Janet Evanovich (née Schneider; April 22, 1943) is an American writer. She began her career writing short contemporary

romance novels A romance or romantic novel is a genre fiction novel that primarily focuses on the relationship and romantic love between two people, typically with an emotionally satisfying and optimistic ending. Authors who have contributed to the developme ...

under the pen name Steffie Hall, but gained fame authoring a series of contemporary mysteries featuring Stephanie Plum, a former lingerie buyer from

Trenton, New Jersey Trenton is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of New Jersey and the county seat of Mercer County, New Jersey, Mercer County. It was the federal capital, capital of the United States from November 1 until D ...

, who becomes a

bounty hunter A bounty hunter is a private agent working for a bail bondsman who captures fugitives or criminals for a commission or bounty. The occupation, officially known as a bail enforcement agent or fugitive recovery agent, has traditionally operated ...

to make ends meet after losing her job. The novels in this series have been on ''The New York Times'', ''

USA Today ''USA Today'' (often stylized in all caps) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth in 1980 and launched on September 14, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headq ...

'', ''

Wall Street Journal ''The Wall Street Journal'' (''WSJ''), also referred to simply as the ''Journal,'' is an American newspaper based in New York City. The newspaper provides extensive coverage of news, especially business and finance. It operates on a subscriptio ...

'' and

Amazon Amazon most often refers to: * Amazon River, in South America * Amazon rainforest, a rainforest covering most of the Amazon basin * Amazon (company), an American multinational technology company * Amazons, a tribe of female warriors in Greek myth ...

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 her books have been translated into over 40 languages.

Early years

Evanovich is a second-generation American born in South River, New Jersey, to a

machinist A machinist is a tradesperson or trained professional who operates machine tools, and has the ability to set up tools such as milling machines, grinders, lathes, and drilling machines. A competent machinist will generally have a strong mechan ...

and a housewife. After attending South River High School, she became the first in her family to attend college when she enrolled at Douglass Residential College, part of

Rutgers University Rutgers University ( ), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a Public university, public land-grant research university consisting of three campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's C ...

, to study art. 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 The "Great American Novel" (sometimes abbreviated as GAN) is the term for a Western Canon, canonical novel that generally embodies and examines the essence and Culture of the United States, character of the United States. The term was coined b ...

, finishing three manuscripts that she was unable to sell. After someone suggested she try writing

, 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".

Romance novels

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.

Stephanie Plum Series

She quickly decided that she wanted to write romantic adventure novels. She wanted to include humor, romance and adventure in her work and this fit into her style of mystery novel. 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 ''Seinfeld'' ( ) is an American television sitcom created by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld that originally aired on NBC from July 5, 1989, to May 14, 1998, with a total of nine seasons consisting of List of Seinfeld episodes, 180 episodes. It ...

, her new books would have a central character that the rest of the cast of characters revolve around. Inspired by the

Robert De Niro Robert Anthony De Niro ( , ; born August 17, 1943) is an American actor, director, and film producer. He is considered to be one of the greatest and most influential actors of his generation. De Niro is the recipient of List of awards and ...

movie ''

Midnight Run ''Midnight Run'' is a 1988 American action comedy film directed by Martin Brest from a screenplay by George Gallo. It stars Robert De Niro, Charles Grodin, Yaphet Kotto, John Ashton (actor), John Ashton, Dennis Farina and Joe Pantoliano. In the ...

'', Evanovich decided that her heroine would be a

. 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 "One for the Money" is an English-language children's rhyme. Children have used it as early as the 1820s to count before starting a race or other activity. The full rhyme reads as: One for the money, Two for the show; Three to make ready, And f ...

'', 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 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 ''The New York Times'' Best Seller list is widely considered the preeminent list of best-selling books in the United States. John Bear, ''The #1 New York Times Best Seller: intriguing facts about the 484 books that have been #1 New York Times ...

. 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 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 ''

'' was released, Evanovich sold the movie rights to Columbia TriStar for $1 million.

