Janet Evanovich

Background

Janet Evanovich was born on April 22, 1943, in South River, New Jersey, to a machinist and a housewife.

Education

After attending South River High School, Janet became the first in her family to attend college when she enrolled at Douglass College, part of Rutgers University, to study art.

Career

When Evanovich had children, she chose to become a housewife like her mother. In her thirties, she began writing novels. To learn the art of writing dialog, Evanovich took lessons in improv acting. For ten years, she attempted to write the "Great American Novel", finishing three manuscripts that she was unable to sell. After someone suggested she try writing romance novels, Evanovich read several romances and discovered that she enjoyed the genre. She wrote two romances and submitted them for publishing. Still unable to find a publisher, Evanovich stopped writing and signed with a temporary employment agency. Several months after beginning work for them, she received an offer to buy her second romance manuscript for $2,000, which she considered an "astounding sum."

That novel, "Hero at Large", was published in 1987 in the Second Chance Love category line under the pseudonym Steffie Hall. The following year she began writing for Bantam Loveswept under her own name. For the next five years she continued to write category romances for Loveswept. Her work within the romance novel genre helped her learn to create likable characters and attractive leading men. In this time, Evanovich also became known for the humor that filled her novels. She believes that "it's very important to take a comic approach. If we can laugh at something, we can face it."

After finishing her twelfth romance, however, Evanovich realized that she was more interested in writing the action sequences in her novels than the sex scenes. Her editors were not interested in her change of heart, so Evanovich took the next eighteen months to formulate a plan for what she actually wanted to write.

She quickly decided that she wanted to write romantic adventure novels. Unlike the style of romance novels, her books would be told in first person narrative. Her new type of writing should contain heroes and heroines, as well as "a sense of family and community." In that vein, she intended her new style of writing to be based on the TV sitcom model. "Like Seinfeld", her new books would have a central character that the rest of the cast of characters revolve around.

Inspired by the Robert De Niro movie "Midnight Run", Evanovich decided that her heroine would be a bounty hunter. This occupation provided more freedom for Evanovich as a writer, as bounty hunters do not have a set work schedule and are not forced to wear a uniform. The profession is also "romanticised to some extent." To become acquainted with the demands of the career, Evanovich spent a great deal of time shadowing bond enforcement agents. She also researched more about the city of Trenton, where she wanted her books to be set.

In 1994, her initial romantic adventure, "One for the Money", was published to good reviews. This was the first of a light-hearted series of mysteries starring barely competent bounty hunter Stephanie Plum. "One for the Money" was named a New York Times notable book, a Publishers Weekly Best Book of 1994 and a USA Today Best Bet.

Evanovich has continued to write romantic adventures starring Stephanie Plum. The sixth book in the series, "Hot Six", was the first of her novels to reach number one on the New York Times Best Seller List. Her subsequent "Plum" novels have each debuted at number one. All About Romance has described her as the "rare breed of romance author who has left the genre and yet not alienated her many romance fans."

"The Plum" novels have taken many attributes from Evanovich's own life. Evanovich shares many commonalities with her character Stephanie Plum. Both are from New Jersey, both devour Cheetos, both had owned a hamster, and both have shared "similar embarrassing experiences." The character Grandma Mazur is loosely based on Evanovich's "Grandma Fanny" and "Aunt Lena." Evanovich claims the spirited elderly lady is "who I want to be when I grow up."

Shortly before "One for the Money" was released, Evanovich sold the movie rights to Columbia TriStar for $1 million. Lions Gate Entertainment released "One for the Money" on January 27, 2012. The film stars Katherine Heigl as Stephanie Plum, Sherri Shepherd from "The View" as Lula, Debbie Reynolds as Grandma Mazur, Jason O'Mara as Joe Morelli, and Daniel Sunjata as Ranger. It was directed by Julie Anne Robinson. Her latest Stephanie Plum novel, "Hardcore Twenty-Four", was released November 21, 2017 and it reached number one on The New York Times Fiction Best Sellers of 2017 for December 3.

In 2016 Evanovich released the first book, "Curious Minds", in her new "Knight & Moon" mystery series. Co-authored with Phoef Sutton, the book introduces two new characters, Emerson Knight and Riley Moon. Emerson Knight is a rich, eccentric introvert with little-to-no sense of social etiquette. He is also brilliant and handsome. Riley Moon is a recent Harvard Law and Harvard Business graduate. Her aggressive Texas spitfire attitude helped her land her dream job as a junior analyst at Blane-Grunwald where Emerson is a client. Together this unlikely duo finds themselves thrust into solving the most difficult of mysteries.

In 2010 Evanovich published "Wicked Appetite", spinning off the character Diesel from the between-the-numbers Plum books. The heroine of "Wicked Appetite" is sweet cupcake baker Lizzie Tucker, who, unlike Stephanie Plum, can cook. The "Wicked" series is set in Salem, Massachusetts. In the series, Diesel & Lizzie search for the seven stones of power, each representing a different deadly sin. Lizzie & Diesel are "Unmentionables" humans with additional powers.

In 2012 Evanovich published "Wicked Business", the second in the series. In "Wicked Business", the stone embodies the sin of lust. A new villain is introduced, deranged candy heiress Deirdre Early, or Anarchy. Lizzie, through a selfless act and exchange of body fluids with Wulf, converts the lust stone into the "icky true love stone", implying that in the right circumstances, the stones of sin can be converted into stones of virtue.

