J.A. Konrath - 65 Proof - An Omnibus: Sixty-five Short Stories

I ve been writing stories for as long as Ive been able to hold a pen.

I love writing.

My love of writing stems from a love of reading, and my favorite things to read have always been short stories. Maybe because they dont demand a hefty time commitment. Maybe because, like a buffet, they offer variety and allow you to sample new things. Or maybe because some of the greatest ideas are best presented in 5000 words or less.

In my younger days Id devour Ellery Queens Mystery Magazine, visit the library to check out Alfred Hitchcock anthologies, and buy Charles Grants Shadows anthologies and Years Best Horror Stories paperbacks. I discovered many new writers by reading shorts, including Anthony Boucher, Ray Bradbury, Stephen King, Lawrence Block, Richard Matheson, Woody Allen, Bill Pronzini, Dave Barry, and John D. MacDonald, masters all.

I learned my craft by studying and imitating these authors, and did so much writing as a kid that my parents bought me a word processor as a birthday gift.

By the time I was out of college I had written over two hundred short stories, and deemed myself ready to write a novel.

From that moment until my first sale took twelve years.

Whiskey Sour, my debut Jack Daniels novel, was published in 2003. Ive done six more books in the series since then (Bloody Mary, Rusty Nail, Dirty Martini, Fuzzy Navel, Cherry Bomb, and Shaken.)

Though Whiskey Sour was the first thing I ever sold, it was actually my tenth book. The previous nine never found a publisher. Neither did any of my early short stories. Between 1990 and 2002 I wrote over a million words, without earning a single dime. All I earned were rejection letters. Over five hundred of them.

My early work apparently sucked.

Luckily, my new book contract allowed me to write full time. Since writing became my main source of income, and that income depended on people buying my books, I spent every waking hour trying to think up ways to enlarge my audience. It took me years to reach that point, and I intended to do everything I could to make sure my books didnt flop.

In sales vernacular, that meant immersing myself in self-promotional marketing to spread name-recognition through increased brand awareness.

In laymans terms, I had to find readers.

One of the main things I did to promote myself was write and sell short stories. Magazines, websites, and anthologies can reach thousands, hundreds of thousands, even millions of people. And as I learned from my youthful reading experiences, theres no better advertisement for an author than a sample of his writing.

So I looked through my stack of old shorts, rewrote a select few, and sent them out. I also began to write new stories, many of them featuring characters from my novels.

In order to reach as many markets as possible, I wrote about a wide variety of subjects. Some stories were geared toward mystery and crime readers. Others, since my novels have scary parts, were aimed at horror fans. I also penned some straight comedy stories and essays, because the Jack Daniels books contain a lot of humor.

Since 2003, Ive sold and/or published over fifty stories and articles. Many new readers have found me by reading my short stuff, and have gone on to become fans of my books.

Which leads us to 65 Proof.

Over the years, a lot people have contacted me, asking where they could get copies of old magazines or anthologies Ive been in. Unfortunately, some of my published stories are out-of-print, foreign, defunct, sold-out, or otherwise difficult to find.

Not anymore.

This collection brings all of my published works together in one package, and its a lot cheaper than spending hundreds of dollars buying every single magazine and anthology that features a JA Konrath story, though bless you folks who have tried to do just that.

For reading convenience, Ive divided 65 Proof into four sections.

JACK AND FRIENDS. These are stories that directly tie into my series novels. They stand alone, and dont need to be read in any particular order, nor do they fit into any specific timeline in the Jack Daniels universe.

CRIME STORIES. These are mystery and thriller yarns that dont have anything to do with Jack and company. They range in tone from extremely hardboiled noir, to light-hearted satire, to solve-it-yourself mini mysteries.

HORROR STORIES. Scary tales, some funny, some extremely dark. This is where youll find monsters, vampires, ghosts, aliens, and assorted things that go bump in the night.

FUNNY STUFF. Shorts and essays in various genres, intended to provoke smiles.

While I enjoy writing the Jack books, I have even more fun writing shorts. The short form is liberating. It allows me to experiment, to be goofy, to take risks. I believe within these fifty-five stories is some of my best work.

I encourage you to skip around these pages and sample the different tones and styles. Think of it as a buffet where you can pick and choose.

And thank you for reading. Thank you more than youll ever know

T here have been seven Jack Daniels novels so far (Whiskey Sour, Bloody Mary, Rusty Nail, Drity Martini, Fuzzy Navel, Cherry Bomb, and Shaken.)

The continuing cast of characters in the Jack Daniels books are one of the reasons I enjoy writing them so much. Having established early on that the series is a mixture of humor, scares, mystery, and thrills, I have complete freedom to write short stories in any and all of these sub-genres.

I use shorts to take my characters in places they wouldnt normally go in the novels. Jack can function as a traditional sleuth, solving crimes like Sherlock Holmes or Miss Marple. But she can also star in nail-biting thrillers without any element of mystery. She can even be delegated to sidekick role, letting someone else take center stage.

Harry McGlade can be even goofier in short stories than he is in the books. When I write a McGlade short, I play it for laughs and cross over into parody, which would never work in the novels.

Phineas Troutt is ideal for hardboiled tales. Because hes a criminal, I can walk on the dark side with him, and have him do things that Jack, with her moral compass, would never do.

Plus, I can get away with things in short stories that I cant in my books. I dont have to worry about having lines cut, or having my characters motivations questioned. For a writer, its the ultimate indulgence, and the ultimate freedom.

It also allows me to do some pretty fun shit.

After landing my first three-book deal, I started writing short stories like crazy, trying to get my name out there. I always liked locked-room mysteries, and decided to do one featuring my newly published detective, Lt. Jacqueline Jack Daniels of the Chicago Police Department. Here, Jack takes a break from serial killers to solve a classic whodunnit. This sold to