Writing, reading, drinking, not necessarily in that order.
Besides being an author, I brew my own beer, which may be the best hobby in the world.
I MAMEed my Xbox, and love to play old arcade and console classics with my son. Pengo rules!
I spend waaaaay too much time on the computer.
The only sports I'm any good at are swimming and racquetball.
Got a new novella coming out, called SUCKERS. It's a tie-in with my Jack Daniels series, and is co-written by the very cool Jeff Strand. They're only printing 300 copies, then it's gone forever. Read my blog for more info. Here's what the cover looks like:
And yes, it's about vampires. Sort of.
Music
I play a little piano. It's 8 inches long.
And so's the piano.
I love Tom Waits, because his early stuff is the absolute best "drink too much and feel sorry for yourself" music ever written, and his later stuff is so damn eclectic it's mesmerizing.
The Rainmakers are a personal favorite since my teenaged years. Their song Long Gone Long is the greatest song ever written.
Leonard Cohen, for his way with language. I'm Your Man and The Future are both perfect albums.
They Might Be Giants, the giants of nerd rock.
Roky Erickson and the 13th Floor Elevators. I'm not a big fan of the Grateful Dead or Phish (too much improvisation, not enough catchy beats.) Roky is the opposite: psychedelic rock that is very singable, but also flat-out drug-induced. If you start listening to him, you can't get the tunes out of your head. Ever.
Alice Cooper, for having more diverse music than any other artist in the history of rock. Plus his live show kicks ass.
Currently on my iPod are the complete discographies of Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, Devo, Iron Maiden, Men Without Hats, Alanis, Motorhead, Raven, and Twisted Sister. I'm on a bit of an 80's kick it seems.
I also enjoy Shriekback (Big Black Nemesis is the song), The Plasmatics (the first time I heard WOW I thought she was a guy), Weird Al Yankovic (who has his fingers on the pulse of modern pop music trends), and Neil Diamond. In fact, my dog is named Neil. My other dog is named Jack, for obvious reasons...
The Cramps, The Dead Milkmen, The Dead Kennedys, The Meatmen, and early Suicidal Tendencies still rock after all these years.
Barnes & Barnes, Wildman Larry Fischer, and Wesley Willis, when I'm feeling goofy.
And I was into hip-hop PE (pre Eminem), and still listen to Ice-T, Run DMC, Sir Mix-a-lot, Hostyle, UTFO, Beastie Boys, NWA, House of Pain, and Public Enemy, dog.
JA on Blogtalkradio
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Yakking about books, self-promotion, and coping with incredible wealth, fame and success. Hypothetically.
Movies
Movie rights for my books are available. Serious inquiries only.
Okay, non-serious inquiries are welcome too.
Favorite films: anything by James Cameron or Sam Raimi or John Carpenter or Wes Craven. I also love John Woo, Ringo Lam, and Takeshi Miike.
Foreign: Run Lola Run, Dobermann, Hanzo the Blade, Lone Wolf and Cub, Versus, Stacy, Junk (everybody fights!), Old Boy, Battle Royale, A Better Tomorrow 2, Full Contact. And any chambara, HK Cat III, and hentai when it used to be clever.
Old School Horror: Last House on the Left, Last House on Dead End Street, any Romero, Deodato, Fulci, D'Amato.
Westerns: Django, Leone, Keoma, Run Man Run, Magnificent Seven, Quick and the Dead.
Musicals: Jesus Christ Superstar, and I've seen Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living inParis more times than I'd like to admit.
Anime: Violence Jack, Fist of the North Star, Golgo 13, Gatchaman, Devilman, La Blue Girl, Urotsukidoji.
Cult: Primer, August Underground, Sweet Movie, Emmanuelle in America, El Topo, Singapore Sling, Godzilla and Gamera.
Aliens and The Abyss are two perfect movies. Terminator and T2 are also perfect. True Lies...not so much.
Television
Television rights for my books are available. Contact my agent, or just drop by my house with a six pack, and we'll talk.
When I have time to watch TV, it's usually the Discovery Channel or TLC. I also manage to sneak in House, The Simspons, Drawn Together, Sealab 2021, and Aqua Teen Hunger Force. Just got into Harvey Birdman. Damn, that show is funny!
Also, lately I've been bit torrenting shows from my youth. The Banana Splits, Space Giants, Spectreman, Johnny Sokko and his Flying Robot, The Herculoids, Ultraman, and Speed Racer. I'm not sure if I'm embracing my inner geek, or using memories as a form of entertainment....
Books
Go to Amazon.com. Search for "JA Konrath" and buy my books.
