[Letters From the Labyrinth] Official Brian Keene Newsletter 7/2/17

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

There are only about a dozen copies of the Limited Collector's Edition of my new non-fiction collection -- OTHER WORDS -- left in stock. Click here to get your copy before they're gone!

OTHER WORDS collects — for the first time anywhere — my non-fiction about other writers and books, including Brian Hodge, John Skipp, Richard Laymon, Tom Piccirilli, Mary SanGiovanni, Weston Ochse, David B. Silva, Tim Lebbon, James A. Moore, Gene O’Neill, C. Robert Cargill, the World Horror Convention, a history of occult detectives, and much more, as well as rare, in-depth essays on my own works such as THE RISING series, DARK HOLLOW, the EARTHWORM GODS saga, and others.

I've got three new short pieces available.

The first is a brand new short story called "A Delayed Exit". As you might have guessed from the title, yes, it does indeed star The Exit -- my popular recurring character who has appeared in THE COMPLEX, THE SEVEN, and several other short stories. The story was first made available to Patreon subscribers. Now, it appears for the first time in print in the latest issue of LampLight Magazine. Click here to purchase.

Speaking of Patreon, I wrote in last week's newsletter about going through J.F. Gonzalez's literary estate papers and discovering many unfinished short stories. One of those stories -- "Crack" -- was finished by me last week, and is available exclusively on my Patreon right now. Click here to read it (you'll also get immediate access to all the other short stories, as well as THE SEVEN and many other writings).

And finally, I wrote a non-fiction overview of Tom Piccirilli's career -- called "Me, My Self, and Tom" -- for Georgetown Haunts and Mysteries, an anthology based around the upcoming Ghost Town Writer’s Retreat (of which I am a guest). Click here to purchase.

Authors Wrath James White, Jim Cobb and myself were commiserating about blown deadlines earlier this weekend. I used to pride myself on never missing a deadline. That all changed about 6 years ago, after a series of unfortunate events: my divorce, the Dorchester War, my heart attack, the deaths of three close friends, and my "nervous breakdown" (if we can call an alcohol-fueled fugue state of depression -- as written about in END OF THE ROAD -- a nervous breakdown).

The first one of those things knocked me off course, and each subsequent event seemed to deepen the hole. But as I was telling Wrath and Jim (both of whom find themselves in similar situations) I'm finally at the top of the hole, rather than the bottom. CLICKERS FOREVER is pretty much finished (for more on that, see last week's newsletter). I'm just a few days away from finishing the final draft of the long-overdue HOLE IN THE WORLD. And perhaps a month away from finishing THE MOTEL AT THE END OF THE WORLD. Progress has also been made on INVISIBLE MONSTERS.

That doesn't mean I'm caught up. I've got a novella with Bev Vincent, another novella called DEAD AIR, and SUBURBAN GOTHIC to finish up, as well. But it feels damn good to be making progress on these things.

And of course, there are also projects that have no deadline -- a short story collaboration with Jack Ketchum, the much-anticipated THE FALL: THE RISING V, an untitled collaboration between Wrath and me, FUCKED (which I'm co-writing with Bryan Smith), finishing up J.F.'s uncompleted FINAL RETREAT, and a few other things. But those get worked on in between the overdue stuff. (Indeed, for the Ketchum collab, we're still trying to come up with an idea...)

I've also been seriously mulling over dusting off a long-incomplete manuscript called LOVE AND WORMS -- a novel I've been trying to write since the early 1990's, and one that falls apart every time I try.

I won't, because it wouldn't be fair to the publishers and readers who are waiting on the stuff listed above.

But I think about it...

In the 90's, LOVE AND WORMS was a novel about unrequited love. In the 00's, it was a novel about unrequited love and toxic relationships. In the 2010's, it became a novel about unrequited love and finding peace.

Now? Now, I think it could be about all of those things. And I think it could probably address some of the same things I've always wanted to tackle in another 'toyed-with-but-never-completed' novel called GHOUL II.

But then there's another part of me -- the practical part of my brain, that says, "Dude, nobody wants to read a Brian Keene novel about star-crossed 1970's childhood sweethearts who never make it work but keep crossing paths well into middle age. Just write the fucking monster books you're contracted to write and leave it alone."

I dunno. Thinking about it...

Continuing the release of all my backlist on audio, Crossroads Press just released the audiobook edition of LAST OF THE ALBATWITCHES, narrated by Chet Williamson. CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE

The next two weeks should also see audiobook releases of THE RISING and A GATHERING OF CROWS, so keep an eye out for those.

CURRENTLY WATCHING: Twin Peaks
CURRENTLY READING: The Forgotten Girl by Rio Youers
CURRENTLY LISTENING: Minas De Cobre by Colexico

The Brian Keene Fan Group on Facebook (created and managed by Ron Davis) celebrated their one-year anniversary this week. Congratulations to them, and thanks to Ron for riding herd on the whole thing.

I don't post there, because I believe it's important for fans to have a place to talk freely, without worrying about whether or not I'll overhear it. But I'm told it's a very good group of people, and they are super friendly and welcoming. Consider joining them, and making some new friends.

CLICK HERE TO ACCESS THE GROUP.

And tell them I sent you.

(Maybe they'll have some thoughts on LOVE AND WORMS, too...)

That's it for this week. 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. See you back here next Sunday, universe-willing.