Evanovich, Janet

An American writer, born as Janet Schneider in South River, New Jersey. As a child, she preferred drawing over writing, and after graduating from South River High School she went on to study a four-year course in contemporary art at Douglas College (a part of Rutgers University in New Jersey) where she received her bachelor’s degree in 1965. While still in high school, Janet began to make the acquaintance of Peter "Pete" Evanovich, who also went on to study at Rutgers, and in 1964 the pair were married. The couple travelled a lot for a time and Janet took on a number of temporary jobs, from car salesperson to waitress, all while trying to establish herself as an artist. However, after having her two children (daughter Alexandra – known as Alex – and son Peter), she settled into the role of housewife instead. In 1995, the family set down their roots in Hanover, New Hampshire. At the same time, they founded the company Evanovich, Inc., and the whole family began working at this new "author firm": the husband, who was originally a doctor of mathematics; the son, who looked after the economic side of things; and the daughter, who took responsibility for her mother’s website.