My sixth Jack Daniels book, CHERRY BOMB, is available today in hardcover.
I encourage everyone to buy several copies. If you have any money left over, pick up ABANDON by Blake Crouch (the co-writer of SERIAL), which also comes out today and kicks absolute ass. If you like my books, you'll love this.
BOOKLAUNCH PARTY
If you want to meet me in person, and also meet authors Henry Perez and Jeff Strand, my booklaunch party is at:
CENTURIES AND SLEUTHS BOOKSTORE, July 12, 2pm-4:30pm, 7419 W. Madison St. Forest Park, IL.
Feel free to bring people along. All of my books will be for sale, and the beer is free. You don't think I'd have a booklaunch without free beer, do you?
PODCASTS
If you want to kick back and listen to me talk shop and crack wise, I've recently been on two podcasts.
You can hear me and Blake talk about SERIAL, CHERRY BOMB, ABANDON, and many other things on Diabolical Radio at www.blogtalkradio.com/diabolicalradio.
Then, if you want to hear me really get silly, check out the podcast at www.Genrefinity.net. You should bookmark Genrefinity--it's a fun site run by some crazy guys who love everything genre. The podcast is at www.genrefinity.net/genrefinity_podcast-ep013.mp3.
NEW EBOOK
Finally, for those who missed my previous announcement, I wrote a horrific thriller novella with Jack Kilborn called TRUCK STOP. It's available exclusively as an ebook, and features Jack Daniels.
Which brings me to a question I'm often asked. "Joe, can you list every Jack Daniels story?"
THE JACK DANIELS UNIVERSE
WHISKEY SOUR - Book #1, Jack chases The Gingerbread Man. Available in hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audiobook. 2004.
BLOODY MARY - Book #2, Jack chases a rogue cop. Available in hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audiobook. 2005.
RUSTY NAIL - Book #3, Jack chases The Gingerbread Man's family. Available in hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audiobook. 2006.
DIRTY MARTINI - Book #4, Jack chases The Chemist. Available in hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audiobook. 2007.
FUZZY NAVEL - Book #5, Jack chases the Urban Hunting Club and Alex Kork. Available in hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audiobook. 2008.
CHERRY BOMB - Book #6, Jack chases Alex Kork. Available in hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audiobook. 2009.
THE LIST - Jack makes a cameo in this technothriller novel. Available on my website, Scribd.com, and Amazon.com on the Kindle. 2009.
SHOT OF TEQUILA - Jack co-stars in this crime novel, which takers place in the early 1990s. Available on my website, Scribd.com, and Amazon.com on the Kindle. 2009.
ON THE ROCKS - Jack in a locked room mystery short. Originally appeared in Ellery Queen. Available in my short story collection 55 Proof on my website, Scribd.com, and Amazon.com on the Kindle. 2004.
WHELP WANTED - Jack's ex-partner, Harry McGlade, acting like Harry. Originally appeared in Futures Magazine. Available in my short story collection 55 Proof on my website, Scribd.com, and Amazon.com on the Kindle. 2004.
STREET MUSIC - Jack's criminal buddy, Phineas Troutt. Originally appeared in Ellery Queen. Available in my short story collection 55 Proof on my website, Scribd.com, and Amazon.com on the Kindle. 2004.
THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY - A Gingerbread Man short story. Originally read by me at the end of the Whiskey Sour audiobook. Available in my short story collection 55 Proof on my website, Scribd.com, and Amazon.com on the Kindle. 2004.
WITH A TWIST - Jack in a locked room mystery short. Originally appeared in Ellery Queen. Available in my short story collection 55 Proof on my website, Scribd.com, and Amazon.com on the Kindle. 2005.
EPITAPH - Phin in a revenge tale. Originally appeared in THRILLER edited by James Patterson. Available in my short story collection 55 Proof on my website, Scribd.com, and Amazon.com on the Kindle. 2006.
