What happens when a man whose entire life is built around separating fact from fiction can no longer tell the difference? In this episode, host Terry Shepherd interviews sociologist-turned-fiction-author Todd Brown about his newest psychological thriller, Anna So Knows 'Ya. Brown discusses his transition from writing nonfiction to exploring the terrifying, uncertain territory of the human mind. The novel follows John Simmons, a crime reporter whose reality destabilizes when a mysterious man in a dark hat begins appearing at the edges of his life, leaving John to wonder if he is uncovering a story or disappearing inside one.

Topics discussed in this episode include:

• The Anatomy of Paranoia: How human discomfort with randomness and the compulsion to invent patterns out of fear drive the story's psychological dread.
• Neurodivergence and Interpretation: Brown shares his personal experience living on the autism spectrum, which inspired his exploration of intent versus literal interpretation in the dynamic between characters John and Anna.
• Grief as a Lens: How the gray, unpredictable nature of grief alters John's perception of reality and dictates his responses to the world around him.
• The Craft of Writing: Brown explains his character-driven approach to plotting, the challenge of writing a structurally opposite book to his debut novel, When Shadows Burn, and how his wife acts as his most brutally honest daily editor.
• Balancing Horror and Humor: Why psychological horror provides the leeway to explore the liminal space between reality and the unknown, and why injecting humor is essential for balancing tension.

Brown intentionally wrote Anna So Knows 'Ya as a broader commentary on society, hoping to challenge readers to reflect on how labels, words, and actions ripple outward to affect how we treat one another.

Discover more about Todd Brown's work and his novels at toddbrownwrites.com.

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