Lions Gate Entertainment Starz Entertainment Corp, formerly known officially as Lions Gate Entertainment Corporation and commonly as Lions Gate and/or Lionsgate, is a Canadian-American entertainment industry, entertainment company currently headquartered in Santa Monica ...

released ''

'' on January 27, 2012. The film stars

Katherine Heigl Katherine Heigl ( ; born November 24, 1978) is an American actress and model. She portrayed Izzie Stevens, Dr. Izzie Stevens on the American Broadcasting Company, ABC television medical drama ''Grey's Anatomy'' from 2005 to 2010, a role that b ...

as Stephanie Plum, Sherri Shepherd from '' The View'' as Lula,

Debbie Reynolds Mary Frances "Debbie" Reynolds (April 1, 1932 – December 28, 2016) was an American actress, singer and entrepreneur. Her acting career spanned almost 70 years. Reynolds performed on stage and television and in films into her 80s. She was nom ...

as Grandma Mazur,

Jason O'Mara Jason O'Mara (born 6 August 1972) is an Irish-American actor. He has starred in American television series '' Terra Nova'' (2011), '' Vegas'' (2012–13), '' Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'' (2016–17) and '' The Man in the High Castle'' (2018–19). Fo ...

as Joe Morelli, and Daniel Sunjata as Ranger. It was directed by Julie Anne Robinson.

Knight & Moon Series

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. ''Dangerous Minds'', the second book in the series, was written by Evanovich and released in June 2017.

Wicked Series

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. Their rivals for the stones are Diesel's dark cousin, Gerwulf "Wulf" Grimoire, introduced in ''Plum Spooky'' and his medieval-esque minion Hatchet. Lizzie's animal companions are one-eyed Cat 7143 and Carl the Monkey, from ''Fearless Fourteen'' and ''Plum Spooky''. Her friends include Glo, a "Questionable," and Clara Dazzle, an "Unmentionable" who lost her powers after congress with another "Unmentionable." In ''Wicked Appetite'', the stone sought is that incarnating the sin of gluttony. 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''. The Stone of Avarice (Greed) is the focus of this installment.

Fox and O'Hare Series

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 Lee Goldberg is an American author, screenwriter, publisher and television producer, producer known for his bestselling novels ''Lost Hills'' and ''True Fiction'' and his work on a wide variety of TV crime series, including ''Diagnosis: Murder'' ...

. Since then the series has grown to six novels (The Heist, The Chase, The Job, The Scam, The Pursuit, and The Big Kahuna), 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.

Other novels

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 Stephen Joseph Cannell (; February 5, 1941 – September 30, 2010) was an American television producer, writer, novelist, actor, and founder of Cannell Entertainment (formerly Stephen J. Cannell Productions) and The Cannell Studios. After start ...

, noted TV writer and producer (''A Team, Rockford Files, Baretta, 21 Jump Street''), 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. Cannell died in 2010 of

melanoma Melanoma is the most dangerous type of skin cancer; it develops from the melanin-producing cells known as melanocytes. It typically occurs in the skin, but may rarely occur in the mouth, intestines, or eye (uveal melanoma). In very rare case ...

Awards and honors

Personal life

During the week, Evanovich works eight or more hours per day. On weekends she generally works for an additional four hours each day. She generally creates a brief outline before beginning a new book, with one or two sentences about what will happen in each chapter. Upon the release of a new book, Evanovich regularly goes on book tours. Her book signings attracted thousands of people. Beginning with her third Stephanie Plum book, ''Three to Get Deadly,'' and ending with ''Smokin' Seventeen'', all of the titles have been chosen from fan submissions. Evanovich lives in Hawaii and North Carolina with her husband Pete, whom she married in 1964. Her husband, son, and daughter all work for her company, Evanovich Inc. Evanovich's niece by marriage is author Stephanie Evanovich.A Tale of Two Evanoviches
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Bibliography

Single romance novels

Originally written under the name Steffie Hall *''Hero at Large'' (1987) *''Thanksgiving'' (1988) *''The Grand Finale'' (1988) *''Wife for Hire'' (1988) - with character Elsie Hawkins *''Foul Play'' (1989) *''Manhunt'' (1988) *''Ivan Takes a Wife'' (1988), then republished as ''Love Overboard'' (2005) *''Back to the Bedroom'' (1989) - with character Elsie Hawkins *''Smitten'' (1990) - with character Elsie Hawkins *''Rocky Road to Romance'' (1991) - with character Elsie Hawkins *''Naughty Neighbor'' (1992)

Stephanie Plum Series

# ''

'' (1994) # '' Two for the Dough'' (1996) # '' Three to Get Deadly'' (1997) # '' Four to Score'' (1998) # ''

High Five The high five is a hand gesture whereby two people simultaneously raise one hand and slap the flat of their palm against the other. The gesture is often preceded verbally by a phrase like "Give me five", "High five", or "Up top". Its meaning var ...

