Jan Strnad

Jan Strnad began his professional career by writing comics. He has written for both major comics publishers including Star Wars comics, recently reprinted by Marvel, and is known internationally. His graphic novel, "Ragemoor," won the Spanish Haxtur award for Best Script in 2013.

He moved from his home town of Wichita, Kansas, to Los Angeles where he became a staff writer for Disney Television Animation. For Disney he scripted Darkwing Duck, Aladdin, 101 Dalmatians, and other shows. He worked for most of the Hollywood studios, including Sony/Columbia, Warner Bros., Universal, MGM and others before turning his attention to writing prose.

His first published novel was "Risen" a supernatural thriller, published originally under the Pinnacle Books imprint, which he has resurrected as an ebook. His second book, "The Summer We Lost Alice," features characters who may or may not be the spirits of reincarnation. His third, "Dances with the Dead," explores a world in which the recently deceased return for one final visit, some seeking redemption, some seeking revenge.

"There are so many ways to approach the subject," he says, "it's like a genre unto itself. It's hard to imagine growing bored with writing about the afterlife. Whatever one's personal beliefs, it's a grand thought experiment, a good way to examine life and put it into perspective."