"It begins at night. People vanish from parks and city streets. Then in broad daylight, they’re dragged screaming into the woods, into the water, into the sky." Such is the terrifying premise of Veil, the latest novel from prolific author Jonathan Janz (Children of the Dark, Exorcist Falls), who introduces readers to invisible creatures from another dimension and a father who will do anything to save his family after they are taken by these relentless monsters, who can only be seen through a very risky form of brain surgery.
With the mind-bending (and mind-altering) sci-fi horror of Veil now available from Blackstone Publishing, Daily Dead had the great pleasure of catching up with Jonathan Janz in a new Q&A feature to discuss writing his latest book, including keeping a father's fierce love for his family at the heart of the story, reflecting a lot of himself in the main character, doing extensive research (with the help of family and friends) on the science of eyesight and other dimensions, and his hope to continue expanding the universe of Veil in the future.
Jonathan also shares insightful advice for writers who are just getting started, provides an eclectic list of horror movies and books that are perfect for the Halloween season, and discusses "Lenora," his new short story that is included in The End of the World as We Know It: New Tales of Stephen King's The Stand.
Below, you can read our full Q&A with Jonathan Janz, and to learn more about Veil, be sure to visit Blackstone Publishing's official website!
Thank you for taking the time to answer questions for us, Jonathan, and congratulations on your new novel Veil! When did you initially come up with the idea for this book?
Jonathan Janz: Thank you so much for having me! I’m delighted to be here.
This will sound weird, but the first granule of the story occurred when my daughter and I were walking toward Aldi grocery store in West Lafayette, our hometown. There was a man moving toward his car, and for no reason at all, I imagined him being yanked into the sky and disappearing about a hundred feet up in the air. I couldn’t shake that image. Slowly, it grew into Veil.
The main character in Veil, John Calhoun, is a high school teacher and father who must go to extreme lengths to try and save his family from invisible creatures. As someone who is a teacher, husband, and father, how much of yourself is reflected in the character of John?
Jonathan Janz: So much! I’ve never put this much of myself into a character. John is a bit more practical than I am, and his marriage isn’t reflective of my relationship with my wife (our marriage is in awesome shape, while John’s isn’t), but quite a few facets of me live in him. He loves his family fiercely. He refuses to quit. He blames himself quite a bit, and I tend to be tough on myself too. He also makes mistakes, and that’s something else I can relate to. I teach Film Lit, Creative Writing, and English, while John teaches Biology, but we’re both teachers, and we both tend to obsess about our subjects.
Reminiscent of nicotine withdrawal in Stephen King’s “The Ten O’Clock People” and the sunglasses in John Carpenter’s They Live, the survivors in Veil are able to see the invisible creatures through the aid of a particular circumstance, in this case a brain injury. How did you come up with the concept of the brain injury as the “veil lifter,” and was it challenging (or extra fun) to write about the creatures both as invisible and seeable threats?
Jonathan Janz: I love the allusion to “The Ten O’Clock People”! I haven’t read that since college, so I need to go back and check that out. And I also love the mention of They Live. I think the brain injury idea started because I had to tackle the concepts of vision and invisibility, and reconciling those areas really led me to some interesting areas. My sister-in-law Esther Penn is an ophthalmologist, so she helped me learn about the science of eyesight. She was super helpful and very patient. That led us to the differences in how different living creatures view the world, and the parts of the light spectrum that humans can’t see. So through her guidance, I was able to pinpoint where an injury could take place and how (fictitiously, of course) that might alter one’s sight. It was an arduous, fascinating process that intersected with the research I did about what a creature from another dimension or planet might look like, how it might differ from us, and why it might be interested in abducting people. For that area of the research, I primarily relied on one of the science teachers at my high school, a brilliant woman named Andi Smith. Andi helped me with so many facets of Veil, from how long the Internet would work in an apocalyptic situation to how a change in gravity might affect humans if they ventured into another world.
