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Slattery Falls
Group Reads: Guest Author Invite
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August 2021 Group Read with Guest Author, Brennan LaFaro
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Kenneth wrote: "Brennan, what got you into horror, particularly writing horror versus other genres, and who would you say your influences are?"Like so many of us, Stephen King got me into horror. "The Gunslinger" was the first book of his I picked up and it hooked me. No looking back after that. He's probably the biggest element that made me want to try my hand at writing, but I also have to credit Jonathan Janz's "The Siren and the Specter". I'd started writing Slattery Falls before I read it, but felt unsure of what I was doing. That book showed me what a ghost story could do, dancing around familiar tropes but still bringing something new to the table. As we speak, there is a signed version of that book on its way to me, and it's going to be a treasured possession.
As far as influences, King is big, of course. Robert McCammon was another author I discovered pretty soon before I got the bug to write. With his natural storytelling voice, it's hard to imagine his books didn't seep in and tell me to go for it. Last, and maybe the biggest influence, is Kurt Vonnegut. The man was a master at mixing humor, heart, and horrific elements, and I like to believe I've put a little bit of each into everything I've written.
I started this morning and finished I really like it I also watch those ghostie shows and it really reminded me of an episode of one of those!! Really quick entertaining read!
M wrote: "I started this morning and finished I really like it I also watch those ghostie shows and it really reminded me of an episode of one of those!! Really quick entertaining read!"Wow, thank you so much!
Sonya wrote: "I’m on chapter 25."You're going in. Make sure to close the door behind you.
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Kenneth wrote: "Brennan, do you have a favorite horror sub genre? How about one that you’re not interested in, and why to both?"Good question. Coming of age is probably my favorite, because it's so expansive. You can include almost any tropes in a coming of age, and by their nature, they're character-driven, which is a big must for me. I'm finishing up a novel now that deals mostly with family ties and legacy, but I think I'm going to take a swing at coming of age pretty soon.
Also when it's done well, it's untouchable. See also Boy's Life, Midnight Rain, Fear, It.
If I had to pick a single subgenre I generally avoid, it's vampires. It can be done well, and my favorite King book of all time is Salem's Lot, but it feels like we've hit the point where there's not much to say that hasn't already been said. There's also the fact that vampires feel so foreign. Even when they step on our soil, there's a disconnect not present with so many other stories. Like it couldn't really happen. That's just my opinion, of course.
I finished the book this morning. Very well written.
Sonya wrote: "I finished the book this morning. Very well written."Thank you so much, Sonya! I really appreciate your time.
Brennan wrote: "Kenneth wrote: "Brennan, do you have a favorite horror sub genre? How about one that you’re not interested in, and why to both?"Good question. Coming of age is probably my favorite, because it's ..."
I would like to recommend The Lesser Dead. A very different vampire novel. ;)
Char wrote: "I would like to recommend The Lesser Dead. A very different vampire novel. ;)"I'll check that out. I keep seeing good things about Christopher Buehlman. Guess I'm overdue. Thanks, Char.
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That's a great one too!
Brennan, I just finished reading Slattery Falls a couple of days ago. I really enjoyed it. I liked that you had your ghost hunters just using their senses. I follow a great many shows and groups, and I don't feel like the equipment is all the time the greatest to rely on. I tried an EMF detector one time, and it went off if I moved it fast. It also went off against my arm and the counter. I ended up returning it because it wasn't detecting correctly.I don't investigate hauntings. I've read too many accounts where investigators have brought stuff home with them. I've lived in a haunted house for a little over 15 years, and I feel that looking more deeply into things that happen could bring something evil into the house. You kind of showed this with the first two investigations. You could see how evil could spread.
As for this story, I thought you captured the chilling part of hauntings really well. I was a little confused in the beginning of the story because the first two investigations weren't in Slattery Falls. Later in the book, I realized why. Everything made sense.
Overall, I really enjoyed reading this. You brought tears to my eyes in the end. I loved the amount of action and how evil the ghost was. It was interesting that the haunting wasn't confined to a single area.
Thank you so much for the great read.
Lioness7 wrote: "Brennan, I just finished reading Slattery Falls a couple of days ago. I really enjoyed it. I liked that you had your ghost hunters just using their senses. I follow a great many shows and groups, a..."Wow, thank you for the kind words. I'm so pleased the book, and the ending especially, worked for you.
I'm right there with you as far as EVP and gadgetry goes. It was never really on the table to include. It just didn't match the spirit (no pun intended) of these characters. I might have said this earlier in the thread, but I associate the technology you see on ghost hunting shows with creating tangible proof to share with an audience. That was pretty far from the realm of Josh, Travis, and Elsie's goals, so it wouldn't have made much sense to include.
Thanks again for reading.
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That's because you're awesome, Alan. Thanks for joining us, Brennan! I enjoyed your book and I enjoyed the conversation.
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Heartily appreciate that, Alan. Thank you all for having me!
Horror Aficionados
Books mentioned in this topic
The Lesser Dead (other topics)Slattery Falls (other topics)
Thank you so much, Shelly. That's so kind. I'm going to cheat and answer with two.
My favorite scenes to write were the flashbacks with Emily Stone's journal. Creating this almost historical true crime with a supernatural twist just kind of poured out of me, and I probably wrote all those parts in one go with a smile on my face. I liked the way her voice flowed reading it back, and hopefully readers do as well.
My favorite scene as far as the way it turned out is a little bit of a spoiler, so I'll just say children in the dark. I like the way it allowed me to play with sensory stuff, especially sound and touch, and it gave me goosebumps even revising it for the umpteenth time.