Interviews
by Angela Bennet

A Few Words With Nate Kenyon

HW: Your novel BLOODSTONE was just released by Thomson Gale's Five Star line. First things first for people who aren't familiar with the book: what's BLOODSTONE all about?

NK: I like to call BLOODSTONE a cross between SALEM'S LOT and THE EXORCIST, two of my favorite novels. The story surrounds Billy Smith, an ex-con struggling to overcome his past and make up for his mistakes. Smith is haunted by visions and voices in his head, which compel him to kidnap a hooker named Angel, and he takes her up the coast to White Falls, Maine. Angel is having similar visions, dreams of the dead coming back from the grave, but neither one of them has been able to figure out exactly what these visions mean. The two decide to work together to discover what exactly has drawn them to White Falls- and for what purpose.

As with any writer, I've been influenced by what I loved as a reader. The creepy small-town feel of SALEM'S LOT really worked for me (I grew up in a small Maine town too). The idea of possession has always fascinated me as well. When my main character began to take shape-and he was really a tortured soul-it made sense for me to showcase his inner struggles by pitting him against some very literal demons.

Ultimately, BLOODSTONE is about a town with a deep and secret history filled with ghosts. It's about a man on a quest to redeem himself for the mistakes of his past-and another who is doomed to repeat the sins of his father. And (as strange as it may sound to those who read the book jacket) it's a love story, albeit a slightly twisted one.

HW: Your main character, Billy Smith, is a very complex guy. He's been a drunk, and he's been to jail for manslaughter. And yet he's a heroic figure.

NK: Yes. All heroes have that tragic flaw, and he's no different. Billy's flaw is a weakness for the bottle. But he's overcome that weakness, at least so he thinks, and he's trying to move on with his life. This is a guy who is essentially a kind-hearted, gentle soul, but who made a mistake and paid terribly for it. He's all the more sympathetic for having gone through that, and for having taken responsibility for his actions.

HW: But when we meet him in the prologue of Bloodstone, he's kidnapped a woman and is holding her against her will. And we don't know what he plans to do with her.

NK: That's right. This was what was so intriguing to me about writing the book. In the beginning I had this image of a man kidnapping a woman, hearing voices, that sort of thing-but what really got the plot going was when I started trying to figure out how to make this guy sympathetic. I wanted to see what it would take to make an initially unlikable character into a more heroic figure. How could I turn the tables? It seemed like the ultimate challenge for a writer, to make an audience see beyond that first (very bad) impression. To change their opinion. And of course, I had to make Angel come to care for him as well. Their relationship was one of the most difficult parts of the novel for me. It had to be believable, because it would serve as the focal point for the bombshell I was going to drop.

HW: And that bombshell-I won't give away anything here, because I don't want to spoil it for new readers-was that something you had worked into the plot from the very beginning?

NK: Pretty early on, actually. Not at the very beginning, but within the first third of writing the book, it fell into place. It's what the entire deeper plot string is based on-pull that out, and the rest falls apart. So I knew it was coming, and I set everything up around it. It was fun knowing the secret before the main characters found out-playing God, as writers do. I was actually anticipating their reaction in my head, which is when I know a story is really working. When the people become real to me.

HW: Switching gears: tell us how you ended up with a contract from Five Star.

NK: It's an interesting story. I wrote the first draft of Bloodstone years ago, back when I was writing more or less full time and struggling to make a name for myself. I'd gotten to know a guy named Ken Abner, who used to run Terminal Fright magazine (he published my first pro short story sale). Ken knew Ed Gorman, and he sent Ed some of my work for his opinion. Ed really liked it and sent it along to Leisure Books. They liked it too, but didn't have a spot in their schedule so nothing happened. At the time, I was getting burned out on the rejection line and making no money, so I made a move to Boston, started a full-time job, and got married. Ken was shipped overseas in the Army, and we lost touch. I stopped submitting my work, though I kept writing, and I never followed up with Leisure. I just went in a different direction with my life.

A few years later there I was with three young kids, a professional desk job and a house in the suburbs. Meanwhile I'd done nothing with my writing. I didn't want to let that go without taking one last shot, so I looked Ed Gorman up on the web and emailed him for advice. He responded that same day, bless his soul, and asked me to send him some of my work again. He forwarded the sample chapters of BLOODSTONE on to Tekno and Five Star, and they asked to see the whole manuscript. A few months later, they offered me a contract.

HW: So the moral for young writers is…?

NK: Don't give up. Don't be as thick-skulled as me: when you have a lead, keep on it and don't let it get away. Oh, and find yourself a guardian angel like Ed Gorman!

HW: BLOODSTONE has been receiving quite a bit of positive attention. That's some lineup of blurbs on the back cover.

NK: I've been really lucky. Publishers Weekly and Library Journal both gave positive reviews, with Library Journal calling it a "tale of classic horror." Some of my own favorite authors-Tim Lebbon, Doug Clegg, Brian Keene, Rick Hautala, Mort Castle-have been incredibly kind to me, reading early manuscripts or ARCs and offering great blurbs.

HW: And one particularly notable website as well…

NK: The one and only Horror World gave me a great review too, for which I'm thankful. Overall, I have to say that getting back into the horror community after a few years away has been incredibly easy. The Internet is an amazing resource for writers. There's an entire online world that didn't exist when I was first trying to break through 8-10 years ago. That makes it much simpler to make connections and form friendships within the genre. I feel like I've finally found a place where I belong, where I have more in common with others. The Shocklines message board is like a second home to me these days, and I love it.

HW: So what's next?

NK: I'll be touring a bit this spring for BLOODSTONE, which should be a lot of fun. Mostly New England locations, but I'll be at some of the cons too-World Horror, NECon, and Horrorfind, for example. I'll have all the dates and locations on my website, natekenyon.com-there are lots of other fun features on there too, and I'll be adding more free fiction, flash games and running contests throughout the summer.

If BLOODSTONE does well, there's the possibility of a trade or mass-market deal, but I can't say much about that now.

I've got a bit of short fiction out there under consideration, and I hope to have some good news on that front soon. I'm also currently shopping around a new novel, and I'm really excited about this one. It's tighter, faster and I think it will appeal to an even larger audience. We'll see what happens. I'd like to thank everyone who has supported me so far. I hope horror and suspense readers will give BLOODSTONE a try. I think they're going to enjoy the ride.