While Veil is brimming with creatures and carnage, the beating heart of the story is John’s love for his family and his desire to reunite with them. How important was it for you to highlight the humanity of your characters even as the world around them is crumbling?
Jonathan Janz: Thank you! I’m so happy that this aspect of the book resonated for you. I think you said it extremely well—the love of family is the beating heart of this book. I think people can be really awful, but they can be incredibly noble and brave too. That’s one takeaway I often have from Stephen King’s books: While it can get bad—extraordinarily bad—most people are good at heart. So, for me, it follows that people would do anything to get their abducted loved ones back, even if that means dying themselves—or undergoing an unproven and highly dangerous brain surgery.
Were you influenced or inspired by any other books, movies, or video games while working on Veil?
Jonathan Janz: I often wear my influences on my sleeve, and I try to be as transparent as I can about those who’ve come before me and influenced me. To start with, I cite eight famous people in the acknowledgements of this book: Stephen King, Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, Christopher Reeve, Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, and John Williams. When I was a kid, my heroes were Superman, Luke Skywalker, and Han Solo. Much of my character was formed by watching them and trying to emulate them, and I think the main character of this novel (John Calhoun) aspires to be like them too. I think I even mention Superman/Christopher Reeve in the book. As far as the others, I love how King and Spielberg imbue their stories with heart, even amidst the action and the spectacle. I don’t consciously channel them when I write, but reading my work, it’s clear that they imprinted their sensibilities on me, and I’m very proud of that. A few other movies/shows/books that likely inspired Veil were Aliens, Bird Box, A Quiet Place, Stranger Things, and Annihilation.
From the first draft to the final version, approximately how long did it take you to write Veil?
Jonathan Janz: I started it, I think, in late 2022 and finished the final polish in mid-2023. The novel sold in 2024, and now it’s here, and I’m so excited that folks finally get to read it!
Ultimately, what do you hope readers take away from Veil?
Jonathan Janz: That people, though deeply flawed, are capable of transcendent love and incredible nobility. That even though some use traumatic times for nefarious purposes (as some characters do in Veil), others will do their best to keep their humanity and help others. Also, I hope people just have a hell of a good time reading this book. I’m biased, but I think it’s an absolute thriller.
Do you have plans to continue the story of Veil in a sequel (or prequel) in the future?
Jonathan Janz: I would love to. This will depend on the reader response to the book and quite a few other factors, but I love how limitless the possibilities are. I could see a story picking up right where this book ends and using the surviving characters for the sequel; I could also see starting off with a completely different cast in a different place and maybe unifying the two stories in the end of the sequel. But if people want to read it, I will be elated to write it.
In addition to being a prolific writer, you’re also an award-winning teacher and basketball coach. How do you juggle your day jobs with being a writer, and do you find that your experiences as a teacher and coach influence your writing?
Jonathan Janz: Thank you! I coached a ton in my twenties and early thirties (varsity basketball, varsity track, JV volleyball, baseball, and softball), but I’m thankfully retired from coaching now. It was incredibly time-consuming, and though I’m happy I did it, I’m also happy to be done with that chapter of my life.
I’m currently in my thirtieth year of teaching. My classes are Film Literature, Advanced Creative Writing, Creative Writing, and English. I love teaching even more now than I did as a beginning teacher, so the fire and passion are always there. As far as juggling that with writing, I always put my teaching first because my students deserve my best. Someday, I’ll likely start writing full-time, but that won’t be, at the earliest, until after my youngest graduates from high school (she’s a freshman). It’s frustrating sometimes not having the time I need to write and edit, but I do my best.
What has it been like working with the team at Blackstone Publishing as you prepare to release Veil?
