Jan L. Mayes (she/her) is a multi-talented writer and retired audiologist from beautiful British Columbia in the Pacific Northwest of Canada. Her diverse and prolific repertoire spans hearing health, horror, sci-fi, poetry, and short stories. She is currently plotting her first novel.
Mayes’ non-fiction work stems from her personal history. Having experienced sound sensitivity or hyperacusis for as long as she can remember, and developing tinnitus after a car accident in 1986, she was initially told by doctors that “nothing could be done.” Determined to prove them wrong, she pursued a career in audiology, specializing in tinnitus, noise damage, and hearing conservation.
After years of quiet activism against preventable noise, she’s returning to fiction, where she can kill off characters instead of just warning them about hearing loss.
She would like to acknowledge that the land on which we gather, and that she is privileged to call her home, is the unceded territory of the Coast Salish Peoples, including the territories of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations.
Beyond writing, she enjoys pastimes such as speaking cat, playing piano, deadheading, needlework, plotting murders, and planning for a zombie apocalypse.
Be warned—her fiction is not for the faint of heart.
Awards
2019 International Book Awards Finalist: Tinnitus Toolbox Hyperacusis Handbook.
2013 Eric Hoffer Award Winner: Tinnitus Treatment Toolbox.
Jan L. Mayes 