The process has taken a lot longer than I expected, and I still have a stack of stories and novels to work on. I apologize to making so many writers wait so long. It's ironic--I used to curse publishers who took a year to get something published, and now it is taking me just as long.
The latest novel, HOLES IN THE GROUND, just came out today in the US and UK Kindle stores. It's written with thriller author Iain Rob Wright. And it's a lot of fun.
UK £2.99 Kindle Edition
Monsters exist.
Linguist Andy Dennison-Jones knows this all too well. He and his veterinarian wife, Sun, have been chased by them before, and barely escaped from a secret underground government facility with their lives.
Now they once again find themselves trapped alongside a collection of creatures straight out of hell. Fighting with them is an unlikely group of misfits, including a misplaced British kid, a former spec-ops soldiers, and a strange Irishman who might be the oldest living thing on earth--if he's even alive at all.
Filled with the kind of slam-bang action, wicked scares, and sly humor that have earned J.A. Konrath and Iain Rob Wright millions of fans, HOLES IN THE GROUND is both a collaboration and a continuation of both authors' previous work (ORIGIN by Konrath and FINAL WINTER by Wright) but also serves as a perfect introduction to their universes.
HOLES IN THE GROUND by J.A. Konrath and Iain Rob Wright
Some secrets have teeth...
Plus, as a bonus extra, included is an entirely different version of the novel--Wright's original draft before Konrath touched it.
Two complete novels. One low price. Over 140,000 words of content.
The devil you know is just as bad as the devil you don't...
I encourage everyone to check HOLES IN THE GROUND out, and to help spread the word. It's a lot of fun, and Iain just had his first baby a few days ago and needs the money. :)
But HOLES isn't the only collaboration I've done in the past ten months.
Here are the others:
What do Lt. Jacqueline “Jack” Daniels and private investigator Nicholas Colt have in common?
Billiards, bourbon, bad jokes…
And murder. Several, in fact.
A homeless woman’s remains are found near Chicago twenty-six years after she disappeared. Her daughter—now retired in Florida—suspects foul play, and she hires Colt to fly up there and check it out.
A prominent Chicago physician is slain outside a convenience store, horribly mutilated. A senseless street killing? A robbery gone wrong? Or something much worse?
As the homicide cases and those involved converge, it quickly becomes apparent that Jack Daniels and Nicholas Colt are in for the most challenging—and deadly—time of their lives.
Filled with humor, suspense, and mystery, LADY 52 is sure to satisfy longtime Daniels and Colt fans, and is a perfect introduction to both series. It's approximately 250 pages long.
Billiards, bourbon, bad jokes…
And murder. Several, in fact.
A homeless woman’s remains are found near Chicago twenty-six years after she disappeared. Her daughter—now retired in Florida—suspects foul play, and she hires Colt to fly up there and check it out.
A prominent Chicago physician is slain outside a convenience store, horribly mutilated. A senseless street killing? A robbery gone wrong? Or something much worse?
As the homicide cases and those involved converge, it quickly becomes apparent that Jack Daniels and Nicholas Colt are in for the most challenging—and deadly—time of their lives.
Filled with humor, suspense, and mystery, LADY 52 is sure to satisfy longtime Daniels and Colt fans, and is a perfect introduction to both series. It's approximately 250 pages long.
Cole Clayton is a small town cop used to small town crime. But when a girl goes missing, it leads him from his small town to Chicago, where he teams up with a tough Homicide cop named Jack Daniels.
What is the meaning of cheese wrestling? Hint: You probably don't want to know. And neither does Jack. But sometimes you have to deal with the worst of humanity to bring out the best in humanity.
CHEESE WRESTLING
There are things worse than murder...
Gavin English isn't in Chicago searching for an unfaithful woman's wedding ring out of the goodness of his heart. He's doing it for the fifty thousand dollar check the unfaithful woman gave him. All he has to do is track down the pretty boy who stole it—in one of the biggest cities in the country.
Lucky for Gavin, ex-police Lieutenant Jack Daniels knows her way around the city—her city—and she's agreed to set aside her mommy duties for a few days, so that she can babysit him and his assistant while they're in town.
But somewhere between Gavin's visit to the busted-down crackhouse and their stop at a low-rent donut shop, Jack's peaceful babysitting gig turns deadly and the bullets start flying.
BABYSITTING MONEY brings together Ken Lindsey's heavy drinking, hard-boiled PI (TO THE BONE, ON THE EDGE) and J.A. Konrath's retired hero cop/brand-new mommy (WHISKEY SOUR, SHAKEN) for an intense, laugh-out-loud thriller.
