Brian Keene's Blog, page 216

The Rusty Nail's new home

If, like myself, you are a regular reader of The Rusty Nail (and if you are a writer, editor, or publisher who wants to keep track of the genre's nitwits, then you really should be) then please note the website has moved HERE.

Weekend Update

Previously on Brian Keene dot com…

As noted, Deluge will be delayed two weeks, and things will be rather slow here as I finish a novel and two novellas before month's end.

Doom Patrol: Fire Away went up for pre-order.

So is Smoke and Mirrors.

This week's hot discussions at The Keenedom.

Speaking of hot discussions, here's one with Mary SanGiovanni.

And here are severaal about everything from the literary merits of Peter Straub to the pros and cons of Amazon.com.

Leisure Books gets put on probation by the SFWA.

And Borders has the Worst Quarter Ever.

This Week's Required Reading

Things of note found on the internet:

1. Brownie's school assignment was simple – write a book report on a book that has literary merit. Brownie wrote about Peter Straub's wonderful Pork Pie Hat, and his teacher gave him an F, stating that Peter's work has no literary merit. Well, fuck that! This means war.

2. Point. A writer for Alter Net asks "Is Amazon.com evil"?

3. Counter-point. Carlton Mellick III answers "No, and buying through Amazon is the best way to support authors."

4. And finally, NPR asks "will Kindle become the Betamax of our generation?"

Crunch Time (with info on Deluge, Lifetime Subs, etc.)

Down to the wire on the new novel The Damned Highway: Fear and Loathing in Arkham. Nick Mamatas and I have to turn it in by month's end, so there's that. I also owe Camelot Books and Apex Publications a novella each by month's end, as well. And I haven't even started the one for Apex yet. Needless to say, regular updates will be sporadic for the next few weeks.

Because of this, Deluge will be delayed (and suddenly, a collective groan went out from the masses, and someone shouted, "You fuck! They were just about to descend into the bowels of the ship!" and then I grin and say, "Yes, and the suspense will be that much better if you have to wait for it). Take this time to get caught up on the serial novel, because in just a few more chapters, we'll be getting back to Sarah in the forest ranger tower, and we'll find out what Earl has been transformed into, and then Novak and the others will… well, that would involve spoilers.

This also means that unless your email is of an urgent business nature (i.e. you want to give me money for something I've written) you'll probably have to wait for a response. As always, the best place to find me during these madcap 20-hour-a-day writing sessions is on Twitter.

Finally, a note to Lifetime Subscribers. Packages were mailed to everybody this week. They contain Doom Patrol #16, DCU Halloween Special, The Last Zombie #3, and the replacement book for LeHorn's Hollow (for those of you who chose a replacement, rather than waiting).

Mary SanGiovanni Live

Of course I'm going to promote my fiancee's latest interview. Click to listen.

Crunch Time (with info on Deluge, Lifetime Subs, etc.)

Down to the wire on the new novel The Damned Highway: Fear and Loathing in Arkham. Nick Mamatas and I have to turn it in by month's end, so there's that. I also owe Camelot Books and Apex Publications a novella each by month's end, as well. And I haven't even started the one for Apex yet. Needless to say, regular updates will be sporadic for the next few weeks.

Because of this, Deluge will be delayed (and suddenly, a collective groan went out from the masses, and someone shouted, "You fuck! They were just about to descend into the bowels of the ship!" and then I grin and say, "Yes, and the suspense will be that much better if you have to wait for it). Take this time to get caught up on the serial novel, because in just a few more chapters, we'll be getting back to Sarah in the forest ranger tower, and we'll find out what Earl has been transformed into, and then Novak and the others will… well, that would involve spoilers.

This also means that unless your email is of an urgent business nature (i.e. you want to give me money for something I've written) you'll probably have to wait for a response. As always, the best place to find me during these madcap 20-hour-a-day writing sessions is on Twitter.

Finally, a note to Lifetime Subscribers. Packages were mailed to everybody this week. They contain Doom Patrol #16, DCU Halloween Special, The Last Zombie #3, and the replacement book for LeHorn's Hollow (for those of you who chose a replacement, rather than waiting).

This Week at The Keenedom

1. Jeremy Wagner, horror author and guitarist for Lupara, joins the fray with his own forum.

2. Due to family obligations, Bryan Smith announces a writing hiatus.

3. Five pages of engagement congrats for myself and Mary SanGiovanni, as only the F.U.K.U. can deliver.

4. Excitement builds for the 2011 World Horror Convention.

5. James A Moore has a fear of clowns… and soon, so will you.

6. John Skipp is giving stories away for free!

7. Thunderstorm Books' low stock report.

8. Alethea Kontis wants you to be a princess for a day.

9. Tom Piccirilli on Ed Gorman's Stranglehold.

10. Is Amazon.com evil?

Probation for Leisure

The SFWA announced that they've placed Dorchester/Leisure on probation for one year, following proven instances of the company not paying authors and publishing editions of books they did not legally have the rights to. For previous coverage of the ongoing Leisure saga, click here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here.

Smoke and Mirrors

Featuring original works by Neil Gaiman, William Peter Blatty, Stewart O'Nan, Frank Darabont, William F. Nolan, Joe Hill, Brian Keene & Michael Oliveri, Poppy Z. Brite, Kealan Patrick Burke, Mick Garris, Ray Garton, and Joe R. Lansdale!

Cemetery Dance Publications is proud to announce Smoke and Mirrors, a collection of screenplays, teleplays, stage plays, comic scripts, and treatments by thirteen masters of horror and fantasy. This deluxe oversized book reproduces the scripts exactly as they were written in the author's own formatting.

Available as a trade hardcover, limited edition hardcover, and lettered edition.

CLICK HERE TO PRE-ORDER.

Doom Patrol: Fire Away

It won't be out until next August, but the Doom Patrol: Fire Away trade paperback, written by Keith Giffen and myself and illustrated by Keith Giffen and Matthew Clarke (boy, that Giffen is a man of many talents) is up for pre-order. Ask for it at your local comic shop, or click here to reserve your copy.