If you love stories that keep you up at night—and maybe make you check the closet once or twice—then you’re in for a treat. Today, we’re thrilled to sit down—virtually, of course—with Jonathan Pongratz, a Kansas City-based author whose love for the dark and mysterious fuels his gripping tales of horror, sci-fi, and speculative fiction. His books, including Reaper, Conscience, and BEK Curse, are filled with bold, resilient characters who confront sinister and mysterious forces—though Jonathan cheerfully admits he wouldn’t survive long in one of his own stories, thanks to his well-earned fears of bees, attics, and deep water. You can check out his guest post on the blog here.
Born in Kansas City and raised in Dallas, Jonathan returned to his hometown in 2013. When he’s not crafting chilling tales, he works full-time in finance at a local legal firm and writes whenever he can squeeze it in. A former choir and show choir enthusiast (jazz hands included), Jonathan now channels his performance energy into weekend gaming streams and spontaneous karaoke nights. His fascination with the paranormal—fueled by his family’s own unexplained experiences—inspires much of his writing, even if the stories themselves remain purely fictional.
Let’s pull back the curtain and get to know the mind behind the monsters.
Amisha: Tell us what inspired you to be a writer in the first place?
Jonathan: I’ve always been something of a creative. I started writing in elementary school. My first story I wrote about my friends and I having a school sleepover and discovering that there were people within the walls. It was an awful story, but I guess you can say I’ve always liked the macabre. I also wrote some creative pieces in community college (thank you music appreciation class!), but I made my first true steps towards being a writer when I moved from Dallas TX to Kansas City MO in 2013.
There was something about the change of scenery that allowed me to focus on what was most important to me, and the desire to write was so strong that I couldn’t ignore it. What started as a hobby turned into a passion of mine, and after working on honing my craft for about five years before publishing my first story Reaper. I never looked back.
Amisha: What is your favorite part of being a writer?
Jonathan: My favorite part of the process is finding inspiration. There’s something so exciting when you find a concept or idea that resonates with you. I’ve drawn inspiration from many sources, but they always come to me in different ways. The BEK Curse was an idea that came to me when I was listening to podcasts centered on the topic of black eyed children. Conscience came to me for a writing contest on a service called Scribophile. The Ruins was inspired by a website that detailed South American folklore. It’s such a riveting thing that never fails to amaze me.
Amisha: I have used Scribophile myself and I found it very helpful especially the feedback from other writers, which is pretty constructive. You are essentially a horror author. Was there any particular reason you chose this genre? What inspired you to write horror stories?
Jonathan: There’s always been a part of me that loved horror and the unknown. When I was a kid, my parents wouldn’t allow me to watch horror movies, but the second they went out on errands I’d turn on the TV and watch them to my heart’s content. I scared myself senseless, but it was always something of a thrill for me.
My family also has a history of paranormal phenomena. I guess you could call us magnets. Me, my mom, dad, sister, and brother have all experienced something over the years. My particular boogeyman was the shadow people. Throughout my 20s I had numerous interactions with them that shook me to my core, and while I’d rather not experience anything like that again (it’s all fun and games until you’re a part of the horror!) it didn’t scare me away from my calling.
There’s an allure to the darker side of things that I just can’t shake.
Amisha: What scares you and how do you translate those fears into your writing?
Jonathan: My fears are a little … eclectic I guess you could say. I’ve never liked large bodies of water like lakes, rivers, oceans. I avoid them like the plague. There’s so much we haven’t explored within the depths of the waters of our planet and I would rather be blissfully ignorant than find out for myself. No thanks! I’ve also seen a great many people get stung by wasps and bees that I developed a phobia over the years. I still can’t be around them without squirming and jumping around to escape them. Lastly, I’m not a lover of dolls. My friend’s mom in elementary school had a room filled with creepy porcelain dolls, and ever since I’ve been very leery of them.
I like to think of fear as a perceived threat to safety, so I often explore stories where survival is key and my characters may or may not completely understand what is happening. In those moments, I often tap into my paranormal experiences with the shadow people or my neverending nightmares (seriously, it’s every night for me!) to really capture that element of terror and helplessness.
Amisha: What are some of your favorite books to read? Are there any works or authors who influenced you and your work?
Jonathan: Despite my attraction to horror, I’m a pretty adventurous reader. I typically read horror, scifi, and fantasy works, but I’ve been surprised by the occasional historical fiction or more rarely, romance. I think what resonated most with me at a younger age was the Goosebumps series by R.L. Stine (middle school) and The Vampire Chronicles by Anne Rice (high school). Some of my recent favorites are the Themis Files series by Sylvain Neuvel, anything by Jeff Strand (horror/comedy), or anything by Tammie Painter. Her works are more whimsical and help balance out all this dark material I keep reading!
Amisha: Do you have any odd or unique writing habits?