Jonathan Janz: They’ve been fantastic! I think the word I’d use—and I’d use this in a completely positive way—is thorough. The cover artist Candice Edwards, for example, took well over a month to work with me and cycle through tons of iterations of the cover before we got it to where we were both satisfied with it. That sort of patience and care really shows in the final cover, and this combination of effort and expertise is exactly what I’ve received from Blackstone from the beginning of the project through today. Their editing (led by Brendan Deneen and Windy Goodloe) has been meticulous and smart. The publicity and social media sides (especially Becca Malzahn and Francie Crawford) have been enthusiastic and strategic. I’ve also heard that the sales department has been really positive and committed. Essentially, booksellers have told me that the Blackstone reps have been excellent advocates of Veil, and I think that’s showing up in the numbers. So from every conceivable angle, I’ve been pleased with Blackstone.
In addition to Veil, you have a short story featured in The End of the World as We Know It, the new anthology set in the world of Stephen King’s The Stand (a personal favorite of my dad and I) that’s edited by the great Christopher Golden and Brian Keene. How cool was it for you to write a story set in the world of The Stand, and did you have a lot of creative freedom on what type of tale you wrote for the anthology?
Jonathan Janz: It was amazing! I love that you and your dad love The Stand. Clearly, you both have impeccable taste.
We were given an incredible amount of freedom to play in Stephen King’s world, which honestly surprised me. When I told Brian Keene and Chris Golden what I was thinking for this story, I expected them to be dubious; instead, they were super encouraging. They also both helped shape the story and made serious contributions to it. Another vital player in the process was Simon & Schuster editor Ed Schlesinger, who really helped me stick the landing. By just tweaking a few lines on the final page, we created a conclusion for “Lenora” that really enhanced the whole tale.
Of course, none of this would have been possible had Stephen King not inspired me to read when I was fourteen years old and inspired me to write when I was seventeen. He has been an integral part of my life, even though we’ve never met. Hopefully, someday I’ll be able to shake his hand and tell him in person because he truly has impacted my life.
With Halloween season upon us, do you have any favorite horror movies, books, video games, comics, or TV show recommendations for our readers to enjoy this autumn?
Jonathan Janz: Ooooh, this is fun. YES. Let me choose some books and movies.
Books: IT and ‘SALEM’S LOT (Stephen King), GHOST STORY (Peter Straub), THE REFORMATORY and GHOST SUMMER (Tananarive Due), GHOUL (Brian Keene), SON OF THE ENDLESS NIGHT (John Farris), HELL HOUSE (Richard Matheson), PROVIDENCE (Caroline Kepnes), INCIDENTS AROUND THE HOUSE (Josh Malerman), I’LL BE GONE IN THE DARK (Michelle McNamara), A KILLING FIRE (Faye Snowden), THE ELEMENTALS (Michael McDowell), THE WOLF’S HOUR (Robert McCammon), THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE (Shirley Jackson), OFF SEASON (Jack Ketchum), THE HOLLOWER (Mary SanGiovanni), THE CIPHER (Kathe Koja), THE CHANGELING (Victor LaValle), THE NIGHTRUNNERS (Joe R. Lansdale), SWEETHEART, SWEETHEART (Bernard Taylor), BLOW-UP AND OTHER STORIES (Julio Cortazar), THE OTHER (Thomas Tryon), THE VAMPIRE TAPESTRY (Suzy McKee Charnas).
Movies: LAKE MUNGO, TRAIN TO BUSAN, TERRIFIED, HELL HOUSE LLC, THE WAILING, HOST, SINISTER, GHOSTWATCH, BUTTERFLY KISSES, THE BORDERLANDS/FINAL PRAYER, GONJIAM: HAUNTED ASYLUM, THE MORTUARY COLLECTION, OUIJA: ORIGIN OF EVIL, 10 CLOVERFIELD LANE, CAVEAT, YOU ARE NOT MY MOTHER, THE TAKING OF DEBORAH LOGAN, DEADSTREAM, THE AUTOPSY OF JANE DOE, THE DESCENT, SUMMER OF ’84, SCARE PACKAGE, SAVAGELAND, READY OR NOT, THE INVITATION, SPREE, THE ENDLESS, HOUSEBOUND, HORROR IN THE HIGH DESERT, RAVENOUS, CREEP, THE RITUAL, GRAVE ENCOUNTERS, BARBARIAN.
