[Letters From the Labyrinth] Official Brian Keene Newsletter
Hi. I'm Brian Keene and this is the 155th issue of Letters From the Labyrinth, a weekly newsletter for fans of my work. Previous issues are archived here.
Had a fun time in Haverhill, MA this past weekend for the Merrimack Valley Halloween Book Festival. Mary and I drove up with Kelli Owen and Robert Ford, which was nice because I got to sit in the back of the car and read (finished Paul Tremblay's superb Growing Things and Ronald Kelly's equally superb More Sick Stuff).
We also shared a hotel room with Bob and Kelli. In fact, it is 4:40am as I type this, and Bob and Mary are both snoring right behind me. Mary's are soft, barely perceptible snuffles. Bob's are bed-shaking rumbles. Kelli sleeps like a stone. This is probably more information than any of their fans wanted, so I'll stop now before I end up telling you what attire they sleep in.
Just before sitting down to type this, I ran down to the lobby in search of coffee. There, I ran into Forrest, a fan who I met yesterday. He and his partner flew here from Florida and they have a 6am flight. Shout out to them both, if they read this newsletter.
My schedule yesterday was lighter than normal. Originally, I was only supposed to moderate a panel on Writing Your First Noel, which I did. But then Christopher Golden, who organizes the event, convinced me to do a one-hour signing, as well. So I did. I had a nice line of folks, and thanks to each of them.
But mostly, I spent the weekend visiting old friends. Caught up with the recovering Jack Haringa and James A. Moore, bumped into Joe Nassise, talked Legos with Bracken MacCleod's son, talked politics with Chris Golden's son (who is all gown up now and making a run for city council), had a great dinner with Paul Tremblay, Grady Hendrix and John Langan, and had a few drinks with Kristopher Triana.
I needed that friend time, and I'm grateful for it, and for the friends I spent it with. And for the fans like Forrest who came out.
I posted a few pics from the weekend on Instagram.
Today we'll make the long drive back home. Luckily, I have Asher Ellis's new book to read during the trip.
I was surprised to see that the Maelstrom 2019 set was still on sale this morning. I thought pre-orders were supposed to end last night. But that's good news for you. If you were hesitant to pull the trigger, get on it now.
Brian Keene dot com underwent a BIG redesign this past week. New host, new layout, new features, new everything.
If you were subscribed to the old site's RSS feed or the email alerts that told you when a new post was live, you'll need to re-do those. The sign up is at the bottom of every page.
One of the things you'll notice there as you poke around is a new Bibliography. That's under construction, but when completed, it will be the first time everything I have ever written is collected together in a single list.
MIDNIGHT RITUALS is a free 100-copy limited edition chapbook with stories by myself, Robert Swartwood, Kelli Owen, Wesley Southard, Robert Ford, Stephen Kozeniewski, and John Boden, and non-fiction by Mary SanGiovanni.
Yes, free.
The only way to get one is to be one of the first 100 people who show up Saturday October 26th from 2pm to 5pm at 2nd & Charles, 3501 Paxton St, Harrisburg, PA 17111. That’s where Mary, Kelli, Wesley, Robert, the other Robert, John and Stephen will be signing books. (In addition to Midnight Rituals, the store will have copies of PRESSURE and WHITE FIRE on hand).
This Week's Podcasts:
GAVIN DILLINGER - The Horror Show with Brian Keene - Episode 239
Comic book writer Gavin Dillinger joins Brian, Mary, Matt and Dave to discuss his new horror series LAUGHTER, crowdfunding, comic book journalism, the influence of Matt Kindt, serialized novels, and more. Plus more on Terrific Productions LLC, new books from Daniel Kraus and The Midnight Pals, and Dave's farewell.
Listen for free on YouTube – iTunes – Spotify – Project Entertainment– iHeartRadio – Stitcher
DEFENDERS DIALOGUE - Episode 79
This special episode spotlights the forgotten team-up between Ghost Rider (Johnny Blaze) and Jesus Christ (The Friend), as Brian Keene discusses Ghost Rider issues 9 through 19.
.Listen for free on iTunes – YouTube – Project Entertainment – iHeartRadio – Stitcher
Okay, before I go, a second reminder that the 2019 Maelstrom set (the 8th in the series) are still available. This year’s 3-book set includes:
THE TRIANGLE OF BELIEF by Brian Keene
In January 2018, authors Brian Keene and Mary SanGiovanni witnessed a group of unidentified flying objects over their home. That encounter with the unexplained forms the basis for this honest, revealing memoir-styled treatise on faith, religion, the occult, atheism, agnosticism, science, and the supernatural, as Brian Keene takes the reader on a journey through his own belief structure, revealing how it has influenced him as both a person and a writer, impacting everything from his lifestyle choices to the books he’s written. Regardless of your own individual experience, you’ll find yourself pondering THE TRIANGLE OF BELIEF.
CURSE OF THE BASTARDS by Steven L. Shrewsbury and Brian Keene
Bored with retirement, the aging barbarian Rogan — accompanied by his loyal nephew Javan — returns to the land of his birth and encounters enemies both old and new near the great city-state of Nodd. All he wanted was to be left alone, but now Rogan will have to lay siege to the great metropolis, waging war against its bloodthirsty leader, uncovering the sinister plot of an ancient evil, and learning the truth about his god, Wodan. This is the third and final book in the Bastards Trilogy.
WORLD’S FARE by Michael T. Huyck Jr.
Darryl sees dead people and the history all around them. It’s a living that has always come with complications, but now Darryl has become a tool exploited by competing powers from different times, different places, and different realities. The struggle eventually lands him and his friend in the middle of New Orleans and the Robert Charles race riots, where the past they select will decide the future the world gets. This world, anyway. Thunderstorm Books is proud to present WORLD’S FARE, the debut novel by Michael T. Huyck Jr.
Get all three signed, limited edition hardcovers for the one low price of $150. CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE.
Thank you for your continued support!
Okay, 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!