Brian Keene's Blog, page 100

I’M DREAMING OF A WHITE DOOMSDAY (Updated with pics)

First, the official press release, which went out last night:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 17th, 2015

From Grandmaster Award winning author Brian Keene comes a disturbing post-apocalyptic Christmas Horror Story.

Writer/director Mike Lombardo aligns with author Brian Keene to bring a bleak horror story about a family trying to survive in the post-apocalypse during the most wonderful time of year.

Lancaster, PA – Brian Keene, bestselling author of such notable novels as THE RISING, GHOUL, and CASTAWAYS, has teamed up as executive producer with frequent collaborator, writer/director Mike Lombardo (THE STALL, LONG PIG) of Reel Splatter Productions on the post-apocalyptic Christmas horror story I’M DREAMING OF A WHITE DOOMSDAY.

Having just wrapped filming in Pennsylvania, I’M DREAMING OF A WHITE DOOMSDAY tells the tale of Kelly and her son Riley, weathering the end times in a bomb shelter amidst the ruin that once was the world. With supplies and hope steadily declining, Kelly makes a horrifying decision that will cause her to discover just how far she would go for her child, and what lurks outside.

“What started as a short film we were shooting on the weekends just sort of took on a life of it’s own and kept growing until we realized we had a feature on our hands.” says Lombardo. “I’m usually known for doing the more comedic end of horror, so I think fans of Reel Splatter are going to be surprised at how bleak, disturbing, and nihilistic this one is. It goes to some pretty dark places.”

Starring Damian Maffei (Joe R. Lansdale’s CHRISTMAS WITH THE DEAD, CLOSED FOR THE SEASON}, I’M DREAMING OF A WHITE DOOMSDAY will be ready to make it’s way in the summer of 2016.

To learn more about the film: http://reelsplatter.com/ or http://www.briankeene.com/

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Now, for some personal notes:

I’M DREAMING OF A WHITE DOOMSDAY has been in the works for most of 2015. I just didn’t talk about it. I even kept quiet about it during last week’s appearance on Three Guys With Beards, despite being asked about upcoming movies. That’s because we wanted it to be completed before we started talking about it.

The film is Mike Lombardo’s baby. It’s his story, his ideas, his vision. I’m the Executive Producer, but let there be no doubt, this is Mike’s movie. I helped finance it and served as Executive Producer because I believe in Mike and because I love the story, but the art — and the heart — are all his.

Unlike FAST ZOMBIES SUCK, we won’t be putting this up for free on the Internet. And unlike the previous Reel Splatter films, Mike won’t be putting them out on DVD himself. This is a feature length film, and as such, the next step is to get it into the festival circuit and secure a distribution deal. That is an arduous, timely process, but we have no doubt distributors will be interested when they see it.

Brian Keene and Mike Lombardo, location scouting, early 2015.

And here are two scenes from the film.

UPCOMING RELEASES/WORKS IN PROGRESS

FINISHED:

ALL DARK, ALL THE TIME: THE COMPLETE SHORT FICTION VOL. 2 – Early 2016 Release

THE COMPLEX – Hardcover release December, Paperback and digital release Spring 2016

THE CRUELTY OF AUTUMN – Hardcover release December

PRESSURE – Trade Hardcover release Summer 2016

*TITLE CLASSIFIED* (Comic Book with Rachel Deering) – 2016 release

THE FALLEN (Graphic Novel with Steve Wands) – 2016 release

IN PROGRESS:

HOLE IN THE WORLD

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65000 / 85000
(76.47%)

.

THE MINES OF THE DARK ELF

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5000 / 10000
(50%)

.

RITES OF PASSAGE (tentative title — collaboration with Bev Vincent)

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30000 / 35000
(85.71%)

.

INVISIBLE MONSTERS (Levi Stoltzfus novel)

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37000 / 85000
(43.53%)

.

SUBURBAN GOTHIC (sequel to URBAN GOTHIC)

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31000 / 80000
(38.75%)

.

RETURN TO THE LOST LEVEL (sequel to THE LOST LEVEL)

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32000 / 75000
(42.67%)

.

THE MOTEL AT THE END OF THE WORLD

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20000 / 40000
(50%)

.

