Letters From the Labyrinth 210 - Brian Keene

Hey there. I'm Brian Keene and this is the 210th issue of Letters From the Labyrinth, a weekly newsletter for fans of my work. Previous issues are archived here.
I always lived on the road, traveling the world or the country in one form or another, be it as a sailor in the U.S. Navy or as a freelance truck driver. Even after I went full time as a writer, I still spent a major portion of each year on the road. I even wrote a book about it, called END OF THE ROAD (out now in paperback and on Kindle).
Other than to go grocery shopping, I haven't left my home since February of this year. In January, I took a road trip to visit Christopher Golden, Joe Hill, James Moore, and Bracken MacLeod. When I got home, the pandemic ramped up and the lockdown hit. And thus, for the last ten months, my journeys and adventures and forays have been limited to the miles of forest behind my home.
Friday was my grandmother's birthday. She turned 95. I've written about my grandmother in END OF THE ROAD, but for new readers -- she's pretty much the real life embodiment of Stephen King's Mother Abigail. She lives by herself deep in the mountains of West Virginia. So, on Thursday I drove down to surprise her, spending the night at the family cabin near Lewisburg so that I could drive over to her house and surprise her Friday morning.
The visit itself was done at double social distance, of course, with masks and staying outdoors. She's made it to 95. I'm not about to give her the coronavirus. It was wonderful to see her, and to make her day and hear her laugh.
But it was also wonderful to just get out of the house and hit the road and go -- to turn up Motorhead, Krokus, Prince, America, Snoop Dogg, Jerry Reed, Hank Williams Jr., Ice Cube, Van Halen, and Earth, Wind and Fire to ear-bleeding levels and drive. I didn't realize how much I had missed it until I felt a great weight lift from my soul. A weight I hadn't even known was there.
I was safe about it. I brought my own drinks and food from home, and I peed in the woods along the highways, and I only stopped for gas once, and wore a mask and gloves while I did so.
The trip wasn't all sunshine and roses, of course. When your grandma is 95, you are obviously aware that each visit with her might be your last, and this one was done at a distance and with masks. And I visited my uncle's grave, given that his funeral was a small affair due to the pandemic, and this was my first chance to pay my respects.
But yeah...I needed this. I needed the road. It's just another example of how the pandemic has impacted us.
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Like I mentioned above, END OF THE ROAD, my critically-acclaimed memoir and oral history of modern horror fiction, is now available in paperback (as well as for Kindle). Critics have called it “one of Keene’s absolute best” and I am inclined to agree with them. I’m prouder of this book than just about anything else I’ve ever written. Click here to get your copy now!
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I appeared as part of Thought Bubble UK's digital convention yesterday. I read new zombie story "Not Alone" (which is set in the worlds of DEAD SEA and ENTOMBED). You can watch the video and listen to me read it here. It is close captioned, as well. And it is absolutely free, courtesy of Serial Box Publications.
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That's it for this week. I know this was a short one, but last week's was extra lng, so it all balances out. Got a lot of work to do today, to make up for that trip to see grandma.
As always, a few reminders:
PATREON - Where I post new short stories, writing advice essays, three serialized ongoing novels, and behind-the-scenes stuff EVERY SINGLE DAY.
TWITTER - The only social media outlet I still use regularly.
YOUTUBE - Where I'm posting free stuff each week.
I'll see you back here next week!