J. A. Konrath
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| J. A. Konrath | |
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| Born | 1970 Skokie, Ill. |
| Occupation | Novelist |
| Genres | Mystery, Thriller, Horror |
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Joseph Andrew Konrath (born 1970, in Skokie, Ill.) is a fiction writer working in the mystery, thriller, and horror genres. He writes as J. A. Konrath.
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[edit] Biography
Konrath graduated from Columbia College in Chicago in 1992 and spent the next 12 years garnering close to five hundred rejections for nine unpublished novels. His tenth book, Whiskey Sour, was picked up by Hyperion in 2003. It was the first in a series featuring Lt. Jacqueline “Jack” Daniels of the Chicago Police Department. He’s since published dozens of short stories and articles, been translated into eight languages, and edited an anthology called These Guns for Hire for Bleak House Books.
Konrath’s books are known for combining humor with terror.
He’s also known in the writing community for his work in self-promotion. Konrath believes that writers must play a large part in marketing their own books, and his blog, A Newbie’s Guide to Publishing, focuses on this. He has outspoken and somewhat controversial views on advertising, the publishing industry, and internet publicity.
In 2006, Konrath mailed out close to 7000 letters to libraries across the United States with fellow mystery author Julia Spencer-Fleming, touting their books to librarians.
Later that year, Konrath signed books in 612 bookstores across 28 states. The booksellers he met on this three month journey were thanked by name in the acknowledgments of his fourth novel, Dirty Martini.
Konrath’s website features many free downloads, including three full novels.
[edit] Bibliography
[edit] Novels
- Cherry Bomb (announced for 2009) - 6th in Jack Daniels series
- Fuzzy Navel (2008) - 5th in Jack Daniels series
- Dirty Martini (2007) - 4th in Jack Daniels series ISBN 1401302793
- Rusty Nail (2006) - 3rd in Jack Daniels series ISBN 140130088X
- Bloody Mary (2005) - 2nd in Jack Daniels series ISBN 0786890746
- Whiskey Sour (2004) - 1st in Jack Daniels series ISBN 078689072X
[edit] Tie-In Stories
- "On the Rocks" (Featuring Jack Daniels, first published in Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine (EQMM))
- "With a Twist" (Featuring Jack Daniels, EQMM)
- "Body Shots" (Featuring Jack Daniels, Amazon Shorts)
- "Whelp Wanted" (Featuring Harry McGlade, Futures Mysterious Anthology Magazine)
- "Taken to the Cleaners" (Featuring Harry McGlade, The Strand Magazine)
- "Street Music" (Featuring Phineas Troutt, EQMM)
- "Epitaph" (Featuring Phineas Troutt, Thriller edited by James Patterson)
- "Suffer" (Featuring Phineas Troutt, EQMM)
- "Bereaved" (Featuring Phineas Troutt, These Guns for Hire, edited by J. A. Konrath)
- "Potshot" (Featuring Herb Benedict, Amazon Shorts)
- "The One That Got Away" (Featuring The Gingerbread Man, Amazon Shorts)
[edit] Other Short Stories
- "The Agreement" (Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine (AHMM))
- "Symbios" (Apex Digest)
- "Forgiveness" (Cemetery Dance)
- "Light Drizzle" (Crimespree Magazine)
- "The Shed" (Surreal Magazine)
- "Finicky Eater" (Horror Garage Magazine)
- "The Screaming" (The Many Faces of Van Helsing, edited by Jeanne Cavelos)
- "Don’t Press That Button!" (James Bond in the 21st Century, edited by Glenn Yeffeth)
- "The Bag" (Cold Flesh, edited by Paul Fry)
- "Trailer Sucks" (Until Somebody Loses an Eye, edited by Jeff Strand)
- "The Big Guys, He Bites, A Matter of Taste" (Small Bites, edited by Garrett Peck and Keith Gouveia)
- "Appalachian Lullabye" (Requiem for the Radioactive Monkey, edited by John Weagley)
- "Lying Eyes" (Twisted Tongue Magazine)
- "Redux" (Spooks, edited by Tina L. Jens & John Everson)
- "The Conversation" (Hard Luck Stories)
- "A Fistful of Cozy" (Shots Magazine UK)
- "Mr. Pull Ups" (Tales From the Red Lion, edited by Tina L. Jens and John Weagley)
[edit] Unpublished Novels
All off these books are available as free downloads at Konrath’s website.
- Origin - A thriller about Satan being studied in a secret government compound.
- The List - A thriller about a cop who discovers he, and several others, are clones of famous historical figures.
- Disturb - A thriller about a new legal insomnia drug with deadly side effects.
- 55 Proof - A collection of short stories.
[edit] Audio
Konrath’s books are available through Brilliance Audio. Dick Hill and Suzie Breck are the voice talents, doing characters in dialect and making the reading sound like a play. Konrath also voices some characters on these productions, and also records short stories as an extra bonus.
[edit] Continuing Characters
- Jack Daniels - A forty-something Chicago Homicide Lieutenant.
- Herb Benedict - Her fifty-something partner.
- Phineas Troutt - Jack’s criminal friend, currently dying of pancreatic cancer.
- Harry McGlade - Jack’s ex-partner, now a private eye.
[edit] Awards and Recognition
- 2006 Bob Kellog Humanitarian Award (www.bksp.org)
- 2005 Love is Murder Award Best Police Procedural (Bloody Mary)
- 2005 Ellery Queen Reader’s Choice Award, 2nd Place ("With a Twist")
- 2004 Whiskey Sour was on the final ballot for the Anthony, Macavity, and Gumshoe Awards for best debut novel.
- 2004 Love is Murder Award Best Debut Novel (Whiskey Sour)
- 2004 Derringer Award for Flash Fiction ("The Big Guys")
- 2003 Gross Out Contest Winner, World Horror Con
