Member Since: Jan. 11, 2012

2 readers have added this author as a 'Favorite Author'.

Sign in to subscribe to email alerts for Jan Bono

Jan Bono

Biography

I am a retired teacher-turned-writer on the Long Beach Peninsula, tucked away in southwest corner of Washington state. I've written for Guidepost, Woman's World, Byline and Star. I wrote a bi-weekly humorous personal experience newspaper column for over 10 years, garnering 11 state awards.

I'm a frequent contributor to the Chicken Soup for the Soul Series, with more than 50 stories accepted for publication, putting me in their top 5 contributors, world-wide. I have won or placed in many local short story contests, and I won the grand prize for an Astoria, Oregon, newspaper murder-mystery serial contest.

The SYLVIA AVERY MYSTERY SERIES has been a long-held dream of mine, and it is now COMPLETE at 6 books: Bottom Feeders; Starfish; Crab Bait; Hook, Line, and Sinker; Oyster Spat; and Tsunami Warning. These humorous cozy mysteries all take place in SW Washington state.

Thanks for checking out my bio; You can learn more and keep up-to-date on my JanBonoBooks Facebook page.
I hope you enjoy my writing!
Jan

Where to find Jan Bono online

Website: http://www.JanBonoBooks.com

Series

Sylvia Avery (Cozy) Mysteries by
Sylvia Avery (Cozy) Mysteries It was crazy fun writing this 6-book series taking place on the SW Washington Coast, and I hope you enjoy reading it! A "cozy" contains NO graphic violence, NO obscene language, and NO explicit sex. The amateur sleuth works with the police department in a small town. They have a quirky cast of characters and lots of laughs! 1 Bottom Feeders Drug runners on the North Beach Peninsula are raising havoc from the tiny unsecured port of Unity to the Spartina Point Casino and Resort. 2 Starfish A TV movie crew provides the set for two distinctly different murders to occur, and the sheriff thinks they might be related. 3 Crab Bait A geriatric troupe of belly dancers are under suspicion of murdering their husbands to collect the life insurance money. 4 Hook, Line, & Sinker Several geriatric belly dancers explore online dating, and the sheriff tries to keep them safe. 5 Oyster Spat A decades old murder and a very recent one take place in the tiny town of Willoopah along the northern tide flats of Shallowwater Bay. 6 Tsunami Warning A kidnapping brings the events of the previous 15 months full circle.
Bottom Feeders, a Sylvia Avery Mystery, Book 1
Price: $4.99 USD.
Starfish, a Sylvia Avery Mystery, Book 2
Price: $4.99 USD.
Crab Bait
Price: $4.99 USD.
Hook, Line, and Sinker, a Sylvia Avery Mystery, Book 4
Price: $4.99 USD.
Oyster Spat, a Sylvia Avery Mystery, Book 5
Price: $4.99 USD.
Tsunami Warning, a Sylvia Avery Mystery, Book 6
Price: $4.99 USD.

