Letters From the Labyrinth 373
Empty Head, Empty Heart, Empty Soul
Took a week off last week. Almost took a week off this week, as well. But a newsletter only works if it’s released on a regular basis, so I can’t do that. By now, you’ve probably heard about the death of Jim Moore, known to readers as James A. Moore.
Folks, I just don’t have the strength anymore to keep eulogizing my friends. And with Weston, Bill, and Jim happening seemingly back-to-back, I’m engaged in something of a mental health break. Hopefully, you can dig that. I took last week off because, in truth, I had no inspiring words to open the newsletter with. No words of wisdom. No funny anecdotes. No advice for writers or human beings. My brain is currently a big empty. What energy is there is being devoted almost exclusively to FALLING ANGELS: THE LABYRINTH Book 4 and AFTER WORD (the follow-up to END OF THE ROAD). What little is leftover after those goes toward the store.
So, yeah. I took a break. And continued to take a break this week. Today, Mary and I had decided to just hibernate at home, and lick our spiritual wounds, and try not to think about who the next friend to die would be. Hell, it’s so prevalent that I’m dreaming about it now. Earlier in the week I had a dream that myself, Nick Mamatas, and Paul Tremblay were the only ones of our peer group still left alive, and we were at StokerCon, and the HWA decided to give some random tourist at the hotel a Lifetime Achievement Award instead of us. (This quickly became a lucid dream because Nick got very upset by that decision — something which would never happen in real life).
Safe travels, Jim. Save me a seat at the bar. Give Jesus and Pic and Jay and Dave and everyone else a hug from me and tell them I’ll be along.
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The final Programming Schedule for Scares That Care AuthorCon III has been posted. You can read it here. Scroll all the way down to the bottom of that page. While there, you can also purchase tickets, see our guests of honor, and reserve your spot for special events such as Becky LeJune’s Ask An Agent Workshop, Grady Hendrix’s Paperbacks From Hell live show, our Celebrity Murder Mystery dinner, and a return performance by my pal Dakota Lawrence.
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Work this past week (when not at the store) involved FALLING ANGELS: THE LABYRINTH Book 4, AFTER WORD, and several commissioned Lost Level stories. I also approved copyedits and a cover for THE RISING: MORE SELECTED SCENES FROM THE END OF THE WORLD and a cover for the paperback edition of ISLAND OF THE DEAD.
On Friday night, Mike Lombardo and I filmed something. It felt fantastic to finally be working on something together again. Can’t tell you what yet, but you’ll find out next month. It also involves Samantha Kolesnik and Nathan Ludwig. And it’s going to be very, very big…
Also spent the past week pondering which two titles to take out of print next and re-release via Manhattan On Mars. (This will happen after the new edition of JACK’S MAGIC BEANS comes out). After much thought, I think I’ll go with TAKE THE LONG WAY HOME and KILL WHITEY. So, if you’re a collector and a Keene-completist, and you don’t have the current versions of those two novels, click those links and snag one while you can.
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Currently Watching: Curb Your Enthusiasm (Max), Survivor season 46 (Paramount+), and rewatching Boardwalk Empire (Max).
Currently Reading: No Second Chances by Rio Youers, The Devil Thinks I’m Pretty by Charlene Elsby, and issue 1 of Feral.
Currently Listening: Brian Keene Radio
Feral is pretty great. Imagine a zombie apocalypse story, except that instead of a zombie virus, it’s rabies, and instead of people fighting zombies, it’s cats fighting rabid cats. Best comic book I’ve read in several years, hands down. Highly recommended and probably available at your local ciomic book store.
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Vortex Books & Comics is doing exceedingly well. We send out a newsletter regularly now, which you can subscribe to here.
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I don’t do social media at all anymore (other than for promotion). This newsletter and my Patreon my primary outlets for any real communication of substance. I Blog each morning on Patreon — just a few brief paragraphs that serve as a mini-version of this newsletter. You don’t need to be a paid Patreon subscriber to read them. They are accessible to everyone who subscribes to my Patreon, paid or not.
Thanks, as always, for reading. I’ll see you every morning this week on Patreon, and see you back here again next Sunday.
— Brian Keene
Brian, my deepest condolences on the loss of yet another of your good friends. Some below have said this but sadly getting older includes losing many people you love, it's just a part of life until we lose ourselves and cross over. To me it's one of the worst parts of aging, having to lose everything and everyone you ever loved. I do believe they are alive in spirit and we'll be reunited again someday but it's not the same as having them here in the physical and they leave a huge hole in your heart when they go until eventually you feel like you have nothing left. You have to wake up each day and find something to be grateful for, even if it's just a good cup of coffee and having a roof over your head. Sending a hug to you and Mary, glad you're taking a mental health break to recharge.
I’m working on getting a savings together in case I’m out of work, because as I get older I’m increasingly worried about being out and unable to pay, and then I’m gonna start putting a little savings together to fund a stay for myself and family so we can make the trip!