Letters From the Labyrinth 232 - Brian Keene

Hi! I'm Brian Keene and this is the 232nd issue of Letters From the Labyrinth, a weekly newsletter for fans of my work. Previous issues are archived here.
It was a very busy and productive week here along the banks of the Susquehanna River. I finished the first draft of SUBMERGED: THE LABYRINTH Book 2, and posted it to Patreon, and have been very pleased with the response from readers, particularly given the cliffhanger ending and the uncertain fates of many of the main cast. Those final scenes were some of the most fun I've had writing in quite a long time, particularly the denouement with Tony.
Now comes the hard part -- the second draft, and then the third draft which will incorporate pre-reader edits and other material.
A reminder that you can read the serial, and its predecessor (THE SEVEN: THE LABYRINTH Book 1) for just $5 via Patreon.
If you prefer to wait for physical releases, the schedule is currently as follows:
THE SEVEN - Hardover late-Summer 2021, paperback and ebook late 2021/early 2022, audiobook 2022.
SUBMERGED - Hardcover mid 2022, paperback and e-book late 2022/early 2023, audiobook 20230
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I also made some progress on PROJECT CASTLE, and took a look at the pitch deck for a movie I might sign on to produce.
The main focus last week, however, was THE DRIVE-IN: MULTIPLEX (the anthology I'm editing with Christopher Golden and Joe R. Lansdale), and my duties for the Scares That Care charity. We should be announcing the anthology line-up very soon. It is an amazing roster of talent, both veteran and new. Just waiting on three final stories and then we'll announce everything.
In the meantime, you should revisit The Orbit (or if you've never been there, visit it for the first time) so that you're ready for the return...
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Stephen Kozeniewski and Wile E. Young turned in the manuscript for CLICKERS NEVER DIE -- the first in a line of Clickers novels written by different authors. Haven't finished it yet, but so far, it's pretty frigging amazing.
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Yesterday, my pal Jeff Strand revealed that his upcoming novel DEATHLESS is the sequel to PRESSURE. So we both 0repared to be tagged in a bunch of "You wrote a sequel to Keene's book? Har har har!" Tweets.
I adore Jeff. He's a good guy and he's also an author who has never written a book that I didn't enjoy. If you've never read him, fix that.
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April Snellings has conducted an in-depth interview with Bev Vincent and myself for The Big Thrill magazine. We discuss DISSONANT HARMONIES, music, conspiracy theories, and much more. You can read it for free here.
Below is a quoted excerpt so you know what you're getting into.
BK: "(Groans) I hate what has become of conspiracy theory culture. Gone are the days of UFO research and studying the minutiae of the Kennedy assassination and searching for the Loch Ness Monster. At some point in the early nineties, we allowed conspiracy theory culture to get co-opted by White supremacists, anti-Semites, and snake oil salesman like that human scab Alex Jones. And sadly, I don’t think more “mainstream” conspiracy theorists will ever be able to successfully reclaim them, because it’s so embedded in the national psyche now. Discussion of conspiracy theories has been so overrun by the alt-right and other extremists at this point that it seems pointless to talk about UFOs or Kennedy."
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On last week's DEFENDERS DIALOGUE Spider-Man and the Human Torch team up against the Sandman as Christopher Golden and Brian Keene recap the first issue of Marvel Team-Up. Plus -- Sgt. Rock and Jonah Hex in a modern-day buddy comedy? Available for free wherever you listen to podcasts, and also right here.
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A reminder about WITH TEETH
For a group of middle-aged friends, the trip into the forest was supposed to be simple. All they had to do was find a place to set up their criminal enterprise, and all of their financial problems would be solved. But now, night is falling, and with the darkness comes something else. Something fast. Something ferocious. Something...with TEETH!
From best selling, award-winning horror writer Brian Keene comes a vicious new novella WITH TEETH.
Release date is June 1. Paperback and e-book. You can pre-order direct from the publisher via this link.
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And that's it for this newsletter. I hope things are good with each of you, and that you find some joy in the week ahead. I'll see you back here next Sunday.