DEAD AIR

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8000 / 60000
(13.33%)

.

KINGDOM OF THE BASTARDS (sequel to KING OF THE BASTARDS – collaboration with Steven Shrewsbury)

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2000 / 70000
(2.86%)

.

If you don’t see it listed here, then it’s not being worked on right now.

THE X-FILES: TRUST NO ONE Now In Digital

The post title pretty much says it all.

THE X-FILES: TRUST NO ONE, which contains my Vietnam War werewolf story “Non Gratum Anus Rodentum”, is now available in e-book, as well as paperback and audio-book.

Edited by Jonathan Maberry, THE X-FILES: TRUST NO ONE also features brand-new stories from Heather Graham, Tim Lebbon, Kevin J. Anderson, Ray Garton, Keith DeCandido, and many more.

Click here to download your copy.

Gun Control, Globalists, Pop Culture & Being An Anti-Hero

Authors Jonathan Maberry, Christopher Golden, and James A. Moore are dear old friends of mine. They also have their own podcast called THREE GUYS WITH BEARDS. I’m their guest this week, and instead of the usual interview questions, we get into gun control, health care, the victimization culture, and my place in the genre. But if you don’t want to hear my thoughts on those things, I also discuss my forthcoming novels THE COMPLEX and PRESSURE, and a comic book I have slated for release next year. CLICK HERE TO LISTEN FOR FREE

Veteran’s Day

My grandfather, 1944, about to fly off to the Pacific front.

My father, 1965, holding a punji stick in the Central Highlands of Vietnam.

Me, 1986, during NATO exercises in the Mediterranean.

Happy Veteran’s Day to all who’ve served, with the sincere hope that our children and grandchildren never have to, and if they do, that it is at the behest of the country and its people and not at the behest of globalists, bankers, corporations, or politicians on either side of the aisle.

Lifetime Subscriber Update

This is an update for Lifetime Subscribers. If you are not one of them, then you can safely disregard it.

The following titles have been signed, packaged and are en route to the distributor to be shipped to you:

BLOOD ON THE PAGE

KING OF THE BASTARDS

THE RISING

CITY OF THE DEAD

THE RISING: SELECTED SCENES FROM THE END OF THE WORLD

THE RISING: DELIVERANCE

LAST OF THE ALBATWITCHES

WHERE WE LIVE AND DIE

The following title is in production and is expected to ship to you in early January:

THE MINES OF THE DARK ELF (an exclusive limited edition chapbook available only to Lifetime Subscribers).

Please Note: These boxes have been shipped via Media Mail (which is slow), and it is the busiest season of the year for postal carriers and delivery services. Not all of these boxes have yet been received at the distributor. Please do not bombard Thunderstorm Books with emails asking if your package has shipped yet.

The Samhain Blackout: What Was Said and Why It’s Important

(Apologies in advance for any typos. I started writing this at 3:30am. It is now 6am. This is the first thing I’ve written in a week, other than a few Tweets and FB posts from my phone, and I’m doing so surrounded by unpacked boxes, and using a shipping crate as a desk for my laptop).

Don D’Auria is probably the top editor in the horror genre. In his 30+ year career, he was responsible for resuscitating mass-market horror from its mid-Nineties grave; getting Richard Laymon back into print in the United States; helping start the careers of then young authors such as myself, J.F. Gonzalez, Mary Sangiovanni, and Sephera Giron; and making sure the work of such veterans as Ed Gorman, Ramsey Campbell, and Hugh Cave saw new audiences. He’s worked with everyone from Bentley Little and Jack Ketchum to new authors like Jonathan Janz and Adam Cesare. When Dorchester imploded, Don found work at Samhain Publishing.

On Monday, Samhain’s PR department requested their authors write testimonials about Don and post them to social media via the hashtag ‪#‎Samhain10‬.

On Tuesday morning — not even twenty-four hours later — they unceremoniously fired Don. To say this came as a shock to him is an understatement. To say that the authors who were asked to write testimonials felt blindsided and used is an even bigger understatement.

