Newsletter #7

[JA Konrath]

Straight Up - The Official Newsletter of Author J.A. Konrath #7

In this issue: --Introduction
--Book Launch Party
--The Dirty Martini Tour
--Bookseller Contest
--Reviewer Contest
--Writing Contest Winners
--Library Contest Winner
--Free Whiskey Sours
--MySpace
--Books for Troops
--Recent News
--Summer Reads
--Freebies

--INTRODUCTION

You're on this mailing list because you love books. I love them, too. This email is my way of reaching out to readers, librarians, bookstore employees, fellow authors, and giving you free stuff. If you want to be taken off this list, just reply with REMOVE in the header or opt out using the link at the bottom. If you've asked to be removed from this newsletter and haven't been, I apologize--my current address book got corrupted and I had to rebuild it using an older file. Sorry--won't happen again. If you've signed up for this newsletter and haven't received it, you probably aren't reading this, but I apologize anyway.

My fourth Lt. Jacqueline "Jack" Daniels thriller novel, DIRTY MARTINI, has just been released in hardcover and on audio CD and MP3. It's gotten some terrific reviews, and unlike the previous books in the series, this one has very little violence in it. But rest assured, there's still alot of scares and suspense, as well as some big laughs. If you would like to read or listen to the first seven chapters for free, visit www.JAKonrath.com.

The first three novels in the series, WHISKEY SOUR, BLOODY MARY, and RUSTY NAIL, are currently available in paperback, hardcover, and on audio. They'll make you laugh, and then scare your socks off. Please head to your favorite bookstore and buy fifteen copies of each for yourself and everyone you know.

Now let's get to the fun stuff:

--BOOKLAUNCH PARTY

I'm having a booklaunch party for DIRTY MARTINI, on Thursday, July 26, from 8pm until 9:30pm.

After carefully considering many venues, and taking into account the tastes and needs of my close friends and fans, I've decided to hold the launch at Chuck E. Cheese, on 990 S. Barrington Rd, Streamwood Illinois. The first thirty people to buy books will also get free game tokens.

Yes, I'm serious.

There will be pizza, beer, wine, and pictures with Chuck E. Cheese the giant mouse. I encourage you to come by, say hello, and get a signed copy of any of my books. Everyone is invited, except for Al Gore, who I'm mad at for not returning my calls. I'm having a big Styrofoam bonfire at the party, Al. Then we're going to play "Improperly dispose of the used batteries" at a nearby pond. Then, Twister.

--THE DIRTY MARTINI TOUR

After visiting 29 states on tour last year, my lovely wife has threatened me with violence if I ever do that again. But I will still be dropping in stores in Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Indiana all summer, and there's also a good chance I'll visit stores on the West Coast, including Washington, Oregon, and California late summer/early fall. Keep an eye on my website for details. The only "official" signing I currently have planned is on July 25 at Mystery One in Milwaukee, where I'll be appearing alongside legal thriller author David Ellis. Hope to see you there.

--BOOKSELLER CONTEST

On the back of DIRTY MARTINI, instead of the standard quotes by reviewers and bigshot authors, I feature blurbs by booksellers. I love booksellers. In fact, I thank over 1300 booksellers by name in the acknowledgments of Dirty Martini. If you are a bookseller, I encourage you to write a quote of your own for Dirty Martini. Send it to me at [e-mail]. I'll put it on my homepage, and name a character in my next book after the bookseller who sends me the coolest quote.

--REVIEWER CONTEST

I enjoy being reviewed, whether it's in a newspaper, a newsletter, a listserv, on a website, a blog, MySpace, a bulletin board, an online review site, a bookstore site, etc. Write a review of Dirty Martini, and put it someplace where people can read it, and you'll be thanked in the acknowledgments of FUZZY NAVEL, coming out next year. Simple as that. The first twenty reviewers will also get something free. I have several copies of DIRTY MARTINI on audio CD and MP3 (featuring another amazing vocal performance by Dick Hill and Susie Breck) plus various copies of anthologies I've been in. The freebies will be autographed, of course.

--WRITING CONTEST WINNERS

I apologize for taking so long to judge this contest. I wish I had time to personally respond to everyone who submitted a story, but I was overwhelmed by over five hundred entries. There are a lot of great writers out there!

After some torturous deliberation, I've selected one winner and five runner-ups. Each will get a signed hardcover book, and the winner will also get a hundred bucks, and my help with crafting a query letter.

The runner ups (in no particular order) are:

Al Bixby Jonette Stabbert
Alan Peden
Steve Hagood
Richard M. Coad

And the overall winner is Dwayne L. Williamson, for his crime story, "Buried and Dead."

Thanks to all who entered!

If you didn't win, don't dwell on it. Rejection is part of being a writer. Remember, I collected almost 500 rejections before I sold a single word. Keep writing, keep trying, and never say die.

--LIBRARY CONTEST WINNER

After printing up over 400 entries and picking one at random, the winner is:

Denise Gullikson and the Andersen Library in Whitewater, Wisconsin.

Congrats, Denise! We'll coordinate a time for me to visit your library, give away some free books, and do a talk.

