Hi all, back in December I was interviewed on a radio show called Australians Love Italy. We discussed my new book, Strange Murmurings, as well as the time I spent in Italy. For those of you who missed it, here is the link to listen to the whole interview on Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/episode/4GURZqCBFoMKgPib2bZBUY?si=f2b4b3f4d0234744
Or, read below…
Strange Murmurings is available now. Grab your copy from Brent’s online shop or on Amazon.
ALI: Can you tell us a little bit about you? When did you first start writing horror, and what does it mean to be a horror author?
BRENT: Well I started writing about five or six years ago. I’ve always enjoyed a good turn of phrase. I used to be in a band where I would write lyrics. I suppose at one point, just like a lot of writers, I sat down, wrote a few sentences, and then, when I read it back, thought, Oh, that actually isn’t too bad. Maybe I should continue with this? And six years down the track I’m only just beginning, because it is a learning process. As far as writing horror goes — I write horror because it’s what I enjoy reading most. There’s nothing I love more than getting lost in a good Stephen King novel, or something by some of the other horror greats: Dean Koontz, Joe Hill etc. For me, the genre really deals with the big themes, y’know, death, good vs evil, courage and heroism. I also find that horror stories are always really character driven. As a writer you try to write some 3-dimensional characters and then you throw them into some horrific situations to see if they can come okay, to see if they can beat the big bad. Sometimes they survive and sometimes they don’t but hey that’s just like real life. If you’re reading a horror novel, for example, in your armchair at home, you can live vicariously through the characters. You can experience thoughts and emotions beyond the ordinary human experience. This is a concept they call ‘The Sublime’ in literature. Experiencing the sublime. The most important thing for me — as far as writing horror goes — is that I write Supernatural Horror specifically. The supernatural has always really terrified me. Somewhere along the line I had the realization that what really fascinates us as human beings is what scares us most.
ALI: Now, the other reason we have you on the show today is because we know that you have been to Italy a couple of times, and they were two very different experiences. Can you tell us a little about that? What was the difference between your first trip and your second trip?
BRENT: Well, they were two very different trips. My first trip to Italy was in 2004, as a young man/ backpacker. In Australia it’s almost a right of passage to go on these Contiki tours where you hop and off a bus. We did 14 countries in so many days, on a shoestring budget , and at breakneck speed. I went to Venice, Rome, and Florence — I love Florence. But, when I went back to Italy in 2016, it was for my honeymoon with my wife. It was a completely different experience. One of the great things about travel is that you get to go back to the places you really enjoy. And on the second visit I made an effort to experience Rome like a local. When in Rome do as the Romans do, y’know? You get into the Café’s and enjoy the atmosphere, the culture, sights, sounds, smells…
ALI: Where is your favourite Italian spot, or city?
BRENT: Most definitely Florence. As a writer I am always interested in mythology and folklore. The renaissance art and the architecture there are so good. In Florence they have the Piazza della Signoria *Coughs* (I’m butchering the pronunciation I’m sure. You’ll have to forgive my Australian [Strine] accent). Well, there’s that statue of Neptune and the outdoor sculpture gallery there; with Cellini’s Perseus with the head Medusa — it’s a really ghastly statue. I love it. And the piazza usually has that screaming blue sky against the colour of the buildings there, y’know. It’s a great spot.
ALI: Brent, what tips would you give to your Australian friends wanting to visit Italy?
BRENT: I think the most important thing is that, when you go to Italy, don’t just be in a rush to visit all the touristy, landmark type places, but also make the time to sit in a café, have some espresso, get lost in the city. Because, you can’t truly find yourself, unless you first get lost and experience life like a local. Another thing is to maybe get one of these Lonely-Planet-type pocket books, y’know, with the fold out maps, and do like my wife and I did. We marked on the map with a pen all the landmarks and places we wanted to see. See where they fall in a radius. And then take yourself on some self-guided walking tours. That’s what we did. And at the end of the trip our Lonely planet guidebook and map were falling apart and held together with an elastic band. But we’d seen so much.
ALI: Can you tell us about your new book?
BRENT: The book that I have out at the moment, Strange Murmurings, is intended as a sampler, to give readers — and fellow fans of Supernatural Horror – a feel for my writing style. It’s a trilogy of horror tales that delves into the supernatural and the weird. It’s only a small book you could read it in one sitting. It’s available on Amazon and Kindle Unlimited. And the paperback you can get anywhere. It’s 3 horror tales. The first story is about a small town that is plagued by a strange persistent hum (“The Hum”). The second is about a first-year law associate who meets a beautiful yet mysterious stranger on New Years Eve (“Until Midnight”). And the third tells of a team of paranormal researchers who investigate the infamous Poynter House (“The Eye of Anunreshka”).
Strange Murmurings is available now. Grab your copy from Brent’s online shop or on Amazon.
ALI: And what is next for you, Brent? Are you going to write another book?
BRENT: Yes, I am. In 2022 I hope to release a novel. It keeps getting pushed back and pushed back of course, as is often the case with works in progress. It is a cautionary tale, of temptation and horror, and it will be set in Florida.
