He has a passion for the extraordinary and lives life as if a new adventure is just around the corner. He has been an avid gamer since he was a child and continues to play D&D, Pathfinder, and other RPGs. His experiences gaming and passion for cooking gave him the inspiration to write a fantastical cookbook.
He has published novels of dark fantasy, and steampunk fantasy in collaboration with his wife, Lori O’Gara. When not gaming or writing, Brendan spends his time on family adventures with his five children and a Staffordshire named, Harley Quinn.
Q.1 Tell us something about yourself not many people know?
A. My ring size and Lori O’Gara, my wife’s ring size is the same. We share wedding rings that are simple steel silver bands.
Q.2 Are we going to read more from you in the near future? Any new project you’re working on?
A. All of 2021 I suffered writer’s block, but here in this new year I am going to assemble my next book and get it to the editor. It is the second full novel in the Necromancer’s Song series coauthored with my wife, it is titled, The Music of The Bones.
Q.3 What inspired you to write The Travelers’ Song?
A. My wife was and is my inspiration to write in the first place. She encouraged me to write a cookbook. It is a fantasy-themed cookbook before themed cookbooks tied to fiction were cool titled Gadlin O'Hale's Fantastic Recipes: From the Seven Kingdoms taken from the greatest Pubs, Taverns, and Inns.
Q.1 Tell us something about yourself not many people know?
A. My ring size and Lori O’Gara, my wife’s ring size is the same. We share wedding rings that are simple steel silver bands.
Q.2 Are we going to read more from you in the near future? Any new project you’re working on?
A. All of 2021 I suffered writer’s block, but here in this new year I am going to assemble my next book and get it to the editor. It is the second full novel in the Necromancer’s Song series coauthored with my wife, it is titled, The Music of The Bones.
Q.3 What inspired you to write The Travelers’ Song?
A. My wife was and is my inspiration to write in the first place. She encouraged me to write a cookbook. It is a fantasy-themed cookbook before themed cookbooks tied to fiction were cool titled Gadlin O'Hale's Fantastic Recipes: From the Seven Kingdoms taken from the greatest Pubs, Taverns, and Inns.
After about a hundred readers saying, "The recipes are great but what happens to the characters?" I asked Lori if she wanted to write a fantasy novel series with me and that is where our fantasy books started.
Q.4 What is the most difficult thing about writing characters from the opposite sex?
A. As a young man I never study psychology so it is quite hard for me to take myself out of my persona as a male and put it into a female perspective, so I get help from my wife and my daughters.
Q.5 How do you develop your plots and characters? Do you use any set formula?
A. I am an ace pilot of flying by the seat of my pants on both of those. Characters first, who are they? Then a loose idea of a plot.
Q.6 Do you believe in writer’s block? If yes, how do you deal with it?
A. Yes, usually bourbon.
Q.7 What was the hardest part of writing this book?
A. Understanding just how and where to stop. We have so much more story to tell and finding a breaking spot was difficult.
Q.8 Imagine a future where you no longer write. What would you do?
A. Right, I really do not want to think about a post-apocalyptic nightmare scenario, unless I am writing about it.
Q.9 How many books have you written? Which one is your favorite?
A. Several…not all published…and as far as a favorite the one I am working on now is my favorite.
Q.10 Is it vital to get exposure and target the right readers for your writing, tell us about your marketing campaign?
A. I am the worst marketer ever. I use a shotgun and spatter approach…I shoot our name out everywhere and if someone takes to it they do. Our readers tend to find us by some miracle. I did hire a PR guy to market the Necromancer’s Song series.
Q.11 If you could be a member of any fantasy race, which would you choose and why?
A. Galafrayen the race of the time lords so I could go back and correct my life mistakes.
Q.12 What is one stereotype about fantasy writers is absolutely wrong? What one stereotype is dead on?
A. That is a question I am unable to answer with any honesty.
Q.4 What is the most difficult thing about writing characters from the opposite sex?
A. As a young man I never study psychology so it is quite hard for me to take myself out of my persona as a male and put it into a female perspective, so I get help from my wife and my daughters.
Q.5 How do you develop your plots and characters? Do you use any set formula?
A. I am an ace pilot of flying by the seat of my pants on both of those. Characters first, who are they? Then a loose idea of a plot.
Q.6 Do you believe in writer’s block? If yes, how do you deal with it?
A. Yes, usually bourbon.
Q.7 What was the hardest part of writing this book?
A. Understanding just how and where to stop. We have so much more story to tell and finding a breaking spot was difficult.
Q.8 Imagine a future where you no longer write. What would you do?
A. Right, I really do not want to think about a post-apocalyptic nightmare scenario, unless I am writing about it.
Q.9 How many books have you written? Which one is your favorite?
A. Several…not all published…and as far as a favorite the one I am working on now is my favorite.
Q.10 Is it vital to get exposure and target the right readers for your writing, tell us about your marketing campaign?
A. I am the worst marketer ever. I use a shotgun and spatter approach…I shoot our name out everywhere and if someone takes to it they do. Our readers tend to find us by some miracle. I did hire a PR guy to market the Necromancer’s Song series.
Q.11 If you could be a member of any fantasy race, which would you choose and why?
A. Galafrayen the race of the time lords so I could go back and correct my life mistakes.
Q.12 What is one stereotype about fantasy writers is absolutely wrong? What one stereotype is dead on?
A. That is a question I am unable to answer with any honesty.
Q.13 If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be?
A. Listen to people’s word of mouth and never read reviews often people who write reviews do not get or see the bigger picture.
Q.14 How do you describe your writing experience with Lori O’Gara? If you have different opinions on a particular situation, how did you resolve it?
A. Lori is my wife, my advocate, and my best friend; however, when we disagree about book content, I trust her as my first line editor. If some scene or situation is not needed in the books, she cuts it and I never publicly question her. We talk about it and move on to the next thing.
Q.15 Who designed your book cover? How do you select him/her?
A. For Travelers’ Song we hired a company and did not get to know the artist well. For all the others we hired Kellie at Kellie Arts.
Q.16 How do you select the name of your characters?
A. They just leap out of my head and onto the page. They introduce themselves to me.
Q.17 Do you read your book reviews? How do you deal with good or bad ones?
A. No I do not read reviews.
Q.18 Which famous person, living or dead would you like to meet and why?
A. Don Rickles for his ability to tell a story and cut you to the heart with wit and wisdom.
Q.19 What is your favorite book from other authors and why?
A. Remnants of Eden, my wife is currently writing. She will give me credit as a co-author because she is using my characters too, but honestly, it is a fantastic piece of her work.
Q.20 Share the experience of your journey so far?
A. I am not on the writing journey to get rich selling books. I write to remain sane. I often have a soundtrack of music running in my head with scenes of a story playing right along. If I do not get the story down, get it out of my head, I will pull it down inside myself and spend my time in my head. That is not a good thing.
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Website - https://the-ogaras.com/
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