Postcards From the Falls: Issue 034, December 2024

The newsletter for all things Brennan LaFaro: A brand new Buzzard's Edge book out in the world, a sincere honor, and teases galore.

As this hits your inbox, it’s December 1st and Where the Daybreak Ends: Stories From Buzzard’s Edge is two days away, but hell, let’s celebrate early. This collection is nine stories of the weirdest in the west, spanning from vampires to hired killers, mustache-twirling villains to badass heroines, and of course, Rory and Alice.

Paperback author copies arrived last week and they. are. stunning. You can order a copy in paperback or ebook by clicking here.

Heather and Steve will be hosting me in a release day event (Tuesday, December 3rd at 7 pm EST) featuring editor/author/wonderful human, Candace Nola. Stop by and party with us. You can find the livestream on the Brigids Gate youTube.

In the lead-up to launch, I’ve been sharing a little info on some of the stories included, so here’s the final batch:

• “Trade Secrets” - easily one of my favorite bananas in the bunch. This story marks the first appearance of Thaddeus Locke, Buzzard’s Edge consulting detective who played a pivotal role in The Demon of Devil’s Cavern. My favorite part of this story is that it can 100% be read independently of Demon, but each story influences the way you’ll interpret the other.

• “The Ice Man” - Brand new never-before-released novella featuring Rory and Alice. This takes place in the six months between Noose and Demon, covering their developing relationship and the advent of sign language, while playing out like a bit like an episode of Law and Order with 60% more rootin’ tootin’.

• “When All’s Said and Done” - The characters this centers around, Mort and Jack, were a blast to write. This final entry is something of a prequel to the next book in the BE series, and is what I think might happen if Joe Lansdale wrote Of Mice and Men and dumped tabasco sauce over the top.

Grab your copy today. Daybreak is a great place to pick up the legend anew or continue where you left off.

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Few in horror command respect like Ellen Datlow. She’s a legend in the field and being selected for her anthologies is an honor. I’m not quite there yet, but I am so privileged that she felt “Then You Smiled For a Second” worthy of mention. You can find the complete list for Best Horror of the Year 16 here. For those who haven’t read Illusions of Isolation, this is a home invasion story that explores what happens when you can’t feel safe in your own home, or your own neighborhood.

Speaking of Illusions of Isolation, it made the second round of the Books of Horror Facebook group’s Short Smack, but fell just short of the final 32 selections. To say thanks for all the votes and interest, French Press and I have made the ebook $0.99 for a limited time. You can get a copy here.

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Work in progress. What have I been working on? Good question. This has been a very hard section to write the last few months. Between stressors at work, family health issues, and mental health management, writing has been a seriously rough endeavor since September. At the moment, I’m feeling in a good place, and I hope to be able to maintain. Onward and full steam ahead, right?

Just a couple days back, I typed The End on the first draft of my latest novel, Chamber the Round. Some more tweaks a-coming, and it’ll be a while before you can read it, but another in the… uh, chamber. This one is Celtic mythology meets Providence noir.

While that novel sits for a hot minute, waiting for me to come back and edit, I’m working on a brand new story for an anthology due out in 2025. It’s a strange ghost story chock full of childhood wonder, nostalgia, and creeps.

For long-term followers, I just may (finally) have some news on my southern-tinged study of loss called The Denizens. Stay tuned.

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Some interviews from this month:

• A few questions with Reading Nook

• Interview with Bold Journey

• An evening at the Fall River Public Library with Ricardo D. Rebelo and Jason Parent

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Last but not least, looking for some gifts to give? Or just some books to fill the time? Here are some fantastic books I’ve read lately:

• The Third Rule of Time Travel by Philip Fracassi

• Beneath the Poet’s House by Christa Carmen

• The Losting Fountain by Lora Senf

• Rest Stop by Nat Cassidy

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  Or you can pick up signed copies of I Will Always Find You: The Complete Slattery Falls, Noose, The Demon of Devil’s Cavern, Last Stay, or Illusions of Isolation for a loved one or yourself. Check out the store here, and until next month, stay frosty.