Author:Dean R. Koontz

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Dean Koontz apparently wrote 30 or so erotic books for Cameo books and others early in his career under various pen names. Books that have been attributed to him by others include Skin Summer by "Ann Griffin" (American Art Enterprises, 1983 and Cameo, 1970), Protest Ball by "Ann Griffin" (published by American Art Enterprises in 1989 and originally published in 1970 by Cameo); and Sharing by "Richard Young" (published by Barbizon in 1973, originally published under the title Share the Warm Flesh by "Gracie Amber" in 1970 by Cameo). Dean Koontz has denied having ever written any erotic books with the exceptions of Bounce Girl (Cameo, 1970) which credits Dean Koontz and his wife as authors without benefit of pen names, and the “Leonard Chris” book "Hung"; but these denails appear to be inconsistent with prior statements made by Koontz himself.

In an article written by Dean Koontz entitled "Dean's Drive" in the sci-fi fanzine Energumen #8 (6/71), Dean admitted to writing 30 erotic books in 1970 in addition to Pig Society and The Underground Lifestyles Handbook (both of which were also published by Cameo books in 1970). One of the titles that Dean Koontz admits to having written (at the time he wrote this article) is Thirteen and Ready, which was written under the penname of "Ann Griffin" – the initials A.G. being those of his wife in reverse. In an early sci-fi fanzine, Beabohema #8 (1970), Dean Koontz again talks about writing a number of adult books for Cameo. Dean Koontz's writing how-to book "How to Write Popular Fiction" (1972) also refers to these books and specifically to the "Ann Griffin" penname. The Library of Congress apparently has confirmed that Gerda Ann Koontz (Dean's wife) holds the copyrights to a number of the adult books attributed to Dean Koontz which he now denies having authored.

Additional evidence suggestive of Dean Koontz’s use of these pen names (alone or together with his wife) is as follows: The “Ann Griffin” Cameo book Protest Ball lists the author's address as Harrisburg, Pennsylviania, which is where Dean and his wife were living in 1970, the year of its publication. "Ann Griffin" is one of the five names listed in the dedication of the gothic romance Demon Child (which Koontz wrote under the penname of “Deanna Dwyer”). All five of the first names listed in the dedication of Demon Child match the first names of authors of Cameo erotic books that have been attributed to Dean Koontz.

Note: This information is adapted with permission from information provided by online bookseller “fbks68”, who reports verifying all the above information from the original publications.