--FREE WHISKEY SOURS

Haven't read any of my books yet? Now you can, for free. WHISKEY SOUR, the first Jack Daniels book, is available as a free pdf file for a limited time on www.JAKonrath.com. My print publisher, Hyperion, is limiting the freebies to the first 1000 downloads, so act quickly. You can read the entire text of WHISKEY SOUR on your computer, or you can print it out, put it on your tablet PC, PDA, ebook reader, Palm Pilot, Blackberry, iPhone, etc. Be sure to tell all your friends, and drop me a line to let me know what you think of it.

--MYSPACE

Are we MySpace Best Friends Forever yet? Visit my page at www.MySpace.com/JAKonrath and join my 15,000 other BFFs, each of whom I know by name and stay in constant touch with because they are so very dear to me.

--BOOKS FOR TROOPS

Believe it or not, there's a JA Konrath Library in Iraq. A friend of mine is stationed there, and I put out a call to send him books for his fellow troops. They've gotten several hundred so far, but those were mostly by Nora Roberts. If you have some extra books lying around, send them to:

Soldiers of C Co / 163 MI Bn c/o 1SG Hansen
COB Speicher
APO AE 09393

--RECENT NEWS

The anthology I edited, THESE GUNS FOR HIRE, just received some great news. Author Julie Hyzy won a well-deserved Derringer Award for her contribution, STRICTLY BUSINESS. The antho features hitman and assassin stories from many top thriller writers, and is a must-read for everyone who loves mysteries. Visit www.TheseGunsForHire.com for details.

My short story EPITAPH, which is a Jack Daniels tie-in, was recently nominated for a British Dagger Award. It appears in the anthology THRILLER edited by James Patterson, now available in paperback.

If you're looking for more Jack Daniels stories, there's one in the upcoming anthology CHICAGO BLUES edited by Libby Fischer Hellmann.

I have a fun essay about Janet Evanovich in the recently released PERFECTLY PLUM, edited by Leah Wilson.

My gross little horror story, Mr. Pull Ups, is now available in the anthology TALES FROM THE RED LION.

I recently returned from Rome, Naples, and Milan in Italy, hosted by my Italian publisher Alacran Edizioni. If you, or someone you know, reads Italian, pick up their gorgeous edition of Whiskey Sour at www.bol.it or www.ibs.it.

Whiskey Sour, I'm pleased to report, was just reprinted and is now in its third paperback edition. I'm thrilled by the support from Hyperion and from all of the fans who have embraced the book and the series.

--SUMMER READS

If you've read all four of the Jack Daniels books (thanks!) and are desperately looking for something good to read, I heartily recommend the following:

A POISONED SEASON by Tasha Alexander - I normally don't like historical fiction, but I love this series. BIG CITY, BAD BLOOD by Sean Chercover - Great mystery debut.
BAD LUCK AND TROUBLE by Lee Child - Another awesome Jack Reacher novel.
REQUIEM FOR AN ASSASSIN by Barry Eisler - Eisler keeps getting better and better.
EYE OF THE BEHOLDER by David Ellis - An amazing serial killer novel.
THE MEPHISTO CLUB by Tess Gerritsen - Gerritsen's best yet.
SUPER MOM SAVES THE WORLD by Melanie Lynne Hauser - Funny and touching chick/mom lit.
SLEEPING WITH FEAR by Kay Hooper - Kay is wonderful.
CROSSHAIRS by Harry Hunsicker - Number three in one of my favorite new mystery series.
HELL'S BELLES by Jackie Kessler - Fun supernatural chick-lit.
SCAVENGER by David Morrell - An amazing follow up to CREEPERS.
A THOUSAND BONES by PJ Parrish - Awesome thriller.
THE MARK by Jason Pinter - Incredible debut.
THE JUDAS STRAIN by James Rollins - One of the best thriller authors out there.
THE REINCARNATIONIST by MJ Rose - MJ is always fantastic.
EVERY CROOKED POT by Renee Rosen - A heartfelt coming-of-age story.
THE BLADE ITSELF by Marcus Sakey - Great thriller debut.
ON THE ROPES by Tom Schreck - Great mystery debut.
PRESSURE by Jeff Strand - One of the scariest books I've ever read.
SERPENT'S KISS by Mark Terry - Great follow-up to DEVIL'S PITCHFORK.
SHADOWS IN THE WHITE CITY by Robert W. Walker - Walker's terrific sequel to CITY FOR RANSOM.

--FREEBIES

Free stuff is cool. A few times a year I have a random drawing for free J.A. Konrath merchandise, and everyone on my mailing list is eligible. Two newsletter subscribers have been randomly picked to receive some cool gifts.

The lucky winners this time are:

Lucky Andringa Cynthia Paulino

Lucky and Cynthia, email me to get your gifts.

Remember, even if you didn't win, you can still get free stuff and also get mentioned in the acknowledgments of FUZZY NAVEL by writing a review of DIRTY MARTINI.

Keep an eye on JAKonrath.com for updates and news. Book #5, FUZZY NAVEL, is due out June 2008.

See you on the road!

JA Konrath www.JAKonrath.com
www.JAKonrath.blogspot.com
www.MySpace.com/JAKonrath