On Tuesday afternoon, my phone began dinging incessantly as people began to text me. There were roughly two dozen such texts, all a variation of the same theme — “Did you hear about Don? What the hell is going on?” As stated previously, I am in the midst of moving. When these texts started, I was on the back of a U-haul, struggling to lift a bookshelf by myself, and had no access to the internet other than my phone.

I called one of the authors back — Jonathan Janz (who has since stated in public that he contacted me, so I’m not “outing” him here). I asked him if Don was okay, and I asked him if the authors were okay, and what we could do for both.

Since I’m transitioning between homes, I went to my ex-wife’s house, where I have a spare computer and internet access, and I spent some time talking to other Samhain authors, all of whom were absolutely furious. Some stated they were done with the company, that they would not work with them again.

Later Tuesday afternoon, Samhain’s owner, Christina Brashear, perhaps seeing the uproar from her authors, released the following public statement, reprinted here in its entirety:

Samhain Horror Changes

As many of you know, Don D’Auria has departed Samhain Publishing, and we wish him great success in his career. His departure was one of several difficult choices we’ve made recently regarding overhead and editorial support, as we adjust to the evolving marketplace.

While we remain dedicated to making a success of our Horror line and to supporting our Horror authors, due to the slow build of a paying audience we must work more diligently to engage readers. A social media presence is an absolute must because marketing has become about a conversation, and not just about blasting people with ads. Throughout our other lines, Samhain’s editorial staff is not only well-versed in curating content and helping it shine through their polishing efforts, but they are social-media savvy and understand how to promote their authors’ works. We look forward to bringing this kind of support to our Horror line as well.

In addition to preparing existing contracted books for publication and reviewing submissions, we have the following efforts underway:

Samhain will once again be sponsoring the HWA / Stoker Awards as we have for these past four years.

We have begun planning for the perennially successful HorrorHound Cincy.

We have submitted numerous works for the annual Bram Stoker awards, and look forward with great excitement to those results.

We will be submitting works for the Shirley Jackson awards within the next two weeks.

Our promotional efforts are changing as well. You spoke, we listened and then confirmed your suggestions and ideas through our own testing. Over the past six to twelve months we’ve been monitoring the advertisements we’ve bought and have come to the conclusion that banner ads simply aren’t selling books. As we pull back from traditional advertising, however, we’ve begun focusing our marketing dollars on the channels that have proven to work. We’ve already seen improvement.

In addition, we’ve begun developing a second Horror newsletter where the authors can contribute and engage, more so than the standard new releases e-blast which is announcement only. Content equates to discoverability. Discovery leads to engagement. Engagement brings about conversions—which for authors, means book sales.

We’re proud of our many horror authors and look forward to continuing to bring great stories to readers, as we’ve done for the past 6 years since launching the line. All authors with existing contracted books will be reassigned to new editors, based on where you are in the publishing process. Look to receive an email on this subject later this week.

In closing, we’re very sad to have to see Don move on, but we’re dedicated to Samhain Horror and to making it a success. As always, we welcome your feedback, suggestions, ideas and comments, and we sincerely appreciate your work and the stories that you have to share.

Christina Brashear | Samhain Publishing

If Brashear’s intent was to calm authors, her announcement had quite the opposite effect. The TL;DR version — Don was fired because he’s not on Twitter or Facebook. This is an absolute insult not only to writers and editors, but to horror fans, as well. To imply that the job of an editor is nothing more than a social media marketer is not simply tone deaf — it displays the staggering incompetence of a publisher who knows nothing about how the products it sells to consumers are actually made. An editor’s job is to read manuscripts, acquire them for publication, help smooth and polish the finished novel, and work with their stable of authors on follow-up books. Their job does not involve Tweeting or Facebooking. That’s the job of marketing departments, sales departments, PR departments (which Samhain has), and the authors themselves. Don’s firing sets a dangerous precedent for our industry — at a time when editors are already stretched thin and overworked, do they now have to fear losing their jobs if they are unable to wear yet another hat; a hat that is ill-fitting at best? You don’t ask a telemarketer to do a soldier’s job. You don’t ask a fireman to do a schoolteacher’s job. And you don’t ask an editor to do a marketer’s job. It’s as simple as that.

