Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I grew up in Dublin, Ireland, where I still live today. After living in London, Bahrain and Thailand, I studied music at Ballyfermot College, Dublin. For many years, I wrote songs and produced electronic dance music, and my music has been played in clubs all over the world.
In 2015 I self-published my travel journal, In Fields of Nettles, about a summer spent biking from Dublin to Milan. I continued my travels that year and went to Thailand to live for three months. While gazing at incredible sunset after -sunset, I was inspired to write the first draft of The Governor’s Daughter (The story of an Irishman living in America who gets mixed up in a secret society…I know, nothing to do with Thailand. I was listening to a lot of Joe Rogan’s podcast on the beach).
When I returned to Dublin, I began editing I haven’t stopped. I wrote 2 more manuscripts in 2017 and 2 in 2018. Learning from my mistakes, I put them aside and wrote 4 new manuscripts in 2019 (I had no life), one is TREOIR, my debut novel -out October 9th, another being Death of Venice (The story of a Judge…if I told you it would spoil it. Let’s just say he’s a little bit of a naughty boy). How to Mend a Broken Heart, a streetwise barber tries to escape his miserable past by helping a young hood put his life back together after his father kills himself. And Hometides, a semi-autobiographical, satirical, dark-comedy told in the 2nd person about a failed musician with big dreams and facing reality again. While writing/editing those books I was taking days and weekends to begin editing Treoir.
Treoir will be out October 9th, 2020
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Treoir (Irish for guardian).
In 2019 I lost my job. Around that time, I began having lucid dreams. One particular dream resonated with me for some reason. I dreamt I was on an island helping children escape from crazed people. It stayed with me all that day, and I decided to write it down. That short story became the island setting for Treoir, and the children I was saving became Jonah, a genius with albinism, and the protagonist’s niece, Quinn. I wrote the first draft in May-June 2019.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I will blast out 5,000 words a day for 3 weeks to write a novel then spend years editing it.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
I like (and try to create) stories with the appeal of Alex Garland and Chuck Palahniuk that have the depth of John Steinbeck and Alexander Dumas and the thinking of Robert M. Pirsig, Jean-Paul Sartre, and Salman Rushdie.
What are you working on now?
Eh…I think I’m editing four novels and writing 2 others (called My Sister, The Quiet Girl and The Bad Book).
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
This is something I’m new to.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Tell stories. Find the stories in you, they’re like artifacts and you’re an archiologist discovering stuff you’ve buried. Don’t follow the crowd!
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Have no fear.
What are you reading now?
Right now, nothing – working too hard. Last book was in August, The Judas Kiss by David Butler.
What’s next for you as a writer?
Next year I’m converting a van into a tiny home and going to tour my books (and music – I’m also a music-producer).
What is your favorite book of all time?
Hard to pick one. Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance really affected me, so did Midnight’s Children – but for different reasons. My guilty pleasure was The DaVinci Code. I love Stienbeck’s books, they’re simple, unpretentions, and stuffed with wisdom.
Author Websites and Profiles
Darran Brennan Website
Darran Brennan Amazon Profile
Darran Brennan’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Twitter Account