[Letters From the Labyrinth] 148

I'm Brian Keene and this is the 148th issue of Letters From the Labyrinth -- a weekly newsletter for fans of my work. Previous issues are archived here.

Apologies for not sending out a newsletter last Sunday. I fully intended to, but I was at KillerCon and things went later than I intended, which meant I slept in later than I intended on Sunday morning, and I didn't want to be late for the ALL HAIL THE POPCORN KING premiere.

I have pics from both over on my Instagram, if you want to check them out.

***

Author John Urbancik is living with Mary and I for a few months. Yesterday, he did the impossible -- he turned me on to some jazz that I didn't hate. Long time readers have probably figured out that I'm eclectic as hell when it comes to music. I enjoy everything from honky-tonk country to gangsta rap to growly metal to yacht rock. The one genre I've never cared for was jazz. Yesterday, John played two jazz records in the background while we were both working, and I didn't mind either.

Last night, we went out on my dock and sat by the riverside and did some night-fishing. I hooked a massive pike or catfish (couldn't see which in the dark, but based on weight and fight, it had to be one of those) who cleverly swam underneath the dock so I couldn't pull him up, and eventually slipped the hook. While we were out there, Katie Southard -- wife of author Wesley Southard -- dropped by for some career advice. She also brought along a bottle of whiskey to thank me in advance.

When I think about retirement (which is just 6 years away) this is how I want it to be -- I fish all day, and people bring me whiskey and ask for advice in person, rather than over email or the phone.

***

My youngest son started back to school this week. He's now in the 6th grade. That means Casa Keene is back to a regular work schedule, so I got a lot accomplished this past week.

*I approved copy-edits for CURSE OF THE BASTARDS.
*I approved the layout for new limited edition of CLICKERS VS. ZOMBIES.
*I finished THE TRIANGLE OF BELIEF and turned it in to the publisher.
*I made progress on that top secret Joe R. Lansdale project I mentioned here a few weeks ago.
*I made progress on SUBURBAN GOTHIC.
*I made progress on my collaboration with Bev Vincent.
*Posted a bunch of new stuff to Patreon.

Today, I have to finish yet another round of edits on episode 6 of THOR: METAL GODS, and I have to write a thing for the LitReactor class I'm teaching this week. Both are due by tomorrow.

Very glad to have finished THE TRIANGLE OF BELIEF. I'm not sure what other people will think of it, but I like it. Which reminds me...

The Maelstrom Early Warning System has been activated! This is not a test!

For new readers, Maelstrom is the publishing imprint I curate for Thunderstorm Books. Each year, we release a three-book set. That set always consists of a novel-length work by me, a novella-length work by me, and a novel-length work by an author whom I feel more readers should be familiar with. Previous authors showcased in Maelstrom who have since gone on to great things include Kelli Owen, Bracken MacLeod, Chesya Burke, John Urbancik, Rachel Autumn Deering and many more. Maelstrom’s other function is to introduce Millennial and Generation Z readers to the centuries old tradition of collectible, signed limited edition hardcover books. So, when you buy a Maelstrom set, you are not only getting great fiction and discovering new authors — you are also investing in a keepsake that stands out on your bookshelf.

There was no Maelstrom set last year because I set myself on fire.

But now we are back. The 2019 Maelstrom set will go up for pre-order next month (September). This year’s books include:

CURSE OF THE BASTARDS by Brian Keene and Steven L. Shrewsbury — This last novel in the Rogan trilogy sees the aged barbarian returning to the place of his birth for a final battle with long-time enemies and new threats.

THE TRIANGLE OF BELIEF by Brian Keene — This non-fiction book is an examination of religion, spiritualism, atheism, agnosticism, the supernatural, and the one point where they all meet.

WORLD’S FARE by Michael T. Huyck Jr. — This novel is a mind-bending and horrific trip through New Orleans’s dark and checkered past.

Again, this set will go up for pre-order next month (September). The purpose of this post is to give you time to save your money.

The Maelstrom Early Warning System concludes.

My quiet horror novella ALONE is now available in audiobook.

When Daniel Miller wakes up one morning, something has gone terribly wrong. The power is out. The phones are dead. The house is silent. The street is shrouded in fog. Both his partner and their adopted daughter are missing. So are their neighbors. And so is everyone else in the world. Daniel Miller is the last person left on Earth…or is he?

From award-winning, best-selling horror writer Brian Keene comes this quiet, chilling, supernatural short tale, narrated by Scott Weinberg.

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE THE AUDIOBOOK

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE THE EBOOK

I’ll be signing next weekend – August 30th to September 1st – at Creature Feature Weekend taking place at the Wyndham Gettysburg 95 Presidential Circle, Gettysburg, PA 17325.

Other guests include Corey Feldman, Jonathan Janz, Ronald Malfi, John Russo, Mary SanGiovanni, and many more. CLICK HERE FOR A COMPLETE LIST OF GUESTS.

This is a first time convention, and we’d really like to see the organizer succeed, so if you live in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Maryland, New Jersey, or Virginia we hope you’ll consider coming out. Hotel rooms are pretty inexpensive, as is the show itself. As always, I don’t charge for autographs or pictures.

