End of the Road

That’s me setting up about an hour before last Saturday’s FCBD signing at Comix Connection in York, PA. Although you can’t tell it, I am smiling. 

I’ve been writing professionally for over fifteen years now, and I’ve spent a good chunk of each of those years on the road — book signing tours, convention appearances, speaking engagements, charity events, store openings, store closings, etc. Hell, the majority of Running With The Devil detailed the 2005 summer-long ‘Terminal Cities’ book-signing tour, when I spent three solid months on the road, from Canada to Florida and Seattle to San Diego and everywhere in-between. I’ve done a lot of tours like that.

I’m not going to anymore. I’ve said that before, but then restlessness sets in and I begin to wonder what’s over the horizon. I’ve always been that way. When I was a kid, I’d hop on my BMX Mongoose bike at 8am and my parents wouldn’t see me again until dinnertime. I’ve always been an explorer and a traveler. That was why I joined the Navy, rather than one of the other military branches. And it’s why I’ve always enjoyed touring. It’s fun and exciting to go to new places, and meet new fans and readers, and enjoy good conversations and unfamiliar beers and local cuisine.

But… I’m 45. I’ve got two sons, one of whom graduates college next year and the other of whom starts first grade this August. They are my only responsibilities, other than the responsibility I have to you, my audience, but they are a responsibility I intend to focus more on. Also, to be blunt, gallivanting around the world at 45 is a lot more exhausting than it was at 25 or 35. And since my post-Dorchester heart attack two (or is it three) years ago, I seem to require more sleep at night, and more quiet time to myself. I’ve noticed this during the last four or five conventions I’ve attended as a Guest-of-Honor. Used to be I’d sleep 3 or 4 hours a night at those things, and loved the party scene and hanging out with everybody. I still love those things, but now I sneak out early so I can go to bed and get away from the noise levels. And then I end up feeling guilty about it later.

So expect to see less of me in your town these next few years. Oh, I’ll still make the occasional appearance. I’ll be in New Zealand, for instance, when Dark Hollow starts filming. And I’m slated as a guest at next year’s Scares That Care convention in Williamsburg, VA. BizarroCon is a given since that’s the only time of year I can sit down with my main publisher and hatch plans for the next year. And there’s also KeeneCon in 2014 (but in the case of that last one, you’ll all be traveling to me). And there are conventions I want to attend again in the future — CONvergence, VisionCon, etc.

But they won’t be as many. For example, there are no further appearances slated for this year. Which means I’ll have more time with my sons, and more time for writing (which I haven’t had much of for many, many months now, as evidenced by the number of deadlines which have zipped by my head with a SWOOSHING sound). Indeed, although I’m sad and despondent over the fact that my little guy starts first grade this year, I’m also looking forward to the fact that I’ll be able to return to normal 8-hour writing days — something I haven’t had in the last five years (again, as evidenced by the number of deadlines which have zipped by my head with a SWOOSHING sound).

Hopefully, you can dig that. But I figured y’all ought to know. And it’s not like I’m unavailable. You can talk to me on Twitter and Facebook anytime you want. And although that experiment with Branch was a failure (simply because Branch got rid of the Group Discussion option) I’m toying with the idea of bringing back The Keenedom as a new forum, but in a way that will prevent the problems that led to the destruction of the previous version. But… those are thoughts I best keep to myself for now, to be mulled over late at night with bourbon.