Letters From the Labyrinth 91

I'm Brian Keene and this is Letters From the Labyrinth -- a weekly newsletter for fans of my work. Previous issues are archived here.
It has rained every day this past week, and I'm beginning to feel like a character from the EARTHWORM GODS series.
Speaking of which, people often ask me if there will ever be a follow-up to EARTHWORM GODS II: DELUGE. When I point to EARTHWORM GODS: SELECTED SCENES FROM THE END OF THE WORLD, they shake their heads and ask if we'll ever find out what happened to the people on the boat at the end of EARTHWORM GODS II: DELUGE.
The short answer, without spoilers, is yes. Yes, you will. They'll be popping up in THE LABYRINTH when Teddy, Frankie, Tony, LeHorn, Bloom, the Exit, and Lucifer travel to that world. You can, of course, start reading the first book in THE LABYRINTH series right now on Patreon for just one dollar.
Anyway, it's rained here all week. The wild ducks and geese who make their home in my yard like the rain. Every day, the geese bring their babies out for a walk, stopping traffic as they cross the road over to my dock alongside the river -- and the babies wallow in the puddles. Baby geese are adorable. Adult geese are tolerable, although I could do without them shitting in my driveway and all over the dock and honking irritably at me when I go fishing.
Our garden likes the rain, too. In the last week, the sweet corn, green beans, wax beans, spinach, strawberries, catgrass, dill, rosemary, and peas that Mary and I planted have all sprouted up.
I haven't had time to decide whether I like the rain or not. Post-telethon, this week has found me buried in work, and I'm finding it impossible to catch up, no matter how many hours I put in. Some weeks are like that, and all you can do when it gets that way is shoulder on and shove through. You can't stop to think about the workload. If you do, the weight will crush you and you won't get anything accomplished.
Mostly, I've been working on season 1 of SILVERWOOD: THE DOOR. (It's so awesome to not have to hint about it anymore, or call it by it's codename THE DOOR). This week, I edited episodes one through nine. That means I went through each episode, and made sure the continuity matched up between them, and that characters sounded the same in the later episodes as they did in the pilot. This happens when you have four other authors involved. Author A writes a character talking like a surfer. Author D writes them talking like a nuclear scientist. I made sure the rules of the world we've created were consistent, etc. I didn't mess with grammar or punctuation or anything like that. Copyeditor Monica J. O'Rourke (probably the best copyeditor currently in the business) will handle all of that.
That took up the vast majority of my week. In between, I also posted a new Behind the Scenes to Patreon, and wrote a new Writing Advice essay for Patreon, as well. Also, Armand and Shelly Rosamilia were here Wednesday evening. We recorded an episode of The Horror Show with Brian Keene together, and went out for a nice dinner, and Armand and Mary discussed a novel they want to write together. And yesterday, Christopher Golden and I recorded an episode of our side-podcast, Defenders Dialogue.
But that was it for my social interactions. I've kept my head down, been scarce on social media, and focused on work.
It doesn't help that my book sales inexplicably slumped last month. I usually average around $1,200 a month in royalties. That and Patreon pay the bills. This month, my royalties were half of that, which means not all of the bills are gonna get paid on time. I found this out on Monday, just after the telethon. There's a certain irony in raising $22,000 for charity, and then coming home and being broke. But that's the life of a professional writer.
(Although, I won't lie -- if you've been considering buying a book, this is a great time to do so. Click here for a complete list of what's available).
This week, I'll be writing the season finale to SILVERWOOD: THE DOOR, finishing up a short story for Matt Hayward's new anthology, boxing up Lifetimer shipments (though I'll have to wait until the next payday to mail them), and adding to collaborations with Wrath James White, Bryan Smith, and Bev Vincent.
I just wish the rain would stop.
Warehouse stock on the trade hardcover of PRESSURE is down to less than 1,000. It will not be reprinted, nor will there be a paperback. So, once those last hardcovers are gone, it will only be available in ebook.
If you are not an ebook person, and you haven't yet gotten PRESSURE, this is your last chance to buy one new. Amazon still has a few in stock.
Speaking of hardcovers, a reminder that END OF THE ROAD IS UP FOR ORDER
END OF THE ROAD is a memoir, travelogue, and post-Danse Macabre examination of modern horror fiction, the people who write it, and the world we live—and die—in. Exhilarating, emotional, heartfelt, and at times hilarious, END OF THE ROAD is a must-read for fans of the horror genre. Introduction by Gabino Iglesias.
Published as a Signed Hardcover Limited Edition:
• Limited to just 750 signed and hand-numbered copies
• Personally signed by the author on a unique signature page
• Retail price just $40!
• Printed on 60# acid-free paper
• Bound in full-cloth with colored head and tail bands
• Featuring hot foil stamping on the front boards and spine
• Printed and bound with full-color endpapers
• Smyth sewn to create a more durable binding
• Wrapped in a full-color dust jacket
• Limited ONE TIME printing of this special edition
• No other editions planned at this time!