TAKEN TO THE CLEANERS - Harry being Harry. Originally appeared in The Strand Magazine. Available in my short story collection 55 Proof on my website, Scribd.com, and Amazon.com on the Kindle. 2005.
BODY SHOTS - Jack in a school shooting. Originally appeared on Amazon Shorts. Available in my short story collection 55 Proof on my website, Scribd.com, and Amazon.com on the Kindle. 2005.
SUFFER - Phin as a hired killer. Originally appeared in Ellery Queen. Available in my short story collection 55 Proof on my website, Scribd.com, and Amazon.com on the Kindle. 2005.
OVERPROOF - Jack Daniels and a suicide bomber. Originally appeared in CHICAGO BLUES edited by Libby Fischer Hellmann. Available in my short story collection 55 Proof on my website, Scribd.com, and Amazon.com on the Kindle. 2007.
BEREAVEMENT - Phin making ends meet. Originally appeared in THESE GUNS FOR HIRE edited by JA Konrath. Available in my short story collection 55 Proof on my website, Scribd.com, and Amazon.com on the Kindle. 2005.
POT SHOT - Jack partner, Herb. Originally appeared on Amazon Shorts. Available in my short story collection 55 Proof on my website, Scribd.com, and Amazon.com on the Kindle. 2004.
LAST REQUEST - Phin on a quest. Originally appeared in my short story collection 55 Proof. Available on my website, Scribd.com, and Amazon.com on the Kindle. 2007.
SUCKERS - Harry, teaming up with Jeff Strand's Andrew Mayhem. Originally appeared as a limited edition hardcover. Available on my website and Amazon.com on the Kindle. 2007.
FLOATERS - Jack, teaming up with Henry Perez's Alex Chapa. Originally appeared in MISSING edited by Amy Allesio. Available on my website and Amazon.com on the Kindle. 2009.
PLANTER'S PUNCH - Jack, teaming up with Tom Schreck's Duffy Dombrowski. Originally appeared on Kindle. Available on my website and Amazon.com on the Kindle. 2009.
TRUCK STOP - Jack facing Taylor (from AFRAID) and Donaldson (from SERIAL). Originally appeared on Kindle. Available on my website, SmashWords.com, and Amazon.com on the Kindle. 2009.
SCHOOL DAZE - Harry being Harry. Coming July 24 in UNCAGE ME, edited by Jen Jordan. 2009.
THE NECRO FILE - A Harry novella. The funniest thing I've ever written. Originally appeared in LIKE A CHINESE TATTOO edited by Bill Breedlove. Available in my short story collection 55 Proof on my website and Amazon.com on the Kindle. 2008.
SHAKEN - Jack Daniels book #7, currently being written. You can check out the first few chapters in the FLOATERS ebook. Available on my website and Amazon.com on the Kindle. 2009.
That comes to twenty-seven stories in the Jack Daniels universe, plus a work in progress. Also, in CHERRY BOMB, there's a cameo by one of my characters from my medical thriller DISTURB, along with a cameo by one of the characters from THE LIST.
Let's have some Q & A.
Q: Do these have to be read in order?
A: No. Though FUZZY NAVEL should be read before CHERRY BOMB for maximum enjoyment. The shorts can be read in any order at all.
Q: When does TRUCK STOP take place?
A: Before AFRAID, SERIAL, and FUZZY NAVEL.
Q: What's your favorite novel?
A: I don't have one. But I'm really fond of CHERRY BOMB. I think it epitomizes the kind of book I write.
Q: Which is?
A: Breakneck pace, lots of conflict, scary scenes, and bad jokes. Plus, if you haven't heard, CHERRY BOMB has a lot of sex in it.
Q: What's your favorite short story?
A: STREET MUSIC. I love the last line.
Q: Will you revisit Jack Daniels?
A: Absolutely. I'm working on another Jack book, called SHAKEN. But it isn't one of my priorities.
Q: I want more Jack!
A: That's not a question. But trust me--Jack will be around for a while...