James Kisner was an American novelist and short story writer, primarily of horror. He earned a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Arts degree in English at Indiana University and began his career in advertising and wrote part-time, eventually leaving advertising to write full-time. His first novel, Nero's Vice, was published in 1981. James Kisner died in June, 2008 at his home in Evansville due to accidental carbon monoxide poisoning.