Thursday, October 23, 2008

A funny guy

It can be hard for an author to stand out in a flood of new releases. I received this charming missive from an author this morning, and I enjoyed it so much, I thought you might want to read it, too.

Hello my very good friend (your name here)!

This isn't a full-blown newsletter. It's a half-blown newsletter to say I'm having a contest to give away some free books.

The free books in question are hardcover and trade paperback copies of AFRAID by Jack Kilborn.

Jack Kilborn is JA Konrath, and JA Konrath is me.

AFRAID is being released on November 13 in the UK. It's a very scary book. The US version is coming out in paperback in April. It's also a scary book. In fact, it's the exact same book, except in England they use single quotes rather than double quotes for dialog, and they spell words funny like 'realise' and 'centre' and 'colour.' Also, if you ask for a fag in Britain you get a cigarette, and in the US you get something else entirely.

For info about AFRAID, an excerpt, and the infamous AFRAID flash game, visit http://www.JackKilborn.com.

For info about how to win free books in the Official Jack Kilborn Halloween UK Afraid Contest, visit my blog at http://jakonrath.blogspot.com.

Now for the remainder of this mini-newsletter, here's a bunch of praise from famous authors that you're going to skim over or ignore completely...

"AFRAID is a masterpiece of unrelenting horror. And I'm not exaggerating. Masterpiece. It's the best piece of fiction I've read in several years. It simply NEVER lets up."
— James Rollins, NYT bestselling author of Black Order and The Judas Strain

"AFRAID stands shoulder to shoulder with the very best of Harris, Koontz, and King. A classic horror novel."
— Blake Crouch, author of Abandon

"The moment I heard about this book, I couldn't wait to get my hands on it."
— David Morrell, NYT bestselling author of Creepers and First Blood

"AFRAID is one of the most intense books I've ever read. This one takes no prisoners."
— Marcus Sakey, author of The Blade Itself

"An absolutely relentless nightmare, with some of the most deliciously nasty villains I've ever encountered in a book. Horror fans will be wiping blood out of their eyes with glee."
— Jeff Strand, author of Pressure

“Like the evil so rife in this book, Kilborn kicks down your psyche’s front door, barges into the middle of your spirit, and RAISES HOLY EVER-LIVING HELL. Never have I read a novel so gruesome and simultaneously relentless. This book throbs with unmitigated, inexorable. sheer friggin’ TERROR. You’ll probably need a shrink when you’re done.”
— Edward Lee, author of Brides of the Impaler

"AFRAID is the most cringe-inducing thriller I've read. Twisted, frightening, and definitely not for the fainthearted. I loved every terrifying page."
— Henry Perez, author of Killing Red

"AFRAID never lets the reader rest. Kilborn's debut will have you cheering for the underdog while checking your doors to make sure they're locked."
— Crimespree Magazine

"A startling novel, from its thrilling onset to horrific closing pages. Hands down, AFRAID by Jack Kilborn is perhaps the best psychological horror to come along since Silence of the Lambs."
— Michael Laimo, author of Dead Souls

"A bloody, terrifying, hurtling assault across a landscape of non-stop mayhem. A guilty, guilty pleasure."
— F. Paul Wilson, creator of Repairman Jack

"An amazing debut. I wish I'd written it."
— JA Konrath, author of Fuzzy Navel

Okay, the newsletter is over. Go back to doing whatever you were doing. And remember... I love you.

http://www.JAKonrath.com