[Letters From the Labyrinth] Official Brian Keene Newsletter
Good morning. I'm Brian Keene and this is the 117th issue of Letters From the Labyrinth -- a weekly newsletter for fans of my work. Previous issues are archived here.
I'm used to public speaking. As a writer, I've spoken at countless conventions, bookstores, expos, universities, high schools, elementary schools, and even a few churches. I've spoken not once, but four times inside C.I.A. headquarters in Langley, VA (a place civilians can't get into, and an experience which we just reminisced about on this episode of The Horror Show).
My first public appearance as a writer was in a little coffee shop in the Queensgate Shopping Center in York, PA. I read a story and talked for fifteen minutes after. That was back in 1997. My most recent public appearances were this signing at FYE in Lancaster, PA and a private corporate luncheon. That latter had an audience of about 1,000 and my topic was perseverance in the face of adversity and overwhelming odds.
I was doing public speaking and appearances long before I became a writer, as well. When I was a DJ, I played some memorable gigs, including a motorcycle gang's weekend-long party, which involved me playing out of my van, parked atop a hill in the middle of a field, a generator providing my power, and blasting music and my in-between commentary to several hundred dudes who looked like extras from Sons of Anarchy, and -- unbeknownst to the bikers -- also hooking up with several of their girlfriends throughout the weekend. I got paid in weed and cash. And before you judge me, I was young, it was the Eighties, and Use Your Illusion 1 and 2 had come out the day before.
Use Your Illusion 1 and 2 were a set of double albums by Guns n' Roses. Ask your parents about them. They were a big deal, at the time.
As Johnny Cash sings, "I've been everywhere."
This week, I'll be speaking to my son's fifth grade class. He's worried I will embarrass him, particularly now that the girl he's liked since 4th grade has revealed to him that she's like him since the 4th grade, too.
I told him to relax and not worry. I'm a professional and I've done this before.
A few hundred fifth graders can't be as intimidating as a room full of CIA spies or a field full of bikers, right?
Speaking of public appearances, a reminder that next Saturday, December 15th, Mike Lombardo and I will be signing from noon until 3pm at The Comic Store 28 McGovern Ave. Station Square, Lancaster PA 17602. We’ll have copies of I’M DREAMING OF A WHITE DOOMSDAY, THE COMPLEX, WHITE FIRE, THE LOST LEVEL, RETURN TO THE LOST LEVEL and more.
Then, in January, I’m heading to Oregon for Bizarrocon 11, which takes place January 10th through the 13th at McMenamins Edgefield 2126 S.W. Halsey St. Troutdale, OR 97060. All of my paperbacks published by Deadite Press will be available for sale there (the best day to get me to sign them is on Saturday). To register for Bizarrocon 11, click here.
Season one of SILVERWOOD: THE DOOR -- a new series with myself as showrunner and head writer and writers Richard Chizmar, Stephen Kozeniewski, and the Sisters of Slaughter, and available exclusively on Serial Box -- ended last week. with episode 10 – ‘The Opening’ – written by me.
If you are one of those folks who likes to binge on a series, now you can. Click here to start listening or reading today.
Signed 900 signature sheets this week for Cemetery Dance's FOUR HALLOWEENS II.
This Week's Podcasts:
MARY'S BEST OF 2018 - The Horror Show with Brian Keene - Ep 197
Mary SanGiovanni counts down her ten best moments from 2018, including appearances by Mike Lombardo, Rose O’Keefe, Shikhar Dixit, Gary Frank, Dungeonmaster 77.1, John Anderson, and more!
Listen for free on iTunes – Spotify – Project Entertainment – iHeartRadio – Stitcher
Been playing a lot of Fallout 76 with author Mehitobel Wilson, her husband, and comic book and pop culture memorabilia dealer Melanie Candra. That's us in the pic above. I'm the guy in the cowboy hat carrying a rifle.
The Fallout franchise is my favorite video game series, but even I can't defend the completely incompetent release that was Fallout 76. The multitude of problems -- from glitches to leaking customer private information (see Google for a complete list of all the ways the developers screwed the pooch -- have soured me on ever pre-ordering anything from Bethesda again.
That being said, I am having fun playing the game with friends. It has that going for it. After writing all day, it's fun to hear Bel cursing and Melanie cracking jokes as we don clown costumes and fight a wendigo.
Fallout 76 is a weak point in the franchise. But it's better with friends.
That's it for this week. As always:
PATREON - Where I post new short stories, writing advice essays, two serialized ongoing novels, and behind-the-scenes stuff.
TWITTER - The only social media outlet I still use regularly.
YOUTUBE - Where I'm posting free stuff each and every day.
BRIAN KEENE RADIO - Broadcasting for free 24/7
I'll see you back here next week!