In 2015 Evanovich teamed up with Phoef Sutton for the third novel in the series, "Wicked Charms." In June 2013, Evanovich published the novella "Pros & Cons" and the novel "The Heist", the first two works in a new series co-written with Lee Goldberg. Since then the series has grown to five novels ("The Heist", "The Chase", "The Job", "The Scam", and "The Pursuit"), two novellas ("Pros & Cons" and "The Shell Game") and one online short-story, "The Caper."

The protagonist is FBI special agent Kate O’Hare who has devoted her career to taking down one of the FBI’s most wanted con men and master thieves, Nick Fox. That is until the FBI pairs Kate with the most unlikely person, Nick Fox, to take down criminals. Together they travel the globe skirting on the edge of what is legal and illegal. Kate’s father, Jake O’Hare, a retired Special Forces operative, often aids in their quest. In June 2016, the fifth novel in the series, "The Pursuit", was released.

Evanovich began a collaborative effort with Charlotte Hughes because she wanted to see some of her other ideas on paper but did not have the time to write them. This resulted in the "Full" series. The "Full" series is set in Beaumont, South Carolina and features Jamie Swift and Maximillian Holt, who meet in the second "Full" book, "Full Tilt."

The Elsie Hawkins novels are stand alone romances with a supporting character Elsie Hawkins, who is a gun totin' retiree, with tight grey curls, who "doesn't take sass from no one." Elsie drives a 1957 powder blue Cadillac that never seems to sustain damage. In the Stephanie Plum series, Grandma Mazur and Stephanie drive Uncle Sandor's 1953 powder blue Buick, which has similar indestructibility.

In 2004, Evanovich launched another series with Metro Girl. This book debuted at Number 2 on the New York Times Best Seller List. The heroine is Alexandra Barnaby, an auto mechanic. Her love interest is Sam Hooker, a hedonistic NASCAR driver. The "Motor" series is set in the southern U.S. states. Further books in the series include "Motor Mouth" and "Troublemaker 1 & 2" (graphic novels).

Evanovich collaborated with Stephen J. Cannell, noted T.V. writer and producer, on a book entitled "No Chance", which was to be the first book in a new series. It was supposed to be released in October 2007. However, in July 2007, the book was canceled. Stephen J. Cannell died in 2010 of melanoma.

Achievements

• Janet gained fame authoring a series of contemporary mysteries featuring Stephanie Plum, a former lingerie buyer from Trenton, New Jersey, who becomes a bounty hunter to make ends meet after losing her job. The novels in this series have been on The New York Times, USA Today, Wall Street Journal and Amazon bestseller lists. Evanovich has had her last seventeen Plums debut at #1 on the NY Times Best Sellers list and eleven of them have hit #1 on USA Today Best-Selling Books list. She has over two hundred million books in print worldwide and is translated into over 40 languages.

Works

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  • The Pursuit: A Fox and O'Hare Novel

    (#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Janet Evanovich, author of...)

    2016
  • The Heist (Fox and O'Hare Series, Book 1)

    (NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • From Janet Evanovich, #1 best...)

    2013
  • One for the Money (Stephanie Plum, No. 1)

    (Discover where it all began—#1 New York Times bestselling...)

    1999
  • Lean Mean Thirteen (Stephanie Plum, No. 13)

    (New secrets, old flames, and hidden agendas are about to ...)

    2009
  • Takedown Twenty: A Stephanie Plum Novel

    (#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Powerhouse author Janet Evan...)

    2013
  • The Chase (Fox and O'Hare Series, Book 2)

    (NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldber...)

    2014
  • To the Nines (Stephanie Plum, No. 9)

    (Stephanie Plum's got rent to pay, people shooting at her,...)

    2008
  • Two for the Dough (Stephanie Plum, No. 2)

    (It's Stephanie Plum, New Jersey's "fugitive apprehension"...)

    1999
  • Hardcore Twenty-Four: A Stephanie Plum Novel

    (Janet Evanovich’s #1 New York Times bestselling sensation...)

    2017
  • Finger Lickin' Fifteen (Stephanie Plum Book 15)

    (Recipe for disaster: Celebrity chef Stanley Chipotle come...)

    2009
  • Look Alive Twenty-Five

    (Stephanie Plum faces the toughest puzzle of her career in...)

    2018
  • Top Secret Twenty-One: A Stephanie Plum Novel

    (Trenton, New Jersey’s favorite used-car dealer, Jimmy Pol...)

    2014
  • Seven Up (Stephanie Plum, No. 7)

    (Semiretired mob guy Eddie DeCooch is caught trafficking c...)

    2010
  • Wicked Appetite (Lizzy & Diesel Book 1)

    (Life in Marblehead has had a pleasant predictability, unt...)

    2010
  • Hard Eight (Stephanie Plum, No. 8)

    (The #1 bestselling phenomenon continues in the eighth Ste...)

    2010
  • Tricky Twenty-Two: A Stephanie Plum Novel

    (#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Something big is brewing i...)

    2015
  • The Scam: A Fox and O'Hare Novel

    (Nicolas Fox is a charming con man and master thief on the...)

    2015
  • Turbo Twenty-Three: A Stephanie Plum Novel

    (In the heart of Trenton, N.J., a killer is out to make su...)

    2016
  • Sizzling Sixteen (Stephanie Plum Book 16) 2010

Membership

• Romance Writers of America

Connections

Evanovich lives in Florida with her husband, Pete, whom she married in 1964. Pete is of Serbian ancestry. Members of Evanovich's family are employed by her company, Evanovich Inc., including her husband, Pete, son, Peter, and daughter Alexandra.

Spouse:

Pete Evanovich

Son:

Peter Evanovich

Daughter:

Alexandra Evanovich