Some authors I read include:
Steve Alten (Meg, The Loch)
Janet Evanovich (Stephanie Plum)
James Patterson (Alex Cross)
Lee Child (Jack Reacher)
Barry Eisler (John Rain)
Melanie Lynne Hauser (Supermom)
Jeff Strand (Andrew Mayhem, Pressure)
Harlan Coben (Tell No One)
Harry Shannon (The Pressure of Darkness)
Dave Barry (heh heh)
John Sandford (Lucas Davenport)
Tess Gerritsen (Jane Rizzoli)
Marcus Sakey (The Blade Itself)
Tasha Alexander (And Only to Deceive)
Ridley Pearson (Lou Boldt)
Thomas Harris (Hannibal Lecter)
Blake Crouch (Locked Doors)
David Morrell (Creepers, Scavenger)
David Ellis (Eye of the Beholder)
Raymond Benson (James Bond)
Rebecca Drake (Don't Be Afraid)
Jackie Kessler (Hell's Belles)
MJ Rose (Dr. Morgan Snow)
Jack Kerley (The Death Collectors)
Jeff Abbott (Fear, Panic)
Jay Bonansinga (Frozen, Twisted)
Lincoln Child and Douglas Preston (Pendergast)
James Rollins (Sigma series)
Robert W. Walker (Instinct series)
Brian Wiprud (Stuffed), and so many others...
If you like any of the above authors, chances are you'll also like my books.
If you want to try one of my Jack Daniels series for free, simply click on the Whiskey Sour cover below and dowload the complete novel as a PDF file to read on your computer, PDA, Blackberry, cell phone, tablet PC, ebook reader, Mobi Pocket, etc. It can also be printed.
This is only available for a limited time, so act now.
Heroes
The person I most admire is my wife, because she was smart enough to marry me. Clever girl.
I also admire people who make donuts. I mean, don't you?
JA Konrath's Details
Status:
Married
Here for:
Networking, Friends
Orientation:
Straight
Hometown:
Chicago
Body type:
Average
Ethnicity:
White / Caucasian
Zodiac Sign:
Aries
Smoke / Drink:
No / Yes
Children:
Proud parent
Education:
College graduate
Occupation:
Writer
JA Konrath's Schools
Columbia College Chicago
Chicago, IL
Graduated: 1992
Student status: Alumni
Degree: Bachelor's Degree
Major: Writing
Minor: Budweiser
Clubs: I was co-president of the Drinking Club, and a board member on the Creative Vomiting Squad.
Buy my books. Please. I love this job. They're available as hardcovers, paperbacks, audiobooks, and ebook downloads. And they're really good. I promise.
Jack Daniels chases serial killers. Really creepy ones. The books are scary enough to make you lock all your doors and turn on every light in your room. They are a lot like James Patterson, Patricia Cornwell, Kathy Reichs, Stephen King, Dean Koontz, or Silence of the Lambs and Hannibal Lecter. My villains make Lecter look like a Boy Scout.
But the books are also laugh aloud funny, similar to Dave Barry, Janet Evanovich, Christopher Moore, and Carl Hiaasen. If you drink milk while reading, the milk will come out of your nose. If that's something you enjoy, rush right out and buy some of my books, and a gallon of moo joice, and spend an entire week squirting your brains out.
Plus, if you buy my books, we'll be Best Friends Forever.
Don't you want to be BFF with a bestselling author? Sure you do! Stop playing around on the Internet and go read a book. If you do, I'll love you for all eternity. If you don't, I'll start to cry. Please don't make me cry.
I'll tell you what... how about you try four of my books for free?
Click on any of the above book covers to learn how to download free copies.
Yes, I said free! Does Stephen King give you free books? How about James Patterson or Patricia Cornwell? And they can afford it, too. But they just don't love you like I do.
Speaking of love, I recently edited an anthology called THESE GUNS FOR HIRE. It's a collection of hitman stories from the top thriller writers in the business, including David Morrell, Max Allan Collins, Jeff Abbott, PJ Parrish, Ken Bruen, Reed Farrell Coleman, Ed Gorman, MJ Rose, Victor Gischler, Sean Doolittle, Jeremiah Healy, and many others. Get it. You'll love it.
Also, please check out my pics and my really stupid video. It's on the gory side, but pretty amusing.
And remember to visit JAKONRATH.COM for all of your JA Konrath needs, and A NEWBIE'S GUIDE TO PUBLISHING for all of your writing questions answered. There are hundreds tips, hints, and tricks about the creative writing biz, plus contests, freebies, tour dates, downloads, bad jokes, and information about my books.
JA's Guestbook
Here you can add pictures of you, or your books, or your pets, or Elvira, Mistress of the Dark.
Who I'd like to meet: Tom Clancy, to tell him I found the Red October and to call off the hunt. (It was under my bed.)
People I'd like to have a beer with:
Robert B. Parker (the reason I became a writer)
Gary Larson (still the best)
Cassandra Peterson (I still have the posters)
Invader Zim (fear the fist!)