What advice would you give to writers who are just getting started?
Jonathan Janz: Read a lot and write a lot. That’s not sexy, but those are the essentials. After that, develop a blend of resilience and humility. You need to fight through rejection and pain and disappointment and despair, but you also need to understand that you can always improve. Don’t be too precious about your first book. Write it, make it the best you can, then move on to the next one. If this is to be a career for you, you’ll have many worlds within you, so keep moving forward. Chances are good that after you’ve written some books, you’ll go back and see the shortcomings of that first book and know how to fix them. Never see yourself as a finished product. And keep reading and writing. Oh, and pay less attention to what people tell you to avoid and more attention to positive lessons about the craft. The moment I see someone say, “We’ve had enough of (insert subgenre) books,” I tune out. Almost anybody can tell you what they don’t want. What’s much harder is for people to articulate what they want. So when you hear actual advice that you can apply and make your work better, that’s the good stuff. But don’t waste your time listening to people’s laundry lists of dislikes, because if you adopt all of them, there’ll be nothing left to write. Lastly, remember that writing is magic. Venture into that magic place and let your imagination run wild!
With Veil now available in hardcover, e-book, and audio, do you have any other novels or short stories coming up that you can tease for our readers?
Jonathan Janz: I do! I can’t say which publishers these books will appear with yet because those negotiations are happening right now, but here are a few that readers can expect to see in the next two or three years:
There will be many more, but that’s a decent start.
Thank you very much for your time, Jonathan!
Jonathan Janz: Thank you so much for having me. This has been an absolute blast!
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From beloved horror author Jonathan Janz, Veil is a heart-stopping story of one father who will stop at nothing to save his family.
It begins at night. People vanish from parks and city streets. Then in broad daylight, they’re dragged screaming into the woods, into the water, into the sky. People take refuge in their homes, but still the invisible creatures come, ripping people away from their horrorstruck loved ones. Spouses. Parents. Children. Nowhere is safe and no defense can stop them. Because nothing can save you from what you can’t see.
High school teacher John Calhoun loses his son the first night. A day later, they take his wife. For two months, he and his thirteen-year-old daughter manage to survive, but in the end, she is abducted too. In John’s darkest moment, he meets a motley group of survivors who have a secret: a near-fatal car accident has given one of them the ability to detect what normal human eyesight cannot.
The survivors believe they can replicate the brain injury that will enable them to see the creatures. To discover how they’re invading our world. To fight them. Desperate to save his family, John volunteers. And after the veil of invisibility is lifted, he and his new friends will risk everything to achieve the impossible: enter an alien world and bring their loved ones back.
***
Jonathan Janz is the author of more than a dozen novels and numerous short stories. His novels Children of the Dark and The Dark Game were chosen by both Booklist and Library Journal as Top Ten Horror Books of the Year. Jonathan's main interests are his wonderful wife and his three amazing children. You can sign up for his newsletter, and you can follow him on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Amazon, and Goodreads.
Raised on a steady diet of R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps books and Are You Afraid of the Dark?, Derek has been fascinated with fear since he first saw ForeverWare being used on an episode of Eerie, Indiana.
When he’s not writing about horror as the Senior News Reporter for Daily Dead, Derek can be found daydreaming about the Santa Carla Boardwalk from The Lost Boys or reading Stephen King and Brian Keene novels.
Raised on a steady diet of R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps books and Are You Afraid of the Dark?, Derek has been fascinated with fear since he first saw ForeverWare being used on an episode of Eerie, Indiana.
When he’s not writing about horror as the Senior News Reporter for Daily Dead, Derek can be found daydreaming about the Santa Carla Boardwalk from The Lost Boys or reading Stephen King and Brian Keene novels.
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