[Letters From the Labyrinth] Official Brian Keene Newsletter 4/23/17

Hello. My name is Brian Keene and this is Letters From the Labyrinth, a weekly newsletter for fans of my work. If you're a new subscriber, previous issues are archived here.

Unless I totally screwed the formatting, there should be a picture of me above this, wearing a shirt that says HONORARY LESBIAN. It was a gift from Eisner and Harvey Award nominated comic writer and horror novelist Rachel Autumn Deering and her wonderful wife, Jessica Deering. They told me to "wear it often and with pride". They also told me that it was good for discounts at Home Depot.

As it just so happens, my nine-year old and I had to go to Home Depot this weekend. I needed paint and spray foam insulation for the new office and podcast studio I'm building (see previous issues of this newsletter). And he needed a roll of duct tape.

Why does a nine year old need duct tape? Because he used all of mine building a "suit of armor", and while that is awesome, it complicates things when I need duct tape and it's all gone. (In truth, he only used one roll of my duct tape. My other roll was used by my father while constructing the chicken house, which unfortunately led to one of the chickens being injured. To hear that story, I refer you to last week's podcast, which, in addition to the duct tape story, examines why Marvel Comics sales are in freefall, and features guests Armand and Shelly Rosamilia, who talk about balancing writing careers and marriage).

But I digress. So, he and I hop into the Jeep -- me wearing my HONORARY LESBIAN shirt -- and head to Home Depot for duct tape and paint. We find the duct tape aisle, and I let him pick out what he wants. At first, he chose a special blue roll designed for use in snow and ice. It was $11. I talked him down to a red All-Purpose roll that was only $8. I impressed upon him that this was his very own roll of duct tape, and he promised me that he would use it responsibly and only use it for good. Then we got my paint.

A curious Home Depot employee told me he loved my shirt, and asked how he could get one. I quoted Rachel's response to someone else who had asked that same question online the day before:

Step 1: Befriend lesbians.
Step 2: Treat them like normal people.
Step 3: Never refer to them by token titles such as "The Lesbians" or "My Lesbian Friends."
Step 4: Hope for an Honorary Lesbian shirt.

I ended up not getting a discount, but that's okay. I got something better.

The big news this week was the rumor that I'm writing for either DC Comics or Marvel Comics again (which those of you who read this newsletter already sort of knew).

Bleeding Cool has a very funny write-up about it. I really can't say more about it at this time... well, okay. I'll say this. It's a one-shot thing, rather than a series, and I'm not the only horror writer working on it.

The comic is in stores this October. Expect to see teasers very soon...

ALIENS: BUG HUNT is available now in hardcover, paperback, and Kindle.

I have a story in it called “Empty Nest”. It also includes stories by a number of other amazing horror and science fiction writers. It is edited by Jonathan Maberry.

Click here to order.

The annual Scares That Care Weekend Charity Event (taking place this July in Williamsburg, VA) brings together movie stars, directors, authors, publishers, cosplayers, and fans to raise money for three needy families facing the real monsters of cancer, childhood illness, and burns. One of my responsibilities as a member of the Board of Directors for the convention, is to organize the author programming track. If you are a fan of horror prose, here is this year’s programming track. You will note that, unlike previous years, I am not participating in programming. I feel that as my role with the charity has expanded, it would be unfair to others if I were to continue to do so. However, if you are attending the con and bring books or comics with you, I will be happy to sign them for you, in passing.:

2017 AUTHOR PROGRAMMING SCHEDULE

FRIDAY

5:45pm to 6:15pm: Wesley Southard and Kyle Lybeck: Reading and Q&A

6:30pm to 7:30pm – Writing and Relationships: A Discussion on Finding Balance with Jonathan Janz, Armand Rosamilia (moderator), Amber Fallon, Stuart West, Jay Wilburn, Ralph Bieber, and Chris Philbrook