Andrew Vachss (superhero)
Jackie Chan (incredible performer)
Janet Evanovich (the master)
Chow Yun Fat (Inspector Tequila)
James Patterson (the other master)
Laura Gemser (Emmanuelle forever)
Bill Mumy (Art for Artie's sake)
John Carpenter (best director ever)
Weird Al Yankovic (been a fan forever)
James Cameron (best director ever)
Miko Mido (La Blue Girl)
Sam Raimi (best director ever)
Robin Williams (funny as hell)
Tom Waits (genius)
Seth MacFarland (creative madman)
Leonard Cohen (genius)
Dario Argento (best director ever)
Bruce Campbell (the chin)
Bob Walkenhorst (The Rainmakers)
Neil Diamond (Hell Yeah!)
Master Shake (a brother from another mother)
Sigorney Weaver (that's who I picture when I'm writing Jack Daniels stories)
Stephen Lynch (Damn he's funny)
Thomas Harris (3 out of 5)
Groucho Marx (though he probably wouldn't have much to say)
Any and all booksellers (you rock!)
Hi! Just wanted to make sure all my friends know that my 2nd horror novel SACRIFICE was released this month - and is in stores everywhere, including Amazon.com. I hope you'll check out the book! Here are a couple reviews it's gotten:
“SACRIFICE is not for the timid or weak of heart, it is a full frontal assault on your senses. It is a dark, brutal, bloody and terribly frightening book. Everson went deep into some dark abyss to bring this book to the light of day.... I highly recommend Sacrifice.” —Famous Monsters of Filmland
“John Everson manages in SACRIFICE to dispense buckets of blood, provide edgy perversity, and walk the tenuous tightrope of horror and sex without falling: It’s rather an amazing feat.” –Hell Notes
Hi friend! Our latest splatter and gore trailer of GRAVEYARD OF THE LIVING DEAD and NECRONOS - Tower of Doom are available on our MySpace account ;-) Have fun...
I have to say that I read the last Jack Daniels novel over the winter. I know out of the order they go in, but it was one the library had suggested. I LOVED it. I don't normally read mystery. It was awesome. Recently you visited the store I work at. I am sorry I missed you signing copies of the new book. The girl who got a copy seems to love it, maybe a little to bloody for my taste, but I will be backtracking to start with the first Jack daniels book soon. She is awesome. Thanks from a book store fan.
A killer’s obsession could destroy their second chance for love.
Hello! I hope everyone is gearing up for a fun-filled and relaxing summer. I wanted to let you know that my romantic suspense, Obsession, is now available and I’m very excited to announce that it is currently #6 on Samhain Publishing’s bestseller list! For more information please go to my website, www.sharoncullen.net.
Do you need some reading material for the hot summer months? Then don’t miss out on a great contest that some of Samhain’s biggest and brightest authors put together. 50 books, 50 authors, 50 winners. You can enter the contest by going to http://moirarogers.com/?q=node/347 and entering there.
We just finished our video for this year's Thrillerfest conference and would love your feedback: http://livingjacket.com/2009/05/26/video-for-thrillerfest-2009/
I loved the book AFRAID. Once I started reading it I couldn't stop. Now I am looking for the Jack Daniels series. I can't wait to get my hands on them and I really want to read TRAPPED when it comes out. Wonderful writing.
It will not surprise you to hear that I threw a down-home Southern hissy when I went into Borders and they did not have Afraid on the shelf:) However I ordered 2 from Amazon- the 2nd will go to the Park Forest Library as always:) Love ya Joe:)
Lets just say...Afraid...LOVED IT. My husband...didn't love it so much but I think that has to do with the fact that I started it at 8pm and couldn't put it down until 3am when I finished. Still love me some "Jack Daniels"...in more ways than one, but this genre was awesome too.
Holy Crappolie~~~Here I am, an old, retired cop and 20 pages into AFRAID, I wondered if I shouldn't just get up and shut the bedroom window. Instead, I snuggled down next to my shotgun and prayed to God this was only a story. I'm finished, now. It's not an 'only a' story--it's a FANTASTIC STORY! Get busy writing. I'm waiting! Linda Vernon
Thanks for accepting the request. If you have any short stories, poetry, or artwork collecting file maggots on your computer, then send them our way. Deadline for submission is July 30. Check out our homepage and blog for more information.
Your blog is filled with great advice. You've saved me some serious cash and time. Bought and read 'Dirty Martini'. Very tight. Really good. Congratulations. Again, great,great advice. Looking forward to sharing 'Brand Loyalty' soon. FMK
You gave me a copy of Afraid at Borders in Brandon FL. I read all of it in one sitting that same day. I'm going to check out the Jack Daniels series tomorrow when I go back to work.
By the way, it was really scary. I was sure things were going to be jumping out of the woods at me when I was going to the store at 2am. Thank you.
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