Books and Banter: Brian Halsey ~ 2nd guest post and his novel ~ Snake Oil Salesman of the Week

TITLE: Snake Oil Salesman of the Week

RELEASE DATE: May 30, 2017

AUTHOR: Brian Halsey

CATEGORIES: Dark Comedy / Modern Folklore / Horror

PAGE COUNT: 106

ISBN: 978-1544111216

IMPRINT: Dark Serpent

BOOK PAGE: http://ravenswoodpublishing.com/bookpages/snakeoilsalesmanoftheweek.html

KEYWORDS: entertaining, bizarre, enthralling, dark, comical, violent, redemptive, heroic, legendary, mystical

ONE LINER:

Andy James is a pompous jerk on a quest for artistic greatness. Only the Devil stands in his way, and he could care less.

SYNOPSIS:

Andy James is an artist, a fighter, and a big time a-hole from the small town of Tuckerton, New Jersey. While in pursuit of artistic greatness, James comes across a shapeshifting (Jersey) Devil during a chance encounter in the isolated Pine Barrens. Confident to a fault, Andy James believes he can get the best of the Devil, but unfortunately loses his soul in the process. Suffering from a carnivorous rage that is a product of the Devil’s sourcery, James goes on a mission to find his evil nemesis. The grueling hunt leaves Andy beaten and taunted by the supernatural and human beings that surround him. With time running out, Andy’s fortune begins to turn when he discovers a loophole in his soulless existence. Armed with sacred knowledge and endless bravado, Andy James returns to the wilderness for a showdown against the most ancient evil known to mankind.

GUEST POST:
I have always been a very active / adventurous person. Climbing up a mountain or down a canyon, swimming in the ocean or trekking across frozen terrain, I’m captivated by every season nature sends my way. I am a husband, a father of two, and live a very happy life. Being domesticated doesn’t eliminate adventure, it alters it; often enhancing while occasionally destroying it (with an ill timed temper tantrum or 7 pm curfew).

As an English teacher, I am fortunate to have time off in the summer to spend with my family. However, in recent years I have come to loathe the hours when my children are asleep and my wife is at work. That sounds crazy right? Shouldn’t I just relax? I can’t. So in the summer of 2015 I decided to write a book (Of Gods & Gators). It wasn’t my first choice, but apparently learning to play guitar or starting a competitive drinking team aren’t reasonable hobbies for a man standing guard over his sleeping children. I released it as an Ebook in early 2016 and knew I was at the beginning of a different adventure in my life.

I love writing fiction. It is total freedom over your entertainment. I began to write Snake Oil Salesman of the Week immediately after Of Gods & Gators. It is by no means a sequel, but there are some recurring characters and themes. Around the time I was beginning Snake Oil Salesman of the Week, my brother (Peter Halsey) who has a Master’s Degree in Fine Art, was experimenting with unique blends and textures of paint to give his art a different aesthetic. It was very interesting to me, because I have been watching him paint his entire life, but I’ve never really watched him paint. I’ll stop by the studio to bullshit, and I certainly go to check out the work once it’s finished, but I never payed much attention to the process. I was amazed by his intensity and focus. He was like a mad scientist. All this, combined with the fact that I needed an anti-hero to battle the Jersey Devil, and it was a done deal.

When I realized I had discovered the perfect character, I didn’t bother to tell him. I already knew what I was working with; a wild card, an asshole, and above all the best dude I have ever met in my entire life. The story poured out of me. Once the summer ended I didn’t necessarily have the time to write, but I made the time. I’d wake up early or I’d stay up late. When I was finally done I had exactly what I wanted. A story that bounced back and forth between the darkness and the light in the right proportions to keep you hooked from start to finish. Deeply rooted in the folklore of my hometown (Tuckerton, New Jersey), using some of my favorite haunts in the setting, I had something that I was truly proud to have written. The publication process for Snake Oil Salesman of the Week has allowed me stop and reflect on an experience I will carry with me forever. When you read it, you will understand.

AUTHOR BIO:

Brian Halsey is an American Literature teacher from New Jersey. He enjoys reading, writing, art and leg dropping people from the top ropes. You can find Halsey climbing mountains, swimming in oceans, and teaching his children to launch perfectly crafted snowballs. He believes in crisp high fives and the power of positivity. He is the type of dude who yells ‘KOBE’ every time he shoots a basketball. The release of his 2016 Ebook (Of Gods & Gators) earned him several million dollars, which he quickly squandered on a high risk ‘Time Machine’ investment. Brian Halsey is set to return in 2017 with Snake Oil Salesman of the Week, a unique blend of horror and comedy. You can find him on the internets for updates and (un)professional tips on how to powerbomb your enemies into oblivion.

AUTHOR LINKS:

Instagram > http://www.instagram.com/halseyfromthetopropes