New 'Brian With An Eye' - 6/21/09

NOTE: If you'd like to preorder a copy of the Writers Workshop of Horror, you can click the link below:

New 'Brian With An Eye' Coming Soon

This weekend, between writing projects, I'm going to try to have the editing done on the latest 'Brian With An Eye' video blog so I can have it posted. In it, I will talk about my trips to Hypericon and the Stoker Awards, and talk a little about the projects I have coming up.

I need to get this done soon, as apparently Woodland Press has already beaten me to the punch.

New Video Blog

Introducing: Brian, With An Eye

Mo*Con Memories

THE GOOD:

Mo*Con is always full of good. I enjoy hanging out with Maurice Broaddus and my other fellow writers. Pity that Gary Braunbeck and Lucy Snyder couldn't make it this year, but I'll see them both later this year, certainly at Context.

The poetry slam was new this year, and I read three of my pieces, including "The Monster with the Shape of Me", published last year in Weird Tales. I think it went pretty well, but Linda Addison would read first with each go-round. How do you follow Linda Addison? Answer: the best you can.

Also new was the art show, which allowed Grace Welch, AKA Grace the PA, to be Grace the Artist as well. Many happy Mo*Con attendees took home art, and Grace promoted her new website, http://www.rabbitmoonarts.com/.

THE BAD:

The hotel stay was not the best. The room didn't have working air conditioning or heat. A morning bath flooded the bathroom, part of the room, and the hall outside, thanks to a leaky bathtub, and required an early morning move to another room. A room that also didn't have working air conditioning or heat. At least the water stayed in the tub. It just never got above 50°F.

The staff was very understanding and helpful the whole time. I have no complaints with the human element of the hotel, but I don't believe I'll be staying there next year.

THE UGLY:

Doug Warrick and Kyle Johnson brought to Mo*Con a self-published book they found in the basement of a used bookstore. The fame of this tome spread, and various passages were read aloud over the course of the weekend. I can't bring myself to say more about this than the book was blatantly premeditated and therefore no plea of temporary insanity is possible, except by those of us who experienced it for ourselves. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. So I did both.

***

Thanks go to Maurice and the gang for another great Mo*Con, and I'm looking forward to attending next year as well.

Legends 3 & Mo*Con

1. News on Legends of the Mountain State 3, the last of the series, can be found online at the Huntington News website: http://www.huntingtonnews.net/columns/090514-kinchen-columnsbooknotes.html

2. I head out tomorrow morning to Indianapolis and to Mo*Con. I had a great time last year, and I look forward to seeing old friends and making new ones, as always. See you when I get back!

Book Signing

I will be at the Borders in Barboursville WV on Saturday. from 2 to 4 pm, signing copies of Legends of the Mountain State vols. 1 & 2. If you're nearby, stop in and say hi:

Borders
120 Huntington Mall
Barboursville, WV 25504

Get Me Cheap

My poem, "The Monster with the Shape of Me" was published in Weird Tales #351. This year, for the first time in its long history, Weird Tales has been nominated and is on the final ballot for the Hugo Award. Coincidence?

Well, yeah, actually. :)

Still, Wildside Press has decided to celebrate. Until April 30th, everything in their store is available at 25%, if you purchase two or more items. You can pick up Weird Tales #351, along with any of the other issues of the magazine, Wildside Press classics, Prime Books anthologies, and Juno Books novels. Just go to WildsidePress.com or WildsideBooks.com, place your order, then enter the coupon code "april" at checkout. You're all set.

Congratulations to Weird Tales and Wildside Press. It was an honor to be a part of their best year ever.

My First Video Blog

Brian J. Hatcher goes Radio Free

Thanks to Rudy Panucci of Radio Free Charleston for making me a part of the show: http://media.cnpapers.com/rfc061/

Coming soon...

