Prolific novelist Dean Koontz signs five-book deal with Amazon

Horror and thriller author Dean Koontz has signed a five-book deal with Amazon Publishing imprint Thomas & Mercer.

The author also will release a collection of six short thrillers, titled “Nameless,� under the imprint Amazon Original Stories this fall.

In a news release, Koontz, who has published audiobooks through an Amazon imprint, said that he has “enjoyed a wonderful relationship� with the company over the past years.

“Although there were numerous options for the future, it was most natural to sign with the team at Amazon Publishing, which presented a marketing and publicity plan smarter and more ambitious than anything I’d ever seen before,� Koontz said. “This new arrangement is so exciting, I’ve been creatively rejuvenated. The times are changing, and it’s invigorating to be where change is understood and embraced.�

Following “Nameless� will be “Devoted,� a thriller novel about an artist, her autistic son and their supernaturally gifted golden retriever forced to “confront a terrifying threat to all humanity.� That book is slated for publication next spring.

Amazon Publishing publisher Mikyla Bruder said the company was “honored� to work with Koontz.

“Building on the success of Dean’s Amazon Charts bestselling short story, ‘Ricochet Joe,’ our first publication together, we’re excited to expand our relationship with five new books from Thomas & Mercer and an episodic collection of short thrillers from Amazon Original Stories, delivering the kind of exhilarating and deeply resonant suspense his millions of fans expect and we know new readers will love,� Bruder said.

Koontz’s literary career dates back to 1968, when his first novel, “Star Quest,� was published by Ace Books. Over the next few years, he released several books in the science fiction, mystery and horror genres.

He first gained national fame in 1980 with his suspense novel “Whispers,� which became a bestseller. He followed that up with a string of hit novels, including “Strangers,� “Watchers,� “Midnight� and “Mr. Murder.�

In recent years, Koontz has found success with the “Odd Thomas� series of novels and a string of books that form a retelling of Mary Shelley’s classic “Frankenstein.� His newest book, “The Night Window,� featuring his character Jane Hawk, a rogue FBI agent, was published in May.

Koontz, a Pennsylvania native, has long been associated with Southern California, where he moved in 1976.

“We felt more at home here than we ever did at home [in Pennsylvania],� Koontz told an audience at the Laguna Playhouse in 2014. “We were lucky we ended up in Orange County.�

Koontz’s agents, Richard Pine and Kimberly Witherspoon, said the author’s book deal would enable him to explore “new horizons.�

“Dean is at the peak of his storytelling powers and Amazon has committed to a highly ambitious and creative publishing plan that’s certain to delight his existing fans and create millions of new ones,� they said.