep my appointment.

 

 

 

A Very Special Giveaway

I typed the title of this post, retyped it, cocked my head, and still can’t escape the notion that it looks like the name of a cheesy television special: THE JEFFERSONS: A VERY SPECIAL THANKSGIVING. Or A PROFOUNDLY GROOVY LOVE BOAT CHRISTMAS. But dang it, that doesn’t make the sentiment any less true.

I’ve never let folks see what I’m working on. As my writer friend Bob Ford says, you can’t let the magic out of the bottle. However, for a very special winner (that pesky very special again!), he or she will be allowed a glimpse the first fifteen thousand words of my current work-in-progress. The winner will ALSO get a free signed, inscribed paperback of his or her choice. Not bad, huh?

How to enter? Leave an Amazon review of my new novel CHILDREN OF THE DARK by April 10th.

That’s it.

It’s a brisk read, one that won’t take you ages to slog through. And I dare say you’ll find the journey worthwhile. At least, if critics and readers are to be believed.

Have a great Saturday, folks. I hope you check out my new nightmare.

Booklist Gives CHILDREN OF THE DARK a Starred Review!

Hey, friends. Booklist is one of the most important review sites in America. And the March 15th issue will include a starred review of CHILDREN OF THE DARK with the following quotes:

“This is the perfect book for those who love classic Stephen King. Think Stand by Me meets Something Wicked This Way Comes with a generous helping of the pulp sensibility of Brian Keene and you have Janz, a horror storyteller on the rise.”

Seeing as how Stephen King is my favorite writer of all time (and the reason I’m a reader and a writer), that Ray Bradbury is the man who wrote both my favorite novel and short story, and that Brian Keene is also one of my favorite authors ever and a major influence on my work, the above quote blew my mind.

Here’s another:

“The strong narrative voice, a recently awoken ancient evil, and a terrifying serial killer with surprisingly strong ties to Will combine forces to deliver a story with an old school horror feel that is in no way derivative. Heart-pounding action, well developed characters (both good and evil), and just the right amount of gore drive this fast paced story to its unsettling conclusion.”

With Brian Keene

The above quotes are from the Booklist review (which is included at this link). On the RA for All blog, the review’s author Becky Spratford also adds the following:

“I read a lot of horror books, and when it comes to newer voices, I always go in with a skeptical eye, meaning I was predisposed to not being impressed here. That fact makes how much I was blown away by this novel even more impressive. Janz has been receiving praise in the horror community for about a year, but now is the time for the wider world to start reading him.”

Becky goes on to mention Nick Cutter’s THE TROOP, Jeff Strand’s DWELLER, and Nate Kenyon’s SPARROW ROCK as novels that CHILDREN OF THE DARK brought to mind.

Thank you to Becky for this amazing review and this wonderful honor.

Oh…and I guess I should mention that CHILDREN OF THE DARK releases TOMORROW!

iHorror: “The Book Haunts My Dreams, My Reality”

Ryan Cusick, writing for the popular iHorror entertainment site, took on my upcoming release CHILDREN OF THE DARK (March 15th!) and had this to say…

“Janz not only loves his characters, he cares deeply about them and, in turn, the reader now cares. Children of the Dark is unlike anything I had read before, and the book haunts my dreams, my reality, and I am enjoying every minute of it! When I am in a dark room, I find myself turning over my shoulder peering at the shadows asking myself, ‘That was just a book, right?'”

You can read the rest of the glowing review right here. A big Thank You to Ryan for writing it.

Have a good night, friends. Only eight more days…

New CHILDREN OF THE DARK Rave: “An incredible read”

Shane Keene, the guru of the Shotgun Logic book review site, has just published his review of my upcoming novel CHILDREN OF THE DARK. Did he like it? Check out these quotes…

“CHILDREN OF THE DARK is the best coming of age story I’ve read since McCammon’s BOY’S LIFE, and I can’t recommend it enough.”