I’ve known or worked with many remarkable editors in my 20-years in this business. Let me name four of them to illustrate a point — Ellen Datlow, Melissa Ann Singer, Paul Goblirsch, Larry Roberts. Ellen and Melissa are active on social media. Paul and Larry are not. All four of them are capable, professional editors that any author would be lucky to work with. But take a look at Ellen and Melissa’s social media accounts. They’re not spending all day selling and marketing books. You know why? BECAUSE THAT’S NOT THEIR JOB.

On Tuesday evening, after talking with Samhain authors who wanted to support Don and make their anger with the publisher known, but without costing themselves or their stablemates sales, I suggested online that instead of #Samhain10, a #SamhainBlackout take place. I suggested that since Samhain considered social media branding more important than competent editors, I would unFollow them on Twitter, unLike them on Facebook, and unsubscribe to their email newsletters. That’s all I suggested. At no point did I suggest boycotting them financially or boycotting their authors. Indeed, I stated I was against such action.

It was my hope, and the hope of some other Samhain authors who will remain nameless, that the social media blackout would attract attention, and start a conversation about the publisher’s treatment of Don, and their stated methods of marketing books (which I’ll get to later in this Blog entry, and which many of their authors find just as infuriating as their treatment of Don).

Later Tuesday evening, we recorded a new episode of The Horror Show with Brian Keene, in which we covered all of the events up to that point. We also got an exclusive, direct quote from Don himself. That episode will air tonight at 7pm and also features a remembrance of TM Wright, reviews of Crimson Peak and Ash vs. Evil Dead, and a fascinating interview with author Robert Ford, who comes from a 25 year marketing and PR background, and shares his thoughts on Samhain, as well.

Tuesday night into Wednesday morning, a small group of trolls with an agenda that basically amounts to “Brian Keene is an asshole because he was mean to us one time when we were being idiots on a message board” hijacked the conversation, implying that I had “called for a boycott”, and that “dozens of my fanboys were already boycotting” and that “I was doing this for attention”. After reading through Tweets, Facebook posts, and comments on message boards, it became apparent that it was these individuals who implied a boycott was taking place. And as for the “dozens of fanboys”? It was one — Kyle Lybeck, who, as an editor for Thunderstorm Books and a promising young writer, hardly qualifies as a fanboy. Further, Kyle specifically stated that his decision to not purchase books from Samhain had NOTHING to do with me or the suggested social media blackout.

Unfortunately, in hijacking the conversation, these individuals, in my opinion and the opinion of several other Samhain authors I’ve spoken with, showed a disgusting amount of disrespect to Don, and to the authors they supposedly profess to care about. But by yesterday evening, when it became clear to most people with more than two brain cells that nobody was calling for a boycott, and the only people running around shouting it were a small group of pinheads, the conversation got back on track.

So let’s focus on that. I’ve already discussed above how Samhain’s firing of Don because of his perceived lack of “social media savvy” sets a dangerous precedent. But what of their other statement — that Don is somehow responsible for weak sales of their horror line?

It could be argued that, as editor, Don is responsible for acquiring books that will sell. But here’s the thing — he was doing exactly that. The lackluster sales had nothing to do with the quality of Samhain’s authors or Don’s selections. They had everything to do with how Samhain markets and sells books. Here are some free suggestions to anyone at Samhain who might be reading this:

1. Tweets and Facebook posts announcing new books are nice, but your authors should already be doing that (at least the ones who understand how this business works in 2015). You should also consider that constant-reader Fred Fiddlestick might not see your Tweet or Facebook post. In fact, if you have 500 followers, only about 50-100 of them are going to see your social media posting. But you know what they will see? Advertisements.

2. I must assume your company has a media buyer, or contracts out to a freelance media buyer. Run print ads in Rue Morgue, Fangoria, Entertainment Weekly, Bleeding Cool, The Fortean Times, Cemetery Dance. Buy banner ads on high-traffic websites like Dread Central, The Outhousers, IGN, The Mary Sue, and The Gingernuts of Horror. Buy radio advertising on Coast to Coast, Ground Zero, or Project iRadio (disclaimer: The Horror Show with Brian Keene is part of the Project iRadio network). You spent money to advertise your romance novels on an electronic billboard in Times Square. Spend the same amount and do the same for your horror line.

