Zoltan James is the pen name of ZJ Czupor. He writes mysteries, thrillers, and the occasional bad poem, and is proud to be represented by Terrie Wolf, founder and owner of AKA Literary Management.

His novel, Elrod and The Hunt for Shooter #5 is out on submission and so is a nonfiction work on the lives of select mystery authors.

He’s the author of The Big Weird: Haikus in Times of Pandemic and Chaos, a collection of sublime poetry about his observations of the pandemic. More of his haiku poems are featured in Stop the World: Snapshots from a Pandemic, (Thalia Press), which includes authors, poets and essayists from around the world.

His noir short story, The Man in the Corner, is featured in Crossing Colfax, by Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers.

His novel excerpts have been winners or finalists in the Claymore Award (Best Mystery category and a Top Pick in the Thriller category), Freddie Award for Writing Excellence (Florida Chapter, Mystery Writers of America); Southeastern Writers; Whodunit Mystery Writing (Mystery Fest Key West); and Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers. A screenplay was a finalist for the Bogart Noir Short Film Competition in Miami.  

ZJ is a past president of Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers and is an active member of the Rocky Mountain Chapter, Mystery Writers of America, and International Thriller Writers.

ZJ was born in Osterode, Germany to Hungarian parents who fled their homeland at the end of WWII to avoid living under communist rule. When he was 20-months-old, he and his parents immigrated to Lawrence, Kansas and became proud U.S. citizens. He graduated from Lawrence High School where years later he was inducted into the high school’s Hall of Honor. He earned his bachelor’s degree in journalism and public relations from the University of Kansas and his master’s degree in communications from the University of Denver. After working for several years in nonprofit, corporate, and agency public relations, he and his wife, Marta, co-founded The InterPro Group, one of Denver’s leading public relations agencies. He now writes full time.