[Letters From the Labyrinth] Official Brian Keene Newsletter

I'm Brian Keene, and this is the 131st issue of Letters From the Labyrinth -- a weekly newsletter for fans of my work. Previous issues are archived here.
The people have spoken. You didn't like the format of the last few issues, so I'm reverting back to the old format today.
This was a stressful and busy work week.
I turned in my zero draft of my first episode of THOR. Then I got told to change all of it. In truth, I expected and anticipated that. Not my first time in a writer's room nor my first time writing for comics. Rewrites of rewrites are par for the course. So are too many editors. Buy the ticket, take the ride. That's why I front loaded the zero draft with a bunch of stuff I suspected they'd want to take out. If they focus on that, they'll ignore the stuff I really wanted to keep in there. Which is pretty much what happened, ultimately.
Tod and Macker have turned in their pre-reader edits for CURSE OF THE BASTARDS. I'm still waiting on Dezm's. His always take a while longer because he has the unenviable job of going through every reference in the book and making sure it matches up with the continuity of all my previous novels and stories. that job was way easier for him when I only had 6 books out, rather than close to 50.
Some of you have asked -- yes, I suspect CURSE OF THE BASTARDS will be the last book in the series. Steven has talked about doing some more books focusing on younger Rogan (like the previously published THOROUGHBRED), and indeed, he's working on one right now based on an idea I gave him over text message. But as far as the "old Rogan" series, I think the trilogy is it. While I enjoy playing in Steven's world, and with his characters, and seeing how his creations butt up against mine, there's only so many ways I can write, "Yes, I was once a great fighter and a cunning bastard, but I am old now, and just want people to leave me alone, but these young fuckers keep trying me and so I have to kill them."
I worked on getting Lifetimer stuff together. Thanks to H. Michael Casper for the master list of what they need.
I worked on THE TRIANGLE OF BELIEF -- a non-fiction book I'm writing about the intersection of faith and the paranormal. That will first be released as part of this year's Maelstrom set, along with the aforementioned CURSE OF THE BASTARDS and a novel by Michael T. Huyck Jr.
Speaking of Maelstrom, yes, we skipped last year because I burned my arm down to the bone in some places. But it will come roaring back this summer.
I worked on the final draft of a collaboration with Bev Vincent.
I worked on THE FALL -- the final book in THE RISING series.
I posted a new chapter of SUBMERGED: THE LABYRINTH BOOK 2 on Patreon.
Some of you have asked when THE SEVEN: THE LABYRINTH BOOK 1 will be released in a format other than Patreon. Probably late-2019 for the hardcover and early 2020 for the paperback.
I worked on collaborations with Bryan Smith and Wrath James White.
I worked on J.F. Gonzalez's estate.
I made notes about a forthcoming collaboration with Weston Ochse.
I looked at all the other stuff I have to get done and my blood pressure spiked.
I also worked on this.

This blasted patch of bad ground nearly killed me one year ago this June. It is where I was burning flood debris while cleaning up the extensive storm damage to my ex-wife's property. It is where I came the closest to dying that I have ever come (and that's counting the heart attack).
She wants a fence around her property, and I agree this is a good idea. For one thing, our region has been experiencing a lot of rural homelessness (people think that's a problem limited to the cities, but it is not) and she's had a few cases of strangers wandering through the property. The other reason is that last Fall our son got chased by a zombie deer.
I am not making that up. If you don't believe me, Google "Zombie Deer Disease". I'll wait.
Okay, you back? See? I wasn't making that shit up. Anyway, an infected deer chased our son through the yard. A fence will prevent that from happening again. So, I told her I would take care of building the fence, which makes my doctor happy. (My doctor is prone to saying things like, "If you don't get out from behind the keyboard and exercise more you are going to die by the end of the day).
In order to build a fence, I must first clear out the brush and undergrowth in the woods surrounding her property. And to clear out the brush and undergrowth, I'll need a place to burn it.
So, my first order of business this week -- and my daily exercise -- was to clean up the burned remnants of last year, so that I can burn things anew.
Hopefully not myself this time...
On this past week's podcast, author Lucas Mangum joined me, Mary Sangiovanni and special guest Wesley Southard to discuss Jeff Burk’s departure from Deadite Press, serialized novels, Jonathan Maberry, writing cross-genre fiction, and more. Plus we had remembrances of Larry Cohen and Joe Pilato, and tested out a diabolical computer A.I.
Listen for free on YouTube – iTunes – Spotify – Project Entertainment – iHeartRadio – Stitcher
The only social media I still use daily is Twitter and YouTube. I have an Instagram that I never use or look at. And I have a Facebook page that is run by Ron Davis and Stephen Kozenieski. I also have a pseudonym Facebook account that I use mostly to talk to old Navy buddies and a few very close writer friends).
Once a week, I poke my head into The Official Brian Keene Fan Group on Facebook. I don't run it or moderate it. Again, that's the good work of Ron Davis and Stephen Kozeniewski. But I do lurk and see what folks are saying.
Which is how I found out that Laurie Lehman (whom I remember signing books for last time I was in Florida) named her new pets after me.
Meet Brian and Keene.


Many of you have commented that you miss the weekly lists of what I'm reading and watching and listening to. Unfortunately, I had no reading or watching this past week (see the list of shit I worked on as to why) other than the latest episodes of Family Guy and Superstore.
As far as listening, I was all over the place this week -- but it was mostly Motley Crue and Chris Cornell, because Kelli Owen is a fan of both, and we had a surprise birthday party for her last night, and I was asked to DJ for it. I love DJing. Always have. But DJing a backyard party is very different than a club or a dance. A good party DJ should include music that exists in the background. The music should start conversations and punctuate conversations, but it should never be louder than the conversations. It should also cater to the collective tastes of the hosts -- in this case birthday girl Kelli Owen, and thus... lots of Motley Crue and Chris Cornell's various bands and solo stuff.
Usually my party playlists are a mix of metal, hip hop, country, rock and pop, and run the gamut from the 50s to now. This particular playlist is very heavy on rock and metal of a certain era, but I still think it flows nicely. Lots of people seemed to enjoy it yesterday.
Indeed, Kelli and several other guests from last night asked me to make the party's playlist public. And so, for a very limited time, here it is. Much like the playlists I posted from my own 50th birthday and this previous New Year's Eve, this playlist will self destruct after a week or so.

In celebration of Kelli's birthday, you should buy her latest. TEETH is available in paperback and ebook here, and it's the best vampire-not-vampire novels I've read in a very long time.
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.
I'll see you back here next week!