Letters From the Labyrinth 291

This past week, some folks on Twitter did a buddy read and buddy watch of my novel GHOUL and the film adaptation of it. I enjoyed seeing their reactions to both, and it sent me on a little walk down memory lane — thinking about the writing of the novel, and the filming of the movie, and the premiere. Here’s a video I made of the actual cemetery that inspired the novel. And here’s a video of my time on the set and at the premiere. And here’s a photo from the set itself.

Good morning. I’m Brian Keene and this is Letters From the Labyrinth, a weekly newsletter for friends, family and fans of my work.

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Speaking of film adaptations of my work, if you enjoyed THE NAUGHTY LIST (based on my short story "The Siqqusim Who Stole Christmas") then you'll want one of these!

Movie Poster - T-Shirt - Mug

They make great gifts, too!

And if you’ve never seen THE NAUGHTY LIST, you can watch it for free here.

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David G. Barnett of Necro Publications was killed last year in a traffic accident. Since then, his estate has been in probate, and his stable of authors and his customers were left in limbo.

Now, the estate has been resolved. Unfortunately, while Dave had indeed planned for this eventuality, no one — including his lawyers or family — has the passwords to his computers, KDP account, and other resources.

Tony and Kim of venerated bookseller and publisher Camelot Books were asked to evaluate Dave’s collection and inventory. Among the hundreds of books were two cases of Edward Lee’s White Trash Gothic III, and a box of 52 lettered copies. The problem is that, due to no one having the passwords to Dave’s computer, Tony and Kim have no records of customers who purchased the book from Dave.

READERS: If you purchased a copy of White Trash Gothic III directly from Necro Publications, please email them a copy of your order confirmation showing it was ordered and if you paid for it or not (you have to prove it was paid for, either a paid receipt from Necro, and e-mail from Dave or some other proof of payment). Email that information to info@camelotbooks.com

In addition, if you have White Trash Gothic II, send a copy of your signature page so we can match the letter or number.

DEALERS AND BOOKSELLERS: If you typically purchased copies of books from Dave and ordered copies of White Trash Gothic III, please send them a copy of your order for White Trash Gothic II so they can see the quantity and discount you were getting (Published price on this book is $150.00, you will get the same discount on this book as you got on the previous book, but they will require pre-payment as all the proceeds from this book are going directly to Dave’s mother!). In addition, please send them a list of the letters you received for White Trash Gothic II.

No other copies will be shipped for 30 days from today’s date. This is so if there is any confusion with regards to letters, Camelot can say they gave everyone an opportunity to provide proof who gets what letter. After the 30 days they will ship to those that have shown proof of order and payment from Necro and to dealers who have paid, any remaining copies will then be put up for sale.

AUTHORS: Dave had hardcover copies of many titles which were not lettered or numbered, generally one or two copies of each but because Tony and Kim could not get into Dave’s computer it is assumed they are PC’s. Camelot and Dave’s mother would like very much to see these extra books get to the authors to try to compensate for the headaches that ensued with regards to your royalties subsequent to Dave’s passing. These extra limited-edition books will be marked “Author’s Copy” on the limitation line. In addition, for some of the authors, there were a handful of trade paperbacks they would like to send you too. Just reach out and let them know where to send them. Again, email them at Info@camelotbooks.com. 

Given the situation with Dave’s passwords and log-in info, Necro Publications titles are still available for purchase on Amazon, but the authors and the estate do not have access to that KDP account or those royalties. If you are one of those authors, it is my (Brian Keene) recommendation that you file a DMCA with Amazon, so that your book is removed from sale, and you can then place it with another publisher.

And finally, on a personal note, I just want to give thanks and praise to Tony and Kim. As someone who has now handled the estates of two departed friends in this business, I know all too well how stressful this task can be. I’m thankful to them for helping Dave’s mother, and for making sure his legacy, authors, and customers are taken care of.

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Author Hillary Monahan has organized a fundraiser supporting reproductive rights for all. I’m donating the following:

Want to be in a Brian Keene story? Want a loved one to be in a Brian Keene story? Want to propose, say happy birthday, etc. to someone via a Brian Keene story? Want to support reproductive rights for all?

Here's your chance.

I will write an original short story starring you or a loved one of your choice. You pick the character. You pick the setting. You pick the monster. You will also own the original manuscript, signed by me, upon completion.

Click here to bid.

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The 10th Anniversary issue of Splatterpunk Zine features my new short story “Things Remembered” as well as new fiction from Ryan Harding, Bracken Macleod, and Ryan C. Thomas, and an interview with David J. Schow. Click here to purchase your copy.

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We’ve begun adopting out the kittens. This week, the temporarily-named Bubbles Jr. went to her new permanent home and got her permanent name, which is Joy. She’s settled in and loves her humans and gets along well with their dog and other cat.

