Author Bio
John Jaffe is a pseudonym for us: John Muncie and Jody Jaffe. We wrote the book together. In fact, our novel, "Thief of Words," is based on our meeting and our romance. It's the prequel to our current lives. Now we're married and work together writing books.
JOHN MUNCIE
For nearly 30 years, I was, as Jack DePaul, hero of "Thief of Words," is fond of saying, "just a guy in the comma factory." In newspapers big and small, including the Baltimore Sun, the Los Angeles Times and the San Diego Union-Tribune, I edited stories and directed reporters, critics, photographers and designers.
Reporters say that every editor is a frustrated writer. (Actually, what reporters really say about editors is unprintable.) And that was true for me. I'd had a few bylines — I even had some success as a travel writer — but most of the time I worked with other people's words, an activity that, over the years, became increasingly frustrating and soul-deadening.
And then love came to my rescue; Jody Jaffe came to my rescue. We met, we clicked. In no time we were inseparable. Jody was already an up-and-coming mystery novelist. Of course, she soon suggested that we write a book together. It was a wild idea, and I embraced it like a lover.
We took the dictum "write about what you know" to heart and began to write a thinly disguised roman a clef called "Thief of Words." Six months later we finished the book and sold it to Warners. I left the comma factory.
Now we're deep into our second novel and every day I look in wonder at all the changes in my circumstances — new profession, new family, new home. But while the writing life is hard and exacting, it's also exhilarating. In fact, if it weren't for the editors, it would be nearly perfect.
Favorite books
As a long-time journalist, I've been attracted to writers who employ a streamlined, journalistic style. A number of mystery writers fit this description, from Raymond Chandler (the short story collection "Trouble is My Business" in particular) to Elmore Leonard to Alan Furst. I also enjoy poetry and find myself drawn to poets whose style has some of those journalistic characteristics. Pablo Neruda, in particular, resonates with me, and I've traveled to Chile to visit and write about his homes that, since his death, have become tourist destinations.
JODY JAFFE
I have four great loves in my life: my sons, John, horses and words. For a while I combined the last two and wrote equine mysteries. But when John and I hooked up, it seemed natural to write together. He's everything I'm not in writing, and, hopefully, I plug his gaps as he does mine. Best of all there's no such thing as writer's block when you've got a relief writer standing next to you.
No, really best of all is that I get to be with John all the time. It took me 45 years to find him and I've got lots of lost time to make up for.
As for my beginnings — like John I'm a reformed journalist. I graduated from Cornell University in 1976 and got a job at the Wallkill Valley World in New Paltz, N.Y., where I covered the town council and stuffed the food advertisements in the paper on Wednesdays. From there I moved to the Kingston Daily Freeman, where I was a feature writer, and then to the Charlotte Observer for 10 years. As a feature writer there, I wrote a profile of Jessica Hahn (which was a very strange experience because she got undressed in front of me) that was included in Simon and Schuster's "Pulitzer Prizes 1988."
I married a journalist (I seem to be addicted to them), had two wonderful sons and started writing short stories. I made $8 in three years and figured I should think about something a little more profitable. So I started writing mysteries - starring a sharp-tongued red-headed Philadelphia Jew working at a Charlotte, N.C., newspaper. Or as my son calls it, "faction."
After the divorce, I met John - fell in love almost at first sight - and we starting writing together. The rest is "Thief of Words."
Favorite books:
I'm a big Alice Hoffman fan. "Seventh Heaven" is one of my favorite books. I like the notion of "hysterical fiction," so consequently I was swept away by "Middlesex." I like anything Charles Baxter writes, particularily "The Feast of Love." Generally, I like books that are quirky and take chances like the novel I'm reviewing for the Baltimore Sun. It's called "Getting Mother's Body," and it's got everything I adore in writing. As for my guilty pleasures - I have an undeniable woo-woo streak, so I've read all Brian Weiss's books and have a secret crush on him.