3. A presence at Horrorhound Cincinnati is a great idea. But why stay confined to that one regional convention? I understand you’re based in Cincinnati, but your readers — and more importantly your POTENTIAL readers — are spread out across the country. They’re not going to come find you. You have to go to them. That means attending SDCC, NYCC, WHC, Scares That Care, Walker Stalker, and all the other big cons (second disclaimer: I am affiliated with the Scares That Care charity). If it’s not cost effective for the company to have a presence there, then at the very least send your authors.

4. You state that in an effort to reach more readers, you’re going to sponsor the Bram Stoker Awards and submit works for the Shirley Jackson Awards. This is silly. I’m not bashing on either award. Both serve their place. I have two Stoker Awards myself, and some of my oldest friends oversee the Shirley Jackson Awards. Both are fine institutions. But the vast majority of readers DO NOT GIVE A SHIT about these awards. These are primarily industry awards, primarily paid attention to by those of us in the industry. If you want to reach other writers, this is a great way to do that. If you want to reach readers — they’re not at these awards ceremonies. Fred Fiddlestick works 5 days a week at the foundry. On weekends, he likes to read a horror novel. He’s not taking vacation to go attend the Bram Stoker Awards banquet. He’s taking it at the beach with his family, where he’ll read yet another horror novel.

5. Bookstore presence. Don D’Auria cultivated a line of books and a stable of authors for you that rivaled what he built for Dorchester. Dorchester’s sales were solid. Yours are not. Dorchester’s books had a presence in bookstores. Yours do not. Yes, this is the digital age, and people can download books to their Kindle and Nook, but there are also a vast number of readers who prefer to shop at physical bookstores. I know. I talk to them every single day. You want sales? Work out a deal with the chain buyers and get your books on the shelves.

Those are five free ones. Any more, and I have to charge you a consulting fee.

There’s one more thing I’d like to address. Stop and consider the authors impacted by this decision for a moment. J.G. Faherty, for example. I’ve been at this for twenty years. I think J.G. has been at it for almost as long. Landing at Samhain was a BIG deal for him, and (in my opinion) a long overdue profile boost. As he said yesterday, “I’d like to do a blackout, but as one of their authors I feel it necessary to stay connected in order to get all possible info as this mess unfolds. I am 100% behind Don – he’s the only reason I worked with them in the first place – but I don’t want to miss anything important.”

Or consider another writer, Glenn Rolfe, also with Samhain. Glenn shared his concerns about a social media blackout with me yesterday. In regards to unfollowing Samhain on social media, he wrote, “If that’s where they plan on focusing selling our titles, then that’s notifications that our followers will no longer receive. I get the hard push back against the company. They are way out of line with this decision, but it is a business decision for better or worse. My fear with this #SHBlackout stuff is that it is going to be misunderstood by people and become a complete boycott. I know that’s not your intention, but people perceive things differently. And then perception becomes reality. That’s my concern. I have already seen people put up the “I’m no longer purchasing from Samhain” posts. You have one of the biggest voices in our world. It’s easy for people to read it the wrong way and go off the deep end.”

Now, as stated above, the vast majority of the boycott talk was started by a tiny group of individuals with their own personal agenda. But putting that aside, Glenn brings up a great point and a valid concern. Yes, ignoring Samhain on social media does potentially mean that readers won’t be aware of an author’s books — but I would put it to Glenn that an author shouldn’t be relying on their publisher to sell books anyway. Yes, ideally, that’s how it works, but publishers produce multiple books each month, and especially at the bigger mass-market houses, only a few select titles get any sort of promotion at all. The rest are dumped on consumers and bookstores and have to sink or swim on their own. It’s always been that way and — just like the equally antiquated returns system of distribution — I don’t see it changing. That’s why it is so vitally important that you do two things with your career (and this is the same advice I gave Jonathan Janz last summer):

1. You have to be your own promoter. There’s just no way around it these days. And that doesn’t mean spamming people and social media and message boards with ads for your latest book or Blog entry. Yes, when you have something new, of course you should announce it. But more importantly, you just need to stay engaged with your readers — be they five or five hundred or five thousand or fifty thousand. Say thank you when they say something nice about your book. Say thank you and I hope you enjoy the next one more when they tell you they didn’t like your book. (Block them if they’re an abusive idiot, of course). Maybe share a bit about your creative process. Tell them your Top Ten favorite horror movies. Stay engaged. Let them know you’re a real person, and not a house name like William W. Johnstone or VC Andrews. Don’t rely on your publisher to do it for you, because you will always, always, always end up disappointed. As one young lady said on Twitter yesterday, she buys a lot of books from Baen and Tor, but she doesn’t follow them on social media. She follows the authors. I’m betting she does that because the authors are real people, rather than corporations.