A young addict forced into a life of contract killing, Macklin Dailey never let go of the girl he left behind at college. Now he's returned to campus on a cold October evening to protect Allie from a vicious psychopath preying on the community. Mackie is convinced this predator has set his sights on old love, and he'll do anything to keep her safe.
But someone is following Mackie.
Phineas Troutt is a problem solver, hired to punish Macklin for his past sins. But when this pair of hitmen cross paths with a monster far worse than either of them, the streets of a peaceful North Carolina community will be run red with blood and consumed by the OCTOBER DARK.
Psychic Investigator AJ Rakowski can't talk to the dead, but she can 'dial' into a dead person's vibes.
Why this qualifies her as a consultant for the Chicago Police Department is a mystery to skeptical Homicide Lt. Jack Daniels, who has real cases to solve.
But when Rakowski is brought on to help stop a serial kidnapper from abducting his next victim, Jack is forced to work with AJ. A girl's life is on the line, and maybe if the two learn to accept their differences and join forces, they just might be able to stop the...
ABDUCTIONS
Kidnapping can be murder...
Beat Down with Garth Perry $2.99
Psychic Investigator AJ Rakowski recently helped Chicago Homicide Lt. Jack Daniels solve two cases, a murder and an abduction.
But now both perps are walking free, and someone wants AJ out of the picture... permanantly. Coincidence? Or is there another criminal involved?
As the bodies pile up, and the mystery unfolds, both women realize these cases are far from closed. In fact, they've only just begun.
BEAT DOWN
Revenge can be murder...
Beat Down is a 15,000 word short novel (about 68 pages) featuring JA Konrath's heroine Jacqueline "Jack" Daniels who is the star of more than 1 million books, and Garth Perry's new heroine AJ Rakowski. Features action, suspense, and a fair does of humor.
Lieutenant Jacqueline "Jack" Daniels hates to fly. She hates the cramped leg room and the recycled air. She also hates the fact that she can't get a decent drink. The short flight to Florida is a necessary burden to visit her mother, but what escalates it beyond a mere inconvenience is the fact that the pilot is a gun-toting maniac.
Teaming up with an irritable, badly scarred woman from England, Jack sets about trying to protect the plane and its passengers from the homicidal Captain Clive while also making sure that they don't end up taking a deadly nose dive into the Sunshine State.
STRAIGHT UP
Air Travel can be murder.
A private investigator, a police lieutenant, and a man wearing a Bugs Bunny mask walk into a bar...
Unfortunately, it's no joke when Bugsy rigs the barrel of a twelve-gauge pump to the back of the bartender's neck.
Together for the first time in this explosive, lightning-paced tale of greed, betrayal, and blood-soaked terror (not really, but it's a fast-paced and funny mystery-thriller), Florida PI Nicholas Colt (Crosscut, Key Death) and Chicago cop Jacqueline Daniels (Whiskey Sour, Shaken) team up to stop the robber before another shotgun shell gets RACKED.
Jacked Up! with Tracy Sharp $2.99Leah Ryan used to steal cars for a living. A former repo chick, she'd hung up her lock picks for a new career as a private eye. But when her old boss calls up with an offer to repossess a Rolls Royce, the thrill-seeker in Leah can't refuse.
Things get crazy and dangerous when Leah's trip to Chicago turns out to be more than just a simple boost. As the dead bodies start piling up, she runs afoul with a homicide cop named Lt. Jack Daniels, and her uncouth ex-partner, Harry McGlade.
JACKED UP! teams up Tracy Sharp's unorthodox heroine with J.A. Konrath's stalwart cop, in an action-packed, hilarious mystery-thriller.
This short novel is 20,000 words long (about 75 pages), and is a great introduction to the worlds of Leah Ryan and Jack Daniels, while also being a treat for longtime fans of both series.
Warning: Contains what may be the funniest sex scene ever written. And a ninja.
It's not easy being a princess in a fairytale. Especially when everyone you meet is so incredibly horny.
When unhappy Jezebel is rescued from a terrible blind date by a cute waiter with magic beans, she thinks she must be dreaming. But once she's in a land filled with mythical beings, hot and eager suitors, and more orgasms than she's able to handle, Jezzy learns the true meaning of "happy ending."
Written by the author of the bestseller Fifty Shades of Alice in Wonderland, Fifty Shades of Jezebel and the Beanstalk features the same hysterical humor, heated sexual encounters, and romantic escapades readers have come to demand from Melinda DuChamp.
