If you’ve been around the self-publishing debate at all, you’ve heard of Joe Konrath. He’s a hero to some, villain to others and a frog-raping monkey to many more. Don’t ask about that last bit. It disturbs even me. Well, Joe and Blake Crouch (buy his book, RUN – it’s completely and utterly badass!) have a new book coming out Tuesday from Amazon’s thriller division Thomas & Mercer, and the boys were kind enough to give me a little interview time to pimp their new book. Here’s a little bit about Stirred, available for pre-order RIGHT THIS SECOND from J.A. Konrath and Blake Crouch.
1) Why would you guys decide to bring these series to an end now? With all the excitement about ebooks and new publishing methods, couldn’t you make more money writing new Jack/Luther novels?
We could. We’ve written almost 2 million words about these characters, so we just wanted to at least take a shot at wrapping it all up. But who knows? If reader demand is high enough, it’s possible some of them could return.
2) How would you describe your collaborative process?
Sometimes we work on scenes on our own, but mostly we work together at the same time in a Google doc. We tend to write in intense bursts. For example, on the day we finished the book, we wrote 9,000 words.
3) What’s next for each of you?
Joe: The sequel to Timecaster, only I’m releasing it myself this time.
Blake: A solo novel call Pines.
4) Will you ever collaborate again or would you rather pick glass out of your eyeballs?
Ha! Our collaboration is fun, effortless, and probably easier than writing on our own. We will definitely continue to collaborate.
5) Who would win in a fight, the winner of this book or the winner of the classic Thing/Incredible Hulk debate?
Oh, the winner of Stirred, no doubt!
Here’s the Amazon blurb –
Lt. Jacqueline “Jack” Daniels has seen humanity at its most depraved and terrifying. She’s lost loved ones. Come close to death countless times. But she always manages to triumph over evil. Luther Kite is humanity at its most depraved and terrifying. He’s committed unthinkable acts. Taken human life for the sheer pleasure of it. He is a monster among monsters, and no one has ever caught him. Each is the best at what they do. Peerless. Unmatched.
Until now…
In Luther’s experience, people are weak. Even the strong and fearless break too easily. He wants a challenge, and sets his depraved sights on Jack. But with a baby on the way, Jack is at her most vulnerable. She’s always been a fighter, but she’s never had so much to fight for. So he’s built something especially for Jack. His own, private ninth circle of hell?a nightmare world in a forgotten place, from which no one has ever escaped.
It’s J.A. Konrath’s greatest heroine versus Blake Crouch’s greatest villain in Stirred, the stunning conclusion to both Konrath’s Lt. Jacqueline “Jack” Daniels thriller series and Crouch’s Andrew Z. Thomas series.
Only one can survive. And it won’t be whom you think.
