Jeff Zentner is an American lawyer and author of young adult novels.

Biography

Before focusing on writing, Zentner worked as a singer-songwriter, releasing three albums as a solo artist and two with a band. Additionally, he has recorded music with

Nick Cave Nicholas Edward Cave (born 22 September 1957) is an Australian singer, songwriter, poet, lyricist, author, screenwriter, composer and occasional actor. Known for his baritone voice and for fronting the rock band Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, C ...

Debbie Harry Deborah Ann Harry (born Angela Trimble; July 1, 1945) is an American singer, songwriter and actress, best known as the lead vocalist of the band Blondie. Four of her songs with the band reached on the US charts between 1979 and 1981. Born in ...

, and

Iggy Pop James Newell Osterberg Jr. (born April 21, 1947), known professionally as Iggy Pop, is an American singer, musician, songwriter and actor. Called the " Godfather of Punk", he was the vocalist and lyricist of proto-punk band The Stooges, who w ...

. In his mid-30s, he turned his creative efforts toward creative writing. Zentner presently lives in

Nashville, Tennessee Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and t ...

and works full-time as a lawyer in addition to writing

Awards and honors

Publishers Weekly ''Publishers Weekly'' (''PW'') is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of ...

'' named Zentner a PW Flying Start in 2016. ''The Serpent King'' received starred reviews from '' Kirkus Reviews'', ''

'', and ''

Shelf Awareness Shelf Awareness is an American publishing company that produces two electronic publications/newsletters focused on bookselling, books and book reviews. Overview With offices in Seattle, Washington, and Montclair, New Jersey, ''Shelf Awareness ...

''. Hudson Booksellers, ''Publishers Weekly,'' and ''Shelf Awareness'' named it one of the best teen novels of 2016. ''Goodbye Days'' received a starred review from ''Publishers Weekly'' and ''Shelf Awareness''. The

Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance Pat Conroy Southern Book Prize (formerly the SEBA Book Award and SIBA Book Award) is an literary award given by the Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance (SIBA). It was first awarded in 1999.Summer, Bob (1999). "SEBA presents first book awards ...

included ''Rayne & Delilah's Midnite Matinee'' on their 2019 Winter Okra Picks. The book received starred reviews from ''

Booklist ''Booklist'' is a publication of the American Library Association that provides critical reviews of books and audiovisual materials for all ages. ''Booklist''s primary audience consists of libraries, educators, and booksellers. The magazine is av ...

'' and ''Publishers Weekly.'' ''In the Wild Light'' received starred reviews from ''Booklist,'' ''Kirkus Reviews,'' ''Publishers Weekly,'' and ''

School Library Journal ''School Library Journal'' (''SLJ'') is an American monthly magazine containing reviews and other articles for school librarians, media specialists, and public librarians who work with young people. Articles cover a wide variety of topics, with ...

''. ''Publishers Weekly'' named it one of the top ten young adult novels of 2021.

Publications

* ''The Serpent King'' (2016) * ''Goodbye Days'' (2017) * ''Rayne & Delilah's Midnite Matinee'' (2019) * ''In the Wild Light'' (2021) * ''Colton Gentry's Third Act'' (2024) * ''Sunrise Nights,'' co-authored with Brittany Cavallaro (2024)

References

External links

Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zentner, Jeff 21st-century American writers Writers from Nashville, Tennessee Year of birth missing (living people) Living people