Books

Pen Pals by
Price: $5.99 USD. Words: 70,460. Language: English. Originally Published: August 3, 2022 by Jan Bono. Categories: Fiction » Mystery & detective » General
Delia Griswald's pen pal resided in the state penitentiary. Her soulmate was an inmate and her family disowned her. But Delia believed in second chances, and she and her pen pal grew closer, month by month—until she learned he was eligible for parole.
Is There Room in the Backyard for One More Body? by
Price: $4.99 USD. Words: 54,800. Language: English. Originally Published: August 3, 2022 by Jan Bono. Categories: Fiction » Anthologies » Mystery
A collection of 12 "murderous" short stories all taking place on the Long Beach Peninsula in Washington State wherein the women all plan their former sweetheart's demise and the men "all have it coming!"
Tsunami Warning, a Sylvia Avery Mystery, Book 6 by
Series: Sylvia Avery (Cozy) Mysteries, Book 6. Price: $4.99 USD. Words: 70,360. Language: English. Originally Published: July 14, 2021 by Jan Bono. Categories: Fiction » Mystery & detective » Cozy
A kidnapping sets the stage to bring the events of the previous 15 months full circle before it's resolved and the series is concluded.
Oyster Spat, a Sylvia Avery Mystery, Book 5 by
Series: Sylvia Avery (Cozy) Mysteries, Book 5. Price: $4.99 USD. Words: 71,420. Language: English. Originally Published: July 14, 2021 by Jan Bono. Categories: Fiction » Mystery & detective » Cozy
A decades old murder and a very recent one take place among the oyster men, and women, in the tiny town of Willoopah along the northern tide flats of Shallowwater Bay.
Hook, Line, and Sinker, a Sylvia Avery Mystery, Book 4 by
Series: Sylvia Avery (Cozy) Mysteries, Book 4. Price: $4.99 USD. Words: 71,770. Language: English. Originally Published: July 11, 2021 by Jan Bono. Categories: Fiction » Mystery & detective » Cozy
Some of those same belly dancers who appeared in Crab Bait are now trying out online dating, and the sheriff does his best to keep them safe, despite their efforts to disregard his suggestions.
Crab Bait by
Series: Sylvia Avery (Cozy) Mysteries, Book 3. Price: $4.99 USD. Words: 70,570. Language: English. Originally Published: July 11, 2021 by Jan Bono. Categories: Fiction » Mystery & detective » Cozy
The members of a geriatric troupe of belly dancers, The Veiled Rainbow, are all under suspicion of murdering their husbands to collect the life insurance money.
Starfish, a Sylvia Avery Mystery, Book 2 by
Series: Sylvia Avery (Cozy) Mysteries, Book 2. Price: $4.99 USD. Words: 71,640. Language: English. Originally Published: July 9, 2021 by Jan Bono. Categories: Fiction » Mystery & detective » Cozy
A made-for-TV movie crew hasn't shot the first scenes before two distinctly different murders occur, and the sheriff thinks there's cause to believe they actually might be related.
Bottom Feeders, a Sylvia Avery Mystery, Book 1 by
Series: Sylvia Avery (Cozy) Mysteries, Book 1. Price: $4.99 USD. Words: 74,650. Language: English. Originally Published: July 5, 2021 by Jan Bono. Categories: Fiction » Mystery & detective » Cozy
Drug runners are on the North Beach Peninsula, raising havoc from the tiny unsecured port of Unity on the southern end to the Spartina Point Casino and Resort up north. The first of six books in this cozy mysteries series, Bottom Feeders takes place on the SW Washington Coast.
Back from Obesity: My 252-pound Weight-loss Journey by
Price: $5.99 USD. Words: 78,340. Language: English. Originally Published: August 12, 2014 by Jan Bono. Categories: Nonfiction » Self-improvement » Addiction & recovery, Nonfiction » Health, wellbeing, & medicine » Dieting
(5.00 from 1 review)
I was 45 years old and weighed 396 pounds. Now I am 60, and weigh 144. This is the story of my journey from life-threatening morbid obesity to healthy weight maintenance without gastric bypass, lap band surgery, liquid fasting, diet pills, or extreme exercise. Let me inspire you with my experience, strength, and hope. Learn the tips, tricks and tools I used.
It's Christmas! Forty-eight Stories and Three One-act Plays by
Price: $3.99 USD. Words: 42,190. Language: English. Originally Published: November 7, 2012 by Jan Bono. Categories: Nonfiction » Entertainment » Humor & satire » Form / essays
Forty-two humorous personal experience short stories, featuring everybody's family and friends, and the detailed scripts from three holiday one-act plays. Also includes the world's greatest Christmas poem (according to my mother).
Through My Looking Glass: A View from the Beach by
Price: $3.99 USD. Words: 48,280. Language: English. Originally Published: March 14, 2012 by Jan Bono. Categories: Nonfiction » Entertainment » Humor & satire » Form / essays
A collection of 68 humorous personal experience stories, gleaned from Jan's 11-time Washington Newspaper Association award-winning column.
Chasing Rainbows: Poetry for the Hopeful Romantic by
Price: $2.99 USD. Words: 3,450. Language: English. Originally Published: March 1, 2012 by Jan Bono. Categories: Poetry » Contemporary Poetry
A successful relationship can be as elusive as the fabled pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. These poems reflect both the sun and the rain in our quest for connection.
Bar Talk: Poetry for Mature Audiences by
Price: $2.99 USD. Words: 4,060. Language: English. Originally Published: March 1, 2012 by Jan Bono. Categories: Poetry » Contemporary Poetry
A chapbook of poems written in the dubious company of various assorted and sundry barflies. If you've ever spent any time hanging out where alcohol is served, you've undoubtedly met all these people!
Just Joshin': A Year in the Life of a Not-so-ordinary 4th Grade Kid by
Price: $3.99 USD. Words: 21,250. Language: English. Originally Published: February 10, 2012 by Jan Bono. Categories: Nonfiction » Entertainment » Humor & satire » Form / anecdotes & quotations
A collection of 63 humorous elementary classroom anecdotes, following Josh through his fourth grade year. Written by his teacher.
Romance 101 by
Price: $3.99 USD. Words: 44,520. Language: English. Originally Published: January 19, 2012 by Jan Bono. Categories: Fiction » Romance » Collections & Anthologies
Forty-two light, sweet, delicious, G-rated short stories. Those who enjoy short romance fiction in mainstream women's magazines will love these stories, where boy meets girl, and the future is full of unlimited possibilities.

Jan Bono's tag cloud

amateur sleuth    anecdotes    bar    bar girl    bar scene    bar stories    bar story    bottom feeders    christmas    classroom    coastal mystery    coastal small town    coastal town    collection    collection of short stories    columns    connections    couples    cozy    cozy mystery    crab bait    crime fiction    criminals    dating    elementary school    erma bombeck    feel good    first contact    fourth grade    funny family    funny stories    geriatric belly dancers    holiday stories    hooklineandsinker    humor    humor books    humor ebooks    humor family    humor mystery    humorous life experiences    jan bono    kidnapping    love    murder    murderers wife    murders    mystery    oneact plays    online dating    oysters    personal experience    poetry    poetry about love    poetry anthology emotions poems    poetry book    poetry books    poetry collection    poetry collections    poetry ebook    poetry ebooks    poetry love romance    poetry memoir    poetry poems love    relationships    romance    school stories    seasonal stories    series book 1    series mystery    short fiction    short stories    slice of life    starfish    sylvia    sylvia avery    teaching    washington coast    washington state    weight lossmorbid obesityobesitydietingrecoveryfoo    women fiction    women stories    womens fiction    wshington state    young love