2. Diversify. Never put all your eggs in one basket. Never sell all your books to just one publisher. Never sign an exclusivity contract (unless you’re working in comics, in which case, sign the hell out of that exclusivity contract because you’ll get things like health care and retirement with it). If you have a novel coming out from Samhain, great. Sell another novel to another publisher. Approach a small press about doing limited editions of your backlist. Diversify your publishers and you’ll diversify your income. But more importantly, you’ll have a safety net for when bad things happen. One of the biggest mistakes I ever made in my career was staying with only two publishers (one mass market and one small press) for a period of years early in my career — because when the financial crisis hit, and both those publishers went down, I was suddenly broke. Bad things happen. I absolutely love working with Deadite Press, and yes, I do a LOT of books with them. But I also do a lot of books with Thunderstorm, and Apex, and Cemetery Dance (and next year Macmillan). Why? Because as awesome as Deadite are, they could go down tomorrow. So could Thunderstorm or Apex or Cemetery Dance. Macmillan could get bought out tomorrow and decide they aren’t going to publish my horror-industrial espionage-monster-thriller novel. The only constant in publishing is change, Glenn. You have to be ready for it to happen at a moment’s notice, and have your safety net in place.

But yes, Glenn, your concerns are valid, and I’m sorry for responding here rather than on FB, but this is the first thing I’ve written in a week, and I’ve still got a lot of unpacking to do, and I’d like to sleep at some point, and I’m betting your concerns are shared by others, so I thought this was the best way to address it. In short, I hear you, and I feel you, so let me say it one more time for anyone who may have misunderstood:

In response to Samhain’s firing of Don D’Auria and their stated intent to focus instead on building their social media brand, I have unfollowed them on Twitter, un-Liked them on Facebook, and unsubscribed to their email newsletters. Let there be no doubt, I stand with Don D’Auria, and I stand with the concept that publishing houses need editors — not ad reps acting as editors.

This is NOT a call to boycott their authors or stop buying their books. I am merely saying that since social media is apparently more important to them than competent editors, I will not engage with them on social media. I don’t follow the publisher. I do follow their authors (and I buy those author’s books, of course).

You’re all adults. You can decide what you want to do. And it’s all good, whatever you decide. We can still be friends.

But yeah, if somebody tells you I’m instilling a boycott or inciting my fanboys (which is an offensive term by the way) to boycott, send them the link to this Blog and invite them to kiss my ass. Because for twenty years, that ass has busted itself for the betterment of authors and this genre. And I’ll continue to do so because that’s what the writers who came before us did for us. And one day soon, when it’s your turn, I hope y’all will do the same.

We’re all in this together — except for the nitwits.

Now Leaving THE COMPLEX

Long-time readers will remember that I used to live in a remote cabin atop a mountain along the banks of the Susquehanna River. That changed during the winter of 2013/2014 when several severe storms, brought on by the Polar Vortex, rendered the property (and many surrounding properties) uninhabitable. Indeed, here’s a short video I made back then in the aftermath of one of the storms.

Living in a devastated remote cabin and roughing it is one thing when you’re by yourself. It’s another when you’ve got a young child living with you. And being a prepper (a trendy word for what we country folk just call “being prepared”) is all fine and dandy until a falling tree smashes your generator into scrap metal.

