Jonathan
is the co-creator (with Laura Schrock) of ON THE SLAB, a horror/SF entertainment
news show for ABC Disney / Stage 9, to be released as a Web Series.
Jonathan
is editing THRILL RIDE, a serial graphic novel written by top authors
in the ITW (International Thriller Writers). News on this coming soon!
Jonathan
is a speaker for the National Writers Union, and an active member of
the ITW, HWA (Horror Writers Association), SFWA (Science Fiction and
Fantasy Writers of America) and the MWA (Mystery Writers of America).
He’s
also a frequent writers conference speaker and has appeared at ThrillerFest,
PennWriters, PhilCon, HorrorFind, BackSpace, Monster Mania, Philadelphia
Writers Conference The World Horror Convention, LunaCon, Dragon*Con,
Wildwood Writers Conference, Jersey Ink, Zombie Fest. In 2008 he was
the keynote speaker for the Write Stuff writers conference in Allentown,
PA, (hosted by Greater Lehigh Valley Writers Group) and the Sisters
in Crime symposium in New Jersey.
His most popular lecture and workshop topics include:
And
Jonathan is a founding member of THE LIARS CLUB, a group of networking
publishing professionals that includes NY Times bestselling author of
legal thrillers William Lashner; NY Times bestselling paranormal
romance author L. A. Banks; Emmy Award winning writer/producer Laura
Schrock; crime novelist and Marvel comics writer Duane Swierczynski;
fantasy author Gregory Frost, forensic crime novelist Jon McGoran (aka
D H Dublin); book reviewer and Edgar Allen Poe scholar Ed Pettit; women’s
contemporary novelist Kelly Simmons; crime writer Dennis Tafoya; and
magazine freelancers and social network consultant Don Lafferty.
In
2004 Jonathan was inducted into the International Martial Arts Hall
of Fame largely because of his extensive writings in that field. His
martial arts books include E.S.M: Effective Survival Methods
(Vortex Multimedia, 1985); Introduction to Asian Martial Arts
(Vortex Multimedia, 1986); The Self-Defense Instructor’s Handbook
(Vortex Multimedia, 1990); Judo and You (Kendall Hunt, 1991);
Ultimate Jujutsu Principles and Practices (Strider Nolan, 2002);
The Martial Arts Student Logbook (Strider Nolan, 2002); Ultimate
Sparring Principles and Practices (Strider Nolan, 2003).
Jonathan
is the Executive Director of The Career Doctor for Writers, which provides
workshops, classes and editorial services for writers of all genres.
MARTIAL
ARTS AND SELF-DEFENSE
Apart
from his writing career, Jonathan is also a martial arts master and
holds an 8th degree black belt in Jujutsu, and 5th degree black belts
in Kenjutsu (Japanese swordsmanship) and Hapkido. He has been active
in martial arts since 1964, and taught Martial Arts History and related
classes at Temple University for 14 years during the 1980s and ‘90s.
At
Temple, and throughout the region, Jonathan taught award-winning programs
in Women’s Self Defense, and is the author of several books and
workshop packets on the subject. In the ‘80s he developed two
award-winning self-defense programs for the physically challenged: At
Close Range (for the visually impaired) and Steel Wheels (for the “wheelchair
warrior”).
In 1993 Jonathan and his students were featured in the documentary Fighting
Jujutsu, which later became the basis for his book, Ultimate Jujutsu
Principles and Practices. Jonathan also worked for the Philadelphia
District Attorney’s Office as an Expert Witness for murder cases
involving martial arts. He’s also a former bodyguard and worked
in that capacity in the entertainment industry for four years in the
early 1980s.
In
the middle-to late 1970s Jonathan twice took the Heavyweight Title for
full-contact open martial arts, earning a record of 102 wins, 2 losses
and 2 ties; with 68 knockouts.
Jonathan
often lectures to groups of writers on Writing Realistic and Exciting
Fight Scenes.
|
Jonathan
and his wife Sara and the Bram Stoker Awards ceremony. |