I recently did a 2+ hour long career-spanning interview with THIS IS HORROR, and they got me to go deeper than probably any other interviewer probably has.

Part 1 is now available to listen to. In it, I talk about last year’s burn accident, writing for market, my public vs. private persona, life lessons, bullies, writing a western novel, and much more. CLICK HERE TO LISTEN.

Part 2 will be available next week.

There was no new episode of THE HORROR SHOW WITH BRIAN KEENE last week, because Dave was back in the hospital again.

However, Mary Sangiovanni, John Urbancik, and I guest-hosted THREE GUYS WITH BEARDS, filling in for Jonathan Maberry, Christopher Golden, and James A. Moore. It went about as well as you’d expect.

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN.

Christopher Golden and I also recorded a new episode of DEFENDERS DIALOGUE. This time, we discussed issue 5 and 6 of the 1970s Marvel Comics series The Champions.

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN.

Many years ago, J.F. Gonzalez, Mary SanGiovanni and I had a “pop-up” bookstore at The York Emporium. It lasted about 4 months, and then we sold out of stock.

I’m happy to announce that the pop-up bookstore is back, albeit for a limited time. You’ll find our kiosk directly across from the Horror section at The York Emporium 343 W Market St, York, PA 17401. You’ll find books by us (signed by us) as well as books by other authors. In the case of the latter, we either have more than one copy, or we also own a digital edition (so don’t take it personally if your book is on sale there).

This new incarnation of the pop-up store will only last a few months, so if you are planning a trip to Central Pennsylvania, don’t delay.

By now, I'm sure you've heard rumors that we are rebooting the CLICKERS franchise. I am pleased to confirm that such a thing is taking place.

CLICKERS was created by J.F. Gonzalez and Mark Williams, who wrote the first novel together. If you have read CLICKERS FOREVER (click here to purchase) then you know that novel’s place in history. It was one of the very first e-books ever published. Mark passed away before the book was published. When the book became a hit, Jesus wanted to keep the franchise going. He knew I was a fan of the first novel, so he asked me to co-write a sequel with him. That book, CLICKERS II: THE NEXT WAVE, was also a hit. We followed it up with CLICKERS III: DAGON RISING and CLICKERS VS. ZOMBIES. We had plans for two more Clickers novels, both set in the past — HIGH PLAINS CLICKERS and SOUTHERN FRIED CLICKERS. Unfortunately, Jesus passed away before we could ever write them.

I said in CLICKERS FOREVER, that I wouldn’t write another Clickers novel without Jesus. That would feel wrong to me. But it also bothered me that the franchise had seemingly come to an end because of that. We had so much fun writing those books, and fandom had so much fun reading them. And it was with that in mind — that collective fun — that his wife, Cathy, came up with an idea. She suggested that we allow other writers to contribute to the franchise — not through short stories like in CLICKERS FOREVER, but in a series of brand-new novels.

CLICKERS REBOOTED is the working title for a brand-new series of Clickers novels. The new novels will be overseen by myself and Cathy, and will feature all new characters and all new settings. Regular series characters like Rick, Tony, Jennifer and Livingston are retired with Jesus and I. In keeping with the spirit of the originals, each book in the series will be a collaboration between two authors. The authors will change with each book. A glance at the table of contents for CLICKERS FOREVER demonstrates how inclusive the franchise is. That will continue with the new series. And while Jesus’s estate will retain ownership and control over the franchise, the new authors will receive 100% of the advances and royalties for these new books.

The first novel will be written by Stephen Kozeniewski and Wile E. Young — two young authors who were inspired by J.F. Gonzalez and whose literary voices and styles match the gonzo spirit of the original books. Jesus only got to read Stephen’s first novel, BRAINEATER JONES, before passing, but he enjoyed it. And he would have dug Wile E. Young’s stuff, as well. Cathy and I speak with certainty that he would have approved of this pairing, and the future pairings we can’t yet announce, and would have been delighted that the franchise will live on, bringing fun and joy to fans of the genre. That’s what it’s all about. That’s why Jesus and I were best friends — because that’s what we both wanted for everyone else.

If you would like to sample Kozeniewski and Young’s writing before the reboot, might I suggest CATFISH IN THE CRADLE (click here to purchase) and THE HEMATOPHAGES (click here to purchase), or you can read their short story contributions to the Clickers franchise in CLICKERS FOREVER.

If you are a new reader who has not yet read the original five books in the CLICKERS series, you can buy all of them by clicking hereand scrolling down to ‘The Clickers Series’.

In closing, I’d like to just say something that long-time readers thought they’d never hear again.

“Click-click…click-click…click-click…”

CURRENTLY READING: Walk the Darkness Down by John Boden
CURRENTLY WATCHING: Orange Is The New Black season 7
CURRENTLY LISTENING: Jazz (see the beginning of this newsletter)

I'm going to miss Orange Is the New Black. Even those two seasons that it fumbled and flailed, it was still compulsive, engaging television. It went places a lot of other shows don't, but wasn't preachy or obnoxious about it. I still think Piper is a spoiled, privileged nincompoop, but I'd watch a show about Gloria, Red and Caputo every week.

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!