SPECIAL BONUS ITEM WITH PURCHASE!
Every copy of this book purchased on CemeteryDance.com will include a FREE special bonus Limited Edition chapbook, On the Road with Brian Keene by John Urbancik. Just reserve End of the Road via this page and we’ll automatically send you the chapbook with your order!

For those who missed it last week, a recap of SILVERWOOD: THE DOOR.
Serial Box in partnership with BlackBoxTV proudly presents SILVERWOOD: THE DOOR from Brian Keene, Richard Chizmar, Stephen Kozeniewski, Michelle Garza, and Melissa Lason. Based on the web series by Director Tony E. Valenzuela.
Deep within the forest of Silverwood, California a dark force is working to open the door between dimensions—bad news for a Boy Scout troop and employees on a company retreat nearby. As their darkest fears and impulses feed the mysterious force, their bonding exercises take a deadly turn. Will anyone be able to keep their minds long enough to close the door before our world is torn apart?
Coming this October as a weekly prose and audiobook series.
CLICK HERE TO PRE-ORDER THE ENTIRE SEASON FOR JUST $13.99
CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE TRAILER ON YOUTUBE
Q: What is Serial Box?
A: Serial Box is the HBO for readers. They publish weekly serials in prose and audiobook formats. The time it takes to read or listen to an episode is about 49 minutes, the same as an episode of a television show (without commercials).
Q: Is this a TV series?
A: No. It’s a prose and audiobook series. Each episode is 10,000 words (a short novella).
Q: So what am I pre-ordering?
A: You are preordering the entire series. When it launches, you can read it on your Kindle or other device, listen to it on your phone or other device, etc. Even better, you can toggle back and forth between the two. Read on the way to work, listen while at work, etc.
Q: How much is the first season?
A: $13. That’s 10 episodes for 13 dollars.
Q: Who all is involved?
A: I’m the showrunner, and I wrote the first and last episodes and one episode in the middle (just like in television). Richard Chizmar, Steven Kozeniewski, and The Sisters of Slaughter wrote multiple episodes each (also just like in television). Our producer is Lydia Shamah. Silverwood creator Tony E. Valenzuela is our spirit guide.
Q: Do I need to be familiar with SILVERWOOD before this?
A: Not at all. This series has been specifically crafted for readers who are not familiar with Silverwood. However, long-time Silverwood fans will find PLENTY to get them excited! (If you watched the trailer, then it’s not a spoiler that Kristina is involved… and if she’s there, can her bear be far behind)?
Q: Okay, cool. But I’d still like to check out SILVERWOOD between now and then. How can I do that?
A: Oh, that’s easy. You can watch Season One for free on YouTube by clicking here. You can watch Season Two for free on YouTube by clicking here. And you can read the graphic novel for free by clicking here.
Q: Where can I learn more?
A: By clicking this link.
The American Library Association's Booklist gave a star review to CLICKERS FOREVER, which is now available in paperback and for Kindle.
In her review, which you can read by clicking here, Becky Spratford writes, in part, “In this tribute to Mexican American trailblazing author Gonzalez, who died of cancer in 2014, horror-master Keene (Pressure, 2016) used Gonzalez’s first novel, Clickers (1999), as a framework. The result is a moving, compelling, and just plain fun-to-read volume that seamlessly melds critical essays, personal recollections (including more than one piece about his influence as a writer of color), and unpublished works by the subject himself. But those are the book’s exoskeleton; the meat lies in the 20 brand-new tales of Gonzalezian terror.”
CURRENTLY READING: The Cabin at the End of the World by Paul Tremblay
CURRENTLY WATCHING: Nothing
CURRENTLY LISTENING: Scream by Discipline Theory
I've known Paul Tremblay for many years, and he's a dear friend, and he'll be here next month for a visit, but I've had to change the title of the in-progress THE MOTEL AT THE END OF THE WORLD to something else because his novel came out first. ;-)
If you are a long-time listener to The Horror Show with Brian Keene, or a regular reader of this newsletter, then you know of my appreciation for the Hap & Leonard television series (based on the novels by Joe R. Lansdale).
Despite being the Sundance Channel's highest rated series, Sundance parent AMC has decided not to renew the series for a fourth season. There's a petition to get Netflix or Hulu to pick it up. This show transcends genre. It also transcends politics, race, religion, sexual orientation, and all the other walls that currently divide this country. It is rare and required viewing, and deserves renewal.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN THE PETITION
Thanks.
Most of this newsletter got written yesterday. Now it's Sunday morning, and the rain has indeed stopped. Looks like its going to be a sunny day. Hope it's the same where you live.
That's it for this week. As always:
PATREON - Where I post new short stories, writing advice essays, a serialized ongoing novel, and behind-the-scenes stuff.
TWITTER - The only social media outlet I still use regularly.
See you back here next week.