Into the Heart of the Beast

This is what I've been up to for the last few weeks. Them's a whole lotta novel critiques. Tomorrow I go to Towson and the Borderlands Press Novel Boot Camp. I deliver these critiques and receive a few of my own, from all the "grunts" and the four instructors. Then, after I lick my wounds, I come home and get back to the work of writing.

More news when I get back home.

Tomorrow I will be… The Ultimate Answer To Life, The Universe, and Everything

Or, to be more specific, I will be 42.

Thank you, Douglas Adams.

Thanks to everyone for the birthday wishes. 41 has been very good to me, in a lot of ways. I couldn't possibly imagine everything that would come my way, both good and bad. 42 is going to be amazing. I can't wait.

On a side note, Rudy Panucci posted on the Gazz Blog 50 Cool Things About 2008, and I happen to be one of those cool things. I'm grateful for the mention, but I shall not rest upon my cool laurels, oh no. Time to whip up brand new cool for 2009.

Everyone have a happy and safe New Year's. See you on the other side.

So THAT'S the problem...

How To Tell If Your Girlfriend's a Psycho





How To Tell If Your Boyfriend's a Psycho

This explains everything.

Ouch!

Any test that starts with someone jamming this into your hand...

.. and you know you're in for a bad day. But I think I'll have some good news soon.

Early Xmas Gift

I have the best PA ever. :)

Thank You

The point of Thanksgiving is to reflect on what we are thankful for. A week ago, I was rushed to the hospital with what I thought might be a heart attack. I honestly thought I was going to die. I am thankful that I have more time on this Earth. How much more no one can ever say, about any of us. I am also thankful to be reminded of what really is important in life. Mostly, I am thankful for everyone who, each in their own way, wished me well and gave me support while I was in the hospital. I am truly blessed. In my darkest times, I see just how lucky I am to have the friends I do. Thank you, one and all, and I hope you have a happy and healthy Thanksgiving.

Hospital Trip

I woke up Thursday morning with chest pains and numbness in my left arm. I wasn't in a lot of pain, but my uncle Jerry died of his first heart attack when he was about two years younger than I am now, and I have a history of heart problems on both sides of my family. Not wanting to take any chances, I checked myself into the hospital, and they held me for observation.

One of the first things they did was put a heparin lock in my arm. This is basically a catheter inserted into a vein so drugs can be administered during a cardiac arrest, when veins can collapse and are difficult to locate. They performed an EKG, did a chest x-ray, and scheduled a series of blood tests to check for cardiac enzymes. There are chemicals in the heart muscle that are found only there, and finding cardiac enzymes in the bloodstream indicates damage has occurred in the heart. They take blood at least three times during a 24-hour period, and having a tech wake you up in the middle of the night to draw blood has become one of my least favorite things.

The good news: the tests came back negative and my heart is fine. The bad news: my problems stem from a huge blood pressure spike brought on by stress, which carry with it problems of its own. I see my doctor sometime next week, and from there, we will decide what to do.

Fortunately, I will still be able to attend the book signing at the Capital City Art & Craft Show tomorrow at the Charleston Civic Center. I will be there from 3:30 to 7:00 pm, signing copies of both "Legends of the Mountain State" books at the West Virginia Book Company table. Stop by and see me if you're in the neighborhood.

2008 Inner Circle of Bizarre Magick

Grace and I headed up to Cromwell CT last weekend for this year's Inner Circle of Bizarre Magick Annual Gathering. The theme was "Devil of a Bar & Pub", and the Guest of Honor was storyteller and magician Ed Solomon. As always, much learning and good times were had by all. Grace and I had a table in the dealer's room, where she had several prints and original pieces of art and I had copies of both volumes of "Legends of the Mountain State" and Weird Tales #351. Business was brisk and our offerings were well received.

There were two evening shows this year: "Le Petite Guignol" on Friday night and the formal dinner and show on Saturday night. I did sound for both shows, getting to do a bit of theater work for the first time in a couple of years since I stepped away from theater to concentrate more on my writing. It's good to know I still have the knack.

