Today’s guest is both an author and a podcast host! Many of you will know Brennan from his writing, others from his co-hosting gig on the Deadhead Space podcast!

Welcome, Brennan!

Steve: What does your writing time look like? Do you try and write at the same time each day? Do you have a word count you attempt to hit?

Brennan: My writing time looks a lot like that of a father of two boys who works two jobs. It can be erratic, but I try and maintain a schedule within the chaos. As a rule, I try to do writing-related things every day. This can be actual writing, editing, or sometimes promotional stuff. I’m lucky enough to have my lunch and prep period back to back at work, and I can typically get in an hour then, and maybe an hour after the kids are in bed. On days off, I like to write early in the morning, when the house is relatively quiet. I try not to stress about daily word counts. They can be helpful if I’m writing toward a deadline, real or self-imposed. There are days where I only get 200 words, but I’m truly happy with them. While I don’t adhere to word counts strictly enough to advertise them, I can see how they might benefit some writers. After all, writing is like exercise and if tracking your progress in that manner is an effective tool to help you get it done, more power to you.

Steve: Out of all your releases, do you have a character you absolutely detest?

Brennan: I really don’t, honestly. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve got some despicable antagonists in various stories, but they’re all so much fun to write. The main antagonist in Slattery Falls, Robert Weeks, is detestable. Pure, unadulterated evil, but I enjoy the challenge of writing him. He’s a monster, but creating his dialogue is an exercise in control. He keeps a quiet calm regardless of what heinous misdeed he’s talking about, and when he loses control, it’s a careful crescendo. He’s also a character that it’s easy to overwrite for and turn into a mustache-twirling villain, so I enjoy the challenge of exercising restraint and making his actions speak louder and his words count for something.

In my upcoming horror western, Noose, the titular villain is absent much of the book, but when he shows up, he makes his impact felt on the main character right off the bat. Almost the opposite of Weeks, George “Noose” Holcomb doesn’t know when to shut up and abundantly chews the scenery. If you don’t hate him by the end of chapter one, I’m not doing my job, but I bet you’ll have a good time doing it.

Steve: Tell me about your newest release (novel/story/poem/novella) and why someone should read it!

Brennan: Noose will be out later in 2022, so let’s talk about the re-release of Slattery Falls. The book originally came out in July of 2021, but when its publisher closed their doors, Slattery found a new home with Crossroad Press. I revised the entire manuscript, made a few additions, edited a few places that got missed on the original round of edits, and made some slight adjustments to continuity. The great Donnie Goodman worked up a magnificent cover that does the story justice.

In short, I wrote the book I wanted to read. It’s a haunted house book that revolves around ghost hunting. At the time, I didn’t realize how much the average reader absolutely hates ghost hunting books. That revelation made for more than a few panics after we announced the synopsis. Luckily, I had quite a few people reach out and say ‘I generally don’t go for this sort of thing, but the way you pulled it off worked’. The focus is less on gadgets and readouts, more on character and creeps. Despite the fact that the characters are in their early 20s at the start of the story, it’s got coming-of-age elements that have resonated with a lot of readers. It’s a tense ride with no fat on it.

I’m prepping the sequel, Decimated Dreams, for a late 2022 release, and currently writing the third and final book in the series with an eye to release it in mid-2023.

Steve: Bonus Question! What was your favorite cartoon as a kid?

Brennan: What a great question! It has to be Darkwing Duck. Everything from the theme song that still plays in the back of my mind, to the noir elements before I knew what noir was, makes DD, arguably, a perfect cartoon

Awesome! Thanks so much, Brennan!

Some links you should check out!

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Brennan-LaFaro/e/B08R6PT1NT/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/BrennanLaFaro

Website: brennanlafaro.com