In the future, some people are still prudes...
But Fanny Leuber and Peter Bonebury, instructors at the Siemann Sex Institute, are doing all they can to make sure everyone can enjoy a healthy, prosperous sex life. Even if that means kidnapping clueless men to teach them how to please a woman, giving BDSM lessons, and creating group sex instructional videos.
But when a gorgeous, naive blond with sexual super powers arrives at the institute, everything Fanny and Peter know will be exposed and turned upside down… including their secret feelings for each other.
Written by bestselling erotica author Melinda DuChamp, the Sexperts is another hilarious, romantic, and downright naughty adventure for readers who are daring enough.
It's erotica for smart people who like to laugh, just like you.
In the future, some people are still prudes...
And the most prudish of all are the righteous defenders of righteousness at the Purity Foundation. When the director sends her own daughter on an undercover mission to eliminate sexual satisfaction from earth, the only thing standing between the human race and complete and total sexual frustration are the good instructors of the Seimann Sex Institute.
Fanny and Peter, along with new instructors Chastity and Milo, have devoted their lives to ensuring everyone can enjoy a healthy, prosperous sex life. But they will have to use every tool and technique in their arsenal if they are to overcome this new threat, because the Purity Foundation isn't going down...not without a fight.
No sacrifice is too much if the cause is just, and love might the greatest cause of all...
Written by bestselling erotica author Melinda DuChamp, The Sexperts - Girl with a Pearl Necklace is another hilarious, romantic, and downright naughty adventure for readers who are daring enough.
She's an elite spy, working for an agency so secret only three people know it exists. Trained by the best of the best, she has honed her body, her instincts, and her intellect to become the perfect weapon.
CODENAME: HAMMETT
Before special operative Hammett became a mercenary, she executed the most difficult missions--and most dangerous people--for the government.
When one sanction turns into half a dozen dead, the agency Hammett works for realizes she's gone rogue. And there's only one way to deal with rogues; eliminate them with extreme prejudice.
But this target has other ideas...
NAUGHTY
You have nothing to fear but fear itself. And her.
NAUGHTY is a 30,000 word short novel (roughly 90 pages) and is part of the Codename: Chandler series.
Grandma? with Talon Konrath $0.99Randall just wanted to have a fun summer vacation with his family, visiting Grandma at her cabin on a lake in the Wisconsin Northwoods.
Then everything went horribly wrong.
Join fifteen-year-old Randall and his younger brother Josh as they go on the run and fight for their lives on the eve of an elderly undead apocalypse.
GRANDMA? Part 1 by J.A. Konrath and Talon Konrath
She won't bake you cookies...
Forget everything you've ever read about zombies. But that's probably impossible, because I bet you've read a lot. So maybe just put aside your preconceptions, because this living dead epic will make you remember why you fell in love with this genre in the first place. Part funny, part scary, part 1 of the Geriatric Zombie Apocalypse.
Rated PG for mild zombie violence and semi-naughty words, like boobies.
This is YA fiction by a YA writer. Does it get more real than that? Plus an entertaining afterword written by thrillomedy bestseller Jeff Strand!
Warning: This ebook is not for the faint of heart, those with nervous disorders, lunatics, women who have been pregnant for more than 12 months, children under the age of 1, bed wetters, German shorthaired pointers, people named Steve, certified public accountants, those who operate heavy machinery, and my next door neighbor.
Joe sez: So yes, it seems like things are going slow. But I've managed to release 2 full length novels and 13 novellas in the last 10 months.
The sales so far have been pretty good, and they seem to be doing better than a lot of Kindle Worlds titles, so I've been pleased. I wish I could get these done faster, but they're taking as long as they take, and I'm proud to have my name on every single one of them.
Overall, the reviews have been good. Right now Lady 52, previously the only novel of the bunch, is ranked around #10,000, which is right where many of my other Jack Daniels novels are ranked.
Novels sell better than short stories, and many others have contributed novels that I'll be working on shortly.
In the meantime, support your peers, and this blog, and buy every one of these. Because, after all, this blog only exists for me to sell my work to fellow writers.
Not.
But it would be awfully cool of you if you bought a few. :)
I bought Grandma? Part 1 as soon as it came out and loved it (lots of fun and thrills as I visualized it while reading it), but am losing my patience waiting for the next part! When is it coming?
ReplyDeleteI just finished re-reading Origin last month. What perfect timing!! Yay!
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the new release, Joe and Iain!
ReplyDeleteInteresting that you included Iain's original draft. Any particular reason?