In early 2014, my youngest son and I moved into town. Specifically, we moved into an apartment complex. The time spent living there inspired my new novel, THE COMPLEX, the hardcover of which is on sale now (but only until Tuesday night, so you’d better hurry if you want one). I think THE COMPLEX is one of the best things I’ve written in years. The folks who’ve read it in manuscript format seem to agree. One of them called it “a vicious, violent, conscienceless bastard of a novel — the kind you used to write all the time.” And he’s right. It is all those things and more — a desperate, harrowing, bleak novel written during a desperate, harrowing, bleak time in my life.

Suffice to say, I’ve hated living here in The Complex. I’m a country boy, and in the country is where I belong.

Which is why I was elated last week to find a place available back on the river, now that the recovery in the area is finished. And when I say this place is on the river, I mean on the river. The Susquehanna is thirty-two steps from the front door. There are five bald eagles nesting in a tree in the front yard. There’s a vast expanse of woods out behind the house. There’s a boat dock, a room for my office, and a room for the podcast studio. To find out how this move will impact the podcast for the rest of the year, tune in to this Thursday’s episode (when we will also be remembering T.M. Wright and interviewing Robert Ford).

In the meantime, please pre-order a copy of THE COMPLEX. Remember, you only have until Tuesday to do so. After that, pre-orders end and the books ship — just in time for Christmas. I think you’ll enjoy it. And when you read it, know that you’re reading a chapter of my life. A chapter that I can now, thankfully, close the book on.

(And for those who just can’t economically justify a signed, limited edition hardcover, there will be paperback and digital copies of THE COMPLEX, but not until mid-2016 — and trust me, you don’t want to wait until then because all your friends are going to be talking about it when they get their copies later this month).

Last Week For MAELSTROM 2015

A brand-new Brian Keene novel. A brand-new Brian Keene short story collection. And a brand new anthology. There is only one week left to reserve your copies of the 6th annual Maelstrom set. Pre-orders end on 11/3. After that, no further sets will be sold. The books will ship in time for Christmas, making them the perfect holiday present. CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE YOUR SET.

As always, the set includes three signed, limited-edition hardcovers for one low price. These books are produced for the collectible market, using craftsmanship and materials not found in your average trade hardcover. Also, as with previous volumes, one of these books (THE CRUELTY OF AUTUMN) will never be reprinted. This year’s set includes the following titles:

THE COMPLEX by Brian Keene

Meet the residents of the Pine Village Apartment Complex. A young trans woman looking for acceptance. A suicidal middle-aged horror writer. A single mother worried about her child. A Vietnam veteran who feels the world has forgotten him. A pair of hunted would-be criminals. An elderly widow who lives for her cats. Two newlyweds just starting their lives together. And the serial killer known as The Exit.

Until tonight, they were strangers — to each other, and to themselves. Now, as their world teeters on the brink of an apocalypse and a murderous horde descends upon the neighborhood, they will have to reveal and embrace their true selves if they hope to escape…THE COMPLEX.

THE CRUELTY OF AUTUMN by Brian Keene

Autumn is the cruelest season. It reminds us with bleak, bittersweet, melancholy certainty that spring and summer are gone, never to returns, and that winter is coming. Poets like Yeats, Keats, and Verlaine knew this to be true. So did Ray Bradbury and Richard Laymon. And so does Brian Keene, in this new collection of short stories featuring fourteen tales, including “Hide and Seek”, “Fetish”, “Baby Talk”, “The Guardian of Tsalal”, “Going Under”, “Keepsakes”, and many more.

THE CRUELTY OF AUTUMN is exclusive to this Maelstrom 2015 set. The book will never be reprinted, making it a true collectible.

THE DAUGHTERS OF INANNA by Chesya Burke, Rachel Deering, Amber Fallon and Livia Llewellyn

The next wave in horror starts here! Thunderstorm Books and Maelstrom are proud to present this exciting anthology of all-new novellas by some of the brightest rising stars in horror fiction.

Featuring Livia Llewellyn’s “The One That Comes Before”, Chesya Burke’s “Cut. Pour.”, Rachel Autumn Deering’s “Husk”, and Amber Fallon’s “The Terminal”, as well as an Introduction by Brian Keene, THE DAUGHTERS OF INANNA runs the gamut from quiet supernatural tales to extreme and pulp, offering a diverse selection sure to please and terrify even the most jaded reader.

