BooksChatter: ℚ♫ Hellrider

Today we have the pleasure of meeting up with author J.G. Faherty to talk about Hellrider (22 August 2019, Flame Tree Press, 288 pages), a Horror.

“Hellrider is a thunder and muscle hell ride through dangerous territory. Fun, wicked, and unrelenting. A horror thriller that breaks the rules and the speed limit at the same time.” - Jonathan Maberry, New York Times bestselling author

|| Synopsis || Teaser: KCR Preview || Author Q&A || About the Author || Tour Stops ||

A very warm welcome to JG Faherty; thank you for joining us on BooksChatter!

Here at BooksChatter we love music, so we begin with a playlist of songs by Charred Walls of the Damned which are featured in Hellrider - enjoy!

What was the inspiration for Hellrider?

"I get a lot of my ideas while watching TV or movies, or listening to music. It will usually be a ‘what if this happened?’ kind of thing. In the case of Hellrider, it was while I was talking to someone about the TV show “Sons of Anarchy,” and I made an offhand remark about how cool it would be if one of the dead bikers came back to life.

And that thought stuck with me. And I kept imagining this evil ghost out for revenge, and a picture came to me, sort of a cross between Eddie from the Iron Maiden album covers and the cover of Judas Priest’s Painkiller.
From there, I knew it had to have a real heavy metal theme."

How much of yourself is reflected in this book, and how?

"Other than a love of heavy metal, very little. Some of my other novels have had larger parts of me in them, but in this case other than the music aspect, and my familiarity with the Everglades of Florida (I’ve spent a lot of time there), not a lot."

The first thing that draws me to a book is its cover. Can you tell us about your cover for Hellrider - why you chose that concept and who the artist is.

"I had the concept for the cover in mind before I even finished the outline of the book. I wanted it to be totally crazy and nasty, like Eddie from Iron Maiden or the bike rider on Judas Priest’s Painkiller album cover.

When I started working with Flame Tree’s editing and marketing teams, I sent them some of my ideas for the cover, and when it came back, I absolutely fell in love with it. The artist is Nik Keevil, and he did an amazing job of capturing what I had in mind."

Why should we read Hellrider and what sets it apart from the rest? What makes your book unique?

"Why should you read it? Well, it’s a damn good book! In my mind, it’s a crazy supernatural thriller filled with mayhem, surprises, and dark comedy. It’s also a love story. So there is something for everyone. As a writer, I always try to accomplish two things: Entertain the reader and create emotional responses. Those might be fear, excitement, sadness, etc. I think (and my advance readers seem to agree) that Hellrider delivers on both fronts.

What sets me apart from the rest? Well, every writer has their own style. I think I do a good job of keeping the reader on the edge of their seat, without a lot of fluff, although I’m not nearly as lean with my writing as someone like Elmore Leonard. I would count myself in the same class as Brian Keene, Joe Hill, Stephen King, or Joe R. Lansdale in that I’m kind of the common man of writing – my style is casual and authentic."

Can you tell us something quirky about Hellrider, its story and characters?

"I think the coolest thing was that some of the lyrics the main character sings are from the actual heavy metal band Charred Walls of the Damned. Their singer/drummer, Richard Christy, is a big horror fan, and he not only gave me a blurb for this book but also allowed me to use some of their songs.

Aside from that, there are a couple of scenes where characters are eating ‘gator bites,’ which happen to be a real thing in Florida and New Orleans (and they’re delicious)."

Who would you recommend Hellrider to and what should readers be aware of (any warnings or disclaimers)?

"I’d recommend it to anyone who loves heavy metal, is fan of grindhouse movies, and who has a dark sense of humor. Obviously it’s horror, but it’s more of a supernatural thriller designed to keep you speeding along like a Harley than a book that’s going to scare the pants off you.

As for warnings, I’d say that if you don’t like violence, this isn’t the book for you. People get beat up, people get killed. It’s not a gore fest, but this is all about revenge among some very violent people. I wouldn’t recommend it for anyone under the age of 14."

If you could / wished to turn Hellrider into a movie, who would be your dream team?

"Oh, that’s easy! It’d be Tarantino and/or Robert Rodriguez directing.

It’d be set in the swamps of Florida, in the height of a hot, sweaty summer. Eddie would be played by Bill Skarsgard, the guy who plays Pennywise the Clown in the new IT movie. And Charred Walls of the Damned would do the music."

What do you like to write and read about? Do you stick to a particular genre or do you like to explore different ones?

"Although I generally stick to dark fiction/horror, it’s not so easy to categorize. I’ve done YA paranormal romance, science fiction, straight up horror, urban horror, and supernatural thrillers. I guess if I had to give it 1 name, it’d be dark fiction with a supernatural twist.

What do I like to read? Horror, sci-fi, YA paranormal, and science-based non-fiction, particularly herpetology, anthropology, and paleontology."

What is your writing process?

"Slow, much to the annoyance of my editor, Don D’Auria! I think I have a bit of ADHD when it comes to writing, because often I find it difficult to stick to 1 project at a time.

Typically, I write from 7 to 8:30 each weekday morning, and then again from 5pm to 6pm. On weekends, I write from about 7 to 9:30 in the morning and that’s it. And if I get stuck on something, I’ll put it aside for a few days and work on something else, then go back to the main project with a clear head.

I also have a habit of editing as I go, because I can’t write chapter 10 if I know that there’s something wrong in chapter 5! Still, I manage to produce a novel and several short stories or novellas a year."

What is in store next?

"My next book after this one is called Sins of the Father and it’s also coming out from Flame Tree Press, sometime next year. That one is more traditional horror, a Lovecraftian tale with some Frankenstein mythos thrown in.

And I’m working on another novel now, which I really can’t hint at other than to say it involves demons and ghosts."

And as a final quirky thing, to get to know you a little bit better... do you have a pet or something that is special to you that you could share with us?

"Yes, we have a dog we rescued a couple of years ago. He’s 10, and his name is Bruno. He’s a gentle giant, 95 pounds of pure love."

"I also have a rescue snake, a Ball Python named Severus."

Wow! Bruno and Severus, you are both gorgeous! Lots of head-scratches to both of you from all of us at BooksChatter!

JG, thank you for sharing Bruno and Severus with us; we hope you are having a great tour and look forward to reading Hellrider!

Burned alive by bikers. Back from the dead and violently insane. Eddie Ryder is ghost out for revenge, and no one is safe from his deadly plans.