Both drafts are included because my original version was a lot different to what we ended up with. It really is like two similar yet very different stories. There are a family of imps who get a much bigger role in the version Joe added to for instance (or should I say for 'imp-stance).
ReplyDeleteJust have to say what a pleasure it has been to work with Joe on this. He's been a cool guy every step of the way.
ReplyDeleteWhen is it coming?
ReplyDeleteThis month. :)
Congrats, Iain and Joe! Can't wait to read it!
ReplyDeleteAnd congrats again on your gorgeous baby boy, Iain!
Interesting that you included Iain's original draft. Any particular reason?
ReplyDeleteAs Iain said, there were many changes. I went in a radically different direction for the last act.
When we collaborated, Jude, the story stayed pretty much the same, and I just made some additions without changing very much.
If you'd like to include your version of Lady 52 as a bonus, we can certainly do so.
He's been a cool guy every step of the way.
ReplyDeleteYou've been cool, Iain. I've been slow as hell.
Incredibly, I'll have released over 22 titles in a 12 month period. It's wearing me down. Plus I did create two start-up companies.
But I think I have a solution on how to make the collabs go quicker.
Thanks, Tracey. I am already in love with him :-)
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh!! These look incredible. You've all done a ton of work… even if Konrath's stack is still high! On my way to buy several including Melinda's and Tracy's! You had me at "funniest sex scene ever written." Nothing like funny sex scenes. They all look like great reads. Congratulations to everyone involved.
ReplyDeleteIf you'd like to include your version of Lady 52 as a bonus, we can certainly do so.
ReplyDeleteThanks. Just sent you an email about this.
Bought them all and are loving the collabs! Great work everyone and congrat!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Kathie. The funny sex scene was written by Joe and it is hysterical. In fact, I was laughing out loud so hard I almost fell over from a sitting position and could barely breathe :)
ReplyDeleteSequel to ORIGIN? I'm there!
ReplyDeleteGrabbed it. Can't wait to read it. Origin was great.
ReplyDeleteDo you only sell on Amazon? Can I buy direct from your website? I'm in Taiwan and all the books have a $2 surcharge here.
ReplyDeleteMark
I loved STRAIGHT UP so I had to buy HOLES IN THE GROUND. ORIGIN is already on my Kindle.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the new baby, Iain!
Now I just need more time to read.
Glad to see you're back, Joe. Hope you had a great break.
ReplyDeleteI'm lovin' these collaborations -- brilliant idea. As a fan, it has been a great push to try a few different authors. I personally loved Origin and have been looking forward to this since you or Iain leaked the idea a few months ago.
When I first started switching to ebooks, one of my favorite things was that authors could add other versions or extras for the fans. This is an often overlooked bonus of ebooks that really doesn't get talked about much. When I was first getting interested in writing fiction, you released Draculas with a great bonus about the collaboration process with your other 3 co-authors. It was priceless and would have been absolutely impossible to add as a bonus in the traditional publishing world. Adding the original versions sounds like a win-win for fans and for your collaborators. I bet this is another first in publishing chalked up by Joe.
Looking forward to a great read Joe and Iain. Thanks.
Joe, I'm curious about the $1.99 price of Abductions, October Dark, Cheese Wrestling, etc.
ReplyDeleteMark Coker has lead a study showing that the $1.99 price is the less successful price for an ebook. Could you confirm/refute?
Obviously, Abductions ($1.99, #34,930) sells a lot more than Beat Down ($2.99, 46,716), but perhaps the 70% royalty of Beat Down brings you more? And what about the $0.99 price? If you lowered Abductions to $0.99, wouldn't you gain in visibility for this title?
You have far more titles than that, so, I would be curious to know if as a general experience for you, the $1.99 price is still valuable?
Thank you for the list! :) I bought one. It's great so far!!
ReplyDeleteJust finished 'Holes In the Ground'. What a fantastic sequel to 'Origin'!! Iain Rob Wright has a new fan, and I've already purchased 'The Final Winter' to read after I've finished reading the bonus version of 'Holes In the Ground'.
ReplyDeleteI also LOVE the bonus content included in your books! Reading the collaboration stuff on Draculas was nearly as much fun as reading the actual story, and I enjoyed every page. I'm looking forward to reading the bonus version of 'Holes In the Ground' very much. Thank you for the awesome entertainment!
I'll definitely read this as an older fan of Joe's and a relatively newer fan of Iain's.
ReplyDeleteJoe - I'm sure the thought has entered your mind already but thought I'd ask... with all the novellas/short story collaborations recently, will all those be collected into one volume down the road?