Jonathan: Typically I’ll lock myself away in my little office at home and listen to ambient music. I find that music with words tends to interrupt my creative process, and there’s so much great content out there that you can find a vibe for anything. I wouldn’t say it’s odd or unique, but I tend to overly plan things. If an idea for a story isn’t vivid in my mind’s eye, then I have more work to do on plotting it out and won’t begin the writing process until I reach that point.
Amisha: You have a lot of readers and you are constantly gaining more. How would you describe your relationship with your readers?
Jonathan: Oh, that’s a toughie! So as an author you do get more and more readers as you keep publishing works, but oftentimes the majority of them don’t rate or review your works so it can be hard to tell if there is constructive criticism you should be taking notes on. That being said, for the past few years I’ve really stressed getting out in the community and attending events and conventions where I can meet with potential readers and let them know more about me and what I do. I’m something of a social butterfly, so I love talking with book lovers of all kinds, even if horror isn’t for them. I had a recent book event and was shocked at how many people said they had looked me up or knew who I was.
Amisha: What is the most useful tip you have received as a writer?
Jonathan: Grow a thick skin. Being an author, criticism is ever present, both constructive and destructive. It can be so hard starting out and receiving negative comments about your work. In fact, the first review of Reaper was a one star review. But the majority of feedback that was positive helped combat any negative feelings I had about the experience. I like to think about it like this. No author is capable of creating something that everyone loves. Look at Stephen King, or whoever you look up to as an author. They get plenty of one-star reviews, and you’ll likely receive the same. It’s just the way the world works, and I think if you can accept that fact, it’ll take you far in this industry.
Amisha: I love that! Being an author in itself requires a strong and steady mind. I also think that sometimes writers have to deal with their work taking an existence independent of their own so once a work is out there in the world, the author should just let it be.
So my next question is about self publishing. It is very popular among new authors. But I think it can lack the guidance and support that traditional publishing provides. What is your take on this? Which one do you prefer and what is your advice for the new authors who are stepping into the world of publishing?
Jonathan: Oh, I love this question! I have both self published and been traditionally published, and while everyone is different, I prefer self publishing. I lucked out and had an author friend who helped guide me through the steps of self publishing, and I’m so grateful that she helped me discover the tools I needed to make self publication a reality. I will say, self publishing is not easy. You have to do every bit of the work on your own (whether you hire assistance or not). Cover design, formatting, getting an ISBN, marketing, etc, etc. It’s not for the faint of heart, but I do believe that that knowledge can be crucial for your point of view, so I’d advise any former or new writer to research what that process entails at the very least.
For my traditionally published work (there’s only one so far) I personally feel that the support I received wasn’t as great as I’d hoped, and the wait time to have a work considered by a publication is something that can be a real time suck. I’ve waited over a year before with a former submission just to be told no, and while I respect their decision, I’ve gotten to a point where I am confident enough in my storytelling abilities to move forward as a self-published author.
Amisha: You mentioned you are working on some new projects. That seemed very exciting. Tell our readers about your plans for the future and what new works can we expect to read from you?
Jonathan: I’m so glad you asked! I currently have three projects I’m working on.
The first is a short story that will be part of a horror anthology called Haunted Bodies. Local Kansas City authors like myself are creating the stories, and I’ve had so much fun writing this story. I just finished the first draft of the story on a writer’s retreat this past weekend, so you can expect that to come soon! It’s about a man in his 20s that lives in an apocalyptic world. He lives in a colony called Vilefort under authoritarian rule. When he breaks curfew he is taken to see the Overlord, a mysterious figure no one has seen but rules over the colony with an iron fist. As he fights otherworldly obstacles to get to the Overlord he encounters horrors and truths that will shake him to his core.
The second is a scifi/horror novella I’m co-writing with Iseult Murphy. The story centers on a female botanist named Gemma working for a Mezcal company in Mexico. She and her lab partner are working on the first self-sustainable crop of agave plants when their genetic alterations go horribly wrong. Faced with an impossible situation where maguey (mezcal worms) now hunger for human flesh, she must rally the staff and visiting donors to evacuate or die trying.
The last one is my biggest project and one I’m really behind on! This is the sequel to The Ruins. After Tyler Collins defeats the evil spirit Ayar Kachi, he has to pick up the broken pieces of his life. Luckily he has caught the eye of an LGBTQIA+ TV station and is hired on as a new paranormal show’s host, but he begins to suspect that his struggles with the paranormal world might not be over. This one is still in development, but I’ve got the first third of the book pretty much chiseled. My other projects keep taking me away from this one, but I’m very excited to continue Tyler’s journey!
If you haven’t read his work yet, now’s the perfect time to dive in. Check out his books at his website and Amazon .
You can also connect with the author on Facebook , Instagram and YouTube .
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