Dean Ray Koontz (born July 9, 1945) is an American author.
He has published over 105 novels and a number of novellas and collections of short stories, and has sold over 450 million copies of his work. == Early life == Koontz was born on July 9, 1945, in Everett, Pennsylvania, the son of Florence (née Logue) and Raymond Koontz.
In the 1960s, Koontz worked for the Appalachian Poverty Program, a federally funded initiative designed to help poor children.
Koontz then adopted a new dog, Elsa, on July 11, 2016. == Disputed authorship == A number of letters, articles, and novels were ostensibly written by Koontz during the 1960s and 1970s, but he has stated he did not write them.
They also include contributions to the fanzines Energumen and BeABohema in the late 1960s and early 1970s, including articles that mention the erotic novels, such as a movie column called "Way Station" in BeABohema. Koontz wrote in How to Write Best Selling Fiction, a much revised and updated version of 'Writing Popular Fiction' (1972), "During my first six years as a full-time novelist ...
After graduation in 1967, he went to work as an English teacher at Mechanicsburg High School in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania.
I remained a liberal on civil-rights issues, became a conservative on defense, and a semi-libertarian on all other matters." == Career == In his spare time, Koontz wrote his first novel, Star Quest, which was published in 1968.
Koontz says that spirituality has always been part of his books, as are grace and our struggle as fallen souls, but he "never get[s] on a soapbox". In the 1970s, Koontz began writing suspense and [fiction], both under his own name and several pseudonyms, sometimes publishing up to eight books a year.
Koontz then adopted a new dog, Elsa, on July 11, 2016. == Disputed authorship == A number of letters, articles, and novels were ostensibly written by Koontz during the 1960s and 1970s, but he has stated he did not write them.
They also include contributions to the fanzines Energumen and BeABohema in the late 1960s and early 1970s, including articles that mention the erotic novels, such as a movie column called "Way Station" in BeABohema. Koontz wrote in How to Write Best Selling Fiction, a much revised and updated version of 'Writing Popular Fiction' (1972), "During my first six years as a full-time novelist ...
His first bestseller was Demon Seed, the sales of which picked up after the release of the film of the same name in 1977, and sold over two million copies in one year.
Many others remain suppressed by Koontz, who bought back the rights to ensure they could not be republished; he has, on occasion, said that he might revise some for republication, but only three have appeared — Demon Seed and Invasion were both heavily rewritten before they were republished, and Prison of Ice had certain sections bowdlerised. After writing full-time for more than 10 years, Koontz's acknowledged breakthrough novel was Whispers, published in 1980.
After Koontz underwent [transplantation] surgery in the late 1990s, his subsequent books have featured a new, clean-shaven appearance with a fuller head of hair.
Trixie was a gift from CCI in gratitude of Koontz's substantial donations, totaling $2.5 million between 1991 and 2004.
Koontz has stated that he was only made aware of these bogus letters and articles in 1991 in a written admission from the identity thief.
In a 1996 interview with Reason magazine, he said that while the program sounded "very noble and wonderful, ... [i]n reality, it was a dumping ground for violent children ...
Trixie was a gift from CCI in gratitude of Koontz's substantial donations, totaling $2.5 million between 1991 and 2004.
Koontz was taken with the charity while he was researching his novel Midnight, a book which included a CCI-trained dog, a black Labrador Retriever, named Moose. In 2004, Koontz wrote and edited Life Is Good: Lessons in Joyful Living in her name, and in 2005, Koontz wrote a second book credited to Trixie, Christmas Is Good.
Koontz was taken with the charity while he was researching his novel Midnight, a book which included a CCI-trained dog, a black Labrador Retriever, named Moose. In 2004, Koontz wrote and edited Life Is Good: Lessons in Joyful Living in her name, and in 2005, Koontz wrote a second book credited to Trixie, Christmas Is Good.
As of 2006, he lives there with his wife, Gerda (Cerra), in Newport Coast, California, behind the gates of Pelican Hills.
In 2007, Trixie contracted terminal cancer that created a tumor in her heart.
Trixie is widely thought to have been his inspiration for his November 2007 book, The Darkest Evening of the Year, about a woman who runs a Golden Retriever rescue home, and who rescues a "special" dog, named Nickie, which eventually saves her life.
In 2008, he was the world's sixth-most highly paid author, tied with John Grisham, at $25 million annually. In 2019, Koontz began publishing with Amazon Publishing.
In August 2009, Koontz published A Big Little Life, a memoir of his life with Trixie. In October 2008, Koontz revealed that he had adopted a new dog, Anna.
In August 2009, Koontz published A Big Little Life, a memoir of his life with Trixie. In October 2008, Koontz revealed that he had adopted a new dog, Anna.
Anna died on May 22, 2016.
Koontz then adopted a new dog, Elsa, on July 11, 2016. == Disputed authorship == A number of letters, articles, and novels were ostensibly written by Koontz during the 1960s and 1970s, but he has stated he did not write them.
In 2008, he was the world's sixth-most highly paid author, tied with John Grisham, at $25 million annually. In 2019, Koontz began publishing with Amazon Publishing.
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