Author Interview: J. A. Konrath by Kat Magendie
JA Konrath: The Jack Daniels SeriesInterview by Kathryn Magendie
Joseph Andrew Konrath was born in Skokie, IL in 1970. He graduated from Columbia College in Chicago in 1992. His first novel, Whiskey Sour (2004), introduced Lt. Jacqueline “Jack” Daniels. Others in the series include Bloody Mary (2005), Rusty Nail (2006), Dirty Martini (2007), Fuzzy Navel (2008), and Cherry Bomb (2009). The books combine hair-raising scares and suspense with laugh-out-loud comedy. Joe is also the editor of the hitman anthology These Guns For Hire (2006). His short stories have appeared in more than sixty magazines and collections, and his work has been translated into ten languages. Joe’s been nominated for several awards, including the Anthony, Macavity, Gumshoe, Dagger, and Barry, and has won the Derringer, Bob Kellog, EQMM Reader's Choice, and two Lovie awards.
R&T: Whiskey Sour is the first book in the series, followed by Bloody Mary, Rusty Nail, Dirty Martini, Fuzzy Navel, and Cherry Bomb. Tell readers how you came upon the idea to name your novels after cocktails.
Konrath: My main character is a woman named Jack Daniels, so it seemed like an obvious way to tie in all the titles with a central theme. Plus, it’s an easy way to remember them. You don’t have to recall the titles, only that “all the books are named after liquor.”
R&T: Since your books are a series, should they be read in order?
Konrath: They don’t need to be, but readers may get more of the “in” jokes if they do.
R&T: What motivates you to write thrillers with a sense of humor, versus, say, thrillers without humor?
Konrath: My job, as a writer, is to provoke readers with words. Fear and sadness are two emotions I try to make the reader experience, but making someone laugh is the most fun for me. Reading is an emotional buffet. I try to offer a wide variety at the table.
R&T: Any challenges writing from a woman’s point of view? Or, for that matter, are there challenges writing from the point of view of a character “nearing fifty” instead of someone younger?
Konrath: It’s very challenging, because women are smarter than men, and more literate. Luckily, my wife and mother are two of my first readers, and my agents and editors are women. So if I get something wrong, I hear about it.
R&T: How much of you is in Jack? Or Jack in you?
Konrath: Jack is tougher than I am, and a much better shot. She also dresses well, something I can’t seem to do. Our sense of humor is similar, but she’s more cynical, more world-weary.
R&T: Would you like to have Jack over for dinner? What about your other characters?
Konrath: I don’t think Jack would like me. I’m more like Harry McGlade, a wise-cracking PI that appears in the series. Jack doesn’t like Harry, because he refuses to ever be serious. Much like me.
R&T: How much fun have you had developing the secondary characters in your novels?
Konrath: I love it. It’s like creating a dysfunctional family, except they have to follow my orders.
R&T: Your books have that humorous side, but there is the dark side that makes them a Thriller—do you ever scare yourself? Do you have nightmares or look around corners to make sure no one is hiding there?
Konrath: I sleep pretty well, and am an all-around gentle, laid-back kind of guy. That said, every once and a while I come up with an idea that makes my wife look at me funny for a few days.
R&T: You wrote a novel titled Afraid under a pseudonym, Jack Kilborn. Why did you choose to write it under a different name?
Konrath: Afraid is a scary book. A really scary book. No humor in it at all. While some of my Jack Daniels fan will enjoy it, others may think it is just too intense. So I went with separate names.
R&T: When your reader turns the last pages of your novels, what do you want them to take away from the experience?
Konrath: I want them to be happy that they just spent eight hours in my world. So happy that they seek out more of my books.
R&T: What is the writing life to you, and how important is it to your sense of well-being?
Konrath: I’m getting to live my dream. It’s hard work, but I wake up every day with a smile on my face. There is nothing else I’d rather do with my life.
R&T: Any advice for emerging writers?
Konrath: Stick to it. Persistence, and a willingness to learn, are the two keys to success. There is a word for a writer who never gives up . . . “published.”
R&T: How did you and your agent find each other?
Konrath: I sent her a query letter, and she plucked it from the slush pile. I’ve been with her for ten years now. She’s the best.
R&T: How do you overcome what some call “writer’s block,” or just plain, “I don’t feel like writing?”
Konrath: Writer’s block doesn’t exist. If you’re sitting at a keyboard and nothing is coming out, find another hobby. Seriously—this business is hard. The writing is the fun part. If you’re struggling with the writing, what’s the point?
R&T: Finally, where can our readers find your books, and, what are you working on next?
Konrath: Afraid by Jack Kilborn is currently available everywhere. Cherry Bomb, Jack Daniels #6, will be out in July. You’re always welcome to visit me at my Web site, http://www.jakonrath.com/
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