John E. Derhak (born 1957) is a Canadian-born, American novelist, writer, and historian. His works of fiction include, , ''Chill Your Cockles,'' '' The Bones of Lazarus,'' and ''The Guardian Angel of Death.'' His first novel, (2007), tells the story of a humble, yet bungling innkeeper, "brother John," as he manages a small town inn, the Hotel, in a place called the Lost Kingdom of Moose Harbor, on the coast of rural Maine. The book is noted for its humor, character development, and storytelling. The book was optioned to Signet Entertainment, a division of Signet International Holdings, Inc., in 2007. ''Chill Your Cockles'' (2008), his second book, follows a storyline from his first work, and is a collection of mysterious and haunting tales that serve to further the histories, and add layers to, the fantastic legends and characters that inhabit the Lost Kingdom of Moose Harbor, Maine. '' The Bones of Lazarus'' (2012), is a supernatural thriller that traces intersecting lives on a war-torn, resource rich, Caribbean island. The plot revolves around the premise that

Lazarus of Bethany Lazarus of Bethany is a figure of the New Testament whose life is restored by Jesus four days after his death, as told in the Gospel of John. The resurrection is considered one of the miracles of Jesus. In the Eastern Orthodox Church, Lazarus i ...

, the man resurrected by the hand of Christ, became an immortal creature of Judgment, seeking the hearts and souls of the wicked. Other themes explored by Derhak include political and social manipulation, terrorism, arms proliferation, the selling of news as entertainment, greed, plunder of natural resources, and religion. The novel is based on a short work that originally appeared in ''Chill Your Cockles.'' ''The Guardian Angel of Death'' (2017) is a

prequel A prequel is a literary, dramatic or cinematic work whose story precedes that of a previous work, by focusing on events that occur before the original narrative. A prequel is a work that forms part of a backstory to the preceding work. The term ...

to Derhak's first novel, Set on Halloween day, 1932, in rural Maine, the novel expands on a story from ''Tales,'' told by the fabled baseball-playing, Porter Gibson 'Digit.' Stalked by the Angel of Death, enchanted by a gypsy woman, haunted by a ghastly specter, and pursued by gangsters, Porter struggles for his sanity and survival amidst the backdrop of the

Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...

Prohibition Prohibition is the act or practice of forbidding something by law; more particularly the term refers to the banning of the manufacture, storage (whether in barrels or in bottles), transportation, sale, possession, and consumption of alcoholic b ...

and

rum-running Rum-running, or bootlegging, is the illegal business of smuggling alcoholic beverages where such transportation is forbidden by law. The term ''rum-running'' is more commonly applied to smuggling over water; ''bootlegging'' is applied to smugg ...

, and government surveillance. The author stated in a June 2010, interview with Jam Forums Jam Forums that three novels were currently in the works. One of them, ''The Bones of Lazarus,'' was published in 2012. A second, ''The Guardian Angel of Death,'' was published in 2017. The song, "The Bones of Lazarus," by the rock band moe., on their 2012 album, " What Happened to the La Las" ( Sugar Hill Records), was named for the novel.

External links

www.moerepublic.org
Author's website
Jam Forums
Interviewed at Nateva Music Festival 2010, by Jamforums.com
Author's Voices Magazine
Interview in ''Author's Voices'' Magazine
Jambands.com
Interview in Jambands.com {{DEFAULTSORT:Derhak, John American male writers 1957 births Living people Place of birth missing (living people)