'' (1999) # '' Hot Six'' (2000) # '' Seven Up ''(2001) # '' Hard Eight'' (2002) # '' To the Nines'' (2003) # '' Ten Big Ones'' (2004) # '' Eleven on Top'' (2005) # '' Twelve Sharp'' (2006) # '' Lean Mean Thirteen'' (2007) # '' Fearless Fourteen'' (2008) # '' Finger Lickin' Fifteen'' (2009) # '' Sizzling Sixteen'' (2010) # '' Smokin' Seventeen'' (2011) # ''Explosive Eighteen'' (2011) # ''Notorious Nineteen'' (2012) # ''Takedown Twenty'' (2013) # ''Top Secret Twenty-One'' (2014) # ''Tricky Twenty-Two'' (2015) # ''Turbo Twenty-Three'' (2016) # ''Hardcore Twenty-Four'' (2017) # ''Look Alive Twenty-Five'' (2018) # ''Twisted Twenty-Six'' (2019) # ''Fortune & Glory Tantalizing Twenty-Seven'' (2020) # ''Game On: Tempting Twenty-Eight'' (2021) # ''Going Rogue: Rise and Shine Twenty-Nine'' (2022) # ''Dirty Thirty'' (2023) # ''Now or Never: Thirty-One On the Run'' (2024)

Stephanie Plum and Diesel

:8.5 ''Visions of Sugar Plums'' (2002) :12.5 ''Plum Lovin (2007) :13.5 ''Plum Lucky'' (2008) :14.5 ''Plum Spooky'' (2009)

Fox & O'Hare Series

:0.1 ''The Caper'' (2018) co-written with Lee Goldberg :0.2 ''Pros and Cons'' (2013) co-written with Lee Goldberg :1 ''The Heist'' (2013) co-written with Lee Goldberg :1.1 ''The Shell Game'' (2015) co-written with Lee Goldberg :2 ''The Chase'' (2014) co-written with Lee Goldberg :3 ''The Job'' (2014) co-written with Lee Goldberg :4 ''The Scam'' (2015) co-written with Lee Goldberg :5 ''The Pursuit'' (2016) co-written with Lee Goldberg :6 ''The Big Kahuna'' (2019) co-written with Peter Evanovich :7 ''The Bounty'' (2021) co-written with Steve Hamilton

Wicked Series

#'' Wicked Appetite'' (2010) #''Wicked Business'' (2012) #''Wicked Charms'' (2015) co-written with Phoef Sutton

Knight and Moon Series

#''Curious Minds'' (2016) co-written with Phoef Sutton #''Dangerous Minds'' (2017)

Barnaby and Hooker Series

#''Metro Girl'' (2004) #''Motor Mouth'' (2006) #''Troublemaker'' (2007) #''Troublemaker 2'' (2010)

Gabriella Rose series

# ''The Recovery Agent'' (2022)

Full Series

Co-written with Charlotte Hughes # ''Full House'' (2002) # ''Full Tilt'' (2003) # ''Full Speed'' (2003) # ''Full Blast'' (2004) # ''Full Bloom'' (2005) # ''Full Scoop'' (2006)

Co-authored romance novels

*''Hot Stuff'' (2007) co-written with Leanne Banks *''Love in a Nutshell'' (2012) co-written with Dorien Kelly *''The Husband List'' (2013) co-written with Dorien Kelly

Anthologies

* ''The Plot Thickens'' *''The Last Peep''

Non-fiction

*''How I Write'' (2006)

References

External links

Janet Evanovich Homepage

Interview with Janet Evanovich at Veronika Asks
{{DEFAULTSORT:Evanovich, Janet 1943 births Living people American graphic novelists American romantic fiction writers American mystery writers 20th-century American novelists People from South River, New Jersey Rutgers University alumni South River High School (New Jersey) alumni Novelists from New Jersey Writers of books about writing fiction Dilys Award winners 21st-century American novelists American women romantic fiction writers American women mystery writers American women novelists 20th-century American women writers 21st-century American women writers American female comics writers Writers from Middlesex County, New Jersey Writers from Hanover, New Hampshire