7:45pm to 8:30pm – Kristopher Rufty and Adam Cesare: Reading and Q&A

8:45pm to 9:30pm – Tom Monteleone and Robert Ford: Reading and Q&A

9:45pm to 10:45pm – Silent Screams: A Discussion on Quiet Horror with Paul Tremblay, Mary SanGiovanni, Ronald Malfi, Damien Angelica Walters, John Maclay, and Matt Serafini (moderator)

11:00pm to Midnight: The Witching Hour with Kelli Owen, John Boden, and Jacob Haddon: Reading and Q&A

SATURDAY

10:00am to 11:00am – Roots: A Discussion on Author’s Influences with Matt Hayward, Russell James, David Bernstein, Patrick Lacey, Michael M. Hughes and Tim Meyer (moderator)

11:15am to 11:45pm – T.J. O’Conner: Dying Is Overrated. Murder Is Not: Presentation and Q&A

Noon to 12:45pm: Joe R. Lansdale and Chet Williamson: Reading and Q&A

12:30pm to 4:30pm – Writer’s Workshop: Ticketed Classroom Event with Tom Monteleone and John Maclay

1:00pm to 1:45pm – Tim McWhorter and Brent Abell: Reading and Q&A

2:00pm to 3:00pm – The Ties That Bind: A Discussion on Splatterpunk, Extreme Horror, and Bizarro with John Skipp (moderator), Edward Lee, Wrath James White, Bryan Smith, C.V. Hunt, Eric Hendrixson, and Scott Cole.

3:15pm to 3:45pm – Barbarian Tea Time with Steven L. Shrewsbury: Reading and Q&A

4:00pm to 4:45pm – Jay Wilburn and Clay Astroman: Reading and Q&A

5:00pm to 5:45pm – Paul Tremblay and Damien Angelica Walters: Reading and Q&A

6:00pm to 7:00pm – So You Want to Start A Publishing Company: A Discussion with Apokrupha’s Jacob Haddon (moderator), Olivia Monteleone of Borderlands Press, Bailey Hunter of Dark Recesses Press, Eric Beebe of Post Mortem Press, and Christina Smith of Optimus Maximus Publishing

7:15pm to 8:15pm – Devil Dog Press Meet & Greet: Come meet the authors of Devil Dog Press and learn more about their books.

8:30pm to 9:30pm – HWA Virginia Meet & Greet: Come meet the members of the Virginia Chapter of the Horror Writer’s Association and learn more about their organization.

9:45pm to 10:45pm – This Is How We Do It: A Discussion on Self-Publishing with Rachel Autumn Deering, Stephen Kozeniewski (moderator), William Bozarth, E.L. Jefferson, Phil Budahn, Amber Fallon, and David A. Simpson.

11:00pm to Midnight – After Dark with Wrath James White, Christian Jensen, and David Barbee: Adults Only Reading and Q&A

SUNDAY

11:15am to 11:45am – Stephen Kozeniewski and Ralph Bieber: Reading and Q&A

Noon to 12:45pm – Jonathan Janz and Mary SanGiovanni: Reading and Q&A

1:00pm to 1:45pm – Edward Lee and Bryan Smith: Q&A (Moderated by Chuck Buda)

2:00pm to Close – Scream For Me: A Discussion on Music and Horror, Including A Live Jam Session with John Skipp, Ronald Malfi, Rachel Autumn Deering, and Matt Hayward

CURRENTLY WATCHING: Hap and Leonard Season 2 and Better Call Saul Season 3
CURRENTLY LISTENING: Fat of the Land by The Prodigy
CURRENTLY READING: Darkness Whispers by Richard Chizmar and Brian James Freeman

DARKNESS WHISPERS is a beautifully-written, evocative, lean, and gruesome novella that calls back to the horror fiction of the Eighties while being firmly grounded in the present. The signed, limited edition hardcover just went out of print, but you can find copies on eBay and elsewhere.

That's it for this week. A few reminders:

PATREON - Where I post new short stories, a serialized ongoing novel, and behind-the-scenes stuff.

TWITTER - The only social media outlet I still use regularly.

Take care.