And this:

“Words like excellent, outstanding, unsurpassed, etc., have been used by reviewers–myself included–so many times as to feel like tired old cliches. They also seem to have been invented for the purpose of describing the work of authors like Stephen King, Charlee Jacob, and Peter Straub. Oh, and Jonathan Janz too. I’m not exaggerating or indulging in hyperbole when I say that. I’ve said it before, and I will continue to say it. Janz rates with the best of the best in the horror community and I will continue to read everything he publishes.”

 

Then there’s this:

“Every book I’ve read by Janz to date has been an experience to cherish. His writing is fresh, even when he’s taking on an old trope, and his mastery of language is picture perfect, engaging, and captivating. And each time I finish one of his books I feel like I’m beaming with a satisfied glow, having just encountered something groundbreaking and entirely original.”

Needless to say, I really dug this review. The rest of it is here. Thank you, Shane, for writing it.

Have you all preordered the ebook yet? If you’re waiting for the paperback, you can order that gorgeous puppy on March 15th, the book’s release date.

Have a good night, all.

Instagram Giveaway! Ebooks! Audiobooks!

Hey, friends. You can secure up to four chances at winning one of seven awesome prizes in my Instagram giveaway. The first is to either follow me on Instagram (at jonathan.janz) or to “Like” the picture shown below (the logo for my new Thunderstorm Books line of limited edition hardcovers):

Then, to secure THREE more chances at having your name drawn, all you need to do is share this blog post on Facebook, Twitter, WordPress, or share the above image on Instagram.

If you do so, you could win one of the following…

1. A free digital version of my novel THE NIGHTMARE GIRL

2. An Audio Realms Publishing Company audiobook of SAVAGE SPECIES

3. A digital version of WOLF LAND

4. An audiobook version of WOLF LAND

5. A digital version of DUST DEVILS

6. An audiobook version of THE DARKEST LULLABY

7. A digital version of SAVAGE SPECIES

Listen to the terror…

On Monday night I will choose FIVE different winners (you’ll each get to choose among the seven options listed above).

That’s all, friends. Good luck!

 

Third Eye Blind’s “Motorcycle Drive By”

Just two lines. Short, simple.

But they mean so much.

Confession time: One of my recurring faults as a younger man was my tendency to tie up far too much of my self-worth (as in all of it) in how the girls/women I liked treated me. If a girl I was dating acted into me, I felt confident and strong. If she didn’t…

Well, you can guess.

Over time, odds are we all break some hearts, and we all get our hearts broken. But a wrong idea to which I clung for the longest time was that there was someone out there who could make me happy.

Think about those last five words: who could make me happy.

Not finding happiness on my own–finding someone who would do it for me.

It wasn’t until I was maybe twenty-five that I realized that was a fool’s errand. It wasn’t until I was twenty-five that I realized that my self-worth wasn’t determined by this woman or that woman, by this phone call or that email. It was determined by my decision to be happy with myself.

Strangely enough, one of my favorite songs addresses this very thing. In Third Eye Blind’s “Motorcycle Drive By,” the following two lines recur…

I’ve never been so alone 

And I’ve never been so alive.

 

I’ve said before that I’m a slow learner, and so I am. Many of you figured this out during earliest childhood; others learned it in adolescence. It took me a quarter-century to realize that I had to be happy with myself before I could be happy in a relationship, that me alone was better than me with someone who wasn’t right for me. A simple lesson, yes, but crucial.

The song in question contains longing, love, and regret. But it’s spangled with a dazzling sense of liberation, an edifying burst of joy.

Here it is. See if you don’t agree.

One last thing. It’s good to make mistakes as long as you learn from them. It took me a long time to learn this particular lesson, but when I did, a sense of peace I’d never dreamed possible started to grow within me.

A year or so later, I met my wife. And even though I was better on my own than I was with every other woman I dated, the me I became with my wife was a better version yet.

And now?

You might roll your eyes at me, but it’s true:

I’ve never been so alive.