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Three signed, limited edition hardcover collectibles for one low price. But act now. To guarantee holiday shipping, pre-orders will close November 3rd! CLICK HERE TO RESERVE YOUR COPIES

Some New Things From Some Old Darkness

Many, many years ago, I authorized three other authors — Mike Oliveri, Brett McBean, and John Urbancik — to write three stories officially set in the world of THE RISING series. These stories were then collected in a long-out-of-print chapbook called THE RISING: NECROPHOBIA.

If you listened to last week’s episode of my podcast, then you know that John has just made his story available on Kindle for just .99 cents. Click here to start reading it — a brand new (to most of you) story set in the world of THE RISING and featuring kung-fu zombies. This may be a practice run for a much bigger anthology. Will depend on sales and fan reaction…

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This is the last week to pre-order the Maelstrom 2015 set, which consists of three books — THE COMPLEX (a brand-new novel by me featuring The Exit, a serial killer who has appeared in three of my short stories), THE CRUELTY OF AUTUMN (a new short story collection by me, which will never be reprinted), and THE DAUGHTERS OF INNANA (an anthology of four brand-new novellas by Livia Llewellyn, Chesya Burke, Rachel Deering, and Amber Fallon.

As always, this is a set of three signed, limited-edition hardcovers for one low price. The books WILL ship in time for the holidays, making this the perfect present. Pre-orders end one week from now, on 11/3.

CLICK HERE TO RESERVE YOUR SET OF BOOKS.

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Last night, “No Such Thing As Monsters”, a radio script I wrote, was performed live as part of Big Spooky Radio Time at The Southern Theater 1420 Washington Ave S, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55454. If you missed it, there’s a repeat performance October 31st at 7pm. Click here for details.

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If you have Comcast (I don’t) then you can watch me, Joe Hill, Mary SanGiovanni, Izzy Lee, and Bracken MacLeod discuss “We Get The Horror We Deserve” from now until November 15th via On Demand.

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L to R: Old Navy buddy Miller, me, Mary SanGiovanni, old Navy buddy Blumenthal, and his partner Krista.

Don’t look for much activity here in the coming weeks, as I’ll be sequestered in my cabin in West Virginia to finish novels HOLE IN THE WORLD, INVISIBLE MONSTERS, a novella called THE MOTEL AT THE END OF THE EARTH, and another still-untitled novella.

This past weekend, I attended the 50th Anniversary for the U.S.S. Austin, the ship I served on during my days in the military. Had a great time seeing my old Navy buddies, and reminiscing, and revisiting old haunts, including a particular spot on a particular beach, which — at 4am — inspired me to rush back to the hotel and write the following rough few paragraphs, which I’m pretty sure will turn into a novel or something. Offered here for free, but be kind — it’s first draft stuff:

Sunrise over the ocean is a slow process. The first thing you notice, long before the autumnal hues of the sun bloom at the edge of the world, is a gradual lessening of the darkness. The ocean appears, going gray and silver, and then changing over time to blue and white, while the clouds reflect orange, red and yellow instead of starlight.

The hours before this transformation are dominated by the color black. There is nothing darker than being in the middle of the ocean on a moonless, starless night when your only source of illumination is the tip of your cigarette or the ephemeral lights of fellow passing ships. And if there are no ships, and the North Atlantic winds pluck the cherry from your smoke, you’ll find yourself in total blackness. You can hear the ocean. Smell it. Sense it. Perhaps even feel the spray. But you won’t be able to actually see it until that sunrise arrives.

Sunrises come and go, and so do years. You can watch a sunrise in 1986 and another in 2015, and not notice a difference between the two. You may find that in the meanwhile, you went on to become an engineer, or a salesman, or a librarian, or a firefighter, or a mechanic, or possibly a writer. You may be a father to someone, or a husband, or a partner. And you may look back on your life, back over all those sunrises and colors, and think you remember. But you really don’t.

Not until one morning, when — unable to sleep — you rise before the sun does, and stand on the shore, watching the blackness give way to color in a spot where you witnessed that same transformation occur some thirty years before. It is then that you will remember. You will remember what it’s like to be in the middle of the ocean in the middle of the night. You will remember the blackness. You will remember that there is nothing darker.

Except for the human soul…