As always, it's great to see magical friends who I only get to see once a year, and I come away inspired anew in all of my creative work. Grace and I are working on some new magical pieces. My plan is to perform in the close up show next year, and I have some new effects I plan to debut there. Ms. Grace has a few surprises of her own planned. We are working together to develop for her a magical persona that is uniquely her and to create an act that utilizes many of her interests and strengths as a performer. She has always had an incredible stage presence, and she's going to make one hell of a great magician. Stay tuned, folks.

Grace put up some pictures from the trip on her MySpace site, and there are pictures on the ICBM Photo Gallery. Let me say one thing to any magicians or prospective magicians who read this blog: you need to come to the Inner Circle of Bizarre Magick Gathering. You will learn so much, and the environment there is indescribable. When I first attended in 2004, I was a complete outsider in magic, but from the moment I arrived, they made me feel like family. It is to magicians what Necon is to writers and artists. If you've been thinking about attending an ICBM event, don't put it off. Visit the ICBM website, and when they put up the registration form for next year, register and go. You absolutely owe it to yourself; it is a magical experience like no other. I hope to see you there.

Back in Cromwell Again

I am in Cromwell CT, along with artist/PA/magical assistant Grace Welch, for the 2008 Inner Circle of Bizarre Magick Annual Gathering. For those who don't know, bizarre magick is a form of performance magic that focuses on story and drama. It is fun, creative, and sometimes a little spooky; that's why I like it.

I spent half the night in the hospitality suite talking to magicians, and as always I learn a lot when I go there. I'll post a blog about the convention sometime Monday.

Part III: Personnel

I'm a busy guy, and I like it that way. But sometimes I pay the price for having too many irons in the fire. A three-part blog that was supposed to be Monday-Tuesday-Wednesday and became Monday-Wednesday-Friday is a good example. But I can't help it. I like to be busy. But recently, I've become overly "blessed".

I remember when I had all the time in the world to write. No one was waiting for anything, and if it took a week, a month, or six months it really didn't matter. Now, it seems I can't sit at the keyboard without hearing the ticking of the clock. Everything's on a deadline, but hey, isn't that what I wanted? Throw into the mix readings and book signings. Sure, I don't call myself a horror writer anymore, but Halloween is still the busy season. In fact, I have one coming up tomorrow at Taylor Books. I might have another reading coming up for Halloween, but we'll see.

If that isn't enough, I have my extracurricular activities. Wrestling shows, magic performances (have an appearance coming up this month), and maintaining not only my website but also the website of poet extraordinaire Brandy Schwan. Throw in a day job and the occasional trip, and there you have it: my filled-to-the-brim life.

So full, in fact, that life is beginning to run away from me. I've reached the point where I can't do it alone. I need help. I need a personal assistant. Brian Keene has Big Joe. Maurice Broaddus has his "con wives". Yeah, that's what I need. A helping hand. A partner in crime. A cross between My Girl Friday and Wednesday Addams. Someone who is, God help us all, crazier than I am. An impossible dream, you say? An unreachable goal? Au contraire. Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to introduce Grace Welch:

Some of you have already met her. Expect to see more of her around as I travel to conventions and other gatherings. As well as being an exceptional historian, researcher and note-taking goddess, Grace is also an amazing artist. You can see samples of her work on her MySpace page. She and I are in the planning stages of a series of children's books. More details to come.

I did want to mention that the reading at the Book Exchange yesterday went swimmingly well. I had a great time, and had story time with 10-12 kids, and then more adult spooky stories with the adults toward the end of the evening. Music provided by Captain Crash and the Beauty Queen, a duo I first saw perform at Rudy Panucci's Radio Free Charleston celebration. They brought the acoustic funk.

By the way, the new Weird Tales is on newsstands, and you can find my poem "The Monster With the Shape of Me" on page 13 (how cool is that?). I couldn't have asked for a better layout, and the page is illustrated with a piece by omni-talented artist Steven Archer.

More projects on the way. Would you expect anything less?