We need to find homes for three more. Unfortunately, the no-kill shelter whom I regularly work with is now over capacity. So are the other no-kill shelters in a three county region. I’m told that this is “kitten season”. I refuse to take them to the SPCA because that’s death row. I’m going to give it another week and if no family wants to adopt the remaining three, then I’ll get them neutered and all their shots, and they can live here as outdoor “barn” cats. But that is not the ideal situation for them, as they are very loving and deserve to be indoors. And it’s also not ideal for the other wildlife here, as this week between the three of them they’ve killed a praying mantis, a mouse, and a rat that was bigger than any of them. I don’t care so much about the mouse or the rat, because they’re not welcome here, but the praying mantis was unfortunate. They’re good to have around and are gentle and kind.

What I’d really like to do is find the vacationer who originally dumped momma cat Josey Wales here in the first place. And then turn the kittens loose on them. Tell the kittens it’s a big praying mantis…

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I’m auctioning off another round of books from Dave Thomas’s library. All proceeds go to his long-time partner, Deena. This week’s items include:

EARTHWORM GODS first edition hardcover, signed and personalized by me.

DEAD OF NIGHT: DEVIL SLAYER graphic novel, signed and personalized by me.

SYMPATHY FOR THE DEVIL first edition trade paperback, signed and personalized by me.

BULLY first edition trade paperback, signed by J.F. Gonzalez.

STRANGERS trade hardcover, signed and personalized by Dean Koontz.

THE PET trade hardcover signed and personalized by Charles Grant.

HERO OF DREAMS trade paperback, signed and personalized by Brian Lumley.

TOM O’BEDLAM’S NIGHT OUT trade paperback, signed and personalized by Darrell Schweitzer.

The bids on all of these right now are quite low, and the auctions end in 1 day, so you can probably score one of them. I’m not sure what accounts for the low bids this time. I suspect it is the economy, which is also impacting conventions and book sales for most folks right now. (Everybody is talking about it privately but I haven’t seen much talk publicly yet. Folks who have been doing this a long time are scared, suffice to say…)

Anyway, you can view an bid on them here.

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This was another busy work week, with my focus on the adaptation of GWENDY’S BUTON BOX, the first drafts of SPLINTERED: THE LABYRINTH Book 3 and ISLAND OF THE DEAD, edits on the third draft of INVISIBLE MONSTERS. I also had a Scares That Care board meeting, and spent time tallying the Splatterpunk Award jury votes.

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Currently Listening: “Pointing At the Moon” and “Somewhere Over The Rainbow Bar and Grill” by David Lee Roth

Currently Reading: Tethered To Darkness by Justin Holley and continuing with Jane Eyre.

Currently Watching: South Park: The Streaming Wars Part 2 (Paramount+), Dark Winds (AMC), Better Call Saul (AMC), The Boys (Amazon Prime), and The Black Phone (in theaters).

My 14-year old purchased a copy of Joe Hill’s 20th Century Ghosts earlier this summer (we have a copy at home in our library but he wanted a copy of his own), so I promised him we’d see The Black Phone while it was still in theaters. Plus, I figure it will be a good opportunity to guide him to the C. Robert Cargill section of our library next. We really enjoyed the film. Great adaptation, beautiful cinematography, fantastic acting, and did some really effective things with sound.

Also, it does for Pink Floyd what Stranger Things did for Metallica.

I love the new David Lee Roth single (“Pointing At the Moon”). It’s melancholic and angry and defiant and almost Americana. I’ve dug all of the singles he’s been slowly releasing throughout the pandemic, particularly his tribute to Eddie Van Halen — “Somewhere Over The Rainbow Bar and Grill” — but this new one hits in a very different way.

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A reminder that preorders for the Thunderstorm Books signed limited edition of SUBMERGED: THE LABYRINTH Book 2 are open until July 18th (tomorrow).

The Seven have won the first battle against the Thirteen, but it cost them one of their number. Now Frankie, Teddy, LeHorn, Tony, Bloom, and the Exit find themselves in the middle of a global superstorm on a flooded Earth, reunited with old friends and facing off against familiar threats, including the terrifying titanic might of Behemoth and Leviathan, and the machinations of Ob, Lord of the Siqqusim. In a fight that spans from a sodden landscape to the very heart of ancient R’lyeh, only one thing is certain. Even if they win, it will be at an unimaginable cost. The storm is here… and the end continues.

SUBMERGED: THE LABYRINTH Book Two continues Brian Keene’s magnum opus, featuring characters, locations, and situations from throughout his vast literary universe in a multi-volume epic saga that will thrill both new readers and long-time fans.

SUBMERGED: THE LABYRINTH Book Two — It’s raining again…

Click here to reserve your copy.

The hardcover should be released in September. Paperback, ebook and audiobook should be available in December.

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And that’s it for this week. Be nice to others (if they deserve it), but also be nice to yourself. I’ll see you back here next Sunday.

— Brian Keene