Set in the Appalachian Mountains along the Unegama River, this story focuses around two disparate groups of people. First is the group of rafters led by Bowie Whitlock. ProVentures needed a group of mostly seasoned athletes/outdoors men to test their new line of rafts on some of the nastiest rapids in the US, and who better to lead them than someone who grew up rafting on that same body of water. Robert Raintree, who is connected through the company by endorsments, is also 1/2 Cherokee Indian and is hopeful to follow in the paths of his ancestors and try and find his Spirit Guide...through the help of some modern pharmaceuticals he keeps in his "medicine bag". Lane is the lone "suit" of the group, sent by ProVentures to plug the products and use all of the necessary slogans for advertising purposes. CA McKay is an accomplished cyclist invited to help boost the publicity as he is well known around the world (comparable to Lance Armstrong). Dove, the only female in the group is the seasoned photographer/journalist with extensive outdoor experience, sent to document their journey each step of the way. Finally, Farrengalli is the arrogant, loud mouthed New Yorker who won the opportunity to join the group due to a reality show contest he won. Each member of the team has obvious strengths and weaknesses, but Bowie is confident that he can get them to work together at least long enough to get through the rapids and collect their money and bonuses.

We also have Robert Wayne "Ace" Goodall, also known as the 'Bama Bomber. Notorious for his abortion clinic bombings he has taken his latest groupie and co-conspirator Clara and decided to hide out in the mountains hoping for a "sign from God" as to what they should do next. He isn't aware that he is being tracked by Agents Castle and Stamford, one looking for something to boost his failing career, and the other still wet behind the ears. The FBI agents are somewhat reluctant to be there as they don't believe he is in the woods at all, but need to investigate as there is a small chance he is, and they can not let him get away again.

Both groups also aren't aware of the creatures that they will soon meet..dark angels to Ace, who is a religious fanatic, but terrifying creatures to the rest "the face was humanoid, but the bald, blunt dome of skull descended to a sharp, bony chin. The eyes were large and milky, with no pupils, as though the creatures had no use for vision." It seems at first as if we are dealing with a species of creature that has been buried for ages, just recently released thanks to some powerful explosives that Ace has used. But as the story unfolds you realize that these creatures might not have been buried all along, just dismissed as folklore along with Bigfoot, Chupacabra and The Loch Ness Monster. People go missing in the Appalachian Mountains every year, and due to the fact that it is days to civilization, with rapid waters, and sharp inclines, it is only natural that accidents can happen...but what if these disappearances have nothing to do with nature, and everything to do with the creatures that hunger for blood?

I am not one for giving away too much of the plot...doesn't leave too much to the imagination that way. What I will say is that, although the creatures themselves are quite gruesome, the real story is around the characters themselves. Mr. Nicholson has truly mastered how to engage the reader with his ability to weave the story and involve all of the emotions of his characters, and really these are the most suspenseful areas of the story. Don't get me wrong, the creatures are enough to make you think twice about going into the wilderness. He truly is a master of the human psyche, and it was a pleasure being able to read such a fresh take on suspense and horror. I can't wait to add another of his books to my collection.

 

 

1. I know some authors have "rituals" they follow when a book is finished.  Do you do anything special to celebrate the completion of a novel?

Well, I usually don't write anything else that day. Often I'll let something sit and stew in its own juices for a week or two while I work on something else, then I'll look back over it when I've had some
distance. If I actually get a publisher's check, I'll treat myself to a music CD or eat out with my daughter. Usually by the time a book is finished, I'm ready to bust because of a couple of other new ideas,
so I just start something else.

 

2. I see that you have had your writing rejected numerous times.  How did you keep your head up and continue to submit your work?

I sensed then what I still sense today: nobody will ever care about my work or fight for it with as much passion as I do. Editors, agents, publishers, critics, and even readers come and go, but I have to fight that battle with the blank page myself. I have to summon all my passion and skills and tell what burns in me. I have to be dedicated to a lifetime of learning the craft. The only writers I know who didn't succeed were those who quit.

 

3.  Do you have any authors that you feel don't get the recognition they deserve (present company excluded of course)?

Well, I get more attention than I deserve, so I can't complain. I've felt Dale Bailey, Deborah LeBlanc, Joe Schreiber, and Alexandra Sokoloff should be really huge names in the horror genre, but there's still too much of a fixation on Koontz, King, Rice, and Barker. I can't blame the publishers, because branding is very difficult in this business, and once you have a brand, you should milk it for all it's worth. This is a really tough business--and note that I separate
business from the art and craft of writing.

4.  When you decided to write They Hunger, what made you decide to have the creatures be vampire-like?

That's funny. My editor had wanted a vampire book because vampires are a "brand" that's easy to market. I just finished a movie script adaptation and I made the creatures something else. In the novel, they are only called "vampires" for convenience, so I enhanced
the gargoyle element. The vampire label is both good and bad. It's an easy handle but then you get so much tired baggage you're dragging around. So "vampire-like" is probably about the best description
I've heard. Thanks!