Staking his Claim with The Lawson Vampire series
By Joseph McGee


Jon Merz is one of the most consistent, prolific, and original writers on the market today, specializing in mystery thrillers that contain a supernatural element. His short story Prisoner 392 appeared in “From the Borderlands,” an anthology that included works by Stephen King and Bentley Little ~ not bad company at all.

Most of Jon’s books grabbed at least 4 stars out of 5 on Amazon.com’s ranking sheet. Reader feedback suggests that it’s Jon’s writing style ~ likened to a combination of the mystery of Anne Rice and the captivating, innovative storylines of Steven King ~ that makes his work so popular. The full-time writer and part time martial arts teacher cites David Morrell and Robert Parker as the two additional influences in his development as a novelist. And quite the novelist he has turned out to be, able to reach the readers and suck them in like a hurricane, not letting up until the very last page.

Jon, a US Air Force veteran who lives with his wife and two sons, is a fellow member of the Horror Writers Association and shared a little bit of background on his most powerful series, The Lawson Vampire Novels, published by Kensington Publishing Corp. “Lawson came about as the result of a short story that combined my love of horror with my love of spy novels,” he explained. Jon brings something new to the table, something rare and exhilarating. He’s not the typical I’m-going-to-suck-your-blood vampire storyteller. It’s an understatement when he says, “It’s a nice twist on what people expect when they grab a vamp book.” Much of that “twist” is thanks to the irresistible character of Lawson. Says his creator, “Lawson’s a mix of every cool character or person I’ve ever known. He’s a classic anti-hero; the kind of dude who gets tossed into bad situations because he’s got some sort of ambiguous sense of honor.”

If you’re already a fan of Jon’s work or if your interest has been piqued enough to give it a read for the first time, you’re in luck ~ the next installment of the Lawson series will be available early this year at booksellers everywhere, on Jon’s website (www.jonfmerz.com), and on his Lawson Vampire series MySpace page (www.myspace.com/lawsonvampire), where the previous four books in the series and some are also available for purchase.

Also, keep an eye out for Jon to be making an appearance at your local bookstore to coincide with the release of The Kensei, his newest novel and book five in The Lawson Vampire saga.

Do you have a favorite
horror film?
Jaws

Any particular novel you’d
recommend?
Any Spenser book by Robert B. Parker and The Brotherhood of the Rose by David Morrell