Janna Zonder

Novelist, Essayist, Musician

About me.

Here’s the short version. I grew up on a farm in Georgia, a lush state that fueled my young imagination with stories of haunted graveyards and unrequited love. Georgia's red clay holds my memories and the bones of my ancestors, and if I listen hard enough, I can still hear their discordant mournful lyrics set against a happy guitar and fiddle dance tune. I was raised on rock-a-billy desperation.

The same soil that nourished a rich history of music and literature, of crackling good humor and unlimited kindness, also nurtured racial hatred, religious discrimination, homophobia, and misogyny. All took root in the soil long before I was born and became the landscape of my early life.

My husband and I are musicians and have performed together for many years. I play ukulele now, but I used to play electric bass. Bass is sexy, but a ukulele is easier to carry.

I currently publish a weekly humor and social commentary newsletter called “The Hump Day Gazette.”

Our motto? Any day you get to say “hump” is a good day!

What Subscribers Are Saying About The Hump Day Gazette

“You are a fierce woman, a mighty presence, a brilliant writer, and a kind soul. I am better because I know you.”

— Emily Dunlap Carter, A Chick’s View

“I support your work because you are so authentic and inspiring! Thank you for sharing your gifts, Janna💖🤗”

— Mary Cheers

“Your words make me happy 🥰”

— Nina Hauser, Photographer

“Good writing is entertaining, enlightening, inspiring. Your viewsletter is all that. Love the thoughtfulness in your work, Janna, along with the wit. Keep it up!.”

— Jeffrey Rich

“I have been reading it for free for a month or two now, but today the article about hair loss had me laughing , crying, and admiring the use of so many alliterations and fun words. What can I say….my day has been made much better.”

— Neel Foster

Subscribe to The Hump Day Gazette

My first novel, Magenta Rave, is a thriller and revenge story that targets sexual predators and was published a few years before the #MeToo movement. If you like a fast-paced, gripping read, complex characters, some humor for fun, and a plot that will keep you guessing, you will love Magenta Rave. 

I am in final edits of my second novel, The Phenomenon’s Daughter, a coming-of-age story set in 1950s-1960s Georgia.

Magenta Rave is out for justice for victims of sexual assault. If she can't have that, she'll settle for revenge! But who is Magenta Rave? Eyewitnesses describe her as a petite blonde, a loud buxom redhead, and an awkward boyish brunette. Detectives Simone and Marty don't know if they're searching for one woman or twenty. Their investigation leads them into a therapy group of shattered, angry women, a band of paramilitary wackos, and the deepest desires of their own hearts. This fast-paced, character-rich, and often darkly funny thriller will keep you guessing as it careens wildly towards its startling conclusion.

Reviews for Magenta Rave

  • Magenta Rave by Janna Zonder

    ". . . One of the things Zonder does a tremendously competent job of is the way she makes all the characters unique with distinct ways of talking and acting. To me, this is one of the real strengths of the novel, and she jumps between wildly different perspectives with ease. Catherine, the character with DID, uses her different personalities as characters in her one woman show about childhood sexual abuse. The ways of speaking between the different personalities, and the characters they portray, are striking. . ."PANK Magazine

  • Gripping. Did not figure it out until the end.

    "I loved this book. The story explored the anguish of the characters and the strength they began to feel as a community of women recovering from sexual abuse. The revenge against the sexual abusers was an important part of the book, but not the main focus. The main focus was on the women and their connections, fears, anxieties and recovery. Each twist took me down a new path of trying to figure out who was Magenta Rave. It wasn't until the very end, that it became clear.

    Highly recommend this book if you like a good mystery that makes the characters come alive." Amazon Customer

  • Caution -- This book will grab you!!

    "This book was recommended by a friend and I picked it up thinking I would steal some moments to read it here and there as I usually do. I quickly found that this book puts you on the edge of your seat and keeps you turning page after page long after bedtime. The characters are engaging and well developed and the plot twisted one way when I totally expected it to go the other. Bravo to the author for a captivating read - I've already passed on the recommendation to pretty much anyone that will listen and hope someone is smart enough to bring it to the screen it would be a must watch for me!" Amazon Customer

  • Reclaiming Power!

    "It’s a fun book and also poignant with a very timely topic. As a trauma psychotherapist myself, I see much of what was discussed on my caseload and it never gets easier to hear. So to read about M.R. “taking care of business” felt of course a bit taboo but also very, very good and powerful. Reclaiming one’s power after being overpowered is an aim of recovery from sexual trauma, and this book provides that. I will definitely be recommending this book." Amazon Customer

  • A fascinating read that grabs your attention from beginning to end!

    "Let me say this -- I LOVED this book. I devoured it on a flight from ATL to Durham, NC. I was upset the flight ended so soon. I had to exit the plane and sit at the gate to finish my reading. What an intense thriller. The book is fast paced and action packed. Never knowing what is around the corner. The author delivered a great range of characters.
    Magenta Rave is thought-provoking. Easy to pick up and not so easy to put down. A must read!" Amazon Customer

  • An entertaining book that packs an emotional punch.

    "This is a very entertaining book which packs an emotional punch. The characters are well developed and intriguing and the southern dialogue flows as naturally as a slow southern drawl. As the story unfolds my attention was riveted on the emerging personalities in all of their compelling and unique idiosyncrasies, some very likable, some complex, others unsavory - quite a mixture of temperaments and traits. This is clearly a women's book, but as a man I found it both captivating and provocative. I would definitely recommend the book. It is an excellent read, at times challenging, at times humorous, but always moving and engaging." Amazon Customer.

  • Customers Say. 4.7/5 Stars - 90 Ratings

    "Customers find the plot intriguing, suspenseful, and authentic. They also say the characters are well-developed and likable. Readers describe the book as an amazing, fun, and compelling page-turner. They find the world created rich, real, and thought-provoking. Additionally, they praise the writing style as powerful, almost poetic, and the dialogue flows naturally. Customers mention the book draws them in quickly and keeps their attention." Amazon AI Summation

Published short stories and essays.

Fiction judge Ron Rash writes: What I love about humor in literature is, unlike other aspects, humor cannot be faked. Something is either funny or it isn’t. This story is funny, at times hilarious, but it is also poignant.

“When Facts Obscure The Truth” Pub. 2023, Page 57.

Nonfiction judge Melissa Febos writes: A harrowing and thoughtful meditation on the unnamed place between consent and assaults, and the shrewd and heartbreaking choices the vulnerable must make to negotiate their own safety.

"Old Love" Originally published in Skirt! Magazine. Reprinted in The Hump Day Gazette.

Contact me.

I’d love to get to know you!

“You’re braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.” — A. A. Milne