Chris Kuzneski

Chris Kuzneski (born in 1969) is a New York Times bestselling American author.^[1] His books have been translated into more than 20 languages and have been published in more than 40 countries.^[2] His works have also been named a Literary Guild's featured selection and honored by the Florida Book Awards.^[3] Due to his success in the United Kingdom, his books are released in the British market several months before they are published in America.^[4]

Payne & Jones Series

Kuzneski’s first seven novels follow the adventures of Jonathon Payne and David "D.J." Jones, former members of the MANIACs—an elite Special Forces unit in the U.S. military. Although the main characters are ex-soldiers, the novels are not “military” thrillers. Instead, they are often compared to the works of Clive Cussler and James Rollins. Kuzneski’s thrillers are known for their action, adventure, and humor and have garnered the attention of several notable authors. His books have been endorsed by Steve Berry, Lee Child, Clive Cussler, Nelson DeMille, Vince Flynn, Tess Gerritsen, Douglas Preston, and James Rollins.

His fourth thriller, The Lost Throne, was released in the UK in 2008 and peaked at #5 on the British fiction chart. Putnam released the American hardcover in July 2009. It won the Bronze Medal for Popular Fiction at the Florida Book Awards, America’s most comprehensive state book awards program.^[5] The American paperback reached the New York Times mass-market bestseller list in July 2010.^[6]

His fifth thriller, The Prophecy, was published in the UK in October 2009 and climbed to #4 on the British fiction chart. Putnam released the American hardcover in July 2010.

His sixth novel, The Secret Crown, was released by Penguin UK on September 30, 2010 and within two weeks rose to #10 on The Times bestsellers list.^[7] Originally planned for an American version in December 2011,^[8] the book was eventually released on July 31, 2012.

Kuzneski's seventh novel in the series, The Death Relic, was released by Penguin UK on September 29, 2011 in paperback and Kindle formats, debuting at #9 on the London Times bestseller list.^[9] An American version was also published in hardcover on January 10, 2013.^[10]

The eighth novel in the series, The Einstein Pursuit, was released in the UK on August 29, 2013 by Penguin UK. An American version was planned for release on September 16, 2014.^[11]

The Hunters Series

The Hunters is a brand new series, following the adventures of a team of renegades – an ex-military leader, an historian, a computer whiz, a weapons expert, and a thief – financed by a billionaire philanthropist. The team is tasked with finding the world's most legendary treasures. The first book in the series, The Hunters, was released by Headline in the UK on January 3, 2013 accompanied by a YouTube trailer.^[12] An American release date for The Hunters has yet to be confirmed.

The second book in the The Hunters series, The Forbidden Tomb, was released in the UK on April 24, 2014 and in the US on March 1, 2015.^[9]

The author announced the third book in the series, The Merchant's Gold, on his Facebook page and website and confirmed it was a continuation of the The Hunters series.^[13]

Film Rights

On April 16, 2014 Chris Kuzneski announced via his website and Facebook page that the rights to The Hunters had been optioned by Piers Tempest and Jo Bamford for their new production venture, Tempo Productions. Mark Huffam and Chris Clark have joined the producing team. On May 17, John Moore was confirmed to have signed on to direct The Hunters, and the screenplay was being adapted by Robert Kamen. On July 1, 2014 Reg Poerscout-Edgerton was announced as casting director for the film.^[14]

Biographical sketch

Born in Indiana, Pennsylvania, Kuzneski currently lives in Tampa, Florida. In fourth grade, he wrote The Monster Cookbook, which so impressed the librarian that it was bound and placed in the school library.^[15] He played football at the University of Pittsburgh where he received his undergraduate degree in writing and his master's degree in teaching. While studying at Pitt, he wrote for The Pitt News, the Indiana Gazette, and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. From 1992 until 1998, he taught English and coached football in two western Pennsylvania school districts and was selected to Who's Who Among America's Teachers. However, he knew he wanted to be an author, so he left teaching and started working on his first novel, The Plantation.^[2]

Bibliography

Payne & Jones series

1. The Plantation (2002)
2. Sign of the Cross (2006)
3. Sword of God (2007)
4. The Lost Throne (2008)
5. The Prophecy (2009)
6. The Secret Crown (U.K. 2010, U.S. 2012)
7. The Death Relic (U.K. 2011)
8. The Einstein Pursuit (U.K. 2013)

The Hunters series

1. The Hunters (2013)
2. The Forbidden Tomb (U.K. 2014, U.S. 2015)
3. The Prisoner's Gold (forthcoming, scheduled for 8 October 2015^[16])

References

External links

• Chris Kuzneski's Official Site
• Chris Kuzneski's Facebook Page
• Chris Kuzneski Fan Website
• 2011 Interview in Shotsmag Ezine